Numeri 5:5 (Numbers 5:5)

Posted on May 2, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 5’5 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:

And the LORD spoke to Moyses, saying:

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Locutusque and having spoken PTCP.PERF.NOM.SG.M
2 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
4 ad to PREP+ACC
5 Moysen Moses ACC.SG.M
6 dicens saying PTCP.PRES.NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Locutusque est forms the main verb phrase, with Dominus as the subject. The enclitic -que connects this clause to the preceding narrative.

Phrase: ad Moysen is a prepositional phrase indicating the indirect object or direction of speech.

Participle Clause: dicens functions as a participial clause introducing the content of the speech that follows.

Morphology

  1. Locutusque — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: verb (deponent participle); Form: perfect participle nominative singular masculine with enclitic conjunction -que; Function: part of the periphrastic verb with est; Translation: and having spoken; Notes: deponent verb with active meaning, the enclitic -que links to prior narrative.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: auxiliary verb forming perfect tense with Locutus; Translation: is; Notes: with the participle, it yields the sense “has spoken” or “spoke.”
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: subject of the main verb; Translation: LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH, thus rendered in all caps.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: takes the accusative; Function: introduces the indirect object phrase; Translation: to; Notes: indicates direction toward a person.
  5. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, 3rd declension; Function: object of ad; Translation: Moyses; Notes: the recipient of divine speech.
  6. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb (participle); Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine, 3rd conjugation; Function: participial clause introducing direct discourse; Translation: saying; Notes: commonly used in narrative to introduce quoted speech.

 

About Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Born around 346 A.D. in Stridon, St. Jerome was a scholar fluent in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew whose ascetic discipline and deep engagement with Scripture prepared him for a monumental task: translating the Bible into Latin. Commissioned by Pope Damasus I around 382 A.D., Jerome began by revising the flawed Old Latin Gospels, then expanded his work to the entire Bible. For the New Testament, he corrected Latin texts using Greek manuscripts; for the Old Testament, he translated most books directly from Hebrew—a controversial but principled choice. His final Psalter, however, followed the Greek Septuagint tradition for liturgical use. This composite translation, later known as the Vulgate (editio vulgata), became the authoritative biblical text of the Western Church, formally endorsed at the Council of Trent in 1546. The Vulgate’s influence extends beyond theology into textual criticism and Latin education. As one of the earliest translations grounded in original-language scholarship, it offers a vital witness to the state of biblical texts in late antiquity. Jerome’s lexical and syntactic decisions are studied to trace manuscript history and assess variant readings. Its elegant Latin, consistent in grammar and rich in vocabulary, became a model for medieval and Renaissance learning, bridging classical and ecclesiastical Latin. More than a translation, the Vulgate helped define Christian doctrine, preserved the Latin language, and laid essential groundwork for the critical study of Scripture—remaining indispensable to students of Latin, theology, and textual history.
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