Numeri 6:1 (Numbers 6:1)

Posted on May 3, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 6:1 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:

And the LORD spoke to Moyses, saying:

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

Syntax

Main Clause: Dominus is the grammatical subject. Locutusque est forms the main verbal expression, a deponent perfect built with participle plus auxiliary, meaning “spoke” or more literally “has spoken,” with -que linking the clause to what precedes.

Object(s): There is no direct object in the main clause. ad Moysen is a prepositional phrase marking the addressee toward whom the speech is directed.

Phrase: ad Moysen functions adverbially, specifying the recipient of the divine speech.

Participial Phrase: dicens is a circumstantial participle agreeing with the subject Dominus and introducing the content of the speech that follows.

Morphology

  1. Locutusque — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: verb; Form: nominative singular masculine perfect deponent participle with enclitic conjunction -que; Function: forms part of the compound perfect verbal expression with est, while -que connects the clause to the previous statement; Translation: and having spoken; Notes: Although participial in form, it works idiomatically with est to express the completed action “spoke.”
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: auxiliary verb completing the deponent perfect construction with Locutusque; Translation: is; Notes: In this construction its present form supports a past perfective sense when joined to the perfect participle.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, second declension; Function: subject of the main clause; Translation: the LORD; Notes: Here Dominus refers to YHWH and is therefore rendered “LORD” according to the established convention.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: indeclinable preposition governing the accusative; Function: introduces the addressee of the speech; Translation: to; Notes: The preposition marks direction toward a person, a natural choice for verbs of speaking in biblical Latin narrative.
  5. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, indeclinable Greek-form name treated with accusative ending in this context; Function: object of the preposition ad; Translation: Moyses; Notes: The name identifies the human recipient of revelation and is a standard Vulgate form for Moses.
  6. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: nominative singular masculine present active participle; Function: circumstantial participle introducing the forthcoming direct discourse; Translation: saying; Notes: This participle is very common in biblical narrative as a formal marker that speech content immediately follows.

 

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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