Exodus 40:1

Posted on March 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 40:1 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:

And the LORD, having spoken, to Moyses, saying:

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

Syntax

Main Clause: Dominus (Subject) + est locutus (Verb phrase: perfect periphrastic)
Phrase: ad Moysen — prepositional phrase marking the addressee
Supplementary Construction: dicens — circumstantial participle introducing divine speech

Morphology

  1. Locutusque — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: expresses prior completed action by the subject; Translation: having spoken and; Notes: enclitic -que supplies connective force.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular present active indicative; Function: auxiliary forming periphrastic perfect; Translation: is; Notes: completes the perfect meaning with locutus.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine 2nd declension; Function: subject; Translation: LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH in this verse.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: marks direction of speech; Translation: to; Notes: commonly used with verbs of speaking.
  5. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine 3rd declension; Function: object of ad; Translation: Moses; Notes: Greek/Latin form of Hebrew Moshe.
  6. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: introduces divine speech; Translation: saying; Notes: normal participial bridge to following quotation.

 

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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