Leviticus 19:1

Posted on April 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 19:1 Locutus est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:

The LORD spoke to Moyses, saying:

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

Syntax

Main Clause: Dominus (subject) + Locutus est (finite verbal idea expressed by perfect deponent participle + auxiliary)

Object / Complement: ad Moysen (prepositional phrase indicating addressee)

Participial Addition: dicens (supplementary participle introducing the content of speech)

Morphology

  1. Locutus — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: participle (deponent verb); Form: nominative masculine singular perfect participle; Function: forms the verbal core with est to express completed speech; Translation: having spoken / spoke; Notes: deponent form with active meaning, commonly used with sum to make a perfect tense equivalent.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb (auxiliary); Form: third person singular present indicative active; Function: auxiliary completing the perfect deponent construction with Locutus; Translation: is / has; Notes: with a perfect deponent participle, est helps express a completed past action in idiomatic Latin.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative masculine singular second declension; Function: subject of Locutus est; Translation: LORD; Notes: rendered “LORD” here because it refers to YHWH as the speaking divine agent.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the accusative; Function: introduces the addressee phrase; Translation: to; Notes: commonly marks direction toward a person, often used for speech addressed to someone.
  5. Moysen — Lemma:Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative masculine singular third declension; Function: object of the preposition ad, identifying the recipient of speech; Translation: Moses; Notes: Greek-origin name with Latinized declension; the accusative aligns with ad.
  6. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative masculine singular present participle active; Function: supplementary participle modifying Dominus, introducing the act of speaking and anticipating the quoted content; Translation: saying; Notes: often functions like “and said,” especially in biblical narrative style.

 

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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