Leviticus 23:1

Posted on April 23, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 23:1 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.PTCP.PERF.DEP+CONJ
2 est he is / was 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.PTCP.PRES.ACT

Syntax

Main Clause: Locutusque est Dominus — periphrastic perfect using a deponent participle with est.
Indirect Object: ad Moysen — recipient of divine speech.
Participial Expansion: dicens — introduces the content of the ensuing divine address.

Morphology

  1. Locutusque — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: Verb (perfect participle, deponent, with enclitic conjunction); Form: nominative masculine singular perfect participle deponent; Function: forms the verbal idea with est; Translation: “and having spoken”; Notes: The enclitic -que coordinates this clause with the preceding context.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: auxiliary verb; Translation: “he is / was”; Notes: Completes the periphrastic perfect with locutus.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: subject; Translation: “the LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH as the speaker.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: direction toward; Translation: “to”; Notes: Marks the addressee of speech.
  5. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: accusative masculine singular; Function: object of ad; Translation: “Moses”; Notes: Covenant mediator.
  6. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb (present participle active); Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: participial modifier of Dominus; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces direct divine 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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