Leviticus 23:26

Posted on April 23, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 23:26 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:

And the LORD spoke to Moyses, saying:

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Locutusque and spoke NOM.SG.M.PTCP.PERF.DEP
2 est 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 — narrative formula using a perfect deponent construction to introduce divine speech.
Recipient Phrase: ad Moysen — prepositional phrase identifying Moses as the addressee.
Speech Introduction: dicens — present participle opening the ensuing direct discourse.

Morphology

  1. Locutusque — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: Verb (perfect participle, deponent) with enclitic conjunction; Form: nominative masculine singular perfect participle deponent; Function: verbal predicate with auxiliary; Translation: “and having spoken”; Notes: Fixed Vulgate introductory formula, with -que linking to the previous context.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: auxiliary verb; Translation: “was”; Notes: Combines with locutus to form a perfect sense.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: subject; Translation: “the LORD”; Notes: Renders the Tetragrammaton, indicating YHWH as the speaker.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: direction/recipient; Translation: “to”; Notes: Introduces the recipient of the speech.
  5. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: accusative masculine singular; Function: object of ad; Translation: “Moses”; Notes: Prophet and mediator of the law.
  6. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb (present participle); Form: nominative masculine singular present active participle; Function: supplementary participle; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Signals that direct divine speech 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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