Leviticus 24:1

Posted on April 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 24:1 Et locutus est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:

And the LORD spoke to Moyses, saying:

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

Syntax

Main Clause: Dominus (Subject) + locutus est (Finite verbal idea: perfect deponent “spoke”).

Indirect Object / Direction: ad Moysen — prepositional phrase indicating the one addressed.

Accompanying Participle: dicens — participle introducing what is spoken (“saying”), functioning as a discourse introducer for following direct speech.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable coordinating conjunction; Function: links this clause to the prior narrative unit; Translation: and; Notes: often carries simple continuation, keeping the narrative moving.
  2. locutus — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: verb (deponent) participle; Form: perfect participle nominative masculine singular; Function: with est forms the perfect deponent predicate (“spoke”); Translation: having spoken / spoke; Notes: deponent form is passive in shape but active in meaning; the participle supplies the lexical action.
  3. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present indicative; Function: auxiliary with locutus to form the perfect deponent tense; Translation: is / has; Notes: though present in form, it yields a perfect sense together with the perfect participle.
  4. Dominus — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative masculine singular, second declension; Function: subject of locutus est; Translation: the LORD; Notes: capitalized as “LORD” here because it refers to YHWH in the standard Vulgate narrative formula.
  5. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the accusative; Function: marks the direction/target of speech; Translation: to; Notes: commonly used with verbs of motion or communication to indicate the one addressed.
  6. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative masculine singular, third declension (Greek-type name); Function: object of the preposition ad; Translation: Moyses; Notes: accusative in –en reflects a Hellenizing/Greek accusative pattern preserved in Latin biblical onomastics.
  7. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb participle; Form: present active participle nominative masculine singular; Function: supplements the main verb, introducing the content of speech that follows; Translation: saying; Notes: frequently used as a formulaic hinge into direct discourse, even when the quotation itself begins in the next clause.

 

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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