Leviticus 25:1

Posted on April 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

1 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen in monte Sinai, dicens:

And the LORD spoke to Moyses on Mount Sinai, saying:

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Locutusque and having spoken PERF.PTCP.NOM.SG.M.DEP
2 est he is 3SG.PRES.IND.ACT
3 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M.2ND.DECL
4 ad to PREP+ACC
5 Moysen Moyses ACC.SG.M.3RD.DECL
6 in on PREP+ABL
7 monte mount ABL.SG.M.3RD.DECL
8 Sinai Sinai INDECL
9 dicens saying PRES.PTCP.NOM.SG.M.ACT

Syntax

Main Clause: Dominus as Subject + locutus est as finite verbal expression of completed speech.
Indirect Object: ad Moysen marking the recipient of the speech.
Locative Phrase: in monte Sinai indicating the place where the speech occurs.
Participial Expansion: dicens introducing the forthcoming content of divine speech.

Morphology

  1. Locutusque — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: deponent verb with enclitic conjunction; Form: perfect participle nominative singular masculine with enclitic -que; Function: combines with est to express a completed act of speaking and links the clause to the prior narrative; Translation: and having spoken; Notes: The participle carries perfect aspect while -que marks close narrative continuation.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present indicative active; Function: auxiliary completing the periphrastic perfect with locutus; Translation: is; Notes: Though present in form it contributes to a past completed sense through combination with the perfect participle.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine second declension; Function: subject of the verbal expression; Translation: the LORD; Notes: Rendered as LORD to indicate reference to YHWH.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: marks direction toward the addressee; Translation: to; Notes: Commonly used with verbs of speaking to indicate the recipient.
  5. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine third declension; Function: object of the preposition ad; Translation: Moyses; Notes: The accusative form reflects the Greek-style inflection of the name in Latin biblical usage.
  6. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: expresses location; Translation: on; Notes: With the ablative it denotes place where rather than motion.
  7. monte — Lemma: mons; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine third declension; Function: object of in specifying location; Translation: mount; Notes: Establishes the geographical setting of the divine speech.
  8. Sinai — Lemma: Sinai; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: identifies monte as Mount Sinai; Translation: Sinai; Notes: Functions appositionally to specify the mountain by name.
  9. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present participle nominative singular masculine; Function: introduces the forthcoming words spoken by the LORD; Translation: saying; Notes: Signals the transition from narrative description to direct or indirect 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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