Leviticus 4:1

Posted on April 4, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 4:1 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:

And the LORD spoke to Moyses, saying:

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Locutusque and spoke VERB, PERF.PTCP.DEP.NOM.SG.M + ENCLITIC -QUE
2 est he was VERB, 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 Dominus the LORD NOUN, NOM.SG.M, 2ND DECL
4 ad to PREP+ACC
5 Moysen Moses NOUN, ACC.SG.M, INDECL
6 dicens saying VERB, PRES.PTCP.ACT.NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Locutusque est Dominus — periphrastic construction using perfect participle + est indicating completed divine speech-action.
Prepositional Phrase: ad Moysen — identifies the recipient of the divine communication.
Participial Expansion: dicens — introduces the forthcoming quotation or command.

Morphology

  1. Locutusque — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect participle deponent nominative singular masculine with enclitic -que; Function: part of periphrastic verb phrase; Translation: and spoke; Notes: deponent verb forming the perfect with sum.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: auxiliary verb completing the periphrastic perfect; Translation: he was; Notes: required to complete the deponent perfect.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: the LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH and must be translated “LORD.”
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: marks direction or recipient; Translation: to; Notes: common marker for address.
  5. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine indeclinable; Function: object of ad; Translation: Moses; Notes: Hebraism preserved in Latin spelling.
  6. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: introduces indirect discourse; Translation: saying; Notes: formula preparing for a divine command.

 

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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