Numeri 14:26 (Numbers 14:26)

Posted on May 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 14:26 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen et Aaron, dicens:

And the LORD spoke to Moyses and Aaron, saying:

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Locutusque And having spoken PTCP.NOM.SG.M.PERF.DEP+CONJ
2 est he was 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 Dominus the LORD NOM.SG.M
4 ad to PREP+ACC
5 Moysen Moses ACC.SG.M
6 et and CONJ
7 Aaron Aaron ACC.SG.M.INDECL
8 dicens saying PTCP.NOM.SG.M.PRES.ACT

Syntax

Main Clause: Dominus is the subject, referring to YHWH, and Locutusque est forms the deponent verbal expression, meaning “and he spoke.”
Prepositional Phrase: ad Moysen et Aaron indicates the recipients of the speech, governed by ad with the accusative.
Participial Phrase: dicens introduces the direct speech that follows and functions adverbially with the main verbal action.

Morphology

  1. Locutusque — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: Verb participle with enclitic conjunction; Form: Perfect deponent participle nominative masculine singular with enclitic -que; Function: Part of the compound deponent verbal expression with est; Translation: and having spoken; Notes: The verb is deponent, passive in form but active in meaning, and the attached -que links the action smoothly to the preceding narrative.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular present active indicative; Function: Auxiliary verb completing the perfect deponent construction with Locutusque; Translation: he was; Notes: With the perfect participle Locutusque, it forms the sense “and he spoke.”
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative masculine singular, second declension; Function: Subject of Locutusque est; Translation: the LORD; Notes: Here Dominus refers to YHWH and is therefore translated as “LORD.”
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Preposition governing the accusative; Function: Introduces the recipients of divine speech; Translation: to; Notes: The preposition marks direction toward the persons addressed.
  5. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative masculine singular; Function: Object of the preposition ad; Translation: Moyses; Notes: The accusative form appears because ad governs the accusative case.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating conjunction; Function: Joins Moysen and Aaron as recipients of the speech; Translation: and; Notes: The conjunction coordinates the two named addressees equally.
  7. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative masculine singular indeclinable; Function: Second object of the preposition ad; Translation: Aaron; Notes: The name is treated as indeclinable in Latin form but functions syntactically as accusative after ad.
  8. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb participle; Form: Present active participle nominative masculine singular, third conjugation; Function: Adverbial participle introducing the content of speech; Translation: saying; Notes: The participle prepares the reader for the direct words that follow.

 

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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