Numeri 15:1 (Numbers 15:1)

Posted on May 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 15:1 Locutus est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:

The LORD spoke to Moyses, saying:

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Locutus having spoken PTCP.NOM.SG.M.PERF.DEP
2 est he is 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 PTCP.NOM.SG.M.PRES.ACT

Syntax

Main Clause: Locutus est Dominus forms the verbal core, with Dominus as subject and a periphrastic perfect verb.

Prepositional Phrase: ad Moysen indicates the recipient of the speech.

Participial Phrase: dicens introduces the content of the speech that follows.

Morphology

  1. Locutus — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: Verb participle; Form: Perfect deponent participle nominative masculine singular; Function: Part of periphrastic perfect; Translation: having spoken; Notes: Deponent verb with active meaning, forming the perfect tense with est.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular present active indicative; Function: Auxiliary verb; Translation: he is; Notes: Combines with Locutus to form the perfect tense.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative masculine singular; Function: Subject; Translation: the LORD; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing accusative; Function: Introduces indirect object; Translation: to; Notes: Indicates direction toward a person.
  5. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative masculine singular; Function: Object of ad; Translation: Moyses; Notes: Recipient of speech.
  6. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb participle; Form: Present active participle nominative masculine singular; Function: Introduces direct speech; Translation: saying; Notes: Indicates continuation of 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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