Numeri 20:7 (Numbers 20:7)

Posted on May 17, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 20:7 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:

And the LORD spoke to Moyses, saying:

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

Syntax

Main Clause: Locutusque est Dominus forms a perfect deponent verbal construction with Dominus as the subject.

Subject: Dominus functions as the divine speaker and is translated as “LORD” because it refers to YHWH.

Phrase: ad Moysen functions as a directional prepositional phrase identifying the recipient of the divine speech.

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

Morphology

  1. Locutusque — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine perfect deponent participle with enclitic conjunction; Function: part of compound perfect deponent construction with est; Translation: “and having spoken”; Notes: the deponent form has active meaning, and the enclitic -que connects the divine speech to the preceding manifestation.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: auxiliary verb completing Locutusque; Translation: “was”; Notes: with the perfect participle it forms the perfect tense of the deponent verb loquor.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of Locutusque est; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: here Dominus refers to YHWH and is therefore translated as “LORD.”
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: introduces the recipient of speech; Translation: “to”; Notes: marks the direction of the divine address.
  5. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: “Moyses”; Notes: identifies the recipient of the LORD’s instruction.
  6. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine present active participle; Function: participle introducing direct speech; Translation: “saying”; Notes: prepares the reader for the divine command that follows.

 

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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