Numeri 25:16 (Numbers 25:16)

Posted on May 22, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 25:16 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+CONJ
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 the principal narrative statement introducing divine speech.

Prepositional Phrase: ad Moysen identifies the recipient of the divine communication.

Participial Construction: dicens functions as a supplementary participle introducing the content of the following speech.

Narrative Function: The entire clause serves as a formal transition into the next divine declaration.

Morphology

  1. Locutusque — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: verb; Form: nominative singular masculine perfect deponent participle with enclitic conjunction, 3rd conjugation; Function: participial component of compound perfect construction; Translation: “and having spoken”; Notes: deponent verb with active meaning; the enclitic -que closely links the clause to the preceding narrative.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: auxiliary verb completing perfect deponent construction; Translation: “was”; Notes: combines with Locutus to form completed speech action.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: subject of Locutusque est; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: refers to YHWH and therefore is translated in all capitals.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces recipient phrase; Translation: “to”; Notes: expresses direction toward the hearer.
  5. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: “Moyses”; Notes: biblical proper name of Greek form used consistently in the Vulgate.
  6. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: nominative singular masculine present active participle, 3rd conjugation; Function: supplementary participle introducing direct speech; Translation: “saying”; Notes: commonly used in biblical narrative to introduce spoken content.

 

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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