Numeri 8:23 (Numbers 8:23)

Posted on May 5, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 8:23 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 he is 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: Locutus est Dominus — deponent verb construction with Locutus as predicate participle and est as auxiliary; Dominus is the subject.

Prepositional Phrase: ad Moysen — expresses direction toward the recipient of speech.

Participial Phrase: dicens — present participle agreeing with Dominus, introducing direct discourse that follows.

Morphology

  1. Locutusque — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: deponent verb participle with enclitic conjunction; Form: nominative singular masculine perfect deponent participle with enclitic -que; Function: predicate participle in periphrastic construction; Translation: and having spoken; Notes: Deponent verb uses passive form with active meaning, forming 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: Completes the perfect deponent construction “he has spoken.”
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of the verb; Translation: LORD; Notes: Refers to YHWH as the divine speaker.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces indirect object; Translation: to; Notes: Indicates direction of speech toward the recipient.
  5. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: Moyses; Notes: Latinized form of the Hebrew name, receiving the divine message.
  6. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine present active participle; Function: circumstantial participle introducing speech; Translation: saying; Notes: Common narrative device to introduce direct discourse following divine 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.
This entry was posted in Numeri. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.