Jerome's Translation of Scripture
Jerome's role as translator of the Vulgate, praised by the Fathers for his mastery of three languages (Latin, Greek, Hebrew) and fidelity to Hebrew sources. Celebrated as the greatest Doctor divinely raised up for scriptural interpretation. All the great medieval theologians used Jerome's version exclusively, causing other versions to become obsolete.
Preliminaries
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PREFACE TO THE READER (1)
— The Vulgate received partly from Jerome's translation or emendation.
"received in part from the translation or emendation of St. Jerome"
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PREFACE TO THE READER (1)
— Augustine's testimony praising the older Italic edition as "more tenacious of the words while preserving the clarity of the meaning."
"the Italic should be preferred because it was—as he himself says—"
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PREFACE TO THE READER (1)
— Multiple Fathers attest to Jerome's excellence: Augustine calls him most learned in three languages; Gregory says his translation rendered everything more truly from Hebrew; Isidore affirms it is commonly received; Sophronius translated Jerome's Psalter and Prophets into Greek.
"St. Augustine calls him a most learned man and most skilled in three languages, and confirms by the testimony even of the Hebrews themselves that his translation is truthful."
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PREFACE TO THE READER (1)
— All the great medieval theologians (Bede, Rabanus, Anselm, Peter Lombard, Aquinas, Bonaventure, etc.) used Jerome's version exclusively, causing other versions to become obsolete.
"the most learned men who came after — Remigius, Bede, Rabanus, Haymo, Anselm, Peter Damian, Richard, Hugh, Bernard, Rupert, Peter Lombard, Alexander, Albert, Thomas, Bonaventure, and all the others... have used St. Jerome's version in such a way that the other versions... have, as it were, slipped from the hands of theologians and become utterly obsolete."
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PREFACE TO THE READER (1)
— Jerome celebrated as the greatest Doctor divinely raised up for scriptural interpretation.
"the Catholic Church not undeservedly celebrates St. Jerome as the greatest Doctor and as one divinely raised up for the interpretation of the sacred Scriptures"
Pope Clement VIII, Jerome's Prefaces, On Worship
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I. THE HELMETED PROLOGUE.
— Jerome defends his translation labor as a humble offering to the temple of God, compares himself to those who offer skins and goats' hair, and asserts the reader should compare his work against the Hebrew truth.
"In the temple of God each one offers what he can: some offer gold, silver, and precious stones; others offer fine linen and purple and scarlet and hyacinth; it goes well with us if we offer skins and goats' hair."
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I. THE HELMETED PROLOGUE.
— Jerome claims ownership of his translation through diligent study and emendation, and challenges critics to verify against the Hebrew.
"Read therefore first my Samuel and my Melachim -- mine, I say, mine. For whatever we have both learned by more frequent translating and hold by more careful emending is ours."