IL HIERONYMIAN OR VULGATE VERSION.—I. Labours of Yerome.—To such an extent had igno rance, carelessness, and unskilful emendation cor rupted the copies of the Itala in use, that it became generally and strongly felt that something must be done to rescue the Latin churches from the evils to which this exposed them, and to secure to them a settled correct version of the Holy Scriptures. To this feeling, effect was given at the right time by the duty being laid by the Romish Bishop Damasus upon Jerome, the man of all others then living most competent to discharge it ; the nian most skilled in the original tongues of Scripture, one whose zeal in the cause of Biblical learning gave the best omen of success, and w-ho possessed abundant leisure to give himself wholly to the work. To the request of Damasus, Jerome, after some hesitation, acceded. He first addressed him self, about the year 382, to the revision of the existing version of tbe gospels, which he sought to bring into accordance with the Greek original— Novum Testarnentum grmcm fidei reddidi, says he (Calal. Scrip?. Eccl., 135); a work which he de scribes as at once pion:and perilous, for he foresaw that people accustomed from their infancy to a particular translation would regard him as nothing better than a sacrilegious falsifier, should he alter, add to, or correct the old version (Pray'. in Evangg. ad Danzasum). Resolver], therefore, to proceed with great caution, he selected Greek codices which did not differ much from the Latin usage, and he so restrained his pen that only where he found the translation misrepresenting the sense did he venture to correct it. He next took up the Psalter, at first following the common text of the LXX., but afterwards that in Origen's Hexapla, with his critical marks (Prof. ii., in Pss. ; Ep. ad Suniam el Frelelam de enzend. Ps. ; Apol. aa'v. Ruffin. ii. 24). Both recensions are extant, the former known as the Psalterizon Romanum, the latter as the Psall. Gallicanunz ; and both have been repeatedly printed. An edition of the two was issued at Paris as early as i5o9 by the fore runner of the Reformation in France, Jacques Le Fevre d'Estaples, under the title Psrtherium Quin atplex Gallic. Roman. Hebr. Vetus conciliatum ; of which a second edition appeared in 1518, and a third at Caen in 1515, in one vol. folio. Pursuing this course, Jerome set himself to revise all the books of the O. T., and emend them according to the Hexaplar text, but it is not ascertained to what extent this design was executed. That he fulfilled
it in reference to Job, the writings of Solomon, and Chronicles, is attested by himself (Apo/. Cont. Ruffin. ii. 24) ; but it would appear that of the result of his labours in this department he was by some means defrauded (Ep. xciv. ad Augustin.) These efforts led on to his undertaking what was for his time a gigantic work, the translation of the entire O. T. from the Hebrew. Commencing with the books of Kings, he issued in succession, and in the following order, the Prophets, the writ ings of Solomon, Job, the Psalms, Ezra, Nehe miah, Chronicles, the Pentateuch, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, and Esther. He also translated from the Chaldee the Apocryphal books of Judith and Tobit, the latter in one day with the aid of a Jew, the former by his own unaided effort after he had acquired a competent knowledge of the language. To the books of Esther, Jeremiah, Daniel, he re tained the Apocryphal additions, though he did not himself approve them. In these labours he was occupied about twenty years, from A. D. 385 tO 405. In executing this translation Jerome some.
times adhered closely to the LXX. and other Greek versions, when he perceived that they were in ac cordance with the Hebrew ; at other times he translated directly from the Hebrew, using the aid of his Jewish masters (Hody, p. 35o, ff.) Jerome introduced into his version the practice of distin guishing by cola ' and commata,' a practice previously not in use among the Latins (Praf. in Esai. ; in Paralip., etc.) In one of his writings (Proem. ad Lib. iii. Com ntent. Galat.) Ile laments the effect of his He brew studies in spoiling his Latin style. This would seem to indicate a greater devotedness to these studies, and a greater familiarity with their object than can probably be justly admitted. At the same time there can be no doubt that Jerome was a diligent student of Hebrew, and used the best means within his reach to acquire proficiency in that language (cf. EA ad Rusticum, c. 6 ; Epitaph. Paula ; Prof. in Daniel. ; Ep. ad Da masum ; Proem. in yob., etc. ; Hody, p. 359, ff.) His linguistic attainments have been ridiculously exalted by some, but we may safely allow him the praise which he himself claims (.4dv. Ruffin.), of being Hebracus, Grxcus, Latinus, trilinguis,' and which Augustine freely concedes to him, designat ing him homo doctissimus et omnium trium lin g,uarum peritus' (De Civil. Dei,l. xviii, c. 43).