Commentary on the book of Ecclesiastes

“Commentary on the book of Ecclesiastes” (12 chapters) written in Bethlehem in 388-389. and is one of the first major Old Testament interpretations of the blj. Hieronymus of Stridon. The essay is based on oral conversations of the blj. Jerome in Rome in 384 with the daughter of St. Pavla Blesilla, to whose memory it is dedicated. The main text is a translation from Hebrew made by the bl. Jerome (taking into account the Septuagint and other Greek translations from Origen's Hexaples). He put forward the concept of hebraica veritas (“Hebrew truth”/“Hebrew original”), which assumed the primary and indisputable authority of the Hebrew original of the Holy Scriptures. This concept, contrary to the opinion of the blzh. Jerome, contradicts the general church recognition of the Greek translation (Septuagint) as a more accurate witness of the biblical text, while various inaccuracies and outright distortions crept into the Hebrew text, according to the teachings of the most ancient fathers of the Church. Blzh. Jerome speaks of the inspiration of the Bible. God did not address the prophets and apostles through an external voice, but spoke in their souls and hearts, “inspiring,” “advising,” and “inspiring,” which He wanted to tell people through them: “He Himself speaks to the men of the church, and instills words in the apostles.” The interpretation in some places takes the form of a dialogue in which discussions about different translations of the Book of Ecclesiastes are combined with an exploration of the spiritual and Christological meaning, according to which the true Preacher (Ecclesiastes) is Christ. *The title of the work in Latin is Commentarius in Ecclesiasten. Chapter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 I remember, almost two years before this, when I was still in Rome and read Ecclesiastes to Saint Blesilla in order to arouse in her contempt for this world, so that she would regard everything that she saw in the world as nothing, she asked me in the form of a brief interpretation to explain to her everything that was unclear, so that she could understand what she was reading without me. But since, while I was preparing this essay, she was abducted by an unexpected death, and we, O Paula and Eustochia, were deprived of such a friend of our life: now, living in Bethlehem, that is, in a more glorious city, I pay my debt both to her memory and to you. At the same time, I briefly explain that I did not follow anyone’s authority, but, translating from Hebrew, was more applied to the understanding of the Seventy Interpreters, especially in that which was slightly different from the Hebrew. Sometimes I remembered Aquila, Symmachus and Theodotion, so as not to frighten the inquisitive reader with excessive novelty, and, on the other hand, contrary to my conscience, having abandoned the source of truth, not to follow the streams of opinions.