§ 184. б) Новый перевод Ветхого Завета с подлинного языка.

Such a person as the blzh. Jerome was able to see both the advantages and disadvantages of the Greek. text 70. And not he alone, but the most learned contemporary teachers of the Church saw that according to the ancient Latin translation 70 they were absolutely forbidden to deal with the Jews without enduring ridicule from them. They happened to hear that in response to almost every text of the translation, the Jew said: it is not so in the Hebrew 1348. The blessed one saw that in the translation 70 much cannot be found for the most important Christian truths, which, however, is in the original. Therefore, at the same time as he was busy correcting the text from the exapla, he decided to compose a new translation of the Old Testament from the original. Blzh. Jerome completed his translation with all the aids necessary for a translator, especially such books as the Divinely inspired books. We have already seen how he prepared for this work for a long time; his reverent testing of the spirit of Scripture is evident from his ascetic life. The teachers from whom he learned the Hebrew and Chaldean language of the Bible were people who knew the language of the Bible very well and were generally respected for their knowledge 1349. And he studied the language with tireless diligence 1350. And not only Hebrew, but Arabic and Syriac languages, so similar to Hebrew, were called upon by him as an aid in the translation of 1351. He based his translation on the Hebrew text, which, according to its meaning, he calls the truth and the source of truths 1352. He had ways to have this text in its best form at that time, as its translation shows, and that form remains the same to this day. But Jerome did not blindly follow the then reading of the original. “I will say briefly,” he says, that I did not follow any authority; Translating from Hebrew, I especially adapted myself to reading 70 commentaries, precisely where they differed little from the Hebrew. Sometimes I remembered Aquila, Symmachus and Theodotion. All this in order not to frighten the reader with excessive novelty and, however, not to follow the streams of opinions contrary to conscience, leaving the stream of truth” 1353. Having an excellent command of the Latin language, Jerome well understood the work of the translator and translated as he understood this matter 1354. However, it is impossible not to notice that Jerome’s translation could have been more correct even if he had not translated as hastily as, according to his own review, he translated some books 1355. He himself later admitted to the mistakes of haste and corrected his translation when he wrote commentaries 1356. His deviations from 70 do not always turn out to be thorough 1357. Total perfection in heaven. In the preface to the psalms, Jerome said to Sophronius: “recently reasoning with a Jew, you cited evidence about the Lord Savior from the psalms: and he, mocking almost every word of yours, said: it’s not so in the Hebrew, since you opposed 70 interpreters to him. And you with all your zeal demanded that after Aquila, Symmachus to Theodotion, a new Latin translation be compiled.” Jerome also says about himself. Praef. in Jesaiam Epist. 89. ad Augustinum. W. 2. 267. Praefat. in Paralip. About his first teacher, a Jewish monk, he wrote to Damasus: “There is a man here from whom I happily learned a lot; he studied Jewish literature so much that among his scribes he is considered a Chaldean.” Epist. 142. ad Damasum 111. 520. About the second: “Since the Chaldean language is related to the Hebrew, I found the best expert in both languages... Praefat. in Tobiam: “I remember that for the understanding of this book (Job) I did not buy at a cheap price the Lida teacher, who is considered the first among the Jews.” Praefat. in Job. sl. deputy 16. 38. 73. This is what he wrote about his study of the biblical language: “how much work I endured, how many difficulties I endured, how many times I even despaired, how many times I gave up and, out of zeal for the teaching, began again - my conscience is a witness, I myself, who suffered, and the conscience of those who lived with me. But I thank the Lord: now I gather the sweet fruits of my bitter sowing.” Epist. 4. ad Rusticum. p. 769. Also in epithaphio Paulae, see deputy. 38. Praef. in Job. Haec autem translatio nullum de veteribus sequitur interpretem, sed ex ipso Habraeo Arabicoq. sermone et interdum syro nunc verba, nunc sensum, nunc simul utrumque resonabit. In a letter to the blessed Augustine: (145.) “Let our people know what the Jewish truth contains. (Hebraea veritas); We did not invent our own, but translated it as we found it among the Jews. If you doubt anything, ask the Jews.” Sl. 80. deputy In the Preface to the Proverbs Sicut ergo Judith et Tobiam et Maccabaeorum libros ligit quidem Ecclesia, sed eas inter canonicas scripturas non recepit: sic et haec duo volumena, Sapientiam scilicet ed Siracidem, legat ad aedificationem plebis, non ad auctoritatem Ecclesiasticorum dogmatum confirmandam. Praef. comm. in Ecclesiastes. see Ep. 74. ad Marcell. Praefat. in Iob. Epist. 435. ad sum. et Fretel 14, 627. 11, 628. “Here is the rule for a good translator: express the idioms of another language with the idioms of your own. The Latin language should not be considered scanty because it cannot be translated from word to word. And the Greeks (i.e. 70 senses) translate Hebrew words in extensive paraphrase, not adhering to accuracy in translation, but trying to express themselves in the idioms of their language.” Sl. ibidem. r. 639. Epist. 101. ad Pammachum de optimo genere interpretandi, in 2. p. 248. And therefore he condemns the literalist Aquila, ibidem, p. 255. About the purity of expressions needed in the translation of Epist. 135. ad Augustinum. One can hardly even believe that Jerome translated the whole three books of Solomon and the entire book of Job so quickly, as he himself says; he calls the translation of the Books of Solomon a three-day labor,” and the translation of Job a “one-day translation.” Praef. ad Iob. Of course, he prepared for his work for a long time; and yet he almost speaks in the language of hyperbole, if only he understands the work of translation? Four days is not a long time for the best scribe to copy such books. Therefore, aren’t four days days of writing? Haste in this case is inevitable, because there was no time to believe. Comm. In Jesaiae cap. 49. See review in hist. critica V. Testamenti auct. Richardo Simonio, p. 2. c. 12. Amstelod. 1685. You might be interested in: