Copyright

Paul Rodrigue

Published On

2025-08-20

Page Range

pp. 309–314

Language

  • English

Print Length

6 pages

5. Conclusion

  • Paul Rodrigue (author)
Chapter of: Jerome’s Sources in His Translation of the Hebrew Bible(pp. 309–314)
The fifth and last chapter of this monograph is composed of a summary of the author’s findings and of the conclusions that can be drawn from them. While it is unquestionable that the Hebrew-Aramaic Bible served as Jerome’s base text in the production of the Vulgate, his goal was not always technically achievable: for example, when the meaning of a Hebrew phrase was obscure, Jerome followed the interpretations that he found in other versions, which he also conflated. More striking, he could decide, even when the Hebrew was intelligible, to reproduce LXX or VL readings that differed from it: this is likely to have been a politically motivated approach designed not to overly surprise or offend the Christian audience. On a strictly technical level, Jerome also translated more comfortably from Greek than from Hebrew: his faith in the recentiores sometimes led him, as a result, to make uncritical choices by incorporating renderings that did not reflect the Hebrew. He ultimately showed his flexibility and creativity by routinely introducing his own interpretations in his translation, even though they could depart from the wording of the Hebrew.

Little is written on Jerome’s sources in general, considering what could be found by further exploring his work. In this respect, this monograph has aspired to demonstrate that, if the Vulgate is given more attention, new discoveries can be made in the field of Bible studies.

Contributors

Paul Rodrigue

(author)

Born in 1996 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Paul Rodrigue completed his Baccalauréat before pursuing a passion for ancient languages. His interest in Latin and Greek literature led him to undertake undergraduate studies at Trinity College Dublin, in Ireland, where he honed his skills in classical translation and deepened his engagement with the classical world. Paul went on to pursue a Master’s degree in Semitic Philology at the University of Cambridge. His Master’s dissertation focused on the translation of the Book of Proverbs in the Septuagint, reflecting his growing interest in the intersections of ancient languages and textual traditions. In his doctoral thesis, Paul investigated Jerome’s sources in his Latin translations of the Joseph story and the Book of Daniel and that of Esther. His research is motivated by a deeper scholarly quest to uncover the linguistic and cultural junctures between Latin, Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew. Paul was awarded a PhD in Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Cambridge in October 2024.