Ritröð Guðfræðistofnunar - 01.01.2013, Page 16

Augustine, like Jerome, complained about the bewildering variations among
the Latin Bible codices, writing: “Those who translated the scriptures from
Hebrew into Greek can be counted; this is certainly not true of the Latin
translators. The fact is that whenever in the early days of the faith a Greek
codex came into anybody’s hands, and he felt that he had the slightest
familiarity with each language, he rushed in with a translation.”5
Evidently, Augustine was in possession of more than a few divergent
codices, and, in individual cases, he attempted to resolve conflicts or make
improvements. Authoritative, for him, however, is ultimately the LXX: “For
correcting any Latin versions at all, Greek ones should be employed, among
which, as regards the Old Testament, that of the Seventy Translators has
the greatest authority.”6
Augustine knew enough Greek to explain lexical and syntactical problems
of the LXX, but he did not know enough Greek to consult the Greek
exegetical works. Jerome, however, brought him into a most awkward
position, because Augustine knew not a word of Hebrew; nor did he have
copies of the Hebrew text; and evidently he maintained no contact with
any of the few Jews living in North Africa.7 Thus Jerome confronted him
5 Augustine, De doctrina chrístiana librí quattuor 11,16; translation: Edmund Hill, O.P., Teaching
Christianity (De Doctrina Christiana). Translation and notes (The Works of Saint Augustine. A
Translation for the 21st Century 1,11), Hyde Park NY, 1996, 136.
6 Augustine, De doctrina christiana 11,22; Edmund Hill, 140.
7 Alfons Fiirst, “Veritas ladna. Augustins Haltung gegenuber Hieronymus Bibelubersetzungen”, Revue
des Études Augustiniennes 40 (1994) 105-126, summarizes Augustine’s philological objections and
identifies them as the principal reason for Augustines rejection of a translation from the Hebrew: „Der
Gedanke schlieKlich, den Text der zahlreichen griechischen und der daraus úbersetzten lateinischen
Handschriften vom Hebraischen her zu korrigieren, war ihm unertraglich. Er empfand das als
Verwerfung von Autoritáten“ [English: In short, the idea of correcting the text of the numerous Greek
(and the Latin manuscripts dependant upon them) using the Hebrew text as a basis was intolerable
for him. It meant rejecting the other authorities.] (pp. 115f.). „Bei einer eventuell notwendigen
Kontrolle machte nicht nur der schwierige Zugang zu hebráischen Texten Probleme, sondern
vor allem mangelnde Sprachkenntnis. Wer konnte im 475. Jahrhundert Hebráisch? Die Christen
nicht. Aber die Juden“ [English: For the eventually needed control, problems were raised not only
by the difficulties of accessing the Hebrew text, but above all by the lack of linguistic competence.
Who was competent in Hebrew in the 4th/5th centuries? Not the Christians, but the Jews.] (p.
118). „Der Mangel an Hebráischkenntnis seinerseits und allgemein unter Christen erschwerte,
abgesehen vom Mangel an hebráischen Handschriffen und vom Mifftrauen gegenúber den Juden,
die Oberprúfbarkeit einer bestimmten Lesart im Streitfall“ [English: Leaving aside the lack of Hebrew
manuscripts and the general mistrust of the Jews, it was Augustine’s own lack of competence in
Hebrew, which was shared by Christians generally, that made it impossible to check a controversial
reading.] (pp. 120f.). „... die Ablehnung von Hieronymus als alleinigem Sachverstándigen und

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