A letter from Jerome (386-392)

Translated letter:

I have restored to the old authority of the Septuagint translators the three books of Solomon, that is Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Song of Songs, designating what was superfluous with preceding lines, or inserting what was lacking with stars, by which you might know more fully, o Paula and Eustochium, what is missing in our books and what is extra. I have also corrected those things which unskilled translators turned poorly into our language from Greek, erasing and restoring, most assiduous for truth. And where the order was reversed or inverted, putting out the light of meaning, I made what was hidden intelligible by restoring to their proper places. I restrained my pen, however, in that book which many entitle the Wisdom of Solomon and in Ecclesiasticus, who everyone knows is Jesus son of Sirach, since I wished only to emend the canonical scriptures for you and to give my attention to what is certain rather than what is dubious.

Original letter:

Tres libros Salomonis, id est, Proverbia, Ecclesiasten, Canticum canticorum, veteri Septuaginta Interpretum auctoritati reddidi, vel antepositis lineis superflua quaeque designans, vel stellis titulo praenotatis, ea quae minus habebantur, interserens: quo plenius, o Paula et Eustochium, cognoscatis quid in libris nostris minus sit, quid redundet. Nec non etiam illa, quae imperiti translatores male in linguam nostram de Graeco sermone verterant, oblitterans et antiquans, curiosissima veritate correxi. Et ubi, praepostero ordine atque perverso, sententiarum fuerat lumen ereptum, suis locis restituens, feci intelligi quod latebat. Porro in eo libro, qui a plerisque Sapientia Salomonis inscribitur, et in Ecclesiastico, quem esse Jesu filii Sirach nullus ignorat, calamo temperavi: tantummodo canonicas Scripturas vobis emendare desiderans, et studium meum certis magis quam dubiis commendare.

Historical context:

Jerome explains to Paula and Eustochium his approach in correcting the translation of the Old Latin text according to the Greek of the Septuagint.

Printed source:

Praefatio Hieronymi in Libros Salomonis juxta LXX Interpretes, PL29 c.425-28

Date:

386-392