A letter from Jerome (384?)

Translated letter:

Reading the 90th psalm in that place where it is written: "who lives with the help of the most high, will dwell in the protection of the god of heaven," I said in Hebrew [among the Hebrews] *saddai* is put for "god of heaven," which Aquila translates "ikanon" [in Greek], which we can take as "robust/strong," "capable of doing everything," one of the ten names by which god is called among them. You then asked most eagerly that I draw up for you all the names with their translations. I shall do as you asked. The first name of god is *hel,* which the Septuagint translates "god," Aquila "etumologian" [Gk] for "ischuron" [Gk], that is "strong."(1) Then there is *eloim* and *eloe,* which are both "god." The fourth is *sabaoth,* for which the Septuagint gives "strength/courage," Aquila "discipline/army." The fifth *elion,* for which we say "high." The sixth *eser ieie,* which is found in Exodus: who is, sent me. The seventh *adonai,* which we generally call "lord." The eighth *ia,* which is put for god and sounds the last syllables in alleluiae. The ninth, *tetragrammum,* because they thought these letters were "anekfoneton" [Gk], that is "ineffable," *io,* *he,* *uau,* *he,* which some understood because of the similarity of their elements to what is found in Greek books, read as II I II I. The tenth, which was mentioned and translated above, is *saddai* also in Ezechiel. We ought, however, to know that *eloim* is the common name which is used for one god and many. For its similarity to heaven, it is also called heaven, that is *samaim,* whence translations often vary, for example we can have in our language "Athens, Thebes, Salona."

Original letter:

1. Nonagesimum psalmum legens in eo loco, qui scribitur: qui habitat in adiutorio altissimi. in protectione dei caeli commorabitur, dixeram apud Hebraeos pro 'dei caeli' esse positum 'saddai', quod Aquila interpretatur [Greek letters], quod nos 'robustum' et 'sufficientem ad omnia perpetranda' accipere possumus, unumque esse de decem nominibus quibus apud eos deus vocatur. ilico studiosissime postulasti, ut tibi universa nomina cum sua interpretatione dirigerem. faciam, quod petisti. 2. Primum dei nomen est hel, quod Septuaginta 'deum', Aquila [Greek] eius exprimens [Greek], id est 'fortem', interpretatur. Deinde eliom et eloe, quod et ipsum 'deus' dicitur. Quartum sabaoth, quod Septuaginta 'virtutum', Aquila 'exercituum' transtulerunt. Quintum elion, quem nos 'excelsum' dicimus. Sextum esser ieie, quod in Exodo legitur: qui est, misit me. Septimum adonai, quem nos 'dominum' generaliter appellamus. Octavum ia, quod in deo tantum ponitur et in alleluiae quoque extrema syllaba sonat. Nonum tetragrammum, quod [Greek], id est ineffabile, putaverunt et his litteris scribitur: iod, he uau, he. quod quidam non intellegentes propter elementorum similitudinem, cum in Graecis libris repperint, ?[Greek] legere consueverunt. Decimum, quod superius dictum est, saddai et in Ezechiele ininterpretatum ponitur. scire autem debemus, quia eliom communis numeri sit, quod et unus deus sic vocetur et plures. ad quam similitudinem caeli quoque appellantur et caelum, id est samaim. unde et saepe interpretes variant, cuius rei exemplum nos in lingua nostra habere possumus 'Athenas, Thebas, Salonas'.

Historical context:

Jerome writes in response to her question about the ten names for God in Hebrew. This question and others he wrote about emerged from their readings of the bible.

Scholarly notes:

(1) The Septuagint is a pre-Christian Greek translation of the Hebrew bible, thought of as a miraculous operation in which 70 men working separately produced exactly the same text. Greek words are given in quotation marks, Hebrew and Latin are enclosed between stars (*).

Printed source:

Sancti Eusebii Hieronymi Epistulae, ed. Isidorus Hilberg, 3v (New York: Johnson, 1970, repr. CSEL, 1910-18), ep.25.

Date:

384?