Who was St Jerome?
Jerome was a priest of Rome. He lived in the late fourth and early fifth century. He was a contemporary of Augustine of Hippo. He fell foul of the political situation in Rome and was exiled to Palestine. He never returned to Rome. He lived for a long time at Bethlehem. He is considered the patron saint of Catholic Bible scholars and teachers.
What is the Vulgate?
The Vulgate is a translation of the Bible from original languages into Latin.
What does the word Vulgate mean?
The word means the vulgar or common translation. Jerome was translating from the scholarly languages that nobody spoke or read anymore into Latin which was the common language of Christians in his day.
Where and When?
Jerome settled in Bethlehem and began to write a new standard version of the Bible. He was asked to do so by Pope Damasus. He began the work about 380 a.d.
What sources did he use?
Jerome gathered many Latin manuscripts of the Bible text – the most popular version was called the Vetus Latina, the Old Latin.
Jerome soon realized the confusion and chaos that existed as to the authentic test.
He then turned to the Greek Septuagint text of the Old Testament. But here too he found inconsistencies. So he turned to the Hebrew text of the Old Testament.
What languages did he read?
Jerome was able to read Greek and Hebrew as well as his native Latin. So famous was Jerome as a linguist that Augustine called him “expert in all three languages”.
How influential was his translation?
Jerome is considered the single most influential translator in the history of Biblical translation and publication. But that status is more obvious to us Catholics than to people of other denominations. Jerome’s Vulgate text was adopted by the Council of Trent as the most authoritative version of the Scriptures. Catholic bibles and lectionaries were therefore based on his translation.
But his Vulgate was not accepted so readily in the ancient world. Many churches continued to use the Vetus Latina version and other versions of the Scriptures. The most important recognition afforded to the vulgate came from Charlemagne in the 9th century. His scholars, Alcuin and Theodulf, used the Vulgate as the basis for their translations of the Bible and the lectionary.
What does the Council of Trent say about the Vulgate?
On April 8th 1546, the Fathers of the council of Trent declared that “from all the Latin editions of the Sacred Scriptures which are in circulation, the only edition that was to be considered authentic was the old well-known Latin Vulgate edition (haec ipsus et vulgara editio) which has been tested in the church by long use over so many centuries.”
Is the Vulgate the only authorized Catholic version of the Bible?
No.
Is the Vulgate still read in the Church?
Yes.
Is the Vulgate translated into English?
Yes. The Vulgate was first authoritatively translated into English in 1582 by the English exiles at Rhemes in France. The principal translator was a Jesuit, Gregory Martin. His 1582 publication of the New Testament was followed in 1619 by the Douai-Rhemes Old Testament. The two volumes are generally called the Douai-Rhemes Bible. This translation was used by the compilers of the Authorized King James version for much of their work.
Has the Vulgate been updated into more modern English?
Yes. The English language Douai-Rhemes version of the Vulgate has undergone many revisions. The most famous was by Robert Knox. It has also been revised by Protestant scholars.
What other versions and translations does the Church accept as true translations?
In 1965, the Church accepted that sources other than the Vulgate could be employed in making acceptable translations. The Church was especially aware that modern historical methods and archaeology had revealed so many ancient sources that Jerome did not have. The Vatican Council Fathers were also aware that Protestant scholars had been in the forefront of modern Biblical scholarship for a century. This had damaged the credibility of the Catholic claim to be the only custodian of the Word of God. The Reformers of the 16th century had already made use of Coptic and Armenian and Aramaic texts that Jerome knew nothing about. The first non-Vulgate translation of the Scriptures by Catholic scholars that was officially recognized since the Reformation was the Jerusalem Bible published in Jerusalem in 1966. It was the work of the Ecole Biblique de Jerusalem, a group of French Dominicans. It translated from the original languages.
What does Dei Verbum say about the Vulgate of St. Jerome?
Easy access to Sacred Scripture should be provided for all the Christian faithful. That is why the Church from the very beginning accepted as her own that very ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament which is called the Septuagint; and she has always given a place of honor to other Eastern translations and Latin ones especially the Latin translation known as the Vulgate. But since the word of God should be accessible at all times, the Church by her authority and with maternal concern sees to it that suitable and correct translations are made into different languages, especially from the original texts of the sacred books. “And should the opportunity arise and the Church authorities approve, if these translations are produced in cooperation with the separated brethren as well, all Christians will be able to use them.” (Dei Verbum #22.)
Can Catholics read Protestant Bible translations?
Of course. But they are always to remember that the Scriptures have been given to the Church. The scriptures belong to God’s people, the Church, and the authority to interpret belongs to God’s Holy people led by the Bishops who succeed the Apostles.