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OXFORDEARLYCHRISTIANSTUDIES
GeneralEditors
GillianClarkAndrewLouth
THEOXFORDEARLYCHRISTIANSTUDIESseriesincludesscholarlyvolumeson thethoughtandhistoryoftheearlyChristiancenturies.Coveringawiderangeof Greek,Latin,andOrientalsources,thebooksareofinteresttotheologians,ancient historians,andspecialistsintheclassicalandJewishworlds.
Titlesintheseriesinclude:
TheRomanMartyrs
Introduction,Translations,andCommentary MichaelLapidge(2017)
PhiloofAlexandriaandtheConstructionofJewishnessinEarlyChristianWritings JenniferOtto(2018)
StTheodoretheStudite’sDefenceoftheIcons TheologyandPhilosophyinNinth-CenturyByzantium TorsteinTheodorTollefsen(2018)
GregoryofNyssa’sDoctrinalWorks ALiteraryStudy AndrewRadde-Gallwitz(2018)
TheDonatistChurchinanApocalypticAge JesseA.Hoover(2018)
TheMinorProphetsasChristianScriptureintheCommentaries ofTheodoreofMopsuestiaandCyrilofAlexandria HaunaT.Ondrey(2018)
PreachingChristologyintheRomanNearEast AStudyofJacobofSerugh PhilipMichaelForness(2018)
GodandChristinIrenaeus AnthonyBriggman(2018)
Augustine’sEarlyThoughtontheRedemptiveFunction ofDivineJudgement BartvanEgmond(2018)
TheIdeaofNicaeaintheEarlyChurchCouncils, 431–451 MarkS.Smith(2018)
TheManyDeathsofPeterandPaul DavidL.Eastman(2019)
Art,Craft,andTheologyinFourth-CenturyChristianAuthors MorwennaLudlow(2020)
NemesiusofEmesaonHumanNature ACosmopolitanAnthropologyfromRomanSyria DavidLloydDusenbury(2021)
TheActsofEarlyChurchCouncilsActs ProductionandCharacter ThomasGraumann(2021)
FallenAngelsintheTheologyofStAugustine GregoryD.Wiebe(2021)
Jerome’sCommentaries onthePaulineEpistles andtheArchitectureof ExegeticalAuthority
ANDREWCAIN
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Acknowledgments
LittlecouldIhaveimaginedatthetimethattheseedsofthisbookwerebeing plantedbackin2008,whichnowseemslikehalfalifetimeago.Beforetheinkwas dryonmy firstmonograph,onJerome ’sletters,Itookanunplanneddetourinto the(forme,atthetime)largelyunchartedwatersoftheearlyChristianbiblical commentary,andoneofmy firstportsofcallhappenedtobeJerome’srobust commentaryonGalatians.While finishinganannotatedtranslationandaspateof studiesonit,IexploredotherwingsoftheHieronymian œuvreincommentaries onthefamous Letter 52toNepotianandthe Epitaphium onPaula,before wanderingintotheenchantedforestofearlyGreekhagiography.Duringthe pastfewyearsIreturnedin fitsandstartstonaggingquestionsaboutJerome’ s opusPaulinum thatstilllingeredfromadecadeorsoago,untilthepresent monographincrementallytookits finalshape.Eventhoughithashadtogrow upalongsidefourinterveningbookprojectsonGreekandLatinhagiography, Ihopethatitisthebetterforit.
Iamfortunatetohavebeenabletosharesomeofthecoreideasofthisbook withnumerousaudienceswhoseprobingquestionshelpedmetorefinemy thinkingandtotieuplooseends.Iexpressmydeepestgratitudetothecolleagues whoinvitedmetopresentthisongoingresearchattheirinstitutionsandconferencesinCardiff,Jerusalem,Ljubljana,Lund,Oxford,Paris,Rome,Split,and Vienna.Inparticular,Ithanktheorganizingcommitteesofboththe Origeniana Duodecima:Origen’sLegacyintheHolyLand conferenceinJerusalem(June, 2017)andthe HieronymusNoster conferenceinLjubljana,Slovenia(October, 2019)forinvitingmetodeliverthe finalplenarylecturesattheirsplendidevents. Allofmyhostsweremostgracioustothiswide-eyedAmericanvisitortotheir beautifulcities.
ThisbookaswellasmyearlierworkonJeromehavebenefittedrichlyfrom exchangeswithmanygenerousfriendsandcolleagueswhomitisatreatto acknowledgehere:GillianClark,thelateYves-MarieDuval,SusannaElm,John T.Fitzgerald,AlfonsFürst,MichaelGraves,HughHoughton,PeterHunt,David Hunter,Anders-ChristianJacobsen,AdamKamesar,MatthewKraus,Noel Lenski,JosefLössl,SophieLunn-Rockliffe,RalphMathisen,HillelNewman, FrancescoPieri,StefanRebenich,IngoSchaaf,DavidScourfield,Danuta Shanzer,HagithSivan,Jessicavan’tWesteinde,andMarkVessey.Finally, IextendmysincerethankstotheanonymousreaderatOUPfordeliveringa timely,comprehensive,andinsightfulreviewofthebookmanuscript.
AttheUniversityofColorado–Boulder,myhomeinstitutionsince2003, IthankmycolleaguesintheDepartmentofClassicsfortheirsupportiveness andgoodhumorovertheyears.ACollegeofArts&SciencesCollegeScholar Awardfundedmysabbaticalduringthe2017–18academicyear.Eventhough Ispentthelion’sshareofthissabbaticaldraftingmostofacommentaryon Athanasius’ s LifeofAntony,Itookadvantageofneededlullsinthisprojectto fine-tunethepresentbook’sargumentsandtousheritintoitspenultimatestage. ThestaffatOxfordUniversityPresshavebeen,asalways,themodelof efficiencyinguidingthisbooktopublication.IamgratefultoKarenRaithand TomPerridge,commissioningeditorsatOUPwithwhomIhavehadthegood fortuneofworkingon(now)fourbooks,aswellastoBhavaniGovindasamy,Katie Bishop,KimRichardson,andtheothermembersoftheproductionteamfortheir impeccablework.WarmthanksareduetoGillianClarkandAndrewLouth, editorsoftheOxfordEarlyChristianStudiesseries,foracceptingthisbookfor publication.
Aboveall,Ithankmyfamily,andespeciallyKailani,formakingitall worthwhile.
A.J.C.
ListofAbbreviations ix
Introduction1
1.AChoiceofEpistles7
TheCommentaries:CircumstancesofComposition7 Philemon:Canonicity,Apostolicity,andUtility19 Galatians:LawandGospelandHebrewPhilology30 Ephesians:DivineMysteriesGalore37 Titus:CanonicityandClericalMorals43
2.ThePrefaces:Patronage,Polemic,andApology47 TheArtofthePreface48 Destination:Rome53 Adgrediaropusintemptatum:Jerome contra MariusVictorinus63 NegotiatingCrisis72
3. Adfontes:GreekandHebrewPhilology75 Graecaveritas andtheVetusLatina76 Hebraicaveritas andtheSeptuagint87
4.TheAsceticApostle102 MeditatioScripturarum andtheAsceticLife103 ChampioningChastity108 TowardaMonasticClergy117 Hieronymushaereticus 130
5.OrthodoxyandHeresy136 HereticsasthePernicious “Other” 137 MarcionandtheUnityofScripture143 Christology149 TheDoctrineofFixedNatures154
6.InOrigen’sFootsteps:GreekSources161 CommentaryonGalatians162 CommentaryonEphesians177 CommentaryonPhilemon182 CommentaryonTitus184 AVariorumApproach188
ListofAbbreviations
A&RAteneeRoma
AAntHungActaAntiquaAcademiaeScientiarumHungaricae
ABAnalectaBollandiana
AJPhAmericanJournalofPhilology
AJThAmericanJournalofTheology
ALMAAnnalesLatiniMontiumArvernorum
AnnSEAnnalidiStoriadell’Esegesi
ANRWAufstiegundNiedergangderromischenWelt
ARGArchivfürReformationsgeschichte
AugStudAugustinianStudies
BAGBBulletindel’AssociationGuillaumeBudé
BASPBulletinoftheAmericanSocietyofPapyrologists
BPWBerlinerPhilologischeWochenschrift
BStudLatBollettinodiStudiLatini
C&MClassicaetMediaevalia
CCSLCorpusChristianorum,SeriesLatina
CFC(L)CuadernosdeFilologíaClásica,EstudiosLatinos
ChHistChurchHistory
CJClassicalJournal
CPhClassicalPhilology
CQClassicalQuarterly
CSELCorpusScriptorumEcclesiasticorumLatinorum
CSQCistercianStudiesQuarterly
CThCodexTheodosianus
EHREnglishHistoricalReview
EThRÉtudesThéologiquesetReligieuses
FOTCFathersoftheChurch
GCSDieGriechischenchristlichenSchriftsteller
GRBSGreek,Roman,andByzantineStudies
GTJGraceTheologicalJournal
HBAIHebrewBibleandAncientIsrael
HSCPHarvardStudiesinClassicalPhilology
HThRHarvardTheologicalReview
JAOSJournaloftheAmericanOrientalSociety
JbACJahrbuchfürAntikeundChristentum
JBLJournalofBiblicalLiterature
JECSJournalofEarlyChristianStudies
JEHJournalofEcclesiasticalHistory
JGRChJJournalofGreco-RomanChristianityandJudaism
JHSJournalofHellenicStudies
JLAJournalofLateAntiquity
JMEMSJournalofMedievalandEarlyModernStudies
JMLJournalofMedievalLatin
JQRJewishQuarterlyReview
JRJournalofReligion
JRHJournalofReligiousHistory
JRSJournalofRomanStudies
JSNTJournalfortheStudyoftheNewTestament
JThSJournalofTheologicalStudies
MEFRAMélangesd’Archéologieetd’Histoiredel’ÉcoleFrançaisedeRome,Antiquité
MHMuseumHelveticum
MPMedievalProsopography
NTSNewTestamentStudies
OCPOrientaliaChristianaPeriodica
OLDOxfordLatinDictionary
OSÖstkirchlicheStudien
P&PPast&Present
PGPatrologiaGraeca
PLPatrologiaLatina
PRSPerspectivesinReligiousStudies
PVSProceedingsoftheVirgilSociety
RACReallexikonfürAntikeundChristentum
RBénRevueBénédictine
RCCMRivistadiCulturaClassicaeMedioevale
REARevuedesÉtudesAnciennes
REAugRevuedesÉtudesAugustiniennes
RecAugRecherchesAugustiniennes
RecThRecherchesdeThéologieAncienneetMédiévale
RELRevuedesÉtudesLatines
RestQRestorationQuarterly
RHERevued’HistoireEcclésiastique
RhMRheinischesMuseumfürPhilologie
RHRRevuedel’HistoiredesReligions
RILRendiconti/IstitutoLombardo
RMALRevueduMoyenÂgeLatin
RQARömischeQuartalschriftfürChristlicheAltertumskundeundfür Kirchengeschichte
RSIRivistaStoricaItaliana
RSPhRevuedesSciencesPhilosophiquesetThéologiques
RSRRecherchesdeScienceReligieuse
RStRRicerchediStoriaReligiosa
RThPhRevuedeThéologieetdePhilosophie
SCSourcesChrétiennes
SCentSecondCentury
SJThScottishJournalofTheology
SCOStudiClassicieOrientali
SOSymbolaeOsloenses
SSRStudiStorico-Religiosi
StudAnsStudiaAnselmiana
StudPatrStudiaPatristica
StudTardStudiTardoantichi
TAPATransactionsoftheAmericanPhilologicalAssociation
ThStKrTheologischeStudienundKritiken
TQTheologischeQuartalschrift
V&PVivreetPenser
VChrVigiliaeChristianae
VetChrVeteraChristianorum
VoxPVoxPatrum
WJAWürzburgerJahrbücherfürdieAltertumswissenschaft
WSWienerStudien
YCSYaleClassicalStudies
ZACZeitschriftfürAntikesChristentum
ZKGZeitschriftfürKirchengeschichte
ZNTWZeitschriftfürdieNeutestamentlicheWissenschaftunddieKundederÄlteren Kirche
Introduction
Untilthemiddleofthefourthcentury,theexegesisofPaul’sepistleshadbeen dominatedbycommentatorswritinginGreek.¹Then,betweentheearly360sand c.409,sixdifferentLatinauthorscommentedonselectedepistlesortheentire series.The firstonrecordtodosowasMariusVictorinus,theNeoplatonic philosopheranddecoratedprofessorofrhetoricatRomewhoconvertedto Christianitysometimeinthe350s.Atthebeginningofthefollowingdecade, andneartheendofhislife,hecomposedcommentariesonGalatians, Ephesians,Philippians,Romans,and1&2Corinthians,butonlythe firstthree ofthesesurvive.²
Duringthelate370sandearly380s,anotherRome-basedinterpreter,an anonymouspriestknowntodaybythemoniker “Ambrosiaster,”³commented onthecompletePaulinecorpusasitwasconstitutedinthelatefourthcentury (excludingHebrews).⁴ Inthemid-390s,Augustinewroteacommentaryon GalatiansandanunfinishedoneonRomans.⁵ Between396and405,aninterpreter sometimescalled “BudapestAnonymous” becausehiscommentariesarepartially
¹C.H.Turner, “GreekPatristicCommentariesonthePaulineEpistles,” inJ.Hastings(ed.), A DictionaryoftheBible,Supplement (Edinburgh,1898),484–531;cf.P.Boucaud, “The Corpus Paulinum:GreekandLatinExegesisoftheEpistlesintheFirstMillennium,” RHR 230(2013): 299–332.OntheearlyChristianreceptionofPaulmoregenerally,seeM.F.Wiles, TheDivine Apostle:TheInterpretationofSt.Paul’sEpistlesintheEarlyChurch (Cambridge,1967);F.Cocchini, IlPaolodiOrigene:contributoallastoriadellarecezionedelleepistolepaolinenelIIIsecolo (Rome, 1992).Ontheevolutionofthe “commentary” genreinearlyChristianity,seeJ.Lössl, “Commentaries,” inP.M.BlowersandP.W.Martens(eds.), TheOxfordHandbookofEarlyChristianBiblical Interpretation (Oxford,2019),171–86.
²F.Gori(ed.), MariiVictorinioperaparsII:operaexegetica,CSEL83/2(Vienna,1986).Cf. G.Raspanti, MarioVittorinoesegetadiS.Paolo (Palermo,1996);S.A.Cooper, Metaphysicsand MoralsinMariusVictorinus’ CommentaryontheLettertotheEphesians (NewYork,1995);Cooper, MariusVictorinus’ CommentaryonGalatians:Introduction,Translation,andNotes (Oxford,2005).
³Forthedebateabouthisidentity,seeS.Lunn-Rockliffe, Ambrosiaster’sPoliticalTheology (Oxford, 2007),33–44.
⁴ H.Vogels(ed.), AmbrosiastriquidiciturcommentariusinepistulasPaulinas,CSEL81(Vienna, 1966–9);cf.A.Souter, AStudyofAmbrosiaster (Cambridge,1905).Ambrosiaster’scommentaries currentlyarebeingtranslatedintoEnglishbyTheodoredeBruyn,StephenCooper,andDavid G.Hunter,andthe firsttoappearis Ambrosiaster’sCommentaryonthePaulineEpistles:Romans (Atlanta,2017).
⁵ J.Divjak(ed.), ExpositioquarumdampropositionumexepistulaadRomanos,EpistulaeadGalatas expositio,EpistulaeadRomanosinchoataexpositio,CSEL84(Vienna,1971).Cf.P.FredriksenLandes, AugustineonRomans:PropositionsfromtheEpistletotheRomans;UnfinishedCommentaryontheEpistle totheRomans (Chico,1982);M.G.Mara, AgostinointerpretediPaolo (Milan,1993);E.Plumer, Augustine’sCommentaryonGalatians:Introduction,Text,Translation,andNotes (Oxford,2003).
Jerome’sCommentariesonthePaulineEpistlesandtheArchitectureofExegeticalAuthority.AndrewCain, OxfordUniversityPress.©AndrewCain2021.DOI:10.1093/oso/9780192847195.003.0001
preservedinamanuscriptoftheHungarianNationalMuseuminBudapest,⁶ commentedonthewholeseries; ⁷ healsowastheonlyoneinhisLatincohortto commentonHebrews.⁸ LastcamePelagius,whobetween406and409wrotehis ownsetofcommentariesonalloftheepistlesexceptHebrews.⁹
Aroundthemiddleofthistimeline,duringthesummerandearlyautumnof 386,JeromecomposedhisownsetofcommentariesonPhilemon,Galatians, Ephesians,andTitus.¹⁰ Thesefourcommentariesoccupyatime-honoredplace inthehistoryoftheLatin-languageexegesisofPaul’swritings.¹¹TheyaresignificantalsowithinthebroadercontextofJerome ’sscholarlyproductionforatleast threereasons.Firstofall,theywerehisinauguralliteraryworksinBethlehem, whereherelocatedfromRomein386andwouldliveuntilhisdeathin c.419. Second,theyconstitutehis firstforayintothesystematicexegesisofwholebiblical books,¹²whichinthecomingdecadeswastobecomeoneofhispreoccupations, andsotheygiveuspreciousinsightintohisintellectualdevelopmentatacritical stageofhisearlyscholarlycareer.Third,theyrepresenthisonlyexperimentwith thesustainedexpositionofPaul’sepistles;¹³otherwiseheproducedonlysporadic, adhoctreatmentsofindividualPaulinepassagesinotherliteraryvenues.¹⁴
⁶ Forthesuggestionthathewasananti-PelagianbishopnamedConstantius,seeT.deBruyn, “Constantiusthe Tractator:AuthorofanAnonymousCommentaryonthePaulineEpistles?,” JThS n.s. 43(1992):38–54;cf.Y.-M.Duval, “Pélageensontemps:donnéeschronologiquesnouvellespourune présentationnouvelle,” StudPatr 38(2001):95–118(101).
⁷ H.J.Frede(ed.), EinneuerPaulustextundKommentar,2vols.(Freiburg,1973–4);cf.W.Dunphy, “GlossesonGlosses:OntheBudapestAnonymousandPseudo-Rufinus:AStudyonAnonymous WritingsinPelagianCircles,” AugStud 44(2013):227–47;45(2014):49–68;46(2015):43–70.
⁸ Frede, EinneuerPaulustext,1.242,notesthathisistheoldestknowncommentaryonHebrewsin theLatinWest.
⁹ A.Souter(ed.), Pelagius’sExpositionsofThirteenEpistlesofStPaul,2vols.(Cambridge,1922). OnlytheRomanscommentaryhasbeentranslatedintoEnglish:T.deBruyn, Pelagius’sCommentary onStPaul’sEpistletotheRomans (Oxford,1993).
¹⁰ F.Pieri(ed.), “L’esegesidiGirolamonelCommentarioaEfesini:aspettistorico-esegeticiestoricodottrinali:testocriticoeannotazioni” (Ph.D.diss.:UniversitàdiBologna,1996);F.Bucchi(ed.), CommentariiinepistulasPauliapostoliadTitumetadPhilemonem,CCSL77C(Turnhout,2003); G.Raspanti(ed.), S.HieronymiPresbyteriOpera.ParsI.Operaexegetica6.CommentariiinEpistulam PauliApostoliadGalatas,CCSL77A(Turnhout,2006).ForEnglishtranslations,seeR.Heine, The CommentariesofOrigenandJeromeonStPaul’sEpistletotheEphesians (Oxford,2001);T.Scheck, St. Jerome’sCommentariesonGalatians,Titus,andPhilemon (SouthBend,2010);A.Cain, St.Jerome, CommentaryonGalatians,FOTC121(Washington,D.C.,2010).
¹¹Forasummaryassessment,seeC.P.Bammel, “DiePauluskommentaredesHieronymus:Die erstenwissenschaftlichenlateinischenBibelkommentare?,” in CristianesimoLatinoeculturaGrecasino alsec.IV,XXIIncontrodistudiosidell’antichitàcristiana,Rome7–9maggio1992 (Rome,1993), 187–207.
¹²IleaveoutoftheequationalostallegoricalcommentaryonObadiahwhichhewroteinthe370s: in396,intheprologuetohissecondcommentaryonthisMinorProphet,hedecriedthatearlier commentaryasamisguidedexperimentofhisyouth(Comm.Abd.,prol.ll.1–13).
¹³And,asidefromanabbreviatedcommentaryonMatthew(398),theyrepresenthisonly commentary-lengthengagementwithaNewTestamentwriting.
¹⁴ E.g., Ep. 55toAmandus(1Cor.6.18,15.25–6)and Ep. 59toMarcella(1Cor.2.9;1Thess. 4.15–17);cf.L.Perrone, “Questionipaolinenell’epistolariodiGerolamo,” inC.Moreschiniand G.Menestrina(eds.), MotiviletterariedesegeticiinGerolamo:attidelconvegnotenutoaTrentoil 5–7dicembre1995 (Brescia,1997),81–103.JeromedealsextensivelywithPaulalsoinotherworks,such asinhis AdversusIovinianum;seeY.-M.Duval, L’affaireJovinien:d’unecrisedelasociétéromaineà
Jerome’sfourPaulinecommentarieshavereceivedamodicumofscholarly scrutinyovertheyears,¹⁵ buttheyhavenotgarneredanywhereneartheamountof focusedattentionthathasbeenshoweredonothersectorsofhisoeuvre,¹⁶ suchas hiscorrespondence,¹⁷ hagiographicworks,¹⁸ andtranslations,commentaries,and otherscholarshipontheHebrewBible.¹⁹ Thepresentmonograph,whichisthe firstbook-lengthtreatmentofhisPaulinecommentariesinanylanguage,aimsto begin fillingthisglaringlacunainHieronymianstudies.Myhopealsoisthatit contributesmoregenerallytotheever-growingbibliographyonthelateantique receptionofPaulandhisepistles.
InthisbookIadoptathematicapproachtoJerome’ s opusPaulinum,homingin onwhatIconsidertobeitsmostsalientaspects fromtheinnerworkingsofhis philologicalmethodandappropriationofGreekexegeticalmaterial,tohisrecruitmentofPaulasananachronisticsurrogateforhisowntheologicalandascetic specialinterests.Additionally,oneoftheoverarchingconcernsofthisstudyisto exploreandtoanswer,frommultiplevantagepoints,aquestionthatwasabsolutelyfundamentaltoJeromeinhislatefourth-centurycontext:whatarethe mechanismsbywhichhelegitimizedhimselfasaPaulinecommentator,notonly onhisowntermsbutalsovis-à-viscontemporarywesterncommentators?Put unecrisedelapenséechrétienneàla finduIVeetaudébutduVesiècle (Rome,2003);D.G.Hunter, Marriage,Celibacy,andHeresyinAncientChristianity:TheJovinianistControversy (Oxford,2007).
¹⁵ SeemostrecentlyT.E.Hunt, JeromeofStridonandtheEthicsofLiteraryProductioninLate Antiquity (Leiden,2020),whotreatsimportantselectedtopicsinthecommentariesonEphesiansand Galatians.
¹
⁶ ForstudiesofvariousaspectsoftheHieronymiancorpus,seethecontributionsin:Y.-M.Duval (ed.), Jérômeentrel’Occidentetl’Orient:XVIecentenairedudépartdesaintJérômedeRomeetdeson installationàBethléem (Paris,1988);A.CainandJ.Lössl(eds.), JeromeofStridon:HisLife,Writings, andLegacy (Aldershot,2009);A.CainandS.Rebenich(eds.), TheOxfordHandbookofJerome (Oxford, forthcoming).
¹
⁷ E.g.,J.H.D.Scourfield, ConsolingHeliodorus:ACommentaryonJerome,Letter60 (Oxford, 1993);B.Conring, HieronymusalsBriefschreiber:EinBeitragzurspätantikenEpistolographie (Tübingen,2001);N.Adkin, JeromeonVirginity:ACommentaryontheLibellusdevirginitateservanda (Letter22) (Chippenham,2003);A.Cain, TheLettersofJerome:Asceticism,BiblicalExegesis,andthe ConstructionofChristianAuthorityinLateAntiquity (Oxford,2009);Cain, JeromeandtheMonastic Clergy:ACommentaryonLetter52toNepotian,withanIntroduction,Text,andTranslation (Leiden, 2013).
¹⁸ E.g.,S.Weingarten, TheSaint’sSaints:HagiographyandGeographyinJerome (Leiden,2005); A.Cain, Jerome’sEpitaphonPaula:ACommentaryontheEpitaphiumSanctaePaulae,withan Introduction,Text,andTranslation (Oxford,2013);C.Gray, Jerome,VitaMalchi:Introduction,Text, Translation,andCommentary (Oxford,2015).
¹⁹ E.g.,J.Braverman, Jerome’sCommentaryonDaniel:AStudyofComparativeJewishandChristian InterpretationsoftheHebrewBible (Washington,D.C.,1978);P.Jay, L’exégèsedesaintJérômed’après sonCommentairesurIsaïe (Paris,1985);A.Kamesar, Jerome,GreekScholarship,andtheHebrewBible: AStudyoftheQuaestionesHebraicaeinGenesim (Oxford,1993);M.Graves, Jerome’sHebrew Philology:AStudyBasedonhisCommentaryonJeremiah (Leiden,2007);S.Weigert, Hebraicaveritas: ÜbersetzungsprinzipienundQuellenderDeuteronomiumübersetzungdesHieronymus (Stuttgart,2016); M.Kraus, Jewish,Christian,andClassicalExegeticalTraditionsinJerome’sTranslationoftheBookof Exodus:TranslationTechniqueandtheVulgate (Leiden,2017).
anotherway,andtouseanarchitecturalmetaphor:whatarethepillarsofhis exegeticalauthority?
Thesequestionscanobviouslybeposed thoughnotnecessarilyalways answeredsatisfactorily,giventhelimitationsofourevidence aboutanyof Jerome’sfellowlateantiqueLatincommentatorsonPaul.Yet,thesequestions haveacertainpiquancywhenitcomestohim.Withcharacteristic flairhehailed hisworkonPaulassomethingunprecedentedintheLatinWest,andhethustried topositionhimselfasauniquelyexperiencedinterpreterwhiledismissingrivalsas lightweightswhodonotevendeserveahearing.Thiscombativeapproachis ironic,ofcourse,becauseatthetimehewashimselfa fledglingbiblicalcommentatorwhoalsohappenedtobestaringdownanumberofpersonalandprofessionalcriseswhichcomplicatedanybidforspiritualandintellectualauthorityhe couldhavehopedtomake.Readandappreciatedinthishistoricalcontext,then, Jerome’ s opusPaulinum hasacompellingstorytotell.
Chapter1beginsourstudybytakingupfundamentalpreliminaries.After elaboratingonthecircumstancesunderwhichJeromecomposedhiscommentaries,IproposereasonswhytheseeminglymiscellaneousquartetofGalatians, Ephesians,Titus,andPhilemonmighthavewhettedhisinterpretiveappetite.In theearlychurch,Philemonwasheldingenerallylowregard(andevenexcluded bysomefromthecanon)foritsbrevityandapparentlackofboththeological ruminationandpracticalmoralteaching.Buckingthistrend,Jeromeusedbothhis commentaryanditsprefacetomountanargumentforPhilemon ’sapostolic authorship,rightfulplaceinthecanon,theologicalrichness,andinstructional valueforthegeneralChristianreader.Galatiansappealedtohimforitsownsetof reasons.Heregardeditasbeing,alongwithRomans,Paul’smostforcefulstatementabouttherelationshipbetweentheLawandtheGospel.Paulfrequently invokesOldTestamenttextsandthemesinit,andJeromefoundampleopportunityfororganicallyshowcasinghisbeloved Hebraicaveritas methodology. Additionally,becauseGalatianswasoneofthefewepistlesonwhichMarius Victorinus,hisswornrivalinPaulineinterpretation,hadcommented,Jerome almostsurelywasmotivatedbyanimpulseofexegeticalone-upmanship. VictorinusalsohadcommentedonEphesians,andthisundoubtedlyfactored intoJerome’sdecisiontocommentonthisepistleaswell.Itsmainattractionfor him,though,wastheperception,widelyheldamongearlyChristiancommentators,thatitisthemosttheologicallysophisticatedofPaul’swritings,apointhe dulyreiteratesthroughouthiscommentaryanditsprefaces.AsforTitus,its canon-worthinesswasagreeduponbythemainstreamearlychurchbutrejected byaminorityofChristians.InhislengthyprefaceJeromerefutestheseskeptics’ objections,thusdemonstrating(asinthecaseofPhilemon)thatoneofhis prioritieswastodefendPaulinewritingswhoselegitimacyhadbeenchallenged. Tituswasirresistibletohimalsobecauseitprescribesamoralcodeofconductfor
churchmen,andtheascetictheoristinhimseizedonitsparaenesisasabiblical basisforhisnotionofamonasticclergy.
InChapter2weturntothefourcommentaries’ prefaces,whichnumbereight inall(oneforeachofthethreebooksoftheGalatiansandEphesianscommentaries,andoneeachfortheTitusandPhilemoncommentaries).EarlyChristian biblicalexegetesconventionallyintroducedtheircommentarieswithprefaces whichoverviewbasicexpositoryinformationaboutthebiblicalbooksinquestion. InhalfofhiseightprefacesJeromeabidesstrictlybythistraditionalscript,butin theotherhalfhedeviatesfromitandincludespersonalcontentwhichhasnothing todowiththeepistleundercomment.Hewaswellawarethatcontemporary readerswouldencountertheprefacestohisworksrightbeforedelvingintothe worksthemselves,andsohecraftedthemasmediatohelpshapehowtheseworks, andhowheastheirauthor,wouldbereceived.ThisholdstrueforhisPauline prefaces,andespeciallythefournon-expositoryones,whicharethefocusofthis chapter.IarguethatJeromedeployedtheseprimarilytocultivateliterarypatrons inRome,todefendhis opusPaulinum againstanticipatedcriticism,andto displaceMariusVictorinusandrepresenthimselfastheLatinWest’ s firstlegitimatecommentatoronPaul.
IntheyearsleadinguptohisworkonPaul,Jeromehadbecomehardenedinthe convictionthatbiblicalscholarshipisahighlyspecializedcraftrequiringcertain technicalskills.Hereckonedamasteryofthebiblicallanguages,Hebrewand Greek,tobethemostfundamentalofthesebecauseit(hypothetically)enablesthe scholartocomefacetofacewiththe ipsissimaverba ofScripture.Duringhisstay inRomebetween382and385,hehadexperimentedwiththisback-to-the-sources approachinanumberofshorterexegeticalsetpieces,butitwasnotuntilhe embarkedonhis opusPaulinum thathewasable finallytoapplyitsystematically inthecontextofcommentariesonwholebiblicalbooks.InChapter3weexplore, throughdetailedcasestudies,howhedevelopshis adfontes methodologyinthe fourPaulinecommentariesandcumulativelybuildsthecasethatHebrewand GreekphilologyareabsolutelyvitaltoseriousstudyoftheBible,allthewhile attemptingtodemonstratebyexamplethatheisthemodelbiblicalscholar.
JeromeisuniqueamonghisLatincontingentinthathededicatedhisPauline commentariestonamedindividuals,PaulaandherdaughterEustochium,who doubledashisliterarypatronsandspiritualmentees.Heaccordinglyviewedhis commentariesnotonlyasaformalscholarlyenterprisebutalsoasateachingtool fortheirostensibleaddressees(andotherreadersdowntheline)andadditionally asavehicleforpropagatinghisidiosyncraticasceticideals.Chapter4beginsby situatingthecommentariesasatextualizedextensionofhisface-to-faceinstructionofhiscircleofspiritualadvisees,whichincludedPaulaandEustochiumas wellasMarcella(anhonorarydedicateeofthecommentaries)andothershehad leftbehindinRome.Fromtherewelookcloselyattheoftensubtlewaysinwhich
heinterpretsPaulthroughanasceticizinglenstocenterhisownideological priorities,fromhisemphasisonsexualpuritytohisnotionofamonasticclergy. Yet,Jerome’sviewsontheChristianlifewerecriticizedinmanyquartersforbeing tooextreme,andevenvergingonaManichaeanworldview,andintheremainder ofthechapterwetrackhowheusedhisworkonPaulasaplatformforvindicating himselfagainsttheseinsinuationsofheresy.
Throughouthisliterarycareer,whichspannedsomefourdecades,Jerome consistentlyprojectedtoreaderstheimageofamightychampionoftheological orthodoxy.Rhetoricallyspeaking,hecuratedthisidealizedimageinpartby defininghimselfinstarkoppositionto “heretics,” whomherelentlesslycastas thedamnable “other.” Headoptsthissameliterarypersonatothehiltinthefour Paulinecommentaries.InChapter5we firstreviewhisanti-hereticalstrategiesin thembeforemovingontocasestudiesinhisthreemainheresiologicalpreoccupationsasaninterpreterofPaul:Marcionitetheology,anti-NiceneChristologies, andtheGnosticdoctrineof fixednatures.
Inthe finaltwochaptersweturnourattentiontoanothercrucialaspectofthe commentaries’ makeup:theliterarysourcesandintertextsthatunderliethemand informtheircontent.Chapter6intensivelyevaluatesJerome’suseofGreek exegeticalsources andespeciallyOrigen ’sPaulinecommentaries,whichhe claimedtotakeastheprincipalmodelforhisownwork toascertaintheactual extentofhisindebtednesstothem.Afterexaminingeachofhisfourcommentariesinturn,weexplorethenuancesandbroaderimplicationsofhowJerome engages,andrepresentshisengagement,withtheGreekexegeticaltradition. Chapter7continuesinthesameveinbutinterrogateshisLatinsources,an importantbutoftenneglectedcomponentofhiscommentaries’ literarypedigree. Webeginbytakingstockofhowhehandlesclassicalliteraryreferencesand find thathedrawsfromaneclecticspreadoftexts.Intheremainingbulkofthechapter Iadduceanddiscusshisnumerousunattributedborrowings virtuallyallof whichhavegoneundetectedbymodernscholars fromthewritingsof Tertullian,Cyprian,andLactantius.Asaresultofthesesource-criticalinvestigations,Jerome’sfourPaulinecommentariesemergeasanevenmorecolorful literarypatchworkthantheytraditionallyhavebeengivencreditforbeing. ThethreecriticaleditionsofJerome ’sfourPaulinecommentariesthatformthe basisofthisbookarelistedinnote10ofthisIntroduction.Allbiblicalquotations giveninEnglishgenerallyfollowtheNewRevisedStandardVersion.Unless otherwisenoted,alltranslationsofJerome’sworksandofotherliterarysources inGreek,Latin,andHebrewaremine.
AChoiceofEpistles
Duringtheapproximately fifty-yearspanbetweentheearly360sand c.409,there appearedinLatinnolessthan fifty-twocommentariesonPaul’sepistlesbysix differentauthors.¹Thisunprecedentedburstofexegeticalactivityhasbeen dubbedaPauline “renaissance” inthewesternchurch.²Whatevermacro-level factorsmayhaveconvergedtopavethewayforthisphenomenon,³inthischapter wefocussolelyontheimpetusesbehindJerome’sworkonPaulandaddress severalvitalquestionsrelatedtohisauthorialintent.WhydidJerome,whoby inclinationandresearchoutputwasoverwhelminglyaHebrewBiblescholar, commentonPaulatall?Whydidhedosoatthisparticularjunctureinhis literarycareer,giventhattherearenorealtracesofapriorinterestinPaul’ s writings?Why,moreover,didhecomposecommentariesontheseeminglymiscellaneousquartetofGalatians,Ephesians,Titus,andPhilemon?
TheCommentaries:CircumstancesofComposition
OnawindydayinAugustof385,Jeromeandafewmaleassociatesboardedaship atRome’sharborPortusontheTyrrhenianSea.Theyembarkedonacircuitous journeybyseaandland,includingastoponCyprus,wheretheylikelywerejoined byJerome’sRomanpatronPaula,herdaughterEustochium,andtheirretinue,all ofwhomhadleftRomeseveralweeksafterJerome.Oncereunited,bothparties continuedtheirtravelsuntilreachingJerusaleminlate385.Theylodgedfora
¹Seeabove,pp.1–2.
²B.Lohse, “BeobachtungenzumPaulus-KommentardesMariusVictorinusundzur WiederdeckungdesPaulusinderlateinischenTheologiedesviertenJahrhunderts,” inA.M.Ritter (ed.), KerygmaundLogos (Göttingen,1979),351–66(351–3);K.Froehlich, “WhichPaul?Observations ontheImageoftheApostleintheHistoryofBiblicalExegesis,” inB.Nassif(ed.), NewPerspectiveson HistoricalTheology (GrandRapids,1996),279–99(285);J.Lössl, “Augustine, ‘Pelagianism,’ Julianof Aeclanum,andModernScholarship,” ZAC 10(2007):129–50(129–33);P.Boucaud, “The Corpus Paulinum:GreekandLatinExegesisoftheEpistlesintheFirstMillennium,” RHR 230(2013):299–332. DuringthisperiodPaul’swritingswerebeingextensivelycommentedonandpreachedonalsointhe Greekchurch,andoneneedonlythinkofJohnChrysostom’smassivebodyofwork;seeM.Mitchell, TheHeavenlyTrumpet:JohnChrysostomandtheArtofPaulineInterpretation (Louisville,2002).
³SomecontributingfactorshavebeenproposedbyM.G.Mara, “Ricerchestorico-esegetichesulla presenzadelcorpuspaolinonellastoriadelcristianesimodalIIalVsecolo,” inM.G.Mara, Paolodi Tarsoeilsuoepistolario (Aquila,1983),6–64.Cf.W.Geerlings, “HiobundPaulus:Theodizeund PaulinismusinderlateinischenTheologieamAusgangdesviertenJahrhunderts,” JbAC 24(1981): 309–27.
Jerome’sCommentariesonthePaulineEpistlesandtheArchitectureofExegeticalAuthority.AndrewCain, OxfordUniversityPress.©AndrewCain2021.DOI:10.1093/oso/9780192847195.003.0002
whilewithMelaniatheElderandJerome’soldfriendRufinusattheirmonastic complexontheMountofOlivesbeforebeginningacomprehensivetour,lasting probablythroughoutthespringof386,ofmanymajorandminorsitesofbiblical significanceinPalestine.⁴
Oneofthestopsduringtheirmonths-longpilgrimagewasatBethlehem,a farmingvillageaboutsixmilestothesouthofJerusalem.⁵ Duringthisperiodits mainclaimtofameforChristianswasasthereputedbirthplaceofChrist. AlthoughtheGospelwritersmakenomentionofacaveintheirbirthnarratives, Christiantraditiondatingbacktothemiddleofthesecondcenturyheldthatwhen JosephandMarycouldnotsecurelodginginBethlehempropertheyfounda grottooutsidethevillagelimitstostay,anditwasherethatMarygavebirthto Jesus. ⁶ In327theemperorConstantine,aspartofhiscampaigntopromote pilgrimagetotheHolyPlaces,⁷ formallyrecognizedthiscave,nowtheGrottoof theNativity,asa locussanctus byhavinganoctagonalsanctuaryerectedoverit.⁸ TheChurchoftheNativity,builtatthesametime,wasadjoinedtothesanctuary onitseastsideandtoaporticoonitswestside.
BethlehemwassituatednearaRomanroadthatintersectedwithJerusalem,and soChristianpilgrimsheadingtoandfromJerusalemonthisroutewouldpass rightbyit.⁹ Thereisevidencethatalreadybytheearly300sithadbecomeadraw forpilgrims.Inthe firstdecadeofthefourthcentury,forinstance,Eusebiusnoted thatChristiansfromallovertheworldwentthere.¹⁰ Constantine’seffortsonly heighteneditsprofileasatouristdestination;forinstance,theBordeauxPilgrim (early330s)andEgeria(between381and384)includeditintheiritineraries.¹¹ SomeofthepilgrimswhopassedthroughBethlehemweremonkslookingfor somewheretosettle.¹²Atleasttwomonasticcommunitieshadputdownroots
⁴ Foradetailedstudyofheritinerary,seeA.Cain, Jerome’sEpitaphonPaula:ACommentaryonthe EpitaphiumSanctaePaulae,withanIntroduction,Text,andTranslation (Oxford,2013).
⁵ K.Baedeker, JerusalemandItsSurroundings (Jerusalem,1973),134,estimatesthatinantiquityit wouldhavetakenaroundonehourandtwentyminutestotravelonfootbetweenJerusalemand Bethlehem.
⁶ Cf.JustinMartyr, Dial. 78;Origen, C.Cels. 1.51.
⁷ E.D.Hunt, HolyLandPilgrimageintheLaterRomanEmpire, 312–460 (Oxford,1982),6–49.
⁸ Constantine’smotherHelenaseemstohavebeentheprimarymoverbehindthisconstruction project.SeeN.Lenski, “EmpressesintheHolyLand:TheMakingofaChristianUtopiainLate Antiquity,” inL.EllisandF.Kidner(eds.), Travel,CommunicationandGeographyinLateAntiquity (Aldershot,2004),113–24.
⁹ P.Maraval, Lieuxsaintsetpèlerinagesd’Orient:histoireetgéographiedesoriginesàlaconquête arabe (Paris,1985),271–2.Ontheroutestraveledbypilgrims,seeJ.Wilkinson, JerusalemPilgrims beforetheCrusades (Warminster,2002),30–51.Thesepilgrimsavailedthemselvesofthemorethanone thousandmilesofengineeredRomanroadsthatconnectedprincipaltownsandcitiesinPalestine;see I.Roll, “RoadsandTransportationintheHolyLandintheEarlyChristianandByzantineTimes,” in AktendesXII.InternationalenKongressfürchristlicheArchäologie,vol.2(Münster,1995),1166–70.
¹
⁰ Dem.ev.1.1.2.
¹¹ Itin.Burd.(CCSL175:20): VbinatusestDominusIesusChristus;ibibasilicafactaestiussu Constantini.SeeP.Devos, “ÉgérieàBethléem,” AB 86(1968):87–108.
¹²B.Bagatti, ÉglisedelagentilitéenPalestine(Ier–XIesiècle) (Jerusalem,1968),64.Onpilgrim monks,seeB.Bitton-Ashkelony, EncounteringtheSacred:TheDebateonChristianPilgrimageinLate
therebythelatefourthcentury,priortoJerome’sarrival.JohnCassianandhis friendGermanuslodgedwithoneofthemontheirwaytoEgyptinthemiddle 380s.¹³AroundthistimePalladiusstayedforayearwiththeThebanmonk PosidoniusnearShepherd’sField.¹⁴
Likeothermonasticfoundersbeforethem,JeromeandPaulachoseBethlehem astheplacetomaketheirpermanenthome.Tobelievehisaccount,whichheput intowritingmonthsafterherdeathinJanuaryof404,Paulahadfeltanirresistible mysticaldrawtothisvillageduringher firstvisitthere,andherecstaticexperience intheNativityGrottopromptedhertodecide,rightthenandthere,toliveout therestofherdaysinBethlehem:
Iheardherswearthatshecouldsee,withtheeyesoffaith,theinfantwrappedin swaddlingclothescryinginhiscrib;theMagiworshipping[himas]God;thestar shiningdownfromonhigh;thevirginmother;theattentivefoster-father;the shepherdscomingbynightbothtoseetheWordwhichhadcometopass...the slaughteredinfants;Herodinhisrage;andJosephandMary fleeingtoEgypt.
Sheddingtearsmixedwithjoy,shesaid: “Hail,Bethlehem,houseofbread,where theBreadthatcomesdownfromheavenwasborn.Hail,Ephrathah,anabundantlyrichandfruit-bearingareawhosecropisGod...I,awretchedsinner,have beenconsideredworthybothtokissthecribinwhichthebabyLordcriedandto prayinthecaveinwhichthevirgininlaborgavebirthtotheinfantGod.Thisis myplaceofrespitebecauseitisthenativelandofmyLord.Iwilldwellhere becausetheSaviorchoseit.”
Meaudienteiurabatcernerese fideioculisinfantempannisinvolutumvagientem inpraesepe,deummagosadorantes,stellamfulgentemdesuper,matremvirginem, nutriciumsedulum,pastoresnoctevenientesutviderentverbumquodfactum erat...parvulosinterfectos,Herodemsaevientem,IosephetMariamfugientesin Aegyptum.Mixtisquegaudiolacrimisloquebatur: “Salve,Bethlem,domuspanis, inquanatusestillepanisquidecaelodescendit.Salve,Ephrata,regiouberrima Antiquity (Berkeley,2005),140–83.ForthetendencyofmonksinPalestinetosettlearoundpilgrimage centers,seeC.Saulnier, “LaviemonastiqueenTerreSainteauprèsdeslieuxdepèlerinage(IVes.),” in MiscellaneaHistoriaeEcclesiasticaeVI,SectionI: LestransformationsdanslasociétéchrétienneauIVe siècle (Brussels,1983),223–48.OnmonasticisminlateantiquePalestinemoregenerally,see G.D.Gordini, “IlmonachesimoromanoinPalestinanelIVsecolo,” StudAns 46(1961):85–107; Y.Hirschfeld, TheJudeanDesertMonasteriesintheByzantinePeriod (NewHaven,1992);J.Binns, AsceticsandAmbassadorsofChrist:TheMonasteriesofPalestine,314–631 (Oxford,1994);J.Patrich, Sabas,LeaderofPalestinianMonasticism:AComparativeStudyinEasternMonasticism,Fourthto SeventhCenturies (Washington,D.C.,1995).
¹³O.Chadwick, JohnCassian (Cambridge,1968),10–12;C.Stewart, CassiantheMonk (NewYork, 1998),6–12.
¹⁴ Palladius, Hist.Laus.36.1.Posidonius’smonasteryisperhapsthe
mentionedbyEpiphaniusofJerusalemasbeinginthevicinityofBethlehem(PG120:264).
Cf.Cain, Jerome’sEpitaphonPaula,259.
atque καρποφόρος,cuiusfertilitasDeusest...Egomiseraatquepeccatrixdigna sumiudicatadeoscularipraesepeinquodominusparvulusvagiit,orarein speluncainquavirgopuerperaDeumfuditinfantem.Haecrequiesmeaquia Dominimeipatriaest.HichabitaboquoniamSalvatorelegiteam . ”¹⁵
PaulaandJeromesettledinBethlehemprobablyinthelatespringof386.Their firstthreeyearstherewereoccupiedwithseveralsubstantialbuildingprojects financedbyPaula’ssenatorialfortune.FirstcameamonasteryforJeromeand hismonks,followedbyhernearbyconvent,¹⁶ bothofwhichwerebuiltclosetothe ChurchoftheNativitysothattheircommunitiescouldbecomeintegratedinto itsregularliturgicallife.¹⁷ TheyalsoconstructedahostelryforChristianpilgrims whichbytheearly fifthcenturywouldbeteemingwithvisitorsfromallover theworld.¹⁸
BythetimeJeromebeganworkingonhisPaulinecommentariesintheearly summerof386,¹⁹ hehadbeenlivinginBethlehemforonlyafewmonths,butwe donotknowifhewasstayinginhisownmonastery(dependingonhowmuchofit wasevenconstructedbythatpoint)orinoneofthepre-existingmonasteriesin thearea.Whateverthecase,heclaimsthathewas “situatedinthesolitudeofa monasteryandseeoppositeme” theChurchoftheNativity,² ⁰ aclaimwhich, whetherrigidlytrueornot,iscalculatedtogivehiswriterlyactivityacertainholy mystique.²¹
Inwhatevermonasteryhewasstayingatthetime,hisownorsomebodyelse’ s, JeromecomposedhisPaulinecommentaries,ashedidallofhissubsequent literaryworksinBethlehem,withtheaidofasecretarialstaffwhotookdown hisdictation,madecopiesofhis finishedworkfordistribution,andassistedwith day-to-dayarchivalandotheractivities.²²IntheprefacetoBook3ofhisGalatians
¹⁵ Jerome, Ep.108.10.2–3,7(Cain, Jerome’sEpitaphonPaula,55,57).
¹
⁶ Jerome, Ep.108.20.1.Theirmonasticcomplexconformedtothecontemporaryeasternpatternof whatmightbetermedthe “doublemonastery” (duplexmonasterium/διπλοῦνμοναστήριον),amaleand afemalemonasticcommunitythathadseparatesleepingandlivingquartersandyetwerelocated withincloseproximitytoeachotherandwereinterdependent financially.SeeD.F.Stramara, “Double MonasticismintheGreekEast,FourththroughEighthCenturies,” JECS 6(1998):269–312; E.Wipszycka, MoinesetcommunautésmonastiquesenÉgypte(IVe–VIIIesiècles) (Warsaw,2009), 568–88;cf.M.SerratoGarrido, AscetismofemeninoenRoma (Cádiz,1993),109–20.
¹⁷ Jeromeoftendeliveredhomiliesthere.SeeA.Cain, “Jerome,” inA.Dupont,S.Boodts, G.Partoens,andJ.Leemans(eds.), LatinPreachinginthePatristicEra:Sermons,Preachers,and AudiencesintheLatinWest (Leiden,2018),274–93.
¹⁸ E.g.,inaletterof403toPaula’sdaughter-in-lawLaeta,Jeromeboastedthathedailywelcomed crowdsofmonksfromIndia,Persia,andEthiopia(Ep.107.2.3).
¹⁹ P.Nautin, “LadatedescommentairesdeJérômesurlesÉpîtres,” RHE 74(1979):5–12,surmises thathedidnotbeginworkonthemuntilMayorJune.
²⁰ ... quiinmonasteriisolitudineconstitutusetilludpraesepecontravidensinquovagientem parvulumfestiniadoraverepastores,idfacerenonpossumquodmuliernobilisinterstrepentemfamiliam etprocurationemdomusexpletoperissubsecivis (Comm.Eph.,lib.2,prol.ll.6–11).
²¹Seebelow,pp.59–61.
²²A.Wikenhauser, “DerheiligeHieronymusunddieKurzschrift,” TQ 29(1910):50–87;P.E.Arns, Latechniquedulivred’aprèssaintJérôme (Paris,1953),37–50;H.Hagendahl, “DieBedeutungder
commentaryhegivesusthekindofover-the-shoulderglimpseintohisscholarly workshopthatlaterinspiredarichtraditionofRenaissanceiconography:²³
Idonotwritewithmyownhandduetheweaknessofmyeyesandofmyentire poorbody.Icannotmakeupfortheslownessofmyspeechthroughhardwork anddiligence.TheysaythatVirgil,too,fashionedhisbooksbylickingtheminto shapeasbearsdowiththeircubs.²⁴ Tobesure,aftersummoningmysecretary eitherIdictaterightawaywhatevercomesintomymouthor,ifIwanttomull overthingsalittlesoastoputoutsomethingbetter,mysecretarysilentlyrebukes me,clencheshis fist,wrinkleshisbrow,andindicatesbyallofhisbodylanguage thatheisherefornoreason.
Propteroculorumettotiuscorpusculiinfirmitatemmanumeaipsenonscribo; neclaboreetdiligentiacompensarequeoeloquiitarditatem,quoddeVirgilio quoquetraduntquialibrossuosinmodumursorumfetumlambendo figuraverit. Verumaccitonotarioautstatimdictoquodcumqueinbuccamveneritaut,si paululumvoluerocogitaremeliusaliquidprolaturus,tuncmetacitusillereprehendit,manumcontrahit,frontemrugatetsefrustraadessetotogestucorporis contestatur.²⁵
Jeromecomplainshere,ashedoesofteninhiswritings,²⁶ aboutpooreyesightand thegeneralfrailtyofhis corpusculum (“poorbody”),awordwhichamongascetic writersfromthisperiodoftenpejorativelyconnotesthematerialpartofhumans.²⁷ Withoutdenyingthattherewasatleastsomerealitybehindhisrhetoric,we shouldkeepinmindthathestrategicallyvoicedsuchcomplaintsinorderto heroicizehimselfasanembattledscholarwhohadwornouthiseyesandbody StenographiefürdiespätlateinischechristlicheLiteratur,” JbAC 14(1971):29–33;B.Conring, HieronymusalsBriefschreiber:EinBeitragzurspätantikenEpistolographie (Tübingen,2001),106–18. ²³R.Jungblut, Hieronymus:DarstellungundVerehrungeinesKirchenvaters (Tübingen,1967); H.Friedmann, ABestiaryforSaintJerome:AnimalSymbolisminEuropeanReligiousArt (Washington,D.C.,1980),48–100;B.Ridderbos, SaintandSymbol:ImagesofSaintJeromeinEarly ItalianArt (Groningen,1984),63–88;D.Russo, SaintJérômeenItalie:étuded’iconographieetde spiritualité(XIIIe–XVesiècle) (Paris,1987),201–51;P.Conrads, Hieronymus,scriptoretinterpres:Zur IkonographiedesEusebiusHieronymusimfrühenundhohenMittelalter (Würzburg,1990).For Jerome’sposthumousreceptionmoregenerally,seeE.Rice, SaintJeromeintheRenaissance (Baltimore,1985).
²⁴ Suetonius, V.Virg.22;AulusGellius, Noct.Att.17.10.2–3;cf.N.Horsfall, ACompaniontothe StudyofVirgil (Leiden,1995),15–16.Jeromerecycledthesameanecdotesometwodecadeslater(early 407): VndeetdeVergiliotraditumest,quodlibrossuosquasiursorumfetuslinguacomposueritet lambendofeceritessemeliores (Comm.Zach.,lib.3,prol.ll.12–14).
²⁵ Comm.Gal.,lib.3,prol.ll.28–36.
²⁶ B.Lançon, “MaladieetmédecinedanslacorrespondancedeJérôme,” inY.-M.Duval(ed.), Jérôme entrel’Occidentetl’Orient:XVIecentenairedudépartdesaintJérômedeRomeetdesoninstallationà Bethléem (Paris,1988),355–66.
²⁷ ThesaurusLinguaeLatinae IV,1025.81–2;cf.Cain, Jerome’sEpitaphonPaula,120.
prematurelythroughexcessivestudyandasceticism.² ⁸ Thearrestinganecdotehe tellsabouthisfeistyamanuensislikewisecommunicatesoneofhisfavoriteliterary conceits,thesupposedabilitytodictatelengthyandinformation-packedworkson thespurofthemomentandwithoutforethought.²⁹ Thesecretary’sreaction, whichiscapturedinvividdetail,underscoresthispoint,forhebecomes fidgety andimpatientpreciselybecauseheisaccustomedtoJerome’sspontaneous,rapidfiredictation.³⁰
Inadditiontoasecretarialstaff,Jeromehadathisdisposalanextensivelibrary ofsecular,Jewish,andChristianwritingshehadacquiredthroughtheyears.³¹ Earlierin386,priortoundertakinghis opusPaulinum,hepresumablyhad obtainedpersonalcopiesofOrigen’svoluminouscommentariesonthePauline epistles(attheveryleast,theonesonGalatians,Ephesians,Titus,andPhilemon), onwhichheheavilydependedforhisowninterpretivework.³²Hemaywellhave hadinhandotherGreekcommentariesonPaulaswell,suchasthosebyDidymus andApollinaris.³³Allofthesetextswouldhavebeenavailabletohimforcopy (andconsultation)atthefamedecclesiasticallibraryatCaesareaMaritima,which wasabout fiftymilesfromBethlehem.³ ⁴
AnotherofOrigen’smajorscholarlyproductionswastheHexapla,³⁵ which presentedtheOldTestamenttextinsixparallelcolumnsstartingonthefarleft
²
⁸ ThusJeromeemployswhatR.Krawiec, ShenouteandtheWomenoftheWhiteMonastery (Oxford,2002),69–71,callstherhetoricofthe “sufferingservant,” idealizinghimselfasthemodelof Christianperseverancethroughadversity.
²
³
⁹ Cf. Epp.33.6.1,57.2.2,84.12.1,99.1.2,108.32.1,117.12.1,118.1.1–2,127.14.1,128.5.4; C.Vig.17.
⁰ A.Cain, TheLettersofJerome:Asceticism,BiblicalExegesis,andtheConstructionofChristian AuthorityinLateAntiquity (Oxford,2009),175.Cf.Jerome, Comm.Es.,lib.5,prol.ll.47–9: Dictamus haec,nonscribimus:currentenotariorummanucurritoratio
³¹M.HaleWilliams, TheMonkandtheBook:JeromeandtheMakingofChristianScholarship (Chicago,2006),147–66.
³²SeeChapter6.³³SeeChapter6.
³
⁴ AftermovingtoBethlehem,Jeromemadesemi-regulartripstoCaesareatoconsultthelibrary’ s manyimportantmanuscripts.SeeF.Cavallera, SaintJérôme:savieetsonoeuvre,2vols.(Louvain, 1922),2.88–9;J.N.D.Kelly, Jerome:HisLife,Writings,andControversies (NewYork,1975),135;P.Jay, L’exégèsedesaintJérômed’aprèssonCommentairesurIsaïe (Paris,1985),411–17;Jay, “Jérômeetla pratiquedel’exégèse,” inJ.FontaineandC.Pietri(eds.), LaBibledetouslestemps,vol.2: Lemonde latinantiqueetlaBible (Paris,1985),523–41(529–34).Onthelibrary’shistory,seeA.J.Carriker, The LibraryofEusebiusofCaesarea (Leiden,2003),11,14–15.
³⁵ Origennowherecallsitthe “Hexapla” (τὰἙξαπλᾶ)inhisextantwritings,butEusebiusreferstoit assuch(Hist.eccl.6.16.4).ScholarsdebateaboutOrigen’spossiblemotivation(s)forproducingthe Hexapla.J.Wright, “OrigenintheScholar’sDen:ARationalefortheHexapla,” inC.Kannengiesser andW.L.Petersen(eds.), OrigenofAlexandria:HisWorldandHisLegacy (SouthBend,1988),48–62, suggeststhathehadatext-criticalaiminmind,topavethewayforacorrectedtextoftheOld Testament.M.Martin, “Origen’sTheoryofLanguageandtheFirstTwoColumnsofthe Hexapla, ” HThR 97(2004):99–106,arguesthatOrigenwaskeentoprovideChristianswithatoolforsynoptically comparingreadingsofOldTestamentmanuscriptssothattheywouldbewellinformedforanytextual disputeswithJews.T.M.Law, “Origen’sParallelBible:TextualCriticism,Apologetics,orExegesis?,” JThS n.s.59(2008):1–21,chartsadifferentpath,suggestingthathewaspromptedmorebyexegetical thanbytext-criticalorapologeticconcerns.
withtheHebrew,theGreektransliterationoftheHebrew,³⁶ andthenfour translationsoftheHebrewintoGreek(Aquila,Symmachus,arecensionofthe Septuagint,andTheodotion).InhiscommentaryonTitusJeromedescribesthe Hexapla’scontentsinsomedetail,³⁷ andnumeroustimesinhisPaulinecommentarieshealsojuxtaposesreadingsfromtheHebrewBibleanditsfourGreek translations.³⁸ Thesedatacanbetakentosuggest,atleastcircumstantially,that hehad firsthandaccesstotheHexaplaatthetime.Atsomepointhedidowna personalcopyoftheHexapla,butwhetherhehaditin386isunknown.Inany event,thesheercostofmaterialsandscriballaborinvolvedincopyingsucha massivework onemodernestimatehasit fillingthirty-eightcodices,eachcontaining400leaves(800pages)³⁹—wouldhavemadeowningaprivatecopyofthe Hexaplaanextraordinarilycostlypropositioninthelatefourthcentury.Needless tosay,onlytheveryprivilegedfewcouldaffordsuchaluxury,andJerome fitsinto thatrarefiedcampbyvirtueofPaula’spatronage. ⁴⁰
JeromedictatedallfourofhisPaulinecommentariesinquicksuccession betweenthe(early?)summerandearlyautumnof386.⁴¹Cluesinternaltothem enableustoreconstructtheirorderofcomposition.TheoneonPhilemoncame first,⁴²aswelearnfromitsopeninglines:
Youwantedmetodictate[commentaries]onPaul’sepistlesininvertedand flipfloppedorder.Forwhenyourepeatedlyaskedmetodothis,Paulaand Eustochium,andIresolutelyrefusedtodoso,youcompelledmetocomment atleastontheshortepistleandtheonethatyouregardedaslastinitsnumberof versesaswellasinitsmeaningandorder.
PraeposteroordineatqueperversoinepistulasPaulidictariamevobisplacuit. Namcumidcrebro,oPaulaetEustochium,peteretisutfacerem,etegoobnixene
³⁶ ThiscolumnmayhavebeenintendedtoserveasaguidetovocalizingthetextinHebrew charactersinthe firstcolumn.SeeJ.A.Emerton, “AFurtherConsiderationofthePurposeofthe SecondColumnoftheHexapla,” JThS n.s.22(1971):15–28.
³⁷ Comm.Tit.3.9.
³⁸ E.g., Comm.Gal.1.4–5,3.10,3.11–12,3.13b–14,6.18; Comm.Eph.5.3–4; Comm.Tit.2.11–14,3.9; cf. Comm.Phlm.20.
³⁹ A.GraftonandM.HaleWilliams, ChristianityandtheTransformationoftheBook:Origen, Eusebius,andtheLibraryofCaesarea (Cambridge,MA,2006),323.
⁴⁰ ForaroughestimateofPaula’snetworth,seeCain, Jerome’sEpitaphonPaula,108–10.Like Jerome,RufinusownedaprivatecopyoftheHexaplawhichheprocured “atgreatexpense” (magnis sumptibus)(Jerome, Apol.c.Ruf.2.34),andalmostcertainlythankstoMelaniatheElder’spatronage, onwhichseeA.Cain, RufinusofAquileia,InquiryabouttheMonksinEgypt,FOTC139(Washington, D.C.,2019),6–7.
⁴¹Nautin, “Ladatedescommentaires.”
⁴²LikeJerome,Origen,hischiefexegeticalmodelforthePaulinecommentaries,evidentlystarted hisownPaulineexegesiswithacommentaryonPhilemon;seeC.Bammel, “Origen’sPaulinePrefaces andtheChronologyofhisPaulineCommentaries,” inG.DorivalandA.leBoulluec(eds.), Origeniana sexta:OrigèneetlaBible.ActesduColloquiumOrigenianumSextum,Chantilly,30août–3septembre 1993 (Leuven,1995),495–513(511).
