Alternative Translations of Difficult Original Terms in Parallel Passages of the Vulgate

The issue of the notable differences between many translation options of the Vulgate and the contemporary way of translating the Bible is well known. Jerome himself was sometimes suspected of having only little knowledge in the field of biblical Hebrew; if this were true, it could have been the cause of several unusual Latin translations.

A look at a number of parallel passages of the Vulgate which contain alternative translations of difficult Hebrew or Greek terms could contribute to clarify the principles of translations Jerome used and to confirm the very good level of knowledge in Hebrew and Greek he actually had.

Examples would be the alternative supersubstantialis/cotidianum in the Lord’s prayer and also the divergent translations of passages in the Psalter iuxta Hebraeos and in the Gallican one, even when the Greek rendering is similar to the original Hebrew.

The biblical commentaries of Jerome explain number of translation difficulties and support the idea that the renowned ancient scholar deliberately translated the same term in diverse ways to illustrate its manifold signification.

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