Jerome — Commentary on Scripture | TrulyRandomVerse

On Genesis

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Genesis 13:13
(Verse 13) And the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before God exceedingly. This addition, "before God," is superfluous in the Septuagint interpreters, since the inhabitants of Sodom were wicked and sinners among all people. However, a person is said to be a sinner before God, who can appear righteous among people, just as it is declared in the proclamation of Zachariah and Elizabeth that they were both righteous before God (Luke 1:6). And in the Psalter it is said: 'No living creature shall be justified in your sight.' (Ps. 142:2)

Hebrew Questions on Genesis
Genesis 13:14-15
(Verse 14 and 15.) Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, towards the north, south, east, and west; for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring. He set the four regions of the world: east, west, north, and south. But what is read in all the Scriptures, let it suffice to say once, that the sea is always considered to be in the west: because the region of Palestine is situated in such a way that the sea is in the western part.

Hebrew Questions on Genesis
Genesis 14:3
(Chapter 14, Verse 3) And the king of Bale, which is Segor. All these agreed in the valley of Salsam, which is the Dead Sea. Bale in the Hebrew language is called κατάποσις, which means swallowing. Therefore, the Hebrews report that in another place in the Scriptures it is called Salisa, and again it is said to be μόσχον τριετίζουσαν, which means a three-year-old calf, because it was indeed swallowed up by the third movement of the earth (1 Samuel 9:4; Isaiah 15:5). And from that time, since Sodom and Gomorrah, Adama and Seboim were destroyed by divine fire, it is called that little one. Indeed, Segor is transferred to a small place called Zoara in the Syriac language. The Valley of Salt, as it is written in this same book, in which there were previously pits of bitumen, after the wrath of God and the rain of sulfur, was turned into the Dead Sea, which is called by the Greeks λίμνη Ἀσφαλτῖτις, that is, the lake of bitumen.

Hebrew Questions on Genesis
Genesis 14:5
(Verse 5.) And the giants settled in Astaroth Carnaim, and strong nations along with them: and Ominaeos in the city of Save, before they came to Sodom. Four kings who came from Babylon killed the giants, that is, the strong ones of Arabia, and the Zozim in Hom, and the Emim in the city of Save, which is still called by that name today. But the Zuzim and the Emim are interpreted as terrifying and horrifying: for this reason, the Seventy [translators], conveying the sense rather than word for word, translated them as the strongest nations. Furthermore, Baem, for which they said, 'with them', they thought it was written with He (), guided by the similarity of the elements, while it is written with Heth. Baem () is written with three letters: if it has the middle He, it is interpreted as 'in them'; but if it has Heth, as in the present case, it signifies a place, that is, 'in Hom ()'.

Hebrew Questions on Genesis
Genesis 14:7
(Verse 7) And they returned and came to the well of judgment, which is Kadesh. It is said by anticipation that it was afterwards so called. But it signifies the place at Petra, which is called the well of judgment because there God judged the people. And they struck all the region of the Amalekites and the Amorites who dwelt in Hazazon-tamar. This town is what is now called Engedi, fertile with balsam and palm trees. Moreover, Hazazon-tamar, in our language, means the city of palm trees. Thamar, indeed, is said to mean 'palm'. However, it is worth noting that shortly after it says: 'And they set their battle line against them in the valley of Salt, which is called in Hebrew, the valley of Seddim (), which Aquila interprets as 'of the plains', and Theodotion as 'of the groves', signifying pleasant woods.'

Hebrew Questions on Genesis
Genesis 14:11
(Verse 11.) And they took all the cavalry of Sodom and Gomorrah. For cavalry in Hebrew has Rachus (), which means substance.

Hebrew Questions on Genesis
Genesis 14:13
(Verse 13) And he who had fled, reported to Abram the passerby. And he himself was sitting by the oak of Mamre, the Amorite, the brother of Eschol, and the brother of Aner, who were allies of Abram. Concerning this, which we have set forth to the passerby, it is written in Hebrew as Ibri (), for this indeed signifies a passerby. But what he says: by the oak of Mamre, the Amorite, we read better in Hebrew as by the oak of Mamre, the Amorite, the brother of Eschol, and not the brother of Aner, as the Septuagint translated, but of Aner, so as to show that Mamre and Eschol, and Aner, were Amorites and brothers, allies of Abram.

Hebrew Questions on Genesis
Genesis 14:14
(Verse 14) And he pursued them as far as Dan, to the city of the Phoenicians, which is now called Paneas. But Dan is one of the sources of the Jordan. For the other is also called Jor, which means 'stream'. Therefore, the Jordan is the name given to the two springs that, not far from each other, join to form a single stream.

Hebrew Questions on Genesis
Genesis 14:18

You sent me the volume anonymous and authorless... When I read it, I realized that the most famous question about High Priest Melchizedek had been discussed there with many arguments, in an attempt to teach that he who blessed the great Patriarch was of a more divine nature and should not be considered among men... When I read the letter and found myself adjured with remarkable entreaties in the last little page not to spurn the petitioner, I searched through the books of the Ancients to see what each one said, and I answered you, as it were, with the counsel of many. And immediately on the first page of Genesis I found an exegesis by Origen concerning Melchizedek, in which he discusses the matter in many words and comes to the conclusion that he was an angel. With almost the same arguments your author has employed on the Holy Spirit, he speaks on the heavenly powers. I went on to his follower Didymus, and came to a like result. I turned to Hippolytus, Irenaeus, Eusebius of Caesarea, and Emisenus, Apollinaris also, and our Eustathius, who first sang the war trumpet against Arius as t…

You sent me the volume anonymous and authorless... When I read it, I realized that the most famous question about High Priest Melchizedek had been discussed there with many arguments, in an attempt to teach that he who blessed the great Patriarch was of a more divine nature and should not be considered among men... When I read the letter and found myself adjured with remarkable entreaties in the last little page not to spurn the petitioner, I searched through the books of the Ancients to see what each one said, and I answered you, as it were, with the counsel of many. And immediately on the first page of Genesis I found an exegesis by Origen concerning Melchizedek, in which he discusses the matter in many words and comes to the conclusion that he was an angel. With almost the same arguments your author has employed on the Holy Spirit, he speaks on the heavenly powers. I went on to his follower Didymus, and came to a like result. I turned to Hippolytus, Irenaeus, Eusebius of Caesarea, and Emisenus, Apollinaris also, and our Eustathius, who first sang the war trumpet against Arius as the Bishop of Antioch's Church: and I found that all of their opinions, with different arguments and byways, had arrived at one intersection, to say that Melchizedek was a Canaanite man, the king of the city of Jerusalem, which was first called Salem, then Jebus, and finally Jerusalem... I will also give the opinion of the Hebrews... they say that this was Shem, the first son of Noah, and at the time when Abram was born, he was 390 years old, reckoning them thus. After the flood, in the second year, Shem, having lived for 100 years, begot Arphaxad; And after Arphaxad was born, he lived for 500 years, that is, a total of 600 years. And when Arphaxad was thirty-five years old, he begot Salah, who also thirty years old, begot Eber, and we read that Eber begot Peleg at the age of 34. Again, Phaleg, having completed thirty years, begot Rehu: who himself, after his thirty-second year from his birth, begot Serug: of whom, when he had arrived at his thirtieth year, was born Nachor: who, when he was twenty-nine years old, begot Thare: whom we read, at the age of seventy, to have begotten Abram, and Nachor, and Aran. Calculate the number of years through each age, and you will find from the birth of Shem to the generation of Abram, three hundred and ninety years. Now Abraham died in the hundred and seventy-fifth year of his age. By calculation, it is found that Shem, his tenth-degree grandson, survived Abraham by thirty-five years.

Letter 73
Genesis 14:18

(Verse 18.) And Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine; and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him. Because our work, either the Hebrew Questions or the Collection of Traditions, is once for all, therefore let us infer what the Hebrews think of this. They say that he is the son of Shem, Noah's son; and by calculating the years of his life, they show that he lived until Isaac, and that all the firstborn of Noah, until Aaron assumed the priesthood, were priests. Furthermore, Jerusalem is called the king of Salem, which was previously called Salem. However, blessed Apostle to the Hebrews (VII, 3), mentioning one without a father or mother, refers to Christ, and through Christ to the Church of the Gentiles. For all the glory of the head is referred to the members, because he, having a foreskin, blessed the circumcised Abraham, and in Abraham the Levites, and through the Levites Aaron: from whom later the priesthood. From this he wants to gather that the priesthood of the Church, having a foreskin, blessed the synagogue with the circumcised priesthood…

(Verse 18.) And Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine; and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him. Because our work, either the Hebrew Questions or the Collection of Traditions, is once for all, therefore let us infer what the Hebrews think of this. They say that he is the son of Shem, Noah's son; and by calculating the years of his life, they show that he lived until Isaac, and that all the firstborn of Noah, until Aaron assumed the priesthood, were priests. Furthermore, Jerusalem is called the king of Salem, which was previously called Salem. However, blessed Apostle to the Hebrews (VII, 3), mentioning one without a father or mother, refers to Christ, and through Christ to the Church of the Gentiles. For all the glory of the head is referred to the members, because he, having a foreskin, blessed the circumcised Abraham, and in Abraham the Levites, and through the Levites Aaron: from whom later the priesthood. From this he wants to gather that the priesthood of the Church, having a foreskin, blessed the synagogue with the circumcised priesthood. But as he says: You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek (Ps. CIX, 4): our mystery is signified in the word of the order: not by offering irrational victims through Aaron, but by offering bread and wine: that is, the body and blood of the Lord Jesus.

Hebrew Questions on Genesis
Genesis 15:2-3
(Chapter 15, Verses 2, 3.) Lord God, what will you give me? And I go without children: and the son of my household, this Damascus Eliezer. And Abram said: Behold to me you have not given seed: and the son of my household will be my heir. Whereby we have, and the son of my household: in Hebrew it is written, Uben Mesech Bethi: which Aquila translated, the son of the one who gives drink to my house: that is, the son who gives drink to my house. But Theodotius, and the son of my servant: that is, his son, who is in charge of my house. And as for what he says, this is it: I die without children, and the son of my steward, or overseer, who manages and distributes all the food of my household, is called Damascus Eliezer, and he will be my heir. Moreover, Eliezer means 'my God is my helper'. They say that Damascus was founded and named after him.

Hebrew Questions on Genesis
Genesis 15:7
(Verse 7.) I am God, who brought you out from the land of the Chaldeans. This is what we said a little while ago is written in Hebrew: who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans, that is, from the fire of the Chaldeans.

Hebrew Questions on Genesis
Genesis 15:10-11
(Verses 10, 11.) And he placed them opposite each other: but he did not separate the birds. However, birds descended upon the carcasses and the divisions thereof, and Abram drove them away. It does not pertain to the present work to explain the sacrament. We only say this, because the Hebrew version has for these words: And birds descended upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. For he deservedly often delivered Israel from narrow straits.

Hebrew Questions on Genesis
Genesis 15:12
(Verse 12) But when the sun was setting, a deep sleep fell upon Abram. The word for deep sleep in Hebrew is Thardema (), which means a descending, and we translated it as a deep sleep.

Hebrew Questions on Genesis
Genesis 15:16
(Verse 16) But in the fourth generation they will return here. There is no doubt that these will be the ones who are descended from Abraham. It is asked how it is written in Exodus: In the fifth generation the children of Israel went forth from the land of Egypt (Exodus 15:18). On this chapter, we have published a small volume.

Hebrew Questions on Genesis
Genesis 16:2
(Chapter 16, Verse 2) Behold, the Lord has made me barren, so go in to my maidservant; perhaps I shall obtain children by her. Take careful note that the procreation of children is written in Hebrew as building. For it is read there: Go in to my maidservant, that I may perhaps build through her. And see, lest perhaps this is what is said in Exodus: God blessed the midwives, and they built houses for themselves (Exodus 1:20).

Hebrew Questions on Genesis
Genesis 16:7
(Verse 7) And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the desert, by the fountain on the way to Shur. Then the Egyptian woman hurriedly went on the way to Shur, which leads through the desert to Egypt.

Hebrew Questions on Genesis
Genesis 16:11
(Verse 11) And she called his name Ishmael; for God has heard my affliction. Ishmael means, God hears.

Hebrew Questions on Genesis
Genesis 16:12
(Verse 12) This will be a rustic man. His hand will be against everyone, and everyone's hand against him, and he will dwell against the face of all his brothers. In Hebrew, Phara () is written for rustic, which means onager. It signifies that his descendants will dwell in the wilderness, that is, the wandering Saracens, in uncertain lands, who attack and are attacked by all the nations to which the desert is adjacent.

Hebrew Questions on Genesis
Genesis 17:3-14
(Chapter 17—Verse 3 and following) And the Lord spoke to him, saying: Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations, and your name shall no longer be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of many nations. It should be noted that wherever we read Testament in Greek, in the Hebrew language it is the word covenant or pact, that is, Berith (). The Hebrews say that God, from his name, which is the Tetragrammaton among them, added the letter He to Abraham and Sarah: for he was first called Abram (), which means lofty father, and later he was called Abraham (), which means father of many: for what follows nations is not part of the name, but is understood. It is not surprising, therefore, that when it seems that the letter Α has been added among the Greeks and us: we have called it the Hebrew letter He added; for the language of that tongue is to write with He (ה‎), but to read with A (א‎): just as, on the contrary, the letter A is often pronounced as He.

Hebrew Questions on Genesis