The Aramaic Bible: Targums in their Historical Context

424 The Aramaic Bible: Targums in their Historical Context
errors in the Septuagint even when these had facilitated christological
interpretation. The words into nn mvb ratal (Amos 4.13) had been rendered
into Greek apangellon eis anthropous ton christon autou (Amos
4.13), 'He proclaims to men his Christ', but Jerome took exception to
this wording. It originates, he explains, from a mistaken reading of
the original: the Hebrew text does not exhibit the word MESSIO, 'his
messiah', but rather two words MA, quod, and SIA, eloquium, 21 and
thus has to be understood as 'He proclaims to man his word'
(annuntians homini eloquium suum).
Consequently, I wish to limit the application of the term 'Jewish
tradition' to those exegetical remarks that are irrelevant, or even to
some extent contrary, to the teaching of the church. In a great number
of cases Jerome makes mention of such traditions expressly as stemming
from Jews; more often than not, however, some detective work
is needed to uncover them. This applies specifically to the Vulgate's
Latin rendition of the Hebrew text. Much of the relevant material has
been published before; the examples presented in the following are
either less well-known or newly traced ones. 22
Let this brief survey begin with the letters and sounds of biblical
Hebrew. Hebrew words when spoken impress Jerome as 'hissing and
puffing' (anhelantiaque verba); 23 and yet he is capable of appreciating
the elegant alliteration (elegantem structuram sonumque verborum) 24
employed in the prophet's lament that EDEJEJQ 'justice', had turned into
nston, 'violence', and np-is, 'righteousness', into npr^ 'a cry' (Isa. 5.7).
Jerome explains to his Latin audience the names of the twenty-two
Hebrew letters: aleph means 'instruction', beth 'house', gimel
'fullness' and so on down to resh 'head', sin 'tooth', taw 'sign'. 25 He
returns to this matter within a very different context, namely in his
commentary on Haggai: this prophet had proclaimed his first message
on the first day of the sixth month, demanding that the Temple be
21. Commentarii in Amos, on Amos 4.13; VI, p. 278.
22. For example, M. Rahmer, Die hebraischen Traditionen in den Werken des
Hieronymus 1-2 (Breslau, 1861; Berlin, 1902); F. Stummer, 'Spuren judischer und
christlicher Einfliisse auf die Ubersetzung der Grossen Propheten durch
Hieronymus', JAOS 8 (1928), pp. 35-48; L. Ginzberg, Die Haggada bei den
Kirchenvatern (Vienna, 1923); Kedar, Mikra, pp. 33-34.
23. Epistola CXXV, 12 (ad Rusticum); I, p. 934ff.
24. Commentarii in Isaiam, on Isa. 5.7; IV, p. 73
25. Nominum Locorum ex Actis; III, pp. 729ff.