Letter 27: In this letter Jerome defends himself against the charge of having altered the text of Scripture, and shows that he has merely brought the Latin Version of the N.T. into agreement with the Greek original. Written at Rome 384 A.D.

Letter 27: To Marcella (384 AD) [Jerome defends himself against critics who accuse him of tampering with Scripture. His crime? Correcting the Latin New Testament against the Greek original. The letter is vintage Jerome — witty, combative, dripping with contempt for his attackers.] 1. After I had sent my earlier note with some remarks on a few Hebrew words, a report suddenly reached me that certain contemptible people were deliberately attacking me for having tried to correct passages in the Gospels "against the authority of the ancients and the opinion of the whole world." Now, strictly speaking, I could treat these people with the contempt they deserve — as they say, there's no point playing the lyre for a donkey. But lest they follow their usual custom and accuse me of arrogance, here is my answer. I am not so dim-witted or so coarsely ignorant — qualities which these people mistake for holiness, calling themselves "disciples of fishermen," as though ignorance were the same as sanctity — I am not, I repeat, so ignorant as to imagine that any of the Lord's words is either in need of correction or anything less than divinely inspired. What I have done is this: the Latin manuscripts of Scripture are demonstrably corrupt, as the discrepancies between them prove, and my aim has been to restore them to the form of the Greek original — from which even my critics don't deny they were translated. If they don't want water drawn from the clear spring, let them drink from the muddy stream. And when they sit down to read Scripture, let them put away the sharp eyes they use for spotting game birds in the forest and shellfish in the water. Let them — so easily pleased in this one case — go ahead and treat the words of Christ as crude stuff, even though the greatest intellects have labored for centuries to fathom the meaning of each single word. Let them accuse the great apostle of lacking literary skill, though it is written of him that "much learning has driven you mad" [Acts 26:24]. 2. I know that as you read this you're furrowing your brow, worried that my bluntness is sowing the seeds of fresh quarrels, and wishing — if you could — that you could clap your hand over my mouth to stop me from even mentioning things that other people don't blush to do. But I ask you: where have I gone too far? Have I ever engraved my dinner plates with images of idols? Have I ever, at a Christian banquet, placed before the eyes of consecrated virgins the obscene spectacle of satyrs embracing bacchantes? Have I attacked anyone with excessive bitterness? Have I mocked beggars turned millionaires? Have I sneered at heirs for the funerals they gave their benefactors? The one thing I have unfortunately said was that virgins ought to spend more time in the company of women than of men — and for that, the entire city looks scandalized and everyone points the finger of scorn at me. "Those who hate me without cause are more numerous than the hairs of my head" [Psalm 69:4], and I have become a byword to them. 3. But when I set the potter's wheel spinning, I meant to make a wine jug — how has it turned into a water pot? Let me come back to my two-legged donkeys and blast into their ears not the music of the lyre but the blare of the trumpet, since lyre music is wasted on them. They may prefer to read "rejoicing in hope, serving the time" — but we will read, with the correct text, "rejoicing in hope, serving the Lord" [Romans 12:11-12]. They may think it acceptable to receive an accusation against a priest with no corroboration — but we will follow Scripture: "Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. Those who sin, rebuke before all" [1 Timothy 5:19-20]. They may choose to read "It is a man's saying, and worthy of all acceptance"; we are content to err with the Greeks — that is, with the apostle himself, who wrote in Greek — and read instead: "It is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance" [1 Timothy 1:15]. Finally, let them take as much delight as they please in their fancy geldings; we will be satisfied with the humble donkey of Zechariah, freed from its halter and readied for the Savior's service — which bore the Lord on its back and so fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy: "Blessed is he who sows beside all waters, where the ox and the donkey tread."

To Marcella In this letter Jerome defends himself against the charge of having altered the text of Scripture, and shows that he has merely brought the Latin Version of the N.T. into agreement with the Greek original. Written at Rome 384 A.D. 1. After I had written my former letter, containing a few remarks on some Hebrew words, a report suddenly reached me that certain contemptible creatures were deliberately assailing me with the charge that I had endeavored to correct passages in the gospels, against the authority of the ancients and the opinion of the whole world. Now, though I might — as far as strict right goes — treat these persons with contempt (it is idle to play the lyre for an ass ), yet, lest they should follow their usual habit and reproach me with superciliousness, let them take my answer as follows: I am not so dull-wilted nor so coarsely ignorant (qualities which they take for holiness, calling themselves the disciples of fishermen as if men were made holy by knowing nothing)— I am not, I repeat, so ignorant as to suppose that any of the Lord's words is either in need of correction or is not divinely inspired; but the Latin manuscripts of the Scriptures are proved to be faulty by the variations which all of them exhibit, and my object has been to restore them to the form of the Greek original, from which my detractors do not deny that they have been translated. If they dislike water drawn from the clear spring, let them drink of the muddy streamlet, and when they come to read the Scriptures, let them lay aside the keen eye which they turn on woods frequented by game-birds and waters abounding in shellfish. Easily satisfied in this instance alone, let them, if they will, regard the words of Christ as rude sayings, albeit that over these so many great intellects have labored for so many ages rather to divine than to expound the meaning of each single word. Let them charge the great apostle with want of literary skill, although it is said of him that much learning made him mad. Acts 26:24 2. I know that as you read these words you will knit your brows, and fear that my freedom of speech is sowing the seeds of fresh quarrels; and that, if you could, you would gladly put your finger on my mouth to prevent me from even speaking of things which others do not blush to do. But, I ask you, wherein have I used too great license? Have I ever embellished my dinner plates with engravings of idols? Have I ever, at a Christian banquet, set before the eyes of virgins the polluting spectacle of Satyrs embracing bacchanals? Or have I ever assailed any one in too bitter terms? Have I ever complained of beggars turned millionaires? Have I ever censured heirs for the funerals which they have given to their benefactors? The one thing that I have unfortunately said has been that virgins ought to live more in the company of women than of men, and by this I have made the whole city look scandalized and caused every one to point at me the finger of scorn. They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head, and I have become a proverb to them. Do you suppose after this that I will now say anything rash? 3. But when I set the wheel rolling I began to form a wine flagon; how comes it that a waterpot is the result? Lest Horace laugh at me I come back to my two-legged asses, and din into their ears, not the music of the lute, but the blare of the trumpet. They may say if they will, rejoicing in hope; serving the time, but we will say rejoicing in hope; serving the Lord. They may see fit to receive an accusation against a presbyter unconditionally; but we will say in the words of Scripture, Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses. Them that sin rebuke before all. 1 Timothy 5:19-20 They may choose to read, It is a man's saying, and worthy of all acceptation; we are content to err with the Greeks, that is to say with the apostle himself, who spoke Greek. Our version, therefore, is, it is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation. 1 Timothy 1:15 Lastly, let them take as much pleasure as they please in their Gallican geldings; we will be satisfied with the simple ass of Zechariah, loosed from its halter and made ready for the Saviour's service, which received the Lord on its back, and so fulfilled Isaiah's prediction: Blessed is he that sows beside all waters, where the ox and the ass tread under foot.