Jesus' Words Only

‘This Day I Have Begotten You’ - Why Jerome Left Out of Vulgate of 405 AD. Ep #4(c) - Conclusion.

Jul 28, 2022

Video Description

In 398 AD, Jerome says now he has recently translated the Hebrew Matthew into Latin in his commentary on Matthew 12:13. Jerome writes talking of the Nazarene and Ebionite shared Hebrew Matthew:

“In the Gospel which the Nazarenes and Ebionites use (which I have lately translated into Greek from the Hebrew, and which is called by many (or most) people the original of Matthew), this man who had the withered hand is described as a mason, who prays for help in such words as this: ‘I was a mason seeking a livelihood with my hands. I pray thee, Jesus, to restore me mine health, that I may not beg meanly for my food.’”

In 410 AD, Jerome quotes from solely the Nazarene Baptism account. Unlike Epiphanius' quote of the Ebionite Hebrew Matthew from 375 AD -- that had "this day I have begotten you," this will say God said "you are my first begotten son." But this could be either [a] cropped to exclude the similar language of the Ebionite Matthew, or [b] this Nazarene version is indeed different than the Ebionite Matthew. We cannot know at this time, as Jerome's full translaition of the Hebrew Matthew was lost to history somehow.

Anyway, this quote below is not fully consistent with the Nicene Creed, because a "first begotten son" is still not an eternal son of the creed -- "begotten not made." But is far better than "this day I have begotten thee" -- which is arguably what Jerome does not want to confirm, as that clearly is inconsistent with the Nicene Creed of an eternal son.

“In the Gospel written in the Hebrew script that the Nazarenes read, the whole fount of the Holy Spirit descends upon Him, for God is Spirit and where the Spirit resides, there is freedom. Further in the Gospel which we have just mentioned we find the following written: “When the Lord came [1] up out of the water the whole fount of the Holy Spirit descended upon Him and rested on Him saying, ‘My Son, in all the prophets was I waiting for You that You should come and I might rest in You. For You are My rest. You are My first begotten Son that prevails forever.’” (Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah 4) [410 AD] [Wikipedia]

In 415 AD, Jerome quotes again from a passage of the Nazarene Hebrew Matthew, and this includes a discussion by Jesus' family urging Jesus to go to the baptism of John:

“Jerome Dialogue Against Pelagius, 3.2 (415 AD)

“In the Gospel according to the Hebrews which is indeed in the Chaldaean and Syriac speech but is written in Hebrew letters, which the Nazarenes use to this day, called 'according to the apostles', or, as most term it, 'according to Matthew', which also is to be seen in the library of Caesarea, the story tells: ‘Behold, the mother of the Lord and his brethren said unto him, ‘John Baptist baptizeth unto the remission of sins; let us go and be baptized of him.’ But he said unto them, ‘Wherein (what) have I sinned, that I should go and be baptized of him? unless peradventure this very thing that I have said is a sin of ignorance.”

This would imply that Jesus did not see any need to go, and that God had not yet spoken to him to make the journey. It took his family's urging for him to consider.

Jerome we conclude did not do enough by just translating the Hebrew Matthew. These texts did not survive his own death, as he likely intended, or otherwise why is Jerome repeatedly using the Hebrew Matthew to elucidate scripture in Matthew, Isaiah and Ezekiel?

If you want to receive our monthly newsletter to be notified of a list of new videos in last 30 days, please sign up at this link:

http://eepurl.com/g4IOoz

You can unsubscribe at any time.

 

---------------------------------------------------------------

Click Here for the Complete List of JWO Videos