See versions of the Bible.
Digital Bible Dictionary, Grupo C Service & Design Ltda., Colombia, 2003
Source: Digital Bible Dictionary
(vulgatus = common).
The “Vulgate Bible” is the Latin version of the Bible, prepared by Saint Jerome in the 4th century. It is called the “Vulgate” because it is for the common use of the people.
It is the only version of the Bible that the Church has declared “official” and “authentic” in two Councils, meaning by “authentic” that “it is entirely immune from all error in matters of faith and custom.”
As Daniel says that at the end of time the Antichrist will try to change even the Bible: (Dan 7:25), it is very important to know that the “Vulgate” is free from all error against faith and customs.
There are modern Bibles that have changed important things: For example, if you want to teach your child where the “Hail Mary” is in the Bible, in some Bibles you will not find it, because they have removed the word “hail” or “full of grace”, in Luk 1:28, or they have changed Luk 1:42.
Some Bibles have dropped the word “virgin” which is there twice in Luke 1:27; however, they translate the same Greek word “parzenos” as “virgin” in other passages, in the 10 virgins of Mt.25, in 1 Cor.7, in Rev 14:4, in Acts 21:9. in these places they translate “parzenos” as “virgin”, however, in Luc 1:27, when speaking of the Virgin Mary, they translate as “young”, instead of “virgin”, which is different! See “Virgin.”
Some Bibles have changed Mat 25:40 and 46: Instead of saying “you did it to me”, they say “you did it for me”.
This is how 2 Councils have proclaimed about the “Vulgate” of Saint Jerome.
– Council of Trent: (year 1546).
“If anyone does not accept as sacred and canonical the entire books themselves with all their parts, as they have been customary to read in the Catholic Church, and are contained in the old Latin vulgate edition, and despise the predicted traditions with science and conscience, let him be anathema. This sacrosanct Council establishes and declares that this same ancient and vulgate edition that is approved by the long use of so many centuries in the Church itself, be considered authentic in public lessons, disputes, preaching and expositions, and that no one, for any pretext , be daring or presume to reject it”.
(Denzinger 784-785).
– Vatican Council I
(year 1870) declared that they should be considered canonical “all those books, both of the Old and New Testaments, which are listed in the Council of Trent, intact, with all their parts, and such as are found in the old Vulgate edition Latin”.
(Denz. 1787).
Christian Bible Dictionary
Dr. J. Dominguez
http://bible.com/dictionary/
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
type, LIBR
vet, (lat.: “of universal use”). This is the name generally given to the Latin version of the Scriptures, meaning that it is the one commonly received; It is the official version and accredited by the Church of Rome. There was an earlier Latin version. Paul stated in his Epistle to the Romans that it had been his desire to visit them for “many years” (Rom. 15:23). It is therefore quite possible that already at this time the believers in Rome had procured copies of the OT in Latin, and of the NT writings as the Gospels and Epistles were being written. Jerome (346-420) and Augustine of Hippo (350-430) give evidence that there was a great variety of Latin versions in the fourth century, although it is now accepted that many of them may come from some unknown recension. As for the OT, these versions were translated from the LXX. Augustine mentions, however, that one of these versions stood out from the others for its clarity and fidelity, distinguishing it by the name of Itala. This has led to associate the oldest Latin codices with Italy, where already in the days of the apostles there were certain assemblies (Acts 28:13-15; Heb. 13:24). Others, comparing the oldest copies with the writings of some of the Latin Fathers, are persuaded that the earliest translation into Latin took place in Africa. This view was accepted by Lachmann, Tischendorf, Davidson, and Tregelles. It is possible that there were versions carried out in both places. The main mss. cited by textual critics as prior to Jerome’s time are called Vetus Latina, represented, it seems, by the European, or Italian, and African line, and are: (a) Cod. “Vercellensis ”. Contains the Gospels. 4th century. (b) Cod. “Veronensis”. The Gospels. Somewhat later than (a), it is a good example of the Vetus Latina. (c) Code “Colbertinus”. The entire NT, but only the Gospels are from the Vetus Latina. Eleventh century. (d) Code “Bezae”. The Latin sections of the Gospels and Acts. 6th or 7th centuries. (e) Code “Claromontanus”. The Epistles of Paul. 6th or 7th centuries. (f) Code “Palatinus”. The Gospels. 4th or 5th centuries. Mixed text. (g) Code “Laudianus”. The Acts of the Greek Codex E. (h) Code “Sangermanensis”. The epistles of Paul. The Latin text of the Greek Codex E, but is considered to be a copy of (d). (i) Cod. “Boernerianus”. Epistles of Paul. The interlinear Latin text of the Greek Codex G. IX or X centuries. (j) Cod. “Claromontanus”. The Gospels. But only Mateo in the version of the Vetus Latina. 4th or 5th century. (k) Codex “Bobbiensis”. Sections of Matthew and Mark. It is considered by some authorities to be the oldest representative of the African type. 4th or 5th century. (l) From a “speculum”, an outstanding ancient work. It contains some OT and NT texts, without notes or comments, arranged under doctrinal headings. This text is considered African in contrast to the Italic. Contains twice 1 Jn. 5:7, known as “the heavenly witnesses.” 6th or 7th centuries. There are many other portions, having difficulty in ascribing them to Africa, Italy or Europe. There are also Spanish specimens of the Vetus Latina. The Latin copies having greatly multiplied in the fourth century, and evident corruptions appearing in some of them, it became clear that it was necessary to carry out a revision and standardization, and Damasus, bishop of Rome, commissioned Jerome with this task. Jerome, aware of the difficulties that he was going to have to face, and the prejudices that such a work would arouse, was, however, aware of the need for him. He states that there were errors “for false transcriptions, for crude corrections, and for careless interpolations”. These evils could only be remedied by going back to the originals. Since the defects mainly affected the Gospels, he first devoted himself to them, although not retranslating them, but revising the Vetus Latina. His revision of the Gospels appeared in 384, with a preface to Damasus, who died that same year. It is likely that he finished the NT by 385. His version of his OT was made directly from the Hebrew, except for the Psalms, which he translated from the LXX. In the following 400 years, errors were again introduced with the multiplication of copies, until Charlemagne sought a remedy for this by commissioning Alcuin to revise the text for public reading. This revision came to light in the year 802, and is called the Bible of Charlemagne. However, the copies continued to multiply, and with them the errors. When the invention of the printing press arrived, several editions were published, with divergences between them. In the end, the popes undertook the task of preparing a correct edition, which was completed by Sixtus V in 1590; however, the result was not very satisfactory, so further revisions were carried out. In 1592 Clement VIII published one, in 1593 another, and a third in 1598, with a list of errata for all three. Modern copies are dated 1592. In giving the Vulgate as the authority for the various NT readings, the printed editions are not often cited, but the mss. still extant from Jerome’s revision. The main ones are: am. Cod. “Amitianus”, containing the entire Bible. 6th century. fuld. Code “Fuldensis”. The NT. 6th century. tol. Code “Toletanus”. The entire Bible in Gothic letters. for. Code “Forojuliensis”. Parts of the Gospels. per. Luke Fragments. harl. Code “Harleian”. The Gospels. 7th century. There are also portions and fragments of many others. The passage from Jn. 7:53-8:11, “the woman taken in the act of adultery” (omitted in many Greek mss, including ABCLTX Delta, but with a blank in L and Delta) is found in Codices (c) and (e) of the Vetus Latina, and was in (b), but it was deleted. This illustrates how the Vetus Latina, preserved in the Vulgate, can be the means of authenticating true readings that would otherwise be rejected due to the supposed preponderance (in importance, not quantity) of mss. Greeks against them. Augustine (354-430) and Nicon (10th century) explain that this passage was omitted because it was believed “that she gave license to sin” (!). The text of the Vulgate, and of the Vetus Latina behind it, has, as a witness, great importance in studies of textual criticism, like other ancient versions, in addition to its great role in the transmission of the Word of God in the world. latin of the past For this reason, in addition to being of great interest to critics, it is also of great interest as a historical legacy. See OLD VERSIONS. Bibliography: S. Berger: “Histoire de la Vulgate”, Paris, 1893; Germain Morin: “Etudes, texts, discoveries. Contributions to littérature et í l’histoire des douxe premiers siècles”, in Anecdota Maredsolana, Maredsous, 1913; Jean Gribomont: Article “Vulgate”, in Encyclopedia of the Bible, Ed. Garriga, Barcelona, 1963. *** W
Source: New Illustrated Bible Dictionary
Version of the Bible made by S. Jerome, a learned priest from Rome and an expert in oriental languages, with an admirable command of Hebrew, Aramaic, Syriac, and also of Greek, He carried out the admirable work of revising all the books towards the end of the fourth century. According to tradition, Pope Dámaso ordered him to make a Latin translation of the sacred books to end the problems caused by the various versions that were used and generated sterile disputes and sometimes errors. It is known by the name of the Vetus Itala, or old Italian, the most popular Latin translation prior to the Vulgate. But the transcriptions had been diversified by introducing glosses or added terms or by omitting some fragments or even doing things that were not to the taste of the translator or the copyist.
To put an end to this situation, San Jerónimo elaborated a new version. Upon being authorized by the hierarchy of Rome, it took on a universal dimension and for this reason it was considered the first and most durable of the translations of the Bible. The Vulgate (vulgar or popular) of San Jerónimo was slowly imposing itself in Rome. By the 7th century it was already in majority use in the West.
Saint Jerome translated directly from Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, the languages of the texts preserved on…