Expositio prologi
Commentarius in librum Sapientiae · Prooemium
Prologus S. Hieronymi in librum Sapientiae.
Liber Sapientiae apud Hebraeos nusquam est. Unde et ipse stilus Graecam magis eloquentiam redolet. Hunc Iudaei Philonis esse affirmant; qui proinde Sapientiae nominatur, quia in eo Christi adventus, qui est Sapientia Patris, et passio eius evidenter exprimitur6.
Expositio prologi.
Liber Sapientiae etc. Hic est prologus, quem praemittit Hieronymus libro Sapientiae; et primo ostendit huius libri originem, dicens: Liber Sapientiae apud Hebraeos nusquam est. Unde et ipse stilus, id est ipsum dictamen7, scilicet, quia tam elegans est, magis Graecam eloquentiam redolet, id est sapit, quam Hebraeam. Graeci enim sunt magis eloquentes et in sententiis profundiores quam Hebraei. Unde cum liber iste habeat elegantissimum stilum et maximam profunditatem sententiarum, patet, eum potius in lingua Graeca quam Hebraea fuisse traditum. — Secundo nominat eius auctorem dicens: Hunc, scilicet librum Sapientiae, Iudaei Philonis esse affirmant, scilicet tanquam compilatoris, sed Salomonis esse tanquam inventoris, ut dictum est8. Hic Philo, licet p. 110 esset Iudaeus, fuit tamen in Graeca lingua valde peritus. De ipso dicit Hieronymus in libro de Viris illustribus1, quod « fuit Iudaeus, natione Alexandrinus, de genere sacerdotum ». — Tertio assignat tituli rationem dicens: Qui liber, scilicet Sapientiae, proinde Sapientia nominatur, quia in eo adventus Christi, qui est Sapientia Patris, et passio eius evidenter, id est diligenter, exprimitur.
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The Prologue of St Jerome to the book of Wisdom.
The book of Wisdom is nowhere found among the Hebrews. Whence also its very style is redolent rather of Greek eloquence. The Jews affirm this to be Philo's; and it is therefore given the name of Wisdom, because in it the coming of Christ, who is the Wisdom of the Father, and his passion are evidently expressed6.
The exposition of the prologue.
The book of Wisdom etc. This is the prologue which Jerome prefixes to the book of Wisdom; and first he shows the origin of this book, saying: The book of Wisdom is nowhere found among the Hebrews. Whence also its very style, that is, the very diction7, namely, because it is so elegant, is redolent rather of Greek eloquence, that is, savours of it, than of Hebrew. For the Greeks are more eloquent and deeper in their sentences than the Hebrews. Whence, since this book has a most elegant style and the greatest depth of sentences, it is clear that it was handed down in the Greek tongue rather than in the Hebrew. — Secondly he names its author, saying: The Jews affirm this, namely the book of Wisdom, to be Philo's, namely as its compiler, but Solomon's as its finder, as has been said8. This Philo, although he p. 110 was a Jew, was nevertheless very skilled in the Greek tongue. Of him Jerome says in the book On Illustrious Men1 that « he was a Jew, by nation an Alexandrian, of the priestly stock ». — Thirdly he assigns the reason for the title, saying: Which book, namely of Wisdom, is therefore named Wisdom, because in it the coming of Christ, who is the Wisdom of the Father, and his passion are evidently, that is, diligently, expressed.
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- 6Hieron. specialem Prologum in librum Sapientiae non composuit; in aliis vero duobus Prologis, scil. in Prologo in libros Regum, qui Prologus galeatus dicitur, et in Prologo in Proverbia (Epist. ad Chromatium et Heliodorum episcopos, de libris Salomonis) sententiam suam de libro Sapientiae exhibet. In primo ait: « Igitur Sapientia, quae vulgo Salomonis inscribitur, et Iesu, filii Sirach, liber... non sunt in canone ». In secundo dicit: « Fertur et panaeretos Iesu, filii Sirach, liber, et alius pseudepigraphus, qui Sapientia Salomonis inscribitur. Quorum priorem Hebraicum reperi... Secundus apud Hebraeos nusquam est; quin et ipse stilus Graecam eloquentiam redolet, et nonnulli scriptorum veterum hunc esse Iudaei Philonis affirmant. Sicut ergo Iudith » etc. Ex his patet, primam partem huius Prologi in Sapientiam sumtam esse quasi ad verbum ex hoc loco Hieronymi; secundam vero partem apud ipsum non invenimus; insinuatur autem ab Isidoro, in Lib. vet. et novi testam. prooem. n. 40. Totus hic Prologus verbotenus exhibetur ab Isidoro, VI. Etymolog. c. 2. n. 30.Jerome did not compose a special Prologue to the book of Wisdom; but in two other Prologues, namely in the Prologue to the books of Kings, which is called the Prologus galeatus ("helmeted prologue"), and in the Prologue to Proverbs (the Letter to the bishops Chromatius and Heliodorus, on the books of Solomon), he sets out his opinion on the book of Wisdom. In the first he says: « Therefore the Wisdom which is commonly inscribed as Solomon's, and the book of Jesus, son of Sirach... are not in the canon ». In the second he says: « There is also current the panaretos of Jesus, son of Sirach, a book, and another, pseudepigraphal, which is inscribed the Wisdom of Solomon. Of these the former I have found in Hebrew... The second is nowhere found among the Hebrews; indeed its very style is redolent of Greek eloquence, and some of the ancient writers affirm this to be the work of Philo the Jew. As therefore Judith » etc. From these it is clear that the first part of this Prologue to Wisdom was taken almost word for word from this place of Jerome; the second part, however, we have not found in him; but it is intimated by Isidore, in the Prooemia to the books of the Old and New Testament, n. 40. This whole Prologue is given word for word by Isidore, Etymologies VI, c. 2, n. 30.
- 7B dictatum; sed Ducange, Glossarium etc., probat, hoc vocabulum illa aetate sumi pro stilo orationis solutae.Codex B reads dictatum; but Du Cange, Glossarium etc., proves that this word was taken in that age for the style of prose discourse.
- 8Supra n. 5. 6.Above, nn. 5 and 6.
- 1Cap. 11.Chapter 11.