Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Word of God · Book II: On the Editions and Versions of Scripture
Chapter 3: On the Chaldaic edition
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. I, De Verbo Dei, Book II: On the Editions and Versions of Scripture. The Latin source text is public domain; this English rendering is released with the site. Scripture quotations follow Bellarmine's Vulgate citations, rendered in Douay-Rheims wording where he quotes exactly. Click “Show the Latin” for the original (raw OCR of the scan; scanning errors remain — the scan itself is the authority).
In the Chaldaic tongue were composed the books of Tobias and Judith, and in part the books of Esdras and Daniel. Besides, the whole Old Scripture was translated paraphrastically from the Hebrew into the Chaldaic, which paraphrase they themselves call the Targum. And the Pentateuch is said to have been translated by R. Aquila, who in Chaldaic is called Onkelos; the former and latter Prophets, that is, Josue, Judges, and the books of Kings, likewise Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the rest of the Prophets, by R. Jonathan the son of Uziel; the Psalms, Job, Ruth, Esther, and the works of Solomon, by R. Joseph the Blind.
These paraphrastic translations are among the Hebrews of great authority, and therefore useful also to us, that from them we may convict the Hebrews. Otherwise they are not so highly esteemed by the Church, nor can a firm argument be drawn from them. Since (as Cardinal Francisco Ximenes rightly says in the preface of the Complutensian Bibles) the Chaldaic paraphrases, that one excepted which is on the Pentateuch, are besprinkled with Jewish fables and the trifles of the Talmudists. And that this is most true, anyone will prove by his own experience who shall be willing to read the paraphrase on the Lamentations, on the Canticle, on Job, on the Psalms, and on all the Prophets.
Certainly in chapter 53 of Isaiah, where the Prophet most openly preaches of the passion of Christ, the whole paraphrase wrests it to the calamities of the people of the Jews. And in that paraphrase which is on the Canticle and the Lamentations, there are read everywhere the books of the Talmud, the third temple, two Messiahs, the deliverance from the captivity of Titus and Vespasian, threats against the Christians and the Mohammedans (whom, after their manner, they signify by Esau and Ismael). Finally very many fables about the lamentation of God, about the ascension of Moses into heaven, about the tables of the Law cut out of the sapphire of the divine throne, and about other things of the same kind. But neither ought the paraphrase of Aquila on the Pentateuch to be reckoned altogether entire and incorrupt. For it too has its errors, though fewer and lighter than the rest and Joseph's paraphrases have.
And, to set forth something by way of example out of the several books: In Genesis chapter 4 verse 23, where the Hebrew text has [ki ish haragti], and the Greek agrees, for I have slain a man, and the Latin, For I have slain a man, the Chaldaic paraphrase adds a negation, [lo qatalti gavra], I have not slain a man, and renders the contrary sense. Likewise chapter 12 number 18, chapter 26 number 4, and chapter 28 number 14, the Hebrew text has, They shall be blessed [in thy seed] all the nations of the earth, and the Greek agrees, [in thy seed], and the Latin, In thy seed. And the Apostle Paul to the Galatians 3 bids us observe that the promises were made to Abraham and to his seed, and that it is not said, and to seeds, as of many, but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ. But the Chaldaic paraphrase in all these places rendered the plural number, they shall be blessed [on account of thy sons] all the peoples of the earth.
In Exodus chapter 12 number 44, where we read in the Hebrew text [kol ben nekhar], No son of a stranger shall eat of it, and the Greek agrees, [every stranger], and the Latin, Every stranger, the Chaldaic paraphrase, in hatred of the Neophytes, put, [every son of Israel destroyed]. For so the Jews everywhere call those who, leaving Judaism, are converted to the Christian Faith.
In Leviticus chapter 10 number 6, and chapter 21 number 10, where the Hebrew text has [lo tifra’u], You shall not shave or bare your heads, and the Greek and Latin agree, the Chaldaic paraphrase rendered the contrary, [you shall not multiply the hair].
In the book of Numbers chapter 21 number 19 is set down the fable about the well, which the Hebrews feign to have descended with the children of Israel to the torrents, and from the torrents to have ascended with them to the hills, and from the hills again to have descended to the valleys; and chapter 23 number 9, where the Hebrew text has, The people shall dwell alone, that is, it shall not be mingled with other nations, the Chaldaic paraphrase, after the Jewish manner, rendered, Behold the people alone shall possess the world; for this they expect, that they alone shall have dominion in the world.
Finally in Deuteronomy chapter 4 number 28, and chapter 28 number 64, where the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin Scripture foretells that the Hebrews shall serve strange gods (which we know was in fact fulfilled more than once), the Chaldaic paraphrase transfers this crime of idolatry from the Hebrews to the Gentiles. For it renders: You shall serve peoples serving idols. Now a few things must be added about the Syriac edition.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT III. De editione Chaldaica. Chaldaica lingua editi sunt libri Tobiae et Judith , et ex parte libri Esdrae et Danielis. Praeterea tota Scriptura ' vetus translata est paraphrastice ex Hebraeo in Chaldaeum, quam paraphrasim ipsi Targum vocant. Et quidem Pentateuchum transtulisse fertur R. Aquila, qui Chaldaice Onkelus dicitur. Prophetas priores et posteriores, id est, Josue, Judices, et Regum libros. Item Isaiam , Ilieremiam, et caeteros Prophetas , R. Jonatham Uzielis filius. Psalmos, Job, Ruth, Estlier , et Salo¬ monis opera, R. Joseph caecus. Quae paraphrasticae translationes apud He¬ braeos magnae sunt auctoritatis , et idcirco (1) Galat. III, 16. t nobis etiam utiles, ut ex iis convicamus He¬ braeos. Alioqui ab Ecclesia non usque adeo magni fiunt , neque ex iis argumentum fir¬ mum duci potest. Siquidem (ut recte ait Franciscus Ximenius Cardinalis praefat. Com- pluten. Biblior.) Chaldaicae paraphrases, illa excepta quae est in Pentateuchum, Judaicis fabulis et Thalmudistarum nugis conspersae sunt. Idque verissimum esse experimento suo comprobabit quicumque paraphrasim in Threnos, in Cantica, in Job , in Psalmos, et in Prophetas omnes legere voluerit. Certe cap. LIII. Isaiae, ubi de Christi pas¬ sione apertissime Propheta concionatur, to- tuni paraphrasis detorquet ad calamitates populi Judaeorum. In ea vero paraphrasi quae est in Cantica et Threnos , passim le¬ guntur libri Thalmudi, tertium templum, duo Messiae, liberatio a captivitate Titi et Vespa¬ siani, minae adversus Christianos et Mahu- metanos, quos per Esau et Ismael more suo significant. Denique fabulae permultae de la¬ mentatione Dei, de ascensione Mosis in coe¬ lum, de tabulis Legis ex saphyro throni di¬ vini excisis , deque aliis rebus generis ejus¬ dem. Sed neque paraphrasis Aquilae in Pen* tateuchum omnino integra et incorrupta censeri debet. Habet enim etiam illa suod errores, tametsi pauciores et leviores, quam ceterae et Josephi paraphrases habeant. Ac , ut ex libris singulis aliquid exempli gratia proponamus. In Genesi cap. IV. vers. 23. ubi textus Hebraeus habet : Vnthn iinft )2, et concordat Graecus : ort avSpa dmbn sive. , et Latinus : Quoniam occidi virum : Chaldaea pa¬ raphrasis addit negationem rn-Jttap 333 NI non occidi virum , et contrarium sensum red¬ dit. Item cap. XII. num. 18. et cap. XXVI. num. 4. et cap. XXVIII. nu. 14. textus He¬ braeus habet, Benedicentur pyin in semine tuo omnes gentes terree : et concordat Graecus iv tm 'nzipga.Ti crou : et Latinus In semine tuo. Et Apostolus Paulus ad Galat. III. observari jubet promissiones Abrahae factas et semini ejus, nec esse dictum , et seminibus quasi in multis, sed quasi in uno, et semini tuo , qui est Christus (1). Paraphrasis vero Chaldaica in his omnibus locis reddidit numerum multi¬ tudinis, benedicentur Tjj'3 Wia, propter filios tuos omnes populi terree. In Exodo cap. XII. num. 44. ubi legimus in textu Hebraeo 122 \2 33 Omnis filius alieni¬ gena non comedet ex eo : et concordat Grae- \ 126 LIBER II. cus 7T a; aWioysvv;? : et Latinus Omnis alienigena. Chaldaea paraphasis in odium Neophytorum posuit; lianiyfch Wlizn '12 -io omnis filius Is¬ rael destructus. Sic enim passim Judaei eos appellant, qui ad Fidem Christianam, relicto Judaismo, convertuntur. In Levitico cap. X. num. 6. et cap. XXL num. 10. ubi textus Hebraeus habet sinpn tob COliyiO Capita vestra non radetis seu nudabi- is, et concordat Graecus et Latinus : Chal¬ daea paraphrasis contrarium reddidit jmg 1 !)'a^n k >> non multiplicabitis comam. In Numerorum lib. cap. XXI. num. 19. ponitur fabula de puteo , quem fingunt He¬ braei descendisse cum tiliis Israel ad torren¬ tes, et de torrentibus ascendisse cum eis ad colles, et de collibus rursum descendisse ad valles : et cap. XXVIII. num. 9. ubi textus Hebraeus habet : Populus solus habitabit , hoc e£t, cum aliis gentibus non miscebitur : pa¬ raphrasis Chaldaea more Judaico reddidit ; Ecce populus solus possidebit secutum ; id enim illi exspectant , ut soli dominentur in orbe terrarum. Denique in Deuter. cap. IV. num. 28. et cap. XXVIII. num. 64. ubi Scriptura Hebrai¬ ca, Graeca et Latina praecidit fore, ut Hebraei serviant Diis alienis, quod etiam impletum novimus non semel fuisse : Chaldaica para¬ phrasis derivat hoc scelus Idololatriae abHe- Lraeis ad Gentes. Vertit enim : Servietis popu¬ lis servientibus idolis. Nunc pauca quaedam de Syriaca editione addenda sunt. - . 1