Jerome → Damasus
Tradução moderna em inglês
Letter 36: To Pope Damasus (384 AD, Rome)
[Jerome's reply to the five questions above. For questions 2 and 4, he refers Damasus to existing treatments by Tertullian, Novatian, and Origen. The remaining three he tackles in detail. This is Jerome at his scholarly best — and most confident — advising the bishop of Rome on the finer points of Hebrew exegesis.]
On Genesis 4:15, Jerome explains that the verse means the slayer of Cain shall complete the sevenfold vengeance destined for him.
On Exodus 13:18 versus Genesis 15:16, he proposes reconciling them by supposing that one passage refers to the tribe of Levi and the other to the tribe of Judah. He also suggests that the words the Septuagint renders as 'in the fifth generation' more likely mean 'armed' or 'laden' [the Hebrew word 'chamushim' is genuinely ambiguous].
On the question about Isaac being deceived, Jerome makes the striking concession: 'No human being — except the One who for our salvation put on flesh — has complete knowledge or a full grasp of truth. Paul, Samuel, David, Elisha — all make mistakes. Holy men know only what God chooses to reveal to them.' He then offers a mystical interpretation of the passage drawn from the writings of the martyr Hippolytus [of Rome, c. 170-235 AD, an important early Christian theologian].
Written the day after receiving Damasus's letter — Jerome didn't waste time when the Pope asked questions.
Texto inglês de origem
To Pope Damasus Jerome's reply to the foregoing. For the second and fourth questions he refers Damasus to the writings of Tertullian, Novatian, and Origen. The remaining three he deals with in detail. Gen. iv. 15, he understands to mean the slayer of Cain shall complete the sevenfold vengeance which is to be wreaked upon him. Exodus xiii. 18, he proposes to reconcile with Gen. xv. 16, by supposing that in the one place the tribe of Levi is referred to, in the other the tribe of Judah. He suggests, however, that the words rendered by the LXX. in the fifth generation more probably mean harnessed (so A.V.) or laden. In reply to the question about Isaac he says: No man save Him who for our salvation has deigned to put on flesh has full knowledge and a complete grasp of the truth. Paul, Samuel, David, Elisha, all make mistakes, and holy men only know what God reveals to them. He then goes on to give a mystical interpretation of the passage suggested by the martyr Hippolytus. Written the day after the previous letter.