Saint Jerome: Patron Saint of Translators
The Penitence of Saint Jerome by Joachim Patinir, displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York best captures the essence of Saint Jerome. One can see an aged rendition of St. Jerome: knee-bent in front of a crucifix, an ominous look of penitence proving his overwhelming commitment to his faith. El Greco rendered at least five more paintings of the iconic saint showing him in his most recognizable forms: in front of the Bible and sequestered in the wilderness in pursuit of his lifelong task of translating the Bible into Latin.
Thus, he is understood as the patron saint of translators and he represents the profession with inspiring depth. St. Jerome undertook the task of translating the Bible; he sparked a fire for translation that reverberates into the modern day. The life and times of St. Jerome reveal a …show more content…
With the purpose of creating uniformity in the varied translations of the Holy Scripture ranging from Hebrew to Greek to Aramaic as well as to keep with the spread of Christianity, Pope Damasus decided a Latin Bible was necessary and recruited Jerome to the task of translating the Old Testament. However, he found the origin texts in Greek and their current Latin versions to be insufficient for what he endeavored to do and believing that the Hebrew was the original language of the world, Jerome then began translating from the original text from Hebrew into Latin. Such was his determination in this effort that he sought help from a Jewish convert to ensure the best possible translation of Hebrew. Jerome’s firm commitment to presenting the best possible piece of work parallels his unyielding devotion to Christianity; he requested feedback and critique from friends; remained attuned to misunderstandings of his translations; and over time even sacrificed his eyesight in the pursuit of a true translation of God’s
The Penitence of Saint Jerome by Joachim Patinir, displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York best captures the essence of Saint Jerome. One can see an aged rendition of St. Jerome: knee-bent in front of a crucifix, an ominous look of penitence proving his overwhelming commitment to his faith. El Greco rendered at least five more paintings of the iconic saint showing him in his most recognizable forms: in front of the Bible and sequestered in the wilderness in pursuit of his lifelong task of translating the Bible into Latin.
Thus, he is understood as the patron saint of translators and he represents the profession with inspiring depth. St. Jerome undertook the task of translating the Bible; he sparked a fire for translation that reverberates into the modern day. The life and times of St. Jerome reveal a …show more content…
With the purpose of creating uniformity in the varied translations of the Holy Scripture ranging from Hebrew to Greek to Aramaic as well as to keep with the spread of Christianity, Pope Damasus decided a Latin Bible was necessary and recruited Jerome to the task of translating the Old Testament. However, he found the origin texts in Greek and their current Latin versions to be insufficient for what he endeavored to do and believing that the Hebrew was the original language of the world, Jerome then began translating from the original text from Hebrew into Latin. Such was his determination in this effort that he sought help from a Jewish convert to ensure the best possible translation of Hebrew. Jerome’s firm commitment to presenting the best possible piece of work parallels his unyielding devotion to Christianity; he requested feedback and critique from friends; remained attuned to misunderstandings of his translations; and over time even sacrificed his eyesight in the pursuit of a true translation of God’s