Letter 30. To Paula

Some account of the so-called alphabetical psalms (XXXVII., CXI., CXII., CXIX., CXLV.). After explaining the mystical meaning of the alphabet, Jerome goes on thus: "What honey is sweeter than to know the wisdom of God? nothers, if they will, may possess riches, drink from a jewelled cup, shine in silks, and try in vain to exhaust their wealth in the most varied pleasures. Our riches are to meditate in the law of the Lord day and night, [Ps. 1:2] to knock at the closed door, [Matt. 7:7] to receive the 'three loaves' of the Trinity, [Luke 11:5-8] and, when the Lord goes before us, to walk upon the water of the world." [Matt. 14:25-33] Written at Rome a.d. 384.

The below translation made by ChatGPT 3.5 from this Latin text.

1. On the third day, when I was trying to suggest to you the hundred and eighteenth Psalm and saying that every moral aspect was comprehended therein, and just as philosophers divide their discussions into natural philosophy, ethics, and logic, divine or nature discussions would also be divided, as in Genesis and Ecclesiastes, or about morals, as in Proverbs and all the scattered books, or about logic, which our Theorist claims for himself, as in Song of Solomon and in the Gospels (although the Apostle often sets out, assumes, confirms and concludes what properly belongs to the art of dialectic), you eagerly sought out what Hebrew letters, which seemed to be inserted in the Psalm we were reading, meant.

2. I replied according to the order of the letters that it was composed in such a way that, namely, from the first letter, which they call Aleph, eight verses would begin. Again from the following Beth they would take as many verses for the beginning; and afterwards the same number would be completed from Gemel; and thus, up to Thau, which is the last letter, the Psalm was written: and from each and every element, according to their interpretations, what would follow should be understood. Time and again you asked me to reveal the meanings of the individual letters. I admit that all we said slips from the memory because of the barbarity of the language. You want a little commentary made so that if ever you waver in any respect, reading it will console your forgetfulness.

3. The Alphabetical Psalms. - And before I discuss each one, you should know that the four Psalms begin with the one hundred tenth, one hundred eleventh, the one we are writing about now, and the one hundred forty-fourth elements in accordance with the Hebrew order. But you should know in the earlier Psalms, individual verses are joined to each letter, which consists of iambic trimeter. The lower ones, however, consist of iambic tetrameter, as is written in the Canticle of Deuteronomy. In the hundred eighteenth Psalm, eight verses follow each letter. In the hundred forty-fourth, twin verses are assigned to each letter. There are some who think to begin with others in this order, but their opinion is false. You also have in the Lamentations of Jeremiah four Alphabets, of which the first two are written in a Sapphic meter: the Heroic comma concludes because three verses connected to each other begin with only one letter. The third Alphabet, however, is written in trimeter, and three verses begin with the same three letters. The fourth Alphabet is similar to the first and second. Proverbs too closes the Alphabet, which is calculated in iambic tetrameter, from the point where it says: "Who shall find a valiant woman?" (Prov. 31:10).

4. But just as in these our letters no one can proceed to reading and composing words without first beginning from the elements, so in divine Scripture we cannot know the greater things unless we have had the beginning of Ethics, according to what the Prophet says: 'From your commandments I understood (Ps. 118:104)', that is, that one began to have knowledge of secrets after works. But now what you requested is to be fulfilled, that the interpretation of the meaning of each element be attached.

5. Aleph means doctrine. Beth, house. Gemel, fullness. Deleth, tablets. He, this. Vau, and Zai, these. Heth, life. Tet, good. Iod, beginning. Kaph, hand. Lamed, discipline or heart. Mem, from them. Nun, eternal. Samech, help. Ain, fountain or eye. Phe, mouth, understand that it is said from the mouth, not from the bone, lest you be deceived by the ambiguity of letters. Sade, justice. Koph, vocation. Resh, heads. Shin, teeth. Thau, signs.

6. After the interpretation of the elements of intelligence, the order must be said to be Aleph, Beth, Gimel, Daleth, the first connection is doctrine, house, fullness, tablets; namely that the doctrine of the Church, which is the house of God, should be found in the fullness of divine books.

7. The second connection is, He, Vau, Zai, Heth, this, and this, life. For what other life can there be without the knowledge of the Scriptures, through which even Christ himself is recognized, who is the life of believers?

8. The third connection has Tet, Iod, a good beginning: because although we now know all that is written, we only partly understand and partly prophesy, and now we see through a glass in an obscure manner. But when we are worthy to be with Christ and are made like unto the angels, then doctrine of books shall cease, and we shall see face to face the good beginning as it is.

9. The fourth connection is Caph, Lamed, hand, disciplines, or heart. The hands are understood in work. The heart and discipline are interpreted in meaning: because we can do nothing unless we first know what must be done.

10. The fifth connection is Mem, Nun, Samech themselves, eternal help. This needs no explanation but is made more manifest in every light, from the eternal supports supplied by the Scriptures.

11. The sixth combination has Ain, Phe, and Sade, a spring or fountain, the eye or mouth, and justice, according to what we explained in the third number.

12. The seventh connection is also the last, because it is a mystic understanding in the seven itself: Coph, Res, Sen, Thau, vocation, head, teeth, signs. By the articulated voice (that is) formed by the teeth, and through these signs reaches Christ, who is the head of all, through whom one comes to everlasting Kingdom.

13. I beg you, what is more sacred than this sacrament? What is more pleasant than this pleasure? What food or honey is sweeter than the knowledge of God's wisdom, and to enter into His secrets, and to inspect the intelligence of the Creator, and to learn the spiritual wisdom-filled sayings of the Lord your God, which are ridiculed by the wise men of this world? Let others have their riches if they wish, drink from their jewels, shine in silk, delight the crowds with applause; and through various pleasures they cannot conquer their wealth. Our wealth is to meditate on the law of the Lord day and night, to knock on the door that does not open, to receive the Bread of the Trinity, and to trample the waves of the world with the Lord leading the way.

14. Greet Blaesilla and our young Eustochium. Greet Feliciana, truly happy in both her flesh and her spirit's virginity. Greet the remaining choir of chastity and your household Church, which I fear for even in safe times lest an enemy oversow tares while the master of the house sleeps: even though they might dare to say, "I am a city unassailable, a city at peace" (Isaiah 27:3, LXX). No one is safe from an enemy besieging army. No one, as blessed Cyprian says, is safe enough, when in close proximity to danger. Send a copy of this letter to our most diligent Marcella if she wishes to receive it. And I beseech you, remember me, and that our Lord Jesus Christ may swiftly tread Satan under our feet.