Letter 34. To Marcella.

In reply to a request from Marcella for information concerning two phrases in Ps. cxxvii. ("bread of sorrow," v. 2, and "children of the shaken off," A.V. "of the youth," v. 4). Jerome, after lamenting that Origen's notes on the psalm are no longer extant, gives the following explanations:

The Hebrew phrase "bread of sorrow" is rendered by the LXX. "bread of idols"; by Aquila, "bread of troubles"; by Symmachus, "bread of misery." Theodotion follows the LXX. So does Origen's Fifth Version, The Sixth renders "bread of error." In support of the LXX. the word used here is in Ps. cxv. 4, translated "idols." Either the troubles of life are meant or else the tenets of heresy.

With the second phrase he deals at greater length. After showing that Hilary of Poitiers's view (viz. that the persons meant are the apostles, who were told to shake the dust off their feet, Matt. x. 14) is untenable and would require "shakers off" to be substituted for "shaken off," Jerome reverts to the Hebrew as before and declares that the true rendering is that of Symmachus and Theodotion, viz. "children of youth." He points out that the LXX. (by whom the Latin translators had been misled) fall into the same mistake at Neh. iv. 16. Finally he corrects a slip of Hilary as to Ps. cxxviii. 2, where, through a misunderstanding of the LXX., the latter had substituted "the labors of thy fruits" for "the labors of thy hands." He speaks throughout with high respect of Hilary, and says that it was not the bishop's fault that he was ignorant of Hebrew. The date of the letter is probably a.d. 384.

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

1. Blessed Martyr Pamphilus, whose life Eusebius of Caesarea, a bishop, explained in almost three volumes, when he wanted to equal Demetrius of Phalerum, and Pisistratus in sacred library studies, and peruse the images of minds which are true, and the eternal monuments, throughout the whole world, especially pursuing the books of Origen more fully, gave them to the Church of Caesarea: which Acacius and Euzoius, priests of the same Church, attempted to restore but it was partly corrupt. When he had found many things and left us an index of his discoveries, he confessed that he did not find the commentary on the 126th Psalm and the treatise on the letter Phe, because they were not labeled. Not because such a great man (whom we call 'Adamantius') left anything unexplored, but because the carelessness of later generations did not last to our memory. I said this to you because you asked me about the same Psalm, what was the bread of affliction, in the words: 'It is vain for you rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows;' to show that I do not have Origen's comments on the same.

2. Returning to Hebrew, I found, for the bread of sorrow, a writing: Leem Aasabim, which Aquila has translated as ἀρτον των διαπονημάτων; Symmachus as ἄρτον κακοπαθούμενον; the Fifth Edition and Theodotion, who follow the Septuagint in other things, as ‘bread of idols’; the Sixth πλάνης, that is, of error. It is not surprising that Aquila puts διαπονήματα for idols, since they are the works of human hands, and prophetic people are accused of rising up in vain to the temple at daybreak, and hastening to the sanctuary after rest, when idols are honored instead of God. According to what Ezekiel wrote in the temple itself, priests sacrifice to idols. But so that you may be more fully persuaded, for idolatry in Hebrew, this same word, that is, Asabim, is also written in the one hundred and thirteenth Psalm, and the Septuagint also translated idols. For in that place where it is written, 'the idols of the gentiles, silver, and gold, the work of men's hands,' in Hebrew it is called 'Asareem,' which Aquila interprets as 'their elaborations.' Therefore, since truth presents itself in this way, certain individuals do not mistakenly understand the bread of sorrow as the sacraments of heretics, or interpret the toil of this miserable and afflicted life: among whom we eat our bread in the sweat of our faces, and amid thorns and thistles the sustenance of a brief life is born.

3. Also, you deemed it worthy to ask about the same Psalm: Who are the sons of those shaken off? I wonder why you did not read in the commentaries of Hilary that the sons of those shaken off are interpreted as the believing peoples, for the Apostles were believed to be called by that name, to whom it was commanded in the Gospels, that wherever they enter a city, and they were not received, they should shake off the dust from their feet as a testimony against the unbelieving (Matthew 10; and Mark 6). Although you may cleverly object, the apostles cannot be understood under the name of "excussorum," since "excussientes" means "those who shake out," while "excussi" means "those who are shaken out by others." Therefore, it would be inappropriate to accept that the apostles had been shaken out, as they should rather be called "shakers out." What then shall I do? I do not dare to criticize a man of such great influence and eloquence in his time, who was praised everywhere for his confession, hard work, and clarity of speech wherever the Roman name was known. However, it is not his fault that he was ignorant of the Hebrew language and had a certain knowledge of Greek literature, which he could understand only through his familiarity with Heliodorus the Presbyter, who sought to explain what he could not understand, such as what was said by Origen. He, because he was not able to find in this Psalm a Commentary of Origen, wanted to insinuate his own opinion more than he wanted to confess his ignorance. That view, which he took up, he discussed with clear language, and he expressed alien error more eloquently.

4. Therefore, it remains for us to return to the source of speech again, the Hebrew, and see how it is written. Where we have, "like sons of the shaken", there it is read, "Chen Bne Annaurim", which Aquila interpreted as "like sons of puberty". Symmachus and Theodotion, as "like sons of youth". Sexta ἡκόνεος νοῦ, which we can say means "sharp senses". From which it is clear that Christian people of adolescence are understood, according to that example, in which God is said to extend his holy ones like bows and arrows; as in the prophet Zachariah: "for I have bent Judah for me as a bow" (Zach. 9. 13). And the Savior from himself: 'I have set myself as an elect arrow. And he hid me in his quiver' (Isaiah 49:2). Finally, in the following verse, except for the Septuagint, who translated differently, it is found in Hebrew and in all editions: 'Blessed is the man who filled his quiver from them'; that because he had once taken the metaphor from arrows, the translation would also be preserved in the quiver. But the custom of human speech calls the vigorous, robust, and agile excussus; and the Seventy Interpreters themselves translated juveniles into Ezra's book, in which it is thus written: 'And it came to pass from that day forward, that half of the excussus did the work, and half of them held spears and shields and bows and coats of mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.' (Neh. 4. 16). From which we understand that, in the present passage, excussi are placed for adolescents and young men; not, as he thought, for the apostles, who are said to be shaken off from their feet. I have read in a certain book, and found an elegant sense in it, that the Jews expelled from the temple, the law, and the grace of the Lord, are called excussi because they are reprobates; and that the apostles who are born from their seed belong to them and are contained in the likeness of the arrows in the hand of the Lord.

5. In the following Psalm, Heliodorus erred more than our Hilary, who, having had various opinions about the place where it is written: "You will eat the fruit of your labors," asserted that the sentence would stand better if it were written: to eat some fruit of one's labors, and not labors of fruit: whence a spiritual understanding ought to be sought. And, taking advantage of this opportunity, he entered into a long discussion with such carefulness and industry, that he was desirous of being understood, as falsehood always needs to be, in order to appear as truth: whereas in this place the Latin translators, being misled by an ambiguity in the Greek word, have rendered καρποὺς by "fruits", instead of "hands"; whereas καρποὶ, also, signify "hands", thus corresponding with the Hebrew word, Chaphach. Symmachus and the Fifth Version have translated it "of thy hands", in order to avoid the ambiguity of the former translation.

6. When my quick hand, dictating my writing to a stealthy task, noted down these things for my bedtime reading, and I had many things I wished to say, already the fourth hour of the night had nearly passed, and suddenly, goaded by some pangs of my wretched stomach, I was forced to break off my speech, so that at least during the remaining hours, I might foil the weakness creeping on me by slipping into sleep unawares.