Dictionary Home / J

Jerome

church_history_person theological_term standard

Jerome was an early Christian scholar and Bible translator best known for the Latin Vulgate.

At a Glance

Jerome was an early Christian scholar and translator whose Latin Vulgate helped shape Bible reading in the Western church.

Key Points

Description

Jerome was an early Christian scholar, translator, and biblical commentator who lived in the late fourth and early fifth centuries. He is best known for producing the Latin Vulgate, a translation of the Bible that became highly influential in the Western church for many centuries. Jerome's work is significant for the history of biblical interpretation, textual study, and translation. Because he is a post-biblical historical figure rather than a biblical doctrine or scriptural term, the entry should be treated as a church-history headword rather than a theological abstraction.

Biblical Context

Jerome lived after the apostolic age, so he does not appear in Scripture. His importance is indirect: he helped make the biblical text more accessible to Latin-speaking Christians and influenced how the Bible was read and studied in the West.

Historical Context

Jerome lived during the late Roman Empire and spent much of his later life in Bethlehem. He studied the biblical languages, worked from Hebrew and Greek sources, and produced the Latin Vulgate, which became the standard Bible of the Western church for centuries.

Jewish and Ancient Context

Jerome valued Hebrew learning and often sought to work from the Hebrew Old Testament rather than rely only on later Latin tradition. His interest in Jewish sources was part of his commitment to careful textual study, though his conclusions must still be assessed within Christian orthodoxy and the authority of Scripture.

Primary Key Texts

Secondary Key Texts

Original Language Note

Jerome is the English form of the Latinized name Hieronymus. Vulgate comes from the Latin vulgata, meaning 'common' or 'widely used' version.

Theological Significance

Jerome's work helped make Scripture widely available in the Latin-speaking church and shaped Western exegesis for centuries. His legacy concerns translation and interpretation, not a doctrine of salvation or a new article of faith.

Philosophical Explanation

The entry shows how translation mediates meaning: careful language choices, textual comparison, and fidelity to the source text all affect how readers understand Scripture. Translation serves the church by making God's word accessible, but it does not replace the authority of the inspired text itself.

Interpretive Cautions

Jerome is not an object of doctrinal authority. The Vulgate is historically important, but Protestant readers should distinguish historical influence from canonical authority. His comments and methods are best read as a witness from church history, not as binding doctrine.

Major Views

Jerome strongly emphasized attention to the biblical languages and textual accuracy. Further details of his controversies and broader theological positions belong more to church history than to a brief dictionary entry.

Doctrinal Boundaries

Jerome's importance belongs to church history and biblical translation. He should not be used to override Scripture or to support later dogmas beyond what the biblical text teaches.

Practical Significance

Jerome encourages careful Bible study, respect for original languages, and gratitude for translation work that helps ordinary believers read Scripture.

Related Entries

See Also

Data

Machine-readable JSON for Jerome

↑ Top