Jerome's Preface to Chronicles is a Latin biblical preface addressed to Chromatius, Bishop of Aquileia, and attributed to Jerome. Preserved in the Codex Amiatinus, the text precedes the Books of Chronicles (Paralipomenon), beginning on folio 329v, right column, and concluding on folio 330r, left column.
The preface presents Jerome's defense of translating the Hebrew scriptures into Latin, challenging the reliability of the existing Greek translations and addressing criticism of his methods. It examines disagreements among the principal textual traditions of the Septuagint, discusses the editorial practices of Origen, and appeals to the authority of the apostles and the Hebrew scriptures. Jerome concludes by explaining the textual and linguistic difficulties encountered in translating Chronicles.
Jerome's Letter to Chromatius
Chromatius, most holy and learned of bishops, if the translation made by the Seventy had remained pure, exactly as they originally rendered it into Greek, there would have been no reason for you to urge me to translate the Hebrew books into Latin. What people had already come to know and what had strengthened the faith of the early Church could rightly have been left undisturbed, with even my silence serving as an endorsement.
But now different versions circulate in different regions, and that genuine, ancient translation has been corrupted and altered. Do you think it is for me to determine which reading is correct by comparing numerous copies, or to produce a new work within an old one, while the Jews mock us and, as the saying goes, we try to peck out the eyes of crows?
Alexandria and Egypt recognize Hesychius as the authority behind their copies of the Seventy. From Constantinople to Antioch, the manuscripts of Lucian the martyr are accepted. The provinces between them use the Palestinian manuscripts, which Eusebius and Pamphilus circulated after Origen had worked on them. Thus, the entire world is divided among three competing versions of the text.
Origen himself did more than arrange four editions side by side, placing their words in parallel columns so that a reading that differed from the others could immediately be challenged by those that agreed. He went further still, undertaking something considerably bolder: he incorporated readings from Theodotion's edition into that of the Seventy, marking with asterisks what was missing and with small strokes what appeared to have been added unnecessarily.
If others, then, were permitted to depart from the versions they had originally received, and if, after those famous seventy separate chambers that people speak of without any reliable authority, individual versions could be opened up for examination, and if churches now read material unknown to the Seventy themselves, why should my Latin readers refuse to accept my work?
I have preserved the old edition without alteration while also producing a new one, so that I may defend my work through the authority of the Hebrew texts and, more importantly, through the authority of the apostles.
I recently wrote a book on the best method of translation, demonstrating that passages such as these, quoted in the Gospels, are found in the Hebrew books: "Out of Egypt I called my son"; "He shall be called a Nazarene"; and "They shall look upon the one whom they pierced." There is also the apostle's statement: "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor has entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him." Many other examples could be given.
Surely the apostles and evangelists were familiar with the translation of the Seventy. Where, then, did they obtain these passages that are absent from it?
Christ our God, the author of both Testaments, says in the Gospel according to John: "Whoever believes in me, as Scripture says, rivers of living water will flow from within him."
Surely it must be written somewhere, since the Savior himself declares that it is written. But where is it written? The Seventy do not contain it, and the Church does not recognize it among the apocryphal writings.
We must therefore return to the Hebrew texts, from which the Lord himself speaks and from which his disciples draw their examples.
I say these things with due respect for those who came before me, and I direct my answer only to my critics, who gnaw at me with the teeth of dogs. They condemn me in public while secretly reading my work in private. The same people act as both accusers and defenders, approving in others precisely what they condemn in me, as though the merits and faults of a work depended not on the work itself but changed according to its author.
Besides, I remember that long ago I provided our own people with an edition of the Seventy translators corrected against the Greek. I should therefore not be regarded as an enemy of those whose writings I continually explain when the brethren gather together.
As for the work I have now translated, Dabreiamim, meaning "Words of the Days," I undertook it so that I could present its tangled difficulties more clearly: the dense forest of names confused by scribal errors, the awkwardness of its language, and the arrangement of its meaning into the individual clauses of its verses.
I have done this for myself and for my own people, singing, as it were, in the manner of Ismenius, even if everyone else's ears are deaf.
Summary of the Preface
Corruption of the Septuagint: Jerome argues that a new Latin translation would have been unnecessary had the original Greek translation of the Seventy remained intact. Regional variations and accumulated alterations, however, had compromised its textual reliability.
Three competing Greek traditions: He identifies three principal textual traditions: that of Hesychius in Alexandria and Egypt, Lucian in Constantinople and Antioch, and Origen in Palestine, whose manuscripts were circulated by Eusebius and Pamphilus.
Origen's editorial interventions: Jerome describes Origen's comparison of multiple biblical editions and his incorporation of readings from Theodotion into the Septuagint, using critical marks to distinguish missing and potentially superfluous passages.
Justification for a new translation: He argues that previous scholars had already modified established biblical texts. His own translation, therefore, should not be rejected merely because it differs from the familiar Greek and Latin versions.
Authority of the Hebrew scriptures: Jerome cites biblical passages quoted by the apostles and evangelists that he considers absent from the Septuagint, arguing that the Hebrew texts provide an essential source for understanding and verifying scripture.
Response to critics: He condemns those who publicly criticize his translations while privately consulting them, accusing his opponents of applying inconsistent standards to his work.
Defense of the Septuagint's continued use: Jerome emphasizes that he had previously corrected a Latin edition of the Septuagint against the Greek and continued to explain its contents in Christian assemblies. His new translation was not intended to erase the older tradition.
Translation of Chronicles: He explains that his translation of Dabreiamim ("Words of the Days") sought to clarify difficult passages, resolve confusion among names introduced by scribal errors, and organize the text into comprehensible clauses.
Purpose and intended audience: Jerome concludes that he undertook the work for himself and his own community, regardless of whether others appreciated or accepted it.
Textual Basis
The English translation is based on the Latin text preserved in Codex Amiatinus, folios 329v–330r, with readings examined against manuscript images. It preserves Jerome's original arguments, historical references, and rhetorical expressions while rendering the text in contemporary English. The accompanying Latin transcription follows the manuscript's wording, with editorial conventions and uncertain readings documented separately.
Manuscript transcription
The Latin text of Jerome's preface occupies two columns of the Codex Amiatinus, beginning on folio 329v, right column, and concluding on folio 330r, left column. The transcription follows the manuscript's line divisions and wording, with editorial adjustments to improve legibility while preserving its historical orthography.
The transcription uses uppercase lettering, V in place of U, and editorial word spacing. Common abbreviations are expanded, while abbreviated sacred names retain their overbars. Superscript letters are identified separately, and a tilde (~) indicates a word continuing onto the following manuscript line. Punctuation, abbreviation marks, and other scribal features are not reproduced in full.
Folio 329v, right column
The column opens with a red heading identifying Jerome as the author, followed by an enlarged decorated initial. The Latin text is written in rounded uncial script, with coloured lettering, abbreviation marks, and occasional superscript additions. Its contents address the textual differences among Greek biblical traditions, the editorial methods of Origen, and the justification for a new Latin translation. A small mark resembling XL appears in the lower margin, separate from the main text.
[(PRAEFATIO BEATI HIERONIMI PRESBYTERI)] SI SEPTVAGINTA INTERPRETVM PVRA ET VT AB EIS IN GRECVM VERSA EST EDITIO PERMANERET SVPERFLVE MI CROMATI EPISCO~ PORVM SANCTISSIME ATQVE DOCTISSIME IN~ PELLERIS VT TIBI HEBREA VOLVMINA LATINO SERMONE TRANSFERREM QVOD ENIM SEMEL AVRES HOMINVM OCCVP[[AV]]ERAT ET NASCENTIS ECCLESIAE ROBVRAVERAT FIDEM IVSTVM ERAT ETIAM NOSTRO SILENTIO CONPROBARI NVNC VERO CVM PRO VARIETATE REGIONVM DIVERSA FERANTVR EXEMPLARIA ET GERMANA ILLA ANTIQVAQVE TRANSLATIO CORRVPTA SIT ATQVE VIOLATA NOSTRI ARBITRII PVTAS AVT E PLVRIBVS IVDICARE QVID VERVM SIT AVT NOVVM OPVS IN VETERI OPERE CVDERE INLVDENTIBVSQVE IVDAEIS CORNICVM VT DICITVR OCVLOS CONFIGERE ALEXANDRIA ET AEGYPTVS IN LXX SVIS HESYCHIVM LAVDAT AVCTOREM CONSTANTINOPOLIS VSQVE ANTIOCHIAM LVCIANI MARTYRIS EXEMPLARIA PROBAT MEDIAE INTER HAS PROVINCIAE PALESTINOS CODICES LEGVNT QVOS AB ORIGINE ELABORA~ TOS EVSEBIVS ET PAMPHILIVS VVLGAVERVNT TOTVSQVE ORBIS HAC INTER SE TRIFARIA VARIETATE CONPVGNAT ET CERTE ORIGENES NON SOLVM EXEMPLARIA CONPOSVIT QVAT~ TVOR EDITIONVM E REGIONE SINGVLA VERBA DESCRIBENS VT VNVS DISSENTIENS STATIM CETERIS IN SE CONSENTIENTIBVS ARGVATVR SED QVOD MAIORIS AVDACIAE EST IN EDITIONE LXX THEODOTIONIS EDITIONEM MISCVIT ASTERICIS DESIGNANS QVAE MINVS FVERINT ET VIRGVLIS QVAE EX SVPERFLVO VIDEANTVR ADPOSITA SI IGITVR ALIIS LICVIT NON TENERE QVOD SEMEL SVSCEPERANT ET POST LXX CELLVLAS QVAE VVLGO SINE AVCTORE IACTANTVR SINGVLAS CELLVLAS APERVERE HOC QVOQVE IN ECCLESIIS LEGITVR QVOD LXX NESCIERVNT CVR ME NON SVSCI~ PIANT LATINI MEI QVI INVIOLATA EDITIONE VETERI ITA NOVAM CONDIDI VT LABOREM MEVM HEBRAEIS ET QVOD HIS MAIVS EST APOSTOLIS AVCTORIBVS PROBEM SCRIPSI NVPER LIBRVM DE OPTIMO GENERE
Folio 330r, left column
The second column continues the sentence begun at the end of folio 329v. Several biblical quotations are distinguished by marks in the left margin, while overbars identify abbreviated sacred names. The text presents Jerome's appeal to Hebrew scriptural authority, his response to critics, and his explanation of the difficulties involved in translating Chronicles. Near the conclusion, the phrase ET PER VERSVVM COLA DIGEREREM describes the arrangement of the text into individual clauses. The preface ends with a red rubric identifying the conclusion of the prologue.
INTERPRETANDI OSTENDENS ILLA DE EVAN~ GELIO EX AEGYPTO VOCAVI FILIVM MEVM ET QVONIAM NAZAREVS VOCABITVR ET VIDEBVNT IN QVEM CONPV[[N]]XERVNT ET ILLVD APOSTOLI QVAE OCVLVS NON VIDIT NEC AVRIS AVDIVIT ET IN COR HOMINIS NON ASCENDERVNT QVAE PRAEPARAVIT D̅S̅ DILIGENTIBVS SE CETERAQVE HIS SIMILIA IN HEBREORVM LIBRIS INVENIRI CERTE APOSTOLI EVANGELISTAE LXX INTERPRETES NOVERANT ET VNDE EIS HAEC DICERE QVAE IN LXX NON HABENTVR X̅P̅S̅ D̅S̅ N̅R̅ VTRIVSQVE TESTAMENTI CONDITOR IN EVANGELIO SECVNDVM IOHANNEM QVI CREDIT INQVIT IN ME SICVT DICIT SCRIPTVRA FLVMINA DE VENTRE EIVS FLVENT AQVAE VIVAE VTIQVE SCRIPTVM EST QVOD SALVATOR SCRIPTVM ESSE TESTATVR VBI SCRIPTVM EST LXX NON HABENT APOCRIFA NESCIT ECCLESIA AD HEBREOS IGITVR REVERTENDVM EST VNDE ET D̅N̅S̅ LOQVITVR ET DISCIPVLI EXEMPLA PRAESV~ MVNT HAEC PACE VETERVM LOQVAR ET OB~ TRECTATORIBVS MEIS TANTVM RESPONDEO QVI CANINO DENTE ME RODVNT IN PVBLICO DETRAHENTES LEGENTES IN ANGVLIS IDEM ET ACCVSATORES ET DEFENSORES CVM IN ALIIS PROBENT QVOD IN ME REPROBANT QVASI VIRTVS ET VITIVM NON IN REBVS SIT SED CVM AVCTORE MVTETVR CETERVM MEMINI EDITIONEM LXX TRANSLATORVM OLIM DE GRECO EMENDATAM TRIBVISSE ME NOSTRIS NEC INIMICVM DEBERE AESTIMARI EORVM QVOS IN CONVENTVM FRATRVM SEMPER EDISSERO ET QVOD NVNC DABREIAMIM ID EST VERBA DIERVM INTERPRETATVS SVM IDCIRCO FECI VT INEXTRICABILES MORAS ET SILVAM NOMINVM QVAE SCRIPTORVM CONFVSA SVNT VITIO SENSVVMQVE BARBARIEM APERTIVS ET PER VERSVVM COLA DIGEREREM MIHI METIPSI ET MEIS IVXTA HISMOENIVM CANENS SI AVRES SVRDAE SVNT CETERORVM EXP PROLOGVS
Source and Transcription Method
The transcription is based on manuscript images identified as Codex Amiatinus, folios 329v and 330r. The text was examined against the visible lettering, including line divisions, abbreviations, superscript additions, and closing rubric.
The transcription is an expanded reading text rather than a fully diplomatic reproduction. Editorial conventions distinguish word continuations and superscript additions, while preserving the manuscript's spelling and substantive readings. The date and authorship of superscript additions have not been established.
The accompanying English translation follows the manuscript-based Latin reading text. Its paragraph divisions, punctuation, and contemporary phrasing are editorial and do not reproduce the manuscript's original presentation.