Also, the Codex Sinaiticus is Greek. Jerome never touched the Greek Text. He didn't translate from it. He didn't code it. He did nothing to it. The Greek Text is preserved from its Apostolic origins. God's name is preserved in the Greek Text. The JW scare tactic that God's name was altered by Jerome is idiotic and for the ignorant.
Codex Sinaiticus and Jerome’s Translation:
Codex Sinaiticus is indeed a Greek manuscript and was not influenced by Jerome’s Latin Vulgate. Jerome translated the Old Testament primarily from Hebrew texts (and some from the Greek Septuagint) and the New Testament from Greek texts, but he did not work directly with the Codex Sinaiticus or any other Greek manuscript for his Latin Vulgate.
Jerome’s Vulgate was an independent translation, and while it has been criticized by some for not retaining the Tetragrammaton (YHWH) in the Old Testament, his translation was based on the best available Hebrew texts at the time, not a Greek text like Codex Sinaiticus.
2. Preservation of God’s Name in Greek:
God’s name (YHWH) is preserved in the Greek Septuagint and early Christian manuscripts, but Jerome did not use the Greek Septuagint exclusively. In the Vulgate, he chose to translate the Hebrew Tetragrammaton as "Dominus" (Lord), which was the common tradition in both the Septuagint and the New Testament Greek texts. This was not an attempt to "alter" God's name, but rather a translation practice, as YHWH was not typically vocalized in Jewish tradition due to reverence for the divine name.
The claim that Jerome's Vulgate was a deliberate attempt to erase or change God’s name is misleading. His translation choices were based on the prevailing traditions of his time, not an effort to deliberately obscure or alter Scripture.
3. Jehovah's Witnesses and the Claim of Name Alteration:
The Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW) often argue that God’s name was removed or altered in translations like the Vulgate, but this is based on their unique interpretation of Scripture. They argue that the Tetragrammaton should be used in the New Testament, which is not universally accepted by scholars. The JW claim that Jerome deliberately removed God’s name as part of a larger conspiracy or doctrinal bias is often criticized as overstated.
The idea that Jerome's translation was intended to deceive or remove God's name for nefarious purposes is not supported by historical scholarship. Jerome’s translation methods were consistent with his theological context and the practices of the time.
Conclusion:
Jerome did not work with the Codex Sinaiticus, which is a Greek manuscript. He translated from Hebrew and Greek sources, but his translation choices were rooted in the textual traditions of his era. The claim that Jerome deliberately altered or removed God's name in the Vulgate to fit a specific theological agenda is an oversimplification and not supported by the evidence.
J.
