sThe Ancient Nazarene Commentaries on Isaiah as Interpreted by Jerome

Jerome (347 440 AD) was an ecclesiastical historian best known for his many translations of
scripture into Latin, including his best-known work, the Vulgate. He may well have been in
contact with the ancient sect of the Nazarenes, which he speaks of in favorable terms, and we
suppose the following commentaries proceeded from common discourse with them. If so, these
commentaries may well be one of the most important and most neglected sources of Nazarene
lore in our possession. For remarks on these notices and the Latin text, see Ray Pritz, Nazarene
Jewish Christianity, 2010. I have edited for clarity. [jhs]
On Isaiah 8:14. And [YHWH Tviot] will be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a
rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a trap to the inhabitants of
Jerusalem.
The Nazarenes, who accept Messiah in such a way that they do not cease to observe the old law,
explain the two houses as the two families, viz. of Shammai and Hillel, from whom originated the
Scribes and the Pharisees.
(Akiba, who took over their school, is called the master of Aquila the proselyte, and after him
came Meir who succeeded Joannes the son of Zakkai and after him Eliezer and further
Telphon (Tarphon), and next Joseph Galilaeus and Joshua up to the capture of Jerusalem.)
Shammai then and Hillel were born not long before the Master; they originated in Judea. The
name of the first means scatterer and of the second unholy, because he scattered and denied
the precepts of the Torah by his traditions and deuterseis1. And these are the two houses who
did not accept the Savior who has become to them destruction and shame.
On Isaiah 8:20. For Torah and for testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is
because there is no light in them. 21. And they will pass through it, greatly distressed and
hungry; and it will come to pass, that when they will be hungry, they will be enraged, and curse
their king and their gods, and look upward.
For the rest the Nazarenes explain the passage in this way: when the Scribes and Pharisees tell
you to listen to them, men who do everything for the love of the belly and who hiss during their
incantations in the way of magicians in order to deceive you, you must answer them like this: "It
is not strange if you follow your traditions since every tribe consults its own idols. We must not,
therefore, consult your dead about the living ones. On the contrary. Elohim has given us the
Torah and the testimonies of the scriptures. If you are not willing to follow them you will not have
light, and the darkness will always oppress you. It will cover your earth and your doctrine so that,
when you see that they have been deceived by you in error and they feel a longing for the truth,
they will then be sad or angry. And let them who believe themselves to be like their own gods
and kings curse you. And let them look at the sky and the earth in vain since they are always in
darkness and they cannot flee away from your ambushes."

1
Pritz maps deuters- to hn#m (mishna). Deuters- is a Greek technical term left untranslated in
the Latin text. I see the word second (deu-) and torah (-ters) in this word.

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On Isaiah 9:1. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; they who dwell in the
land of the shadow of death, upon them has the light shined. 2. You have multiplied the nation,
and increased the joy; they rejoice before you according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice
when they divide the plunder. 3. For you have broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his
shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the days of Midian. 4. For every shoe of the stormy
warrior, and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel of fire.
The Nazarenes, whose opinion I have set forth above, try to explain this passage in the following
way: When Messiah came and his preaching shone out, the land of Zebulon and Naphtali first of
all were freed from the errors of the Scribes and Pharisees and he shook off their shoulders the
very heavy yoke of the Jewish traditions. Later, however, the preaching became more dominant,
that means the preaching was multiplied, through the Good News of the apostle Paul who was
the last of all the apostles. And the Good News of Messiah shone to the most distant tribes and
the way of the whole sea. Finally the whole world, which earlier walked or sat in darkness and
was imprisoned in the bonds of idolatry and death, has seen the clear light of the Good News.
On Isaiah 29:20. For the terrible one is brought to nothing, and the scorner is consumed, and all
who watch for iniquity are cut off; 21. Who, by a word, make a man an offender, and lay a trap
for him who reproves in the gate, and turn aside the just for nothing.
What we have understood to have been written about the devil and his angels, the Nazarenes
believe to have been said against the Scribes and the Pharisees, because the deuterseis passed
away, who earlier deceived the people with very vicious traditions (and they watch day and night
to deceive the simple ones), who made men sin against the Word of Elohim in order that they
should deny that Messiah was the Son of Elohim.
On Isaiah 31:6. Behold, you trust in the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt; which will pierce the
hand of a man who leans in it; so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. 7. But if you
say to me, We trust in YHWH our Elohim; is it not he, whose high places and whose altars
Hezekiah has taken away, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, You shall worship before this altar?
8. Now therefore make a wager, I beg you, with my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you
two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders upon them. 9. How then will you
turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put your trust on
Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
The Nazarenes understand this passage in this way: Sons of Israel, who deny the Son of Elohim
with a most vicious opinion, turn to him and his apostles. For if you will do this, you will reject all
idols that to you were a cause of sin in the past, and the devil will fall before you, not because of
your powers, but because of the compassion of Elohim. And his young men, who at a certain
time earlier fought for him, will be the tributaries of the assembly and any of [his] power and
stone will pass. Also the philosophers and every perverse dogma will turn their backs to the sign
of the cross. Because this is the meaning of YHWH that his will take place, whose fire or light is in
Zion and his oven in Jerusalem.
Match the First Column with the Second. One example is given.
Prushim
Sofrim
Talmidim

Scribes
Disciples
Pharisees
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Commentaries 2012 Jackson Snyder

Tzadikim
Ebionim (Herodians)
Cohenim

Sadducees
Priests
Essenes

Yeladim
Zakanim
Evedim

Elders

Morim
Navim
Telnoi

Tax farmers
Teachers
Seers

Slaves
Children

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Commentaries 2012 Jackson Snyder