Annotatio CXXIV

”And there were twelve rods, besides the rod of Aaron.” — Numbers 17:6

Augustine, Bishop of Kissamos, refutes Jerome’s translation in this passage,¹ writing this in the Annotations on the Pentateuch: “Here is omitted what was most necessary — namely, וּמַטֵּה אַהֲרֹן בְּתוֹךְ מַטּוֹתָם, ve-matteh Aharon betoch mattotam, that is, ‘And the rod of Aaron was placed in the midst of their rods’ — inasmuch as he had been chosen priest by God, and held the principate among the rest. This is omitted by the Septuagint, καὶ ἡ ῥάβδος Ἀαρὼν ἀναμέσον τῶν ῥάβδων αὐτῶν, that is, ‘And the rod of Aaron in the midst of their rods.’ But in the place where Jerome substituted for this sentence ‘Besides the rod of Aaron,’ I know not whether it is truly said — since it is neither had in the Hebrew context, nor is it even true that there were twelve rods besides the rod of Aaron, but rather [twelve] together with the rod of Aaron: for each rod represented a tribe, and there were twelve tribes; wherefore the rods could not be more than twelve. Therefore ‘besides the rod of Aaron’ is superfluous; but in its place must be put, ‘And in the midst [was] Aaron’s rod, the rod of Aaron.’ For neither among the Septuagint is there that exception.”