The Latin Patristic Reception of the Book of Canticles in the Hexapla

Although Hexaplaric studies tend to limit themselves to Greek exegesis only, the Latin Fathers, too, are quite valuable for our understanding of Origen's Hexapla. This article discusses two examples, both concerning the book of Canticles, which illustrate the contribution of Latin patristic exegesis to one's understanding of each of the Hexapla's two main features. Firstly, Jerome adds to our knowledge of the Hexaplaric recension of the LXX text, since he revised the Old Latin text on the basis of that recension. Secondly, the readings of α′ and σ′, which Ambrose provides throughout his exegesis, are of direct relevance for the establishment of a new edition of the Hexaplaric fragments, since they were unnoticed by previous editors. An appendix opens new perspectives by asking the question (and providing some steps towards answering it) of the provenance of these variants provided by Ambrose. © 2009 Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden.status: publishe