Must-Read: Bible-Translation was a hard work already in the 4 th century!
Correspondence of Augustine (bishop of Hippo) and Jerome (a very famous scholar in scriptural study) concerning the Latin Translation of the Bible by Jerome (“Vulgate" =commonly used translation”) 394 A.D. (Jerome had previously translated from the Septuagint, but after 390 he began to translate direct from the Hebrew )
“ For my part, I would much rather that you would furnish us with a translation of the Greek version of the canonical Scriptures known as the work of the Seventy translators. For if your translation begins to be more generally read in many churches, it will be a grievous thing that, in the reading of Scripture, differences must arise between the Latin Churches and the Greek Churches, especially seeing that the discrepancy is easily condemned in a Latin version by the production of the original in Greek, which is a language very widely known; whereas, if any one has been disturbed by the occurrence of something to which he was not accustomed in the translation taken from the Hebrew, and alleges that the new translation is wrong, it will be found difficult, if not impossible, to get at the Hebrew documents by which the version to which exception is taken may be defended. And when they are obtained, who will submit, to have so many Latin and Greek authorities pronounced to be in the wrong? Besides all this, Jews, if consulted as to the meaning of the Hebrew text, may give a different opinion from yours: in which case it will seem as if your presence were indispensable, as being the only one who could refute their view; and it would be a miracle if one could be found capable of acting as arbiter between you and them.” [Seventy translators = Septuaginta]
Excert from …... more http://www.bible-researcher.com/vulgate2.html
Here a view into this old bibletranslation of the old testament into latin online with English Translation
Latin – english http://vulgate.org/
About Jerome:
http://vulgate.org/jerome/index.htm " when he spoke, they were all thought to be dumb"