Why do the second and third beatitudes appear in different order?

[Alma]

I noticed that the second and third beatitudes appear in different order in different Bibles and commentaries.

In the New Revised Standard Version, the Revised English Bible, the New American Bible, and also in Commentaries to the Bible by the Fathers of the Church and in the new book of Pope Benedict ‘Jesus of Nazareth’, the second beatitude appears to be: 'Blessed are they who mourn" (Mt 5,4) and the third one: 'Blessed are the meek" (Mt 5,5)

But in the Cathechism of the Catholic Church and in the Jerusalem Bible, the second beatitude is ‘Blessed are the gentle’ (Mt 5,4), and the third one is ‘Blessed are those who mourn’ (Mt 5,5).

Usually, when I have a doubt like this, I find out what the Cathechism says and follow that line. But this time it baffles me that Pope Benedict does not seem to concur.

Can anyone please tell me why is this so and which version is correct?

Thank you very much!!



Alma

 

[puzzleannie]

does it matter?

 

[Digitonomy]

I don’t have any resources handy, but reconciling these two based only on the information you provided, I’d guess that there are a variety of early sources for these verses which do not agree. Probably the NRSV and the other Bibles decided that a greater number of sources, or more ancient or authoritative sources, used mourn first, then meek/gentle. On the other hand, the use by both the CCC and JB of meek/gentle first suggest to me that probably Jerome’s Vulgate uses that order, and they stayed with Catholic tradition rather than what I imagine is today’s scholarly view derived from a wider variety of sources to compare than Jerome had available.

puzzleannie:

does it matter?

It always matters. There’s a reason why the order differs, and by learning that reason we may be able to better understand our scriptural resources. How much it matters may vary from person to person, but they’re not just will-nilly using whatever order they feel like, and if it matters to the translators, it surely matters to some of us.

 

[NotWorthy]

It seems our good St. Jerome was the one responsible for switching them, but I don’t know why. This is from AgapeBibleStudy.com 's study of the Beatitudes:

*In St. Jerome’s Latin Vulgate translation of the New Testament he placed *“Blessed are the meek” second in the list of the Beatitudes. Jerome’s placement became the western textual tradition and all other western translations followed his placement. However, almost all other ancient manuscripts list “Blessed are those who mourn” as the second beatitude and the New American Bible translation adopts this order. The Catechism of the Catholic Church # 1716 also lists “those who mourn” as the second beatitude. In any case, the first three beatitudes result in placing us in the hands of God.