The Latin Manuscripts Evidence in Job 19:25-26. A Comparison with the Masoretic Text and the Septuagint

Abstract

The text of Job 19:23-27 is used nowadays by the Catholic Church for the funeral liturgy because of the famous Latin expression: “Scio enim quod redemptor meus vivat et in novissimo de terra surrecturus sim, et rursum circumdabor pelle mea et in carne mea videbo Deum”. However, the Latin manuscript tradition does not witness this text unanimously, and the text itself is translated differently by modern versions. In this article, through an analysis of Hebrew, Greek, and Latin sources, I explore whether the Catholic use of this text in the liturgy is supported by manuscript evidence or whether it reflects only theological considerations.