The Vulgata Sixtina or better known in English as Sixtine Edition, is a printed edition of the Latin Vulgate Bible prepared on the orders of Pope Sixtus V (13 December 1520 – 27 August 1590) in 1590. Vulgata Sixtina is cited only in some present critical editions and it is designated by siglum vgs. It was the first edition of the printed Latin Vulgate Bible authorised by a pope, but its official recognition was short-lived.
On 8 April 1546 the Council of Trent required that the Vulgate to be printed with quam emendatissime (fewest possible faults) to replace the editions of Robertus Stephanus/Robert Stephens (Latin name of Robert Estienne, a former Catholic scholar who became a Protestant late in his life) and scholars of Louvain. There was no authoritative printed edition of the Vulgate at that time. The first committee was appointed by Pope Pius IV in 1561 to undertake the work. Pope Pius IV commanded some scholars of the Catholic church to collect and to collate the most ancient manuscripts which they could procure, but the committee worked slowly and ineffectively.
This collation was continued during the pontificate of Pius V, who further caused the original text to be consulted. The second committee was appointed by Pope Pius V in 1569 (Congregatio pro emendatione Bibliorum), with four Cardinals Marcus Antonius, Sirleto, Madrutius, and Antonio Carafa. But the committee was resolved under the Pope Gregory XIII (7 January 1502 – 10 April 1585). However, it was resumed and completed under the auspices of Pope Sixtus V; who devoted much time and attention to it, and corrected the proofs of the edition which was published at Rome in 1590, in folio. Pope Sixtus V had appointed the third committee of scholars to continue the cease work. The committee was under the presidency of Cardinal Carafa. The work was prepared on the basis of the edition of Robertus Stephanus (1583) and good manuscripts were used as authorities, including notably Codex Amiatinus. Carafa presented the result of their work, in the beginning of 1589, but Sixtus rejected their work and in 18 months prepared another text he corrected to agree with the Greek and Hebrew, He used Codex Carafianus, but it was hurried into print and suffered from many printing errors. In May 1590 the completed work was issued from the press in three volumes.
The text thus revised Sixtus pronounced to be the authentic Vulgate, which had been the object of inquiry in the Council of Trent; and ordained that it should be adopted throughout the Catholic church. The full title of edition was: Biblica Sacra Vulgatae editionnis, ad Concilii Tridenti praescriptum emendata et a Sixto V P. M. recognita et approbata. The edition was preceded by the Bull Aeternus Ille (1 March 1590), in which the Pope declared the authenticity of the new Bible, the Vulgata Sixtina. But notwithstanding the labours of the Pope, this edition was short-lived, because it was discovered to be so exceedingly incorrect.
On 27 August 1590 Sixtus V died, and his successor Pope Gregory XIV caused the Vulgata Sixtina to be suppressed; and on 5 September the college of Cardinals stopped all further sales, bought and destroyed as many copies as possible. The official pretext for this action was the inaccuracy of its printing, it is thought that the attack against the edition had been instigated by the Jesuits, whom Sixtus had offended by putting one of Bellarmine’s books on the Index Librorum Prohibitorum. Pope Clement VIII, the successor of Gregory XIV in the pontificate, published another authentic Vulgate in 1592. This, however, differs more than any other editions from that of Sixtus V, and mostly resembles that of Louvain.
Example of Some Differences of the Sixtine Edition from the Louvain edition of the Vulgate
In Book of Genesis 40-50 43 corrections were made (on the basis of Codex Carafianus):
40,8 – nunquam ] numquam
40,14 – tibi bene ] bene tibi
41,13 – quicquid ] quidquid
41,19 – nunquam ] numquam
41,20 – pecoribus ] prioribus
41,39 – nunquid ] numquid
41,55 – quicquid ] quidquid
42,4 – quicquam ] quidquam
42,11 – quicquam ] quidquam
42,13 – at illi dixerunt ] at illi
42,22 – nunquid ] numquid
42,38 – adversitatis ] adversi
43,3 – denuntiavit ] denunciavit
43,5 – denuntiavit ] denunciavit
43,7 – nunquid ] numquid
43,19 – dispensatorem ] dispensatorem domus
43,30 – lachrymae ] lacrymae
44,4 – ait surge ] surge
44,29 – maerore ]moerore
45,13 – nuntiate ] nunciate
45,20 – dimittatis ] demittatis
45,20 – auicquam ] quidquam
45,23 – tantundem ] tantumdem
45,23 – addens eis ] addens et
45,26 – nuntiaverunt ] nunciaverunt
46,10 – Chananitidis ] Chanaanitidis
46,10 – Cahath ] Caath
46,13 – Simeron ] Semron
46,16 – Sephon ] Sephion
46,16 – Aggi ] Haggi
46,16 – et Esebon et Suni ] et Suni et Esebon
46,17 – Jamma ] Jamme
46,22 – quatuordecim ] quattuordecim
46,26 – cunctaeque ] cunctae
46,28 – nuntiaret ] nunciaret
46,28 – et ille occurreret ] et occurreret
46,31 – nuntiabo ] nunciabo
47,1 – nuntiavit ] nunciavit
47,9 – peregrinationis vitae meae ] peregrinationis meae
47,24 – quatuor ] quattuor
47,31 – Dominum ] Deum
48,1 – nuntiatum ] nunciatum
49,1 – annuntiem ] annunciem
Among these 43 corrections, 31 has only grammar meaning, and 6 of them are correct.
- Changes in versification
In 30 first chapters of the Book of Genesis following changes were made:
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