This book offers deep insights into the workshop of both church fathers and their spiritual development: Hieronymus tries his hand at Hebrew conjectures and always new combinations of his Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek and Old Latin models. He repeatedly enriches the meaning of biblical texts with ambiguous expressions and allusions to Christian and pagan authors. An example of Augustine's intellectual development in dealing with the Job text is his step-by-step clarification of the relationship between prudentia and sapientia. At the same time he expresses himself on topics as diverse as correct consoling, the development of worldly people to Christians and ancient smelting technology. Structurally, the juxtaposition of awkwardly extemporated and carefully composed passages as well as forms of gradually more precise lines of thought are striking. Jerome's ambiguous formulations stimulated Augustine to productive misunderstandings and his own, possibly even more ambiguous expressions.
