Cajetan pronounces that it is not clear; but I read nine opinions of others. The first: that it is the book of a certain [man] who is called Jashar, that is, “upright.” So Calvin, in his Latin text. The second: [the opinion] of Calvin’s Genevan disciples, in their French version — that it is the book of an author who is called “director” or “corrector”; for they translate, “Qui n’est pas escrit au livre du droiturier” [“Is it not written in the book of the upright one?”]. The third: [the opinion] of the Talmudists (in the tractate On Foreign Worship [Avodah Zarah]), and of the book which is called Bereshith Rabbah, and of our Lyranus — that it is Genesis itself. The fourth: [the opinion] of Radak — that it is the Pentateuch; and it seems [to be that] of the Chaldaean Paraphrast [Targum], when he says, “Is not this written in the book of the Law?” The fifth: of certain [authors] in Abulensis (questions 84 & 85) — that it is the twelve Minor Prophets. The sixth: in the same place — that it is the Prophet Habakkuk himself. The seventh: of Abulensis himself (question 86) — that it is a certain book constructed by Moses, about past and future things, very similar to our Apocalypse. The eighth: of Masius — that it is ancient commentaries of deeds done, or Annals; and Junius and Tremellius embrace this in [their] annotation on this place. The ninth: of Arias Montano — that the book is [a book] “of the upright,” or “of the upright and equitable,” or, as our [Latin] translates in the plural, “the book of the just” — because, in just and equitable
domestic matters, it teaches about the highest benefits of God toward men, and about their offices and ceremonies toward Him. For in chapter 1, verse 18 [of 2 Samuel], by the Seventy it is called τὸ βιβλίον τοῦ εὐθοῦς (to biblion tou euthous) — that is, “of the upright”; and among us [books] are called “books of duties” which are about duties. But although Arias said that the same [book] could have been written by Gentiles — which I disapproved in the previous question — yet he himself prefers [to think] it was rather penned by some one of the Israelites.