The Legenda aurea tells how the church father Jerome, as a hermit, frees a lion from a thorn. He then serves as guardian of the monastery donkey; but while he is carelessly sleeping (below right), it is kidnapped by merchants. Later, he will steal the loot from them again.
The painting varies a picture of Patenier (Madrid, Prado) using another version (London, National Gallery); Koch assumes that it was created as the first work of the master of female half-figures in the workshop of Patenier.