When he, Joatham, "had begun," c\'9cpisset. (Haydock) --- Thus Junius evades the following difficulty. (Du Hamel) --- Sixteen, consequently he died when he was 36 years old. As Ezechias was 25 when he came to the throne, Achab must have been a father at 11 (Calmet) or 12 year of age. (Bochart, Disse... [ Continue Reading ]
_Fire, to purify him (or them, Paralipomenon filios, all were treated thus. Haydock) according to the superstitions of the pagans: omnia purgat edax ignis. (Ovid, Fast.) (Theodoret, q. 16.) (Menochius) --- Others believe that the child was burnt to death in honour of Moloch, and in imitation of the... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then. In punishment of such enormous crimes, God first delivered Achaz into the hands of Rasin, (2 Paralipomenon xxviii.; St. Jerome, in Isaias vii.) and afterwards Phacee destroyed 120,000 in one battle, and took 200,000 prisoners, whom the prophet Oded persuaded him to release, 2 Paralipomenon xx... [ Continue Reading ]
_Juda. Literally, "Jews," Judæos, (Haydock) which is the first time we find this appellation. (Du Hamel) --- Aila, or Elath, which had been taken by Ozias, chap. xiv. 22. (Menochius) --- It seems never to have belonged to Syria, as it was too far from Damascus. Instead of Aram, we should therefore p... [ Continue Reading ]
_Son, vassal, or under thy protection. (Calmet) --- Save me. Achaz sinned by this placing his confidence in man, after the prophet had given him such assurance from the Lord. (Menochius) --- He has soon reason to repent of having brought this proud ally into his dominions, as he proved a great scour... [ Continue Reading ]
_Cyrene, not in Egypt, where he had no power, but near the river Cyrus, (Calmet) in higher Media. (Josephus) --- Hebrew, "and took it and carried the inhabitants captives to Kir," (Haydock) whence the Syrians had come originally, Amos ix. 7. Arbaces, who had dismembered Media from the Assyrians empi... [ Continue Reading ]
_To meet, and congratulate the king on his victory, and perhaps to divert him from proceeding any father. (Calmet) --- But it was too late, ver. 7. (Haydock) --- The same year Phacee hastened to defend his dominions, but was slain by Osee. (Salien, the year before Christ 757.)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Priest, or pontiff, as no other would have dared to make this innovation. (Salien) --- He was guilty of a great weakness; as the altar of Solomon had been so solemnly consecrated by God's presence. All changes in religion are dangerous. The Machabees behaved with far greater respect, with regard to... [ Continue Reading ]
_And worshipped. Hebrew simply, "and the king approached to the altar, and offered on it (13) his holocaust and his meat (or flour) offering, and poured hid drink-offering, and the blood of his peace-offerings, upon the altar." (Haydock) --- He dedicated it with all sorts of sacrifices, forbidding a... [ Continue Reading ]
_And from. Hebrew, "from between the new altar and the house of," &c. (Haydock) --- Achaz had placed his altar before that of Solomon: but he afterwards removed the latter from the right-hand of the sanctuary, to a corner of the court, on the north side. (Calmet) --- In the midst of his distress, he... [ Continue Reading ]
_Morning, as prescribed in the law, Exodus xxix. 38. --- King's ordained for sin: (Leviticus iv. 22.) or instituted by Solomon, who left a fund. (Haydock) (2 Paralipomenon viii. 12.) (Menochius) --- The law says nothing about the king's daily holocaust and sacrifice of flour. (Haydock) --- But it pr... [ Continue Reading ]
_Stone, all out of avarice, (Haydock) and contempt of the Lord, who chastized him. (Menochius) --- He took away the plates of brass, c., from the doors, (Calmet) which Ezechias was forced to replace, (Haydock) afterwards to take down for the Assyrians, chap. xviii. 16. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
Musach. The covert, or pavilion, or tribune for the king. (Challoner) --- Achaz would not have his ally to be in the court, but placed his throne in the temple. (Du Hamel) --- Septuagint, "and the foundation of the chair he built in the house of the Lord." (Haydock) --- Hebrew, "and the ( musac) cov... [ Continue Reading ]
_Book. Hebrew, "in the chronicles;" or, "in the book of the annals." (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_With them; but not in the same sepulchre, on account of his impiety, 2 Paralipomenon xxviii. 27. (Calmet) --- In the 5th year of his reign, the Idumeans harassed the country, and in the 6th, the Philistines took several towns; (Salien) so that he fell a prey to enemies on all sides, and was memorab... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER XVI.... [ Continue Reading ]