_Speak. Hebrew and Septuagint, "Heaven attend, and I will speak." (Haydock) --- Never was there an exordium more pompous, or better adapted to the subject. Moses calls those who never die to witness what he asserts, as if to insinuate that these truths ought never to be forgotten. See Numbers iv. 6.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Gather, as rain does from vapours; (Menochius) so let the sum of what I have taught you be collected into this short canticle, and penetrate your hearts. (Haydock) --- Chaldean, "may my discourse be as delightful as the rain." Septuagint, "may my apophthegm (or sententious discourse, Calmet) be exp... [ Continue Reading ]
_Invoke, or praise. (Vatable) --- Magnificence; admire and fear this greatness. (Calmet) --- The first duty of men is to praise God, the next to confess their sins, ver. 5. (Worthington)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Right. You cannot complain of having been first abandoned by God. All his works and proceedings are entitled to praise. Hebrew, "This rock, ( hatsur) his works are perfect." (Calmet) --- Septuagint, "God, his works are true." (Haydock) --- God is often styled a rock, to denote this strength, ver. 1... [ Continue Reading ]
Filth, or idolatry. The fidelity of God is contrasted with the infidelity of his people, who deserve not to be called his children. The Septuagint, Chaldean, Syriac, and Arabic, seem to have read in a different manner from what the Hebrew does at present. (Calmet) --- As it stands it is quite uninte... [ Continue Reading ]
_Possessed thee, as his peculiar inheritance. (Menochius) --- Hebrew, "has purchased thee, made thee, and established thee." (Calmet) --- The Septuagint render this last word like the Vulgate as they seem to have read, ibnoc. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
Israel. He suffered the people of Chanaan to occupy as much land as would be requisite for the Israelites. Septuagint, "according to the number of the angels of God." Hence many of the ancients gathered that there were seventy angel guardians of provinces, and as many languages; while others did not... [ Continue Reading ]
_Lot. Hebrew literally, "the cord," in allusion to the ancient method of dividing lands with a cord. Herodotus (ii. 6,) observes, that the length of one, in the Upper Egypt, was 60 stadia, or 7700 paces, while it was only half as much in the Lower Egypt._... [ Continue Reading ]
_He found. Septuagint and Chaldean, "he gave him what was sufficient, in the desert land." God made a choice of a nation destitute of every thing, that they might confess with gratitude that they had received all from him. (Calmet) --- "Taught him" both by "instructions," and by various "chastisemen... [ Continue Reading ]
_Shoulders, as (Exodus xix. 4,) upon the wings of eagles. It is said that the eagle hovers over the nest, to encourage her young ones to fly, and when she sees them exhausted, she takes them upon her back. This similitude shews the extreme affection of God towards his people. Hebrew and Chaldean may... [ Continue Reading ]
_With him, to stand up in their defence, though the Israelites adored but too many others in the desert._... [ Continue Reading ]
_High land, in a place of safety, both against the enemy, and the inundations of water. The Nile renders Egypt like one continued sea for about 80 days, in the summer season. (Calmet) --- God had already begun to put the Israelites in possession of the fertile countries east of the Jordan, where the... [ Continue Reading ]
_Butter, or "cream," as the former article was probably not yet discovered, Genesis xviii. 8. (Calmet) --- The proofs of this assertion, from the original, chemath, and from the Scripture, frequently representing butter as a liquid, seem not, however, very solid. See Judges v. 25., and Proverbs xxx.... [ Continue Reading ]
Beloved. Hebrew _yeshurun, is supposed to be a diminutive of Israel, chap. xxxii. 5., and 26. (Calmet) --- Protestants, "Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked; thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God, which made him, and lightly esteemed the rock of his... [ Continue Reading ]
_Devils. Hebrew, "to the destroyers, or to those of the fields." See Leviticus xvii. 7., and Baruch iv. 7, 35. (Calmet) --- Knew not. Septuagint, "revered not." (Haydock) --- Hebrew may be, "who knew them not," who had bestowed nothing upon them, chap. xxix. 26. --- Come up. Hebrew, "of the neighbou... [ Continue Reading ]
_Created. Septuagint, "gave thee food." Hebrew, "of the rock that begat thee, thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee, (Haydock) or praises thee," the source of thy felicity. (Calmet) --- Calvin (Institutes i. 11. 9,) to insinuate that Catholics adore pictures, as the Israelites... [ Continue Reading ]
_Daughters. The women of Israel, who were not less addicted to idolatry than the men. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_From them. The Jews themselves acknowledged, in the siege of Jerusalem, that God had abandoned and given up to destruction his once beloved people. (Josephus, Jewish Wars vii. 8.) (Calmet) --- Consider, or look on their utter ruin with indifference, or rather with complacency. (Haydock) --- I will... [ Continue Reading ]
_Vanities. Septuagint, "idols." (Haydock) --- Nation. The Gentiles were of this description, when they were called to the true faith. This excited the indignation of the Jews, as they would neither enter heaven themselves, nor suffer others to obtain that happiness, Romans i. 19. (Theodoret, q. 41.)... [ Continue Reading ]
_A fire. He alludes to the destruction of Sodom, (Calmet) which may be considered as a figure of that which will overtake the whole world at the last day, and excruciate both the souls and the bodies of the reprobate in the flames of hell. (Haydock) --- Fire also denotes war, the horrors of which ov... [ Continue Reading ]
_Arrows. Pestilence, famine, war, sickness, and death, are termed the arrows of God._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Birds. This refers in a particular manner to those who are deprived of sepulture, and hung on a gibbet, chap. xxvii. 26. Josephus (Jewish Wars vi. 12,) informs us, that the multitude of Jews who were to be crucified, was so great, that sufficient wood could not be procured to make crosses for them,... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER XXXII. _ Men. Hebrew, "I said I will disperse or exterminate them." Samaritan, "my fury shall consume them." We may translate, "I had resolved to destroy them; (Ver. 27.) But," &c., (Calmet) or Protestants, "I said I would scatter them into corners, and would....were it not that I feared th... [ Continue Reading ]
_Wrath. The enemies of the Israelites wished nothing more than their destruction. If therefore God had gratified this desire, by punishing his people as they deserved, the enemy would have presently insinuated that He had not been able to drive them out, or that (Haydock) he was fickle, &c. --- Migh... [ Continue Reading ]
_Wisdom. Interpreters generally explain this and the eight following verses, of those nations whom God employed to scourge his people, though some understand it all of the Israelites. (Calmet) --- The words may be applied to all who transgress the law of God, as this is a sure mark of folly and impi... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thousand. In the battles which the Israelites had fought, the hand of God had appeared so visibly in their defence, giving them the victory over nations much more numerous, (Calmet) that all must confess their defeat must be in punishment of some former transgression, and that it is not the mighty... [ Continue Reading ]
_Judges. The Egyptians, Amalecites, &c., had witnessed the miracles which God had now wrought for 40 years' time, in favour of his people. (Haydock) --- They knew also how the Israelites had been punished for their sins. (Menochius) --- Though they followed a false religion themselves, they could di... [ Continue Reading ]
_Bitter. The enemies of Israel, were of an accursed progeny. (Haydock) --- They imitated the vices of those wicked cities. Moses cautioned his people to beware of the root of bitterness, chap. xxix. 18. (Calmet) --- If they should neglect the admonition, and become like the Chanaanites, they knew wh... [ Continue Reading ]
_Treasures. Whether we refer to the preceding remarks to the faithless Israelites, whose corruption was less pardonable, as they had received so many favours from above, or to their proud and cruel enemies, who exceeded the bounds of moderation in their wars, God keeps an exact account of all, and w... [ Continue Reading ]
_Time. Men are eager to punish their enemies, for fear lest they should escape. But God defers his chastisements frequently in this world, designing to make his enemies feel the weight of his indignation for all eternity. How consoling it is for the just, to think they have God for an avenger! "If t... [ Continue Reading ]
_People who have been guilty, that he may spare them, when they repent. (Menochius) --- "He will give judgment in favour of his people," &c. (Houbigant) --- Servants. He will not involve the innocent in the ruin of the rebellious. (Menochius) --- But, at the same time, he will have them to be convin... [ Continue Reading ]
_Wine. Hence the Jews abhor the wine of Christians, whom they consider as the greatest enemies of God. The pagans were accustomed to make libations to their idols, even in their ordinary repasts. (Calmet) --- The fat was always sacred to God, Leviticus iii. 17. (Menochius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_For ever. God can swear by no one greater than himself, Hebrews vi. 13._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Lightning, equally terrible and penetrating: fulminis acta modo. (Virgil, \'c6neid ix.) (Calmet) --- Judgment, to punish with rigour my declared enemies. (Haydock) --- These verses seem to regard the idolatrous nations, (Menochius) though God will not fail to punish the guilty, wherever they may be... [ Continue Reading ]
_Enemies. I will tear the crown from off their head. Chaldean, I will destroy the king, as well as the meanest captives. Protestants, "from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy." At the very first I will completely destroy them. (Haydock) --- I will punish them for the slaughter and captivity of... [ Continue Reading ]
People. Though God afflicted the Israelites for a time, he was always disposed to receive them to his favour again upon their repentance; and he will even receive them into his Church before the day of judgment, Romans xi. 25. (Calmet) --- This decided predilection for them, would naturally induce o... [ Continue Reading ]
_Live. Hebrew, "it is your life." They were to cherish the law as their own lives; for their prosperity and length of days depended on their observance of it._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Passages. The author of the Vulgate has given this explication of Abarim. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Cades. Hebrew, "at the waters of Meriba-Cadesh," &c._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Into it. By repeating this reproach and judgment God excited in his servant the most lively sentiments of repentance for his fault, Numbers xx. (Haydock) --- Aaron had been deprived of the sight of this delightful country. If they had been labouring for its acquisition alone, the reflection must ha... [ Continue Reading ]