And is either superfluous, as at the beginning of most of the sacred books, (Calmet) or shews the connection of what is written with what the prophet saw or heard internally. (St. Augustine, in Psalm iv.; St. Gregory) (Worthington) --- Year: either of the age of Ezechiel, or (as others will have it)... [ Continue Reading ]
_Captivity. Literally, "transmigration," (Haydock) which is more agreeable to the Hebrew, &c. Jechonias delivered himself up. Six years after this, Sedecias was taken. (St. Jerome)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Hand; power, energy of the Holy Spirit. (Theodoret)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_North, denoting the invasion of Judea by the Chaldeans, Isaias xiv. 31. (Sanctius) --- The Jews thought the following vision inexplicable, and deliberated about rejecting the book, when Ananias offered to answer every difficulty. They assigned him three hundred barrels of oil to light his lamp, whi... [ Continue Reading ]
_Living creatures. Cherubims, (as appears from Ecclesiasticus xlix. 10.) represented to the prophet under these mysterious shapes, as supporting the throne of God, and as it were drawing his chariot. All this chapter appeared so obscure and full of mysteries to the ancient Hebrews, that, as we learn... [ Continue Reading ]
_Faces. This sometimes means shapes; and Pererius supposes that the animal had the head of a man, and the breast covered with lions' hair, the feet or round cloven hoofs of an ox, and the wings of an eagle. But it had rather four faces as well as wings, the faces of the man and lion being to the rig... [ Continue Reading ]
_Straight. Hebrew, "a straight foot." Protestants prefer "feet." (Haydock) --- Of a calf. Aquila reads to the same import hagol, "round," instead of hegel, (Haydock) "a calf." Symmachus has "winged feet," like Mercury. (Calmet) --- Septuagint omit this, says St. Jerome, though we have his version of... [ Continue Reading ]
_Wings. Their arms were covered with feathers, and the hand appeared at the extremity; or they had four arms under the wings, chap. x. 8. They all came from the shoulders, so as to correspond with the four faced animal, ver. 6. (Calmet) --- Others believe that each face had four wings, so that the a... [ Continue Reading ]
_Another. Two above were extended so as to support the throne, which seemed to rest on these eight wings connected together. The others were joined so as perfectly to cover what was below the breast. (Calmet) --- Septuagint, "And the wings of those four were touching each other, and their faces (Cal... [ Continue Reading ]
_Over. This is not specified in Hebrew, Chaldean, Septuagint, or St. Jerome. (Calmet) --- "The face of an eagle for all the four." It mist have been above or behind the man, as the situation of the other two faces is here determined, ver. 6. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Faces. Septuagint, "wings:" and indeed it does not appear how their faces were stretched upwards, (Calmet) unless they looked earnestly that way; though, out of respect, they covered their faces with two wings._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Flashes. Hebrew Bazak. (Haydock) --- Theodotion retains the original. His version seems to have been inserted in the Septuagint, (Calmet) who omitted this verse, as seeming to contradict ver. 9., and 12. (St. Jerome) --- Yet it only signifies that the motion was quick as lightning, though they did... [ Continue Reading ]
_Faces. One wheel crossed another at right angles, so that it was ready to move in any direction, (ver. 17.; Calmet) like a globe. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Sea; sky blue. Hebrew, "Tharsis," which Symmachus renders "the hyacinth;" a precious stone, Exodus xxviii. 20. (Calmet) --- Midst. The evangelists and New Testament agree perfectly with the Old. (St. Gregory, hom. vi.) (Worthington)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Parts. When they went, they went by their four parts. That is, indifferently to any of their sides, either forward or backward, to the right or to the left. (Challoner) --- Their motion was connected with the chariot, ver. 20. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Eyes, like Argus, or the tail of a peacock. (Calmet) --- The eye is sometimes put for a colour. (Grotius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Life. They were moved like the rest by the whirlwind, or by living creatures. They seemed to be animated, as Homer describes Vulcan's tripods._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Crystal, or sapphire, ver. 26., and chap. x. 1. This shining sky was like the footstool of the Lord, and rested on eight wings, ver. 9, 23._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Voice. The motion of the wings made a noise like a torrent, or thunder. --- God. Hebrew, "self-sufficient," as Septuagint, &c., render it, Greek ikanou. (Calmet) --- Protestants, "like the voice of the Almighty." (Haydock) --- Down; or rather ceased to make such a noise, ver. 25. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Upon it. This might be omitted, as the Vulgate has only desuper, above. (Haydock) --- God was pleased to assume the shape of a man, seated on the throne._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Amber, or orichalcum, ver. 4._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Rainbow, encircling the sky blue throne and the flame. Nothing could be more dazzling, nor better manifest the subjection of man. (Calmet) --- The prophet saw four visions at once; the whirlwind, (ver. 4.) the living creatures, (ver. 5.) the wheels, (ver. 15.) and the man seated on a throne, in the... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER I.... [ Continue Reading ]