Bible Commentaries

Genesis 45:22 — Dos túnicas ( stolas) colgando hasta los pies. Estos pertenecen propiamente a las mujeres. Pero los usan los hombres en Oriente. Era costumbre hacer regalos con tales túnicas, ya que todavía se encuentra entre los grandes hombres y reyes de ese país. Lucullus guardaba 6000 capas en su guardarropa. (Horat. 1. sat. 2.) (Calmet) &mdash- De plata, sicles. La Septuaginta tiene "de oro", como también el cap. xxxvii. 28.

Isaiah 61:6 — Priests. They were greatly honoured, (Exodus xix. 6.) so that the sons of David had the appellation. The Jews had still to labour as before. Christians become heirs to these promises, and are styled a royal priesthood, 1 Peter ii. 9., and Apocalypse i. 6. They have received the Scriptures from the Jews, and employ human sciences for the advancement of religion. The wisest pagans yield to the force of truth.

Jeremiah 15:17 — Jesters, who deride religion, (Psalm i. 1.) or sport away their time. (Calmet) --- Hand, through vanity. Literally, and I boast of." (Haydock) --- I rejoiced in suffering, as this prophet. Many (Calmet) supply nor from the former part of the sentence. (Menochius) --- Threats. I could not refrain from admonishing the people of their ways, (Haydock) which I would not countenance by my presence. (Calmet) --- All indeed kept at a distance from me.

Ezekiel 20:1 — Month: the year of the world 3411, August 27. (Usher) --- Ezechiel had prophesied in the fourth year; they was silent a year and two months, or 430 days. He opened his mouth again in the sixth year, (chap. viii. 1.) and now in the seventh year he is ordered not to answer. (Worthington) --- We know not what the ancients wanted to know; but their design was evil. (Calmet)

Ezekiel 44:10 — Levites, or priests, (Haydock) who were seduced by Jeroboam, or offered victims on the high places, 4 Kings xxiii. 9. Such lost their privileges and were condemned to serve in the meanest offices. It seems the race of Ithamar was alone guilty, and the threat against his house was now put in execution, 1 Kings ii. 39., and iii. 14., and Leviticus xxi. 17., and 2 Esdras vii. 64. (Calmet)

Hosea 4:1 — Israel. They are chiefly addressed, (Chaldean; St. Jerome; Calmet) or what follows to ver. 15, regards all. (Worthington) --- Judgment. Hebrew, "a trial." --- Mercy. The want of humanity and of practical knowledge is urged. (Calmet) --- The knowledge of God includes the observance of the commandments, 1 John ii. 4. (Worthington) --- This science alone is requisite, Jeremias ix. 3., and Isaias v. 13. Blind leaders prove their own and other’s ruin.

Numbers 36:1 — Galaad. Los descendientes de Machir, que se establecieron en Galaad, estaban particularmente interesados ​​en saber cómo sus parientes femeninas de la casa de Salfaad, iban a disponer de sus fortunas, que Dios les había permitido. Sabían que, por ley, sus maridos obtendrían posesión; y si esos maridos fueran de otra tribu, parte de la tierra asignada a Manasés podría perderse. Ver el cap. xxvii. y Josue xvii. 1, 3.

Matthew 4:16 — And a light is risen, &c. This light, foretold by the prophet Isaias, (chap. ix, ver. 1,) was our Saviour Jesus Christ, the light of the world, who now enlightened them by his instructions, and by his grace. (Witham) --- Thus when the morning star has gone by and disappeared, the sun rises and diffuses its light to mortals, who rejoice that the darkness of night is removed from the earth. (Jansenius)

Deuteronomy 4:19 — Servicio. Entonces, ¿cómo pudieron las naciones ceder ante semejante estupidez, sino porque se habían olvidado del designio de Dios al crear los cuerpos celestes, que Moisés, por tanto, se encarga de inculcar? (Génesis 1. 14.) Hebreo y Septuaginta, "que Dios ha dividido a todos", etc. de donde algunos han supuesto falsamente, que Dios había tolerado la adoración de las estrellas en otras naciones. Ver el cap. xxix. 26. (Drusius) (Calmet)

John 18:1 — Over the torrent, or brook Cedron,[1] which ran betwixt Jerusalem and Mount Olivet, in the valley of Cedron, or of Hennon, or of Josaphat, not of Cedars, as in many Greek copies. See the history of Christ’s Passion. (Matthew xxvi. and xxvii.) (Witham) =============================== [BIBLIOGRAPHY] Cedron, not Cedrorum. In most Greek copies, Greek: ton Kedron. In some manuscripts Greek: tou Kedron. So the Protestant translation, the brook Cedron. ====================

Acts 22:1 — Hear ye the account.[1] In the Greek, to the apology, or defence. (Witham) --- St. Paul, in this exordium, as also in Acts vii. 2. shews himself not ignorant of the art of pleading. He adds the name of Fathers, supposing there may be some of his hearers of senatorial dignity, and others deserving the title for their rank and age. (Mat. Pol.) =============================== [BIBLIOGRAPHY] Quam reddo rationem, Greek: akousate...tes apologias. ====================

Romans 10:14 — &c. Or how shall they believe, &c. He shews the necessity of preachers, and that all true preachers must be sent, and have their mission from God. --- Who hath believed our report? [1] Literally, our hearing? Some expound it thus: who hath believed the things we have heard from God, and which we have preached? The common interpretation is, who hath believed what he hath heard from us? (Witham)

Romans 3:31 — Do we then destroy the law through faith? No: but we establish the law. See the words of Christ: (Matthew v. 17.) 1. Because the figures and types of the law of Moses, and the predictions of the prophets, are fulfilled. 2. Because Christians are now taught to fulfil the moral precepts, and the chief part of the law, with greater perfection, in the spirit of faith, charity, &c. (Witham)

Galatians 3:1 — Before whose eyes Jesus Christ....crucified among you.[1] The common exposition is, that St. Paul had before described and set before them Christ crucified. Others, that it had been clearly foretold by the prophets that Christ was crucified for them. (Witham) =============================== [BIBLIOGRAPHY] Præscriptus,

1 Timothy 3:3 — Not given to wine, or a lover of wine. This, says St. John Chrysostom, is less than to be a drunkard; for such are excluded from the kingdom of heaven, whoever they be. (1 Corinthians vi. 10.) --- No striker. St. John Chrysostom understands not striving, fighting or quarreling even with his tongue. --- Not covetous [4] of money, as appears by the Greek text. (Witham) =============================== [BIBLIOGRAPHY] Cupidum, Greek: aphilarguron.

2 Timothy 1:7 — Of fear.[3] Of a cowardly fear, and want of courage. --- Of sobriety.[4] Though the Protestants here translate of a sound mind, yet they translate the same Greek word by sobriety in divers other places, as Acts xxvi. 25; 1 Timothy ii. 9 and 15 and chap. iii. 2; Titus i. 8. &c. (Witham) =============================== [BIBLIOGRAPHY] Timoris, Greek: deilias, timiditatis, it is not Greek: phobou. =============================== [BIBLIOGRAPHY] Et sobrietatis, Greek: kai sophronismou.

Jude 1:3 — Being very solicitous to discharge my duty of an apostle, in writing and instructing you in the common concern of your salvation, I judge it necessary at present to write this letter, to exhort you to contend earnestly,[1] and stand firm in the Christian faith. (Witham) =============================== [BIBLIOGRAPHY] To contend earnestly, supercertari, which has an active sense, of which there are divers examples. See Estius and P. Alleman, Greek: epagonizesthai.

Wisdom of Solomon 12:13 — Beasts. Vipers, &c. Why should they familiarize themselves with such? Some Italians still handle serpents without fear, pretending that they are the descendants of St. Paul. (Calmet) --- But he was never married, (1 Corinthians vii.; Haydock) and they are rather of the race of the Marsi, who formerly claimed the same privilege, having made use of some drugs to prevent the poison. The ancients believed that they could charm serpents.

Letter of Jeremiah 5:11 — Alliance with him, or refuse to submit. (Haydock) --- The enterprise of Jason, and the account of their rejoicing, made him form this judgment. --- Arms. Josephus (B.[Jewish Wars?] i. 1., and vi. p. 929) says the Jews came to meet him, and that he besieged and took the city. But (Antiquities xii. 7.) he asserts that his partisans opened the gates without fighting. How shall we reconcile these things!

Letter of Jeremiah 6:18 — Scribes; a priest. (St. Ambrose) --- He suffered at Antioch, before the king, chap. vii. 1. (Josephus, [Antiquities?] l. 2.) --- The Fathers highly extol his fortitude and virtue, styling him the father of the seven brothers, and the protomartyr of the old law. (Calmet) --- Yet we find others unnamed suffering before him, ver. 10. (Haydock) --- Eleazar was learned in the Scriptures, and in all divine and human knowledge. (Worthington)