Bible Commentaries

1 Chronicles 28:17 — Lions. St. Jerome seems to have read cephir, instead of the present cephor, which is rendered "a cup, or bowl," 1 Esdras i. 10. (Calmet) --- Alexandrian Septuagint, "and of the flesh-hooks, libation vessels and bowls; and the weight of the golden and silver vessels (kepphoure; a word which they do not translate) of each weight." (Haydock) --- The change

2 Chronicles 30:2 — Month. The Rabbins pretend that the king intercalated the second Adar, contrary to the rule and advice of the wise, and the that he ought to have allowed those who were pure to celebrate the feast in due time. Selden, Syn. ii. 1. --- But the Caraite Jews deny this pretended leap-year; and we see that Ezechias acted according to the advice of the princes, and that the Scripture praises his conduct. C. --- Those who had a lawful impediment, were authorized to put off the feast

Esther 1:4 — Days, or a full half year, according to their reckoning. Nabuchodonosor, after his victory over Arphaxad, (Judith i.) feasted 120 days; Dionysius of Syrachuse, 90; (Aristotle) Solomon seven; (3 Kings viii. 63.) and David three; when he was recognized by all Israel, 1 Paralipomenon xii. 39. The Gaul, Ariamnes, gave a fest to all his countrymen for a whole year. (Atheneus iv.

Psalms 10:2 — that David’s friends exhort him to withdraw: but he waits for the divine order. Others think (Calmet) that these are the words of his enemies, who wished to fill him with dismay, that he might retire among the Gentiles, and adore their idols, 1 Kings xxvi. 19. (Mariana) --- Sparrow. Hebrew tsipor, any little "bird." (Haydock) (Proverbs xxvii. 8.) (Menochius) --- Heretics false style their conventicles the mountains. (St. Augustine) (Worthington)

Psalms 11:2 — such complaints. Hebrew, "no saint;" chasid, "pious" (Pagnin; Haydock) clement person. (Calmet) --- Truths. Hebrew, "people of veracity." (Calmet) --- Bias said, "All men are bad;" (Clement of Alexandria, strom. 1.) or, as Laertius expresses it, "Most people are wicked." Hence few are chosen. (Haydock) --- Christ is the truth. If we admire his doctrine, let us put it in practice. (Berthier)

Psalms 124:3 — Rod. Sceptre, or violent dominion, Isaias x. 5. --- That, Or "therefore." (Interp. in St. Chrysostom) God always concludes his threats with promises of pardon to the penitent, 1 Corinthians x. 13. (Calmet --- He tries his servants for their good, and will not abandon them. (Worthington) --- The captivity lasted only 70 years: the ten persecutions of the Christian Church were terminated in 300 years; and though the wicked should

Psalms 133:1 — duty, (Haydock) or Solomon for the dedication of the temple. The people might use it on the last day of the three great festivals; or the Levites are exhorted to watch carefully. They may excite each other, (ver. 2.; Calmet) as all Christians should do, 1 Peter ii. 9. (Berthier) --- In the courts, &c., seems to be taken from Psalm cxxxiv. 2., (Calmet) as it is not in Hebrew. (St. Hilary) --- The court of the people was divided for the men and women, and perhaps there was a separate place for the

Psalms 136:9 — motions of them, by a speedy recourse to the rock, which is Christ. (Challoner) (St. Augustine) (St. Gregory) (Psalm l.) (Worthington) --- We do not read that Cyrus treated Babylon with this rigour; but such practices were then customary, (Osee xiv. 1.; Homer, Iliad xxii.) and Darius cruelly punished the revolted city. (Herodotus iii. 159.) (Calmet) --- God will reward those who execute his decrees (Haydock) against Babylon. (Worthington) --- The psalmist contrasts the felicity of the conqueror,

Psalms 17:24 — Him, by his grace. (Worthington) --- Iniquity, and be careful not to relapse. Others explain it in the past time. I have not shed the blood of my enemy when I could have done it, 1 Kings xxiv. 6, 14. (Calmet) --- Fui immaculatus. (St. Jerome) (Haydock) It seems most probable that David composed this before his fall, as Aberbanel, one of the most learned of the Jews, asserts. If he be only a figure of Jesus Christ, we may easily

Psalms 33:8 — Augustine and St. Jerome. (Calmet) --- Hebrew and Septuagint (Greek: parembalei) intimate that the angel himself shall encamp round God’s servants, so that no evil shall come near them. (Haydock) --- This has often been verified, Genesis xxxii.. 1., and xlviii. 16., and 4 Kings vi. 16, &c. (Calmet) --- One angel is here represented as equal to a great army. A Protestant commentator observes, that David attributed his escape to the protection of an angel, and was very thankful for it. We see,

Psalms 7:3 — Lion. In a spiritual sense this is the devil, 1 Peter v. 8. (St. Augustine) --- "Let him only see the sign of the cross, or the lamp continually burning before the altar, he will flee away. Should we wonder at this? the garments alone of Paul drove him from possessed person." [Acts xix.

Proverbs 9:7 — prudence and charity require us to be silent, as our rebukes would only procure us enmity, and make the sinner worse. (Worthington) --- Of such St. John was afraid, and therefore ceased from writing, 3 John 9. Yet St. Paul commands public reprehension, 1 Timothy v. 20. (Menochius) --- When there is any prospect of good, all, particularly superiors, are bound to correct. (St. Augustine, City of God i. 9.; and St. Basil, reg. fus. 158.) (Worthington)

Ecclesiastes 3:21 — of man is immortal rather that that of beasts, since the bodies of both are subject to the like inconveniences. The objection is answered [in] chap. xii. 7. (Calmet) --- The difficulty of answering is intimated by "Who?" &c., Psalm xiv. 1. (Menochius)

Isaiah 50:1 — them to favour. It seems rather to relate to the reprobation (Calmet) of the synagogue, which will never again become the true Church, (Haydock) though many of Israel will be converted, Romans xi. 25. --- Sold you, as a father might do, Exodus xxi. 1., and Matthew xviii. 15. St. Ambrose (Tob.[Tobias?] viii.) inveighs against such cruel parents, as the Christian religion had not then entirely repressed this inhumanity. (Calmet) --- God rejected the synagogue, not out of hard-heartedness or want,

Isaiah 57:8 — Remembrance. Domestic gods. (St. Jerome) The Lares or Penates were usually placed in the court or porch. The Jews probably used Hecate or Trivia, for the same purpose, chap. lxv. 11., and lxvi. 17. To prevent this impiety, God had ordered some of the law to be written on the doors, Deuteronomy vi. 9. But this it seems was disregarded, 4 Kings xxiii. 8., and 1 Machabees i. 58., and Ezechiel viii. 5. --- Near me. Idols were placed

Ezekiel 32:27 — cowards; and therefore their swords were not placed with them in the grave. (Calmet) --- It was customary to inter such things as the deceased had like the most. (Serv. in Virgil’s Æneid x. Arma quibus lætatus habe tus, &c. Simon (1 Machabees xiii. 29.) placed arms and representations of ships on the pillars at Modin, in honour of his kindred. If Elam, &c., had not received such distinction, why should the Egyptian repine? Were they any better? (Calmet) --- The country and

Daniel 11:2 — Three, &c. Cambyses, Smerdis magus, and Darius the son of Hystaspes. (Challoner; Worthington) --- Cyrus had been mentioned before. (Chap. x. 13. 20) Smerdis, or Artaxerxes, (1 Esdras iv. 7.) was the chief of the seven magi, and usurped the throne for six months after the death of Cambyses. (Calmet) --- He had been declared king before (Haydock) by Patizites, his own brother. The news excited

Amos 9:7 — prerogative, (Calmet) which they deserved to lose by their sins. (Haydock) --- God brought them out of Egypt. But he also took the Philistines from Caphtor, (Calmet) and enabled them to settle in the country. (Haydock) --- Cappadocia. Cyprus, (Genesis x. 14.) or rather Crete, 1 Kings. (Calmet) --- Cyrene, (Symmachus) "wall," (Theodotion) or "pit." (Septuagint) Theglathphalassar took Aram or the people of Damascus into captivity. (Calmet) --- Their future return is represented as already

Mark 9:22 — child’s father. He had said: If thou canst do any thing, have mercy on us: and Christ answered: If thou canst believe, &c. Thus when the leper said: If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean, he answered: I will, be thou made clean. (Ven Bede) --- [1]All things are possible to him that believeth. The sense is not, as if he that believeth could do all things; but that any thing might be done by the divine power and goodness, in favour of him that had a firm and lively faith. (Witham) =============================== [BIBLIOGRAPHY] Omnia

Luke 8:3 — Jews, says St. Jerome, that pious women should minister of their substance, meat, drink, and clothing, to their teachers going about with them. But as this might have given cause of scandal among the Gentiles, St. Paul mentions that he allowed it not. (1 Corinthians ix. 5. 12.) They thus ministered to our Lord and his apostles of their worldly substance, from whom they received spiritual riches.