Bible Commentaries

Psalms 104:1 — it is left untranslated. See Apocalypse xx. (St. Augustine, ep. ad Casulan.) (Calmet) --- It implies that we must praise God with all our power; and Catholic writers retain this (Worthington) and similar words in the original. (Haydock) --- The first 15 verses of this psalm nearly agree with that which was composed by David, when the ark was to be removed from the house of Obededon, 1 Paralipomenon xvi. 8, 22. (Haydock) --- But the last part seems to have been added by him, or by another afterwards,

Psalms 105:1 — --- It may refer to the Jews during, (Eusebius; Vatable) or after the captivity, (Calmet) and to all in the state of sin. (St. Jerome) (Berthier) --- The 47th and 48th verses agree with the three last, which were sung at the translation of the ark, 1 Paralipomenon xvi. 34. (Haydock) --- Hence that canticle now makes a part of our Psalm civ., xcv., and cv., with various alterations made by the prophet. (Berthier) --- Give glory. Literally, "confess" (Haydock) your sins, to obtain mercy,

Psalms 113:9 — PSALM CXIII. (IN EXITU ISRAEL.) God hath shewn his power in delivering his people: idols are vain. (The Hebrews divide this into two psalms.) or Hebrew Psalm cxv. Ver. 1. Not. Some Jews here commence the 115th psalm. (Haydock) --- But St. Augustine shews, that this part is well connected with the preceding, the true God being known by his works, while idols are senseless, and therefore can have no pretensions to divine

Psalms 114:1 — sentiments of our Saviour, or of his Church under persecution, (St. Augustine) or those of a saint entering into glory, are here expressed. (St. Jerome) --- The faithful sigh after their heavenly country. (Berthier) --- Christ speaks here as in the 21st psalm. (Houbigant) --- Prayer. He always hears me, which prompts me to love. (Worthington) --- Because. Hebrew ci maybe rendered "therefore," as in the next psalm, ver. 1., and Luke vii. 47. (Calmet)

Psalms 117:22 — and is applied to David, Zorobabel, or the Jewish nation; but they can only be considered as figures of Christ, in whom this prediction was fulfilled, when he established his Church, and made one people of those who were before divided, Isaias xxviii. 16., Matthew xxi. 42., and Acts iv. 11. (Calmet) --- He was rejected by most of the Jews; yet he chose some of them, who, with the Gentiles, formed his Church. (Haydock) --- This all Christians now confess. (Worthington) --- The Pharisees pretended to

Psalms 149:6 — Hands. He seems to allude to the regulation of Nehemias, (2 Esdras iv. 17.; Haydock) or to the Machabees, who were priests and soldiers. They shall proclaim God’s praises, and defend the nation. In the spiritual sense, Catholics employ the two-edged sword of the Old and New Testament against heretics, and exercise

Song of Solomon 5:2 — scandalous lives. (St. Augustine, tr. 37 in John) (St. Gregory) (Calmet) --- Such was the state of many in the days of Luther, who accordingly joined the first reformers. See Philips’s Life of Card. Pole. p. 364. (Haydock) --- Nights. Anacreon (ode 1.) has something similar. Christ knocks by his inspirations and chastisements, and he is better heard in the night of tribulation, Apocalypse iii. 20. (Calmet) --- Heretics began to blaspheme Christ, after the Church had only enjoyed a short peace, (Menochius)

Zechariah 12:2 — Greek: prothura) shaken." (Haydock) --- Jerusalem first drank the cup herself; and then under the Machabees, made others suffer. --- Juda. Never before Epiphanes had the Jews fought against their brethren. Then the apostates became most terrible, 1 Machabees i. 55., and ii. 7, 19. (Calmet) --- Thus none persecute the Catholic faith more than those who have perfidiously abandoned it. (Haydock) --- When the gospel began to be preached, the obstinate Jews opposed it, Acts iv., &c. (Worthington)

Matthew 27:2 — attend to repress by their authority the people, to engage Pilate to pronounce sooner the sentence, when he saw that he was condemned by the unanimous voice of the Sanhedrim, and to hinder any one from rising in his defence. There were the more anxious, 1. because about three years before, the power of life and death had been taken from them; 2. because they wished to throw the odium of the crime on another person; and lastly, because both Jew and Gentile were equally to benefit of Christ’s death,

Matthew 27:5 — Hanged himself,[1] and did not die of the quinsy, (a tumid inflammation in the throat) as some of late expound it. It is true the Greek word may sometimes signify a suffocation with grief; but it signifies also to be strangled with a rope, as Erasmus translated it. So

Luke 1:23 — those who are virtuous, it has been decreed, that priests should observe perpetual continency, that they may be able to assist at all times at the altar. (Ven. Bede) --- For the law of perpetual celibacy of the clergy, See St. Jerome, lib. i. chap. ix. 19. advers Jovin. et. ep. 50; also St. Ambrose, in 1 Tim iii.

Luke 16:22 — arrival of their Deliverer. It was thither the Jesus went after his death; as it is said in the Creed, "he descended into hell," to deliver those who were detained there, and who might at Christ’s ascension enter into heaven. (Calmet) See 1 Peter iii. 19. --- "Many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham." (Matthew viii. 11.) =============================== [BIBLIOGRAPHY] In sinum Abrahæ, Greek: eis ton kolpon tou Abraam. --- Ver. 22. In inferno,

Luke 3:11 — "May my counsel please thee, O king, and do thou redeem thy sins with alms and mercy to the poor." (Daniel iv.) Hence St. John Chrysostom says: "The poor are physicians, and their hands are an ointment for your wounds." (hom. xiv. in ep. 1. ad Tim.) --- See the unbounded love of God; he offers us his mercy, provided we will relieve our indigent brethren! (Haydock)

Luke 3:36 — which is to be esteemed authentic, Corn. a Lapide calls it a chronological problem, whether the word Cainan be the true reading, or whether it hath slipt into the text. It is true Cainan is found in the Septuagint Genesis x. 24., Genesis xi. 44., and 1 Paralipomenon i. 18; though, in this last place, a Lapide says, it is wanting in one edition of the Septuagint by Sixtus V.; at least it is not read in all those places, neither in the Hebrew, nor Latin Vulgate. Some say that here in St. Luke’s

John 5:1 — that out of sight, Who told you to take up you bed? (St. John Chrysostom) --- But he answers: The same who healed me: Why should I not receive orders from him from whom I have received my health? (St. Augustine) --- By the festival, mentioned in ver. 1, is generally understood the Passover; and this was the second from the commencement of Christ’s ministry. St. Matthew calls it by this name, chap. xxvi. 5; St. Mark, Chap. xiv. 2. and xv. 6; and St. Luke, Chap. xxiii. 17. For the first Passover,

John 6:32 — 3rdly, It did not make them that eat it live for ever; but they that spiritually eat me, the living bread; that is, believe in me, and keep my commandments, shall live for ever. --- Ver. 37, 44, and 66. No one can come to me, unless the Father draw him.[1] These verses are commonly expounded of God’s elect; who are not only called, but saved, by a particular mercy and providence of God. God is said to draw them to himself by special and effectual graces, yet without any force or necessity, without

1 Corinthians 3:7-8 — This text most evidently proves that good works proceeding from grace are meritorious, and that the rewards in heaven are different, according as God sees just to appropriate them. The Greek word here employed is Greek: misthos, (merces) or wages. See 1 Timothy v. 18; Apocalypse xxii. 12; Matthew xvi. 27. It is by our union with Jesus Christ that our actions, of themselves without value or merit, become gold, silver, and precious stones. (Haydock)

1 Corinthians 6:4-7 — most ignorant, but he wishes to inform them that if there were none but men of this description in the Church, it would still be more preferable to appoint these judges than to go to law before idolatrous judges. (Estius) --- It is plainly a fault,[1] weakness in you to run to such heathen judges: you should rather bear, and put up with the injuries done to you. --- A fault. Law-suits can hardly ever be without a fault, on one side or the other; and oftentimes on both sides. (Challoner)

Ephesians 3:3 — to wit, that by the coming of Christ, and the preaching of his gospel, all both Jews and Gentiles, all nations should be united into one Church, by one and the same faith. (Witham) --- Mystery, &c. Revelation, the same as he mentions Galatians i. 12.; where speaking of his gospel, he says, For neither did I receive it of man, nor did I learn it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. This revelation seems to have regarded principally three things: 1. The redemption and justification of man by

1 Peter 2:5 — You also....a holy [2] priesthood; and, as he saith again, (ver. 9.) a royal priesthood. 1. Because they had ministers of God, who were truly and properly priests, of whom Christ is the chief. 2. Every good Christian in a less proper sense may be called a priest, inasmuch as he offers to God what in a less proper and metaphorical sense may