Bible Commentaries

Ezra 10:9 — Ninth. Casleu, (Zacharias vii. 1.) which corresponds with our November and December. (Menochius) --- Street. Court, which afforded as yet no shelter from the rain. (Calmet) --- This would tend to punish them for their sin, and to make them more sensible to it. (Worthington)

Ezra 3:2 — Josue, or Jesus, (Jeshua) the son of Josedec: he was the high priest at that time; (Challoner) the first after the captivity. --- Salathiel, by whom he was brought up, though he was born of Phadaia, 1 Paralipomenon iii. 19. (Calmet) --- Protestants read Shealtiel.

Psalms 143:4 — Vanity. Hebrew hebel, "nothing, a vapour," &c., Ecclesiastes i. 1., and James iv. 15. (Haydock) --- Our lives resemble a shadow, which is the less distinct, the more it increases. (Berthier) --- As it cannot subsist of itself, so neither can man without God. (Worthington)

Psalms 3:4 — Protector. Hebrew, "shield." --- Glory. God is the hope of his servants, (1 Corinthians xv. 31.) and grants their requests. (Calmet) --- He has not abandoned me, when I had fallen into sin. (Haydock) --- He gives me the victory, and confirms my throne. (Worthington)

Psalms 34:2 — Arms. Hebrew magen, "buckler," of a smaller size (1 Kings xvii. 6, 7.) than the shield, (tsinna) which was used to cover the whole body. St. Jerome renders the latter word by hastam, "the spear." (Calmet) --- But this text speaks of defensive weapons.

Proverbs 23:4 — Prudence. Be more solicitous for this, than to acquire riches. (Calmet) --- Yet this wisdom must be sober, Romans xii. 3., and 1 Timothy vi. 9. Septuagint, "being poor, do not stretch forth thyself to the rich, but prudently retire,["] ver. 2. (Haydock)

Proverbs 3:34 — Scorners. Literally, "he will delude the scorners." (Haydock) --- He will treat them as they would treat others, Psalm xvii. 27. (Calmet) --- Septuagint, "the Lord resisteth the proud," &c. So the apostles quote this passage, 1 Peter v. 5., and James iv. 6. (Haydock)

Ecclesiastes 7:21 — Not. 1 John i. 8. Crates said it was "impossible to find one who falls not." (Laertius vi.) (Haydock) --- We must not flatter ourselves with impeccability, ver. 18. (Calmet) --- See Seneca. Clem. i. 6. Peccavimus omnes, &c., and de Ira. i. 28. (Menochius)

Song of Solomon 2:1 — I am. The spouse compares herself to a lily, as she is the fairest flower on the bed, (Calmet) or Christ may here speak. (Worthington) (Isaias xi. 1.) (Origen) --- He praises himself first, that his spouse may hear her own eulogy. (Menochius)

Song of Solomon 5:11 — Gold. God is the head of Christ, (1 Corinthians xi. 3.) and is most pure. (N.[Menochius?]) --- The guards of Solomon were powdered with gold dust. (Josephus, Antiquities) --- Branches. Elatæ, or fruits of the male palm-tree. (Theodoret) (Pliny, [Natural History?] xiii. 4.)

Isaiah 3:4 — Effeminate. Hebrew, "babes." Septuagint, "scoffers." Aquila, &c., "changers," (Calmet) who give way to unnatural excesses, Romans i. 27. (Haydock) --- Some manifest a prudence beyond their years: but the last kings of Juda did not, 2 Paralipomenon xxxvi. 1., and Ecclesiastes x. 16.

Ezekiel 16:16 — Places: pavilions, (Cornelius a Lapide; 4 Kings xvii. 30.; Calmet) or idols stuffed, (St. Jerome; Theodoret) and outwardly adorned. Such might easily be procured or removed, 1 Kings xix. 13. --- Hereafter, with impunity. The Jews were guilty of greater ingratitude than other nations.

Ezekiel 35:2 — Face. Address, or speak without fearing any man. (Worthington) --- Seir: Idumea. He speaks of its devastation, both by Nabuchodonosor on the side of Moab, and by the Machabees in what remained, Jeremias xxvii. 7., and 1 Machabees iv. 60., and xiv. 33. (Calmet)

Daniel 8:10 — Even unto, or against the strength of heaven. So are here called the army of the Jews, the people of God, (Challoner) and particularly the teachers. Many priests gave way to idolatry. (1 Machabees i. 48. and 2 Machabees iv. 14.) (Calmet)

John 19:27 — The disciple took her to his own[1] home, or into his own are, not for his mother, by the Greek expression. See St. John Chrysostom and St. Augustine. (Witham) =============================== [BIBLIOGRAPHY] Accepit eam discipulus in sua. Not in suam. Greek: eis ta idia. ====================

Acts 11:20 — Some of them, at Antioch, spoke also to the Grecians:[1] by which many understand, to the Gentiles, though in most Greek copies we read, to the Hellenists. (Witham) =============================== [BIBLIOGRAPHY] Ad Græcos, Greek: pros tous ellenistas, and in some manuscripts Greek: ellenas.

1 Timothy 1:2 — To Timothy, my beloved son [1] in faith: not that St. Paul first converted him, but that by his instructions he was settled in the principles of faith and of the Christian religion. (Witham) =============================== [BIBLIOGRAPHY] Dilecto, Greek: gnesio tekio. Some manuscripts, Greek: agapeto.

Titus 3:4 — The goodness and kindness. Literally, humanity of our Saviour. By humanity [1] some expound Christ’s appearing in his human nature, but by the Greek is meant the love of God towards mankind. (Witham) =============================== [BIBLIOGRAPHY] Benignitas et humanitas, Greek: chrestotes kai philanthropia. See Estius.

Wisdom of Solomon 27:2 — Fast. Anacharsis styled "the market-place the receptacle of mutual cheating." (Laertius 1.) --- The seller praises his goods to get them off: (Horace) the buyer says it is bad, Proverbs xx. 14. The next verse is a gloss omitted in Greek. (Calmet)

Wisdom of Solomon 38:4 — Them, as he will all superstitious remedies. (Calmet) --- "A crowd of physicians killed Cæsar," said Adrian, on his death-bed. They often try experiments, and kill with impunity, (Pliny xxix. 1.) --- Yet we must not condemn the prudent use of medicine. (Calmet)