Brutish, or devoid of sense. (Haydock) --- Hebrew, "burning;" smiths. (Calmet) CHAPTER XXI. Blood. Why dost thou cease to admonish and rebuke the people? (Worthington) --- Pronounce sentence on Jerusalem, (Haydock) for her cruelties. (Calmet) Hath. Septuagint, "was mixed with his relations," ver. 10., &c., (Haydock) fighting against them. (Theodoret) Sabbaths, by servile works, and by their sinful deportment. Slanderers, hateful to all, Leviticus xix. 16., and Proverbs xi. 13. --- Mountains. Chap. xviii. 6. Father, his widow, their mother-in-law, or one of his wives. Increase. Chap. xviii. 18. (Calmet) --- Me. "The remembrance of God excludes all sins." (St. Jerome) Hands, through surprise and sorrow. (Calmet) --- God wishes the sinner's salvation, Genesis vi. 6. (Worthington) In thee. I will purify thee by violent medicines. (Calmet) Possess, "as an inheritance:" (Septuagint; Haydock) "I will defile:" (Aquila) "wound thee." (Symmachus) Hebrew is very different: (Calmet) "thou hast inherited in thyself," (Haydock) being no longer willing to be subject. Dross. Hebrew, "a mixture." Septuagint, "God will purify the silver," Isaias iv. 4. Rained upon, or watered with the instructions of the prophets, chap. xx. 46. Conspiracy. The false prophets defend each other, (Calmet) while the priests connive at their proceedings, (Haydock) and set the example of wickedness. Without. Septuagint, "they shall fall, seeing," &c. None like Abraham, Moses, &c. (Calmet) --- The prayers of the just are very powerful; and God wishes them to exert themselves for sinners. (St. Jerome) (Worthington) CHAPTER XXII. Fornication. That is, idolatry. (Challoner) --- Down. Virgins used the stomacher, or (Haydock) fascia pectoralis, Isaias iii. 24. This chapter resembles the 16th. (Calmet) Oolla and Ooliba. God calls the kingdom of Israel Oolla, which signifies their own habitation, because they separated themselves from his temple; and the kingdom of Juda Ooliba, which signifies his habitation in her, because of his temple among them in Jerusalem. (Challoner) --- The ten tribes first gave way to idolatry, and were more numerous. (Calmet) -- In Egypt the people were united, yet abandoned to idolatry in their youth, when they were only beginning to increase. Afterwards the ten tribes set up altars for themselves, at Dan and Bethel. (Worthington) Assyrians. That is, the idols of the Assyrians: for all that is said in this chapter of the fornications of Israel and Juda, is to be understood in a spiritual sense of their disloyalty to the Lord, by worshipping strange gods. (Challoner) (Worthington) --- The Assyrians taught the worship of Baal, the high places, &c. The Egyptians also promoted their abominations. (Calmet) Blue, or purple. This was reserved for the principal nobility. Egypt. They always retained an affection for those idols, the calf, Adonis, &c. Disgrace: satisfying their passions, ver. 29. (Calmet) --- Women. Having once lost all sense of decorum, they became more abandoned. (Haydock) This; not chastisement, but dissolution. Colours. She was enamoured at the account or picture of these people, without ever having seen them. Messengers. Achaz invited the Assyrians, and imitated their altars, &c., 4 Kings xvi. 2., &c. (Calmet) --- The Chaldeans afterwards possessed the country. (Haydock) Love. Literally, "of breasts," as Hebrew also signifies. Here it denotes the temples. (Haydock) Remembering, or "causing to be remembered" by God, who seemed to have forgotten those ancient scenes of wickedness, chap. xxi. 24. Asses. He means the Egyptians, (chap. xvi. 26.) in whom the kings of Juda trusted. (Calmet) About. The Philistines, Ammonites, &c., shall join the Chaldeans, (Haydock) and Egypt shall desert the Jews in their greatest need. (Calmet) Nobles. Protestants, "Pekod, and Shoah, and Roa:" (Haydock) which Junius takes to be the three great divisions of the empire. Others suppose they denote the dignities, though they occur not in Daniel. --- Captains. Hebrew, "Phachat, and Saganim, (ver. 6, 12.) and Schalischim:" officers mentioned [in] Exodus xiv. 7., and 2 Kings xxiii. 8. --- Renowned, called to the assemblies and councils of the princes, Numbers i. 16. (Calmet) --- Horsemen. Protestants, "all of them riding upon horses." (Haydock) Judgments, at Reblatha, 4 Kings xxv. 6. Jealousy, the most violent of passions. (Calmet) --- So the Chaldeans are styled, as Assur is the rod, Isaias x. 5. (Worthington) --- Ears, the punishment of adulteresses: both king and priests suffer. (St. Jerome) --- Thus the captives were probably treated. (Calmet) See Seneca, Ira. iii. 20. --- Fire, by Ismahel, chap. xix. 14. Glory; vanity, or of the temple, chap. xvi. 17., and Osee ii. 4. CHAPTER XXIII. Cup. Thou shalt be punished like Samaria, dreadfully, 4 Kings xvii. 4. (Calmet) Fragments, as drunkards sometimes bite (Haydock) the cup in their rage. --- Rend. What had been the occasion of thy fall: (Calmet) pectori planxi. (Ovid, ep. 5.) Deeds. He is thus admonished to condemn them; (chap. xx. 4.) as times and places tended to aggravate their crimes, ver. 39. (Worthington) Paint, with antimony. (Septuagint) See 4 Kings ix. 3. Bed: it seems at table, Amos ii. 8., and Tobias ii. 3. --- Ointment; using them for thyself, or presenting them to idols, Exodus xxx. 23, 33. (Calmet) And that. Protestants, "Sabeans (marginal note and Septuagint, drunkards) from," &c. Any were admitted (Haydock) to the priesthood and to her favours, even the most rustic and deformed, 3 Kings xii. 32. Just, compared with the Jews, whom they shall chastise. (Calmet) Stones, like adulteresses, chap. xvi. 38., and Leviticus xx. 10. (Haydock) --- Let the walls be demolished. (Calmet) Month; January 30, the year of the world 3414. (Usher) --- Ezechiel was then in Mesopotamia, when the news of the siege commencing on that very day, should arrive; it would make a great impression upon the people, so that they would have confidence in him, (Calmet) as the certainty of the prediction would appear, 4 Kings xxv. 1. (Worthington) Pot, to denote Jerusalem: the flesh boiled and consumed in the fire with the bones, would shew the future dismal condition of its chiefs and inhabitants. (Haydock) --- The hardened Jews turned such things to ridicule, chap. xi. 3. Choice. Hebrew, "the choice of the bones," or the finest pieces separated from the bones, as the Septuagint and the sequel seem to require. (Calmet) --- The bones might serve to burn, ver. 5. (Haydock) See St. Jerome. (Vatable, &c.) (Calmet) The, &c. Literally, "its boiling has grown hot;" the citizens suffer terribly. --- Bones. Hebrew hatsamim, (Haydock) may denote the more solid meat. Rust: the inveterate malice of the city, ver. 12. --- Upon it. Hurl the pieces of meat out of the pot, without any choice. (Calmet) --- All the people shall feel my indignation, the rich as well as the poor, ver. 13. (Haydock) She hath. Septuagint, "I have let it corrupt upon. I have not," &c., (ver. 8.; Haydock) as if God spoke. The Jews had committed murder without fear. They had naturally a horror for blood, and the law ordered even that of beasts to be covered, Leviticus xvii. 13. Now innocent blood cries for vengeance, Genesis iv. 10. The punishment shall be as visible as the crime, ver. 8. And the. Hebrew, "put in the seasoning and the bones," &c. Thy. Hebrew, "In thy crime there is design," or malice. This rendered the Jews so hateful (Calmet) and irreclaimable. (Haydock) --- God had given them abundant instructions (Calmet) and graces; but all was contemned. (Haydock) --- When the fire of tribulation does not amend sinners, they are sentenced to hell fire. (Worthington) Stroke; pestilence, or sudden death. This would make the loss of a dear wife still more afflicting. Yet such distress will fall upon the whole nation, (Calmet) and misery shall increase so much, that a private loss will be almost forgotten. (Haydock) --- Cur\'e6 leves loquuntur, graviores silent. (Seneca, Troad.) --- When a loss is foreseen, it is more easily borne. Private calamities sink in public ones. (Worthington) Silence, for such manifold calamities, if thou canst screen thyself from the enemy, who will otherwise take offence, as he has brought them on. (Haydock) --- Dead. Priests were allowed to mourn only for father or mother, and their unmarried brothers and sisters, Leviticus xxi. 1. Ezechiel (xliv. 25.) adds, Son and daughter. Many think the wife must also be understood, as she is nearer than a brother. The reasons for these prohibitions did not then subsist, as no sacrifice could be offered in Chaldea; and therefore God here specifies what the prophet was not to do, (Calmet) though lawful on other occasions. (Sanctius) --- Tire. Literally, "crown," bandage, (Calmet) or parchment, on which parts of the law were written. Septuagint, "Let (Roman edition adds, not) the hair of thy head be curled upon thee." (Haydock) --- It was usually cut in mourning. (St. Jerome) --- Feet. They were bare, at funerals, and in times of sorrow, 2 Kings xv. 30. --- Face, like David. Hebrew, "the upper lip," which mourners and lepers covered, Leviticus xiii. 45. (Calmet) --- Mourners. Feasts were prepared by the relations, (Josephus, Jewish Wars ii. 1.) and friends sent some food, but no delicacies, to those who mourned, Leviticus v. 9. Profane, or esteem it no more, (Haydock) but abandon it to the Gentiles. (Calmet) --- Feareth to lose; or on which it rests, ver. 25. (Haydock) No more, if thou darest to speak before the Chaldeans, ver. 17. Reserve thy tears and lamentations for that time. (Calmet)