Balm, "turpentine," (Calmet) which was much used. (Dioscor. i. 66.) --- Galaad was famous for the best, chap. xlvi. 11., and Genesis xxxvii. 25. --- Closed? Have I not sent prophets? But they will not be healed. (Calmet) CHAPTER VIII. To. Hebrew is more expressive. (Calmet) --- "Who will give my head waters, (Haydock) or change it into water, and my eyes into a fountain." (Calmet) --- Protestants, "Oh that my head were waters." (Haydock) --- The miseries of my people are so great, (Calmet) a few tears would not suffice to bewail them. (Worthington) Men. Why cannot I retire (Menochius) from this scene of misery, or afford some consolation to the captives? Septuagint, "Who will give me the last station in the desert?" (Haydock) Lies. They are bent on deceit (Calmet) and murder, (Haydock) ver. 8., and Psalm lxiii. 4., and cxix. 2. Deceitfully. A man must guard against his relations and domestics, Micheas vii. 5., and Matthew viii. 35. (Calmet) Iniquity. It is become natural to them. (St. Jerome) --- They cannot lay the blame on the violence of passion. They sin on purpose. (Calmet) --- Septuagint, "they have not left off, in order to be converted. Usury upon usury; fraud upon fraud; they," &c. (Haydock) Try them in the crucible of war, chap. vi. 27. (Calmet) Owner. Hebrew mikne, "cattle," or (Haydock) "substance." (St. Jerome) --- Departed. Beasts and birds will not continue long after men cease to cultivate the country. (Theodoret) (Chap. iv. 25., and xii. 4., and Sophonias i. 3.) Sand. The stones were burnt to dust, 2 Esdras iv. 2. (Calmet) Gall. Hebrew rosh, "poison," &c., Deuteronomy xxix. 18. (Haydock) Consumed. Chap. xliv. 27. No country shall afford them protection. (Calmet) --- The richer sort were made captives, and most of the people destroyed, but not all, chap. iv. 25. (Worthington) Wise, in composing or singing the N\'e6nia, or mournful songs, recording the praises of the deceased. (Calmet) --- "This custom still subsists in Judea: women go about with dishevelled hair and naked breasts, with mournful tunes, exciting all to tears." (St. Jerome) --- Music was also used, Matthew ix. 23. Thus feigned tears, at least, would supply the want of real ones. For. This was the song. (Calmet) --- Streets. Death spares none. The least suspecting fall. (Haydock) --- It enters by the windows, if the doors be shut, Joel ii. 8. CHAPTER IX. Speak. Our editions of the Septuagint omit this word, though St. Jerome found it in his copies, (Calmet) and in Theodotion, expressed by "death;" while others rendered it, "speak," as the same letters dbr, may have both meanings, according as people may please to pronounce them. (St. Jerome) --- Grabe supplies, "by death. These things, says the Lord." (Haydock) Me. Virtue will save, when riches, &c., will prove useless. (Menochius) --- Phocilides, a pagan, said, (Calmet) "Boast not of wisdom, strength, or riches great. One God is wise, and potent too, and rich." (Haydock) Egypt. the uncircumcised shall be punished as well as Juda, if they transgress. Only the Jewish nation properly observed the right of circumcision generally, or at first. Others imitated them, but with various ceremonies. (Calmet, Diss.) (Ezechiel xxxi. 18., and Judith xiv. 6.) --- Hyrcan obliged the Idumeans to receive circumcision. (Josephus, Antiquities xiii. 17.) --- Round. The Arabs, &c., Leviticus xix. 27. (Calmet) --- Heart. All then became guilty, Romans ii. 25. (Menochius) --- Neither these nations nor Juda was circumcised in heart, and of course were hypocrites. (Worthington) Ways. Religious rites, ver. 3. --- Fear. Worship, Leviticus xix. 14. --- Signs. They were designed to point out the seasons, Genesis i. 14. (Calmet) --- Heathens thought that they had a divine power. (Worthington) Asunder. Isaias xliv. 8., Baruch vi. 3., and Wisdom xiii. 11. The pagans themselves laughed at such folly. (Calmet) --- If such things were gods, the makers and tools deserved more adoration: Fabri deorum vel parentes numinum, says Prudentius. The vanity of such idols was more easily discerned than that of the stars. (Worthington) Tree. The ancient statues were ill-formed, (Diodorus 4.) before Dedalus brought the art to greater perfection, and gave them a living attitude. There. Septuagint omit the three following verses; and from ver. 9., all these, &c., to the end of ver. 10., which Grabe inserts in a different character. (Haydock) Wise. Manuscript 2 has in the margin "kings," perhaps more correctly. (Kennicott) Vanity, and shews them clearly to be foolish (Calmet) and wicked. (Haydock) Ophaz, or Phison, (Genesis ii. 11.; Calmet) the coast of Pegu, Faprobana, &c. (Menochius) Wrath. God is the true cause of all that terrifies mankind. Heaven. This verse is in Chaldean, for the captives to use at Babylon, to defend themselves. It should be in a parenthesis, as it interrupts the discourse. Perhaps it was added during the captivity. Voice. Thunder, (Psalm xxviii. 3.) which is usually the forerunner of rain. Lightning is occasioned by the inflamed exhalations of conflicting clouds. Knowledge. If it were real, he would see the vanity of idols, ver. 8. (Calmet) Portion. The Lord. (Haydock) (Psalm lxxii. 6.) --- Rod, to measure, (Psalm lxxiii. 2.) or the sceptre and ruler. (Menochius) Shame. Idols. See if they will keep thee. Hebrew, "thy merchandise," or most precious effects. Found by the enemy. Hebrew also, "find" me, being taught by affliction, chap. xxix. 13. (Calmet) --- Entering into sentiments of penance, they shall say, Woe, &c. (Haydock) North. He has announced this conqueror eight times. --- Dragons. Tannim means "huge reptiles," whether of sea or land. (Calmet) The way, &c. Notwithstanding man's free-will, yet he can do no good without God's help, nor evil without his permission. So that, in the present case, all the evils which Nabuchodonosor was about to bring upon Jerusalem, could not have come but by the will of God. (Challoner) (Worthington) --- This prince succeeds by thy order. (Theodoret) --- Yet chastise us as a father, and have us not to his fury, ver. 24. (Calmet) --- "Let new preachers blush, who say that each one is governed by his own will," (St. Jerome; chap. ix. 23.) and able to do good without God's grace. (Haydock) Judgment. Chap xxx. 11., and Psalm vi. 1. Justice is not contrary to mercy. (Calmet) Glory. This is repeated from Psalm lxxviii. 6. (Menochius) --- The prophet supposes that these nations will not repent, and that their sins are more enormous. To see God's people treated with greater severity, might scandalize the weak, while infidels would take occasion to abuse their own impunity. (Calmet)