Calves. The insolent Jews and soldiers. --- Bulls. The more inveterate enemies, the priests and Pharisees. (St. Augustine, &c.) --- Hebrew, "strong bulls of Basan," (Protestants) a fertile country east of the Jordan, where the finest cattle were found, Amos iv. 1. (Calmet) PSALM XXI. (DEUS DEUS MEUS.) Christ's passion: and the conversion of the Gentiles. As, is supplied by all the versions. (Berthier) Water, in the agony, or on the cross, fainting away, Josue vii. 5. --- Bones. In extreme pain, (Calmet) they have been dislocated. (Haydock) --- The bones signify the apostles, who were scattered through the world, to propagate the gospel. (St. Augustine) --- Heart. Which lives and dies first, is now like wax in the fire. (Worthington) Jaws. So that he said, I thirst. (Berthier) (Worthington) --- He would answer Pilate nothing in his own vindication. --- Death. The region of blessed spirits, (St. Jerome) or into the grave, where other bodies turn to dust. (Calmet) Dogs. The pagan soldiers, who were instigated by the Jews, (Matthew xv. 26.; Calmet) or the latter are here styled dogs, as they are by St. Paul, Philippians iii. 2. (St. Jerome) --- The evangelists could scarcely have explained the authors, and manner of our Saviour's death more particularly; so that we might entitle this "the Passion of Jesus Christ, according to David." (Worthington) --- Dug. The Jews have here, and God knows in how many other places, corrupted their text; reading "like a lion," though it have no sense, to avoid so clear a prophecy. (Worthington) --- They deep cari in the text, though it (Amama) or the margin had formerly the proper reading, caru. The Chaldean has both, "they have bitten like a lion," &c., in some editions only; which shews the antiquity of this variation, (Haydock) as the author, Joseph the blind, is supposed to have lived in the 4th century, though this is uncertain. (Calmet) --- All the ancient versions of the Septuagint, Syriac, &c., agree with us, as the Protestants do likewise. Even the Masora intimates that cari has not here the sense "of like a lion," as it has [in] Isaias xxxviii. 13; and, though it might be pointed so as to signify the same as caru, they have rejected that punctuation, and obstinately maintain their reading, in opposition to many manuscripts seen by Ben. Chaim, &c. (Berthier) --- Kennicott mentions another manuscript in the Bod. Lib. which has caru, with cari in the margin; and observes that Dr. Pocock, nevertheless, maintains the accuracy of the Hebrew edition in this, as well as in every other instance, asserting that car is perfodit, and cari the part.[participle?] Benoni, perfodientes, with the m omitted. "But as this omission is very irregular, and never proper but before a suffixed pronoun, or in construct.; and as the ancient versions express it....as a verb, there seems to be but little doubt that this word was originally cru or caru, with an a inserted to express the kametz." (Dis. 1. p. 500.) The proposed interpretation would be rejected by the Jews, while they would exult in their error being countenanced by us. (Calmet, Diss.) --- This reason is perhaps (Haydock) weak, as their conversion is not expected; if by means of it, the Hebrew Bible may be reconciled with the versions; "the council....hath besieged me, digging my hands." (Berthier) --- But this expedient is at least doubtful; (Haydock) suggested only by Protestants who maintained the integrity of the Hebrew text, which is now given up; and the Jews seem inexcusable, though the variation might originally arise (Calmet) from a mistake of transcribers. (Houbigant) --- They ought not to have rejected caru even from the margin, which they confess was once in the text, as it is still in very correct copies. Drusius informs us that a Jew threatened Bomberg, when he designed to adopt this correction, that if he did, he would prevent any of his brethren from purchasing a single copy. The pusillanimity of Christians, and the obstinacy of the Jews, keep therefore the text in its present state. (Amam, p. 461.) --- Ximenes had the courage to insert caru in his Polyglot. (Calmet) --- In the edition of St. Jerome, 1533, caru appears indeed in the margin; as he translated fixerunt, "they pierced," and cru in that of Montanus with o over cari, perhaps as a sing that the former was formerly in the margin, or should be translated, as it is by Pagnin, foderunt; though Montanus alters it for circumdederunt me, sicut leo manus meas, in obedience to the Jews. (Haydock) --- Thus we behold what dissensions the alteration of a single u or i may occasion; (Psalm xv. 10.) and yet these are letters which the Jews seem to have treated with little ceremony, (Haydock) changing in 100 instances, (Calmet) or omitting them, since the introduction of the vowel points; (Houbigant) and they are so easily mistaken, that the greatest attention is requisite to make the distinction. However, one jot or one tittle shall not pass of the law till all be fulfilled, Matthew v. 18. (Haydock) See Zacharias xii. 10. They. Hebrew, "I shall or may tell all my bones," (Calmet) they are so dislocated. (Haydock) --- Syriac, "my bones have howled," as in mourning. (Calmet) --- Upon me, out of contempt, (Eusebius) or to prevent my escape, (Origen) or deriding my naked condition. (Menochius) --- David experienced nothing of the kind. (St. Justin Martyr, Apology ii.) Vesture, or inner garment, which was all of a piece. (Calmet) --- The soldiers perceived that it would be rendered unserviceable by cutting. (Haydock) --- "Heretics attempt to divide the Church, but in vain." (St. Jerome) --- Lots. This was verified above 100 years afterwards, in the person of Jesus Christ. (Berthier) --- Let the Jews shew how it was accomplished in David. They assert themselves that nothing which had belonged to their kings was used by others. Their thrones, garments, &c., were all burnt. (Maimonides, &c.) --- Though this be doubtful we may employ this testimony against them. (Calmet) --- At Siceleg the effects of David were indeed plundered; but David was absent, and not under torments, like the person here described. Our goods must be divided, either before of after death. Let us be solicitous to obtain the second covering, which may never be taken from us, 2 Corinthians v. 4. (Berthier) Thy help. So some editions of the Septuagint read, but St. Jerome approves "my help," as it is in the Com. edition, conformably to the Hebrew, (Calmet) which seems more animated, though the sense is the same. (Berthier) --- The humanity here addresses the divine nature, to obtain a speedy resurrection. (St. Jerome) --- Hebrew, "O, my strength, haste thou to help me." What is man when left to himself! The whole of a spiritual life consists in keeping close to God, and being convinced of our own infirmity. (Berthier) Dog. All my enemies are united to persecute me, in my desolate condition. Unicam meam, "my desolate one, " the soul, which is the only thing which ought to fix our attention; since if we lose it, all is lost. This only one, self, is often, however, the most dangerous enemy. (Berthier) Lowness. This sense appears to be preferable to the Hebrew, "hear me from," &c. (Calmet) --- Yet some who render the original literally have, "save me from the throat of the lion, and from the horns of the unicorns; thou hast heard me." This seems very striking, as Christ henceforth recounts the glorious effects of his sufferings. The Septuagint have explained hanithani as a noun, though it properly signifies, thou hast heard, or humbled. (Berthier) --- They may not have read the last n. (Calmet) --- Yet St. Jerome has, exaudisti me, "thou hast granted my request." (Haydock)