Famous king of Assyria, or of Egypt. --- Pharao. (Calmet) ---Mutato nomine de te Fabula narratur. (Horace, 1. Sat. 1.) --- Though Egypt be like the most potent kingdoms, it shall likewise fall. (Worthington) CHAPTER XXXI. Twelfth. He counts from the captivity of Jechonias, as Sedecias reigned only eleven years. (Worthington) Dragon, or crocodile; two of the most terrible creatures. --- With the horn is not expressed in Hebrew and the crocodile has nothing like a horn. It has four feet, with which it makes the water muddy. (Calmet) Net. Septuagint, "hook," chap. xxix. 4. (Calmet) --- Some take the crocodile with a net, ver. 3. (Elian. Hist. x. 21.) Corruption. Septuagint, "blood." But romuth (Haydock) means rather "worms." (Syriac) (Calmet) Out, like a candle, by death; extinctus. (Haydock) --- The glory of Egypt was so great, that at its fall the light of heaven seemed diminished. (Worthington) --- Great desolation is thus intimated. --- When, &c., is not is some Latin copies, nor in Hebrew, &c. (Calmet) Anger, as they will not know why I have treated thee so severely: or rather, they shall be afraid for themselves, ver. 10. (Calmet) Invincible, when they wield God's sword. Cyrus easily conquered them. (Haydock) --- Hebrew, "strong,." Septuagint, "pestiferous." Oil. It is very transparent. It seems the Nile was rendered muddy by cattle, &c. Fulness, or all of it shall be desolate. Month: probably the twelfth, ver. 1. CHAPTER XXXII. Down: announce this catastrophe. (Calmet) --- Apries was slain by order of Amasis. (Diodorus 1.) (Jeremias xliv. 30.) Most. Septuagint, "giants shall say to thee: Remain in the depth of the pit. Whom dost thou excel? descend," &c. (Haydock) --- They vary much in this chapter from the Hebrew. (St. Jerome) --- Helpers; Lybians, &c., chap. xxx. 5. These shall come to compliment the king. (Calmet) --- After a battle, those of the same nation were buried together, ver. 22. (Theodoret) --- The Egyptians had tombs like houses, in which there were separate holes or apartments (Calmet) as in large vaults. (Haydock) Shame. They are buried without any distinction. Not. Some copies of Septuagint omit the negation. Others render the Hebrew, "Have they not slept?" &c. These nations were deprived of military honours, dying like cowards; and therefore their swords were not placed with them in the grave. (Calmet) --- It was customary to inter such things as the deceased had like the most. (Serv. in Virgil's \'c6neid x. Arma quibus l\'e6tatus habe tus, &c. Simon (1 Machabees xiii. 29.) placed arms and representations of ships on the pillars at Modin, in honour of his kindred. If Elam, &c., had not received such distinction, why should the Egyptian repine? Were they any better? (Calmet) --- The country and king of the Elamites, Assyrians, and other infidels, shall be destroyed. (Worthington) Midst. This threat would make great impression on the Egyptians, who were particularly solicitous to be buried with their fathers. Edom. Septuagint add, "and all the Assyrian princes." Some copies omit Edom. (Haydock) --- This nation had laid aside circumcision, which Hircan forced them to resume. They had been present at the siege of Jerusalem, chap. xxxv. (Calmet) Hunters of men, like Nimrod, the first king of Assyria. (Haydock) My. Hebrew, Septuagint, "his," (Calmet) alluding to the ravages of Nechao; (Grotius) though the Hebrew may also signify my, as the Jews read Egypt, and Palestine, the land of the living, were filled with terror. After the latter had been chastised, Pharao might dread (Calmet) a worse fate; (Haydock) and the multitudes slain before him, might afford him some (Calmet) wretched consolation. (Haydock) --- It is evident that those nations believed the existence of separate spirits, and had not given in to the errors of the Sadducees, or of the Metempsychosis. (Calmet) Take. Before (chap. iii. 17.) God made the choice, (Calmet) as he does here, ver. 7. He confirms the authority of those who are appointed to govern. --- Meanest. Literally, "last," (Haydock) which seems to denote such as are chosen without regard to their dignity or obscurity in life, Genesis xlvii. 2., and 3 Kings xii. 31. (Calmet) --- Pastors are not excused from admonishing the people for fear of danger or despair of reclaiming them, as each one is bound to do his duty. (St. Jerome) (Worthington) Iniquity, not regarding the admonitions of his pastor; (chap. iii. 18.; Calmet) or rather of conscience, when the guide proves faithless and silent, as in this instance. (Haydock) --- The people were persuaded that none suffered except for some fault, ver. 10.; Jeremias xxxi. 30., Daniel xiii. 52., and Genesis xliv. 16. The author of the Book of Job takes great pains to remove this mistake. God sometimes sends crosses for a trial, (Calmet) and to increase the merit of his servants; though it be very true, (Haydock) "no one is miserable except he deserve it." (St. Augustine) Surely die a temporal, (Theodoret) or rather an eternal death. (St. Jerome) Live? They suppose their case to be desperate, as their fathers had sinned, chap. xviii. The prophet shews that none are punished except for their own faults, (Calmet) and that "each one has free-will to be saved or to be lost." (St. Jerome) Desire. The sinner's damnation is not an object of God's pleasure, chap. xviii. 23. (Calmet) --- He has an antecedent will to save all. He knocks at the door of our heart, (Apocalypse iii. 20.) and if man do what depends on him, nothing will be wanting on the part of God. (St. Thomas Aquinas, [Summa Theologiae] i. 2. q. 109. and 112.) (Worthington) Hurt him. God effaces all past crimes: yet a relapse makes them as it were revive, and is pardoned with more difficulty, Matthew xviii. 35. Some read, "In what day the converted sinner groans, he shall be saved," as if they had taken in part of Isaias xxx. 15. Equitable; as we are much more inclined to vice than to virtue. This argumentation is inconclusive, as God owes nothing to man; and what good the latter does, is an effect of His grace. The propensity to evil is no excuse, as man is still free. He is judged according to the dispositions in which he is found at the hour of death; yet we must not infer, that those who have spent their lives in sinning will be no worse treated than the person who dies guilty of a single crime. Twelfth. Roman Septuagint, "tenth." Syriac, "eleventh year,...in the twelfth month;" which Theodoret thinks more probable, as the city was taken in the ninth of the fourth month of that year. Yet even so, it is strange that the news should not arrive before. Some think (Calmet) that the messenger came also to announce what happened after the death of Godolias. (Sanctius) --- Captivity. Here it is evident that the prophet dates from that event, chap. i., &c. (Haydock) --- As he prophesied on the very day when the city was besieged, (chap. xxiv. 2.) so ([chap. xxiv.] ver. 26.) he foretold that one should come three years after to inform him of the capture. (Worthington) --- Then the people would believe him, (ibid.[chap. xxiv.] ver. 27.; Calmet) and he would open his mouth boldly, ver. 22. (Haydock) Places. He has answered those who despaired, ver. 10. Now he turns to the presumptuous, who expected to be treated like Abraham, though they did not imitate his virtues. (Calmet) --- They perhaps entertained these sentiments before the death of Godolias, thinking to establish themselves in the land. Afterwards the prophet Jeremias could not prevail on them to remain, though God promised them security. To them. Grabe marks to ver. 27., Thus saith, &c., as wanting in the Septuagint, though not in the Alexandrian copy. St. Jerome reckons eight verses or lines omitted. (Haydock) --- The Complutensian and Theodoret read them with some variations. --- The blood. It must be carefully extracted, Genesis ix. 4., and Leviticus vii. 26. --- Uncleannesses; idols, in which you trust. Swords, thinking to live thereby, (Genesis xxvii. 40.) and to be secure. But I will disarm you. The pestilence shall find out those in the rocks, ver. 27. Walls, the resort of idle people. (Calmet) In to a religious meeting. (Chaldean) Perhaps they came on the sabbath to his house. Yet they made a just and song of his instructions. (Calmet) --- They heard them with pleasure, but did not reform their lives. (Haydock) CHAPTER XXXIII. Coming. The desolation of Jerusalem, (Haydock) and what I have foretold, hath already taken place; or, the news will presently arrive: as it did the following morning, ver. 21. (Calmet) Shepherds. That is, princes, magistrates, chief priests, and scribes. (Challoner) --- Shepherds may lawfully take milk, (1 Corinthians ix. 7.) but the sheep and its wool belong to the master. (Worthington) --- Excellent instructions are here given for all in authority. (Calmet) Fat. Pastors often disguise the truth to flatter the rich, or the more just souls are ruined by their negligence. Healed. God alone can restore to life. But pastors will not be excused by ignorance if they know not the maladies and the remedies of their flock. --- Hand. This was blamed in the Pharisees, and is contrary to the spirit of the gospel, Matthew xxiii. 4., and 1 Peter v. 2. Field. The people being neglected, followed false prophets and idols. Their teachers were so far from striving to reclaim them, that they perhaps shewed them the example. (Calmet) No shepherd. Pastors who seek only their temporal advantage, (1 Timothy vi. 5., and Titus i. 7.; Haydock) are hirelings; and if they teach false doctrine, they are wolves, John x. (Worthington) Cease. Both the leaders and the people were led into captivity. Day, in persecution. I will count my sheep, lest any be lost. Land. All this cannot be understood of the synagogue alone. Preserve, (Septuagint, Syriac) which seems more natural than Hebrew and Chaldean, "destroy." I will not eat them, like bad shepherds, ver. 3. (Calmet) --- God and those whom he sends, will take care of the flock, Ephesians iv. (Worthington) Cattle. The crimes of the pastors do not excuse the flock. In it there are people of different dispositions. The rich often destroy, and these are brought to an account, ver. 24. (Calmet) David; Christ, who is of the house of David. (Calmet) --- That king had been dead long before, so that no Jew or heretic can deny but that the Messias is here meant, as [in] chap. xxxvii. 24., &c. (Worthington) --- He possessed eminently all the virtues of David, and was of his seed. Zorobabel, &c., cannot be understood, as we have no proof that the governors after the captivity were chosen from the tribe of Juda, chap. xxi. 27. Peace. Christ pacifies all, Romans xv. 33., Micheas v. 5., and Ephesians vi. 15. --- Beasts: those who promote idolatry; or, speaking of Christians, who teach heretical doctrine and persecute the Church. (Calmet) Make. Literally, "place." (Haydock) --- Septuagint read not a blessing, which seems superfluous. (Calmet) --- Yet Chaldean has it, and the idea is more complete. (Haydock) A bud of renown, He speaks of Christ, our Lord, the illustrious bud of the house of David, renowned over all the earth. See Jeremias xxxiii. 15. (Challoner) --- Septuagint, Syriac, "a plant of peace." Chaldean, "established." (Calmet) Men. What has been said of sheep (Menochius) relates to you. --- Am the Lord. This is not in Hebrew or Protestants. (Haydock) --- But it is found in one Hebrew manuscript and Septuagint, as this version is thus frequently confirmed. (Kennicott, Dis. ii.)