Without. This was only done when the work was long. (Calmet) ---Scriptus et in tergo, necdum finitus Orestes. (Juvenal 1.) --- Septuagint, "past and present things were written in it." (Haydock) --- Woe, or the words of the penitent, of the blessed, and of the damned. (Worthington) --- The canticles were of a mournful nature, and the prophet had sorrows to announce. (Calmet) CHAPTER II. Eat this book, and go speak to the children of Israel. By this eating of the book, was signified the diligent attention and affection with which we are to receive and embrace the word of God; and to let it as it were, sink into our interior by devout meditation. (Challoner) --- The revelation came from God, ver. 10. (Worthington) Book, in spirit; (Calmet) or in reality, he chewed the volume. (Haydock) Mouth. I readily accepted the commission, but soon found the difficulties to which it would expose me, ver. 12., Jeremias xv. 16., and Apocalypse x. 10. Unknown. Hebrew, "heavy." (Calmet) --- Protestants, "hard." (Haydock) --- It is not above thy strength, Deuteronomy xxx. 12. --- To thee. He insinuates that the Gentiles would obey the apostles. (St. Jerome) --- But the time was not yet come. (Calmet) --- From this text and Matthew xi. 21., it appears that "the same grace" is accepted by some and rejected by others, as "more grace is added to the former, which was sufficient before, and by this....is made effectual" through God's mercy, Romans ix. (Worthington) --- Those who reject the first grace, can blame only themselves, if they receive no more. The same grace falling on a heat better prepared by God, like seed on good soil, is more fruitful. Hard. Literally, "rubbed" like a stone, or brass; attrita. (Haydock) --- God's ambassadors (Ephesians vi. 20.; Calmet) must do their utmost. (Haydock) --- The success must not puff them up, nor the failure too much depressed them, as all regards God, (Matthew x. 40.) who will know how to make things conduce to his own glory. They must only bewail the blindness of sinners. (Calmet) --- The care of them, and not the cure, will be required at their hands, ver. 19. (Haydock) Harder. If they will not blush, thou shalt not be ashamed to lay their disorders before their eyes, though they be such as ought not to be mentioned, as becomes saints. (Haydock) See chap. xvi., and xxii. (Calmet) CHAPTER III. Spirit; wind (Hugo) or angel, took me through the air; (Prado.) or, I went willingly. (St. Jerome) --- Commotion, like an earthquake, (Hebrew; Septuagint) occasioned by the motion of the chariot, or the voice of the cherubim, ver. 13. Spirit, resolved to rebuke (Calmet) sinners. Septuagint, "the spirit of the Lord also lifted me....and I went aloft by the impulse of my spirit; for the hand of the Lord upon me was strong; and I went loft, to the captivity, and passed through them....conversing in the midst of them." (Haydock) The heap of new corn. It was the name of a place; in Hebrew, Telabib, (Challoner) as the Chaldean leaves it (Menochius) with the three Greek interpreters. (Calmet) --- Tel means "a heap," and abib "new corn." (Haydock) --- There was no new wheat in the fourth month, but rather in May or June, chap. i. 1. Ptolemy places Thelda near the Chaboras. --- Mourning; or Protestants, "astonished," like Job's friends, for people dead in sin. (Haydock) --- Many suppose that he never spoke. Yet this is not certain, (ver. 11.; Calmet) though probable from ver. 16. (Haydock) Watchman: the usual title of those placed over others, chap. xxxiii. 2., and Isaias xxi. 6. Let none perish through thy neglect. (Calmet) --- "He (the pastor) kills the man whom he delivers up to death by silence." (St. Gregory, hom. xi. 9.) Iniquity, for want of thy instruction; (Haydock) or, if thou neglect to reclaim him, (Calmet) and he perish, or owe his conversion to another, when duty requires thee to take care of him, thou shalt answer for the possible bad consequences. Thy sin is great, whatever become of him. But if he be damned, though he must blame himself chiefly, yet the blood of his soul shall cry for vengeance more than Abel's. (Haydock) --- Before him, taking away my grace in punishment of his revolt. (Worthington) --- If thou neglect to attempt reclaiming him, thou shalt perish with him; (St. Gregory) or if he be exposed to trial, and thou abandon him, (Vatable) of if thou neglect to husband well the precious moments, when I open his eyes, and fill him with apprehensions of his dangerous state, I will require, &c. (Origin; St. Jerome) --- Remembered. Ingratitude caused the fruits of virtue to decay, and former crimes to revive, in some sense. (St. Thomas, [Summa Theologiae] iii. p. q. 88. a. 1.) (Matthew v. 26.) (Calmet) Warn. It is the duty of a pastor to warn the just as well as sinners. (Worthington) --- It will not suffice to do this publicly: sometimes we must go from house to house, like St. Paul, and compel those who are in the hedges to enter the marriage feast, by the most persuasive arguments. (Haydock) Bands. It is uncertain whether by his order, or they supposed he was deranged, as our Saviour's brethren meant to treat him, Mark iii. 21. The Chaldean explains it figuratively of God's order, attaching the prophet to his service. (Calmet) --- But real chains would more forcibly shew the future captivity of Juda (Haydock) which the prophet declared both by words and actions. (Calmet) House. "When there is a multitude of sins, the offenders are unworthy of being corrected by the Lord." (St. Jerome) --- The prophet's silence might suffice to admonish them. (Calmet) --- He heard the Lord's commands to chap. xi. 24., before he spoke to the people. (Menochius) Forbeareth. Septuagint, "disbelieveth, let him disbelieve." So we read, He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; (Apocalypse xxii. 11.) which denotes the most desperate condition. (Haydock) --- Aquila (2 edition) has, "he who abandons, shall be abandoned." (St. Jerome) --- The man who makes good use of grace shall receive more; but he who despises the offers of God, shall be justly deprived of them in his greatest need. (Calmet) Tile, very large. (Calmet) --- Those of Italy were two feet large and one broad. (Pallad.) --- This might be soft clay; (Grotius; Menochius) or the siege might be marked out upon it with chalk or a sharp stile. (Calmet) Cast up. The ditch would be about three feet deep, and the earth being thrown up, people might approach the town with less danger. (Worthington) --- The besieged were thus also prevented from going out, 4 Kings xxv. 1. Forts or towers were erected to overlook and clear the walls. --- Rams. This is the first time we find them mentioned. Homer is silent about them; (Calmet) and the ancient sieges lasted so long, because people had not found out the art of demolishing the walls. (Diodorus ii.) Pan, or plate, on which bread was usually baked. This was to represent the walls of the city. (Calmet) Sleep. Hebrew, "lie down." (Menochius) --- He eat at intervals. (Calmet) --- Iniquities, or punishments. (Haydock) Three, &c. St. Jerome says some "Vulgate," (Haydock) Latin, (Calmet) or rather incorrect Greek (Haydock) copies read 100, others 150. See Origen, &c. (Calmet) --- The Alexandrian copy has the former, (Haydock) the Roman edition the latter number; and is followed by Theodoret and Maldonat. (Calmet) --- But the more accurate Septuagint agree with the Hebrew, &c. The captivity of Israel must be dated from Phacee, (4 Kings xv. 29.) to the end of the reign of Darius Memnon, who espoused Esther, and granted liberty "to all the Jews;" or rather from Manathem, (4 Kings xv. 19.) to the 28th of the same king Assuerus. Thus God's "grace, we think, and we may so speak without arrogance, has enabled us to explain this difficulty, which no other has done." (St. Jerome) --- Many confound the duration of the iniquity of Israel with that of Juda, forming 430 years; and they explain it of the time during which the nation had prevaricated. But this seems unnatural. We may rather conclude, that the prophet speaks of a separate judgment, and dates from the destruction of Samaria and of Jerusalem. The former city was taken the year of the world 3283. If we add 390 years, we shall find the year 3673 the very year when Alexander [the Great] overcame Darius, and soon after granted the Jews full liberty to return, or live according to their own laws. This he granted to those in Babylon, and to the Israelites (Calmet) in Media. (Josephus, Antiquities xii. 2.) as Osee (xi. 11.) had foretold. The chastisement of Juda must be dated from the destruction of Jerusalem under Sedecias, till Darius, the Mede, favoured the Jews about forty years afterwards. (Calmet) --- St. Jerome only allows forty years to have elapsed from the first of Jechonias till the first of Cyrus. The want of an exact chronology gives rise to many such difficulties. (Haydock) --- It is very hard to explain how the ten tribes were 390 and the two tribes 40 years in captivity, as it is certain that the latter were seventy year banished from their own country. (Worthington) --- Perhaps during the last thirty their condition was greatly ameliorated, after the decree of Cyrus, though the liberation was only perfect under Hystaspes and Esther. (Haydock) --- The iniquity of Israel, from Solomon to Salmanasar, lasted 390 years; and that of Juda, under the reign of Manasses, was most abominable for the space of forty years; (Tournemine) or it continued so long from the 18th of Josias till the 4th, after the city was destroyed, and the land became a desert. (Usher, the year of the world 3380 to 3420.) --- But how shall the reign of the virtuous Josias be included in this period? (Haydock) --- The action of the prophet lying 430 days, denoted the length of the siege of Jerusalem, during which extreme scarcity should be felt, and also the captivity of the people. Some have thought that he could not remain 390 days on one side, and that all passed in spirit. But what impression would that make upon the people? He was chained down, (Calmet) to represent their miserable condition. (Haydock) --- Pr\'e6do saw a fool who lay tied in one posture for above fifteen years. (Calmet) --- The remaining so long in one posture must have been painful to the prophet. (Tirinus) Siege, which shall be most terrible; (Haydock) 390 days: the pillage shall last other forty. (Tirinus) --- So many years have the people transgressed. --- Out. Hebrew, "naked." Thus various barbarians fight. --- Prophesy, not by words, (chap. viii. 26.) but by actions. (Menochius) Staters, sicles, each being equal to 9 dwt. 2.57 gr. Eng. The hin contained 1 gal. 2 pints. (Arbuthnot.) (Haydock) --- He had an allowance of ten ounces a-day. (Calmet) (Tirinus) Barley, the worst or usual food of the poor. (Haydock) --- Ashes, to denote hurry. (Calmet) --- Cover with hot ashes, (Haydock) formed of dry excrements. (Calmet) --- That of oxen is still used in Egypt, (Val. ep. xi.) and in some parts of England, by the poor people. (Hooke.) --- This was more tolerable, (Calmet) and God agrees to substitute it, ver. 15. Hebrew, "Thou shalt eat it as barley cakes, and shalt bake," (Protestants) or "hide it," &c. (Septuagint) (Haydock) --- "The law itself, which the Jews read and do not understand, is this ember cake covered with human dung." (Philippians iii. 8.) --- "They adore not idols, but do all for the belly and for earthly goods." (St. Jerome) Filthy. Israel was less careful to avoid uncleannesses than Juda. Hence the prophet eats only during 390 days, Osee ix. 3. (Calmet) --- While the city was pillage for forty days, the prisoners would procure better food, ver. 7. (Haydock) Ah. He makes the same exclamation as Jeremias, i. 6. Hebrew aha. Theodotion, "Oh!" Septuagint and Symmachus, "by no means." (Haydock) --- God forbid. Excrements make a person legally unclean, Deuteronomy xxiii. 12. (Calmet) Neats, or "oxen;" boum. Protestants, "cow's dung." (Haydock) --- God allows him to bake his bread under such ashes. (Calmet) --- So great is his condescension towards his friends! (Calmet) Staff. As this supports the weak, so bread nourishes all men, (Worthington) particularly the bread of life. (St. Jerome) --- Very little food, (Calmet) and that of a nauseous kind, (Haydock) would be found during the siege. (Calmet) When. Protestants, "they may want bread and water, and be astonished one with another, and consume away for their iniquity." (Haydock)