_Twelfth. Houbigant would substitute 14th, to make the dates agree, p. 113. See chap. xv. 30. (Haydock) --- Till this time, Osee had been tributary to the Assyrian monarch. (Grotius) --- Hebrew may be, "in the 12th year....Osee....had reigned....nine years; which his true. (Calmet) --- He reigned so... [ Continue Reading ]
_Him. The Jews say, that he did not hinder his subjects from going to Jerusalem to adore. One of the golden calves had been sent away by Manahem, Osee x. 5. (Calmet) --- Yet under the less wicked king the nation is destroyed, as their crimes were come to the height; and Osee had not sufficient virtu... [ Continue Reading ]
_Salmanasar, who is called Salman, or Salomo; (Osee x. 14.) and Enemassar, in the Greek of Toby[Tobias]. The Tyrians relate that he took many of their towns, but that Tyre sustained a siege of five years. (Josephus, [Antiquities?] ix. 14.)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Sua; probably Sabachon, king of Ethiopia, who made himself master of Egypt, and burnt king Bocchoris alive. Herodotus (ii. 137.) calls him Abacus. Jocquelot thinks that Sethon is meant, and that he was invaded by Sennacherib on account of this league with Osee. (Calmet) --- Prison, after he had tak... [ Continue Reading ]
_Medes. See chap. xvi. 9. The great maxim and policy of these nations, was to transport the conquered nations to a distant country, in order to prevent any revolts. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Offended. Hebrew, "They concealed (or spoke secretly; Haydock) words, which were not right before the Lord:" (Calmet) being guilty of hypocrisy or of blasphemy. (Haydock) --- Watchmen: the meanest huts. (Tirinus) --- All was contaminated. (Calmet) --- Towers were erected to guard the flocks from th... [ Continue Reading ]
_Groves. Hebrew Asherim, Astarte or Venus, to whom "the groves" were consecrated, chap. xxi. 7., and xxiii. 4. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Removed by the sword, (Menochius) or by flight. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Abominations. Hebrew gillulim, "idols of dung." --- Thing. Literally, "word."_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Seers. See 1 Kings ix. 9. (Menochius) --- God never ceased to admonish the rebels. (Haydock) --- Jeremias xxv. 5. (Menochius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Testimonies. The ceremonial law was in memory of some great transactions, as the sabbath was of the creation; and the whole law was given with great solemnity, in the presence of witnesses. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Heaven: sun and mood; and the stars, which were like the soldiers of the two former. This expression is very common in Scripture._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Fire. See chap. xvi. 3. --- Delivered. Hebrew, "sold," 3 Kings xxi. 20., and 1 Machabees i. 16. (Calmet) --- To provoke. This was the consequence of their wickedness. (Worthington)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Sight, as objects of horror, cast away from the temple, and from the promised land. --- Tribe, or kingdom. See 3 Kings xii. 20. Israel began to be rejected by God, when the schism took place. (Haydock) --- It was entirely lost, when Salmanasar took the people into captivity. Some few were left; and... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER XVII.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Day. If Esdras was the author of this book, as it is very probable, this observation would tend to show how much more favourably the Jews were treated than the kingdom of Israel, which was still, for the most part, in captivity. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_King, Assaraddon, who led away the remnants of Israel, and fulfilled the prediction, Isaias vii. 8. (Du Hamel) --- Babylon, or the territory. These people had been lately conquered from the Babylonian empire, from Syria, &c. --- Cutha: the greatest part were from this city; so that the Samaritans w... [ Continue Reading ]
_Lions. The Samaritan Chronicle says the fruits, though beautiful to the eye, were of a poisonous quality; and Josephus, as usual, ([Antiquities?] ix. 14.) alters the text, saying that the people were afflicted with pestilence, and the oracle being consulted, told them to worship the High God; on wh... [ Continue Reading ]
_King; Assar-adon, 1 Esdras iv. 2. They did not send as soon as they came into the country. --- Land. They reason according to their false notions, as if a plurality of gods were not incompatible: and all would go on well, if each were served according to his will. On the same principle, they united... [ Continue Reading ]
_Let him. Hebrew, Chaldean, Septuagint, "them go." Probably more went; but one was of superior dignity. He might have been priest of the golden calves, as none of the priests of Jerusalem had yet been taken. Hence he taught the Cutheans to join the worship of God with that of idols. Some think that... [ Continue Reading ]
_Bethel. Garizim was not then honoured with the temple, as the Samaritans would pretend. (Chronicles) They wished to join in building that at Jerusalem, under Esdras. (Calmet) --- Lord. Collins would make us believe, that the Samaritans continued "for a long time" without the Pentateuch, and all "he... [ Continue Reading ]
_Dwelt. This impure service did not deserve a mitigation of the late chastisement. But God often punishes in this world (Haydock) to manifest his glory, (John ix. 3.) and spares to display his power (Calmet) and goodness. (Haydock) --- He had sufficiently convinced these nations of his dominion over... [ Continue Reading ]
_Socoth-benoth, "the tents of young women," who prostituted themselves once in their lives at Babylon, in honour of Mylitta. (Herodotus ii. 199.) --- Nergel, "light." (Calmet) --- The Pyreia (Haydock) of the Persians are famous in history. (Strabo xv.) (Selden, Synt. ii. 8.) --- Asima, like an ape,... [ Continue Reading ]
_Hevites, who came from Ava. --- Nebahaz. "Nebo the seeing, or living and possessing." Nebo was a famous idol of Babylon. --- Tharthac; perhaps Sar, (prince) Sak, or Sesac, (Jeremias xxv. 26., and li. 41.) the sun, &c. --- Adramelech, "the magnificent king," and Anamelech, "the king of clemency," ma... [ Continue Reading ]
_Worshipped, or appeared to worship: for true religion admits of no false god. (Worthington) --- Lowest. This expression sometimes means the most noble. (Haydock) --- But the priests were chosen from the midst of the people, without examination. They employed the priest, whom the king had sent for t... [ Continue Reading ]
His ceremonies. Hebrew, "they fear not the Lord, neither do they after their statutes." (Protestants) (Haydock) --- This involves a sort of contradiction, unless we explain it of the Israelites; thought hey had not been mentioned before. There is a confusion in the original text; and ver. 41 seems t... [ Continue Reading ]