_Burden, or threat. (Worthington) --- Septuagint, "assumption," (Haydock) when the prophet saw in spirit the impending ruin. (Theodoret) --- Allegorically, Nahum is "the comforter" of the just, shewing that God will avenge their cause against Ninive, "the beautiful," and destroy the world, ( kosmos,... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Lord. The six following verses (Haydock) tend to excite attention. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Cleanse. Literally, cleansing, he will not make innocent." (Haydock) --- The same expression is rendered, No man of himself is innocent before thee, Exodus xxxiv. 7. (Calmet) --- Septuagint, "the innocent he will not deem innocent." (Haydock) --- No man is perfect in God's sight, (Calmet) though th... [ Continue Reading ]
_Desert, as at the Red Sea, Psalm cv. 9. --- Languisheth. The most fruitful places produce nothing, when God is angry._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Made. Septuagint, "shaken." --- Quaked. Hebrew and Septuagint, "risen." (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Like fire. Septuagint, "melts kingdoms."_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Hope. Septuagint, "fear." He approves of his faithful servants. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thereof; viz. of Ninive. (Challoner) --- This is connected with Ver. 1. (Haydock) --- Ninive was taken by the waters of the Tigris overflowing, at the first siege. (Diodorus ii.; Atheneus xii.) --- The like might happen at the second, though profane authors be silent. (Calmet) --- Many think that t... [ Continue Reading ]
_Affliction. Septuagint add, "for the same thing, or together." (Haydock) --- :Many hence infer, that those who have been slain by God, like the Sodomites, &c., will not be condemned to hell. (Origen, i. Ezec.; St. Jerome.; St. Thomas Aquinas, [Summa Theologiae] 3. p. q. 59. a. 5.) --- But this prin... [ Continue Reading ]
_Dry. The Assyrians, feasting in the hopes that they would speedily become masters of Jerusalem, were cut off in one night. (Worthington) --- God's enemies cannot escape; as when a thorn bush has taken fire, all must perish, Psalm lvii. 10., and Isaias ix. 18. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Forth. Some understand this of Sennacherib. But as his attempt against the people seems to have been prior to the prophecy of Nahum, we may better understand it of Holofernes. (Challoner) --- One. Septuagint, "a most wicked thought against the Lord, devising opposition." (Haydock) --- We may render... [ Continue Reading ]
_Perfect. That is, however strong or numerous their forces may be, they shall be cut off, and their prince or leader shall pass away and disappear. (Challoner) --- If there were many just at Ninive, or among the Jews, (Calmet) a moderate chastisement would suffice. (Haydock) --- The latter have been... [ Continue Reading ]
_Asunder. Ezechias was tributary to Assyria, 4 Kings xviii. 14. After the fall of Ninive, its yoke was removed. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Commandment. That is, a decree concerning thee, O king of Ninive, thy seed shall fail, &c. (Challoner) --- His son Asarhaddon succeeded; but soon the line was extinct. (Worthington) --- No alarm shall be spread by thee. --- Grave. Sennacherib was slain in the temple: (Isaias xxxvii. 38.; Calmet) or... [ Continue Reading ]
_Peace. Sentinels were established on the hills. --- Festivals. St. Jerome quotes the Book of Paralipomenon as saying (Calmet) that the Jews could not observe the Passover in the first month. But they did it in the second, after they knew that Sennacherib was slain, 2 Paralipomenon xxxii. (Haydock)... [ Continue Reading ]