_Alleluia. The word is repeated in some copies. (St. Jerome) --- But Hebrew has only one at the end of the preceding psalm: of which this appears to be a sequel. As in the former, God's favours were specified, so here the ingratitude of his people is acknowledge. (Calmet) --- It may refer to the Jew... [ Continue Reading ]
_Powers. See Ecclesiasticus xliii. 29. No one can sufficiently praise God's power or mercy. (Berthier)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Times. He only who perseveres to the end shall be crowned, Matthew xxiv. 13., and Ezechiel xxxiii. (Haydock) --- Such as these can alone worthily sound forth God's praises, (Berthier) being so happy as to preserve their innocence, or at least to repent. (Worthington)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Us. Hebrew, "me." But Aquila, Syriac, &c., agree with the Septuagint. Some of the Jews were already returned, and pray for the liberation of their brethren. (Calmet) --- The Fathers explain it of Christian converts. (St. Chrysostom) --- People. According to thy gracious promises, that we may enjoy... [ Continue Reading ]
_Sinned. Here commences the confession of sins. The just man first accuses himself, Proverbs xviii. 17. (Calmet) --- The same prayer is repeated, Judith vii. 19., and Daniel ix. 5., as it might be applicable to the captives. (Berthier) --- We have injured ourselves, our neighbours, and our God. (Wor... [ Continue Reading ]
_Going up. Or proceeding. The banks of the sea were more elevated than the country from which the Israelites came, (Calmet) and the land of Chanaan was still higher. See Psalm cvi. 23., and Genesis xii. 9. (Haydock) --- Sea even. Is not in the Septuagint. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Known. Isaias lxiii. 12. He might justly (Worthington) have abandoned them to the Egyptians, Exodus xiv. 11._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Rebuked. Commanding with power, Nahum i. 4. (Calmet) --- Wilderness. Or plain country. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Redeemed. What price was given? This is a figure of baptism, in which the fruits of Christ's blood are applied to our souls. All sins are there destroyed, as the Egyptians were in the Sea. (St. Augustine, Ser. xlii. de Temp.) (Worthington)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Left. Manetho and Lorin assert, that Pharao reigned afterwards. But this is contrary to the Scripture. All who came to attack Israel perished. (Calmet) --- They supposed that the waters were enchanted. (St. Irenæus iv. 48.)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Words. And Moses his servant, Exodus xiv. 31., and xv. 1._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Counsel. Three days after the passage of the sea, God laid injunctions upon the at Mara, which they would not observe, Exodus xv. 22. (Calmet) --- They coveted unnecessary things. (Worthington)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Desire. Or they greedily sought for flesh meat, (Haydock) at Sin, or Pharan, Exodus xvi. 13., and Numbers xi. 31. Chronological order is not observed. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Fulness. Or disgust: Greek: plesmone. Septuagint probably read zore, (as Numbers xi. 20.) instead of razon. Hebrew, "leanness," (Calmet) which is a natural consequence of immoderate repletion. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Holy one. By his function (Worthington) of priest. Core wished to take his place, as the rest did to supplant Moses in the civil government, Numbers xvi. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Adiron. With Core, though his children were preserved. (Calmet) --- God presently resented the injury done to his ministers. (Eusebius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Wicked. Two hundred and fifty accomplices, (Numbers xv. 35.; Calmet) and fourteen thousand seven hundred murmurers. (Menochius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Graven. Hebrew, "molten." The image must first be graven. (Berthier) (Exodus xxxii. 3.)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Grass. This enhances their folly. God is often styled the glory of his people. (Calmet) --- Osee (x. 5.) contemptuously calls the golden calf, the glory of Samaria. (Haydock) --- This idolatry was truly blameable, (Romans i. 23.) and not the veneration paid by Catholics to the images of Christ, &c.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Breach. Like a valiant captain, (Calmet) or pastor. (Haydock) --- God complains of those who neglected this duty, Ezechiel xiii. 5., and xxii. 30. The psalmist alluded to the conduct of Moses, after the people had adored the calf, (Exodus xxxii. 10.) or when they had joined with Core, Numbers xvi.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Word. Which Moses, Josue, &c., announced, Numbers xiii., and xii. 29. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Over them. Swearing (Calmet) to destroy them, (Haydock; Ezechiel xx. 23.) and scatter them, as they now experienced, Leviticus xxvi. 31., and Deuteronomy xxviii. 36, 64._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Dead idols, without life, (Challoner) particularly Adonis (Calmet) whose death is bewailed by the poets, &c. (Haydock) --- Idols kill their votaries. (Worthington)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Multiplied. All who had murmured perished, or this may relate to the 24,000, Numbers xxv. 9. (Calmet) --- Ezechiel xx. 23. St. Paul (1 Corinthians x. 8.) speaks of those 23,000 slain by the Levites. The Hebrew which has only 3,000 must be inaccurate. Temporal chastisements were intended to prefigur... [ Continue Reading ]
_Evermore. Phinees thus by his pious zeal, merited (Worthington) God's favour, and the high priesthood (Numbers xxv. 13.; Calmet) for his posterity, for 900 years, though the latter promise seems to have been conditional. (Berthier)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_He distinguished with his lips. Moses, by occasion of the people's rebellion and incredulity, was guilty of distinguishing with his lips; when, instead of speaking to the rock, as God had commanded, he said to the people, with a certain hesitation in his faith, Hear ye rebellious and incredulous: C... [ Continue Reading ]
_Them. Commanding no idolatrous government to be left in the land, nor any Chanaanite to be permitted to live, who should make opposition. The law of extermination must probably be thus restricted. The Jews neglected these ordinances, and hence became so often infected with idolatry, (Berthier) even... [ Continue Reading ]
_Chanaan. These unnatural sacrifices were perhaps practised under the judges, or at least under the kings. (Worthington) --- Some pretend that the children were only made to pass over or between fires. But this is refuted by facts, Leviticus xviii. 21., and 4 Kings xvi. 3., and Jeremias vii. 30 ---... [ Continue Reading ]
_And was. Hebrew, "and they were defiled." (St. Jerome) --- Inventions. Idols of their imaginations, (Haydock) and lusts. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
PSALM CV. (CONFITEMINI DOMINO.) A confession of the manifold sins and ingratitude of the Israelites. _ Repented. Ceased to punish, (Eusebius) when the people repented. (St. Jerome) --- God then regarded them in mercy, having given them grace to repent. (Worthington)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Mercies. He inspired their enemies with pity for them. Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes shewed them favour, Psalm lxxxiii. 12. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Save. These verses, which may be well recited in times of schism, (Worthington) occur, 1 Paralipomenon xvi., being probably inserted by Esdras, or some other prophet. But here they are in their proper place, as many of the Israelites are still in captivity. (Calmet) --- yet as this is only a system... [ Continue Reading ]
_So be it. The second Amen occurs not in Hebrew. But Alleluia is placed instead, which the Vulgate makes the title of the next psalm. (Haydock) --- This conclusion of the fourth book seems to be added by the collector, Psalm xl. (Calmet) --- Yet this is uncertain. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]