_For Jeremias. For the time of Jeremias, and the captivity of Babylon. (Challoner) --- Or "of" ( Jeremiæ.; Haydock) Jeremias; on which subject he composed his Lamentations, as the Septuagint thus insinuate. (Worthington) --- The title may be a later insertion, and is not the same in all the Greek or... [ Continue Reading ]
_Willow. With which the Euphrates was lined, Isaias xv. 7. It passed through the city, which was adored with trees, and contained extensive tracts of land for cultivation. (Calmet) --- Babylon may also include all the territory. (Berthier) --- Instruments. Hebrew Kinnor means properly the ancient ly... [ Continue Reading ]
_Sion. The Levites were trained to singing from their infancy, at the expense of the nation. Under David, there were 288 masters, and 8,000 Levites who played on music, 1 Paralipomenon xv. The Babylonians wished to hear them, (Calmet) or (Worthington) spoke insultingly, (Theodoret) as the pagans ask... [ Continue Reading ]
_Land. they were oppressed with grief, (Ecclesiasticus xxii. 6.) and unwilling to expose sacred things to profanation, though there was no prohibition for them to sing out of Judea, for their mutual comfort. (Calmet) --- They excuse themselves on both accounts._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Forgotten. May all that is most dear to us perish, if we do not serve God, (Worthington) and seek to procure the welfare of Jerusalem. (Haydock) --- Yet they knew that the joy of their earthly abode in that city could not satisfy their desires. They allude, therefore, ultimately to heaven. (Berthie... [ Continue Reading ]
_Day. When Jerusalem was taken, or when it shall be re-established. (Haydock) --- The Idumeans incited the Babylonians to destroy it entirely, and even cut in pieces such as had escaped, Abdias v. 11., and Jeremias xii. 6. --- But Nabuchodonosor punished them five years afterwards, and Hircanus forc... [ Continue Reading ]
_Daughter. Citizens. --- Miserable "plunderer," (Symmachus) or "ruined," (Aquila) or "which shalt be given up to plunder." (Theodoret) --- Cyrus reduced the city to a state of abjection, and it has since experienced other miseries, (Calmet) so that its situation is now unknown. (Haydock) --- Isaias... [ Continue Reading ]
_Dash thy little ones, &c. In the spiritual sense, we dash the littel ones of Babylon against the rock, when we mortify our passions, and stifle the first motions of them, by a speedy recourse to the rock, which is Christ. (Challoner) (St. Augustine) (St. Gregory) (Psalm l.) (Worthington) --- We do... [ Continue Reading ]
PSALM CXXXVI. (SUPER FLUMINA.) The lamentation of the people of God, in their captivity, in Babylon.... [ Continue Reading ]