_Asaph. David composed this, to declare the rights of Juda to the throne, in preference to the tribe of Ephraim, (Lyranus) which had kept possession of the ark a long time; which was henceforth to be on Mount Sion. (Haydock) --- It seems to relate to the times of Asa, who reunited several of the oth... [ Continue Reading ]
_Propositions. Deep and mysterious sayings. By this it appears, that the historical facts of ancient times, commemorated in this psalm, were deep and mysterious; as being figures of great truths appertaining to the time of the New Testament. (Challoner) --- St. Matthew (xiii. 35.) has, things hidden... [ Continue Reading ]
_Fathers. Christ might thus speak as man, and he enforces tradition in the strongest terms. (Berthier) --- Only some things were written. (Worthington) --- The most ancient and universal mode of instruction, was by word of mouth. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Testimony. The tabernacle, (Eusebius) or the law which notifies his will. (Calmet) (Menochius) --- He also thrice required the Israelites to perpetuate the memory of what he had done for them, by instructing their children, Deuteronomy iv. 9., and vi. 7., and xi. 19. Both the written and the unwrit... [ Continue Reading ]
_That, &c. This was the end of all the laws and monuments of religion, (Calmet) to increase our confidence, (Worthington) gratitude, and observance of our duty. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Fathers. Some were virtuous, like Moses, Josue, Samuel, &c., ver. 3., and 5. (Berthier) --- But the majority proved faithless. (Haydock) --- To God. Or did not confide in him, or know that without God's grace, no good can be done. (St. Augustine) (Berthier) --- Abraham instructed his house, (Genesi... [ Continue Reading ]
_Battle. Many of this tribe were cut off by the men of Geth, (1 Paralipomenon vii. 21.; Chaldean; Geier.) as they fought without God's command, Numbers xiv. (Worthington) --- They did not defend the ark against the Philistines, though they seemed more bound to do so than the rest, since it was broug... [ Continue Reading ]
_Taneos. Hebrew Tsohan, (Haydock) which means, "spreading," either because the plagues spread from this capital, or because it was in a plain, (Berthier) or very extensive, (Haydock) on the eastern branch of the Nile, in the Delta. (Calmet) --- Here Moses wrought his wonders. (Worthington)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Vessel. Literally, "bottle," like walls on either side._... [ Continue Reading ]
_By day. Literally, "of the day." (Haydock) --- But this is the real import of the Greek. The same cloud (Calmet) was both luminous and obscure. When the light side was turned towards Israel, the Egyptians were in darkness. (Haydock) --- The eternal Son of God guided this pillar, and the Israelites... [ Continue Reading ]
_Deep. Water was so abundant, and followed them in streams, 1 Corinthians x. 4. (Calmet) --- The first miraculous grant of water was at Horeb, the second at Cades, ver. 20. (Berthier)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Desires. Literally, "souls," as if they were dying for hunger, though they had plenty of manna, Numbers xi. 4. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ill. Hebrew, "against," (Numbers xi.; Calmet) still distrusting in God's power. (Menochius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Bread. Including all sorts of food. (Worthington) --- Table. Hebrew, "flesh." It is true we have water and manna, but we want something more solid and agreeable. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
PSALM LXXVII. (ATTENDITE.) God's great benefits to the people of Israel, notwithstanding their ingratitude. _ Angry. This is the sense of the Hebrew. Distulit means, "he deferred" (Haydock) to put his threats, (Berthier) or promises, in execution. (Menochius) --- The destroyer punished those who g... [ Continue Reading ]
_And. Or "though he had." Berthier has mandavit. "He commanded," would be better rendered, this order being given before the complaints. God had supplied them abundantly with manna from the clouds, as from his granaries. (Calmet) --- Therefore they ought to have trusted in his power and goodness. (M... [ Continue Reading ]
_Angels. Hebrew also, "of the strong ones." (Aquila) --- Such is the blessed Eucharist, of which manna was only a figure, John vi. The angels prepared this food. (Calmet) --- It was an effect of the divine bounty, not of the power of Moses, John xi. 32. How it could be inferior (Berthier) to the bre... [ Continue Reading ]
_West wind. Literally, Africum, which blows "from Africa," in this direction, with respect to Jerusalem. (Haydock) --- The same wind may be styled the south wind. Hebrew Kadim, "strong, eastern," &c. (Berthier) --- These quails came from the banks of the southern ocean, or from the Red Sea, as the I... [ Continue Reading ]
_Israel. St. Jerome applies this to those who receive unworthily, particularly if they be priests, 1 Corinthians xi. 29. (Calmet) --- God selected the most guilty (Berthier) having allowed them to feast for a whole month. (Worthington) --- Then he brought down by death, or "hindered," as it were, "b... [ Continue Reading ]
_Still. Notwithstanding this instance of God's severity, they fell shortly after into greater sins, and would have stoned Moses, &c., despairing of ever taking possession of the promised land, which highly displeased God, so that he swore, that none of the rebels should enter it. Many were also slai... [ Continue Reading ]
_Morning. Those who were spared pretended to repent. (Haydock) --- Afflictions are the source of much good. But the Israelites are blamed for their inconstancy and deceit. (Calmet) --- They came with apparent earnestness (Haydock) to offer the morning sacrifice (Worthington) under affliction. (Menoc... [ Continue Reading ]
_Their and them, is supplied also by Protestants. (Haydock) --- Hebrew, "he....will forgive sin," &c. This seems more beautiful. (Berthier)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Flesh. The inferior appetite wars against the spirit, Galatians v. 17., and Matthew xxvi. 41. (Haydock) --- Not, in the ordinary course. This does not contradict the faith of the resurrection, which is elsewhere clearly expressed. (St. Jerome) (Calmet) --- Man may go astray, but cannot be converted... [ Continue Reading ]
_How often. It would be difficult to specify. God mentions ten times, Numbers xiv. 22. (Worthington)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Grieved. Hebrew, "set bounds to," or "marked," holding up to scorn, Hebrews vi. 6. Genebrard thinks we might translate, "crucified," hithvu, as this is the root of Thau, which formerly resembled a cross. (Calmet) --- This would surely be one of the most striking enigmas. St. Jerome agrees with us.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Not. How could they so soon forget these prodigies? We might ask, how came Adam to pay so little attention to God's command? How do many act contrary to their better knowledge? Upon occasion of this forgetfulness, the psalmist repeats many of the chief miracles recorded, Exodus vii., and xiii. (Ber... [ Continue Reading ]
_Signs. The turning the rod into a serpent. The rest of the signs were also plagues. (Worthington)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Showers. Hebrew, "floods." (Haydock) --- Many have asserted that it does not rain in Egypt: but pretty heavy showers fall, even above Cairo, (Vansleb.; Calmet) though seldom. (Worthington)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Flies. Cænomyiam. Many copies of the Septuagint have kynomiam, "the dog-fly," which St. Jerome, (Calmet) and St. Augustine properly correct. (Berthier) (Exodus viii. 24.)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Blast. Hebrew also "the bruchus," (Haydock) a sort of locust, which does great damage in the East. (Calmet) --- Chasil may signify both. (Berthier) --- Ovid speaks of the blast: Interea crescat scabræ rubiginis expers. (Fast. 1.)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Vineyards. Herodotus (i. 77.) says, the Egyptians use "ale, because they have no vines." But he is contradicted by Athenæus, &c. --- Trees. Hebrew shikmoth, is supposed to mean sycamore trees. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Fire. St. Jerome, "who gave their pastures to the hail, and their cattle to the birds." Reshaphim is also rendered "coals," by Pagnin. It may denote the thunderbolts. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Angels. Hebrew, "messengers of evil," (Tirinus) as the Septuagint may also signify the good angels. (Amama) --- He ordered Moses and Aaron to denounce his judgments, which he executed either by the devils, (Origen; Worthington) or by the blessed spirits. (St. Ambrose; Exodus xii. 29., and Wisdom xv... [ Continue Reading ]
_Labour. "The first-born," (St. Jerome; Genesis xlix. 3., and Proverbs v. 9.) and their best effects. (Calmet) --- This was the tenth plague. Cham was the father of Misraim, who peopled Egypt. (Worthington)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Not, after they saw the Egyptians destroyed, whom they had feared greatly before. In the desert they enjoyed rest, while their enemies were in the utmost confusion, (Berthier) having lost their king. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Mountain. Hebrew, "term." Greek: Oros, with the soft spirit, means a mountain, (Berthier) and the Vulgate has taken it in this sense in both places, as the Greek accents and spirits are not of greater antiquity or consequence than the Hebrew vowel points. (Haydock) --- The land of Chanaan was very... [ Continue Reading ]
_The covenant, is omitted in many Greek and Latin copies, as well as in Hebrew. (St. Jerome, ad Sun.) --- Yet it is found in the Vatican edition, (Calmet) as well as in the Alexandrian, Greek: esunthetesan. (Haydock) --- Bow, which hits not the mark. It alludes to the faithless Israelites, (Calmet)... [ Continue Reading ]
_Hills. The high places, in which they imitated the pagans, and which brought on their ruin, Leviticus xxvi. 30. With so much difficulty are people taught to serve God in spirit and truth. They foolishly imagined that they would be nearer the gods. (Berthier) --- Things. Protestants, "images." They... [ Continue Reading ]
_Heard. So he did the crimes of Sodom, Genesis xviii. 20. (Calmet) --- Reduced. Hebrew, "abhorred exceedingly several in Israel." (Haydock) --- The people were not exterminated; but greatly reduced in the time of the judges. (Worthington)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Silo. Where it had remained about 350 years, (Berthier) before the ark was removed, never to be replaced there. (Haydock) --- The tabernacle was afterwards at Nobe, and at Gabaon; whence it was probably removed to the treasury of the temple, (Calmet) and was hidden by Jeremias, 2 Machabees i., and... [ Continue Reading ]
_Their. Hebrew, "his." (Houbigant) --- The ark was an earnest of God's protection, (Haydock) and the glory of Israel, 1 Kings iv. 21._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Sword. So that they could not escape. --- Despised. Hebrew hithhabar, is rendered distulit by St. Jerome, (ver. 21, 59.; Calmet) or non distulit, "he did not delay" to punish, as Erasmus reads. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Fire of God's indignation, (Menochius; Worthington) or of war. --- Lamented. St. Jerome, "its virgins no one bewailed." (Haydock) --- He seems to have read eullu, with the Septuagint. Others translate, (Berthier) "did not mourn," though they were now deprived of the hopes of marriage, (Calmet) or ... [ Continue Reading ]
_Priests. Ophni and Phinees, (1 Kings iv. 11.; Calmet) the origin of this calamity, (Haydock) and the high priest himself broke his neck. (Worthington) --- Mourn, plorabantur, intimates rather that the people did not mourn for him. But the Hebrew has this meaning also, fleverunt, (Montanus) sunt fle... [ Continue Reading ]
_Surfeited. St. Jerome, Chaldean, &c., agree in this sense. But Hebrew may admit another, not quite so harsh, (Calmet) "like a hero who shouts for (Montanus) or sing after wine;" (Haydock) dialalon ex oinou, "rendered talkative by wine." (Symmachus) --- God allowed the Philistines to prosper for a t... [ Continue Reading ]
_Parts. As they were fleeing, (Berthier) or with emerods. (Chaldean, &c.) (Calmet) (1 Kings v. 10.)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ephraim. Who had been preferred before his elder brother, and yet proved the most inclined to idolatry, ver. 9. (Haydock) --- This tribe was deprived first of the ark, and then of the tabernacle, which were its greatest glory, and this strongly indicated the divine displeasure. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Sion. The ark was removed from Cariathiarim, in the tribe of Juda, to the house of Obededom, for three months, and afterwards to the palace or tabernacle on Sion, (Haydock) which God had probably chosen for its fixed abode, towards the beginning of David's reign. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
As of unicorns. That is, firm and strong, like the horn of the unicorn. This is one of the chief of the propositions of this psalm, fore-shewing the firm establishment of the one, true, and everlasting sanctuary of God, in his Church. (Challoner) (Menochius) --- It was preserved before Christ, and w... [ Continue Reading ]
_Young. Hebrew also, "giving milk." David was actually with his father's flocks, when he was sent for by Samuel. Saul was also engaged in the pursuits of a country life when he was chosen king: and it would indeed have been difficult to find people of another description among the Israelites, as all... [ Continue Reading ]
_Skilfulness. Literally, "intelligences." Plural words are used to express the greatness of the thing. David was very upright and intelligent. (Haydock) --- This enhances the ingratitude of Ephraim, &c., who divided the kingdom. (Calmet) --- Yet David had fallen into some grievous mistakes, so that... [ Continue Reading ]