Assuerus’s greatness. Mardochai’s dignity.
Assuerus subdueth manie countries. 4. Mardocheus vnderstandeth, and declareth his dreame. 9. God separateth his people from other nations by a better lotte.
1And king Assuerus made all the land, and all the islands of the sea tributary.Or il re Assuero avea renduta tributaria tutta la terra, e tutte le isole del mare:BVT king Assuerus made al the earth, and al the ilandes of the sea tributaries.Rex vero Assuerus omnem terram et cunctas maris insulas fecit tributarias: 2And his strength and his empire, and the dignity and greatness wherewith he exalted Mardochai, are written in the books of the Medes, and of the Persians:E ne' libri de' Medi, e de' Persiani sta scritto qual fosse la sua possanza, e il dominio, e a quale altezza di grado innalzò Mardocheo;Whose strength and empire, and the dignitie and highnesse, wherewith he exalted Mardocheus, are written in the bookes of the Medes, and of the Persians:cujus fortitudo et imperium, et dignitas atque sublimitas, qua exaltavit Mardochæum, scripta sunt in libris Medorum, atque Persarum: 3And how Mardochai of the race of the Jews, was next after king Assuerus: and great among the Jews, and acceptable to the people of his brethren, seeking the good of his people, and speaking those things which were for the welfare of his seed.E come Mardocheo di stirpe Giudea era il secondo dopo il re Assuero, e fu grande presso i Giudei, e amato dalla, moltitudine de' suoi fratelli, premuroso del bene del popol suo, e procurando la prosperità della sua stirpe.and how Mardocheus of the Iewes kinred was second after king Assuerus: and great with the Iewes, and acceptable to the people of his bretheren, seking good to his people, and speaking those things, which pertayned to the good of his seede. That which is in the Hebrew I haue expressed most faithfully. And these things that folow, I found written in the common edition,which are conteyned in the greeke tongue and leetters: and in the meane time this chapter was extant after the end of the booke: which according to our custome, we haue marked with an Obelus before it, that is to say, a broch.et quomodo Mardochæus judaici generis secundus a rege Assuero fuerit, et magnus apud Judæos, et acceptabilis plebi fratrum suorum, quærens bona populo suo, et loquens ea quæ ad pacem seminis sui pertinerent. 4Then Mardochai said: God hath done these things.E Mardocheo disse: Opera di Dio è questo.And Mardocheus said: These things are done of God.Dixitque Mardochæus: A Deo facta sunt ista. 5I remember a dream that I saw, which signified these same things: and nothing thereof hath failed.Mi ricordo d'un sogno veduto da me, col quale queste stesse cose eran significate, e nissuna è caduta per terra.I remember the dreame that I saw, signifying these verie things: neither was any of them frustrate.Recordatus sum somnii quod videram, hæc eadem significantis: nec eorum quidquam irritum fuit. 6The little fountain which grew into a river, and was turned into a light, and into the sun, and abounded into many waters, is Esther, whom the king married, and made queen.Vidi un piccol fonte, che crebbe, e si fece un fiume, e si cambiò in un lume, e in un sole, e versò abbondanza grande di acque: questa è Esther, la quale il re prese per moglie, e volle, che fosse regina.The litle fountayne which grew into a riuer, and was turned into light, and into the sunne, and abounded into manie waters, is Esther, whom the king tooke to wife, and made her to be queene.Parvus fons, qui crevit in fluvium, et in lucem solemque conversus est, et in aquas plurimas redundavit: Esther est quam rex accepit uxorem, et voluit esse reginam.
7But the two dragons are I and Aman.I due dragoni, eravamo io, ed Aman.But the two dragons: I am, and Aman.Duo autem dracones: ego sum, et Aman. 8The nations that were assembled are they that endeavoured to destroy the name of the Jews.Le genti adunate sono quelli, che hanno tentato di sterminare il nome Giudeo.The nations, that were assembled: are they that endeuoured to destroy the name of the Iewes.Gentes, quæ convenerant: hi sunt, qui conati sunt delere nomen Judæorum. 9And my nation is Israel, who cried to the Lord, and the Lord saved his people: and he delivered us from all evils, and hath wrought great signs and wonders among the nations:La mia gente è Israello, il quale alzò le strida al Signore, e il Signore salvò il suo popolo, e ci liberò da tutti i mali, e fece segni grandi, e prodigi tralle nazioni:And my nation: is Israel, which cried to our Lord, and our Lord hath saued his people: and he hath deliuered vs from al euils, and hath done great signes and wonders among the nations:Gens autem mea Israël est, quæ clamavit ad Dominum, et salvum fecit Dominus populum suum: liberavitque nos ab omnibus malis, et fecit signa magna atque portenta inter gentes: 10And he commanded that there should be two lots, one of the people of God, and the other of all the nations.E ordinò, che vi fossero due sorti, una pel popolo di Dio, l'altra per tutte le genti.and he commanded that there should be two lottes, one of the people of God, and the other of al Nations.et duas sortes esse præcepit, unam populi Dei, et alteram cunctarum gentium. 11And both lots came to the day appointed already from that time before God to all nations:E l'una, e l'altra sorte venne fuori per tutte le genti dinanzi al Signore nel dì stabilito fin da quel tempo,And both lottes are come to the day appointed euen now from that time before God to al nations:Venitque utraque sors in statutum ex illo jam tempore diem coram Deo universis gentibus: 12And the Lord remembered his people, and had mercy on his inheritance.E il Signore si ricordò del suo popolo, ed ebbe compassione della sua eredità.and our Lord hath remembred his people, and hath had mercie on his inheritance.et recordatus est Dominus populi sui, ac misertus est hæreditatis suæ. 13And these days shall be observed in the month of Adar on the fourteenth, and fifteenth day of the same month, with all diligence, and joy of the people gathered into one assembly, throughout all the generations hereafter of the people of Israel.Onde questi giorni, quattordici, e quindici del mese di Adar saranno solennizzati con ogni studio in allegrezza da tutto il popolo adunato insieme, fino a tanto che saravvi discendenza del popolo d'Israele.And these daies shal be obserued in the moneth of Adar the fourtenth, and fistenth day of the same moneth, with al diligence, and ioy of the people gathered into one assemblie, through out al the generations hereafter of the people of Israel.Et observabuntur dies isti in mense Adar quartadecima et quintadecima die ejusdem mensis, cum omni studio et gaudio, in unum cœtum populi congregati, in cunctas deinceps generationes populi Israël.
10:1
Calmet
Land. He conquered many countries on the continent, and several to which he could not come but by water, which the Jews call islands, whether they were surrounded on all sides by the sea or not. Hebrew has not the word all: but as the expressions are indefinite, they are usually taken in this sense. Yet we must not suppose, that the dominion of Assuerus extended over the whole world, no more than that of the Romans, who were styled masters of it. Before this king, the provinces had not paid tribute, but gave what they judged proper. But Darius laid a heavy tribute upon all, that, when half was afterwards remitted, they might esteem it a favour. The Persians hence looked upon him as a trafficker: kapelos. (Herodotus 3:89., and 4:44., and 6:7., etc.) (Calmet)
Tirinus
Providence punished them for thirsting after the possessions and blood of the Jews. (Tirinus)
10:3
Tirinus
Seed. Benjamin (Itin.) informs us, that both he and the queen were buried in the chief city of the Medes, which he calls "the great Hamda;" perhaps the province Mardochaea, (or Amordakia. Ptol. 5:20.) near the Persian gulf, may have been called after this statesman. (Tirinus)
10:4
Challoner
Then Mardochai, etc. Here St. Jerome advertiseth the reader, that what follows is not in the Hebrew; but is found in the Septuagint Greek edition, which the 72 interpreters translated out of the Hebrew, or added by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. (Challoner)
Haydock
He says, "What is extant in Hebrew I have faithfully translated. What follows I found in the Vulgate edition, contained in the Greek language and character: and in the mean time, or waving all dispute for the present, (interim) this little chapter was inserted at the end of the book, which, according to our custom, we have marked with an obel or spit." (Haydock)
Calmet
These fragments (Haydock) which the Septuagint might have in Hebrew or wrote by inspiration, (Worthington) are not in Chaldean or Syriac, and the old Latin version, taken from the Greek (Calmet) of Lysimachus, (chap. 11:1.; Haydock) is inserted by St. Jerome. (Calmet)
Haydock
Things. He attributes the salvation of the Jews to God alone. (Haydock)
Haydock
Reflecting on the fall of Aman, (Tirinus) he recollects a dream which he had formerly had. (Haydock)
10:5
Challoner
A dream. This dream was prophetical and extraordinary, otherwise the general rule is, not to observe them. (Challoner)
10:6
Haydock
And was. Septuagint, "and there was light, and the sun and much water." The light enabled him to discern the progress of the little fountain. Yet it was not absurd that the water should appear luminous, like the sun, as it was intended to shew the wonderful exaltation of Esther. (Haydock)
Menochius
She extinguished a great fire, which threatened ruin. (Menochius)
10:10
Haydock
Lots. Alluding to the Purim of Aman; (Calmet; Capellus) or rather these are only mentioned, ver. 13. (Haydock)
Haydock
Greek, "He had therefore made two lots....and the two lots came to the hour and time and day of judgment before God, and for all nations." (Haydock)
10:11
Haydock
Time. From all eternity (Tirinus) God had ordained to save his people; and this he declared to his servant, by shewing him two lots. (Haydock)
Haydock
This became more intelligible after the event, (Tirinus) like other predictions. (Haydock)
10:12
Haydock
The book concludes in Greek with the first verse, which we have in the following chapter, though some editions seem (Haydock) to have had that remark (Du Hamel) of the Alexandrian Jews, (Calmet) at the head of the book. (Haydock)
10:4
Then Mardochai, etc.... Here St. Jerome advertiseth the reader, that what follows is not in the Hebrew, but is found in the septuagint Greek edition, which the seventy-two interpreters translated out of the Hebrew, or added by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost.
10:5
A dream.... This dream was prophetical and extraordinary: otherwise the general rule is not to observe dreams.
10:3
S. Ierome here aduertiseth the reader that he found al hitherto in the Hebrew. And the parcels which folow only in the Septuaginta Greke Edition which either they translated out of the Hebrew, or added by inspiration of the Holie Ghost.
The Greke of the 72. Interpreters.
10:12
St Melito of Sardis † AD 180 Melito, the Philosopher 9
The remembrance of God —His mercy, by which He rejects and has mercy on whom He will. So in Genesis: “The Lord remembered Noah;” and in another passage: “The Lord hath remembered His people.”
10:1
1. NOW KING AHASUERUS MADE ALL THE LAND AND ALL THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA (namely, those subject to him and his empire) TRIBUTARY, — that is, he burdened them with new tributes, both because he himself was more inclined toward tribute out of love of gold; and because he had exhausted the treasury with great and magnificent expenses for the banquet so ample and continuous of which in chapter 1; and because God wished to chastise the Persians with this tribute, who a little before had been eager for the slaughter and spoils of innocent Jews.
10:3
3. MORDECAI OF THE JEWISH RACE SECOND TO KING AHASUERUS. — He was therefore as it were the king's viceroy, and in his absence the king; indeed even with the king present Mordecai by his rare prudence and vigilance governed the empire, as Josephus testifies. SPEAKING OF THOSE THINGS WHICH PERTAINED TO THE PEACE OF HIS RACE (that is, which pertained to the advantages and prosperity of the Jews), — as if to say, Mordecai was devoted to the advantages not of his own, but of his people. Scripture omits his deeds accomplished with distinction, and sends the one wishing to know them to the annals of the Medes and Persians. Benjamin in his Itinerary relates that Mordecai and Esther were buried in the principal city of the Medes, called Hamda the great; and he says that in his time there were 50,000 Jews in it. Some suspect that the province Mardochaea, which is situated between Babylon and the Persian Gulf, was named after Mordecai. Here in the Hebrew the book of Esther ends: the rest which follows St. Jerome translated from the Greek into Latin, where note that these last seven chapters of Esther are canonical Scripture. This is evident both from the definition of the Council of Trent, session iv, and from the Latin Vulgate edition and the Greek Septuagint. Both of which constantly read these, although in the Greek they are not had separately, as in the Latin; but each is inserted in its own places in historical order, as indeed also before St. Jerome the same were inserted in their places in the Latin edition. But holy Jerome, because he translated Esther from the Hebrew into Latin, and in his time these seven chapters did not exist in the Hebrew, therefore he translated them from the Greek, and placed them separately, and referred them to the end of the book after the sequence of the whole history. But that these once existed before St. Jerome in Hebrew is evident from the Greek Septuagint, and the ancient Latin Vulgate, and from Josephus, and Josephus son of Gorion, who have these same things which Ours has, certainly from no other source than from the ancient Hebrew original. It is likely that this book, equally as that of Tobias, was written twice in Hebrew, once more briefly, as it now exists in Hebrew, secondly more fully; and from there came the translation of the Greek Septuagint, and from it Ours, and therefore that one attached these fragments. See Fevardentius here, and Bellarmine, book I On the Word of God, chapter vii.
10:4
4. AND MORDECAI SAID: — when now understanding the signification of his dream with Haman suspended.
10:5
5. I REMEMBERED THE DREAM WHICH I HAD SEEN, SIGNIFYING THESE SAME THINGS. — This dream therefore was sent by God to Mordecai, so that through it he might signify the future exaltation of himself and Esther, and the struggle with Haman. Wherefore this dream is to be placed in historical order at the beginning of this book, and of the whole history, as it is placed there in the Greek Romans. A similar dream sent by God was given to Pharaoh, Genesis xli; and to Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel ii.
10:6
6. A SMALL FOUNTAIN, WHICH GREW INTO A RIVER, AND WAS TURNED INTO LIGHT AND SUN, AND OVERFLOWED INTO MANY WATERS, IS ESTHER, WHOM THE KING TOOK AS HIS WIFE, AND WISHED TO MAKE QUEEN. — Mardochaeus therefore dreamed, as is related in the following chapter, verse 5, that he saw a small fountain which grew into a river, turned into light and sun; and afterwards he understood this fountain to be Esther, who, formerly despised and vile, afterwards grew so much that she became queen, and wonderfully increased the Jewish people both in number, strength, and glory, and therefore shone forth like the sun in Persia and throughout the whole world with the rays of her virtue and majesty. Esther is aptly compared to a fountain: first, because just as a fountain, continuously pouring forth waters, produces a great river; so Esther by her works and zeal produced a great people of the Jews, and converted many Gentiles to God and Judaism, as is said in chapter ix, last verse; second, she herself with her eyes and tears, as it were with fountains, extinguished the terrible fire of Haman kindled against the Jews, and likewise the wrath of God; third, she herself with the same waters, as it were of a great and violent torrent, overwhelmed and submerged 75,000 Gentiles opposing the Jews; fourth, this fountain, which before was in darkness, chapter xi, 8, that is in the deepest sorrow and anguish, was turned into light and sun, that is, into the bright sun (this is hendiadys), — namely into the greatest joy and happiness, when she freed the Jews from death and made them triumph over their enemies. Furthermore, this fountain is appropriately said to be turned into light and sun, because there is great affinity and analogy between a fountain and the sun: first, because just as a fountain is the origin and source of a river, so the sun is of light; for just as a river flows from a fountain, so light from the sun; for the production, outflow, and emanation of each is similar; whence in Hebrew נר ner, that is light and lamp, alludes to נהר nahar, that is river, and to אור or, that is light, because it signifies the outflow or propagation of light as of a river, that is of seed and posterity; second, because what a fountain is on earth, the sun is in heaven; for just as a fountain is as it were the eye of the earth, so the sun is as it were the eye of heaven, surveying and adorning the whole heaven and world. Whence in Hebrew עין ain signifies both eye and fountain, because what the eye is in man, the fountain is on earth, and the sun in heaven; third, because a river flowing from a fountain is clear, transparent, and bright like crystal (indeed crystal is nothing other than water from a fountain congealed), and illuminated by the rays of the sun shines like the sun; fourth, because from the fountain and primordial waters the sun and heavens were created. Whence also in Hebrew Schamaim, as if to say there waters, they are called, as I have shown in many places in Genesis i, 7. In a similar manner and analogy Esther here, as it were watery, that is poor and despised, was raised by Ahasuerus to the royal throne as it were to heaven, made glorious and shining like the sun, so that by right she could be called the fountain of the sun, of which Joshua xv, 7, and chapter xviii, 17, according to what is said of her in chapter xi, 11: "Light and sun have risen, and the humble have been exalted, and they have devoured the renowned." Hence Holy Scripture often combines light and river, as in Psalm xxxv, 10: "O Lord, with Thee is the fountain of life; and in Thy light we shall see light." And in Revelation xxii, 1, the light of the glory of the blessed is described through the river of paradise, when it says: "And he showed me a river of the water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb." Finally, in fountains the sun sometimes expresses its image by reflection of rays, and makes a parhelion, that is, another sun as it were, so that the fountain itself appears to be the sun, as I shall say in the following chapter, 10 and 11. This is therefore a paradox, a hieroglyphic of Mordecai's dream: "From the waters the sun," that is, from tribulation arises joy, from adversity prosperity, from desolation consolation, from sorrow gladness, from humiliation exultation, from mortification resurrection. The Poets imagine the sun, when it sinks exhausted from its daily labor, immersing itself in waters and the sea, so that at night it may wash itself and be refreshed; wherefore in the morning it emerges from these same waters renewed and reborn; thus the waters of humiliation refresh the mind burning with works of charity, so that more humble and more vigorous from them it may rise again and return to the same works. Then comes to pass that which is said in Job xi, 16: "Miseries also thou shalt forget, and as waters that are passed away, thou shalt not remember them. And thy life shall be clearer than the noonday, and thou shalt be as the morning star. And in the evening thou shalt be as the morning star." And that passage in Malachi iv, 2: "But unto you that fear my name, the Sun of justice shall arise, and health in his wings: and you shall go forth, and shall leap like calves of the herd." See the remarks there. Finally, this dream alluded to the custom of the Persians, who worshipped the sun as a deity, and called their kings suns. Whence Cyrus in Persian is the same as sun. And Sapor, king of the Persians, as Ammianus Marcellinus testifies, lib. xvii, writing to the Emperor Constantius, arrogates to himself this title: "King of kings Sapor, sharer of the stars, and brother of the sun and moon, to Constantius my brother, greeting." Since therefore Mordecai in a vision saw Esther as it were the sun, shortly after he understood that she would be queen of the Persians, that she would wear upon her head a solar crown, that is, one distinguished with rays as if solar. Josephus, son of Gorion, adds in lib. ii, cap. ii, that Mordecai consoled Esther, afflicted in the persecution of Haman, by the refreshment of this dream of his, and from thence by sure hope of the liberation that would follow. The same you may say of the whole four years, during which Esther lay hidden in the house of Ahasuerus, as it were vile, unknown, and given over to oblivion; for in the second year of Ahasuerus she was brought into his house; but in the seventh year at last she was introduced to him, as appears in cap. ii, verse 16. Assuredly this is the way and method which the providence of God uses, so that those whom He wishes to exalt and glorify, He first humbles and makes vile and ignoble. Whoever therefore experiences this in himself, let him raise his spirit with sure hope of better things, and let him know that he is in the right way by which God leads His own to sublimity and glory; because as the Wise Man says: "Humility precedeth glory." And: "The Lord first mortifies, and then vivifies; first He leads to the lower—" Allegorically, this fountain converted into the sun and similar to the fountain of the sun, of which in Joshua, according to the letter signifying Esther, mystically represents the Blessed Virgin, who in the Apocalypse xii, 1 is called a woman clothed with the sun. Whence St. Fulgentius, serm. On the Praise of the Virgin: "Made," he says, "Mary a window of heaven, because through her God poured forth the true light of the world." Blessed Damascenus, Oration 1 On the Nativity of the Virgin, calls her "the Gate of life, the Fountain of light," by which name many others call her. Epiphanius, serm. On the Praise of the Virgin, in these words: "O holy Virgin, mother of eternal light; light, I say, which in the heavens illuminates the hosts of Angels; light, which illuminates the incomprehensible eye of the Seraphim themselves; light, which illuminates the sun with splendid rays; light, which illuminates the ends of the earth to believe in the Trinity; light, which said: I am the light of the world; light, which said: I am come a light into the world; light, which was assumed, and illuminated all things that are in the heavens and on the earth." And again: "O womb containing the inextinguishable light of sevenfold shining grace." Chrysippus, in an Oration to the Mother of God: "Hail," he says, "fountain of light illuminating every man; hail, rising of the sun, which can bear no setting." Ildephonsus, serm. 1 On the Assumption: "Mary," he says, "according to the Hebrew word is interpreted star of the sea; the sea present is the world, but the star is the Blessed Virgin Mary, from whom arose He by whom the whole world is illuminated. Hence come more confidently to the praise of the Virgin, and be illuminated, because she is she through whom the true light shone forth in the sea of this world." The Church in the Mass, in the preface of the Blessed Virgin, uses this same metaphor in these words: "Who, with virginity remaining, poured forth eternal light upon the world, Jesus Christ Our Lord." Ephrem, in a sermon On the Praises of the Virgin: "Hail," he says, "most brilliant star, from whom Christ proceeded; hail, through whom the most clear sun of justice has shone upon us." And again: he calls her "the Virgin Lucifer"; equally Cyril, lib. 1 On the Right Faith to the Queens: "Mary," he says, "the mother of life, mother of beauty, the great-bearer of Lucifer."
10:7
7. TWO DRAGONS INDEED, I AM AND AMAN. — These two dragons fought with each other, as is said in the following chapter 6, to signify the struggle of Mordecai with Aman, and his overthrow. For dragons are the insignia and coats of arms of soldiers and commanders: for they denote their gifts, of which there are chiefly three, namely vigilance, strength, and swiftness in accomplishing things. For the dragon is vigilant, and sees most acutely; whence the dragon was called ἀπὸ τοῦ δερκεῖν, that is from seeing. The same is most strong and swiftest; whence in Arabia it flies, wherefore it bears something divine before itself; for which reason the ancients assigned to the dragon the custody of buildings, temples, oracles, treasures, and the infancy of heroes; as the poets have fabled of Hercules, indeed of Nero. Hence again the dragon was to the ancients a symbol of prudence, wisdom, indeed also of prophecy, as Charles Paschalius teaches, lib. ix De Coronis, cap. xv, at the end. Add (which is fitting and proper to this) that the Parthians, or Persians once sent lions and dragons before them in battle against enemies to consume them, as Brissonius teaches from Lucian and Ennius, lib. ii De regno Persarum, pag. 310. A similar dream of a dragon had Olympias the mother of Alexander the Great, by which the empire and monarchy were portended to her, as the same dragon portended to Augustus, Aurelian, Severus, Scipio and others, as Pierius testifies, Hierog. xv. Hence also Pharao is called a great dragon, Ezech. xxix, 3. Hence also formerly in war they were called draconarii, who are now called standard-bearers. Finally, just as the dragons of Moses devoured the dragons of the Magicians, Exod. vii, 12, so Mordecai devoured Aman. Thus even now commonly dragons are called most strong soldiers, namely knights, who receive a foot-soldier from behind, so that in battle, depositing him on the ground, both knights and foot-soldiers fight against the enemy.
10:10
10. AND HE COMMANDED TWO LOTS TO BE CAST; ONE FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD, AND ANOTHER FOR ALL THE NATIONS. — For the people of God, that is the Jews, against their adversaries and enemies; for Aman sent a lot for the killing of the Jews; but Mordecai gave a lot for the slaying of the nations hostile to the Jews.
10:11
11. AND BOTH LOTS CAME TO THE APPOINTED DAY FROM THAT TIME ALREADY BEFORE GOD AND ALL NATIONS, — that is to say, Both lots fell upon the same day appointed by God from eternity, namely on the 13th and 14th of Adar, or February; but this day was happy and joyful for the Jews, but for the nations hostile to the Jews it was unlucky and deadly, because
10:12
12. THE LORD REMEMBERED HIS INHERITANCE, — that is the people of Israel, whom God singularly loves as His inheritance and peculiar possession; and therefore He protects, saves and defends them. Symbolically St. Prosper, lib. I De Vocat. gentium, cap. ii, understands the two lots of the faithful and the unfaithful; for God chose the Jews as it were the faithful unto grace and glory, from whom He excluded the unfaithful nations, yet so that He did not deny them the common course of His providence and grace, as Prosper shows in the same place; but for the Jews faithful to Him He wrought great signs and wonders among the Gentiles, as when through Moses He afflicted Egypt with ten plagues, when through Joshua He subdued the Canaanites, through David the Philistines, etc. To these wonders indeed is reference made here.
Machine translation from the Latin, not reviewed.
10:6
… form, the "hostility" described in Gen. 3:15 (J. Bover, p. 325 ff.) between the serpent (the špākav of vv. 3-9, 13, 16 f., is called ἔφις "serpent" in vv. 9 and 14 f.) and the Woman, whose "seed" (already in Gen. 3:15) is persecuted by Satan (cf. Esth. 10:6-8 [LXX, 3 c-8]; two d. confront each other, and the river of persecution disappears (Rev. 12:15 f.).
10:22
The name occurs in the Old Testament (Heb. Nēthān'ēl, Septuagint Nēthān'ēl), where it designates a chief of the tribe of Issachar at the time of the exodus (Num. 1:8; 2:5; 7:18-23; 10:15) and ten other personages, who appear only once, in the books of Chronicles, in Esth. 10:22; Neh. 12:21; Jud. 8:1 (Vulgate Nathanias). …
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · Vulgata Clementina · original Douay-Rheims (Douay 1609-10), transcription by EEBO-TCP (CC0) · La Sacra Bibbia, tradotta dalla Volgata da Antonio Martini (1769-1781) (LaParola (laparola.net), Martini OSIS text, Public domain (LaParola's electronic edition marks it 'Dominio pubblico')). Public domain.