The prophet is admonished to wait with faith. The enemies of God’s people shall assuredly be punished.
The captiuitie of the two tribes, their relaxation, Christ wil assuredly come though not quickly. 5. Their afflicters (the Chaldees) shal be destroyed; 18. and al other idolaters.
1I will stand upon my watch, and fix my foot upon the tower: and I will watch, to see what will be said to me, and what I may answer to him that reproveth me.Io starò vegliante a far la mia sentinella, pianterò il piede sul forte per vedere quello, che a me dirassi, e quel, ch'io abbia a rispondere a chi mi riprende.I WIL stand vpon my watch, and fixe my steppe vpon the munition: and I wil behold, to see what may be sayd to me, and what I may answer to him that rebuketh me.Super custodiam meam stabo, / et figam gradum super munitionem: / et contemplabor ut videam quid dicatur mihi, / et quid respondeam ad arguentem me. 2And the Lord answered me, and said: Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables: that he that readeth it may run over it.E il Signore mi rispose, e disse: Scrivi la visione, e stendila sopra le tavolette, affinchè chi la legge, la scorra agevolmente;And our Lord answered me, & sayd: Write the vision, & make it playne vpon tables: that he which runneth may read it ouer.Et respondit mihi Dominus, et dixit: Scribe visum, et explana eum super tabulas, / ut percurrat qui legerit eum. 3For as yet the vision is far off, and it shall appear at the end, and shall not lie: if it make any delay, wait for it: for it shall surely come, and it shall not be slack.Perocché la visione è di cosa ancor lontana; ma apparirà nel fine, e non sarà menzognera. Se differirà, tu aspettalo; perocché il venturo verrà, e non tarderà.Because as yet the vision is far, and it shal appeare at the end, and shal not lye: if he shal make tariance, expect him: because coming he wil come, & he wil not slacke.Quia adhuc visus procul; / et apparebit in finem, et non mentietur: / si moram fecerit, exspecta illum, / quia veniens veniet, et non tardabit. 4Behold, he that is unbelieving, his soul shall not be right in himself: but the just shall live in his faith.Ma chi è incredulo, non ha in se un'anima giusta. Il giusto poi nella fede sua viverà.Behold he that is incredulous, his soule shal not be right in him self: but the iust shal liue in his faith.Ecce qui incredulus est, non erit recta anima ejus in semetipso; / justus autem in fide sua vivet. 5And as wine deceiveth him that drinketh it: so shall the proud man be, and he shall not be honoured: who hath enlarged his desire like hell: and is himself like death, and he is never satisfied: but will gather together unto him all nations, and heap together unto him all people.Ma siccome il vino inganna chi lo beve, così sarà dell'uomo superbo, il quale resterà senza onore. Egli, che ha le voglie ampie come l'inferno, ed è insaziabile come la morte, e sotto di se riunir vorrebbe tutte le genti, e tutti insieme ammassare i popoli.And as wine deceiueth him that drinketh: so shal the prowd man be, and he shal not be beautified: who as it were hel, hath dilated his soule: and himself as death, and he is not filled: and he hath gathered together vnto him al nations, and hath heaped together vnto him al peoples.Et quomodo vinum potantem decipit, / sic erit vir superbus, et non decorabitur: / qui dilatavit quasi infernus animam suam, / et ipse quasi mors, et non adimpletur: / et congregabit ad se omnes gentes, / et coacervabit ad se omnes populos.
6Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a dark speech concerning him: and it shall be said: Woe to him that heapeth together that which is not his own? how long also doth he load himself with thick clay?Non canteranno forse tutti questi sopra di lui la loro parabola, e i loro proverbi, e non si dirà egli: Guai a chi accumula roba non sua: e fino a quando mette egli insieme in suo danno il denso fango?Why, shal not al these take vp a parable vpon him, and a speach of obscure sayings of him: and it be sayd: Wo to him, that multiplieth thinges not his owne? how long also doth he agrauat against himself thicke clay?Numquid non omnes isti super eum parabolam sument, / et loquelam ænigmatum ejus, et dicetur: / Væ ei qui multiplicat non sua ? / usquequo et aggravat contra se densum lutum ? 7Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee: and they be stirred up that shall tear thee, and thou shalt be a spoil to them?Non si leverà egli su repentinamente chi ti morderà; e non verrà fuori chi ti sbranerà, e tu sarai loro preda?Why, shal they not rise sodenly, that shal bite thee: and they that teare thee, be raysed vp, and thou be for a spoile to them?Numquid non repente consurgent qui mordeant te, / et suscitabuntur lacerantes te, / et eris in rapinam eis ? 8Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all that shall be left of the people shall spoil thee: because of men’s blood, and for the iniquity of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.Perchè tu hai spogliate molte genti spoglieranno te tutti coloro, che saranno rimasi di quelle nazioni, a motivo del sangue degli uomini, e per le iniquità fatte contro la terra, contro la città, e tutti i suoi abitatori.Because thou hast spoiled manie nations, al that shal be left of the peoples shal spoile thee: for the bloud of man, and the iniquitie of the land, of the citie, and of al that dwel therein.Quia tu spoliasti gentes multas, / spoliabunt te omnes qui reliqui fuerint de populis, / propter sanguinem hominis, / et iniquitatem terræ, civitatis, et omnium habitantium in ea. 9Woe to him that gathereth together an evil covetousness to his house, that his nest may be on high, and thinketh he may be delivered out of the hand of evil.Guai a chi raguna i frutti di un'avarizia perniciosa alla propria casa, affinchè sia più in alto il suo nido, credendo di salvarsi dagli artigli del male.Wo to him that gathereth together naughtie auarice to his house, that his nest may be on high, and thinketh he is deliuered out of the hand of euil.Væ qui congregat avaritiam malam domui suæ, / ut sit in excelso nidus ejus, / et liberari se putat de manu mali !
10Thou hast devised confusion to thy house, thou hast cut off many people, and thy soul hath sinned.Tu hai studiato il modo di disonorar la tua casa; hai straziati molti popoli, e l'anima tua peccò.Thou hast thought confusion to thy house, thou hast cut in sunder manie peoples, and thy soule hath sinned.Cogitasti confusionem domui tuæ; / concidisti populos multos, / et peccavit anima tua. 11For the stone shall cry out of the wall: and the timber that is between the joints of the building, shall answer.Perocché i sassi alzeran le voci dalla muraglia, e il legname, che sta nelle giunture della fabbrica, replicherà:Because the stone out of the wal shal crie: and the timber, that is betwen the iunctures of the buildings, shal answer.Quia lapis de pariete clamabit, / et lignum, quod inter juncturas ædificiorum est, respondebit. 12Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and prepareth a city by iniquity.Guai a chi edifica una città a forza di sangue sparso, e la fonda sull'iniquità,Wo to him that buildeth a citie in blouds, and prepareth a citie in iniquitie.Væ qui ædificat civitatem in sanguinibus, / et præparat urbem in iniquitate ! 13Are not these things from the Lord of hosts? for the people shall labour in a great fire: and the nations in vain, and they shall faint.Queste cose non son elleno (predette) dal Signore degli eserciti? imperocché si affanneranno in vano i popoli, e le genti per un gran fuoco, e verran meno.Why, are not these thinges from the Lord of hosts? For the peoples shal labour in much fire: and the nations in vaine, and they shal faynt.Numquid non hæc sunt a Domino exercituum ? / laborabunt enim populi in multo igne, / et gentes in vacuum, et deficient. 14For the earth shall be filled, that men may know the glory of the Lord, as waters covering the sea.Perocché la terra sarà inondata, come l'alveo del mare è coperto dalle acque, affinchè sia conosciuta la gloria del Signore.Because the earth shal be replenished, that they may know the glorie of our Lord, as waters couering the sea.Quia replebitur terra, ut cognoscant gloriam Domini, / quasi aquæ operientes mare. 15Woe to him that giveth drink to his friend, and presenteth his gall, and maketh him drunk, that he may behold his nakedness.Guai a colui, che dà da bere al suo amico, mescendovi il suo fiele, e lo imbriaca per vederlo ignudo.Wo to him that geueth drinke to his freind, putting in his gal, and making drunke, that he may behold his nakednes.Væ qui potum dat amico suo mittens fel suum, / et inebrians ut aspiciat nuditatem ejus ! 16Thou art filled with shame instead of glory: drink thou also, and fall fast asleep: the cup of the right hand of the Lord shall compass thee, and shameful vomiting shall be on thy glory.Invece di gloria, tu sarai ricolmo d'ignominia: bevi anche tu, e assopisciti: starà intorno a te il calice della destra del Signore; e un vomito obbrobrioso (verrà) sopra la tua gloria.Thou art filled with ignominie for glorie, drinke thou also, and be fast a sleepe: the cuppe of the right hand of our Lord shal compasse thee, and the vomite of ignominte vpon thy glorie.Repletus es ignominia pro gloria; / bibe tu quoque, et consopire. / Circumdabit te calix dexteræ Domini, / et vomitus ignominiæ super gloriam tuam.
17For the iniquity of Libanus shall cover thee, and the ravaging of beasts shall terrify them because of the blood of men, and the iniquity of the land, and of the city, and of all that dwell therein.Conciossiachè le iniquità fatte sul Libano ti sommergeranno; e la distruzione fatta da queste fiere le atterrirà, per ragion del sangue degli uomini, e per l'iniquità contro la terra, e la città, e tutti i suoi abitatori.Because the iniquitie of Libanus shal couer thee, and the wasting of the beasts shal terrifie them for the blouds of men, and the iniquitie of the land, and of the citie, and of al that dwel therein.Quia iniquitas Libani operiet te, / et vastitas animalium deterrebit eos / de sanguinibus hominum, / et iniquitate terræ, et civitatis, et omnium habitantium in ea. 18What doth the graven thing avail, because the maker thereof hath graven it, a molten, and a false image? because the forger thereof hath trusted in a thing of his own forging, to make dumb idols.A che giova la statua fatta dal suo artefice collo scalpello, e la falsa figura di getto? Pur l'artefice pone speranza nel suo lavoro, e fa de' nuovi simolacri.What profiteth the thing engrauen, that the forger therof hath grauen it a molten, and a false image? because the forger therof hath hoped in his forgerie, to make dumme idols.Quid prodest sculptile, quia sculpsit illud fictor suus, / conflatile, et imaginem falsam ? / quia speravit in figmento fictor ejus, ut faceret simulacra muta. 19Woe to him that saith to wood: Awake: to the dumb stone: Arise: can it teach? Behold, it is laid over with gold, and silver, and there is no spirit in the bowels thereof.Guai a colui, che dice al legno: Svegliati: e alla morta pietra: Alzati. Può ella forse insegnare a te? Ecco, che ella è coperta di oro, e d'argento; ma spirito alcuno nelle viscere di lei non è.Wo vnto him that sayth to wood: Awake: Arise, to the dumme stone. Why, can it teach? Behold, this same is couered with gold, and siluer: and there is no spirit in the bowels therof.Væ qui dicit ligno: Expergiscere; / Surge, lapidi tacenti ! / Numquid ipse docere poterit ? / ecce iste coopertus est auro et argento, / et omnis spiritus non est in visceribus ejus. 20But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.Ma il Signore è nel suo tempio santo. Dinanzi a lui si taccia la terra.But our Lord is in his holie temple: let al the earth be silent at his presence.Dominus autem in templo sancto suo: / sileat a facie ejus omnis terra !
2:1
Challoner
Will stand, etc. Waiting to see what the Lord will answer to my complaint, viz., that the Chaldeans, who are worse than the Jews, and who attribute all their success to their own strength, or to their idols, should nevertheless prevail over the people of the Lord. The Lord's answer is, that the prophet must wait with patience and faith; that all should be set right in due time; and the enemies of God and his people punished according to their deserts. (Challoner)
The prophet speaks, waiting for a further revelation, (Worthington) not seeing before the reasons of Providence in permitting the wicked to prosper. (Haydock) (Psalm 72:17.
Calmet
He is informed that the kings of Babylon, (ver. 5, 8.) Juda, (ver. 11) Tyre, (ver. 14) and Egypt, (ver. 18) and all who trust in idols, shall suffer, ver. 19. Hereupon the judgments of God are pronounced just. (Calmet)
Calmet
Tower. Aquila, etc., "circle." The ancient Jews say Habacuc formed a circle, out of which he would not stir till he was satisfied, (Kimchi) as Popilius did. (V. Max. 6:4.) (Daniel 11:29.) (Calmet)
2:2
Calmet
Over it. It shall be so legible (Haydock) any one may hear or take a copy. (Calmet)
2:3
Worthington
Slack. That which happens at the time fixed is not. (Worthington)
Calmet
Hebrew, "the vision is for an appointed time." Habacuc might live to see the conquest and downfall of Nabuchodonosor. Many think that the first and second coming of Christ (Hebrews 10:36., and Romans 1:17.) are here insinuated, as the dominion of the aforesaid king represented the slavery of mankind under the devil, and the liberty granted by Cyrus was a type of their redemption. The felicity of the Jews is the last event which the prophet specifies, and this is here the literal sense. (St. Cyril) (Calmet)
2:4
Haydock
Unbelieving. Protestants, "lifted up." (Haydock)
Calmet
The king's vain projects shall fail. Roman Septuagint, "If he withdraw himself, my soul shall not have pleasure in him. But my just man shall live by my faith." Others read with St. Paul, "my just man shall live by faith," Hebrews 10:38. (Calmet)
Worthington
The source of content arises from faith, (without which this life would be a sort of death, as the apostle and St. Augustine, Trinity 14:12., etc., observe) because it is the beginning of life by grace, which the works of the law could not otherwise confer, Galatians 3:(Worthington)
Haydock
The Hebrew will admit the sense of the Septuagint and we ought rather to shew this in passages which the authors of the New Testament quote, than to excuse them. Here their version seems preferable to that given by moderns, ecce elata est, non recta anima ejus in eo, the drift of which who can guess? Beza has acted unfairly, "at si quis se subduxerit non est gratum animo meo;" whereas the text speaks of the "just man," as Theophylactus observes. "Hence all who know his theological opinions, may see how suspicious his translation must be accounted." (Pearson, pref. Sept.) (Haydock)
2:5
Challoner
As wine deceiveth, etc. viz., by affording only a short passing pleasure, followed by the evils and disgrace that are the usual consequences of drunkenness: so shall it be with the proud enemies of the people of God, whose success affordeth them only a momentary pleasure, followed by innumerable and everlasting evils. (Challoner)
Vatable
Hebrew, "but as the proud man prevaricates in wine, he shall not succeed." Baltassar's reign was short. (Vatable; De Dieu.)
Nabuchodonosor saw himself reduced to the meanest condition.
Juv.[Juvenal?] x
Aestuat infelix (Alex.) augusto limite mundi. (Juv.[Juvenal?] x.)
2:6
Parable. Literally, "marvel," or wonderful speech; parabolam.
Calmet
Dark. Protestants, "a taunting proverb;" (Haydock) when Nabuchodonosor became like a beast, and his empire was soon after divided. (Calmet)
Challoner
Clay. Ill-gotten goods, that like mire both burden and defile the soul. (Challoner)
Drusius
Gold and silver are only a sort of earth, Job 26:16., and Zacharias 9:2. Habacuc does not even name riches, out of contempt. Some think (Calmet) that he alludes to the grave. People prayed for their deceased friend: Sit tibi terra levis. (Drusius)
2:7
Calmet
Bite, like worms in the grave. Cyrus will overturn the kingdom. The Rabbins pretend that Evilmerodac caused his father's body to be cut in pieces for the crows, lest he should return again. (Calmet)
2:8
Worthington
Blood. For cruelty, avarice, etc., the Chaldeans shall be ruined. (Worthington)
City, different from that land of the Arabs, who dwell under tents. This city may denote Jerusalem, Babylon, etc.
2:9
2:10
Worthington
House. Thinking to establish thy family for ever, thou hast proved its ruin by avarice, etc. (Worthington)
Calmet
This is applied to Nabuchodonosor, but may be as well explained of Joakim, who oppressed his people, and was cast out like an ass. (Calmet)
2:11
Haydock
Timber. Hebrew, "caphis (Septuagint, the insect kantharos) from the wood shall answer." (Haydock)
Calmet
The signification of the Hebrew term is unknown. It was customary to place beams of wood after some courses of stone, to strengthen the building, 3 Kings 6:36. (Calmet)
Menochius
The crimes were so crying, that if men were silent the very stones would publish them. (Menochius)
2:12
Calmet
Wo. This might be explained of Nabuchodonosor; but we rather understand the king of Tyre, whose pride was intolerable, Ezechiel xxviii. It seems useless to repeat so often the same threats against one king. (Calmet)
2:13
Calmet
Things, etc. That is, shall not these punishments that are here recorded come from the Lord upon him that is guilty of such crimes? (Challoner) or, are not these riches from the Lord? The king of Tyre thought himself a god, Ezechiel 28:2. (Calmet)
Challoner
People; enemies of God's people. (Challoner)
The riches of the Tyrians shall perish, so that the troops of Nabuchodonosor shall find nothing worth their trouble. Thus all were justly punished.
2:14
Calmet
Sea. The land and naval forces attacked Tyre. (Calmet)
Menochius
Vast multitudes came against Babylon. (Menochius)
Haydock
The punishment of the wicked will cause many to adore and to fear the Lord. (Haydock)
2:15
Calmet
Wo. All this may refer to the king of Egypt, who deceived Joakim, Sedecias, etc. (Calmet)
Septuagint, "O, he who giveth drink to his neighbour, a cruel overthrow, and who maketh," etc.
Haydock
Nakedness. Septuagint, "caverns;" deluding him, so that his places of retreat become useless. (Haydock)
St. Jerome
The Jews relate that Sedecias was intoxicated, and then acted with indecency. (St. Jerome)
But these accounts deserve little credit.
2:16
2:17
Challoner
Libanus. That is, the iniquity committed by the Chaldeans against the temple of God, signified here by the name of Libanus. (Challoner)
Egypt had persuaded the governor of Coelosyria and the Jews to revolt, and then abandoned them.
Calmet
Beasts, which were adored in Egypt. Those who explain all of the Chaldeans are much perplexed, understanding the army of Cyrus, or the oppressed nations, or subjects to be meant. (Calmet)
And of. Hebrew, "land of the city," as [in] ver. 8.
2:18
Haydock
Thing, Protestants falsely, "image." (Haydock)
This is addressed to all idolaters.
2:20
Temple. Hebrew, "palace," or heaven. House is generally put for the temple.
Calmet
Silence, out of respect, etc. The guards of the eastern princes observe the utmost silence and modesty. God is very different from idols. He is the arbiter of life and death. (Calmet)
Menochius
Silence often denotes subjection, 1 Machabees 1:3. (Menochius)
2:1
Will stand, etc.... Waiting to see what the Lord will answer to my complaint, viz., that the Chaldeans, who are worse than the Jews, and who attribute all their success to their own strength, or to their idols, should nevertheless prevail over the people of the Lord. The Lord’s answer is, that the prophet must wait with patience and faith: that all should be set right in due time; and the enemies of God and his people punished according to their deserts.
2:5
As wine deceiveth, etc.... Viz., by affording only a short passing pleasure; followed by the evils and disgrace that are the usual consequences of drunkenness; so shall it be with the proud enemies of the people of God; whose success affordeth them only a momentary pleasure, followed by innumerable and everlasting evils.
2:6
Thick clay.... Ill-gotten goods, that, like mire, both burden and defile the soul.
2:13
Are not these things, etc.... That is, shall not these punishments that are here recorded, come from the Lord upon him that is guilty of such crimes.—Ibid. The people shall labour, etc.... Viz., the enemies of God’s people.
2:17
The iniquity of Libanus.... That is, the iniquity committed by the Chaldeans against the temple of God, signified here by the name of Libanus.
2:1
The wordes of the prophet expecting vvhat God wil further reuele vnto him.
Concordance Isa. 2•.
2:3
He that cometh at the time appointed though it belong, is not slacke.
2:4
The principal comforte of the iust consisteth in their faith an I confidence of the vvorld to come. VVherby they liue vvith consolation, vvheras otherwise this miserable life vvere rather • death Heb. 10. v. 38 Sec also S. Aug. li. 3. c. 5. cont. duas epist Pe'ag. li. 14. de Trinit. c. 12. & de spiritu & lit c. 9. & 11. explicating vvith the Apostle that faith is the beginning of spiritual life by grace to vvhich workes of the lavv vvithout faith in Christ sufficed not. Rom. 1. Gal. •.
2:8
For much bloudshed by the Chaldees for auarice, in iustice & other vvickednes they shal at last be ruined.
2:10
Vvhiles thou thoughest by rapine & auarice to eter n•ze thy familie & kingdom thou hast merited the ruine therof.
2:12
Concordance Ezec. 24. Nah•. 3.
2:19
Concordance Psal. 10.
2:1
St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 45
… and the rest sing out, as they did before when Christ was manifested to us by His birth on earth, their glory to God in the highest, on earth, peace, goodwill among men. And with them I also utter the same words among you. And would that I might receive a voice that should rank with the Angel’s, and should sound through all the ends of the earth.
St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Miscellaneous Letters 7.152
It is time for me to use these words of Scripture, To whom shall I cry when I am wronged?
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 53.8
… Nahum, the consoler of the world, rebukes “the bloody city” and when it is overthrown cries:—“Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings.” Habakkuk, like a strong and unyielding wrestler, stands upon his watch and sets his foot upon the tower
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 24.4
Everyone therefore who constantly perseveres in this watchfulness will effectually fulfil what is very plainly expressed by the prophet Habakkuk: “I will stand upon my watch, and ascend upon the rock, and will look out to see what He shall say to me, and what I may answer to Him that reproveth me.”
2:2
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 City of God 18.31
… For the vision is yet for a time appointed, and it will arise in the end, and will not become void: if it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, and will not be delayed?”
2:3
Pope St Clement I † AD 99 The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians 23
… after that comes the sour grape, and then follows the ripened fruit. Ye perceive how in a little time the fruit of a tree comes to maturity. Of a truth, soon and suddenly shall His will be accomplished, as the Scripture also bears witness, saying, “Speedily will He come, and will not tarry;”
St Basil the Great † AD 379 The Letters 238
… And, if in all this there is sorrow to be borne, I trust in the Lord that it will not be without its use to you. Therefore, the more have been your trials, look for a more perfect reward from your just Judge. Do not take your present troubles ill. Do not lose hope. Yet a little while and your Helper will come to you and will not tarry.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 21
… He comforts them from the Scriptures. For thus also when he says in another place, “Now is our salvation nearer” ( Rom. xiii. 11 ), he comforts them because the remaining time is short. And this he says not of himself but from the Scriptures.
2:4
St Ignatius of Antioch † AD 108 Epistle to the Tarsians 1
… Wherefore I am prepared for [encountering] fire, wild beasts, the sword, or the cross, so that only I may see Christ my Saviour and God, who died for me. I therefore, the prisoner of Christ, who am driven along by land and sea, exhort you: “stand fast in the faith,” and be ye steadfast, “for the just shall live by faith;”
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 4.34.2
… To this effect also Paul, His apostle, says in the Epistle to the Romans, “But now, without the law, has the righteousness of God been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; for the just shall live by faith.” But this fact, that the just shall live by faith, had been previously announced
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 4.18
… But even if the stimulus of her repentance proceeded from her faith, she heard her justification by faith through her repentance pronounced in the words, “Thy faith hath saved thee,” by Him who had declared by Habakkuk, “The just shall live by his faith.”
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 5.3
… the time when “the nations became tumultuous, and the people imagined vain counsels;” when “the kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against His Christ,” in order that thenceforward man might be justified by the liberty of faith, not by servitude to the law, “because the just shall live by his faith.”
Tertullian † AD 220 On Exhortation to Chastity 7
… Accordingly, where there is no joint session of the ecclesiastical Order, you offer, and baptize, and are priest, alone for yourself. But where three are, a church is, albeit they be laics. For each individual lives by his own faith,
St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews 1.6
In Isaiah: “And if ye will not believe, neither will ye understand.” Also the Lord in the Gospel: “For if ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins.” Moreover, that righteousness should subsist by faith, and that in it was life, was predicted in Habakkuk: “Now the just shall live by faith of me.”
St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews 3.43
… and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” Also according to Mark: “All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye shall receive them, and they shall be yours.” Also in the same place: “All things are possible to him that believeth.” In Habakkuk: “But the righteous liveth by my faith.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the Romans 2
… But then here, after having just hinted at it (for he was running on to another and a pressing subject), he again confirms what he had said from the Prophets, bringing in Habakkuk before them, crying, and saying, that it is not in the nature of things for him who is to live, to live otherwise save by faith; for “the just,” he says, “shall live by faith” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Commentary on Galatians 3
… that no man has fulfilled the Law, (wherefore they are under the curse,) and, that Faith justifies. What then is the text? It is in the book of the prophet Habakkuk, “The just shall live by faith,” (
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Letters of St. Augustin 55.3
3. This passing from death to life is meanwhile wrought in us by faith, which we have for the pardon of our sins and the hope of eternal life, when we love God and our neighbour; “for faith worketh by love,” and “the just shall live by his faith;”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Letters of St. Augustin 55.25
… “nevertheless,” he adds, “to remain in the flesh is expedient for you” —necessary for your welfare. This departing and being with Christ is the beginning of the rest which is not interrupted, but glorified by the resurrection; and this rest is now enjoyed by faith, “for the just shall live by faith.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Letters of St. Augustin 167.13
… so that whatever light he has proceeds from the light to which he is advancing, and whatever darkness still remains in him proceeds from the darkness out of which he is emerging. Therefore it is true that in the sight of God “shall no man living be justified,” and yet that “the just shall live by his faith.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 City of God 4.20
… Does it not include faith also? Forasmuch as they have thought proper to distribute virtue into four divisions—prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance—and as each of these divisions has its own virtues, faith is among the parts of justice, and has the chief place with as many of us as know what that saying means, “The just shall live by faith.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 City of God 19.4
If, then, we be asked what the city of God has to say upon these points, and, in the first place, what its opinion regarding the supreme good and evil is, it will reply that life eternal is the supreme good, death eternal the supreme evil, and that to obtain the one and escape the other we must live rightly. And thus it is written, “The just lives by faith,”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 City of God 19.18
… for [if one who trusts his senses is sometimes deceived], he is more wretchedly deceived who fancies he should never trust them. It believes also the Holy Scriptures, old and new, which we call canonical, and which are the source of the faith by which the just lives
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 A Treatise on Faith and the Creed 1
1. Inasmuch as it is a position, written and established on the most solid foundation of apostolic teaching, “that the just lives of faith;”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 On Patience 17
… Consequently it goes before even faith, from which it is that all good works begin. “For the just,” as is written, “shall live by faith.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Reply to Faustus the Manichæan 16.29
… This is our faith. And according to the prophetic declaration quoted by Paul, "The just shall live by faith." This is our justification.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 A Treatise on the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, and on the Baptism of Infants 2.52
… He nevertheless wished us to wait quietly, without visible inducements, for the promised hope, in order that “the just might live by faith;”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 A Treatise Concerning Man’s Perfection in Righteousness 18
As long, then, as we are “absent from the Lord, we walk by faith, not by sight;” whence it is said, “The just shall live by faith.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 A Treatise Concerning Man’s Perfection in Righteousness 28
… On this principle the apostle says: “The good that I would I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do.” Now it is a good thing to avoid concupiscence, and this good the just man would, who lives by faith;
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 A Treatise Against Two Letters of the Pelagians 1.7
… Nor can a man will any good thing unless he is aided by Him who cannot will evil,—that is, by the grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. For “everything which is not of faith is sin.” And thus the good will which withdraws itself from sin is faithful, because the just lives by faith.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 A Treatise on Grace and Free Will 17
… but because works proceed from faith, and not faith from works. Therefore it is from Him that we have works of righteousness, from whom comes also faith itself, concerning which it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 A Treatise on the Predestination of the Saints 1.20
… The apostle, indeed, does not speak thus, because God promised children to Abraham, who should follow the footsteps of his faith, as he very plainly says. But if He promised the works, and not the faith of the Gentiles certainly since they are not good works unless they are of faith (for “the righteous lives of faith,”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount 1.5
… but they are excluded from that reward on this account, that it is not said merely, “Blessed are they which endure persecution;” but it is added, “for righteousness’ sake.” Now, where there is no sound faith, there can be no righteousness, for the just [righteous] man lives by faith.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 93.4
… but thou shalt believe after a spiritual manner; that is, with a spiritual faith shalt touch Me, when I shall have ascended to the Father.” For, “blessed are they who do not see, and believe.” And this is the righteousness of faith, of which the world, which hath it not, is convinced of us who are not without it; for “the just liveth by faith.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 1.2
… “Let the mountains receive peace for thy people, and the hills righteousness.” The mountains are lofty souls, the hills little souls. But for this reason do the mountains receive peace, that the hills may be able to receive righteousness. What is the righteousness which the hills receive? Faith, for “the just doth live by faith.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 3
… but if, as is true, thou wast evil, but didst believe on Him who justifieth the ungodly (What is, Who justifieth the ungodly? Of the ungodly maketh pious), consider what did by right hang over thee by the law, and what thou hast obtained by grace. But having obtained that grace of faith, thou shalt be just by faith (for the just lives by faith);
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 40.6
6. “The just shall see, and shall fear, and shall trust in the Lord.” “The just shall see.” Who are the just? The faithful; because it is “by faith that the just shall live.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 40.16
16. “I have not hid my righteousness within my heart” ( ver. 10 ). What is meant by “my righteousness”? My faith. For, “the just shall live by faith.”
Theodoret of Cyrus † AD 458 Letters of the Blessed Theodoret, Bishop of Cyprus 123
… For righteousness needs the alliance of courage in its war against wrong; temperance vanquishes intemperance by the aid of courage. And for this reason the God of all said to the prophet “The just shall live by his faith, and if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.”
Pope St Leo I the Great † AD 461 Sermons 10
… so shall it come to pass that the face of God shall not be turned from thee .” This virtue makes all virtues profitable; for by its presence it gives life to that very faith, by which “the just lives
Pope St Leo I the Great † AD 461 Sermons 24
… and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in us all .” Cling to this unity, dearly beloved, with minds unshaken, and in it “follow after” all “holiness ,” in it carry out the Lord’s commands, because “without faith it is impossible to please God ,” and without it nothing is holy, nothing is pure, nothing alive: “for the just lives by faith
2:5
St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 The Epistles of Cyprian 54.3
… since Holy Scripture meets and warns us, saying, “But he who presumes and is haughty, the man who boasts of himself, who hath enlarged his soul as hell, shall accomplish nothing.”
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Appendix. Exile of Athanasius under Julian, 362-363 1
… ‘the haughty man, the despiser and the boaster, shall finish nothing
2:6
Pope St Gregory I the Great † AD 604 The Book of Pastoral Rule 3.20
When they are intent on seizing what is not their own, let them hear what is written, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! How long doth he heap up against himself thick clay (
2:11
St Barnabas † AD 61 The Epistle of Barnabas 12
In like manner He points to the cross of Christ in another prophet, who saith, “And when shall these things be accomplished? And the Lord saith, When a tree shall be bent down, and again arise, and when blood shall flow out of wood.”
Eusebius of Caesarea † AD 339 The Church History of Eusebius martyrs-of-palestine.9.12
… and that as a rebuke to the relentless and unfeeling nature of men, stones and lifeless wood had wept for what had happened. I know well that this account may perhaps appear idle and fabulous to those who come after us, but not to those to whom the truth was confirmed at the time.
2:14
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 22
… But after thou hast paid the death of the old man, thou shalt be received into the eternal life of the new man, and shalt pass from death to life. Mean while, make the transition of life now. What is thy life? Faith: “The just doth live by faith.”
2:15
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Life of Antony. (Vita Antoni.) 16
26. ‘Wherefore the prophet sent by the Lord declared them to be wretched, saying: “Wo is he who giveth his neighbours to drink muddy destruction
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Synodal Letter to the People of Antioch. (Tomus ad Antiochenos.) 1
… For they who are not thus minded, but only stir up strife with such petty phrases, and seek something beyond what was drawn up at Nicæa, do nothing except ‘give their neighbour turbid confusion to drink
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Festal and Personal Letters of Athanasius 20
… it hath surely been to me like deceitful waters, in which there is no trust .’ Secondly, while they drink with their companions, they lead astray and disturb the right mind, and turn away the simple from it. And what does he cry? ‘Wo unto him who causeth his neighbour to drink turbid destruction, and maketh him drunk, that he may look upon his caverns
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Festal and Personal Letters of Athanasius 59
… But if those who desire to reopen everything by raising questions belong to those who think they believe aright, and love what the fathers have declared, they are simply doing what the prophet describes, giving their neighbour turbid confusion to drink
St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 2.60
… charging them with giving their neighbours drink in order to look upon the darkness of their soul,
St Gregory of Nyssa † AD 395 Against Eunomius 11.5
… means of initiation constitutes a law),—he says that baptism is not into the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as Christ commanded His disciples when He delivered to them the mystery, but into an artificer and creator, and “not only Father,” he says, “of the Only-begotten, but also His God .” Woe unto him who gives his neighbour to drink turbid mischief
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 16.18
… and against such persons the prophet’s curse is with good reason directed: “Woe to him that giveth drink to his friend, and presenteth his gall, and maketh him drunk, that he may behold his nakedness. He is filled with shame instead of glory.”
2:16
St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 16.10
10. What are we to do now, my brethren, when crushed, cast down, and drunken but not with strong drink nor with wine, which excites and obfuscates but for a while, but with the blow which the Lord has inflicted upon us, Who says, And thou, O heart, be stirred and shaken,
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the Romans 13
… We shall see then the man who dotes with his wine at eventide with his eyes open, seeing no one, but moving about at mere hap-hazard, and stumbling against such as fall in his way, and spewing, and convulsed, and exposing his nakedness in an unseemly manner. (See
2:20
St Methodius † AD 311 Oration Concerning Simeon and Anna On the Day that They Met in the Temple 1
… “For then shalt Thou be shown forth,” He says, “as upon a kingly charger, by Thy pure and chaste mother, in the temple, and that in the grace and beauty of the flesh assumed by Thee.” All these things the prophet, summing up for the sake of greater clearness, exclaims in brief: “The Lord is in His holy temple;”
2:1
1. UPON MY WATCH I WILL STAND. — Symmachus: As a watchman upon the watchtower I will stand; the Chaldean: Upon my watch I stand prepared, that is to say, I as a sentinel will stand watchful in my watches, namely I will fix my step upon my fortification; for this is the same as: "Upon my watch I will stand." For fortification in Hebrew is מצור matsor, which Theodotion translated as circle; Aquila as compass; Symmachus as enclosed; the Septuagint as rock; all of which amount to the same thing. For matsor properly signifies a fortress, or a place fortified by nature or by art, and enclosed round about by walls, in which soldiers keep watch, in turrets or bastions, lest the enemy creep in and seize it. It is a metaphor taken from soldiers and sentries who keep watch in their station, so that they may vigilantly and attentively guard the part of the fortification or walls committed to them, that is to say, I Habakkuk will be vigorous and attentive in my duty, just as if some fortification had been committed to me to guard, like a sentinel in my station, namely in the circle of my watches, I will stand watchful, so that from there I may look out with my eyes and attend with my ears to what God may answer to my complaint and supplication concerning the tyranny of the Chaldeans over the Jews, whether by vision or by voice. Whence St. Jerome thus explains it: "I will stand," he says, "in my watchtower, that is in the sublimity of my prophecy, and I will see, after the captivity of the people and the overthrow of the city and temple, and thereafter, what follows; or certainly thus: I will guard my heart with all diligence, and I will stand upon Christ the rock." But this latter is mystical, not literal. Finally, the Arabic translates: I will stand, and will walk step by step upon the rock, as sentries do, so that they may drive away the cold and pass the time. Mystically, watch first is the secret and seclusion in which God speaks to souls that are silent and collected. Hear Cyril: "In my exercise and practice I will keep watch, I will again purify my mind, I will free myself from worldly cares, I will in some way fly upward, so that upon the rock, that is, upon a certain stability, and as it were upon a security situated on high of thoughts. There as from the yoke of a mountain I will look out through the intellect at what God has spoken to me." And St. Bernard in his homily on these words of Habakkuk: "And we therefore, brethren, I beseech you, let us stand upon our watch, because it is a time of warfare. Not in the dunghill of this wretched body, but in the heart, where Christ dwells; in the judgment and counsel of reason let our conversation be: so indeed that we have no confidence in it itself, or lean upon fragile watch; but let us fix our step in the fortification of the most firm rock, Christ, leaning upon him with all our strength, as it is written: Who hath set my feet upon a rock, and directed my steps." Secondly, watch is the state, degree and office in which God has placed us, either by ourselves or through superiors, so that we may guard it and exercise it. There he speaks, there he works: outside of it he is silent and at rest. Whoever therefore wishes to hear God, let him remain in his state, let him not seek another: let him not abandon the office in which obedience has placed him; but let him obey it strenuously and constantly. Thus Sanchez. AND WHAT SHALL I ANSWER TO HIM THAT ARGUETH (that is, to him who argues) WITH ME. — From the Hebrew thus first, Theodoret, Theophylactus, Pagninus and Vatablus translate: and what shall I answer to my disputation, or to my argument: mine, that is proposed to me by the wicked, who think that God has no care of human affairs, because he prospers and favors the wicked, that is to say, I will await the answer of God, so that from it I may answer the wicked, who by this argument impugn and accuse his providence. Secondly, the Chaldean thus translates: What will be answered to my supplication. Whence a Castro thus expounds it, that is to say, So that I may hear what God answers to my humble and mild expostulation, or argumentation, and correction proceeding from a sincere heart. But the Hebrew, the Septuagint and ours have, what shall I answer, namely I, not what shall answer, namely God. Thirdly and genuinely, Our [translator] renders: "What shall I answer to him that argueth against me," that is, what shall I answer to God, who, as my mind foresees, will argue against me, because I have complained of his providence, by which he permits the impious Chaldaeans to lay waste Jerusalem. But I will immediately think what I shall answer and reply to God arguing against me. Whence in Hebrew it is, what shall I answer to correction, or to reproof of me, as if to say: I know that God will reprove my liberty; but I will modestly reply to this reproof of mine with what my mind shall suggest: for the grieving and ailing mind is eager to discourse and dispute about this prosperity of the impious. In like manner Job, afflicted, disputed with God, cap. XIII, 3. Just as therefore a soldier and sentinel, besieged by an enemy, disputes with him about the surrender of the fortification with arguments, either of words and reasons, or of blows and missiles; so a philosopher and theologian arguing and disputing with another about some question, for example about God's providence, about the prosperity of the impious, etc., intends and watches so as to hear what answer is made to his argument by him who defends the thesis; so that he may immediately assail his response with a new argument. Ar— (1) Often the Prophets, waiting to see what God is about to reveal to them, are compared to watchers, observing from high places what happens: cf. Jerem. VI, 17; Ezech. III, 17. Not with fixed gold had he made those dear things, with common boxwood vile wax was it. With these styles the boys and disciples of St. Cassian the martyr killed their very teacher himself with a long and horrible death, as we read in his Life. See more on this matter in Guevara.
2:2
2. Write the vision (that is, the thing seen, namely the prophecy foreseen, which I now reveal and show to you concerning the destruction of the Chaldaeans and the liberation of the Jews from Babylon. Write, I say, both for the present, and rather for posterity, whom this matter shall touch; for they shall go into Babylon, and shall return thence; so that from this oracle of yours they may learn it, and thence conceive consolation and certain hope of return: and therefore so that all may know this, I command it to be written, not in a book, which is wont to be closed and put away; but on open and spread out tablets, which are publicly set forth for anyone to read. Whence he adds): Explain it (namely the vision) UPON TABLES, THAT HE MAY RUN THAT SHALL READ IT,—so that namely he who reads it may easily run through and read it completely; Vatablus: He explains it clearly (the vision) on tablets, so that he who reads it may proceed in haste and expeditiously; the Septuagint: Write the vision plainly on boxwood, so that he may run who reads it. For formerly there was neither knowledge nor use of paper or parchment; but they wrote on wooden tablets, especially of boxwood, because boxwood is soft and easily receives characters. The Egyptians then in the time of Alexander the Great began to write, as Pliny testifies lib. XIII, cap. XI, on tablets, or phylluris of a tree, which is frequent there and is called papyrus; whence our paper, which is made from beaten linen (because it provides the same, indeed a more convenient use for writing) is called papyrus: for papyrus of the ancients was succeeded by it, as I said at Exod. II, 5. Moreover on these tablets they wrote, either bare, or covered with wax. On bare ones they incised characters. Thus Beda in his Collections and flowers says that the title of the cross of Christ was inscribed on boxwood; and thus I have truly seen it with my own eyes. For I have often seen the title of the cross, which was translated from Jerusalem to Rome by St. Helena, and is kept in the church of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. This title is a wooden tablet, on which the letters are incised bare, which because they are tablets But hope for gods mindful of the spoken and the unspoken. Hope, that is, fear. And lib. IV: This grief, if I could hope for so much. But this does not seem to accord with the mind of the Prophet, who complains of Nebuchadnezzar as of a tyrant and oppressor of both the pious and impious Jews, and therefore deprecates his coming. For he cannot be a type of Christ the redeemer, as Cyrus was the liberator of the Jews from Babylon. For God here consoles the Prophet by promising Cyrus, who shall free the people of God from Babylonian captivity, and allegorically Christ, who shall free the same from diabolical captivity; and he commands him to be awaited, because coming he shall come, so that by this faith and hope he may live, and sustain himself and his people to be afflicted by Nebuchadnezzar.
2:3
3. Because the vision is yet for a time. — The Hebrew: Because the vision is for a time. God gives the reason why He commands this vision, that is, the vision, to be written on tablets: "Because," He says, "it is far off," that is to say, it will happen after many times. Write it therefore for a memorial, so that posterity reading it may confidently await its fulfillment: because although it be delayed, yet certainly "it shall appear in the end," in Hebrew iapheach, that is, it shall blow, it shall breathe, it shall pant toward the end, so that namely it may quickly be finished and completed, through the event of the prophecy foretold, its existence and appearance, it shall show itself in the end, that is, finally when the time appointed by God arrives, it shall in fact be fulfilled. You will ask, what is this vision? what prophecy? whom does it touch, of whom does it speak? Some think that here literally there is a prophecy of Christ, that is to say, Christ will come, who on the day of judgment will punish and condemn the Chaldaeans who have done injury, and will reward the faithful who have suffered injury with eternal glory. Thus St. Jerome, Theophylactus, Remigius, Rupertus, Clarius and Ribera. They prove it, because St. Paul citing this passage understands it of Christ, Rom. cap. I, 17, and Hebr. cap. X, 38. But I say that this prophecy speaks literally of Nebuchadnezzar and the overthrow of the Babylonian empire through Cyrus, and the liberation of the Jews from Babylon. That this is so is evident from what precedes and what follows. For God answers the Prophet's complaint concerning the tyranny and prosperity of the Chaldaeans toward the Jews; and He consoles him, promising a speedy end to it, which therefore he himself from his prophetic watchtower, as it were a watchman, foresees and foretells. Thus Cyril, Theodoret, Albert, Arias, Vatable and a Castro. Yet allegorically it speaks of the coming of Christ, who overthrowing the mystical Babylon, that is, the kingdom of the devil full of confusion, drew out from it true spiritual Israelites, that is, the faithful and Christians, in His first coming in the flesh; and completely will draw them out in His second coming to judgment. This is evident from the fact that the Apostle in the places already cited takes these things of Christ. The same is hinted at by "coming he shall come." For Christ, who is to come, is accustomed to be called by the Prophets ὁ ἐρχόμενος, that is, the coming one, as the Septuagint translates it. IF HE SHALL MAKE DELAY, WAIT FOR HIM (namely the vision, that is, the vision and prophecy): BECAUSE COMING HE SHALL COME (because it shall certainly be fulfilled), AND HE SHALL NOT BE SLACK, — Anagogically, the rectitude of the soul and the life of the just is perfected in heaven, where on account of the merit of patience, faith and hope, eternal glory shall be given, which will give to the soul and to all its powers complete rectitude and a most joyful and blessed heavenly life. Morally, learn here how great is the virtue of faith and hope, which overcomes all adversities, and makes the soul upright, and gives it a serene, joyful and divine life. The Gentiles saw this through a shadow. Whence Bias, when asked "what was sweet to men," answered: "Hope." Thus hope stirs up farmers, so that they constantly endure the labors of plowing, digging, hoeing, sowing, weeding, etc., in expectation of harvest. Thus the hope of victory and spoils sharpens soldiers to fight bravely, to generously endure all kinds of blows and wounds. Alexander the Macedonian, when about to engage with the forces of Darius at the Granicus, exhorted the Macedonians to dine abundantly, as if they were to sup the next day from the enemy's provisions. Assuredly he had anticipated victory with certain hope, and in turn this hope inflamed the soldiers to battle, so that they might prepare that victory. The same, when setting out to war, after he had distributed the royal treasures among the commanders and soldiers, when Pericca asked him: "What now remains to you, O king?" He answered: "Hope." Then Pericca said: "This shall be common to us your fellow soldiers;" wherefore he refused the estate which Alexander had designated for him. "So great was the confidence that the expedition would succeed well," says Plutarch in his Life of Alexander. The divine Jacob the patriarch: "I will look for thy salvation, O Lord," Genesis XLIX, 18; and Job cap. XIII, 17: "Although he should kill me, I will trust in him;" the Wise man, Proverbs III, 5: "Trust in the Lord with all thy heart;" and cap. XVI, 20: "He that hopeth in the Lord, is blessed;" Ecclesiasticus cap. II, 8: "You that fear the Lord, hope in him: and mercy shall come to you for your delight;" and cap. XI, 22: "Trust in God, and abide in thy place. For it is easy in the sight of God on a sudden to make the poor man rich;" Jeremiah cap. XVII, 7: "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and the Lord shall be his confidence;" Lamentations III, 24: "The Lord is my portion, said my soul: therefore will I wait for him. The Lord is good to them that hope in him, to the soul that seeketh him;" Micah cap. VII, 7: "But I will look towards the Lord, I will wait for God my Saviour: my God will hear me;" St. Paul, Romans VIII, 24: "For we are saved by hope;" and cap. XII, 12: "Rejoicing in hope;" Psalm XXXI, 10: "Mercy shall surround him that hopeth in the Lord;" Proverbs XXVIII, 26: "He that trusteth in the Lord shall be saved;" Isaiah cap. LVII, 13: "He that shall trust in me shall inherit the land;" Psalm XXVI, 1: "The Lord is my light and my salvation, I will not fear." Hear also the Fathers. St. Augustine on Psalm III: "True life of the mortal is hope of immortal life;" St. Gregory: "Hope lifts the soul to eternity, and therefore feels none of the evils which it endures from without;" St. Bernard, sermon 9 on Psalm Who dwelleth: "Thou art, O Lord, my hope, whatever is to be done, whatever is to be avoided, whatever is to be endured, whatever is to be wrought, thou art, O Lord, my hope: this alone is to me the cause of all promises, this is the whole reason of my expectation. Let another boast of merit, etc., but for me to cleave to God is good, and to place my hope in the Lord God;" and again: "If battles rise up against me, if the world rage, if the wicked one roar, if the flesh itself lust against the spirit, in thee will I hope. Why do we delay at all to cast away miserable, vain, useless, seductive hopes; and to cleave with all devotion of mind, with all fervour of hope, to this one hope, so solid, so perfect, so blessed?" The same, sermon 10: "Thou art my patience, if tribulation be brought upon me, through thee I will hope, thou art my hope; if rewards be offered, through thee I shall obtain them; if the enemy rise up, in thee alone will I hope." St. Charles Borromaeus, when about to reform a certain congregation, being warned by his own not to go there, for snares and death were being prepared for him, answered: "Is God then as nothing in the world? Nay, I will go: God whose cause I am pleading will protect me; and if he will not, I will gladly die for him." Wherefore as a reward of this faith and hope of his from God, it came to pass that there a musket was fired, an iron ball pierced his garment, but lodged in his skin, as if repelled by divine force, so that it did not penetrate into the body of the Saint. St. John the Silent, when Alamundar the king of the Saracens rushed in, while others fled, refused to leave his cell, saying: "If God has no care for me, why do I live?" Whence as a reward of this his confidence, God sent a lion, which constantly attending him, protected him against the barbarians. St. Father Ignatius, founder of our Society, was wont to say: "Do you not know what great strength hope in God has?" These strengths he himself continually experienced, since, relying on the aid of God alone, he so happily spread the Society throughout the world. Truly he had learned that of St. Peter, epistle I, cap. V, and from it St. Bernard, sermon 3 on the Vigil of the Nativity: "Casting all your care upon him, for he hath care of you. For to trust in oneself is not faith, but faithlessness; nor is it confidence, but rather distrust, to have trust in oneself. But he is faithful who neither trusts in himself, nor hopes in himself, made to himself as a vessel lost; but thus losing his soul, that he may keep it unto life eternal. Now this indeed only humility of heart accomplishes, that the faithful soul lean not on itself, but deserting itself ascend already from the desert, leaning upon her beloved, and thus abounding in delights." Do you wish the sayings and maxims of the gentile wise men? Appian, lib. II On the Civil War: "Nothing," he says, "is more efficacious than hope for relieving the weariness of men;" Thucydides, lib. VII: "For the most part the greatest hope affords the greatest boldness and readiness for attacking." L. Florus lib. IV, cap. VIII: "It is a mark of great character always to hope;" Cicero in Catilinam: "Hope alone is wont to console man in miseries;" Seneca in epistle: "Hope is the last solace of adverse things; each man gives least to memory, most to hope;" Seneca in Medea: "He who can hope for nothing, let him despair of nothing." Ovid, lib. I Of Pontus, elegy VII: This goddess (hope) when the wicked fled the lands of the gods, Alone remained, hated by the gods, upon the earth. She makes even the digger bound in chains to live, And thinks his legs will be free from iron. Tibullus, elegy II: Now would I have ended my ills by death, but credulous hope Sustains my life, and always says tomorrow will be better. Hope nourishes the farmers, hope entrusts to the furrowed fields Seeds which the field will repay with great profit. She catches birds with snares, she snatches fish with reeds, etc. Finally, most excellently Lawrence Justinian in his book On the Wood of Life, chapter II: "Hope is as it were a column which sustains the whole spiritual building; when it fails, the building collapses and falls into the abyss of despair. It is also an anchor of the soul, keeping it from being overwhelmed by the storms of temptations, concerning which the Apostle says: We have most firm consolation, we who have fled for refuge to hold the hope set before us, which we have as an anchor of the soul, safe and firm."
2:4
4. BEHOLD, HE THAT IS INCREDULOUS, HIS SOUL SHALL NOT BE UPRIGHT IN HIM. — For incredulous in Hebrew is עפלון uppela, that is, darkened, narrow, straitened, distrustful, incredulous, impatient, contentious, proud, presumptuous, rebellious: for all these vices are connected with one another, and one follows from another. Whence the Zurich Bible translates: Behold the mind of the arrogant and haughty is not upright in itself; Pagninus: The soul of a proud man is not upright in him; which Vatablus explains concerning Nebuchadnezzar in this manner, as if to say: Nebuchadnezzar, who does not have an upright but a perverted soul and mind, attributes his victories not to God but to himself, and in them exults and boasts: but the just man who has an upright soul, and lives rightly according to God, is humble, not arrogant; because he humbly ascribes all good things to God, not to himself. For to have an upright soul is to think rightly concerning God, to have right faith concerning God. For he opposes the incredulous, who does not have an upright soul, to the faithful and just, who lives in his faith, as if to say: The faithful man lives confidently and rightly in his upright opinion and faith, which he has conceived concerning God: but the unfaithful and incredulous man has a perverted opinion and faith concerning God; whence in it he does not live rightly and con- Thirdly therefore, the genuine and adequate sense is, as if to say: Whoever is incredulous toward these my oracles concerning the liberation of the Jews from Babylon through Cyrus, and allegorically concerning the liberation of men through Christ, and therefore unjust and impious, he does not have an upright soul, and therefore displeases God, as the Septuagint translates, and from them St. Paul in Hebrews X, 38, and consequently will not live the true, upright, peaceful and happy life of faith, hope, grace and glory, both because he has me as his enemy, and because he places his hope equally with his fear in men and created things: wherefore now from hope, now from fear he will be tossed hither and thither, and will lead a fluctuating, toilsome and unhappy life. But truly the faithful and just man, who believes God and these oracles of mine from God, concerning the liberator Cyrus, and allegorically concerning the Savior Christ, he will live a life upright, holy and happy, because fixed upon God, who is true life, and his promises, he will be dear to him, the object of his heart and care. Whence it translates: Behold the impious say in their heart: These things which God predicts and promises through Habakkuk will not all come to pass; but the just will be established in his truth, namely in the faith and faithfulness of God. And Symmachus: But the just shall live by his own faith. Thus St. Jerome, Remigius, Rupertus, Hugo and Lyran. Note: The Hebrew uppela is feminine; Our translator, however, renders it masculine incredulous, because the Hebrews often use enallage of genders, and put one gender for another, especially when another follows; even if that properly does not refer to or regard what precedes. Add, to the word, preserving the Hebrew gender, and making it agree, thus you would translate: His soul shall not be upright, whose is incredulous, or impatient and proud. Note secondly the antithesis; for he opposes the incredulous to the believer and just man, in that the former does not have an upright soul, the latter does; namely that he lives in his faith. Whence it follows that soul here is taken metonymically for life, as if to say: The incredulous man has a soul, that is a life, not upright but distorted, anxious, wretched and unhappy; but the just man in his faith and hope leads a life upright, namely joyful, quiet, holy and happy. The uprightness therefore of the soul is the life of the just, which consists in two things. First, in steadfast endurance of adversities and afflictions, for example the captivity of Babylon, to which the Prophet here directly refers; for he properly wishes to signify the Jews, who will steadfastly endure it, receiving it from the hand of God, for the penance of their sins, and with long-suffering, but certainly awaiting its end after 70 years, according to God's promises: they will have a right soul, that is they will live a patient, tranquil, serene life in captivity; whereas others in the same captivity, impatient and despairing that they will ever be freed from it, will have a twisted, depraved and wretched soul, and will live an unhappy life; for they will be tossed hither and thither continually by a thousand rumors, a thousand fears, sorrows, anguishes, despairs, because they do not believe or trust in God and His Prophets, such as Habakkuk promising this liberation. For the faithful through faith and hope in the promised liberation endure and overcome all hardships; for this faith and hope strengthens the mind to bear all sorrows bravely, as the Apostle teaches throughout chapter XI to the Hebrews: "Faith," he says, "is the substance of things to be hoped for, the evidence of things that appear not. By faith we understand that the world was framed by the word of God. By faith Henoch was translated, etc. Who (the heroes of the Old Testament) by faith conquered kingdoms, wrought justice, obtained promises, were stoned, were sawn asunder," etc. Second, the rectitude of soul and the life of the just is more sublime, namely divine; by which the faithful soul, through faith and hope enduring the captivity and tribulations sent by God, believing and hoping that God, as He promised liberation from them, will also certainly provide it in His time, is pleasing and acceptable to God, as being patient and resigned to God's will, and therefore deiform and holy; whereas on the other hand the unbeliever and one who distrusts God, through this distrust of his, displeases Him and sins, and therefore deserves to be abandoned in his tribulation, distrust and despair, indeed to be punished with new afflictions both in this life and in the future. That this is so is evident from the version of the Septuagint: If he withdraws himself, it says, my soul will have no pleasure in him, but the just shall live by my faith. Thus the Interpreters everywhere. The same is evident from the Apostle in Romans I, 17, and Hebrews X, 38, where he teaches that the just lives by faith, that is is justified. See the sayings there. Where note: The Septuagint for "those reading," namely for באמונתו beemunato, that is in his faith, as the Hebrew, Aquila, Symmachus and Theodotion read באמונתי beemunati, render "in my faith"; but the sense comes to the same thing. For the faith is the same chodonosor was not satisfied with nations and kingdoms: but the more he had conquered and slain, the more he desired to subjugate and slay. Moreover Guevara holds that here and elsewhere hell and death are the same, for hell is taken for death itself, the queen of the dead: because the ancients, he says, noted death by the name of Pluto, and called the same Jupiter hell. He proves the same from the fact that Scripture often joins and combines hell with death. But St. Jerome, Theodoret, Theophylactus, Lyra, Clarius, Vatable, Ribera, de Castro and others everywhere distinguish hell from death, and hold that two comparisons are made here. For even the pagans distinguish these three, death, hell, Pluto: for although they call hell Jupiter Summanus, as it were the supreme of the gods of the Manes, as the presider over hell; yet they do not call the place of hell itself Jupiter or Pluto. Now, if hell and death are combined in Scripture, therefore they are two, not one. You say death is a queen, join her in marriage with Pluto the king, and make Proserpina. For a king and queen cannot be the same, says Delrio in adage 1002. Finally, John Alba explains these words wonderfully in the Electorum chapter XXVII: Hell, he says, is taken for death, and death for the enemy bringing death. Hell therefore he calls the enemy. Souls are called the nobles and princes of the people. To dilate by antiphrasis signifies to straiten, that is to afflict, vex, destroy. He said "his" for "his": for the Hebrew pronoun signifies both. The sense therefore is, as if to say, the enemy will straiten and lay waste the soul, that is the princes of the people of Israel, or the enemy will dilate his mouth, so as to devour the soul, that is the princes of Israel. But these are violent and paradoxical. Morally, note here covetousness, which the more it is indulged, the more it grows immensely like drunkenness, hell and death. For covetousness is like fire, to which the more wood you throw, the more it grows and burns: "Thus the love of money grows as much as money itself grows." Covetousness therefore is like a burning fever, which the more it drinks, the more it thirsts. Covetousness is like a wild beast, namely a lion, wolf, leopard, tiger, which the more it preys, the more it rages, and the more it is inflamed to prey. Covetousness is a Charybdis and an insatiable abyss; whence the Philosopher called the belly of the glutton the Charybdis of life. When the force of wine, he says, has penetrated Acris, and burning heat has spread into the veins, There follows heaviness of the limbs, the legs are hindered in their wavering, the tongue grows sluggish, the mind is wet, the eyes swim, clamor, hiccups, quarrels increase. Wherefore the Wise Man in Proverbs XXIII, 29: "To whom, he says, is woe? to whose father is woe? to whom are quarrels? to whom are pits? to whom are wounds without cause? to whom is redness of eyes? Is it not to those who tarry in wine, and study to drink off cups? Look not upon wine when it is yellow, when its color shines in the glass: it enters smoothly, but in the end it will bite like a serpent, and like a basilisk it will spread poison." Thus Chremes in Terence complains that he was deceived by wine: "But indeed, he says, I was given false words: wine conquered me, which I drank. But while I was reclining, how sober I seemed to myself in public; after I rose up, neither my feet nor my mind sufficiently perform their office." Thus truly all the pomp of the world, all riches, all enticements, at first indeed with their bland appearance, and with a fair countenance as it were, allure all to themselves; but soon with so many cares, so many dangers, so many troubles, so many envies and rivalries, so many misfortunes and calamities they toss them about, snatch them away and harass them, so that at last they dash them against rocks, break them and destroy them. Thus Guevara. WHO HATH ENLARGED HIS DESIRE LIKE HELL. — The word enlarged, and the word desire, denote great avidity. For desire is the same as the soul's greediness, thirst, covetousness. Just as a little before he compared Nebuchadnezzar to a drunkard, swollen and turgid with the wine of ambition, and from this vomiting, striking and falling; so here he compares him to hell, because his ambition and avarice were insatiable: for devouring all things, he was never satisfied, but the more he seized, the more he desired to seize, and he was like Cerberus insatiably opening his hollow throat. Hence the ruler of hell was called by the Gentiles Pluto, because he is rich in the dead, says Lucian. For Ploutos in Greek means riches. Hence also hell was called Orcus, from urging; because it urges and precipitates all things into destruction, says Festus. Thirdly, he compares him to death, which dominates all and devours all. For just as death is not satisfied with the dead, but the more it has forced to die, the more it strives to kill: so also Nabu-
2:6
6. SHALL NOT ALL THESE TAKE UP A PARABLE AGAINST HIM, AND A SPEECH OF THE RIDDLES OF HIM? — He calls a parable a funeral song concerning the destruction of Nebuchadnezzar, who lost his empire in his son Belshazzar. For the Hebrews call every notable, acute and illustrious sentence, such as this song is, a parable, proverb or riddle, especially when true proverbs, parables, or riddles are mixed in it, as happens here. Isaiah composed a similar song concerning the same one, cap. XIV, 4. The sense is, as if to say, Shall not Belshazzar, slain by Cyrus, become a fable and a byword to all nations, so that against him this, or AND IT SHALL BE SAID: WOE TO HIM THAT INCREASETH THAT WHICH IS NOT HIS! HOW LONG DOTH HE LOAD HIMSELF WITH THICK CLAY? — Note first, "loadeth," that is, increaseth: thus often elsewhere, heavy is the same as much, as is evident from Exod. VIII, 28; Psalm. XXXIV, 18; I Maccab. I, 18. It is an enallage of continuous quantity for discrete; or a metalepsis: for those things which are many are also heavy, and weigh down and degrade a man. Whence the Syriac translator renders it, loadeth against himself a cloud of mud; the Arabic, how long shall a cloud of mud grow over thee? Second, by mud Guevara understands ceroma, which was made from oil and mud, and was an ointment with which athletes about to contend in the wrestling-ground anointed themselves, both that they might be stronger, and that they might be slippery, so that the hands of their antagonist might be deceived and slip away, as if to say, Woe to Nebuchadnezzar, woe to Belshazzar! O unhappy one, what a sad end awaits him! Why does he anoint himself with the wealth of others, as if with much ceroma, like a wrestler, that he might be stronger and more powerful for gathering armies and waging wars? He does it in vain and harmfully. For this ceroma will weigh him down, as if with thick mud, to his own destruction: for it will invite Cyrus and the Persians to invade and despoil him. Moreover, that ceroma is called mud is evident from that passage of Persius: "And thick with mud of amomum;"; and that of Martial: Lest ceroma mud the shining hair unclean, In this skin thou canst hide thy dripping locks. Simply, however, the common mud of the streets can be understood here. For riches are called thick mud, first on account of their worthlessness. For what are gold and silver? Are they not red and white earth? Second, because Nebuchadnezzar thickened these riches, so that from them he might forge his forces and strength; but in truth he forged from them his own destruction and ruin. Whence the Septuagint renders it: How long doth he load his yoke heavily? as if to say, Nebuchadnezzar thickens gold, so that from it and his own he might make golden torques; but these torques will be to them snares and heavy chains, with which the Medes and Persians will bind them captive, ensnare and suffocate them. Otherwise Theodoret; for by the yoke he understands the burden of tributes and taxes, which Nebuchadnezzar imposed upon the nations conquered by him, and increased day by day. Third, tropologically, riches are thick mud: because gathered from robberies, usuries, frauds, they defile the soul, weigh it down, and drag it down to hell. Whence the Chaldean translator renders it: Woe to him who increaseth riches not his own! How long art thou about to gather upon thee the weight of sins? And Remigius: "Riches, he says, are thick mud, because they confound the sincerity of the mind, and press down the mind with the heaviest weight of iniquity." And St. Gregory, III part. Pastor. cap. XXI: "For the avaricious man, he says, to load thick mud against himself is to heap up earthly gains with the weight of sin." The same, lib. XXXIV Moral. cap. XIII: "By mud, he says, the multiplicity of earthly things is figured, as is said through Habakkuk: Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! How long doth he load himself with thick clay? For he loadeth himself with thick mud, who by avarice multiplying earthly things, straitens himself by the oppression of his sin. Again by the name of mud, one who savours of sordid doctrine is designated, as is said through the same Prophet cap. III: Thou madest a way in the sea for thy horses, in the mud of many waters; as if to say: Thou hast opened a path for thy preachers, among the doctrines of this world, sordid and earthly wise men. By mud also the desire of sordid pleasure is expressed, as the Psalmist beseeching says Psalm. LXVIII: Deliver me out of the mire, that I may not stick fast. For to stick fast in mud is to be defiled with sordid desires of carnal concupiscence." Wherefore wisely St. Bernard admonishes elsewhere: "Do not, he says, love those things which when loved defile, when possessed burden, when lost torment." In like manner the philosopher Crates, seeing a young man fattened with wine and meat: "O wretched one, he said, cease to build a prison against thyself," as Maximus says serm. 27. "For all this fatness is nothing else than thick mud, with which he loadeth himself; and by which, as if by a prison, he more tightly encloses and imprisons his own soul, the glutton."
2:7
7. SHALL NOT THEY RISE UP SUDDENLY THAT SHALL BITE THEE? — Namely Cyrus and the Persians, say St. Jerome, Theophylactus, Remigius, Lyran and others throughout. Note: He compares the Persians to dogs or wild beasts pursuing and biting other beasts. For when a dog sees another dog, and a wild beast sees another wild beast in possession of prey, it immediately attacks it, struggles with it, snarls, bites, tears it, until it takes the prey from it; thus the Persians struggled with the Chaldeans over the spoils and wrested them from them. Tropologically, those who bite are the worms which devoured the bodies of Belshazzar and the Chaldeans; for Isaiah directed these worms against Belshazzar in chapter XIV, 11, saying: "The worm shall be spread under thee, and worms shall cover thee." Thus Clarius and Vatablus.
2:8
8. BECAUSE THOU HAST SPOILED MANY NATIONS, ALL THE REMNANT OF THE PEOPLE SHALL SPOIL THEE, etc., FOR THE BLOOD OF MEN (that is, of men, thus the Septuagint and the Chaldean), AND FOR THE INIQUITY OF THE LAND OF THE CITY, AND OF ALL THAT DWELL IN IT, — as if to say: Because thou hast shed the blood of many, and hast unjustly laid waste the land of Judea, and the city of Jerusalem, and its inhabitants, therefore thou shalt be laid waste also. Thus St. Jerome, Remigius, Rupert, Hugh, Lyran. For Jerusalem was as it were the city and metropolis of the world, "the joy of the whole earth," Lamentations II, 13, as Rome was afterwards, of which Virgil says: So much did it raise its head above other cities, As the cypress is wont to rise among the pliant viburnums. Secondly, the word "land," taken generally as it sounds, can be understood, and "city," that is, cities: for Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar oppressed not only Judea and Jerusalem, but also the whole land and many of its cities, and therefore it too was oppressed. Thus Theodoret and Theophylactus.
2:9
9. WOE TO HIM THAT GATHERETH TO HIM EVIL COVETOUSNESS! — He calls evil covetousness riches ill-gotten, namely extorted by force and rapine. Whence the Chaldean renders it: wicked and impious riches. Secondly, "evil," that is, destructive, "to his house." Whence the Zurich Bible renders it: Woe to him that gaspeth for gain, and that evil to his house! as if to say: Nebuchadnezzar seizes the riches of nations, that he may build himself a house with them, in which as in a nest he may rest secure and softly: but in truth he gathers them to the evil and destruction of his house. For on account of this rapine God will punish him, and will destroy the house built from rapines. Again, the spoils heaped up in this house will stir up Cyrus and the Persians to invade it, that they may plunder these spoils. Moreover, by house is understood, both the palace, which Nebuchadnezzar built as a most magnificent and equally fortified citadel, that he might perpetuate his name and family and lineage in it; and Babylon itself, of which he himself, being proud, says in Daniel chapter IV, 27: "Is not this the great Babylon, which I have built, to be the seat of the kingdom, in the might of my strength, and in the glory of my majesty?" For besides buildings built or more magnificently restored by him, "he constructed three walls within the city, and as many without surrounding it, all of baked bricks. And when he had fortified the city with memorable works, and adorned the gates in the manner of temples, he built another palace adjoining the paternal royal one, whose substructures and the rest of THAT HIS NEST MAY BE IN THE HIGH PLACE, AND HE MAY BE DELIVERED FROM THE HAND OF EVIL. — He alludes to the eagle, to which he compared Nebuchadnezzar in chapter I, 8, as if to say: Just as the eagle places its nest in a high place, that it may protect itself and its young from men and rapacious beasts, and therefore conveys all its prey there, that it too may be in a safe place: so Nebuchadnezzar placed his citadel in Babylon, that he might defend himself and his people against all kings, and therefore gathered there the spoils of all nations. But he errs; for from this lofty nest the higher God will cast him down. Thus that Roman said, "citadels are the nests of tyrants."
2:11
11. Because a stone shall cry out of the wall. — It is a proverb signifying a crime and injury public and enormous, which cannot be hidden, as if to say: Your tyranny and violence is so great, and so manifest, that even if men were silent, yet the stones themselves and the wood, even those hidden in the joints, which you have seized, or with seized money have purchased, to erect to your palaces and walls in Babylon, when these shall be captured by Cyrus, burned and laid waste, as if in equal or alternating harmony, before God and the whole world shall openly testify and cry out, that you are a wicked robber and tyrant; and thus they shall revile you and insult you, and shall imprecate God's vengeance and all dire curses in a hostile manner; because you have done violence to them, taking them from their place: for by natural appetite they shall desire and as it were cry out, demanding justice from God, that they be restored to their place. It is a prosopopoeia, similar to that in Isaiah XIV, 8: "The fir trees also rejoiced over thee, and the cedars of Libanus." And cap. XXXIII, 9: "The land mourned, and grew weak: Libanus was confounded." For the Prophet introduces as it were in a comedy the stones and wood of Babylon, like a choir singing in alternation, and proclaiming the tyranny of Nebuchadnezzar, and exulting in his slaughter and ruin, and saying: Allegorically St. Jerome: "I know, he says, a certain one of the brethren who understood this stone crying out of the wall to be the Lord Savior; and a scarab speaking from the wood, the thief who blasphemed the Lord: which although it can be understood piously, yet how it can be fitted with the whole context of the prophecy, I do not find." Tropologically, the stones and wood of temples and monasteries on the day of judgment shall cry out against heretics, who have demolished them or burned them: they shall cry out, I say, that they are sacrilegious, and shall demand vengeance from God; because they have violated God's throne, because they have despoiled priests and Religious servants of God from their dwellings, because they have taken away God's praises and worship. Thus in England under Henry VIII, the author of schism. One year took away ten thousand temples. Again the same stones shall cry out against priests and Religious, who have lived unworthily and irreligiously in places so holy and consecrated to God, and have given scandal to the faithful, and shall say that word of Isaiah XXVI, 10: "In the land of the saints he hath done unjustly, and (therefore) shall not see the glory of the Lord." Thus the stone and wall cried out against Belshazzar profaning the vessels of the temple sacrilegiously in it, and drinking in them, when the avenging hand sent forth from it itself a sentence of death to him: Mane, tekel, phares, Daniel. V, 25. AND PREPARETH A CITY (Babylon) IN INIQUITY. — "Prepareth," that is, as the Zurich Bible, restores; Vatablus, supports; others, erects, rebuilds, strengthens, arranges, adorns from plunder, and from the sweat of the poor: for all these things are signified by the Hebrew כונן konen, which our author is accustomed to translate as prepareth. Hence in Proverbs VIII, 27, it is said: "When he prepared," that is formed, founded, "the heavens, I was present." Thus in Isaiah cap. II, 2, it is said: "Prepared," that is founded, erected, adorned, "the mountain of the house of the Lord," namely Sion, that is the Church of Christ. See the things said there. For Nebuchadnezzar beyond other things, "constructed three circuits of walls within the city (Babylon), and surrounded the same number outside all of baked bricks," says Josephus lib. X, cap. XI. See the things said Daniel. IV. 27.
2:12
12. Woe to him that buildeth a city (Babylon) in blood! — that is from money obtained by slaughters; likewise from oppressions of the poor, whom he compels to toil and labor in this work, and in it to exhaust their spirit and blood. Thus the Chaldean, Albert, Hugh, Vatablus and others. Whence the Arabic translates: Because a stone of the wall shall cry out in blood, and a peg or stake shall speak from the beam. Somewhat differently St. Jerome: "The stones, he says, of the walls which have been destroyed by you, and the wood of those which you have overthrown, shall cry out your ferocity." By a similar figure Christ says Luke XIX, 40: "If these (infants crying, hosanna to the son of David) shall hold their peace, the stones shall cry out." Thus also Sallust: "Sa-
2:13
13. ARE NOT THESE THINGS FROM THE LORD OF HOSTS? — "These," namely which I prophesy against thee, O Nebuchadnezzar, that is to say, These slaughters and devastations which I threaten to thee, are not from me, but from the mouth and decree of God directed against thee: from God, I say, who is the Lord of hosts, not merely of human hosts, as thou art, but also of angelic hosts, and of all creatures. For all these serve Him, and are borne at His nod against the impious. Thus St. Jerome. Otherwise Theodoret and Theophylactus, that is to say, Shall not an account be demanded of thee for thy life lived before? namely for thy tyranny, by which thou didst burn nations and cities with fire, when they resisted thee in vain, because oppressed by thy forces they succumbed. FOR THE PEOPLES SHALL LABOUR IN MUCH FIRE, — namely that by which Babylon shall be set on fire by Cyrus and the Persians, that they may extinguish it: but in vain and to no purpose. For by all their labour they shall not be able to stop it, or quench it; but rather wearied and broken they shall "fail." Secondly, the Chaldean: Are not, he says, severe plagues coming from the face of the Lord of hosts, and the labour of strong nations as fire, and kingdoms labour in vain? that is to say, The Chaldeans labour that they may heap together spoils and riches; but they labour in fire, because to the fire by which Babylon shall be burned by Cyrus, they prepare abundant material. Therefore these labours of theirs shall fall into vain and shall fail, because they shall be consumed by fire. Thus "in the works of their hands— 14. BECAUSE THE EARTH SHALL BE FILLED, THAT THEY MAY KNOW THE GLORY OF THE LORD, AS THE WATERS COVER THE SEA. — Thus both the Syriac and Arabic versions, that is to say, The Chaldeans shall labour in vain in extinguishing the fire; because their land shall be filled with fire and incendiaries, namely the Medes and Persians enemies, who with their countless multitude shall cover Babylon, nay shall pour themselves forth into neighbouring nations, and shall overflow, as the waters fill and cover the bed of the sea. The Hebrew, as the waters cover over the sea, that is, over the bed and shores of the sea, they overflow and inundate into neighbouring fields. And from this so full and terrible vengeance, all nations shall know the glory of the Lord, who punishes and oppresses these tyrants. Thus St. Jerome, Remigius, Albert and Lyra. Secondly, Theophylactus, that is to say, As abundant water inundating and overflowing, pours itself forth into every place hither and thither in all directions; so the fame of this vengeance and destruction of Babylon, and thence the knowledge of the Godhead and avenging God, shall fill the earth, and shall be poured forth over all nations, that all may know, celebrate and fear the glory, that is, the glorious justice and power of God. According to this sense the Hebrew ki, that is, because, signifies not a cause, but an effect and consequence, as also elsewhere often. It can however be properly taken to signify a final cause. For God punished Babylon for this reason, because He intended by this punishment to lay open to the whole world His justice and glory.
2:15
15. WOE TO HIM THAT GIVETH HIS FRIEND A DRINK, PUTTING IN HIS GALL, AND MAKING HIM DRUNK, THAT HE MAY BEHOLD HIS NAKEDNESS! — For "his gall" in Hebrew is חמתך chamatecha, which can first be translated as "thy wineskin," thus Pagninus and Vatablus; secondly, "thy fury" or "his fury," thus Aquila and Symmachus; or "turbid subversion," thus the Septuagint; or "thy effusion," thus Theodotion; or as others say, "thy madness," or "thy poison," or "his gall," or "his gall," by enallage of person, thus Our [Vulgate]. The Syriac and Arabic translate: Woe to him who gives his friend to drink of the dregs (or turbid) of his fury. Now various interpreters give various senses here. First, the Hebrews and from them St. Jerome, Lyran, Hugo and St. Thomas hand down that Nebuchadnezzar, on the day of a solemn feast and public banquet, ordered that Zedekiah, king of Judah captured by him, be given to drink a purgative potion, that is, a drink which would loosen the bowels, and when it worked and loosened his belly, ordered that he be brought into the place of the banquet, so that before the eyes of all the princes, emitting filth, he might be mocked; from which, they say, he was so affected with shame that, being brought back to prison, he died from sorrow, and this is what Habakkuk here reproves in Nebuchadnezzar. They add that it was customary among the Chaldeans in banquets to delight themselves in the drunkenness, nakedness and filthiness of others, as if it were part of a splendid table. To this pertains what the Hebrews write in the Seder-Olam, chapter XXVIII: "Zedekiah perished," they say, "and concerning him they instituted this lamentation: Alas Secondly, Theophylactus, Clarius, Vatablus and Abulensis in chapter XXV, book IV Kings, Question XXXVIII, think that Nebuchadnezzar is here reproved because he made Zedekiah and other princes captured by him drunk, for this purpose, that drunk and heated with wine they would tear off their tunics (for the Hebrews and Chaldeans did not use breeches) and thus expose their private parts, so that in this way he might mock them with reproach and present them to all the banqueters for ridicule, just as Noah when drunk was mocked by his son Ham, Genesis IX, 21, to which this alludes. Thirdly and genuinely, that is to say, Woe to Nebuchadnezzar and his followers, who give his gall, that is, his bitterness and harshness, and, as Aquila [says], his fury even to drunkenness, to drink, even to kings friendly to him! that is, who torment them with cruel tyranny, until they shamefully strip them of kingdom, wealth, honor, and even liberty itself, and expose them to ridicule. Woe, I say, to him! for by the law of retaliation in like manner he himself will be stripped by others, and will be punished with equal ignominy and ridicule. It is a metaphor from a drunkard, who from drunkenness and heat is accustomed to be stripped and therefore mocked, as I have already said of Noah. Thus St. Jerome, Remigius, Theodoret, Hugo and Ribera. Some read this verse 15 thus: Woe to him that giveth drink to his neighbor, turbid subversion, and making him drunk! woe to him that maketh the blind to err in the way! Thus Blessed Orsiesius, disciple of St. Pachomius, in his Monastic Instructions, which St. Jerome mentions in his book On Ecclesiastical Writers, and which exists in the appendix of the Library of the Holy Fathers, where he himself applies this sentence to those who defend their subjects and their errors when they are corrected by superiors: "For such men," he says, "err, and will make others err, while they transfer the obedient to pride; and those who could walk in the sweetness of charity, they convert to bitterness, and corrupt the subjects of the monastic law with evil counsels, and make them hate him and be saddened against him who taught them the discipline of the Lord, sowing quarrels among the brothers and discords, and in place of obedience they sow contumacy in the hearts of the hearers." Whence tropologically the devil and diabolical men give their friends to drink of gall, who kill the minds of men with bitter doctrine: "For those whom through the vices of the flesh and cupidity they foresee they cannot overthrow, they destroy with the poisonous cup of perverse dogma, lest they alone be tortured in eternal punishments," says Apponius in book II on the Canticles, volume I of the Library of the Holy Fathers.
2:16
16. THOU ART FILLED WITH SHAME FOR GLORY: DRINK THOU ALSO, AND BE MADE DRUNK,—and from drunkenness be stripped naked, that thou mayest be mocked. It appears that Our Author read with the Septuagint and the Zurich Bible הרעל herael, that is, to be made drunk: now by metathesis they read הערל hearel, that is, to strip naked the foreskin. Thus the Chaldean and Pagninus. The sense is, as if to say, Thou also, O Nebuchadnezzar, shalt drink of the cup of the wrath of God, thou shalt be made drunk with the wine of anguish, perplexity, shame and confusion: thou shalt be made drunk like drunkards who strip naked their shameful parts, that is, thou shalt be punished vehemently and even unto stupor, so that all thy filthiness shall be stripped naked, and shall be exposed to the mockery of all: nay, thou shalt be so filled with it, that shameful vomiting shall follow, and shall flow over thy glory, so that namely thou shalt befoul thy glorious garments, and all thy dignity and glory by vomiting, that is, so that thou shalt basely vomit back into the hands of Cyrus and the Persians all that which thou hadst greedily swallowed down, and didst possess gloriously. Whence Pagninus translates: Drink thou also, and thy foreskin shall appear; the cup of the right hand of the Lord shall turn upon thee, and shameful vomiting shall come upon thy glory. Symbolically, note here the foulness of delights, gluttony and excess; inasmuch as these are straightway turned into vomit, filth and excrement. Wherefore St. Gregory of Nazianzus, oration 38, says, "delights are nothing other than precious dung;" precious, because it is held in esteem by the glutton, and is obtained by him at great labor and cost. Following Gregory of Nazianzus as his master, St. Jerome, epistle 13 to Paulinus: "He who, says he, desires Christ, and feeds upon that bread, does not greatly seek of what precious foods dung is made. Whatever after swallowing is not felt, let it be to thee the same as bread and legumes." And Nicetas in oration 38 of Nazianzus, near the end: "Every, says he, pleasure which is neither received from God, nor in God, is the excrement of pleasure." They themselves learned this from St. Paul, Philippians III, 8, saying: "For whom (Christ) I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but as dung, that I may gain Christ." Wherefore rightly St. Eucherius in his epistle to Valerius: "Will anyone, says he, from that school of Aristippus see the truth, who differs in his nature nothing from swine or beasts, since he places blessedness in the pleasure of the body, to whom God is the belly, and glory in his shameful parts?" Hence also that saying of Horace: "A pig from the herd of Epicurus." THE CUP OF THE RIGHT HAND OF THE LORD SHALL COMPASS THEE ABOUT.—He alludes first to the cup going round the guests, that is, going about in a circle at the banquet, as if to say, The cup of vengeance of God was offered by him to the Jews, the Moabites, the Egyptians and other nations: at length also to the Chaldeans, and to their king it shall be offered, that he may drain its dregs, and that it may make him drunk, cause him to rage and vomit. For this Jeremiah says expressly in chapter XXV, 17. Similar is Lamentations IV, 21, and Psalm IV, 21. Thus Theophylactus and Sanchez. Secondly and more forcefully, he alludes to drinkers, who when they wish to make someone a heavy drinker drunk, and to cast him down from his mind, table and bench, attack and surround him from all sides by offering him cups, until they overwhelm him with wine and sleep, so that they force him to strip naked and vomit. Thus God surrounded the Chaldeans with cups of his wrath and vengeance, namely by Persians and Medes, so that overwhelmed at their throats, and driven to stupor and madness they were. Moreover, lest anyone from Italy wonder at this contest of cups more fierce than of weapons, and their bacchic, nay bestial siege, and may know how some are bibulous and heavy drinkers, let him hear that saying of Martial, book IX, epigram LXXIV: Now tell me, who will be he to whom I command thee, O Calathis of the gods, to pour out six cyathi? It will be Caesar; And of Ovid, III Fasti: Thou wilt find there one who drank down the years of Nestor, Kings are said to press with great cups, and to torment with wine those whom they have perceived to have endured. And Juvenal, satire VI: As if a long serpent had fallen into deep vats, drink.
2:17
17. THE INIQUITY OF LEBANON, — that is, iniquity exercised by you in Lebanon. He calls Judaea and Jerusalem Lebanon, both because Lebanon was the boundary and beginning of Judaea toward the north; and because Jerusalem by the multitude and height of its houses and towers resembled Lebanon dense with cedars, cypresses and other lofty trees, from which it was built, thus Theodoret, Theophylactus, Vatablus, Arias and Clarius; indeed St. Jerome, the Chaldean, Remigius, Hugo, Lyran and Ribera think Lebanon is called the temple: because that was constructed from the cedars of Lebanon, and because Lebanon is said to be derived from the whiteness of the snows by which it is covered (for Lebanon in Hebrew is the same as white); thus also the temple on account of the whiteness of its stones appeared as a certain snowy mountain, as Josephus testifies in Book VI of the Wars, Chapter VI. The sense is, as if to say, Your iniquity and violence, O Nebuchadnezzar, by which you laid waste Judaea, destroyed Jerusalem, and burned the very temple of God, will overwhelm and destroy you, so that in like manner your Babylon, with your son Belshazzar, will be laid waste, destroyed and burned by the Persians and Medes. Here that common saying is true: "He who seeks to harm another harms himself." AND THE VASTNESS OF BEASTS SHALL TERRIFY THEM. — In Hebrew: The vastness of beasts, that is of wild animals, will terrify, or crush them, namely the beasts. Our translator renders it, them; because he calls animals, that is beasts, both the Chaldaeans, who like leopards, bears and lions laid waste Lebanon, that is Judaea, thus Arias and Vatablus; and the Medes and Persians, who like beasts rushed upon beasts, that is upon the Chaldaeans. Thus Theodoret and Theophylactus. The sense is, as if to say, Because the Chaldaeans savagely like beasts laid waste Jerusa— BECAUSE OF BLOODS (that is on account of the abundant blood of men which you shed), AND THE INIQUITY OF THE LAND, AND OF THE CITY, — that is on account of the iniquity, violence and plundering of the land of Judaea, and of the holy city Jerusalem, as if to say, Because you plundered and desolated Judaea and Jerusalem, and all who dwelt in it, therefore by the same lot and justice you too shall be plundered and desolated by Cyrus and the Persians. Thus the Chaldean and others throughout.
2:18
18. WHAT DOTH THE GRAVEN IMAGE PROFIT (Clearly the Septuagint: What doth the graven image profit, which they have graven it? they have formed it a molten image, a false imagination: because the maker trusteth in his own work, as if to say, What shall graven images, that is your idols, in which you glory, as if through them you are invincible and renowned for all plunders and victories, profit you then, O Chaldaeans, when you are destroyed by Cyrus?) SEEING THE MAKER THEREOF HATH GRAVEN IT? — Namely the idolmaker has graven and made this graven image, sculpting it with a file: but another (for it is not one and the same idol that is both graven and molten, but this is sculpted, that is molten: the verb made or molten is to be understood here, thus Vatablus) made the molten image, liquefying and molting it in the furnace; which are nothing other than a false image of God, and a false divinity, devoid of all divinity, providence, counsel, doctrine, and indeed of life, brute and mute, as if to say, To the graven image the elegant sculpture of the sculptor profits nothing, nor to the molten image the skillful molting of the molder: for he himself with all his art could not form God, or give soul and mind to the stone which he sculpted into an idol, or to the metal which he molted into an idol, much less could he impart or inspire divinity: therefore he trusts in it in vain, he invokes it in vain saying: Awake, and fight for me: he ascribes strength and victory to it in vain, both he himself and his followers the idolaters: and this will be evident to all, when your idols, O Chaldaeans, shall be plundered and broken by the Persians along with you. Note: For mute simulacra, in Hebrew there is an elegant paronomasia אלילים אלמים elilim illemim, that is, tongueless and mute godlings. The Septuagint, φαντασίαν ψευδήν, that is, mute idols. Wherefore, opposing the true God to these idols, he concludes the chapter with this exclamation: "But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him."
2:19
19. WOE TO HIM THAT SAITH TO THE WOOD: AWAKE, ARISE! — For the Gentiles, because they knew that Jupiter, Saturn, Vulcan, Apollo, Venus, etc., had been men whom their ancestors counted among the gods, hence they believed that they still had bodies, which were nourished by rest and sleep and had need of them, and that they would sleep from time to time, and therefore ought to be awakened from sleep, after the manner of kings and princes. Hence those about to pray, especially in the morning, would excite the gods by calling out, so that they might hear their prayers. Hear Arnobius in Book VII: "What is the meaning of those awakenings which you sing with morning voices joined to the pipe? For the gods above do fall asleep, so that they must return to wakefulness." Hence Elias in III Kings XVIII, 27, mocking the priests of Baal, says: "Cry with a loud voice: for he is a god, etc., surely he sleepeth, that he may be awaked." Lactantius in Book VI: "They sacrifice," he says, "victims to God, as if to one hungry: they pour out wines, as if to one thirsty: they light lamps, as if to one in darkness." Martial concerning Isis: The throng of Pharaoh announces the eighth day to the heifer of the Nile,
2:20
20. BUT THE LORD IS IN HIS HOLY TEMPLE,—that is to say, God is not a god of carved or cast gold, formed in time by a craftsman, and therefore does not dwell in a carved or cast idol, which idolaters place on earth, namely in their temples; but in heaven, which is His throne and temple, He dwells gloriously from all eternity; for He is not made by a craftsman, and He is eternal. Therefore from heaven He looks down and observes, governs and directs the affairs of men at His nod. Wherefore "let all the earth keep silence before Him." Let it keep silence, out of reverence, fear, admiration and amazement. Whence the Septuagint: "Let all the earth revere Him"; the Syriac: "Let it be moved, or tremble before Him"; the Arabic: "Let all the earth fear before Him." For in Scripture, to keep silence often signifies by metonymy to fear, to revere, to be amazed, as in Zephaniah I, 7: "Keep silence before the Lord God, for the day of the Lord is nigh"; I Maccabees I, 3: "And the earth kept silence in his sight," that of Alexander the Great; for, terrified by his arms and victories, it was silent, just as mice are silent before a cat, sheep before a wolf, birds before a hawk. Again, Theodoret and Theophylactus understand the temple here to be the temple at Jerusalem. For in it, not in idols, God dwelt and was present to His people: much more now in the new law, in temples He is present, and in the Holy Eucharist Christ dwells bodily. Wherefore deservedly St. Francis, in an exhortatory epistle to the priests of his Order, which is found in volume V of the Library. Wherefore in the Liturgy of St. James, the readers stir the people to reverence with these words: "Let all human and mortal flesh keep silence, and stand with fear and trembling, and let it think nothing earthly of itself. For the King of kings and the Lord of lords, Christ our God, comes forth to be sacrificed and to be given as food to the faithful. And before Him go the choirs of angels with all dominion and power." This had been deeply impressed upon Blessed Aloysius Gonzaga, and therefore he never suffered any wandering of the mind in prayer, and especially in holy communion. When asked about this by Cardinal Bellarmine, how it could be done, he answered: "He marveled if it could be otherwise. For who, he said, persuading himself that he is conversing with divine majesty, and is being seen and addressed by it, could turn his eyes and mind to other base and vile things?" Thus it is recorded in his Life and in the process of his canonization. Moreover, so great is the majesty of God, so great His power, so great His justice and vengeance, that Nebuchadnezzar, having experienced it, when he was turned into a beast and afterward restored to himself, celebrated it with full voice: "For His power, he said, is everlasting, and His kingdom is from generation to generation; and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing before Him," etc., Daniel IV, 31. The impious Antiochus did the same, but too late, when he felt the avenging hand of God, by which he breathed out his wretched soul. For when, struck by God, he could not bear his own stench, he exclaimed: "It is just to be subject to God, and for a mortal not to think himself equal to God," II Maccabees IX, 12. Therefore this Prophet signifies that the majesty of the Godhead is so great that it ought rather to be venerated by chaste and profound silence, as St. Dionysius says in the book On Mystical Theology, than by our meager proclamation. For the minds, voices and tongues of all men and angels fail in contemplating, honoring and celebrating it. Wherefore Ecclesiasticus, chapter XLIII, 29: "We shall say many things, and shall be wanting in words," that is to say, Although we shall have said many things, we shall nevertheless be wanting in celebrating his works (much more his very self) with due dignity. "But the end of the word is, He is all in all," that is to say, The end and sum of words is that God is in all things, or, as the Greek has it, αὐτός ἐστι τὸ πᾶν, that is, he himself is all things; because he himself is the beginning, middle and end of all things; he himself is the cause of all things, final, conserving and efficient: he himself is he who gave being to all created things, and continually gives them his being, and by his life-giving influence perpetually sustains it. For if he were to relax his hand for a moment, immediately all things would fall into their nothingness, from which they were drawn forth by him, and would perish as a shadow. For nothing is solid, either in bodies or in spirits, except insofar as the power of God holds it together intrinsically and constrains it, lest like water it flow away, or like smoke it be dispersed, or like some dream and empty phantom it vanish. Wherefore Ecclesiasticus adds: "What shall we be able to do to glorify him?" that is to say, How little is it that we are able to glorify him, for we can add no glory to him by our glorification, just as we cannot worthily celebrate his immense glory. "For he himself is almighty above all his works. The Lord is terrible and great exceedingly, and wonderful is his power. Glorifying the Lord as much as you are able, he shall yet surpass (excel, transcend all glorification), for his magnificence is admirable. Blessing the Lord, exalt him as much as you can: for he is greater than all praise. Exalting him be filled with strength (with force, spirit, vigor, that is to say, Exert and bring forth all your strength and voices), lest you labor; for you shall not comprehend him. Who shall see him, and declare? and who shall magnify him as he is from the beginning?" For this reason the royal Prophet, Psalm LXIV, 1, sings: "A hymn becometh thee, O God, in Sion;" in Hebrew: Silence is fitting for thee, O God, in Sion, that is to say, Thy works are so great, and thy majesty is so much greater still, that in comparison with it all our praise is nothing, and appears to be mere silence. Thus the Chaldean and St. Jerome there. Whence Zacharias, chapter II, 13: "Let all flesh, he says, keep silence at the presence of the Lord: because he is risen up out of his holy habitation." Nay, even St. John, Apocalypse VIII, 1: "And there was made, he says, silence in heaven." If the heavenly beings are silent and amazed at God's glory, why should not mortals be silent and amazed? The reason is, first: because the essence of God is most august, most sacred, most sublime, and immense in every direction, and therefore in an immeasurable way transcends all the intellect, conception and speech of creatures; so that all our praise is nothing other than the voice of jackdaws and chicks: for the Godhead is an ocean of essence, majesty and immensity. Hence God is called in Hebrew Jehova, that is, He who is, and He himself names himself, "I am who am," Exodus cap. III. From this ocean each single creature draws one drop, or one small stream of essence. Again, God is a certain immense sun of clarity and glory, from which each man and angel begs one small ray of light and life. Wherefore deservedly St. Gregory Nazianzen, oration on the Nativity, speaking of God says: "He contains in himself the whole of being, never begun, never to cease, as it were an infinite and boundless ocean of essence." And St. Dionysius in the book On Mystical Theology, is wholly intent on showing that God immeasurably exceeds all essence, and all intellect and knowledge on account of his "superessential infinity." Whence he frequently calls God ὑπερούσιον οὐσίαν, that is, superessential essence. The same, in the book On Divine Names, cap. XIII: "Nothing," he says, "of those things which are, or of those things which belong to any existing things, explains that mystery surpassing all reason and intellect, superessentially superexisting above all of the superessential superdivinity." And cap. IV: "In him is every principle, exemplar, final, efficient, formal, elemental; and simply every principle, every connection, every terminus." Hence "he dwelleth in light inaccessible," I Timothy VI, 16, and yet in him we live, and move, and are. For he himself is a certain foundation and the foundation of all things, upon which all things lean and rest, as St. Dionysius says in the book On Divine Names cap. X. Wherefore Job cap. XI, 7: "Perhaps," he says, "thou wilt comprehend the footsteps of God, and wilt thou find out the Almighty perfectly? He is higher than heaven, and what wilt thou do? He is deeper than hell, and how wilt thou know? His measure is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea." Let silence therefore come before thee, O King of majesty, elements and heavens. Let silence come, trees, herbs, flowers, plants, meadows, fields. Let silence come, birds, fishes, beasts and wild animals. Let silence come, men, angels and all creatures: because before thee all gathered together are no more than a moment of the balance, and a drop of morning dew, which the rising sun immediately drinks up, Wisdom XI, 23; than a drop of a bucket, than a small dust, than locusts, than emptiness and nothingness, Isaiah XL, 15, 17 and 22; than dust and ashes, Genesis cap. XVIII, vers. 27. The second reason is, that, just as in God the essence and majesty are most august; so likewise in him the holiness is most august, most august wisdom, most august providence, most august omnipotence, most august mercy, most august justice, the other most august perfections, and these infinite. For God in himself formally, or eminently, contains all the perfections of all creatures which have been, are and will be; and moreover infinite others incommunicable to creatures. For just as he is an ocean of essence, so also is he an ocean of perfections. Formally God in himself contains the absolute perfections of creatures, such as the power of understanding, willing, operating, and other spiritual things. Eminently he contains the mixed perfections of creatures, which namely are joined with some imperfection, such as heat, color, odor, A third reason is that God, just as He is infinite in essence, so also in all and each of these His attributes, is positively infinite. For He possesses infinite holiness, infinite power, infinite wisdom, and so forth with the rest; in all and each of these, therefore, He is infinite and immense. Again, God in an infinite manner transcends not only all created things and their perfections and endowments, but also all possible and imaginable things, which are infinite; He transcends, I say, them all, not by one degree, not by a hundred, not by a thousand degrees, but by a thousand thousands of millions, indeed infinitely. For conceive wisdom, power, goodness, etc., as great as you can, and ever greater and increasing infinitely; when you have conceived all these things, know that all this your conception, and that of all men and angels, is infinitely transcended by God's wisdom, power, goodness, etc.; know that you have not yet reached the first point of divinity; but you are distant from it infinitely. Let silence therefore be kept before your majesty, O Lord, by all minds, all tongues, all concepts, all voices of Seraphim and Cherubim, and let them veil their faces and feet, for shame and reverence, Isaiah VI, 2; because with all their keenness, with all their ardor, they cannot penetrate and comprehend even the least degree of your glory. Truly "Great is the Lord and exceedingly to be praised, and of His greatness there is no end," Psalm CXLIV. And Baruch cap. III, 25: "Great, he says, He is, He has no end: He is high and immense." From these reasons it follows that to the immense majesty, holiness, wisdom, etc., of God, immense Secondly, hence we are stirred to love God above all things with the highest and most sincere affection and love that we can offer; because He Himself, on account of His infinite excellence, is infinitely worthy of all love, all good, all glory, all praise, all veneration, all obedience and service. From this love follows a great and burning desire for the glory of God, and readiness of mind, that we expend our strength, spirit, blood and life to celebrate and promote His name and glory everywhere, so that all may know, fear, love, worship and glorify God's majesty, eternity, immensity, holiness, omnipotence, mercy, justice, providence forever. Then from this love is born wonderful joy, exultation and jubilation, whereby we rejoice in so great a majesty and glory of God, and to Him we jubilate again and again, saying: "Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, honor, and power, and strength to our God forever and ever. Amen," Apoc. VII, 12. Thus we begin the angelic and blessed life. For this is the office of angels and saints in heaven: this is their leisured business, and their busy leisure, that with all their heart, in supreme joy and jubilation, they honor, praise, glorify God perpetually. Thirdly, we learn to despise all the allurements and pomps of the world, and to fix our whole heart in God, and to say with the Psalmist: "But it is good for me to adhere to God. For what have I in heaven? and besides Thee what do I desire upon earth? Thou art the God of my heart, and the God that is my portion forever." Let all riches, all honors, all pleasures, which blind mortals worship as idols, be silent before your face, since in truth they are nothing but a false image and shadowy simulacra of solid riches, honors and delights; because in You alone is all true good, all beauty, all that is delightful, all sweetness, all rest, all consolation, all treasures, all dignity, all majesty, all glory, all wisdom, all life, all happiness. You are an infinite ocean of essence, goodness and Finally, hence we learn that the best means and ladder by which we ascend to God is the silence of creatures. A certain holy man with D. Tauler, page 685, when asked: "Where did you find God?" answered: "Where I left creatures." St. Dionysius, in the book On Mystical Theology, teaches that we attain to the knowledge of God in two modes and ways: the first is that of affirmation and comparison, namely ascending from creatures to the Creator, and affirming of Him all the endowments which we find in creatures, which in God the Creator are the same without comparison more excellently and perfectly; the latter is that of negation, namely denying of God all created things, for example saying: God is not an animal, not a man, not heaven, not an angel, but infinitely something more excellent and divine: and he asserts that in this second manner God is known better and more purely. By this ladder St. Augustine, book X of the Confessions, chapter VI, ascends to God: "Lord," he says, "I love thee; but heaven and earth and all things that are in them, behold on all sides they tell me to love thee; nor do they cease to speak to all, that they may be without excuse. But what do I love when I love thee? Not the beauty of a body, nor the grace of temporal things, nor the brightness of light—behold these are pleasing to my eyes, nor the sweet melodies of all kinds of pleasant songs; nor the fragrance of flowers and ointments and spices; nor manna and honey, nor limbs acceptable to the embraces of the flesh. I do not love these things when I love my God; and yet I love a certain light, and a certain voice, and a certain odor, and a certain food, and a certain embrace, when I love my God—light, voice, odor, food, embrace of my inner man; where there shines forth what my soul loves, which no place can contain, and where sounds what time cannot snatch away, and where smells what no breeze scatters, and where tastes what no gluttony diminishes, and where clings what no satiety tears away. This is what I love when I love my God. And what is this? I asked the earth, and it said: I am not; and all things in it confessed the same. I asked the sea and the abysses and the creeping things of living creatures; and they answered: We are not thy God, seek above us. I asked the heaven, the sun, the moon, the stars, etc., and they cried out with a loud voice: He made us. I asked the mass of the world about my God, and it answered me: I am not, but he made me," etc.
Machine translation from the Latin, not reviewed.
2:1
Uti sacer psaltes rerum perplexitate pressus, labor est ante me, inquit, donec intrem in sanctuarium Dei (Ps. 2, 16. 1'1. cf. Theod. Calm.), ita vates sacra contemplatione sibi fieri responsum divinum confidit. Simul muneris sui titulum Deo obtendit ; est enim propheta a Deo electus, os Dei ad populum, qui verba Dei ad populum ferat, in cuius ore verba sua se positurum Deus spoponderat (cf. Deut. 18, 18) ; quare in rerum angustiis iuremerito divinum responsum exspectat, idque eo magis, quia Deus Ipse non semel invitat prophetas: « clama ad me et exaudiam te et annuntiabo tibi grandia» (Ier. 33, 3; cf. 42, 4. 7). Unde Habacuc muneris sui memor in hac sua dignitate se sistit Domino 2, 4 « Super custodiam. mcam stabo et figam gradum super munitionem et contemplabor, ut videam quid dicatur mihi et quid respondeam ad. arguentem me»; — sunt enim prophetae custodes, speculatores, quiin alta veluti specula positi curam populi gerunt, hostem venientem annuntiant, periculis prospiciunt ; ita apud Ez. 31, 1-71. Inde facile explicatur, eur propheta pro munere suo responsum divinum expetens dicat super custodiam meam $tabo ... quasi dicat : e communi vita et hominum turba me recipiam ; mente et animo morabor in sublimitate illa, quae in consuetudine et commercio cum Deo adest, in sublimitate muneris prophetici, qua aditus ad Dei colloquium pateat (cf. S. Iier.). Quare speculam hane et arcem (hebr.), in qua ' consistere vult, S. Cyr. haud immerito exponit animum a curis et distractionibus rebusque terrenis longissime remotum, qui Deo appropinquet ; «in exercitatione et consuetudine mea excubabo, animum rursus purgabo, curis mundanis exsolvam, sursum quodammodo volabo...illic ceu ex iugo montis speculabor secundum intellectum, quae Deus mihi locuturus sit » (Cyr. sim. Theoph. Alb.). Unde periculo Chaldaeorum imminente — minae enim divinitus adsunt maxime graves — tamquam custos fidelis speculam occupat, sumpta metaphora a5 iis, qui arcem custodiunt et undique diligenter dispiciunt, ne clam hostis accedat; quasi dicat : «officio meo non deero, sed illud observabo » ( Theod. M. sim. TAcoph. Rib. Sanct. Lap. Men.). In fideli ! ista muneris sui observantia iure potest exspectare, ut videat, quid Dominus loquatur in mc (hebr.) ; « ut indicet Deum non forinsecus verba facere ipsi, sed intrinsecus mente eius contacta ; liumanus sermo ab extra primum aures circumstrepens dein ad, mentem pervenit; divinum vero colloquium intus fit mentisque aures ferit» (Theoph. sim. Hier. Rib. Sanct.). Edoceri cupit de difficultate proposita 1, 13; id clare indicatur in hebr. «t videam ... quid respondeam ad disceptationem mcam, vel ad expostulationem et querelam meam, qua scil. cum Deo egit. Ita quoque LXX «( &zcxpiüà. &zi t£v £Aeyyév goo, Syrus ct Chald. similiter. Eodem modo explicanda versio lat. ? i. e. quid mihi ipsi arguenti et querenti possim respondere, qua ratione e enodare debeam quaestionem propositam. Neque frustra vates suam Deo exhibuit ac proposuit vocationem propheticam, qua Dei responsum ei liccat expetere et firmiter sperare;
2:2
v. 2 « et respondit mihi Dominus ct dizit: scribe visum et explana eum super tabulas, ut. percurrat qui legerit eum » ; — iubetur summam responsi divini in perpetuam rei memoriam literis in tabula clare et distincte depictis describere, itaut maxima facilitate possit legi et percipi ; erplana i. e. distincte et. clare exhibe vel propone; «scribere autem iubetur planius, ut possit lector currere et nullo impedimento velocitas cius et legendi cupido teneatur » (S. Hier.). Res maximi momenti publicis ctiam tabulis fuisse propositas, etiam ex Is. 8, 4 videtur constare. Quid vero propheta ita ad omnium memoriam consignare iubeatur, ambigunt, neque desunt, qui integrum caput vel totam vatis prophetiam ita memoriae exhiberi velint (cf. Sanct.), dum alii nihil fuisse publice a propheta scripto proponendum, sed locutionem mera metaphora contineri et absolvi apud se statuant (cf. Keil, Trochon). Verum hoc ultimum prorsus gratuito fingitur et verbis adeo distinctis sine ulla necessitate vim infert. Rei summa et cardo continetur in v. 4; unde is ad animos percellendos et edocendos, qua norma Deus in castigatione per hostes immittenda usurus sit, publice literis et tabulis exhibitus erit censendus. Cur vero non sola annuntiatio sufficiat, sed ratione quadam extraordi- ' naria efficiendum sit, ut responsum divinum quam altissime animis hominum impressum servetur, statim subditur — et inde simul colligi debet, praeceptum de scriptione et tabulis esse proprio sensu intelligendum —
2:3
v. 3 « quia adhuc visus procul et apparebit in finem et non mentietur ; s moram fecerit, exspecta illum quia veniens veniet, et non tardabit » ; — hebr. quia adhuc visio ad. tempus constitutum et anhelat ad. finem i. e. id quod visione exhibetur, visum suo tempore implebitur et ipsa prophetia vi quadam innata tendit (hebr.) ad impletionem, quae erit tempore a Deo constituto. Interea spe et fiducia pios se consolari oportet. Praecipitur ergo scriptio, « quia adhuc visio procul est et in tempore constituto » (S. Hier.) ; nam non erat neque prophetae, neque aliorum, nosse tempora et momenta ; « quod si forte pro cupiditate tua, o lector, et videndae visionis ardore paululum tibi visum fuerit moram facere quod promissum est, noli desperare venturum, sed exspecta patienter ; me enim habes qui tibi polliceor et dico : veniens veniet et non tardabit » (S. Hier.). Hac asseveratione efficitur, prophetiam absolute, sine ulla conditione, esse implendam eamque nullo pacto ab hominum cooperatione dependere neque hominum malitia esse ulla ratione retractandam. Fieri enim potest — id quod ler. 18, 1-11; Ez. 33, 13-19 indubie proponitur — ut prophetia absolute quidem enuntiata tamen sub aliqua conditione futura vel non futura debeat intelligi. Quod igitur nulla facta hypothesi absolute fieri oportet, id tali affirmatione asseri hoc loco | placuit. Vide quae dicta sunt ad Ioel 2, 4. 19 et Ion. 3, 10. Quale sit subiectum in sententia exspecta illum ete. ex nexu. verborum dubitari nequit ; plerique etiam interpretes rite explicant; visum esse exspectandum, visum esse venturum ', Alb. Mar. explicant ; id quod promissum. est proponi a S. Hier. modo audivimus ; eventum interpretatur Sanct. ; Aoyovy supplent Theod. et similiter Theod. M.;alii tamen illum (graece abxov, dum antecedit 6pacw) intelligunt vel Deum, qui suo tempore res sit ad effectum perducturus (Theoph.) vel Cyrum, qui Chaldaeorum regnum et insolentiam sit deiecturus (Cyr. Lap. Men. Tir.), vel etiam Nabuchodonosorem (cf. apud Sanct.), vel ipsum denique Christum, qui sit 6 épyouevoc; ità cum alia interpretatione * S. Hier. Eusebius (M. 92, 440), Haimo, Rup. Sa et magna cum contentione Rib. : alii mystice vel sz devjrrat ibi Christum agnoscunt v. g. quatenus Cyrus sit typus Christi, vel quatenus Christus verus sit triumphator hostium, vel scopus et finis prophetiae ; cf. Cyr. Lap. Men. Tir. Esse sermonem de Christo et quidem de secundo eius adventu, Ribera potissimum ex Hebr. 40, 37 probat. Verum hoc argumentum nullum est. Nam eo in loco a) non est Apostoli mens verba prophetae proprie ct explicite interpretari ; quod si facere vult, explicite Scripturam vel prophetam nominat ; b) et si propriam daret et veri nominis explicaüonem loci, nulla alia ex verbis Apostoli posset colligi, nisi haec : ne animis cadatis, nam Deus promissa certissime est redditurus, idque cito : quae explicatio optime quoque in contextum prophetae apta est. Rem bene iam proposuit Sanct. : « neque Pauli locus nimis in oppositum urget ; neque enim tam adducitur, ut prophetae verba dicantur tunc impleri et eo spectare directs et proprie, quam adducuntur tamquam exemplum, quo excitentur ad bene sperandum illi, quorum tunc animi contrariarum rerum conflictu laborabant... Quam vero accommodatus sensus in Scriptura sacra frequens sit, docet Gabriel Vasquez 4 p. disp. 18 n. 9; Acosta de Christo revelato lib. 5 cap. 9. Ab exemplis abstineo, quae passim occurrent attento lectori ». Praeterea non est omittendum, Deuin dici venire, descendere, egredi satis frequenter *, cum minime de Messiae adventu, sed de effectu quolibet, qui peculiari ratione ad Deum auctorem referri debeat, sermo inducitur, id quod idem Ribera ipse adnotavit ad Mich. 4, 3 et variis exemplis illustrat ; praeterea cf. Gen. 11, 8; 18, 10; 20, 3. Ps. 40, 3; 9, 8 ; 95, 18 ; 97, 9. Is. 3, 14 ; 30, 297; 50, 2 etc. Tali prooemio praemisso Deus normam et regulam enuntiat, quam in omnium rerum eventu valere vult et publico et privato, quae vero si non statim atqueimmediate rebus ipsis exsecutioni mandari videatur, nihilominus ex modo dictis firma fiducia erit amplectenda ita, ut tempus quo opere exprimatur, divinae committatur providentiae;
2:4
v. 4 « ecce, qui incredulvs est, non erit vects animo eius ?n scine(?pso ; 4ustus autem dn fide «ua vivet » : — liebr. ecce, tume[acta, mon vecta est anima eius in ipso ; iustus vero in fide sua vivet i. e. norma Dei haec est: vita laeta et prospera, creptio e periculis et interitu, vita demum bonis abundans ac Dei favore beata — quae sola vera est vita — proponitur soli iusto et proponitur, quia et quatenus 1» fide sua consistat ac fideliter permaneat, quia et quatenus pio ac fideli animo Deo subditus verbis ac promissionibus Dei fidem adhibeat firmissimam et spe inde concepta se hac fide et fiducia consoletur ac roboret in omni calamitate. Unica proinde vitae ac salutis spes residet in vera iustitia, quae in tali fide fundatur, ex ca efflorescit, ab ea separari nequit. Ieitur quamdiu iustus hanc fidem animo amplexus fuerit, propter eam et eius virtute vivet coram Deo, salvus erit, etsi mille periculis sit obrutus. Quae cum sit unica salutis norma, mors, interitus, excidium, aliis omnibus denuntiatur, qui ab hac vitae regula alien sunt. Tales autem describuntur ii, quorum animi sint elati, tumefacti, superbia inflati et. qui rectitudine coram Deo careant. Haec duo enim e contrario opponuntur fidei, quae solum in animo humili ac demisso residet, et ?ustitiae, quae humili fide innixa vitae ac salutis promissione sola potiatur. Unde versus ita est conformatus, ut duobus membris partis alterius, iustitiae et fidei respondeant in priore parte ex aequo duae enuntiationes, chiastice collocatae et contrariae ; fidei scil. (umor vel animi elatio ; iustitiae antma non recta 1n ?pso. Tertia enundatio iam ex ipsa oppositione intelligitur; si enim 2ustus solum propter suam fidem vivet et salvus crit, per se liquet, omnem qui non sit iustus immo iustitiae et fidei inimicus, tumore scil. et perversitate animi Deo exosus, morti et interitui ! fore obnoxium. Plura hoc loco consideranda offeruntur, ex quibus pauca paucis perstringam. In aperto est ipso contextu, fidem intelligi eam, qua quis verbo Dei eiusque promissionibus credat eisque firmo animo adhaereat. Id enim ex versu 3 necessario consequitur, quo iubemur verbo per Dei legatum legitimum nobis annuntiato — ea enim est visio — tamquam vero firmiter adhaerere, omni dubitatione et titubatione exclusa, etsi verbi veritas nobis ex ipso rerum eventu non statim neque immediate per se illucescat; iubemur enim promissionem firmissime et certissime exspectare, etsi longiores texuntur morae, ea persuasione inconcussa imbuti, quia veniens veniet, id quod cum emphasi dicit idem ac: quia certissime et plenissime veniet. Fidem igitur praeprimis dogmaticau, ut scholae loquuntur, propheta effert, qua Dei promissionibus ac verbis credimus (cf. Hier. Cyv. Theod. Theod. M. IIaimo, Rup. Iib. Sanct. Lap. Calm. etc. etc.), cui utique spes, fiducia, obsequwwm adiungatur oportet (cf. Sanct, Rib. Lap. Calm.). Atque hanc fidei, risvee; LXX, notionem revera verbo hebr. nux inesse, facile probari potest. Nam Gen. 15, 6, ubi certissime de fide verbo Dei praestita sermo est, verbum huius radicis legitur 1"ZN2 et propter cam fidem Abraham vocatur y2N2 Neh. 9, 8. Praeterca ca verbi notio indubie variis locis subest, v. g. Ex. 14, 31 et crediderunt Domino et Moysi servo eius ; 4, 4 non credent mihi ; 8, 9. Is. 7, 9; 53, 1. ler. 40, 14. Prov. 44, 159 et saepe. Et ipsum substantivum ca notione invenitur usurpatum ler. 7, 28 et saepe notione cognata fidelitatis in promissis praestandis Deut. 32, 4 ; ler. 5, 3. Prov. 12, 17. Ps. 36, 6 ; 40, 41 etc. firmitatis, securitatis Ex. 17, 12. Is. 33, 6. Ipsa oppositione elucet, uti fides quam maxime requirat animum humilem atque demissum, ita ei adversari summopere superbiam, tumorem ; quod propheta hoc loco indicat, explicite Christus docuit ad pharisaeos dicens : « quomodo vos potestis credere, qui gloriam ab invicem accipitis » (loan. 5, 44)? | Vita, quae hoc loco merito fidei, ut Alb. ait, promittitur, proxime est, ut idem Aib. explicat, ab hostibus liberatio, vel, ut Sanct. dicit, vita secura ac laeta. Verum in hace vitae ac salutis temporalis promissione nullo modo sistendum esse, ifnmo eam ne primario quidem spectari hoc loco, ex versu antecedenti facile colligitur. Eo enim versu ea rerum conditio ponitur, quae cum temporali promissione stare prorsus nequeat. Nam si iusto temporalis vita et felicitas promitteretur, haec sane non posset indefinita quadam mora differri et in ancipiti relinqui. Nam quot iusti iam extremum vitae temporalis spatium degunt? et quomodo fieri posset, ut invasione et expugnatione a Chaldaeis facta, urbe destructa, regionibus ab hostibus occupatis multisque incolarum millibus in miseram captivitatem abductis iusti vitam agerent securam, a molestiis vacuam, felicem ac genialem ? Nonne unus dolor theocratiae eversae urbisque sacrae dirutae iam sufficiet, ut verus Israelita vitam suam iam non reputet felicem ? Quare vivet tustus, uti in universum dicitur, ita quoque quam latissime accipiatur oportet : delineatur sors contraria, quae Chaldaeis et Iudaeis continget: illi excisione interibunt, Chaldaeorum regnum iam non erit instaurandum ; hi clade et strage superstites novam condent theocratiam neque Israelitarum nomen peribit. Praeter hanc ad utrumque populum avolicationem publicam respicienda erit privata divinae normae ad uniuscuiusque fortunam applicatio, quae cum huius vitae limitibus circumscribi nequeat, certe intelligenda erit de vitae munere tali, quo quis etiam mediis in calamitatibus frui possit. Id indicat S. Cyr. : « qui verborum meorum veritatem testificabitur, is plane etiam consequetur, ut vitae sit particeps, quod praemium Deum honorantibus constitutum etegregium benevolentiae divinae stipendium est ». Ad quid autem suapte natura tendat vita haec iusto fideli promissa, S. Hier. effert : ciustus qui credit verbis meis et de his non ambigit quae polliceor, habebit praemium vitam sempiternam ». Igitur solutio difficultatis a propheta propositae eo continetur, quod D?us in omni rerum vicissitudine et angustia iustum fideliter in fide ac fiducia persistentem vera vita et vera beatitate donabit, dum impii interitui subiacebunt. Hic erit rerum exitus, haec vera pii sors, haec impii conditio ultima, etsi ad tempus species oboriri vel praevalere videatur contraria. Hanc Dei normam fide intemerata in maxima rerum humanarum perturbatione, obscuritate, conflictu retinere et animo imperturbato profiteri, fidei meritum est praestantissimum, ad quod Deus per prophetam tamquam ad unicum in rebus desperatis solatium omnes pios in Israel provocat atque invitat. sum prophetae verba apud S. Paulum ita coniungere : iustus ex fide — vivit i.e. qui ex fide iustus est, vivit, quasi scripserit 6 8:xatog 6 dx mitem, vel 6 £x mote 6txatoc (cf. Caietanum apud Estium in Rom. 4, 17). Inde quoque patet, quam congrue idem Apostolus argumentetur : quoniam autem in lege nemo iustificatur apud Deum, manifestum est : quia iustus ex fide vivit (Gal. 9, 11), ipsa enim lez, vel ipsum vetus testamentum eo effato clare pronuntiat, non in operibus - legis, verum in fide iusti vitam collocari ac fundari, proinde veram iustitiam ex fide efflorescere. Eiusdem fidei virtutis praestantiam Apostolus commendat et a contrario vitio, quod Deo summopere displiceat, illustrat Hebr. 10, 37. 38 ubi locum hunc fereex LXX versione ' affert : xai 2v Oxzostt')ntat, oüx sbBoxst $ ux, uou ày abri ' i. e. si se subtrahit, minus facit quam oportet, negligens est aliove animum avertit, a recto tramite et conscquenter a Dei beneplacito excidit vel Dei in eum voluntas non est recta (ex hebr.), plana, ei favens, sed eum odio habens. Unde in hoc quoque loco non adest sensus discrimen adeo magnum" inter hebr. et LXX ; ad hoc enim reducitur, ut a) pro animi tumore negligentiam, socordiam ponant in divimo obsequio et b) ut Dei displicentiam, quae ex hebr. consequitur, explicite efferant. Sed qui animi tumore et superbia laborat, idem negligens et maxime tardus est in obedientia Deo praestanda et fide ei adhibenda; quare vero sensu posuit S. Hier. : qui incredulus est *. Alterum vero : animam eius non esse rectam et Dei voluntatem ab eo abhorrere, inter se correlata sunt secundum illud cum perverso perverteris (Ps. 17, 21). Quod in priore parte v. 4 impio et insolenti est propositum, statim apertius declaratur applicatione facta ad Chaldaeos. Ita simul praeclara oppositione sors iusti beata magis illustratur :
2:5
v. 9 « et quomodo vinum potantem decipit, sic erit vir superbus et non decorabitur : qui dilatavit quasi infernus animam suam, et ipse quasi mors et non adimpletur, et congregabit ad. se omnes gentes et coacervabit ad se omnes populos » ; — est scil. animi elatio et tumor quasi ebrietas quaedam, quae primum exhilarat hominem, dein humi sternit et ridendum omnibus exponit (Men.) ; ita animi superbia mentem primum fallaci laetitia implet et omnia audendi libidine ; mox perturbat et obnubilat ; dein ad ruinam et derisionem adducit. « Quomodo vinum contra potantem facit, et postquam surrexerit, neque pes neque mens suum officium tenent, omnisque laetitia et mentis exhilaratio vertitur in ruinam, sic vir superbus non decorabitur » (S. Hier.). Comparatio eo magis est apta, quia, ut ait Curtius (9, 4) : « Babylonii maxime in vinum et quae ebrietatem sequuntur effu- 81 sunt» (cf. Dan. 8. Keil, Reinke) et quia insatiabili cupiditate et siti inexplebili laborantes omnium gentium opes devorare studebant. Id scquentibus comparationibus znferni et mortis declaratur ; infernus enim nunquam dicit sufficit (Prov. 30, 16. Cyr.), neque mors unquam cezsat grassari. Unde Theod. M. : «quasi infernus adversus omnes vim suam extendit passim interficiens et mortis imitator nullam occisorum satietatem cepit, captivans plurimos et ubique omnes sub suam potestatem redigens». Ultimum membrum explica ex hebr. vel per tempus praesens vel per tempus praeteritum ; dicitur enim, qua ratione dilataverit quasi infernus animam suam i. e. cupiditatem et devorondi libidinem (cf. Is. 5, 14); ita quoque S. Hier. interpretatur : «in similitudinem inferi et mortis non saturatur occisis etomnium gentium deceptione laetatur et ad se populos congregat ». Textus mas. non habet comparationis particulam, quam cum S. Hier. etiam Chald. exhibet, sed *5 "jx quin immo virum est perfidum ; homo superbus — et non permanebit ; nequo LXX neque Syrus particulam. comparationis expresserunL neque vini perfidi mentionem ingerunt, sed habent illi : vir arrogans et contemptor, vir - gloriabundus nihil perducet ad finem ; hic : vir temerarius et avidus non satiatur. Suspicantur aliqui, graecum interpretem non xatoetegivo; sed xatvowozgsvo;! vino obrulus scripsisse, quod utique magis cum hebr. conveniret (cf. Ros. et Sehleusneri Thes. [II p. 2991, quem refert Middeldorpf[ cod. syr. hexapl. p. $51) ; sed interpres Syrus hexapl. priori lectioni adstipulatur, quam etiam .S. flier. sequitur vertens textum graecum : qui autem arrogans est ctc. Nihilominus, ut sensus sit planus, comparationis particula nccessario erit admiltenda ; nam ad quid alias vini menuüo fieret ? scd ebrietatis et superbiae est non una similitudo. S. flier. verbum 5^3 interpretatus est decorus fuit et ea notio verbo inesse videtur, cum Ex. 15, 2 in hiphil significatione glorificandi adhibeatur, vel verbum retulit ad 1x2, 1183; ceterum n" notione habitationis frequenter occurrit. Unde vel ebrii ignominia vel casus et interitus praedicitur. LXX reddiderunt : o20£v y? xepzvo et S. Hier. scribit suam et LXX versionem coniungens : « vir superbus non decorabitur nec voluntatem suam perducet ad finem, et iuxta Symmachum ox sizopo:t, hoc est, in rerum omnium erit penuria » ; potantem explicalionis gratia versioni. inseruit.
2:6
v. 6 « I Numquid non omnes isti super eum parabolam sument et. loquelam aenigmatum eius, et. dicetur : vae. ei qui multiplicat non sua? usquequo? et aggravat contra se densum lutum » ; — cf. Mich. 2, 4. Is. 14, 4; notat Calm. : «parabolam et aenigma nuncupat Scriptura, quidquid sententiosae orationis est, sive ad morcs informandos pertineat, sive ad irrisum, satyram, scomma aliudve genus spectet ». Merito vocant carmen hoc! vel sermonem derisivum (Alb.) vel proverbiale convicium (Sanct.) vel scomma (Tir). Atque primo reprehendunt in eo insatiabilem avaritiam, latrocinia ubique exercita, spolia omnibus vi et violentia detracta. Verum vae; iustitia est enim regnorum fundamentum. Et multum et diu alios esse oppressos, vexatos illius rapacitate, declaratur exclamatione, qua indignationem ct desiderium vindictae produnt : usquequo? vel quamdiu tam indigna conditio ferenda erit? « intexuit autem medio usque^uo? ostendens illum nec aviditati nec crudelitati modum ponere et iniquitatis finoin. aversari » (Cyr.). At quo magis opes iniustae coacervantur, eo maiora pondera et onera sibi ipsi imponit Chaldaeus, quibus deinum oppressus succumbet : igitur contra se accumulat thesauros ; « simulque considera, quam eleganter multiplicatas divitias dens: appeilaverit lu- (um. » (IHier.), quo nomine et vilitas divitiarum et pernicies quam male partac secum ferunt designatur (cf. Sanct. Lap.). Mich. ?, 10 etc. — vocabulum satis frequens, cum 13 vicibus occurrat —) et. iti lcgit et interpretatus est. Syrus et etiam S. [[:er. et aliqui ex. doctoribus iudaicis v. g Jos. Kimeki, Ibn Esra etc. Explicat Chald. pondus culparum. LXX locum reddur: £a577w 36v Xotó7 avtoU a1:3x20; ; id quod S. /lier. exponit : « iniquitatis et. praedaruni onere quasi gravissima lorque se deprimit ». lieeentiores verbum elucidare stvdent ex 1227 (formatione analoga, uti 1332 etc.) eique nolionem tribuunt vel opp. gnerationis i. e. bonorum pro pignore captorum, direptorum (ef. Ges. Keil) vel ini. gis generatim culpae qua quis obnoxium se reddit (cf. Fürst C. et L. Bheinke). IIacbigantius ex lingua syriaca (7) explicat spisse set:8zo0:. Schegg sensum utrumque spleudidam, dicendi luminibus ornatam — cf. Fürst C. Keil; vel orationem obscuram, ac- amplexus prophetam vocem consulto elegisse censet : « si vox pronuntiatu:, revera nubem luti significat, sed si scribitur, aliam habet notionem, cum Hebraei nomina composita non admittant nisi in nominibus propriis, scil. pignorum captorum copia ; et propter hunc duplicem sensum qui inest, vates vocem adhibuit, ut sermo fieret aenigma »; quae si vera essent, tamen duplex sensus nunquam adesset ; scd qui auliret, aliter intelligeret quam is qui legeret sermonem. Sed quis sibi persuadebit, eiusmodi ludicrum artificium captasse prophetam ? Iam primum illud vae describitur v. "1 « numquid non repente consurgent qui mordeant te? et suscitabuntur lacerantes te et eris àn rapinam cis »? — i. e. capient vindictam adaequatam ; ut Chaldaeus crudeliter cgit, alios non solum spoliavit, verum etiam quasi fera bestia dentibus momordit, vexavit et dilaceravit, ita iusta ultione in eum quoque animadvertetur. Primum verbum hebr. mordentes te alii ideo subtiliter dictum esse censent, quia verti quoque potest feneratores tui, et vocem referunt ad ultimum membrum versus antecedentis : tu pignora accumulasti et bona direpta coacervasti, iam venient, qui fenerantur. Sensus utique non ineptus, si feneratores intelliguntur, qui usuras imponunt, exigunt ; sed pro hac significatione exspectanda esset forma verbi in hiphil ; cf. Deut. 23, 20. 21. Forma, quae hic habetur in gal non significat nisi eos, qui aliis pecuniam mutuo dant vel ad usuram porrieunt. Át haec notio non est apta, qua hostes et spoliatores designentur. Quare in priore sensu mordendi, vexandi erit sistendum, eo magis, quia ea notione verbum saepius invenitur adeoque usitatum est cf. Gen. 49, 17. Num. 91, 8. Am. 9, 19 et praesertim Mich. 3, 9. Atque ad hanc notionem etiam congruit verbum alterum, quod immediate subsequitur agitantes, diverantes te (hebr.). Sed fortasse dicet aliquis, verbum *;22 etiam in qal apte adhiberi, eo scil. sensu, ut gentes quas spoliaverint Chaldaei, tamquam tales designentur quae suas opes quasi eis mutuo dederint et nunc cerseantur venire, ut suum cum lucro repetant. At nescio quid subtilius ibi mihi videtur fingi, quod cum statim propheta rapinae et direptionis mentionem inferat, consistere vix poterit. Haec iusta talio iam explicite asseritur
Ex norma v. 4 proposita Chaldaeo interitus imminet. Utique poterit furere per aliquod tempus et esse in manu Domini virga furoris sui et baculus (Is. 10, 9), quo Iudaei et omnes gentes in circuitu percutiantur et in duram servitutem adigantur (cf. Ier. 93, 41) — at ruina eius certa est. Hanc igitur propheta prospicit eamque per modum dicterii et scommatis e causis explanat, ita ut omnes oppressi festivo carmine Chaldaeo insultantes introducantur :
2:8
v. 8 « quia tu spoliasti gentes multas, spoltabunt te omnes qut reliqui fuerint de populis, propter sanguinem hominis et iniquitatem terrae, civitatis eL omnium habitantium in ea » ; — Chaldaeus v. 5 ad se congregaverat omnes gentes, eas conculcaverat ; verum ex illarum reliquiis exsistent ultores ; igitur qui reliqui fuerint de populis non sunt ii, qui extra tyrannidem Chaldaeorum erant positi neque ab eis unquam subiecti (uti volunt Theoph. Sanct. Sa, Mar. Men. Trochon), sed ii qui ex populis subiectis adhuc exsistunt et ultores, evadunt (cf. Hier. Cyr. Theod. M. Alb. Schegg, Reinke). Nam Persas quoque et Medos subiectos fuisse Chaldaeis, ex Ier. 95, 9. 25 apparet; quare frustra contrarium ZHitz. affirmat. Ultio autem haec capietur potissimum propter crudelitatem, oppressionem quam Chaldaei terrae Iuda et urbi Ierusalem et habitatoribus Israel intulerunt (cf. Ier. Rib. Sanct. Lap. Tir.). Ita Ier. 81, 14 : «suscitavit Dominus spiritum regum Medorum et contra Babylonem mens eius est ut perdat eam, quoniam ultio Domini est, ultio templi sui » ; idem dicitur Is. 43, 14 : « propter vos misi in Babylonem »... cf. 82, 8. 6; 45, 4 et quam maxime explicite Ier. 50, 41. 18. 99. 33; 51, 5. Alii tamen ferram, urbem collective de omnibus regionibus accipiunt (cf. Theoph. Mar. Schegg, Keil, Reinke — cf. ler. 50, 93; 81, 95) ; vide 2, 171. Alterum vae contra dynasten Chaldaeorum dirigitur, qui opibus collectis confisus suae domus et familiae securitatem, stabilitatem, gloriam - sibi pollicitus est ;
2:9
v. 9 « vae qui congregat avaritiam malam domui suae, ut sit in excelso midus eius, et liberari se putat de manu mali » ; — « avaritia pro divitiis sumitur avare conquisitis per metonymiam, quae causam adhibet pro effectu » (Sanct.); hebr. qui lucratur lucrum malum domui suae i. e. familiae regiae ; hisce sperat se domum suam stabilem et invictam fundaturum, ita ut sicut nidus aquilarum in montium iugis et rupibus praealtis collocatus, in summa securitate longe ab omni impetu hostili remota consistat (cf. Rib. Lap. Mar. Men.). Nidus enim in altissima rupe positus inaccessus est, inde quam maxime tutus Tali vero fiduciae et securitati etiam adiungi animi superbiam et. elationem, et res ipsa loquitur, et etiam Abdias innuit v. 8: « superbia cordis tui extulit te ... exaltantem solium tuum ; qui dicis in corde tuo : quis detrahet me in terram ». Quare etiam hic cum TAeoóph. et Sanct. in nidi exaltatione et securitatem et animi elationem cernimus expressam. S. Cyr. nidum dicit innumeras arces et custodias, quas posuerint Babylonii ad invadentium conatus eludendos ; ceterum cf. Num. 24, 91. Ier. 49, 16. Abd. 4. Verum quo altius ascendit et quo magis se tutum cogitavit Chaldaeus, eo ignominiosior erit ruina, eo gravior casus (cf. Theod. Theoph.). Nam « ex tali apparatu dedecus et pudorem eum relaturum spe in contrarium cadente, propheta docet dicens » (Cyr.)
2:10
v. 10 « cogitasti confusionem domui (uae » ; — « eleganter dictum ; cum tu per fas et nefas potentiam et divitias tuas augebas cogitans de regni tui perpetuitate, tunc non incolumitatem et firmitatem imperio tuo et posteris tuis cogitabas, sed confusionem et ignominiam » (ftib. sim. Theod. M. Sanct.). Quantopere autem ignominiam et opprobria commeritus sit, testimonia adsunt amplissima : « concidisti populos multos et peccavit anima tua » ; — erat enim Chaldaeus malleus universae terrae (Ier. $0, 23) et hac oppresDomino ; cf. 4, 11; unde dies ruinae eius est ultio Domini (Yer. 50, 15), quia Dominum provocavit, contra Dominum erectus est (Ier. 50, 94. 90). Et quantopere peccaverit, ita ut ipsae creaturae insensibiles et inanimatae ultionem a Chaldaeo sumendam esse alta voce clament, declaratur
2:11
v. 14 «quia lapis de partete clamabit et lignum quod inter iuncturas aedificiorum est, respondebit » ; — patheticum sane est, quod ipsa inanimata intolerabilem crudelitatem accusant, quod ultionem clamitant ex aedificiis oppressione, rapinis, iniustitiis exstructis, quod indigne ferunt, se vi ablata et ad tyrannorum palatia erigenda esse adhibita (cf. Theod. M. Alb. Barh. Rib. Sanct. Lap. Mar. Tir. Schegg). Clamabit, respondebit ei (hebr.) pulchre multiplicem accusationem, cui omnia concordi- .ter consonanjf, delineat. Alii lapides et ligna urbium destructarum et domuum palatiorumque incendio deletorum explicant, quae usta, semiusta et disiecta crudelitatem Chaldaeorum accusent et clamitent eorum furorem et insaniam (cf. Hier. Cyr. Theoph. Men..Calm.). At cum dicatur lapis ex pariete clamare etc. certo sermo est de aedificiis, quae adhuc stent et quorum lapides et ligna continuam extollant accusationem. Ceterum locus est persimilis ei ex Isaia (14, 7. 8), ubi terra quicscere et arbores laetari dicuntur de casu Chaldaeorum : « ex quo dormisti, non ascendet qui succidat nos » (vide, quae ad illum locum annotavi) ; iure quoque allegatur verbum Domini Luc. 19, 40 ad emphasin ostendendam: «si hi tacuerint, lapides clamabunt » (cf. Hier. Theod. Aib. Sanct.) ; insuper vide 2, 17. Veteres omnes, LXX, Syrus, S. Hier. Chald. v. 10 legerunt niyp a verbo V3p in Syrum interpretem, apud quem pazillum legi audierat, eumque ignorantiae accusal, « qui saepe errorem suum pro linguae regula vult obtrudere, quantum mihi videtur, quid dicat, minimo intelligens », et omnino vult LXX vocabulum hebraicum propria interpretatione nobis declarasse. Chald. vocem explicat per NDU segmentum ; cf. Buztorf, Lex. chald. p. 2501 ; Levy, Chald. W. s. v. Syrus clavum vel paxillum exprimit ; cf. ND2*D Levy l. c. II p. 161. Praeterea haoc e S. Hier. notatu digna sunt; « reperi exceptis quinque editionibus, id est, Aquilae, Symmachi, Septuaginta, Theodotionis et quinta, in duodecim prophetis et duas alias editiones, in quarum una scriptum est : quia lapis de pariete clamabit quasi vermis in ligno loquens, et in altera : lapis enim de pariete vociferabitur et axo»»t de ligno loquetur ea. Sed et Aquila aliud quiddam quam nos diximus posuit, zai uita, id est, et massa de ligno respondebit » ; id quod mox mystice expl cat de doctrina haereticorum de ligno loquente ; vermem de ligno loquentem quosdam e nostris ait illum esse dixisse, qui dicat in psalmo : ego sum vermis et non homo etc, — Schegg censet LXX vocem hebr. cum talmudica D" coniunxisse et secundum eam explicasse , quac utique scarabaeus vertitur : cf. Burtorf, Lexic. talmud. p. 810. Sententia antecedens quia lapis de pariete clamabit... sequenti stropha, qua tertium vae continetur, magis declaratur et augetur ; describitur enim Chaldaeus oppressor i. e. rex chaldaicus, quiomnium regum chaldaicorum personam gerere moresque exprimere a vate exhibetur — quare interpretes ea omnia de Nabuchodonosore praeprimis dicta esse censent —, quomodo in plurimorum ruinis et mortibus moenia, palatia, urbes aedificet (cf. S. Ilier.) ;
2:12
v. 19 « Vae qui aedificat civitatem in. sanguinibus et praeparat urbem $n iniquitate » ; —i. e. « oppressionibus, expilationibus, caedibus pauperum, quos praeter ius et morem coegisti in tuis istis turribus, arcibus, hortis pensilibus aliisque insanis substructionibus noctu et diu desudare, suosque spiritus et sanguinem exhaurire » (Ttr.) ; opibus rapinis, caedibus, tyrannide acquisitis aedificare est in sanguinibus aedificare ; et ad talia opera miseros libertate spoliatos practer ius adigere, est im iniquitate urbes et artes fundare et stabilire (cf. Rib. Sanct.) ; vide Mich. 8, 10. Ier. 22, 13. Notum est, Assyrios et Chaldaeos ad talia opera grandia perficienda populos devictos deportasse et miserrima servitute adstrinxisse (cf. Rawlinson l. c. II, 183. III, 55. Delattre l. c. 188). At superba illa aedificia et monumenta ruinis, incendiis, exitio sunt devovenda ; exstruuntur, non ut stent et maneant, sed ut collabantur et intereant! Haec est enim iusta ultio divinaet iusta prostratio superbiae hominum, ut laboribus suis ingentibus nihil efficiant nisi ruinas et rudera : praeclara sane documenta imbecillitatis humanae ; huccine tandem omnis recidit inflatio, huccine facinora magnifica, tanta cum pompa suscepta ? Hanc veritatem ex veterum monumentis iam diu collapsis adeo perspicuam vates iam clarissime enuntiat eo tempore, quo auam maxime florebant et tamquam muridi miracula animos hominum in sui aduiirationcm rapiebant; Dominus enim superbiam et pouupam humaaain conculcarc statuit, ui ea prostrata Dei cogiitio humilibus oboriatur ; nam ut Dei regnum stabiliatur, fastus huinanus concidat oportet. Normam hanc diviuam, quae ex 2, 4 sua sponte colligitur neque raro ab aliis quoque prophetis enuntiatur (c Is. 9, 11-4, 6. Ier. 9, 23. 24. Mich. 5, 10), vates iam proponit:
2:13
v. 13 « numquid mon huec sunt a Domino exercituum? laborabunt enim populi in multo igne et gentes in vacuum et deficient, v 14 quia replebitur terra ut cognoscant gloriam Domini, quasi aquae operientes mare » ; — hebr. nonne, ecce, ! a Domino exercituumet laborabunt (1. e. u. laborent) populi pro igne? i. e.a Domino, cui omnes exercitus ( et angelorum in coelis et militum in ter-- ris — cf. Os. 19, 5) subserviunt, ita statutum est, ut populi in exstruendis urbibus pro iqne operam impendant, ut s.il. materiam et alimenta ignis congerant, aedificia igni et combustioni dest: nata et sic in vanum et pro re inani vires suas absumant et faticentur. V-»iba hebr. eadem Ier. 51, 58 S. IFier. ibivertit : « labores populorum ad nihilum et gentium in ignem erunt et disperibunt» et rite ea coniunxit etiam in com-- mentario ad nostrum locum : « qui hoc fecerit urbi, quam in sanguinibus construxerat, postea quae a Domino inferantur, auscultat. Sequitur enim numquid non haec a Domino sunt exercituum? id est. quae dicuntur ? : laborabunt populi . . . frustra laborabunt et nitentur in nihilum » ; sed in 1gne arctius explicat : Babylone incensa frustra laborabunt. Bene advertit Sanct. : «si vertisset vulgatus £n ignem, esset expedita magis expositio, quod sane salva re grammatica fieri potuit; neque est maior ulla ratio, cur vacuum quod in posteriore parte ponitur, in accusativo ponatur, quam ignis, cum utrique praeponatur vox eadem *73 », et rite explicant alii quoque 2n 1gnem, i. e. igni materiam luculentam praeparant (Lap. Mar. Tir.).- Optime quoque Aacc ad subsequentia referunt S. Hier. Alb. Rib. Sanct. Sa, Men. Schegg, Trochon ; aliis ad antecedentia tfahere placet (cf. Cyr. Theod. M. Theoph. Tir. Calm.); at magno cum incommodo, quia quae supplenda sunt, non ex v. 12, sed longius repeti debent; audi Tir. : « nonne haec omnia, quae iam dixi tibi adventura, sunt decreta et praeparata a Dcmino » ? Cur autem vani sint et, irriti hominum conatus eorumque opera magnifica igne et vastatione absumenda, ratio affertur v. 44 quia... scil. quia regnum Dei quod vera Dei cognitione et gloriae divinae agnitione r& propagatione potissimum constat, ubique est stabilienduin, propterea fastus humanus est conterendus ; superbis enim Deus resistit. Simile dicit Daniel de regno messianico : « comminuet autem et consumet universa regna haec; et ipsum stabit in aeternum » (2, 44). Consideratur ergo ruina Chaldaeorum tamquam praeparatio quaedam divinitus instituta ad veri Dei cognitionem spargendam, quatenus scil. eo rcgno deleto simul unum ex illis impedimentis removetur, quibus veri Dei cognitio cohibetur. Haec autem iure cohiberi censetur, dum regnum idololatricum floret reliquosque populos sua potentia et praestigiis idololatriae morumque corruptioni mancipat et Dei populum dura premit servitute. Unde sua iam sponte consequitur, s? verus Dei cultus sit per orbem universum propagandus, illud impedimentum esse auferendum ; vel quia populi gloriam et deorum nationalium potentiam intime inter se connexam firma persuasione tenebant, deorum inanium impotentia . regno monumentisque destructis erat ad oculum demonstranda. Ità demum ex Chaldaeorum ruina per prophetas saepe praedicta veri numinis potentia, providentia, maiestas agnosci potuit (cf. Cyr. Theod. M. Theoph. fiib. Sanct. Lap. Mar.). Ea est operum divinorum summa, is finis et scopus, ut gloria Dei in universa terra reluceat : « vivo egoet implebitur gloria Domini univcersa tcrra (Num. 14, 21) ; sanctus Dominus Deus exercituum ; plena est omnis terra gloria eius » (Is. 6, 3). Haec vero gloria potissimum in eo consistit, ut homines eam agnoscant, Deum summo honore prosequantur eiusque cultui et amori et laudi se totos devoveant ; quare abundantiam eius cognitionis propheta comparatione illustrat : s?cuf. aquae operiunt mare (cf. Is. 11, 9) i. e. « sic gloria Domini terra universa complebitur, sicut aquae alveum et fundum contegunt maris » (S. Hier.). Unde propheta Habacuc quoque, sicut alii, universam terram Dei cognitione esse implendam et proinde arctis illis veteris foederis limitibus remotis omnes populos ad unius Dei cultum esse congregandos docct. Ad talem autem orbis instaurationem gradum fieri debere dicit Chaldacorum regni destructione. Similis nexus saepius deprehenditur apud Isaiam, qui excidio regni chaldaici insignem Domini gloriam et novae thceocratiae institutionem adnectit (cf. Is. 45, 6 seq. 44, 9 seq.). In ea vero theocratia unisienem adfore cognitionem Dei, frequens est prophetarum doctrina, cf. Is. 54, 13. Ier. 31, 34. Os. 9, 16. 19. Mich. 4, 9. | Ad oppressionem et crudelitatem Chaldaeus adiunxit summam irrisionem, contumeliam, contemptum, fraudes turpes, quibus reliquos populos ignominiae habuit. Hanc vilem ac turpem agendi rationem propheta comparatione adhibita traducit et reprehendit :
2:15
v. 18 « vae qui potum dat amico suo, mittens fel. suum et inebrians, ut aspiciat nuditatem eius » ; — i. e. qui fraudulenter odio pessimo impulsus potu inebriante amicum sensibus ac ratione spoliat, ut maximo eius dedecore insanam capiat laetitiam eumque summa obruat ignominia et opprobrio eo, quod morte ipsa homini cordato sit gravius. Metaphora denudationis designari solet vilis et abiecta conditio, extremum dedecus alteri illatum, summa despectio, vilipensio ei impacta, qua omnium risui et sannis exponatur (cf. Is. 20, 4; 4'1, 2. Ez. 16, 31. Nah. 3, 5). Et quo potus magis sit inebrians et quo citius amicum prosternat et ad turpem et insanum agendi modum compellat, ei admiscetur fel, vel venenum, i. e. condimentum aliquod, quo vinum funestius magisque pestiferum redditur vel dolorifcrum. Vertit S. Hier. verbum hebr. 2n fel ; uti Deut. 32, 33 : fel draconum vinum eorum ; cf. Ps. 439, 4: venenum aspidum sub labiis eorum ; praeterea frequenter significatione furoris, indignationis occurrit. | Ea metaphora delineatur, quomodo reliquas gentes Chaldaei tractaverint. Fraudibus scil. eas circeumvenerunt, sicut qui potum veneno mixtum alii porrigit, eas spoliarunt, summa ignominia affecerunt, ad turpem vilemque conditionem abiecerunt abiectisque abusi sunt ad irrisionem et contemptum. Quam foede omnia iura humana proculcaverint hominesque ipsos in censu animalium brutorum habuerintomni dignitate humana in aliis conculcata, hac metaphora abunde demonstratur. inebrians. Hac solum versione aptus elicitur sensus et apta etiam gradatio : porrigere potum, sed veneno mistuimn, ad plenam usque ebrietatcm Excogitarunt ad h. !. [udaei fabulam, quam iam ridet S. lier. ; fuisse scil. Sedeciam a Nabuchodonosore eo modo inebriatum et coram convivis turpiter nudatum et illusum ; id quod alii ludaeorum primoribus quoque accidisse volunt (cf. Cyr. Theoph. Dbarh. Sanet. Lap.). Pro tam vili erimine iustae instant talionis poenae
2:16
v. 16 « repletus es ignominic pro gloria ; bibe tu quoque el consopire ! Circumdabit te calix dexterae Domini et vomitus ignominiae super gloriam tuam » ; — i. e. voluptate adeo crudeli et turpi, qua subiectos vilipendisti, non gloriam, sed summum tibi ipsi opprobrium attulisti et si vile illud spectaculum tibi gloriae fore putasti, vehementer errasti. Sensus est idem qui v. 10 exprimitur. Ignominia eadem statim ei denuntiatur et in hebr. quidem forma ad talionem prorsus facta : bibe tu quoque et cernere praepuliatus vel nudator ! i. e. « vehementer et ad stuporem usque punieris, ita ut omnes tuae foeditates denudentur omnibusque ridendae ostendantur » (Lap.). lam enim calix furoris Domini est in dextera Domini eumque ebibere cogetur Chaldaeus usque ad faecem et adeo large et copiose bibere debebit furorem, ut sequatur, quod ebrietatem consequi solet, « vomitus ignominiosus et effluat super gloriam tuam, ut scil. vestes tuas gloriosas omneque tuum decus vomendo conspurces » (Lap.). Solet enim poena magna, qua homo perculsus quasi stupefiat et terrore tamquam vertigine et insania corripiatur, ebrietatis vel calicis vini furoris similitudine describi (cf. Is. 19, 14 ; 51, 177. 22. Ier. 25, 15 seq. 49, 12; $1, "I. Ez. 93, 22). Quare calix est poena decreta (Theod. M.) vel, ut habet S. Hier. : « circumdaberis suppliciis dexterae Domini et cum ignominia vomitus tui omnia quae absorbueras, egeres et de sublimi gloria ad ultima deduceris mala ». Hebr verte : vertet se ad te calix ? i. e. « quod aeque atque cyathus in symposio ad omnes compotores per circuitum transit, sic divina sese ultio gerat» (Theoph.); alluditur « ad veterem conviviorum morem, ubi calix per convivarum manus porrigebatur » (Calm. sim Sanct.) ; sed potius respice quod ler. 25, 26 proponitur, fore scil ut postquam omnes de calice furoris Domini biberint, etiam rex Babylonis bibere cogatur. : 2. Ita Syrus, Chald. De hac notione verbi 2230 plura vide exempla Ges. Thes. p. 933. Cur extremae ignominiae poena iure infligatur Chaldaeo, ulterius ex ec. declaratur, quia summa protervia in homines et res inanimatas grassatus omnia vastitate et caedibus et impietate opplevit : v. 1] squia in:- quitas Libani operiet te et vastitas animalium deterrcbit eos de scznzxinibus hominum et iniquitate terrae et civitatis et omntum habitzntien in ea.» ; — facilior est versio, quam S. Ificr. in ccrmentario affert : et vastitas animalium opprimet te, vel quam ex LXX praobet ; miseria bestiarum terrebit te. Proinde sensus est : iniquitas, quae contra Liba-- num patrata est, vel violentia (hebr.), qua Libanum Chaldaeus vastavit et exscidit, obruet et perdet eum ; item vastatio et strages, quam in animalia edidit, in ipsum recidet eumque poenae obnoxium reddet. . Atque istae iniuriae eo magis repetendae sunt et vindicandae in eo, quia hcrinum caedibus et terrae sanctae et civitatis Ierusalem conculcatione et depopulatione priores iniquitates et approbavit et auxit ; illud propter sanguines hominum (ita eandem phrasim hebr. S. Ilier. v. 8 vertit, eodemque modo reddidit textum graecum 8i atyaza) etc. aliam reddit rationem, cur Chaldaeus poenas luere debeat. Ceterum de violentia in Libanum commissa cf. Is. 14, 8; Chaldaeus ad aedificia indigebat lignis, cedros Libani sane magni aestimabat ; unde montem Libani satis fuisse arboribus spoliatum, facile intelligitur. Ea occasione etiam animalia Libani venationibus et crebris caedibus fuisse vexata vel etiam silvis excisis fere - destructa pariter liquet. Cum mentio facta sit Libani, terra et civitas non in universum, sed de Palaestina erit intelligenda; vide v. 8. lta Hier. Theod. M. Rib. Men. | In interpretatione vulg. deterrebit eo$ molesta adest personae mutatio, quam versiones aliae veteres non habent, sed retinent fe LXX, Syrus, Chald. Textus mas. Xv! eum suff. fem. x ', quod S. Hier. sicut masc. B. vertit. Probabilissime pro v erit cum veteribus modo nominatis legendum 3. Recentiores aliqui hanc lectionem adoptant, uti Hitz. ; alii explicant : ef vastitas animalium, quae ea terruit (Keil) vel qua territa sunt (Schegg). At sententiam relativam supplere durum est; nec id admittit membrorum parallelismus hoc loco adeo perfecte expressus ; insuper quam languidum est ad insolentiam chaldaicam describendam dicere : animalia territa esse vel totam vastitatem vel vastationem eo contineri, ut territa sint ? Explicatio non placet utpote fere ridicula. Quare non dubitamus asserere, in textu hebr. esse rescribendum j]jDnm (hiphil anomalum verbi DW pro nm). Multi interpretes Libanum non proprie intelligunt, sed vel de templo in Terusalem, quippe quod ligno cedrino sit exornatum (S. Hier. Rup. Alb. Haimo, Rib. Sa, Men.), vel urbem lerusalem, in qua fuerit domus saltus Libani 9 Reg. 14. Forma haec usurpatur pro *rvy ; ef. Olshausen, Lehrb. d. hebr. Spr. p. 469. 1, 25 40, 47. 21. 2 Par 9, 20 (Theod. Theoph. Calm.), vel utrumque (Sanct.), vel terram Palaestinam, utpote ad Libanum sitam (Mar. Tir ), ve! haee tria simul (Cyr.). Et consequenter etiam animalia aliter accipiuntar. Qui de templo Libanum interpretantur, ad victimas et sacrificia transferunt animalia vel p.puli multitudinem occisam intelligunt (cf. S. Hier.) vel sacerdotes et levitas (Rib.) ; alii Persas Medosque cernunt (Cyr. Theoph. Lap. Tir.); alii Chaldacos ipsos (Sanct.) vel generatim feros hostes (Theod. Theod. M.). At nulla est ratio recedendi a sensu obvio, facili, proprio et ad inauditas confugiendi metaphoras (cf. Reinke, Trochon). : Ultima et simul intima ratio, eur Chaldaeus cum imperio suo interire debeat, est eius idololatria. Idolis enim suam acceptam refert magnitudinem, idolorum cultum sustinet, propagat, celebrat ; quare veri Dei honor praeprimis requirit, ut talis deorum cultor deiiciatur, neque aliter regnum Dei stabiliri potest. Horum conscius propheta victoris in morem interitum idololatrae annuntiat, primo loco stupiditatem idololatriae cum irrisione perstringens
2:18
v. 18 « quid. prodest sculptile, quia sculpsit illud. fictor suus, conflatile et imaginem falsam? quia speravit in figmento fictor eius, ut faceret simulacra muta » ? — interrogatio ironica est; quia fictor idoli tanta sollertia idolum efformat, debet ei tamen afferre utilitatem ; quae est ergo ea utilitas? Eodem modo potest ex hebr. alterum efferri membrum : conflatile et doctor mendacii (quid prodest?) , quia speravit... Idolum doctor mendacii ! aptissime vocatur, cum idololatria stupido errori innitatur et turpissimos errores fraudesque ubique spargat. Ipso nomine innuitur, quid intersit inter Deum, qui est ipsa veritas, et idolum docens mendacium ; cur idololatria corruere debeat, optime exprimitur hac appellatione docens mendacium. Ridet vates stultitiam, qua fictor suo figmento maiorem quam sibi ipsi potentiam adscribit, ridet sedulitatem, laborem, quo incumbit, ut efformet mwula idola, simulacra mortua. Adest, uti Lap. adnotat elegans in hebr. paronomasia : D'O5N cow (cf. 4 Cor. 19, 2 e'?eAx «X ágw»a). Verba explanat S. Hier. : « sculpturam possumus in lapidibus et in marmoribus accipere; conflatura vero in his metallis intelligitur, quae solvi possunt atque conflari, verbi gratia auro, argento, aere, plumbo stannoque ». Iam respondet, quid prosit idolum, et incredibilem stupiditatem ulterius carpit ;
2:19
v. 19 « vae qui dicit ligno : expergiscere! surge, lapidi tracenti. Numquid ipse docere poterit? Ecce; iste coopertus est auro et argento et omnis spiritus non est 1n. visceribus eius » ; — i. e. nullus spiritus, vita nulla est in idolo ; totum numen in eo consistit, ut sit lil]. S. Hier. videtur legisse non ;1*3v3 doctor, sed AN"Q visio, species, forma znum auro vel argento coopertum. Quare qui a tali numine auxilium opemque efflagitat, suo se errore inexcusabili damnat ; unde vae ; cf. Is. 44, 9-20. Ier. 10, 3. Baruch 6, 3. Ps. 95, 5 ; 113, 3; 134, 15. Sap. 13, 10 ; 14, 1; quo sensu accusatio vera sit : qui dicit ligno, vide quae ad Is. 44, 23 annotavi (Erklaerung des Proph. Is. p. 523). Hisce idolis mutis et idololatris opponit vates maiestatem Domini qui in coelis vivit, coram quo orbis universus prae reverentia silet :
2:20
v. 90 « Dominus autem in templo sancto suo ; sileat a facie etus omnis ter- *G »; — post muta idola, coram quibus stupidi procidunt, magnifice ac sublimi modo vates Dominum, Iahve, Deum qui est exhibet in. templo sancto suo i. e. in sanctuario coelesti (cf. Ier. Cyr. Haimo, Rib. Sanct. Lap. Sa, Men. Calm. Schegg, Reinke). E sede gloriae suae, cuius vestigium fert coeli stelliferi splendor ac pulchritudo, talem Dominum ostendit, qui maiestatem suam ita pandit eximiam, ut eam profundo silentio potius, quam cxili praeconio veneretur orbis (Lap.) ; « prae stupore enim, timore ac reverentia solemus tacere et tacendo nostram testari insufficientiam, impotentiam et indignitatem, maxime respectu immensae maiestatis, sapientiae, sanctitatis et potentiae divinae, in cuius conspectu tremunt cardines coeli et totum hoc universum si cum ipso conferatur, ncc guttula quidem est cum vasto oceano collata » (Tir.). Atque, ut Calm. advertit, « silentium obsequii indicium est, subiectionis, servitutis; in orientalium regum aedibus altum silentium, modestiam, gravitatem, immobilitatem servant milites et praefecti, ut imaginem aliquam silentii, de quo Habacuc, videas ». Cum dicat vates sileat... iam maiestatis divinae gloriosam ac stupendam annuntiat manifestationem, qua Deus muta idola, fastum humanum cst deiecturus et gloriae suae triumphum acturus. Unde hisce apte praeparatur prophetiae pars altera ita, ut simul quadam iam adumbratione . praeoccupetur. Id Chald. quoque indicat hac paraphrasi : « Dominus voluit gloriam suam collocare in templo sanctitatis suae et consumentur à conspectu eius omnia idola terrae ». : Vocem D53* alii volunt interiectionem esse onomatopocticam (cef. Olshausen, Lehrb. d. hebr. Spr. 2. 93), qua silere iubetur, uti apud Plautum St et apud nostrates st, pst ;ex qua interiecüone demum verbum derivatum sit 1271, cf. Num. 13, 30. Neh. 8, 11 (cf. Ges. Thes. p. 387. Fürst L. hcil, Reinke, Schegg), unde induratis literis ortum sit allerum verbum nvn. Alii e contra explicant pr imperativum piel apocopatum pro no a verbo 0n et Dj imperativum esse volunt in pausa Iud. 3, 19. Am. 6, 10,8, 3 (cf. Ros. Fürst C.). Invenitur D'3 praeter nostrum locum ctiam. Soph. 1, 7. Zach. 2, 13 ; similiter interiectionis vel exclamationis loco adhibetur an. LXX red- Anc. — In prooemio cantici tria vates enuntiat : se ad Domini verba quae audierit expavisse profitetur; instanter rogat, ut Dominus opus suum mox adimpleat ; eum obsecratur, ut in iudicio exercendo misericordiae sit memor (v. 2). Iam in ipso cantico Deum describit opus illud exsequentem et iudicium in adversarios exercentem, quo piis ac fidelibus post calamitates salus oboriatur. Unde duo illa cernuntur expressa, quae in prooemio indicavit : Dei opus iudiciumque et miscricordiae exhibitio. Ea autem hunc in modum proponuntur : magnifica theophania Deus ex Theman et de monte Pharan splendore immenso circumdatus, quo statim coelum et terra illustrantur, apparet cum suis iudicii administris, qui ante eum partim incedunt, partim eum sequuntur (3, 3-5). Ad talem iudicis Dei conspectum et gentes terrore percelluntur et montes collesque discinduntur (3, 6. ']). Hanc iudicis maiestatem fluvii et mare perhorresceunt — sit terrore plena hostibus, piis autem promissionum effectrix! — coram illa terra diffluit, montes contremiscunt, undarum fluctibus in immensum succrescentibus omnia implentur ; sol et luna tenebris obvolvuntur; solum Domini tela, quibus hostes prosternit, fulgore suo chaos illud et caliginem collustrant, dum terra conculcatur et gentes in ira Dei conteruntur (3, 8-12). Dominus enim in salutem sui populi egressus est; quare adversarios penitus destruxit, eorum potentiam delevit et insolentiam, qua populum Dei disperserant et oppresserant, simili modo, ut olim Aegyptiorum fastum in mari rubro exstinxit (3, 13-15). Hoc autem iudicium Dei propheta cum magno animi timore et audit et exspectat, cum sciat, ante illud varias populo suo instare calamitates et afflictiones per hostium incursum afferendas (3, 46. 17); at fiducia et spe in Dominum fretus nihilominus exsultat et laetatur certo sciens populum a Deo iri salvatum et in terrae possessione fore beatum (3, 18. 19). sione, montiam tremore, fluctuum inundatione, tenebris, fulminibus telorum Domini (v. 8-14) ; 2) magis proprie, ad quod transitus fit v. 19; caput impii dicitur conteri, eius fundamentum subverti, sceptra eius diris devoveri, insolentiam egregie retundi (v.13-18). Notatu dignum est in utraque parte mentionem fieri salutis populo Dei praestandae v. 9. 13. Ita scil. media in iudicii exhibitione propheta memor est eius, quod efflagitavit : cum iratus fueris, misericordiae recordaberis. Denique d) docetur qua animi dispositione populus tale Dei opus exspcctare debeat : timore, quia etiam populo Dei castigatio et calamitas instat (v. 16. 1'1); laetissima salutis spe per Deum futurae (v. 48. 19). Unde canticum hoc quam maxime ad 2, 4 referri et sensum eius versus explicare perspicuo patet. Carmen hoc quod in multis psalmorum similitudinem sequitur et exprimit, etiam in ipsa inscriptione ad psalmorum ordinem quam proxime accedit : « Oratio Habacuc prophetae pro ignorantiis » ; — eandem orationis inscriptionem gerunt psalmi quinque : 16. 83. 89. 101. 141, quibus ferventes deprecationes precesque ad Deum fusae continentur. Neque hae ab hoc carmine alienae sunt, quod quamvis maximam partem exhibeat descriptionem divini iudicii, tamen, ut Sanct. notat, orando orditur et orando terminat propheta cantilenam ; insuper ipsa iudicii descriptio petitio est obiectiva, qua propheta divini iudicii exsecutionem exoptat et urget. Ceterum oratio n»en ampliore quoque notione adhiberi, vel inde concluseris quod in fine psalmi "2 (hebr.) omnes psalmi a primo usque ad illum communi appellatione orationes David (hebr.) nominantur. Et revera, cum oratio ex communi definitione sit elevatio mentis ad. Deum, omnem divinorum operum considerationem, delineationem, laudem recte vocari orationem in aperto est positum. Quare tam insignis Dei iudicis apparitio et exhibitio, qualis in hoc carmine proponitur, iure suo orationis nomine appellari posset, etsi precationibus non vestiretur. Difficilius explicaveris pro ignoranttis, vel ut S. Hier. vertit pro ignorationibus. Sunt, qui prophetam pro suis ignorantiae peccatis orationem fundere censeant : «nunc agit poenitentiam et plangit, quod temeresit locutus (scil. 14, 2. 13), petitque veniam, ut misericordiam consequatur, quia ignorans fecit » (S. IIier. sim. Sanct.). Alii tamen hanc explicationem vituperant, cum propheta iis in verbis non erraverit, et orationem fieri docent, ut Deus impleat quod promisit neque propter ludaeorum peccata bonum promissum differri sinat (Rib. Lap. Sa, Gord. lans.). llebr. i233 *Y S. Hier. expiicavit a nA erravit oberravil Versionis rationem reddit S. Hier. : « Aquila et Symmachus et quinta editio. 3icut nos pro iqnorationibus (£t X1vonpázov) transtulerunt ; solus Theodotio ozip 19v £xouctxsuóv ; id est pro volunlariis' el pro his qui sponte delinquunt. Hoc propterea, ut intelligamus (exceptis Septuaginta) nullum orationem cum cantico transtulisse » ; habent enim LXX «oo:- £J475. .. p&v. e07«. At quid hobr. sibi velit, valde est dubium. Nam ui non Occurrit nisi in inscriptione Ps. 7, ubi LXX habent d4zXpoc. Recentiores quoque in yarias abeunt sententias, uti fiLinre, quae explorari nequeat. Alii enim etymon retinentes cantionem explicant erraticam vel dithyrambum ; ulii vocem comparantes cum Na (cf. Iob 36, 24) et cognata voce syriaca hymnum vcl oden explicant vel carmen lugubre ; alii, cum dicatur 5y, de instrumentis musicis cogitant, vel de certa quadam melodia, secundum quam carmen sit canendum (cf. Ges. Thes. p. 1362 cum nota, quam adiecit Roediger, Addenda et em. p. 113. Reinke, Mess. Weiss. III. p 395, et Hab. p. 126; Delitzsch, Commentar über die Psalmen ; ad Ps. 7. Hup/eld-lticlun, die Psalmen, ad Ps. 7). Variarum quoque sententiarum iam mentionem faciunt [iib. Lap. Sanct. Mar., afferentes explicationem vel de instrumentis musicis, vel de cantilena, ad cuius modos cani debeat, vel de carmine pleno deliciarum etc. Primum quod vates consilio divino per revelationem sibi patefacto obviam fert, est prout decet naturam fragilem et humilem, quae divino alloquio indignam se agnoscens maiestatem Dei eiusque consilii sublimitatem et terrorem veneratur, timor quidam et obstupefactio reverentiae commixta. Cum enim ii, ad quos Dei sermo vel apparitio fit, sacro quodam timore percelli soleant (cf. Is. 6, 5 hebr. Ez. 2, 1. Dan. "1, 153. Luc. 4, 29), iste timor ex audito nuntio de divino iudicio non modice augeri censendus est ; quare vates noster :
2:2
… him with the Holy Spirit (Hos. 9, 7; Mic. 3, 8; Ezek. 2, 2; 3, 12; 8, 13; 11, 5, 24; Zech. 7, 12; II Sam. 23, 2; Eccl. 39, 8; 48, 27; II Esdr. 14, 21, 25, 40-44); who orders him to speak or to write (Ex. 17, 14; 34, 27; Deut. 31, 19; Is. 8, 1; 30, 8; Hab. 2, 2; Dan. 8, 26; 12, 4; Ezek. 24, 2; in a special way Jer. 36) and to set forth only what God wills (Deut. 18, 15-22; Jer. 23, 16; 20, 7-9, 15, 19; 14, 14; Ezek. 13, 3-17; Mic. 3, 5-8; …
2:5
… abyss, the faithful one "cries out from the depths" to God to be delivered (Ps. 129:1; Ecclus. 51:9). The f. personified like death (Job 28:22; Is. 5:14; Ecclus. 14:12-19), is poetically depicted as an insatiable monster with enormous jaws (Is. 5:14; Hab. 2:5; Ps. 141:7; Prov. 1:12; 27:20; 30:16), with a vast belly (Ios. 2:3; Ecclus. 51:5). The fruit of the power of the f.-death is destruction (Os. 13:14 = I Cor. 15:54): v. ABADDON. …
2:6
… properly so called (Ezek. 17, 2; 24, 3), the similitude and the example, the saying of popular use (more precisely proverb: I Kings 5, 12; Job 13, 12; Prov. 1, 1.6; 10, 1; 25, 1; 26, 7.9), the witty and sarcastic mot (Ezek. 12, 22 f.; 18, 2 f.; Mic. 2, 4; Hab. 2, 6), the words of mockery
2:9
… It can be translated as "wealth" or "unrighteous gain." The Targum renders the expression bēṣa'ra' of Hab. 2:9 with māmōn reśa'.
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.