1. The prayer of Habacuc the prophet for ignorances.
1A PRAYER OF HABACUC THE PROPHET FOR IGNORANCES.Orazione di Habacuc Profeta per le ignoranze.Oratio Habacuc prophetæ, pro ignorantiis. 2O Lord, I have heard thy hearing, and was afraid. O Lord, thy work, in the midst of the years bring it to life: In the midst of the years thou shalt make it known: when thou art angry, thou wilt remember mercy.Udii, o Signore, il tuo annunzio, e ne ebbi timore. Signore, a quell'opra tua dà esistenza nel mezzo degli anni. Nel mezzo degli anni tu la farai manifesta: quando ti sarai adirato, ti ricorderai della misericordia.LORD I heard thy hearing, and was afrayd. Lord thy worke in the middes of yeares, quicken it: In the middes of yeares shalt thou make it knowen: when thou art angrie, thou wilt remember mercie.Domine, audivi auditionem tuam, et timui. / Domine, opus tuum, in medio annorum vivifica illud; / in medio annorum notum facies: / cum iratus fueris, misericordiæ recordaberis. 3God will come from the south, and the holy one from mount Pharan: His glory covered the heavens, and the earth is full of his praise.Iddio verrà dall'Austro, e il santo dal monte di Pharan: La gloria di lui ricuopre i cieli, e delle sue lodi è ripiena la terra.God wil come from the South, and the holie one from mount Pharan: His glorie shal couer the heauens, and the earth is ful of his prayse.Deus ab austro veniet, / et Sanctus de monte Pharan: / operuit cælos gloria ejus, / et laudis ejus plena est terra. 4His brightness shall be as the light: horns are in his hands: There is his strength hid:Egli sarà splendente come la luce: nelle sue mani le corna: Ivi è ascosa la sua possanza.His brightnes shal be as the light, hornes in his handes: There is his strength hid.Splendor ejus ut lux erit, / cornua in manibus ejus: / ibi abscondita est fortitudo ejus. 5Death shall go before his face. And the devil shall go forth before his feet.Innanzi a lui anderà la morte, e il diavolo precederà i suoi passi.Before his face shal death goe. and the deuil shal goe forth before his feete.Ante faciem ejus ibit mors, / et egredietur diabolus ante pedes ejus. 6He stood and measured the earth. He beheld, and melted the nations: and the ancient mountains were crushed to pieces. The hills of the world were bowed down by the journeys of his eternity.Si stette, e misurò la terra. Mirò, e conquise le genti, e le vetuste montagne furono stritolate: Furon depressi i colli del mondo, allorché si messe in viaggio l'eterno.He stood and measured the earth. he beheld, and dissolued the Gentils: and the mountaines of the world were broken. The hilles of the world were bowed, by the wayes of his eternitie.Stetit, et mensus est terram; / aspexit, et dissolvit gentes, / et contriti sunt montes sæculi: / incurvati sunt colles mundi ab itineribus æterntatis ejus.
7I saw the tents of Ethiopia for their iniquity, the curtains of the land of Madian shall be troubled.Per ragion delle iniquità ho veduto le tende dell'Etiopia, e sconvolti i padiglioni di Madian.For iniquitie I saw the tents of Aethiopia, the skinnes of the land of Madian shal be trubled.Pro iniquitate vidi tentoria Æthiopiæ; / turbabuntur pelles terræ Madian. 8Wast thou angry, O Lord, with the rivers? or was thy wrath upon the rivers? or thy indignation in the sea? Who will ride upon thy horses: and thy chariots are salvation.Forse contro le onde se' tu adirato, o Signore? o i tuoi furori son contro i flutti? o contro del mare si rivolge il tuo sdegno? Tu, che monti su' tuoi cavalli, e la tua quadriga è salvazione.Why, wast thou angrie with the riuers ô Lord? or was thy furie in the riuers? or thine indignation in the sea? Who wilt mount vpon thy horses, and thy chariots saluation.Numquid in fluminibus iratus es, Domine ? / aut in fluminibus furor tuus ? / vel in mari indignatio tua ? / Qui ascendes super equos tuos, et quadrigæ tuæ salvatio. 9Thou wilt surely take up thy bow: according to the oaths which thou hast spoken to the tribes. Thou wilt divide the rivers of the earth.Tu metterai fuora risolutamente il tuo arco, secondo i giuramenti fatti a quelle tribù: Tu dividerai i fiumi della terra:Raysing thou wilt rayse vp thy bow: the othe to the tribes which thou hast spoken. Thou wilt curte the riuers of the earth.Suscitans suscitabis arcum tuum, / juramenta tribubus quæ locutus es; / fluvios scindes terræ. 10The mountains saw thee, and were grieved: the great body of waters passed away. The deep put forth its voice: the deep lifted up its hands.Te videro le montagne, e tremarono; le gonfie fiumane si ritirarono; Gli abissi alzaron le voci loro, il profondo mare stese sue mani.The mountaines saw thee, and were sorie, the gulfe of water passed. The depth gaue his voice: the height lifted vp his handes.Viderunt te, et doluerunt montes; / gurges aquarum transiit: / dedit abyssus vocem suam; / altitudo manus suas levavit. 11The sun and the moon stood still in their habitation, in the light of thy arrows, they shall go in the brightness of thy glittering spear.Il sole, e la luna si stettero ai loro posti: se n'anderanno quelli al chiarore di tue saette, al lampeggiare dell'asta tua folgoreggiante.The sunne, and the moone stood in their habitation, in the light of thine arrowes, they shal goe in the brightnes of thy glittering speare.Sol et luna steterunt in habitaculo suo: / in luce sagittarum tuarum ibunt, / in splendore fulgurantis hastæ tuæ.
12In thy anger thou wilt tread the earth under foot: in thy wrath thou wilt astonish the nations.Tu fremente conculcherai la terra, e nel tuo furore renderai stupide le nazioni.In freating thou wilt treade downe the earth: in furie thou wilt astonish the Gentils.In fremitu conculcabis terram; / in furore obstupefacies gentes. 13Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people: for salvation with thy Christ. Thou struckest the head of the house of the wicked: thou hast laid bare his foundation even to the neck.Ti movesti per salvare il tuo popolo, per salvarlo tu col tuo Cristo. Percuotesti il capo della casa dell'empio, discopristi i fondamenti di lei da imo a sommo.Thou wentst forth the saluation of thy people: saluation with thy Christ. Thou strokest the head out of the house of the impious, thou hast discouered the fundation euen to the neck.Egressus es in salutem populi tui, / in salutem cum christo tuo: / percussisti caput de domo impii, / denudasti fundamentum ejus usque ad collum. 14Thou hast cursed his sceptres, the head of his warriors, them that came out as a whirlwind to scatter me. Their joy was like that of him that devoureth the poor man in secret.Maledicesti il suo scettro, il capo de' suoi guerrieri, che venivan qual turbine per isperdermi. La loro burbanza come di chi si divora il povero nascostamente.Thou hast cursed his scepters, the head of his warriers, them that come as a whirlewinde to disperse me. Their exultation, as his that deuoureth the poore in secrete.Maledixisti sceptris ejus, / capiti bellatorum ejus, / venientibus ut turbo ad dispergendum me: / exsultatio eorum, sicut ejus qui devorat pauperem in abscondito. 15Thou madest a way in the sea for thy horses, in the mud of many waters.Facesti strada nel mare a' tuoi cavalli, per mezzo al fango delle acque profonde.Thou madest a way in the sea for thy horses, in the middes of manie waters.Viam fecisti in mari equis tuis, / in luto aquarum multarum. 16I have heard and my bowels were troubled: my lips trembled at the voice. Let rottenness enter into my bones, and swarm under me. That I may rest in the day of tribulation: that I may go up to our people that are girded.Udii, e le mie viscere si commossero: a tal voce tremarono le mie labbra. Entri la putredine nelle mie ossa, e pulluli dentro di me; Perchè io abbia riposo nel giorno della tribolazione, e vada ad unirmi al nostro popolo accinto.I heard, and my bellie was trubled: at the voice my lippes trembled. let rottenes enter in my bones, & swarme vnder me. That I may rest in the day of tribulation: that I may ascend to our girded people.Audivi, et conturbatus est venter meus; / a voce contremuerunt labia mea. / Ingrediatur putredo in ossibus meis, / et subter me scateat: / ut requiescam in die tribulationis, / ut ascendam ad populum accinctum nostrum.
17For the fig tree shall not blossom: and there shall be no spring in the vines. The labour of the olive tree shall fail: and the fields shall yield no food: the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls.Perocché il fico non fiorirà, e la vigna non butterà: L'ulivo non manterrà fede col frutto, e le campagne non daranno da mangiare: Saran rapite dall'ovile le pecore, e le stalle saran senza armenti.For the figtree shal not florish: and there shal be no spring in the vines. The worke of the oliuetree shal deceiue: and the fields shal not yeld meate: the cattel shal be cut of from the fold, and there shal be no heard in the stalles.Ficus enim non florebit, / et non erit germen in vineis; / mentietur opus olivæ, / et arva non afferent cibum: / abscindetur de ovili pecus, / et non erit armentum in præsepibus. 18But I will rejoice in the Lord: and I will joy in God my Jesus.Ma io mi rallegrerò nel Signore, ed esulterò in Dio, mio Gesù.But I wil ioy in our Lord: and wil reioyce in God my IESVS.Ego autem in Domino gaudebo; / et exsultabo in Deo Jesu meo. 19The Lord God is my strength: and he will make my feet like the feet of harts: and he the conqueror will lead me upon my high places singing psalms.Il Signore Dio, mia fortezza: ed egli mi darà piedi come di cervo, Ed ei vincitore agli eccelsi luoghi miei mi condurrà cantante dei salmi.God our Lord is my strength: and he wil make my feete as of the harts. and vpon my high places he the conquerer wil lead me singing in psalmes.Deus Dominus fortitudo mea, / et ponet pedes meos quasi cervorum: / et super excelsa mea deducet me / victor in psalmis canentem.
3:1
Challoner
For ignorances. That is, for the sins of his people. In the Hebrew it is shignoth: which some take to signify a musical instrument, or tune, with which this sublime prayer and canticle was to be sung. (Challoner)
Calmet
The term is omitted in several Latin manuscripts. The precise import cannot be ascertained; yet it seems to imply a song of comfort. (Calmet)
Haydock
Septuagint, "with a canticle." (Haydock)
Calmet
St. Jerome follows Aquila and Symmachus, and the 5th edition. Theodotion has, "for voluntary" transgressions. (Calmet)
Haydock
All sins proceed in some degree from ignorance, (Worthington) and are all the effects of free-will. (Haydock)
Worthington
The prophet prays to be freed from sin, and foretells the coming of Christ, etc. (Worthington)
Haydock
The Fathers apply this canticle to Him, as the Church herself does in her office. We cannot go astray, following such guides. Yet some think that an allusion is made to the return from captivity, and from Egypt, which were noble figures of the world's redemption. The prophet concludes with adoring the ways of God, (Calmet) which at first he had not comprehended. (Haydock)
Worthington
He is astonished at God's mercy, in becoming incarnate for man's sake. (Worthington)
3:2
Challoner
Thy hearing, etc. That is, thy oracles, the great and wonderful things thou hast revealed to me: and I was struck with a reverential fear and awe. (Challoner)
Calmet
I saw that the unjust would not escape. (Calmet)
Challoner
Work. The great work of the redemption of man, which thou wilt bring to life and light in the midst of the years, when our calamities and miseries shall be at their height. (Challoner)
Worthington
Years, at the time appointed. (Worthington)
Worthington
Septuagint read, "Lord, I considered thy works, and was astonished; in the midst of two living creatures, or lives, thou shalt be known," (Haydock) or found, between an ox and an ass, as the Church has it. (Nat. and Circumc.[Nativity and Circumcision?]) (Worthington)
Menochius
Christ appeared when the world was most dissolute. (Menochius)
Sanct
The tradition of two animals being near the crib where he was born, is not of earlier date than about the fifth century. Some explain this of the Father between the Son and the Holy Ghost; others of Christ between the thieves, or the two testaments, or collecting his Church from Jews and Gentiles, etc. (Sanct.; Calmet)
Haydock
Moderns agree with St. Jerome's version. The prophet begs that God would perform his ancient miracles in his days, (Calmet) by relieving the captives, as he had formerly delivered their ancestors. (Haydock)
Haydock
Make. Hebrew and Septuagint, "when the years approach, thou shalt be made known; when the time shall come, thou shalt be manifested; when my soul shall be troubled, in wrath thou," etc. (Haydock)
Calmet
God never shuts the gate of mercy to the penitent, Nahum 1:3. (Calmet)
3:3
Challoner
South. God himself will come to give us his law, and to conduct us into the true land of promise: as heretofore he came from the south, (in the Hebrew Teman) and from Mount Pharan, to give his law to his people in the desert. See Deuteronomy 33:2. (Challoner)
Worthington
Septuagint render, "the shady and thick mount, Diapsalma." St. Jerome, Pharan semper. Hebrew, Sela, Psalm ix. (Worthington)
Haydock
The term seems to denote a pause. There might be many in the same canticle, (Calmet) as we find three here, (ver. 9, 13) and many placed at irregular distances in the Psalms. (Haydock)
3:4
Challoner
Horns, etc. That is, strength and power, which by a Hebrew phrase are called horns: or beams of light, which come forth from his hands: or it may allude to the cross, in the horns of which the hands of Christ were fastened, where his strength was hidden, by which he overcame the world, and drove out death and the devil. (Challoner)
Haydock
Horns may also designate the nails, the prints of which remained in our Saviour's hands after his glorious resurrection. (Haydock)
Haydock
God appeared hurling his thunderbolts (ver. 11., and Psalm 17:16.; Calmet) with a fiery law in his right hand, all shining with glory, Exodus 19:18., and 34:29., and Deuteronomy 5:22. (Haydock)
Calmet
Sinai seemed to be all on fire. Nothing can resist lightning. (Calmet).
Virgil
Fulmine terres. (Virgil, Aeneid i.)
Calmet
Hid, Septuagint, "and he has placed the strong love of his power," (Haydock) Jesus Christ, who has given his life for us. (Calmet)
3:5
Challoner
Death, etc. Both death and the devil shall be the executioners of his justice against his enemies; as they were heretofore against the Egyptians and Chanaanites. (Challoner)
St. Jerome
Hebrew daber, (Haydock) according to the different pronunciation, is rendered "the word" by the Septuagint and Theo.[Theodotion?]; "the plague," by Aquila, etc. After Christ was baptized, the devil came to tempt him. (St. Jerome)
St. Jerome
Devil. Hebrew resheph, (Haydock) or "bird," (Symmachus, etc.) means "creeping on the belly," as is explained by the Jews of the devil, who tempted our first parents. (St. Jerome)
Calmet
Moderns (Haydock) follow the Chaldean and understand the carbuncle. (Calmet)
Calmet
Protestants, "burning coals:" marg.[marginal note,] "diseases," (Haydock) resembling the pestilence. God destroyed his enemies and the murmuring Hebrews. (Calmet)
Septuagint, "and it (the word) shall go out into the fields behind his feet." God's will shall be published in the field of the world, (Haydock) when the gospel shall be preached to the Gentiles.
3:6
Haydock
Measured. Septuagint, "the earth was troubled," (Calmet) or shaken. (Haydock)
Challoner
He beheld. One look of his eye is enough to melt all the nations, and to reduce them to nothing. For all heaven and earth disappear when they come before his light, Apocalypse 20:11. (Challoner)
Calmet
The Chanaanites were dismayed at the approach of God's people. He routed the nations, and determined the portion which he had chosen for Israel, Josue 2:9. (Calmet)
Challoner
Mountains. By the mountains and hills are signified the great ones of the world, that persecute the Church, whose power was quickly crushed by the Almighty. (Challoner)
Calmet
The roughest roads in the wilderness were made smooth. God is poetically described at the head of his people, Deuteronomy 8:4., and 33:15., and Psalm 75:5. (Calmet)
3:7
Challoner
Ethiopia, the land of the Blacks, and Madian, are here taken for the enemies of God and his people, who shall perish for their iniquity. (Challoner)
Haydock
Chus peopled that part of Arabia. (Haydock)
Calmet
Hebrew has Chusan, perhaps to rhyme with Madian; though some think that Chusan (defeated by Othoniel) and Madian (over whom Gedeon gained a complete victory) are designated, Judges ii and vi. When the Hebrews had crossed the Red Sea, the Arabs and Madianites removed their tents in great trepidation. (Calmet)
Worthington
These nations dwelt chiefly under tents, or skins, which would be removed in time of war. (Worthington)
3:8
Challoner
With the rivers, etc. He alludes to the wonders wrought heretofore by the Lord in favour of his people Israel, when the waters of the rivers, viz., of Arnon and Jordan, and of the Red Sea, retired before their face; when he came as it were with his horses and chariots to save them; when he took up his bow for their defence, in consequence of the oath he had made to their tribes; when the mountains trembled, and the deep stood with its waves raised up in a heap, as with hands lifted up to heaven; when the sun and moon stood still at his command, etc., to comply with his anger, not against the rivers and sea, but against the enemies of his people. How much more will he do in favour of his Son, and against the enemies of his Church? (Challoner)
Calmet
Horses: the ark of the covenant. (Calmet)
3:9
Calmet
Take. Septuagint bend thy bow over the sceptres, says the Lord, Diapsalma." Sela is neglected by the Vulgate or (Haydock) by S. Jerome, as having no meaning. (Calmet)
Yet we find in the edition of his works he renders it, for ever; and here observes, that the Lord "always dwells with his saints," and attacks vices by their mouths.
Haydock
Rivers. Septuagint, "the earth shall be cut by rivers." (Haydock)
St. Jerome
Greek historians mention several rivers which have appeared or ceased to flow in consequence of earthquakes. The apostles, moved by Christ, water the world and form the Church. (St. Jerome)
3:10
Haydock
Grieved. They seemed full of surprise, as in labour, (Hebrew) and the abyss spoke in its manner, (Calmet) obeying thy voice, and letting the Israelites pass. (Haydock; Psalm 73:15., and 113:3., and Numbers 21:13.; Calmet)
Haydock
"Earth, sea, and rocks quake at the sight of God." (Aeschyl.) (Haydock)
Haydock
Septuagint are obscure, (Calmet) "Peoples shall behold thee, and grieve, (or be in labour: odinesousi has both meanings; St. Jerome) dividing the waters of the passage, the abyss," etc. Other copies read, "Thou, Lord, wilt divide," which S. Jerome explains of heresies, which soon disappear. (Haydock)
3:11
Go. The five kings shall flee at the descent of Bethoron; or the heavenly body shall proceed at thy command, at the signal given by thunder, Josue 10:11.
3:13
Calmet
Christ. This may well be explained of the incarnation. God was touched at the miseries of his people, and rescued them by Moses. (Calmet)
St. Jerome
Theodotion and Symmachus, "Ebionite, half Christians," give a Jewish interpretation, "to save thy Christ." Aquila, though a Jew, and the 5th edition agree with us; but the 6th edition best explains the mystery, "through Jesus, thy Christ." (St. Jerome)
Challoner
Head, etc. Such was Pharao heretofore; such shall antichrist be hereafter. (Challoner)
Haydock
It may also be understood of Nabuchodonosor and of all persecutors. (Haydock)
Worthington
Cyrus cut off Baltassar; Christ will destroy antichrist, (2 Thessalonians ii.; Menochius) the head of the wicked congregation, Isaias 11:4. (Worthington)
Calmet
Neck, or root. Pharao's eldest son perished, Exodus 14:17. (Calmet)
3:14
Haydock
Sceptres. The nobles were drowned (Haydock) with their king, (Calmet) when they expected an easy prey, Exodus 13:9. (Haydock)
Calmet
Hebrew, "thou hast pierced the chief of their troops in the midst of tribes," or sticks, as the Egyptians perhaps slew each other. (Calmet)
3:15
Challoner
Sea, etc., to deliver thy people from the Egyptian bondage; and thou shalt work the like wonders, in the spiritual way, to rescue the children of thy Church from their enemies. (Challoner)
Calmet
The waters stood up like mountains, while God seemed to pass in his triumphal car. (Calmet)
3:16
Challoner
I have heard, etc., viz., the evils that are now coming upon the Israelites for their sins; and that shall come hereafter upon all impenitent sinners: and the foresight that I have of these miseries makes me willing to die, that I may be at rest, before this general tribulation comes, in which all good things shall be withdrawn from the wicked. (Challoner)
Haydock
The five woes denounced [in] Habacuc 2:make the deepest impression upon me. (Haydock)
St. Jerome
I fear lest I should sin. (St. Jerome)
Calmet
The thought of so many wonders makes me speechless. (Calmet)
Haydock
Me. Let me find rest in the grave, like Job. (Haydock)
Calmet
I trust that God will raise me up. (Calmet)
Haydock
Hebrew, "rottenness hath entered,....and I trembled in myself." Septuagint, (15) "horses, troubling many waters: (16) I watched, and my belly was filled with fear at the voice of the prayer of my lips, and trembling entered my bones, and under me my strength (or frame, exis; some read ischus) was troubled. I shall rest in the day of my tribulation, to go up to the people of my parish," or neighbourhood; paroikias. (Haydock)
Challoner
People, etc. That I may join the happy company in the bosom of Abraham, that are girded; that is, prepared for their journey, by which they shall attend their Lord, when he shall ascend into heaven. To which high and happy place, my Jesus, that is, my Saviour, the great conqueror of death and hell, shall one day conduct me rejoicing and singing psalms of praise, ver. 18., and 19. (Challoner)
Calmet
Girded. Hebrew, "transmigration or desolation." Habacuc was mercifully allowed by Providence to dwell in Juda, when almost all were led away. He was transported through the air to feed Daniel, (Daniel 14:32.) where he might see his brethren, as he here insinuates, having relied on God's mercy, ver. 2. (Calmet)
Haydock
Protestants, "when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops; (marginal note, "cut them in pieces") 17. Although the," etc. When all shall be ravaged, I will still hope. (Haydock)
Worthington
All must be patiently endured, that we may rest at last. (Worthington)
3:17
Calmet
Fail. Literally, "lie," (Haydock) or frustrate our expectations. (Calmet)
Spem mentita seges. (Horace 1:ep. 7.)
Fold. Septuagint, "food."
3:18
Calmet
Jesus. Hebrew yishi, "my (Haydock) salvation." (Calmet)
Haydock
Septuagint, "saviour." Chaldean, "redeemer." (Haydock)
Calmet
Jesus was the desire of all nations, and he imparts true joy to the faithful, John 8:56. (Calmet)
St. Jerome
At the last day, plagues similar to those of Egypt will occur; but the elect shall rejoice. (St. Jerome)
3:19
Calmet
Places. I shall escape the fury of the Chaldeans, and sing a hymn of thanksgiving. (Calmet)
Calmet
"The conqueror singing psalms" may be unconnected with the rest, (Haydock) and designed to shew that the hymn was intended for religious meetings. It may signify, "To the chief over the female musicians." (Calmet)
Haydock
Lamnatseach binginothai. Protestants, "to the chief singer on my stringed instruments:" marginal note, "Neginoth." Septuagint, "He will order my feet unto perfection. He will establish me upon the heights, to gain the victory in his canticle." (Haydock)
St. Jerome
I shall exchange my former complaints for songs of praise, and be crowned by Jesus. (St. Jerome)
3:1
For ignorances.... That is, for the sins of his people. In the Hebrew, it is Sigionoth: which some take to signify a musical instrument, or tune; with which this sublime prayer and canticle was to be sung.
3:2
Thy hearing, etc.... That is, thy oracles, the great and wonderful things thou hast revealed to me; and I was struck with a reverential fear and awe.—Ibid. Thy work.... The great work of the redemption of man, which thou wilt bring to life and light in the midst of the years, when our calamities and miseries shall be at their height.
3:3
God will come from the south, etc.... God himself will come to give us his law, and to conduct us into the true land of promise: as heretofore he came from the South (in the Hebrew Theman) and from mount Pharan to give his law to his people in the desert. See Deut. 33.2.
3:4
Horns, etc.... That is, strength and power, which, by a Hebrew phrase, are called horns. Or beams of light, which come forth from his hands. Or it may allude to the cross, in the horns of which the hands of Christ were fastened, where his strength was hidden, by which he overcame the world, and drove out death and the devil.
3:5
Death shall go before his face, etc.... Both death and the devil shall be the executioners of his justice against his enemies: as they were heretofore against the Egyptians and Chanaanites.
3:6
He beheld, etc.... One look of his eye is enough to melt all the nations, and to reduce them to nothing. For all heaven and earth disappear when they come before his light. Apoc. 20.11. Ibid. The ancient mountains, etc.... By the mountains and hills are signified the great ones of the world, that persecute the church, whose power was quickly crushed by the Almighty.
3:7
Ethiopia.... the land of the Blacks, and Madian, are here taken for the enemies of God and his people: who shall perish for their iniquity.
3:8
With the rivers, etc.... He alludes to the wonders wrought heretofore by the Lord in favour of his people Israel, when the waters of the rivers, viz., of Arnon and Jordan, and of the Red Sea, retired before their face: when he came as it were with his horses and chariots to save them when he took up his bow for their defence, in consequence of the oath he had made to their tribes: when the mountains trembled, and the deep stood with its waves raised up in a heap, as with hands lifted up to heaven: when the sun and the moon stood still at his command, etc., to comply with his anger, not against the rivers and sea, but against the enemies of his people. How much more will he do in favour of his Son: and against the enemies of his church?
3:13
The head of the house of the wicked.... Such was Pharao heretofore: such shall Antichrist be hereafter.
3:15
Thou madest a way in the sea, etc.... To deliver thy people from the Egyptian bondage: and thou shalt work the like wonders in the spiritual way, to rescue the children of the church from their enemies.
3:16
I have heard, etc.... Viz., the evils that are now coming upon the Israelites for their sins; and that shall come hereafter upon all impenitent sinners; and the foresight that I have of these miseries makes me willing to die, that I may be at rest, before this general tribulation comes, in which all good things shall be withdrawn from the wicked.—Ibid. That I may go up to our people, etc.... That I may join the happy company in the bosom of Abraham, that are girded, that is, prepared for their journey, by which they shall attend their Lord, when he shall ascend into heaven. To which high and happy place, my Jesus, that is, my Saviour, the great conqueror of death and hell, shall one day conduct me rejoicing and singing psalms of praise, ver. 18 and 19.
3:19
THE PROPHECY OF SOPHONIAS
SOPHONIAS, whose name, saith St. Jerome, signifies The Watchman of the Lord, or The hidden of the Lord, prophesied in the beginning of the reign of Josias. He was a native of Sarabatha, and of the tribe of Simeon, according to the more general opinion. He prophesied the punishments of the Jews, for their idolatry and other crimes; also the punishments that were to come on divers nations; the coming of Christ, the conversion of the Gentiles, the blindness of the Jews, and their conversion towards the end of the world.
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For the great excellent, and admirable mercie of God I was astonished as one afrayde, seing God himself vvil take mans nature, and therin pay ransom & redeme mankind.
in the time disigned for this purpose. The 70. Interpreters reade, betvven tvvo liuing creatures thou shalt be found and so the Church hath in the office of Christs Natiuitie and Circumcision betvven an oxe and an asse in the shall.
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From Bethlem vvhich is southvvard from Ierusalē.
Sela. See A• not. Psal •.
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In Madian a part of Aethiopia the people liued most in tentes, not in houses so here is signified that in the tumulte of warres vvil be much remouing of skinnes that is, of their tentes made of skinnes.
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Sela.
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Antichrist the head of the malignant house, or conuenticle, shal be destroyed by Christ. Isa. 11 v. 4 2. Thes 2.
Sela.
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Al afflictions are to be patiently sustayned, that vve may haue rest in the day of iudgement.
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St Jerome † AD 420 Against the Pelagians 1.28
Habakkuk iii. 1 . Vulgate. A prayer “for sins of ignorance” (“upon Shigionoth”), supposed to be in recognition of over-boldness in i. 2–4 .
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St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 3.16.7
… as also says the prophet Habakkuk, “By this Thou shalt be known when the years have drawn nigh; Thou shalt be set forth when the time comes; because my soul is disturbed by anger, Thou shalt remember Thy mercy.”
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 4.22
… “I considered thy works, and was astonished.” When could this have better happened than when Peter, on seeing His glory, knew not what he was saying? “In the midst of the two Thou shalt be known”—even Moses and Elias.
Origen † AD 254 Origen De Principiis 1.3.4
… And we think that that expression also which occurs in the hymn of Habakkuk, “In the midst either of the two living things, or of the two lives, Thou wilt be known,”
St Methodius † AD 311 Oration Concerning Simeon and Anna On the Day that They Met in the Temple 1
… as the years draw nigh thou shalt be recognised—when the time is come thou shalt be shown forth.” See, I pray you, the exceeding accuracy of the Spirit. He speaks of knowledge, recognition, showing forth. As to the first of these: “In the midst of two living creatures thou shalt be known,”
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 12.20
… Lo! we heard of it at Ephrathah, we found it in the plains of the wood . For a few years ago the place was woody . Again thou hast heard Habakkuk say to the Lord, When the years draw nigh, thou shalt be made known, when the time is come, thou shalt be shewn
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 City of God 18.32
In his prayer, with a song, to whom but the Lord Christ does he say, “O Lord, I have heard Thy hearing, and was afraid: O Lord, I have considered Thy works, and was greatly afraid?”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 119.17
… But which of these is not wonderful, if we measure each not by its habitual presence, but by reason? But if we venture to bring all nature within the comprehensive view of one act of contemplation, doth not that take place in us which the prophet describeth, “I considered Thy works, and trembled”?
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 16.26
… And while he is reserving himself for the delight of harmony soon to come, he will not feel the bitterness of the present quarrel and will easily make such answers that, when love is restored, he will not be able to accuse himself as guilty or be blamed by the other; and thus he will fulfil these words of the prophet: “In wrath remember mercy.”
John Cassian † AD 435 The Seven Books of John Cassian on the Incarnation of the Lord, Against Nestorius 5.15
… And so the prophet Isaiah says: “O that Thou wouldst rend the heavens and come down.” But Habakkuk too declaring the same thing which the other was wishing for, says: “When the years draw nigh, Thou wilt show Thyself: at the coming of the times Thou wilt be manifested: God will come from Teman,” or “God will come from the south.”
Pope St Leo I the Great † AD 461 Sermons 3
… For though this recognition of God may well be found in all His priests, yet I take it to be peculiarly binding on me, who, regarding my own utter insignificance and the greatness of the office undertaken, ought myself also to utter that exclamation of the Prophet, “ Lord , I heard Thy speech and was afraid: I considered Thy works and was dismayed
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St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 3.20.4
… “God shall come from the south, and the Holy One from Mount Effrem. His power covered the heavens over, and the earth is full of His praise. Before His face shall go forth the Word, and His feet shall advance in the plains.”
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 4.33.11
… And there are also some of them who say, “The Lord hath spoken in Zion, and uttered His voice from Jerusalem;” and, “In Judah is God known;” — these indicated His advent which took place in Judea. Those, again, who declare that “God comes from the south, and from a mountain thick with foliage,”
St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews 2.22
In Habakkuk: “His virtue covered the heavens, and the earth is full of His praise, and His splendour shall be as the light; there shall be horns in His hands. And there the virtue of His glory was established, and He founded His strong love. Before His face shall go the Word, and shall go forth unto the plains according to His steps.”
St Methodius † AD 311 Oration Concerning Simeon and Anna On the Day that They Met in the Temple 1
… As once David did before the ark, so do thou, before this virginal throne, joyfully lead the dance. Hymn with gladsome song the Lord, who is always and everywhere present, and Him who from Teman,
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 12.20
… From east, or west, or north, or south? Tell us exactly. And he makes answer most plainly and says, God shall come from Teman
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 53.8
… And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power.”
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 97.1
1. Once more with the return of spring I enrich you with the wares of the east and send the treasures of Alexandria to Rome: as it is written, “God shall come from the south and the Holy One from Mount Paran, even a thick shadow.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 City of God 18.32
… “God shall come from Teman, and the Holy One from the shady and close mountain.”
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St Jerome † AD 420 Against Jovinianus 2.10
… so the people well fed and fat-fleshed could not bear the countenance of Moses who fasted, for, to correctly render the Hebrew, it was
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 City of God 18.32
… and Thy glory above all the earth?” “His splendor shall be as the light.” What is it but that the fame of Him shall illuminate believers? “Horns are in His hands.” What is this but the trophy of the cross? “And He hath placed the firm charity of His strength”
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St Melito of Sardis † AD 180 Melito, the Philosopher 9
The standing of the Lord —the patience of the Deity, by which He bears with sinners that they may come to repentance. As in Habakkuk: “He stood and measured the earth;
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St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 66.2
… Husband did I say? Nay, rather a most devoted brother; for the language of marriage is inadequate to describe the holy bonds of the Spirit. Of this team Jesus holds the reins, and it is of steeds like these that Habakkuk sings: “ride upon thy horses and let thy riding be salvation.”
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Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 4.39
… Thou shalt disperse the waters with thy step; the deep uttered its voice; the height of its fear was raised; the sun and the moon stood still in their course; into light shall thy coruscations go; and thy shield shall be (like) the glittering of the lightning’s flash; in thine anger thou shalt grind the earth, and shalt thresh the nations in thy wrath.”
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Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 4.20
… As psalm is, in fact, accomplished by this crossing over the lake. “The Lord,” says the psalmist, “is upon many waters.” When He disperses its waves, Habakkuk’s words are fulfilled, where he says, “Scattering the waters in His passage.”
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Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 4.39
… “Thou wentest forth for the salvation of Thy people, even to save Thine anointed ones,”
St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 42.6
… Howl, firtree, for the cedar is fallen! Let them be instructed by the misfortunes of others, and learn that the poor shall not alway be forgotten, and that the Deity will not refrain, as Habakkuk says, from striking through the heads of the mighty ones
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St Jerome † AD 420 Against the Pelagians 2
Habakkuk iii. 16 . Let rottenness enter into my bones, if only I may rest, etc.
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St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 An Address to Demetrianus 20
… “The fig-tree,” says He, “shall not bear fruit, and there shall be no blossom in the vines. The labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat. The flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls. But I will rejoice in the Lord, and I will joy in the God of my salvation.”
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A PRAYER FOR IGNORANCES. 1. FOR IGNORANCES. — In Hebrew it is שגינות sigionot, which some, such as R. David, Pagninus, Vatablus, understand as a certain kind of song, harmony, or musical instrument; whence the Septuagint translates: A Prayer of Habacuc the prophet with a canticle; because this is partly a prayer, partly and more a canticle, by which he celebrates the past benefits of God, that he may obtain future ones. For this is indeed the true manner of praying and obtaining, if we celebrate the munificence, power, gifts and praises of him from whom we ask something. Whence in Scripture, prayer is sometimes called praise, as in Lamentations ii, 19: "Rise up, praise (that is, praying by praising) in the night." Jeremiah xi, 14: "Do not assume praise for them," that is, do not pray for the Jews so impious. Hence also R. Jona, and from him Genebrardus, translate sigionot as joy, delight. A prayer, they say, of Habacuc the prophet with delights, by which namely he delights himself and the people, commemorating their future liberation. Others, such as R. Juda, translate: A prayer for occupations, namely for grave matters, which the Prophet turned over in his mind and with which he occupied himself; the Zurich Bible: A colloquy, or disputation of Habacuc the prophet concerning perplexing matters. But Our translation is better: For ignorances; for thus also Aquila, Symmachus, the Fifth Edition and the Chaldean translate. For the Hebrew שגה saga means to err, to be ignorant: hence שגיונות sigiona is called error, ignorance, namely a fault and sin, both one committed from ignorance and any other, even voluntary. Whence Theodotion translates: For voluntary sins, namely faults. For, as Aristotle says, "every sinner is ignorant." And the Wise Man: "They err who work evil," Proverbs xiv, 22. For ignorance is always joined to sin, namely thoughtlessness. For if the sinner were to consider the baseness and harms of sin, and God the avenger, whose wrath and eternal torments he provokes, surely he would not sin. Now various interpreters give various senses here. First, the Chaldean, in his manner paraphrastically thus translates: A prayer which Habacuc prayed, when it was revealed to him concerning the length of time which God gave to the impious: that if they should turn to the law with a perfect heart, their sins would be remitted to them, and all the crimes which they committed would be in his sight as ignorance. Second, St. Jerome, Remigius, Albert and Jansenius hold that Habacuc here begs pardon for his ignorance, that is for his sin, by which he dared ignorantly and rashly to dispute with God; indeed to complain concerning his providence, by which he allows the impious to rule over the pious. But in this entire canticle the Prophet gives no indication of such a begging of pardon. I say therefore: by ignorances are signified the sins of the people, as if to say: I pray, O Lord, for the sins of the people, that you may forgive them and overlook them, lest on account of them you delay the work of our liberation from Babylon, and much more allegorically the work of the incarnation of Christ, and the redemption of mankind from you promised.
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2. Lord, I have heard thy hearing, and I was afraid. O Lord, thy work, in the midst of the years quicken it. In the midst of the years thou shalt make it known: when thou art angry, thou wilt remember mercy. God shall come from the south, and the holy one from mount Pharan: His glory covered the heavens: and the earth is full of his praise. 4. His brightness shall be as the light: horns in his hands: there is his power hid: 5. Death shall go before his face. The devil shall go forth before his feet. 6. He stood, and measured the earth. He beheld, and drove asunder the nations: and the eternal mountains were broken in pieces. The hills of the world were bowed down by the journeys of his eternity. 7. For iniquity I saw the tents of Ethiopia, the skins of the land of Madian shall be troubled. 8. Art thou angry with the rivers, O Lord? 2. Lord, I have heard thy hearing. — This is a metonymy, for the act is put for the object: "hearing," that is the thing, or word heard, or the oracle which I heard from thee; namely such great destruction and devastation, both of the Jews through the Chaldeans, and then of the Chaldeans themselves through the Medes and Persians: and therefore "I was afraid," fearing greatly lest we dwelling in Babylon, as captives, should also be involved in the Babylonian calamity and the destruction of the Chaldeans to be inflicted by Cyrus, and be utterly destroyed. Thus St. Jerome, Remigius and Theodoret. Moreover the Septuagint adds: I considered thy works, and ἐξέστην, that is I was amazed, or I was terrified, which allegorically St. Augustine rightly refers in book XVIII of the City of God, chapter xxxii, to the work of the incarnation of Christ, which by reason of its newness and such an emptying of majesty, inspires not only amazement, but also a certain sacred fear and awe, out of reverence for it. "For what is this," he says, "but the ineffable admiration of the foreknown, new and sudden salvation of men?" For who would not be amazed, who would not be terrified, if he should see God in flesh, God on the cross? This is the great sacrament of piety, at which the Seraphim and Cherubim are amazed, which, as the Apostle says in I Timothy iii, 16, "was manifested in the flesh, justified in the spirit, appeared to angels (who all amazed adored it, Hebrews i, 6), preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, taken up in glory." Truly St. Bernard, sermon 3 in the Vigil of the Nativity: "That almighty majesty wrought three works, three mixtures in the assumption of our flesh, so singularly wonderful, and wonderfully singular, that such things have neither been made, nor shall be made again upon the earth. For God and man have been joined together, mother and virgin, faith and the human heart. Admirable are these mixtures, and more wonderful than every miracle, how things so diverse, and so divided from one another, could be joined together." And further: "Majesty contracted itself, so that what it had better, namely itself, it might join to our clay, and in one person God and clay might be united to one another, majesty and infirmity, such vileness and such sublimity. And observe, as in that singular divinity there is trinity in persons, unity in substance; so in this special mixture there is trinity in substances, unity in person. For the Word and soul, and flesh, have come together into one person; and these three are one; and this one is three, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person." Wherefore deservedly St. Augustine, St. Jerome, St. Bernard, St. Francis, and other Saints, in the contemplation of this mystery as if rapt outside themselves and astounded, were terrified and amazed. Indeed if with St. Mary Magdalene withdrawing and abstracted, we should contemplate nothing our whole life but this, "The Word was made flesh, God became man," we should be continually amazed; and the more and the longer we should contemplate it, the more we should be rapt into amazement, nay into ecstasy. Certainly the very humanity of Christ in the incarnation, seeing itself assumed and elevated above all the heavens and angels, to the throne of divine majesty, was amazed and terrified: nay and it is continually amazed and terrified, while it sees itself not only in the same seat, but also in the same hypostasis with divinity to sit and subsist: for it sees itself elevated from creature to Creator, made all things from nothing, made God from man; and this from no dignity of its own (for it is itself unworthy of such honor and good) or merit, but from the mere condescension of God, who chose it from all men, angels and creatures, and raised it to such a pinnacle of glory. Continually therefore being amazed at its own vileness and unworthiness, and God's condescension and grace, it exclaims with joy: O immense goodness of God in me, O abyssal, O incomprehensible goodness! Tropologically, St. Leo adapted these words to himself when he was chosen as Pontiff. For thus he says in sermon 2 On his Assumption: "Lord, I have heard thy hearing, and I was afraid: I considered thy works, and I was astonished. For what is so unusual, so fearful, as labour in the fragile, sublimity in the humble, dignity in the undeserving?" Lord, thy work in the midst of years quicken it. — The word illud by Hebrew pleonasm is redundant: for the Hebrews repeat the relative or demonstrative pronoun, and join it with its noun which preceded. Moreover, he understands by work the liberation of the Jews from Babylon, and mystically the redemption of mankind from the captivity of the devil and sin through Christ. Whence the Chaldean paraphrase interprets this work as the renewal of the world and the mercies of God. Thus St. Jerome and Augustine in the place cited. For this is called the work of God by antonomasia, or by excellence, because it was the greatest and most excellent of all God's works. For in it alone more than in the works of creation, conservation, governance, and all others, God showed to mankind his immense clemency, wisdom, power and love. And what the Poet said of Brutus: "And the great work of great Caesar;" you would say far more truly of the incarnate Word, namely of Christ: "And the great work of the great Godhead." This work, I say, "in the midst of years," that is within years, or by years, namely those fixed by thee, "quicken," that is make, raise up, fulfill. For the Hebrews metaphorically give life to inanimate things, such as years, days, air, fertility, sterility, captivity, liberation, etc.; for when these come to pass and flourish, they are said in Hebrew to be quickened and to live. In the midst of years. — Various ones explain this middle in various ways. First Guevara and Vatablus: "In the midst of years," they say, that is, in the midst of those calamitous and unhappy days, in which the Prophet had heard that Chaldea and its inhabitants were to be utterly laid waste by fire and sword. "In the midst," I say, that is when evils shall be at their height, when dangers shall press in more vehemently, when surrounded on all sides by the waves of calamities no hope of emerging shall shine forth. For to be in the midst of something is sometimes said of that which is pressed and urged by it, especially so that surrounded by the heat of evils no way of escape may lie open. Such is that Psalm 22:4: "For though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils: for thou art with me." And Psalm 137:7: "If I shall walk in the midst of tribulation, thou wilt quicken me." Habakkuk therefore prays to God that he snatch his peculiar people from the midst of the calamities of the Chaldeans, and that he whom he has hitherto benefited with such great benefits, and to whom, as craftsmen are wont, he has inscribed as it were his most perfect handiwork, and has marked and branded with the mark and stigma of circumcision, he should not suffer to perish by the cruelty of the Chaldeans, or together with the Chaldeans to be utterly cut off and destroyed in Babylon by the Medes and Persians. This sense seems to accord very well with this place. For the midst is often taken for the height, as when we say: I am in the midst of tribulations; I am tossed in the midst of the sea; I dwell in the midst of beasts, that is I am in the height of evils, dangers and enemies. For a year, day and time are often taken metonymically for a notable disaster and calamity which happened or shall happen in such a year, day and time. Thus the Prophets often call the day of the Lord the day of vengeance, on which he shall punish and destroy Judea, or Babylon, or other cities and nations, as Zephaniah cap. 1:14: "The great day of the Lord is near, etc. A day of wrath, that day, a day of tribulation and anguish." Joel cap. 2:1: "The day of the Lord cometh, etc., a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and whirlwinds." Similar passages are Jeremiah cap. 30:7; Amos cap. 3:18. Secondly, others on the contrary take the midst for the best, as if to say: When the 70 years of most calamitous captivity have passed, in the midst, that is in the best year following those 70 years, thou shalt give and grant this work of our liberation so greatly desired. Thus it is said Ezekiel cap. 5:5: "This is Jerusalem: in the midst," that is in the best, "of the nations have I set it." And Isaiah 38:10, Hezekiah says: "In the midst of my days," that is in the best and flourishing age, "I shall go to the gates of hell." Although others take the midst properly; for Hezekiah was then 39 years old, which age is as it were the half of human life: for the full age is that which is noted Psalm 89:10: "The days of our years in them are seventy years. But if in the strong, eighty years." Third, others more simply do not take the middle here geometrically, but physically, or rather in the common usage from the Hebrew phrase and custom, whereby "in the midst of years" is the same as within years, namely those predetermined and destined by God. Whence Symmachus translates: Within years make him to live again; Aquila: While the years draw near, quicken it; the Septuagint: When the years shall have drawn near, thou shalt know. Thus God made "the firmament in the midst of the waters," that is between the waters above and below, Genesis cap. i, 6, and "the tree of life in the midst of paradise," that is within paradise, Genesis cap. ii, 9, and fire in the midst of the bush, that is within the bush, Exodus cap. iii, 2. But he says rather "in the midst," than at the end of years, because he wishes these years not to be completed, but rather to be diminished and halved, as if to say: Make, O Lord, that the 70 years which thou hast appointed to our captivity should not run their full course but be cut short and halved. Fourth, some, as Albert, take the middle here geometrically and precisely, namely the middle of the years of the world. For the liberation of the Hebrews was made in about the three-thousandth year of the world, namely in the year 3419, which is nearly the middle of the duration of the world: for the world will last six thousand years, as the Hebrews and the Fathers, whom I cited in Apocalypse xx, 6, hand down. Again Jansenius explains this middle as the 37th year of the captivity of Jehoiachin, in which Evil-merodach exalted him, IV Kings cap. xv, 27, which was as it were a prelude and beginning of the happiness and liberation of the Hebrews, which was perfected in the 70th year of captivity: for 37 is nearly half of 70. In this sense the word quicken is to be taken in an imperfect, not a perfect sense, as if to say: "Quicken," that is begin to quicken, and fulfill thy work; begin the structure of thy work, give a specimen of it, as it were the dawn of future light and liberty. Allegorically, the work of the incarnation and redemption of Christ was done "in the midst of years," according to the first sense: because Christ came in a most calamitous time. For he acted as a wise physician acts, who allows the disease to grow to the highest paroxysm, so that it may exert all its strength and vomit it forth: which done, the disease being as it were exhausted and enervated, he applies an easy cure. Thus Christ permitted sin and concupiscence to grow to the highest degree through four thousand years, and to exercise and vomit forth all their malice: which done, he brought his healing hand to bear upon it; when now both nature and the law of Moses had shown all their strength, and yet could not heal the disease: and therefore all and everything tacitly begged and cried out for the aid of Christ. Second, this same was "in the midst," that is in the best, "of years"; because he himself brought in the golden jubilee age, according to that saying of the Apostle: "Behold now is the acceptable time, behold now is the day of salvation," II Corinthians cap. vi, 2. Third, it was "in the midst of years," that is among years, or in the years predetermined and established by God. Again "in the midst," that is in the completion of years. For the middle is the center of extremes, nay, the perfection and completion. Hence "in the midst of years" is the same as in the consummation of years, or, as the Apostle says in Galatians cap. iv, 4, "in the fullness of times," when namely the times appointed by God for so great a work were fully consummated and fulfilled. For the middle of extremes is the end: for the extremes are terminated and finished in the middle. Thus St. Jerome. In the midst therefore of years was Christ born, because the age of Christ was the end of the preceding miserable ages, and the beginning of the following most happy ones. But he says "in the midst" rather than at the end, because he wishes these years to be hastened, and therefore halved; just as through the prayers of Daniel and the Prophets, the 70 weeks preceding Christ were shortened and cut off, as I said in Daniel cap. ix, 21. Fourth, arithmetically Christ suffered "in the midst of years" by this reckoning: first, because He suffered in the midst of the 70th and final week of Daniel, and redeemed the world, Daniel cap. ix, 27. For although Daniel came after Habakkuk, nevertheless these 70 weeks were already decreed in the mind of God before Daniel, who revealed them here to Habakkuk confusedly and implicitly, which He afterwards expressed explicitly to Daniel. Second, "in the midst of years," because Christ suffered and redeemed us in the 34th year of His age, which is the middle of human life: for this is reckoned at 70 years. Third, the Hebrews from the oracle of Elijah hand down that the duration or age of the world will be six thousand years, or three periods of two millennia, of which the first two pertain to the law of nature, which was before the flood, and after it until Abraham; the second, or middle two, to the law of Moses; the third, or last two, to the Gospel and the time of the Messiah and grace. Now Christ was born during the law of Moses: He was born therefore in the midst of these three ages, and consequently in the midst of years, that is, of the centuries of the world. Thus Francis George of Venice in Problem. tome III, sect. IV On the Advent of Christ, num. 142. Again, Christ came in the midst of years, because the time of His Gospel and grace is the middle between the time of the law and the time of glory, or between the present age and the future. For Christ was as it were the horizon of time and eternity: for He is Himself the end of the law and of time, and the beginning of eternity and of blessed life. Hence by Isaiah, cap. ix, He is called "the father of the world to come." Finally, lest I omit anything, from these words of Habakkuk some, as St. Vincent Ferrer reports in his epistle to Benedict, and Adrian Finus in book V of the Scourge, cap. viii, have thought that Christ assumed flesh in the middle of the duration of the world's time, so that exactly as many years preceded Christ's incarnation as will follow it. Virgil indicated the same thing, who, flattering Augustus Caesar (in whose age Christ was born) from the oracles of the Sibyl of Cumae, sang in III Georg.: Soon however shall I gird myself to sing the burning battles of Caesar, and to carry his name in fame through so many years, as Caesar is distant from the first origin of Tithonus. But this seems altogether uncertain, and to many not very probable; certainly it cannot be inferred from this passage. Symbolically, Christ is the middle, as of the Holy Trinity, so also of the whole universe and all ages, equally as the mediator of our redemption and happiness. For in the Holy Trinity He Himself, as the Son, is the middle between the Father and the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and is generated, and being generated with Him breathes forth and produces the Holy Spirit. Second, because He Himself is the Word, which is the idea by which God created all things; He therefore as the Word is the knot, the bond, the link, the middle and the center of all things. Third, in Him likewise as the Word, all ages and times have been created and ordered: "For by faith we understand that the ages were framed by the word of God," says the Apostle, Heb. cap. xi, 3. Fourth, hence He fittingly assumed human nature, that He might be the mediator between God and men. For it was fitting that the middle person in the Holy Trinity should assume human nature, and in it become the mediator, because human nature itself is also middle between heaven and earth, middle between God and other creatures, partaking of both natures, so that through this middle nature it might unite the extremes. For human nature is the middle point, and as it were the bond of all things, and having a part with all things, it delights in all things; for man either feeds on all other creatures, or nourishes and enjoys himself with them by sight or other sense; the earth sustains us, water drinks us, air gives us breath, fire warms us; we feed on plants, fish, animals; we are illuminated by the sun and sky, we are instructed, purged and perfected by angels. In like manner Christ made man delights with all things, and all things with Him. Hence His type was the tree of life placed in the midst of paradise by God, Genesis cap. ii. Wherefore Christ, being born, living, dying, always took the middle place. For He was born in the middle of the night, when quiet silence held all things, and the night in its course was passing through the middle of its journey, Wisdom, cap. xviii, 14. He was also placed in the middle of two animals: the weaker ass denotes mercy; the stronger ox, and in ploughing equal and faithful to his master, denotes justice. For Christ made these two meet one another, and therefore being born He stood in their middle. The Child was found in the temple, in the middle of the doctors. At home He was in the middle between His mother and His father, namely Mary and Joseph. For as He is in the middle in the uncreated Trinity, so He is also in the middle in the created Trinity, which is Joseph, Jesus, Mary. As a man He was in the middle of the Apostles: "I," He said, "am in the midst of you, as he that serveth;" so that namely to all with equal distribution, at least geometrical, having undertaken the office, He might distribute. Again, preaching, He wrought salvation in the midst of the earth, Psalm lxxiii, 12. Dying, He hung in the middle of two thieves, so that already constituted their judge, He might render to each his due recompense, according to the merit of each, as a kind of presage of the great and final judgment, in which He will have the middle place, with the saints on His right hand, whom eternal life will reward; on His left hand the reprobate, whom eternal death will punish. In heaven He holds the middle place; for He is in the middle between the Father and us, as our advocate. Thus St. John saw Him, Apocalypse cap. v, 6, as a lamb in the middle of the throne, in the middle of the four animals, and in the middle of the elders. Hence He was prefigured by Isaac about to be immolated by his father, and the laughter and joy of the world; for Isaac was in the middle between Abraham and Jacob; for he was the son of Abraham, the father of Jacob. Again, He Himself openly professes: "Where there are two or three gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them," Matthew cap. xviii, 20. Wherefore He Himself from eternity decreed, and in time was made the true and Most excellently St. Bernard, serm. 4 On St. Michael: "Jesus," he says, "always loves the middle, the Son of Man always rejects byways and reclinings, the mediator of God and men. My beloved is to me, and I to him, who feedeth among the lilies." Assuredly by all these things He wished to signify and commend the golden mean, which makes us pleasing to God and men; for virtue consists in the middle. Likewise peace and concord; for the middle is the bond, and as it were the peace and concord of extremes. This is what Matthew cap. v, 9 says: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God;" because I who am the natural Son of God, am the peace of all, reconciling all things that are in heaven, and that are on earth, Colossians 1, 20. Justly therefore do they obtain the name of sons of God, who usurp the office of mediating and reconciling peace, which is proper and intimate to Him. Years. — Thus also Aquila, Symmachus, Theodotion, the Chaldean and others render it everywhere; for they read in the Hebrew שנים scanim, which signifies years. But the Septuagint, reading with different points שנים scenaim, that is of two; again for חיהו chaitehu, that is vivify it, reading חיות chaiot, that is animals, translate, thou shalt be known in the midst of two animals; soon however for scenaim they read scanim with the others. Whence they add: When the years shall draw near, thou shalt be known, and they add by way of epexegesis: When the time shall come, thou shalt be made manifest. For these words are not in the Hebrew; yet in the Septuagint the codices of the Vatican, Complutensian, Royal, St. Jerome, Cyril, Theodoret and others read them everywhere. Some however think that the Septuagint read in the Hebrew as the others, namely that τὸ when the years shall draw near, thou shalt be known, corresponds to that which Our version translated: in the midst of the years vivify it, and τὸ when the time shall come, thou shalt be made manifest, corresponds to that which Our version translated, in the midst of the years thou shalt make known; but that which precedes, thou shalt be known in the midst of two animals, was added by the Septuagint prophetically and paraphrastically, as by the same was added τὸ from the wood, which is not in the Hebrew, nor in the Latin, Psalm xcv, 10. For where they read, God hath reigned, the Septuagint added from the wood, namely from the cross; for the cross was as it were the throne of the kingdom of Christ. Perhaps in the Hebrew there was a double reading, one in the text, another in the margin, such as there are already many in the Hebrew, which the Rabbis call keri and ketib; namely that in the text there was, bekereb scanim chaiiehu, that is in the midst of years vivify it; in the margin however, bekereb scenaim chaiot, As to the allegorical sense, however, and especially concerning Christ, various interpreters expound this version in various ways. First, Theophylactus understood by the two animals the two Cherubim, which were upon the ark in the mercy seat, Exod. cap. xxv, vers. 17, as if to say: Your type, O Christ, was the mercy seat set up between two Cherubim; there by a shadow you were typified, indeed foreknown; for the mercy seat signified that you would be the propitiation of the world. Second, others by the two animals understand the two Seraphim, whom Isaiah saw in cap. vi, acclaiming Christ in human form, as if incarnate, sitting upon the throne: "Holy, holy," as if those "veiling the head and feet of the Lord," says St. Jerome, "veil only in the present age, and one cries to the other the mystery of the Trinity, and one of the Seraphim is sent (which is interpreted as burning), and comes to the earth, and cleanses the lips of the Prophet, and says: I am come to cast fire upon the earth, and what will I but that it be kindled?" Third, τὸ in the midst of the two animals you shall know, many think is to be understood of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, "because the Father is understood through the Son and the Spirit," says St. Jerome. In like manner the Son, who is in the midst between the Father and the Holy Spirit, through the Father from whom he is begotten, and through the Holy Spirit whom he produces and spirates, is understood. Fourth, the two animals are the two thieves, between whom Christ crucified was known, says the same St. Jerome. Fifth, the two animals are two peoples, namely the Babylonians and the Jews in the time of Habakkuk, in the midst of whom God was known, overthrowing the Babylonians and freeing the Jews. Again in the time of Christ he was known in the midst of Jews and Gentiles. For with these two peoples girding him on either side, the Savior was understood and believed, says St. Jerome, who sixth adds: There are those who understand the two animals as the two Testaments, new and old, which are truly living and vital things, which breathe, and in the midst of which the Lord is known. Seventh, Tertullian in lib. IV Against Marcion, cap. xxii, understands by the two animals Moses and Elijah, between whom transfigured, and The literal cause why Christ wished to recline in the manger, in the midst of an ox and an ass, was that which the Evangelist Luke gives in cap. ii, 7: "Because there was no room for them in the inn;" for all the Jews were then flocking together for the census ordered by Augustus Caesar, and because the richer ones had already occupied all the rooms of the inn, or certainly had forestalled Joseph and Mary, coming from far away from Nazareth, and had already taken up the whole lodging. The Blessed Virgin therefore, about to give birth to Christ, being shut out from the inn, withdrew into a stable, or cave-like stable adjoining the inn, which served the innkeeper for lodging beasts of burden, and its lodging, a meager place for herself, she borrowed from the beasts; and since she did not have cradles, she reclined There stands forth a type of poverty, and of the poor kingdom of Christ, in which Christ newly born is depicted placed in the manger, lying in hay between an ox and This is indeed the sermon which Christ proclaims from the manger, not by word, but by deed, and which he proclaimed throughout his entire life, and even in his very death from the cross's gallows, namely: Sons of men, why do you love vanity, and seek after lying? All the riches of the world are vain, vain are the pomps, vain the delights, vain the honors; despise vain things, seek true things: true riches, true delights, true honors are in heaven with God, who communicates them to me, to the angels and to the saints. These I announce to you, these I offer, these I promise. I am the wisdom of the Father, I am a wise child, the Word an infant: I know to reject evil, and to choose good. Believe me therefore, not the deceitful and fallacious world: what I have chosen, I have taught to be chosen; what I have despised, I have shown to be despised. I am life, I teach you that true life, heavenly and divine, consists in the love and desire of heavenly and eternal goods: pursue that therefore, and for this reason flee the animal and carnal life, which leads to present and eternal death: "There hath appeared, says the Apostle to Titus ii, 41, the grace of God our Saviour to all men, instructing us, that denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live soberly, and justly, and godly in this world, looking for the blessed hope, and coming of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." Whoever therefore is wise, whoever follows the doctrine of Christ, whoever is a Christian, put off all loves of earthly things, and place them before the manger of Christ between the ox and the ass, and offer your whole heart, your whole love, all your hopes and your possessions resolutely and effectively to Christ the Lord, that with the poor you may become poor, with the humble humble, with the sober sober, with the spiritual spiritual, with the heavenly heavenly, with the wise wise, with the blessed blessed. For this reason indeed he was born, and laid in the manger, "that, while we know God visibly, through this we may be snatched into the love of invisible things." For he lay in the manger, and shone in heaven: hay was his bed, whose is the earth and the fullness thereof: in these cradles is shut up he who fills heaven and earth; he grows cold, and weeps among the ox and the ass, he who is the life, the ardor and the jubilation of the angels. Truly St. Bernard, sermon 4 in the Vigil of the Nativity: "More precious, he says, are the garments of the Saviour than all purple, and more glorious is this manger than the gilded thrones of kings: richer indeed is the poverty of Christ than all riches, and all the treasures of the world; for what is found richer than humility, what more precious? by which indeed the kingdom of heaven is purchased, and divine grace is acquired, as it is written: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The same, sermon 4 On the Nativity: "The Saviour, he says, to whom belong both gold and silver, dedicates sacred poverty in his body." Therefore, as the Poet sings: The stable is heaven, the sun is Christ, and the moon the Virgin, The ox and the ass have their mark of Boötes. Finally Christ placed between the ox and the ass, in fact cries out that word of the Psalmist, Psalm lxxii, 23: "I am become as a beast of burden before thee," that I may serve you in all things and wholly, as a beast of burden serves its master: the beast therefore designates the supreme humility of Christ, obedience, resignation, labors, patience, and finally sacrifice, death and martyrdom: that as an ox he offers himself a victim to God, according to that of Jeremiah xi, 19: "I am as a gentle lamb;" where Vatablus, Pagninus and others translate: But I as a lamb and an ox. The tropological reason was given by St. Chrysostom, hom. 1 in Luke, saying: "Why in a manger? that the prophecy of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: The ox knew his owner, and the ass the crib of his lord. It is written in another place: Men and beasts thou wilt save, O Lord. If thou art a man, eat bread; if thou art a beast, go to the manger." And Gregory of Nyssa pursues almost the same reasoning more extensively, at the same time insinuating it in his oration On the Holy Nativity of Christ, with these words: "Moreover, the manger is the dwelling of animals lacking reason and speech: in which the Word is born, that the ox might know his owner, and the ass the crib of his lord; the ox subject to the law, the ass an animal destined for bearing burdens, which was burdened and weighed down by the sin of the worship of idols. But for brute beasts the fitting food and sustenance is grass and hay. For he who produces grass and hay for cattle, says the Prophet: but the rational animal is nourished with bread. Wherefore for this reason in the manger, which is the dwelling of brutes, he who descended from heaven, the bread of life, is set forth, that even the brutes, having taken rational food in turn, might attain to reason. He is therefore in the middle between the ox and the ass in the manger, the lord of both, that, the barrier being removed, he might create both in himself into one new man, and from this might take away the heavy yoke of the law, and might relieve that burden of the worship of idols." To this is added Sophronius, Archbishop of Constantinople, oration 1 on the Nativity of Christ: "God," he says, "is openly set forth in the manger, and to us who both waste away with hunger and are driven almost without any reason like beasts of burden, he offers himself freely as food. Who, having cast aside that eucharistic food as divine feasts and divine charity altogether unworthy, would not delight in his divinity? Truly I would say: Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace to men of good will. I exult with joy and leap about like shepherds, while I hear voices so plainly divine; and borne away to the manger, which received God, and also to that heavenly cave with all the impulse of my soul, I desire earnestly to behold the mystery that lies hidden in it, and to bring forth that hymn: Glory be to God on high, etc., in honor and glory of the newly born." Job typified this very thing, cap. vi, saying: "Will the wild ass bray when he hath grass, or will the ox low when he standeth before a full manger? For the wild ass, which is the free ass, signifies the Gentiles lawless before Christ; but the ox, accustomed to the yoke, signifies the Jews subject to the law: for Christ became the food of both. Hear the words of St. Gregory explaining Job in his mystical manner, lib. VII Moral. cap. iv: "The grass of the wild ass and the hay of the ox is this very incarnation of the Mediator, through which both gentility For this reason St. Jerome migrated from Rome to Bethlehem, that he might live at the manger of Christ, and to the same place he called St. Paula, Eustochium, and other most noble Roman matrons and virgins. Wherefore the manger of Christ, translated to Rome, placed in the basilica of St. Mary Major, we venerate with great honor, equally as the body of St. Jerome, which is fittingly laid to rest near it, so that, as he himself lived near it, so near it he might rest in death. Secondly, some in the version of the Septuagint read for ζωών with acute accent, that is animals, from ζωόν, that is animal, ζωῶν with circumflex accent, that is lives, from ζωή, that is life, which corresponds to the Hebrew חיהו chaitehu, which is not only a verb, signifying vivify it; but also a noun, signifying his lives. Following this, Eusebius in book VI of the Demonstration of the Gospel, chapter xv, Theodoret and Theophylactus, thus translate and read, in the midst of two lives thou shalt be known, namely as the avenger and vindicator of injuries, says Sanchez: because in the life of Nebuchadnezzar thou shalt be known as the vindicator of the impious Jews; but in the life of Cyrus thou shalt be known as the avenger of the impious Chaldeans. Allegorically indeed in Christ thou shalt be known: first, in the midst of divine and human life: for Christ embraced both in himself, as being θεάνθρωπος and ὁμόθεος, that is God and man. Thus Gregentius Archbishop of Tephren, Disputation with Herban the Jew, volume IV of the Library of the Holy Fathers: "In the midst of two animals, that is, he says, in the midst of two essences, namely divine and human, Christ God and man subsists." Secondly, in the midst of lives, that is of years and life, for the Hebrew חיים chaiim is used only in the dual number, whence in it signifies both singular, dual, and plural life. For Christ suffering redeemed us in the year of his age and life 34, which is the middle age of human life. Thirdly, in the midst of temporal and eternal life: for from that to this Christ leads us, who became for us the way, the truth and the life. Fourthly, in the midst, that is between two lives, namely the heavenly, blessed, and the infernal and miserable in Gehenna: for Christ is the arbiter, judge, lord and distributor of both. Whence the Arabic translates: Lord, I have beheld thy works, I am terrified In the midst of the years thou shalt make it known (that which follows, namely, that), when thou art angry, thou shalt remember mercy. — By mercy he understands deliverance from Babylon, and allegorically the redemption of Christ. Thus far the prayer, that is the petition, of Habakkuk: there follows his canticle, by which he establishes and confirms his prayer.
3:3
3. God from the South. — The Hebrew reads, God shall come from Teman. For Teman was the son of Eliphaz, son of Esau, Gen. xxxvi, 15, and gave his name to a region of Idumaea, from which Eliphaz the friend of Job, cap. iv, 1, was called a Themanite: because, as the Chaldean paraphrase renders it there, he was a prince of the Themanites. Hence Idumaea is called the mount of Seir, or Edom. For Esau, because he was hairy, was called Seir; because he was ruddy, Edom. This is evident from Jerem. xlix, 7 and 20. Now because Teman and Idumaea lay to the south of Judaea, as appears from Josue xi, 16, just as Lebanon lay opposite to it on the north; hence Teman signifies the south, namely the southern region. There are those who wish Auster (the South) to be called Teman, that is, the right hand, from the root iamin, that is, the right hand (so that the initial tau in Theman is a Hebraism and an added letter, as it is in talmid, that is, disciple, and talmud, that is, doctrine; for these are derived from the root lamad, that is, he learned), because when we face the East, the South stands at our right hand. Hence St. Jerome, on Psalm. lxxxviii, 12, where the Septuagint translated: "Thou hast created the north and the sea"; because in the Hebrew for "sea" is iamin, that is, the right hand, he rendered it: "Thou hast created the north and the right hand": the right hand, that is, the South: for this is opposed to the North. The right side of the world therefore is the South, the left side is the North: hence the former is a symbol of happiness and good things, the latter of unhappiness and evil things. Wherefore God and Christ are fittingly said here to come from the South and from the right, because He comes to bring salvation and all good things, as it were the true Benjamin, that is, the son of the right hand, strong, blessed, saving, and strengthening, blessing and making us all happy. For the South, being warm, brings life, salvation and all good: the North, being cold and rigid, brings death and all evil. For "from the north shall evil break forth upon all the inhabitants of the earth," Jerem. i, 14. At Rome, however, and in Italy, the South is turbulent, harmful and pestilential; the North, on the other hand, is healthful. Whence Horace, lib. i, epist. 2: "We are not driven by swelling sails with a favourable north wind: Yet we do not pass our time with adverse south winds." That is, we are neither in the height of prosperity nor in the depth of calamity. Habacuc alludes to Deuter. xxxiii, 2: "The Lord came from Sina, and rose up from Seir unto us (that is, from the South: for both Sina and Seir, or Teman, lay to the south of Judaea): He appeared from mount Pharan, and with him thousands of saints." Moses speaks of the law given to him by God at Sina, and of the pillar of fire and cloud by which God showed Himself to the Hebrews and led the way through the desert into Chanaan. The Psalmist celebrates the same benefit, Psalm. lxvii, 8, and Debora, Judic. v, 4. Moreover, by the South is understood the desert of Arabia, in which were situated the mountains of Sina, Pharan and Seir, or Idumaea: for all these places lay to the south of Judaea. The sense therefore is, as if to say: God, who of old showed Himself to our fathers departing from Egypt and wandering through the deserts of Arabia in a cloud, emerging as it were gradually from the mountains of Seir and Pharan, and displaying His majesty through the pillar of fire and cloud and through wonders, led us to Sina: where with lightnings, thunders and an earthquake He gave the law, and thence through a thousand dangers brought us safely into Chanaan: the same God will show Himself and His presence and aid to us in Babylon. For from the South, namely from Persia and Media, which lie to the south of Chaldaea, He will bring Cyrus and Darius, who shall lay waste Babylon, and thence shall free us, so that under God as our guide and protector, through so many enemies and dangers, we may return safe and unharmed to our native land. The same God will most manifestly show Himself, and will appear to us face to face, when He shall become man: He, I say, who of old appeared to our fathers in the mountains of Seir, Pharan and Sina, and was not seen afterwards, but there as it were lay hidden, so that in the fullness of time He might reveal Himself clearly in Christ. Whence Allegorically, Sina, where the old law was given, was a type of Sion, in which the new law was given at Pentecost; Seir, where the brazen serpent was set up, by the sight of which the Hebrews bitten by serpents were healed, Num. xxi, 4 and 6, was a type of the cross of Christ, by faith in which we are healed from the bite of all sin, concupiscence and the devil; Pharan, where seventy judges were appointed by Moses and filled with the Holy Spirit, Numer. xi. 15, was a type of the sending of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. See the remarks on Deuter. xxxiii, 2. Hence again St. Jerome, Theodoret and Theophylactus expound this passage concerning the incarnation of Christ in this manner: The Lord shall come from the South, that is from Bethlehem, which is to the south with respect to Jerusalem: because He shall be born in Bethlehem. Again from the South, that is from the heat of charity, namely pouring forth the bowels of His mercy, by which He visited us, the Orient from on high. For the South is a warm, vital and fertile wind, which nourishes plants and makes them fertile. The South therefore, that is charity, caused Him to be incarnate, from Pharan, that is from the mouth of him that seeth: for He Himself proceeded from the mouth of the Most High seeing and taking pity on the afflictions and deaths of men. Whence the Septuagint translates: God shall come from Theman, and the Holy One from the shady and thick mountain. Where by the shady and thick mountain Theophylactus and Euthymius understand the Blessed Virgin Mother of God, who, as a mountain of virtues loftier than other saints, by the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost conceived and brought forth Christ, according to that promise of Gabriel: "The power of the Most High shall overshadow thee, and therefore that which shall be born of thee shall be called holy, the Son of God." Others, as Theodoret, understand Jerusalem and the Synagogue, which was under a shadow, that is under the protection of God, and which was a shadow and type of the brightness and glory of God, which He Himself in Christ revealed and expanded as it were in a cloud. Symbolically St. Augustine, book XVIII of the City of God, chapter xxxii, by the shady mountain understands "the height of the Scriptures, in which," he says himself, "Christ was prophesied. For many things there are shadowy and thick, which exercise the mind of the seeker. And He comes thence, when he who understands finds Him there." And St. Gregory, book XXXIII of the Morals, chapter i: God, he says, shall come from Libanus, and the Holy One from the shady and thick mountain. For He who promised through the pages of His Testament that He would come, comes as it were thence, whence He held Himself as it were under promise. Which Testament indeed is well called a shady and thick mountain, because it is darkened by the thick obscurities of allegories." St. Jerome however by the shady mountain understands God the Father, who dwells in inaccessible light, and by His majesty as it were overshadows and protects all things: for from the Father the Son proceeded and came to us; or heaven, which overshadows and covers the earth, and which is as it were a paradise with most beautiful trees, that is virtues, angels and saints, shady and thick. For from heaven the Son descended to us, as it were from a mountain of blessedness and glory to a valley of afflictions. Finally the Septuagint translates: God shall come from Africa, and the Holy One from the shady mountain, which words the Donatists abused, as if the Prophet here had denoted their sect and Church: for this began in Africa, which they thought to be the same as Africa. St. Augustine laughs at this in the book On Pastors, chapters xv and xvi, where by Africa he understands Jerusalem, which is situated to the south; and by the shady mountain he understands the Mount of Olives: for from thence Christ sent the Apostles to preach the Gospel throughout the whole world. Thus he himself mystically. Anagogically Pharan, that is the mouth of him that seeth, is a symbol of heaven, where God exhibits Himself to the blessed to be seen and enjoyed. Again Pharan can be derived from פאר peer, that is glory, splendor, magnificence, which is in heaven: where likewise is a place shady and thick, namely most pleasant: where also God shall reveal to His own His secrets and hidden judgments, which are to us here shadowy and obscure, says Rupert. Note: In the Hebrew text is added selah, which word is found only in this canticle and in the Psalms. Whence it appears to be a mark of song and melody, for raising or prolonging the voice, so that those singers might dwell upon or pause at the verse to which selah is added, on account of the gravity of the matter, singing more persistently or reverently, as if meditating: for the root sala signifies to tread, to urge, to press; and salal means to lift up, to elevate. Selah therefore is the same as intensity and elevation, namely of the voice for stirring up the hearers, so that they might attend to the matter being sung as if it were wonderful, grave and sublime, or festive, might admire it, meditate upon it, applaud it, whether as rejoicing or as amazed or as congratulating: for selah is a mark now of one wishing, now of one affirming, applauding and confirming. Hence Aquila always translates selah as; the Fifth Edition, continually, or to the end; the Chaldean, for ever, that is, let that which is being sung be or come to pass. Hence also the Hebrews in their epitaphs pray for the dead saying: "Let his soul be in paradise. Amen, amen;" selah, that is always, for all eternity. But the Septuagint, Symmachus and Theodotion translate selah as διάψαλμα, that is to say an interruption of the song, or rather a change, as St. Jerome says in the place cited. Wherefore those err who refer selah, that is always, to what follows in this manner: Thou shalt always cleave the rivers of the earth. For, as St. Jerome says in epistle 138 to Marcella, "as we are accustomed to place in the middle, for the distinction of another matter following, Explicit, or Happily, or something of that sort; so also the Hebrews, in order that what is written might be strengthened, are accustomed to do, so that they say, Amen, or, for ever; or they recall what is to be written, so that they place Selah, or they protest past happiness, noting peace at the end." And a little before: "From which we observe that this word Selah connects both what precedes and what follows, or certainly teaches that what has been said is eternal." The sense therefore is, as if to say, "God shall come from the South, and the Holy One from mount Pharan; Selah," that is to say, Attend, consider, marvel, celebrate continually this condescension and beneficence of God the Most High toward us, by which His majesty deigned to show itself to us, nay to clothe itself in our flesh, that He might become our brother, redeemer and savior. Some according to St. Jerome thus expound it: Sela, that is to say, "He who was born in Bethlehem, and who on Sinai, that is on mount Pharan, gave the law, is always in all benefits, past, present and future, the author and giver." It is very probable that St. Chrysostom, the Nyssene and others to be cited presently hold, that selah suggests some remarkable affection, by which the psalmist, for example David, would be affected as the moving Spirit prompted: which because it is not in our power, cannot be had by us in every psalm, nor in every verse: but as the Holy Spirit moves the heart and suggests these affections to it: and this is the reason why in the Psalms selah is found placed so confusedly and without any reason that we can discern, but elsewhere, where the sentences appear more illustrious, it is omitted. Moreover selah is repeated three times in this canticle, but in the Psalms seventy-one times, for which the Septuagint everywhere translates διάψαλμα, which Suidas interprets as an alternation of singing, others as a change of meter, others as a pause of breath, others as the beginning of another sentence, others as a distinction of rhythm, and others have said it to be a silence of some musical variety. Whence it is clear that selah does not signify always in the literal sense, as Burgensis rightly proves, but is merely a mark of song and music, and therefore our Translator did not translate selah. But the Septuagint translated it as διάψαλμα. But what this mark was and of what kind, none of the ancients expressed. Whence we can bring forth nothing certain here. For this reason the Fathers and interpreters go into various opinions and conjectures here. For first, Marinus in the Lexicon holds that selah was a sign of a higher voice in singing, to which when they had arrived, they struck only the instruments, and for this reason, he says, it is placed almost always in those Psalms which are marked beforehand by the name מזמור mizmor, that is, songs to be sung both by voice and by instrument. Moreover, selah supplies the defect of meter, and completes the song, just as the Greeks in a song lacking some syllable or foot, supply it by adding ἐα, δέ, μέν, γε, and other enclitic particles. Thus he himself. Second, Eugubinus in Psalm. iii, says that selah is the same as certainly, assuredly, always, as St. Jerome translated it with exaggeration of voice; which is like Amen, that is, let it be: who also adds that he suspects the Septuagint retained the Hebrew selah, but the scribes through ignorance put diapsalma in its place. But this does not seem probable. Third, Nyssenus in Psalm. tract. 2, cap. x, says that διάψαλμα is a cessation and rest suddenly made during singing, for the reception of illumination sent from God. St. Jerome, epist. 136, seems to deny that selah is a mark of silence: For, he says, it is placed sometimes at the end of Psalms. But to this it could be answered and said that the beginning of another psalm succeeded the end of one psalm: selah His glory covered the heavens. — The Septuagint, δύναμις, that is, his virtue, or power, as if to say, He, glorious, coming from the South, once showed his glory both in heaven and on earth, so that those who admired it with reason celebrated it with praises, both the heavenly beings and those born of earth, especially the Jews in Sinai and the desert, when they saw lightnings, thunders, fire, smoke on Sinai, by which the glory of God seemed to fill and cover the heaven, that is, the air. Again, when from heaven he gave them continuous manna and quails, Exod. xvi, likewise the pillar of fire and cloud, and many other portents. Thus the Chaldean, Arias, Clarius and Jansenius. In a similar way his majesty will show his glory, that is, his glorious power, vengeance and mercy, when he shall destroy Babylon and its monarchy through Cyrus; and shall free us from its captivity, says Albertus and Lyranus. Allegorically, this was done at the nativity of Christ, says St. Jerome; for the glorious wisdom, power and goodness of God filled heaven and earth, when the Word was made flesh, uniting man to God, and heaven to earth. Whence with reason the angels sang in it: "Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace to men of good will;"; then in his glorious doctrine, life and miracles, and especially in his glorious resurrection and ascension to heaven. Thus Theodoret and Theophylactus. In a similar way the Psalmist, Psalm. lvi, 12, celebrates God's immense glory saying: "Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory over all the earth." And Isaiah cap. vi, 3, saw the Seraphim acclaiming God: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory." And Ezechiel cap. i, saw the Cherubic chariot of God's majesty and glory, with four wheels driven swiftly throughout the whole world in every direction.
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4. His splendor shall be as the light, — that is to say, The clarity and splendor of God on Sinai was like the light of the sun illuminating the earth: for He appeared in a great fire. Whence in Deuteronomy xxxiii, 2, it is said of Him: "In His right hand a fiery law." See the things said there. Thus the Chaldean and others already cited. Allegorically, when Christ was born the angel announced Him to the shepherds, "and the brightness of God shone round about them," Luke ii, 9. Similarly the life, passion, death and resurrection of Christ shone forth to all virtues, by which He illuminated the whole world. Whence St. Augustine in book X of the City of God, chapter xxxii, speaks thus: "His splendor shall be as the light, what is this but that His fame will illuminate those who believe?" The Chaldean translates: Moreover His splendor as the splendor of the firstborn appeared. Horns in His hands. — The Hebrew: Horns from His hand to Him, that is to say, In His hand He has horns, which are to Him strength, so that wielding them against enemies, He may pierce them with them. You will ask, what are these horns of God? First, Vatablus, Mariana and Jansenius understand horns, that is, rays of light, which God giving the law to Moses, breathed upon him and as it were fixed upon him on Sinai, so that He might show His power and terrible vengeance to the Hebrews, lest they dare to violate the law given by Him; so that Moses here is called the hand, that is, the instrument and mediator of God the lawgiver, wielding rays of light, which are called horns on account of the pyramidal and twisted shape which horns have. And hence the poets feigned Vulcan, the presider over fire and light, to be lame, says Guevara. Whence the Syrian translates: His splendor shall be as the light, and in the horns of His hands, namely that splendor and light is in them. Secondly, others better understand rays of light, which God was vibrating from Himself and from His tablets of the law, which He was giving to Moses and the Hebrews. Whence Vatablus and Pagninus translate: Splendors from His hand were to Him; and the Chaldean: Sparks from the chariot of His glory pro- Thirdly, Guevara by the horns of God understands the devil and death. Whence the Prophet explaining these horns, says, he adds: "Before His face shall death go, and the devil shall go forth before His feet," that is to say, God through the devil and death, as it were through two horns, fighting for the Hebrews against the Canaanites, rushed upon them, and killed them, crushed them and drove them out. For the devil and death are vessels, that is, instruments, most strong for slaying to God, as Ezekiel says in chapter ix, verse 1, and as it were the rods of His strength. Fourthly, most plainly by horns you should understand the strength, forces and arms of God: for horns are their symbols. For He alludes to Deuteronomy xxxiii, 17: "His beauty as of the firstborn of bulls, his horns the horns of a rhinoceros: with them shall he push the nations." And Psalm xliii, 6: "In Thee shall we push down our enemies with the horn." Hence to lift up horns is to be puffed up in mind, as in Psalm lxxiv, 5: "I said to the wicked: Do not act wickedly; and to the delinquents: Do not lift up the horn, do not exalt your horn on high, do not speak iniquity against God." Similar is that of the Poet: For against the wicked most fierce, I lift up prepared horns. The sense is, that is to say, God after giving the law on Sinai, so that He might protect it and His people, assumed and exerted His strength like a strong and fierce bull, forces and arms, as it were most strong horns, by which the angel, the leader of the Hebrews, instructed through the desert, drove death and the demon from them, and sent them against the Canaanites, and destroyed them, and placed and substituted the Hebrews in their land. In a similar way God shall pierce and destroy the Chaldeans through Cyrus and Darius, as it were through two of His horns, and through their bows, which have the appearance of horns, for the sake of liberating His Jews, says Albertus, Hugo and Lyranus. Mystically, the horn of Christ is the cross, or the strength of the cross, by which He overcame demons and all enemies, so that He leads death and the devil conquered in His triumphal procession before His chariot. Hence Christ became for us a horn of salvation, as Zacharias sings in Luke i, 69. Thus St. Jerome, Theophylactus, Rupertus, Haymo, Ribera, Emmanuel Tropologically, these horns were patience, humility and the other virtues of Christ, but especially His burning, unconquered and most strong charity, and love toward God and men, which drove Him to the cross and death. With these arrows of His love He wounded the hearts of the first Christians, especially the martyrs, such as St. Stephen, St. Paul, St. John, St. Ignatius, St. Lawrence, etc., and compelled and inflamed them to love Him in return, and to give life for life, so that they burned with insatiable desire of martyrdom and of suffering much for Christ. Whence the Septuagint translates: Horns in His hands, and He placed strong love of His strength. Namely for this reason, says There His strength is hidden. — Pagninus: There was the hiding of His strength; Tigurinus: There the refuge of His strength; Vatablus: There His strength was revealed and uncovered, which before was hidden. "There," namely both in splendor, and in horns and hands, that is in His mighty works wrought through Moses and Joshua, God hiding Himself concealed His majesty and strength: and in like manner He will conceal it in the conquest of Babylon and the liberation of the Jews through Cyrus. For in Cyrus the strength of God was hidden, says Albertus. Allegorically, in the infirmity of the humanity, passion and cross of Christ His majesty, divinity and immense strength were hidden. Whence, exerting it in the passion, He shook the whole earth with a great earthquake, split rocks and cliffs, darkened the sun and moon. The Septuagint, as I have said, translate: He placed the strong love of His strength, that is through His strength, namely the Father through His Son, says Cyril in the Catena. Or, as others say, that is to say, When Christ was born and suffered for us, He showed us His strong love. For He suffered not from weakness, but from a valid and strong love; so that His strength and might was love, and conversely love was to Him strength and might to overcome all labors, pains and crosses mightily. Thus Theodoret and Theophylactus. Or, as others say, that is to say, He placed the strong love of His strength, that is, according to the measure of His immense love, God the Father measured out to His Son the force of His power, which both for sustaining generously His immense struggles, labors and pains; and for showing His immense exaltation and glory, in resurrection and ascension into heaven, He would employ and exercise. For where love is the machine, how great an elevation of weights, even the greatest, can be hoped for? For all the weight of weight and its balance is love. Truly St. Augustine: "My love is my weight, by it I am borne whithersoever I am borne." "For as the loves of bodies," says the same in book XI of The City of God, chapter 28, "are the moments of weights, whether they strive downward by gravity or upward by lightness. For thus the body is borne by weight, as the soul is borne by love whithersoever it is borne." And St. Gregory: "The machine of the mind is the force of love, which while it draws this from the world, lifts it on high." And St. Bernard: "My labor is scarcely of one hour, and if of longer duration, I do not feel it because of love." Thus Christ by the weight of love overcame all the weight of passion and cross, so constantly, that he seemed not to feel it because of its lightness. Again, the weight of love by which the Father was borne toward Him and pressed down, was so great, that the eternal and divine weight of glory, which He gave to Him rising and ascending, seemed to Him light and small before His love, and before the merits of the Son.
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5. Before his face shall go death. — In Hebrew דבר deber, that is, pestilence, and thence the consequent death. Thus Aquila, Symmachus, the Fifth Edition, Our translation, Pagninus, the Zurich Bible, Clarius, Arias and Vatablus. But the Septuagint and Theodotion, reading with different points דבר dabar, that is, word, translate: Before his face shall go a word, by which namely he will command the enemies to be slain. He speaks of the pestilence and slaughter which God sent upon the Canaanites, by which he wore them down, so that the Hebrews coming into Canaan might easily occupy it, according to what he had promised through Moses in Exodus xxiii, 27: "I will send my fear before thee, and will kill all the people to whom thou shalt come, etc., sending hornets first, which shall put to flight the Hevite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, before thou enterest:" and that God truly accomplished this in fact is evident from Joshua xxiv, 12. That God sent similar plagues before the Chaldeans, so that they might be easily conquered by Cyrus, Lyra teaches. Allegorically, Christ by his cross and death overcame death and the devil, and led them as it were before him in triumph, as the Apostle teaches in Colossians ii, 15, especially since through the Apostles he cast out the devil from temples and idols, as well as from the minds of men. The devil shall go forth before his feet. — For devil in Hebrew is רשף resceph, which signifies all that which like a bird flying burns, and burning flies, such as lightning, sparks, fiery arrows: hence it signifies the devil, of whom Christ says in Luke x, 18: "I saw Satan as lightning falling from heaven." For he like lightning on earth blasts all things, lays waste all things, and brings upon men all the harm he can. Wherefore Homer and the Gentiles from this fall of Lucifer invented the goddess Ate, that is, harm, who cast down from heaven by Jupiter exerts her powers on earth and harms all: for men say that she involves all in evils, seduces and disturbs minds. Thus Vilalpandus, Ezekiel xxviii, 23. See what I said concerning resceph in Deuteronomy xxxii, 24. Habakkuk therefore signifies that God through the devil and evil angels, as the Psalmist says in Psalm lxxvii, 49, sent lightning, pestilences, fiery arrows, etc., upon the Canaanites before the entrance of the Hebrews into Canaan, by which he crushed and destroyed them. Whence the Zurich Bible translates: Before his face shall go plague, and there went forth burning to his feet; but the Chaldee: From his sight was sent the angel of death, and there went forth in flame of fire the word of him; another which is cited in the Roman edition of the Septuagint: Before his face shall go ruin, and at his feet shall follow the greatest of flying things; the Syriac and the Antiochene Arabic: There shall go forth a bird (fowl) to his foot, or to his fold, or to his migration; the Alexandrine Arabic: The word shall go before him: but there went forth into the fields; and flying things shall follow him. Allegorically, St. Jerome refers this to the devil tempting Christ in the desert, who was shamefully put to flight by him. You may more fully refer it to the whole life and death of Christ and the Apostles: for by these the devil was gradually laid low and cast out from the kingdom of the world.
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6. He stood, — not the devil, but God the victor over death and the devil, that is to say, God after a long wandering with the Hebrews through the desert, and many wars and perils, having entered victorious into Chanaan, there stood in the tabernacle and the ark of the covenant in Galgal, Joshua iv, 19, and having measured the promised land through Joshua, cap. xv, distributed it with equal lot among the twelve tribes of Israel, when previously by mere aspect and threatening countenance alone he had dissolved and destroyed the nations of the Chanaanites, and their kings and princes, who by giant strength, magnitude and multitude of soldiers seemed to be like certain firm mountains, eternal and impregnable, and for many centuries had possessed those regions unconquered: but the eternity of God, namely God eternal sitting upon the mercy seat and the ark between the Cherubim, leading the people of Israel by certain, secure and victorious journeys, advancing victorious through these his enemies, bent them, broke them and crushed them. In like manner God through Cyrus, having conquered Babylon, stood in it as victor, and thence having measured the regions subject to Babylon, distributed them among the princes of Cyrus, all who defended the cause of the Chaldeans being routed. Thus Albert, Lyran and Hugh. Whence the Syrian translates: His are the goings (journeys) which are from of old; steps, and the footprints of steps; the Arabic of Antioch: The hills which are from of old are weakened, those with perseverance which is from of old; the Arabic of Alexandria: The valleys are broken in his strength, and the hills are loosened forever; his goings forth from eternal ages. Allegorically, Christ eternal, measuring out and distributing all nations to the Apostles, as to St. John Asia, to St. Matthew Ethiopia, to St. Andrew Achaia, to St. Thomas India, etc., subjected them all to himself and to his faith, and this while they should know and marvel at the immense journeys of his eternity which he himself accomplished for the sake of men, that from heaven and eternity to earth and our time, made man he descended: for "his goings forth are from the days of eternity," says Micheas cap. v, 2. Hear St. Augustine lib. XVIII De Civit. cap. xxxii, explaining the version of the Septuagint: "He stood, and the earth was moved: what is this, except that he stood to help, and the earth was moved to believe? He looked, and the nations wasted away, that is, he had mercy and made the peoples penitent. The mountains were broken by violence, that is, the pride of those exalted by mighty miracles was broken. The eternal hills flowed down, that is, they were humbled for a time, that they might be raised up forever. His eternal goings I have seen for labors, that is, not without the reward of eternity have I beheld the labor of charity." You will ask, what are the journeys of eternity in the literal sense? First, Vatable by these journeys understands the motions of the celestial spheres: for these are constant and as it were eternal, that is to say, God not only governs the hills of the age, that is powerful men, and this lower world, but also the journeys of eternity, that is the upper world, and the spheres and Second, the Hebrew עולם olam signifies age and world. Whence thus plainly and clearly you translate: The hills of olam are bent by God, that is of the world and age, because the journeys, that is the successions and vicissitudes of olam, that is of the world and age, are his. Wherefore the Chaldean translates: The power of that age is his, that is to say, God bends the hills, that is he casts down princes from his throne and substitutes others, because he himself presides over the world and age, and its journeys, that is the order, rotation, motions and vicissitudes he moderates, rules and distributes at his pleasure. Third, olam the Septuagint and Our version translate, eternity; for the root על alam signifies to hide- For the eternity of God is the fountain, origin and cause of all times and ages: for these flow forth and arise from it, as a ray from the sun, as water from a fountain, as a spark from fire. Wherefore just as various rays successively and in turn flow forth from the sun, various waters from the fountain, various sparks from fire; but the same sun always remains and endures, the same fountain, the same fire, which continually shoots forth these rays, these waters, these sparks: so various days, years, ages, times, and all the orders and vicissitudes of the ages flow forth from the eternity of God; but eternity itself always remains the same to itself, fixed and unmoved. For it is that which in a wheel is the axle, which in a circle is the centre. For just as a wheel revolves around the axle, and a circle around the centre, namely just as all the celestial and elemental orbs gyrate and revolve around the centre of the earth: so around eternity as it were the axle and centre, all times revolve and turn, and whatsoever in individual times arise, set, come, go, are raised up, lifted up are bent and depressed. Hence Caesar Ripa in the Iconologia, part. I, page 159, depicts divinity as a matron clothed in white, having on her head a flame of fire, which divides itself equally into three parts: in each hand she holds a globe of lapis lazuli, and a flame sits upon each. The white garment denotes the purity of the divine essence: its flame denotes love and ardour: the division into three equal parts, the trinity of persons: the spherical globe eternity; and that a twofold eternity, one which it has in itself, another which it communicates to angels and blessed men in the enjoyment of itself, and this through Christ who has a twofold nature perfect in every way, and therefore as it were spherical. Hence again God on account of his eternity embracing all times is called "the aeon of aeons" by St. Dionysius cap. v On the Divine Names. And St. Bernard serm. 80 in the Canticles says: "Times, he says, pass under it (the divine and eternal nature), not it under them; it does not await the future, it does not remember the past, it does not experience the present." The journeys therefore of eternity are the journeys of time, namely the past, present and future, which run their course and pass under eternity: for as time runs its course and, so to speak, journeys in any way, it seems according to our manner of conceiving that eternity connected with it and measured by it runs its course and journeys together with it, so that it propels it and compels it to yield place to what follows and succeeds. He alludes to the journeys of the Hebrews in the desert for 40 years, during which God journeyed continually with them to invade and overcome the Canaanites: for these journeys, because they were so long, were olam, that is an age, and a certain secular eternity. More fully St. Augustine lib. I Confess. cap. vi: "Thou art most high, he says, and thou changest not; nor is this day completed in thee, and yet in thee it is completed, because in thee are all these things: for they would have no ways of passing away, unless thou didst contain them. And because thy years do not fail, thy years are this day: and how many of our days and of our fathers' days have passed through this day of thine, and have received from it their manner of being, and however they have existed, and still others will pass and will receive, and however they will exist. But thou art always the same, and all things of tomorrow and beyond, and all things of yesterday and before, thou makest today, thou hast made today." Finally, properly the journeys, or wanderings of eternity are his, namely God's, as the Hebrew has it, that is to say God wanders, that is dwells, moves about, lives and thrives in those high mountains of his of eternity, and from thence he looks down upon these subject valleys and hills of times, kingdoms and ages, bends them, changes them, moderates them and directs them as it pleases him. Again, from these eternal ages of his, which we imagine in our mind to have coexisted with his eternity, he hastens as it were in great journeys, that is he has traversed, pervaded and arrived at the beginning of time, in which he created the world, preserves it, adorns it, governs it, changes it, and at the beginning of his synagogue, so that namely with the Canaanites expelled and crushed by Joshua, he might place Israel in their region, and in it establish his Church, his temple, his priesthood and kingdom; which properly here Habakkuk regards. Wherefore Guevara understands by eternity the eternal God: for no attribute of God makes his majesty more admirable and worthy of reverence to men than eternity, that is to say The hills are crushed, that is the princes of Canaan, God journeying with the Hebrews and fighting for them, who is himself eternity, that is eternal majesty: because wherever that majesty journeying in Canaan with them set foot, there it established a dwelling for itself and for the Hebrews. For of old possession of a place was acquired by the placing of a foot in a field or place, that is the possession of the place was taken. Whence that passage in Psalm 59:10: "In Idumaea I will stretch out my shoe," that is to say by the placing of a shoe and foot I will occupy and claim Idumaea for myself. Moreover the Prophet plays on the word olam: for first he calls the hills olam the princes of the world, soon the journeys of God's eternity: because the olam of God is one thing, the olam of men and princes is another. The olam of God is heaven and eternity: the olam of men is earth and time. Thus the Apostle plays on the word sin, saying: "Christ condemned sin in sin." And: "Him who knew no sin, he made sin for us," II Corinthians 5:21. Mystically St. Bernard, sermon 10 on the Psalm Who dwelleth: The journeys, he says, of eternity and the eternal God are mercy and truth. "By these journeys the hills of the world are bent, the proud demons, the princes of this world, who knew not the way of truth and mercy. What have they to do with truth, who is a liar and the father of it? when was he ever merciful, who was a murderer from the beginning? In this manner therefore those swollen hills are bent by the journeys of eternity, while from the ways of the Lord which are straight, through their winding paths and distorted ways, they have not so much journeyed as fallen headlong. But how much more prudently and usefully have other hills been bent and humbled by these journeys unto salvation! Do we not see the hills of the world already humbled, while all the lofty and powerful incline themselves with devoted subjection to the Lord, and adore his footsteps? Are they not bent, when from their own pernicious loftiness of vanity and cruelty, they are converted to the humble paths of mercy and truth?" Morally, St. Bonaventure wrote a small work On the Seven Journeys of Eternity, which is found in vol. II of his Opuscules, in which he learnedly and piously teaches and describes after his manner seven journeys for entering the inward secret and eternal sanctuary, which is the soul's homeland, namely the very inner chamber of the divinity and eternity of God, in which our eternal life and blessedness consist. The first journey, he says, is the right intention of eternal things, namely that the soul should undertake one eternal thing by intending it, by attending to one eternal thing, by entering into one eternal thing, by remaining in one eternal thing, for the sake of one eternal thing, which is the best and the one necessary thing, and the end that quiets and consummates the multitude of all desires in one, which shall not be taken from him in eternity, which Christ assigned to Mary Magdalene in Luke chapter x, 42. The second journey of eternity is the studious meditation of eternal things, according to that saying of St. Gregory, IV Morals xxviii: "To remain in solitude is to drive out from the secret of the heart the tumult of earthly desires, and to long in one intention for the eternal homeland, in the love of intimate peace." The third journey is the clear contemplation of eternal things (which is the apex and summit of meditation), which he thus describes from Richard: "Contemplation is the free perspicacity of the mind, suspended with admiration in the spectacles of wisdom," according to that saying in Job vii: "My soul hath chosen hanging." That hanging is the extension of the mind in eternal spectacles, so that, as far as it can be, the gaze of the mind is never turned away from that intention of the will, but only by the interruption of necessity, as the Psalmist says: "My eyes are ever towards the Lord," Psalm xxiv. The fourth journey is the charitable affection of eternal things, concerning which St. Bernard in sermon 83 on the Canticles: "Love is a great thing, if it returns to its principle, if it is brought back to its origin, if poured out into its fountain it always takes from it, whence it may continually flow." For love transforms the lover into the likeness of the beloved as far as it can, not only as to substance, but also as to arduous and difficult operations. Whence St. Gregory lib. VII Morals cap. vi: "Holy men, when they pant after the desire of eternity, lift themselves up to such a height of life, that they now believe what pertains to the world to be a heavy and depressing weight to them. For they esteem it utterly intolerable, whatever does not sound like what they love within." And further down cap. vii: "And with charity multiplied they burn with greater desires, and now they long to arrive at the life of the spirit, even through bodily torments." Thus the Bride in Canticles v, 8: "I adjure you, she says, O daughters of Jerusalem, etc., that you tell my beloved that I languish with love," that is to say, on account of the greatness of love all temporal things are loathsome to me; whence I languish. But this languor is caused by perfect love. O how hard it is for a lover to divide his soul between Christ and the world! Again: "Nothing is so hard and iron-like that it is not overcome by the fire of love," says St. Augustine lib. On the Morals of the Church, cap. xxii. The fifth path of eternity is the revelation of eternal secrets. For assiduous rumination of spiritual revelations provides assiduous increase of knowledge and exultations of the mind: and from this the mind attains to the transcendence of eternal things and entrance into hidden things. For those who love more ardently perceive more deeply, and discern more subtly, and know more evidently: therefore the more ardently eternal things are loved, the more perfectly they are known. Whence St. Gregory in the eighteenth book of the Morals says: "In the saints eternity comes to be, by beholding the eternity of God." Thus with the divine ray shining upon the mind, it is led with Moses into the darkness of hidden silence, in which the Lord appears revealed and truly in a superintellectual manner, as St. Dionysius says in book ii of the Mystical Theology. The sixth path is a certain experimental foretasting of eternal things, which the Psalmist had, saying in Psalm 33, 9: "Taste ye and see that the Lord is sweet." And the Bride in the Canticle 2, 3: "His fruit is sweet to my throat." And chapter 5, 1: "I have eaten the honeycomb with my honey." The honeycomb, says Origen, is virgin wax distinguished by cells, filled with honey. What therefore is "I have eaten the honeycomb with my honey" other than to eat the body of virgin flesh filled with the sweetest divinity? and thus through the taste of humanity one arrives at the taste of divinity, and therefore at a foretasting of eternity. Many saints have experienced and do experience such a foretasting and prelibation of eternal life in the pious and ardent reception of the Eucharist. Speaking of these things, St. Gregory in book 24 of the Morals, chapter 7, explaining that passage from Job, "He shall see his face in jubilation," says: "Many, by a certain contemplation of eternal retribution, even before they are stripped of the flesh, are gladdened, while in jubilation they behold the face of God: which happens when someone fixes the spiritual eye in the ray of the eternal sun. There he sees living light: because now, having trampled underfoot all the vicissitude of mutability and obscuration, he cleaves to eternal truth, and by cleaving to him whom he beholds, he rises to the likeness of immutability, and while he regards in himself the inconvertible form of his author, he assumes it. For that which has fallen into mutability through itself, is formed by living to the immobile state of immutability." The seventh path is the meritorious operation of eternal things, or deiform, that is, action, morals and life conformed to divine operation. "For their works follow them," Apocalypse 14. As St. Bernard says in book 5 of the Consideration, chapter 5, God in the Seraphim loves as charity, in the Cherubim knows as truth, in the Thrones sits as equity; it is fitting also that we, as much as we can, love God the highest good, that we know the highest truth, and that we maintain the highest equity in ourselves: and thus we shall be well ordered toward God through deiform operations, so that we may burn with love with the Seraphim, shine with knowledge with the Cherubim, made spiritual we may judge all things with the Thrones. "Although therefore in the use of work there is temporality, yet in intention there ought to be eternity," says St. Gregory in book 22 of the Morals, chapter 22. To these things Christ leads us, who is the way, the truth and the life, who makes our conversation to be in heaven: for he himself has opened to us the entrance to eternity by conquering death. These and many more things, verbally, although scattered, St. Bonaventure in the cited work. Blessed is he who strives by these paths to blessed eternity. Blessed is he who, transcending the swift circulation of times and all ages, poising himself above the paths of year and sun, fixes his mind on stable and immobile eternity. Blessed is he who, despising the vain and perishable goods of earth, circulating perpetually, lives in eternal and solid things, lives perpetually consistent with eternity. In a similar manner St. Augustine (or whoever is the author), in the tract On the Ladder of Paradise, volume 9, assigns four degrees of this ladder, namely reading, meditation, prayer, contemplation. For reading is the path to meditation, meditation to prayer, prayer to contemplation. "For the attainment of contemplation," he says, "without prayer is rare or miraculous. The first degree is of beginners, the second of those making progress, the third of the devout, the fourth of the blessed: reading without meditation is dry: meditation without reading is erroneous: prayer without reading is lukewarm: meditation without prayer is unfruitful: prayer with devotion of contemplation is acquisitive."
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7. FOR INIQUITY I SAW THE TENTS OF ETHIOPIA. — Vatablus: I saw the tents of the Ethiopians brought to nothing. For the Hebrew און aven signifies both iniquity and nothingness. The Chaldean, Arias and Clarius think that here is celebrated the victory of Othniel, by which he freed the Hebrews from the servitude of Cushan Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia, Judges III, and the victory of Gideon, which he obtained over the Midianites, Judges VI; because Midian is named here, and because in Hebrew it is Cushan, not Cush, or Cushim, which properly signifies Ethiopia and Ethiopians. But the Septuagint, St. Jerome and others translate Cushan as Ethiopia: Cushan therefore by paragoge is the same as Cush, just as Melchum is the same as Melech and Moloch. For Habakkuk here celebrates only the miracles of God wrought from the time of the exodus from Egypt until the entrance into Canaan, as is evident from what follows; not those which God afterwards wrought in Canaan through Othniel and Gideon. Moreover, the Midianites and Ethiopians are the same here. For the Midianites in Scripture are called Ethiopians, namely the Eastern ones, just as the Abyssinians are the Western Ethiopians. Whence the wife of Moses is called an Ethiopian, though she was a Midianite, Numbers XII, 1. See what is said there. The sense therefore is, as if to say, I saw, that is, I knew and received from the narrative of the fathers, and understood from the Scriptures what thou didst once do, O Lord, to the Ethiopians, that is, the Midianites, "for iniquity," that is, on account of the scandal of fornication and the worship of Baal-peor, which they themselves gave to the sons of Israel, sending their daughters into their camps, who would entice them to both crimes, Numbers XXV, 1. For I knew that thou didst trouble and destroy their skins, that is, their tents and camps, through Joshua, with their men slain. Allegorically, Ethiopians are types both of demons and of impious men: because these are deformed and dark in character, just as Ethiopians are in skin and complexion. Again, the bodies and minds of impious men are nothing other than the skins and tents of Ethiopians, that is, of demons. The sense therefore is, as if to say, I Habakkuk saw in spirit and foresaw how and how severely Christ would punish the demons and impious men who persecute the Church and his faithful. Or as if to say, Ethiopians and Midian, that is, "Nations suddenly terrified by the announcement of thy wonders, even those which are not under Roman law, were in the Christian people," says St. Augustine, book XVIII On the City of God, chapter XXXII, so that here is signified the conversion of the nations, even the barbarous, to Christ through the miracles, preaching and heavenly life of the Apostles.
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Was He angry in the rivers? — He calls rivers the flows of the Red Sea, as well as of the Jordan. Thus Homer calls the ocean a river, saying: "He left the flow of the Ocean with his boat." And Hesiod: "The daughter born of the perfect rivers of Ocean." The Prophet poetically describes the division of the Red Sea, Exodus XIV, and of the Jordan, Joshua III, so that the Hebrews might cross: whence he metaphorically depicts God's zeal through anger at the sea and rivers, and his powers through chariots and quivers, he calls his horses and chariots clouds and winds: hence also by the same trope, giving pain to the waters as if they suffered violence. The sense therefore is, as if to say: In order to save your people Israel, O Lord, you appeared to be angry and indignant at the Jordan and the Red Sea, when on their behalf against Pharaoh Note, verse 9, in the Hebrew "selah" is added, concerning which I have spoken at verse 3, as if to say: O the power, O the victory, O the faithfulness, O the goodness of God, liberating his people through the division of the sea and rivers, wonderful and to be celebrated throughout all ages! Allegorically, many waters are many peoples, Apocalypse XVII, 15, as if to say: Were you angry at the nations, O Lord? Not at all, because you sent them the Savior Christ. "Because," says St. Augustine in the place already cited, "you will ascend upon your horses, and your riding is salvation, that is, your Evangelists will carry you, because they are ruled by you, and your Gospel is salvation to those who believe in you. The land will be divided by rivers, that is, by the flowing words of those preaching you, the hearts of men will be opened for confession, of whom it is said: Rend your hearts, and not your garments. What is it, They will see you and the peoples will grieve? except that mourning they may be blessed. What is it, Scattering the waters in your going? except that walking in those who announce you everywhere, you scatter the streams of doctrine hither and thither. What is it, The abyss gave forth its voice? Did the depth of the human heart express what it seemed to him?" Aptly the Gloss adapts this to the exaltation of the Church under the Emperor Constantine. "The surge of waters passed, that is, it says, the force of persecutions passed over Christians until the times of Constantine. The abyss gave forth its voice, the depth lifted up its hands. By depth is understood Constantine, to whom the whole world was subject: he himself lifted up his hand to protect Christianity; and then the abyss gave forth its voice, because Christians, previously placed in the abyss of tribulation, burst forth solemnly in the praise of God. The sun and moon stood in their habitation, that is Christ and the Blessed Virgin stood—" YOUR CHARIOTS ARE SALVATION. — He calls the horses and chariot of God clouds, riding upon which as it were God hurled lightning and thunder at the Egyptians, according to that Psalm CIII, 3: "Who makes the cloud your ascent," that is your chariot, as if to say: Who uses clouds as a vehicle. And Psalm LXXVI, 18: "The clouds gave forth a voice: indeed your arrows Tropologically, St. Gregory in book VIII of the Morals, chapter XIII, reading according to the Septuagint: The abyss gave forth its voice from the height of its phantasy, thus explains: "The abyss indeed carries the height of phantasy, when the human mind, darkened by immense thought, does not penetrate even itself by examining: but to give forth a voice from this height is; because while it cannot comprehend itself, it is forced to rise into wonder, so that it does not dare to search into what is above itself, by which, thinking of its own incomprehensibility, it is not able to find what it is." Anagogically, these things plainly, as they sound, Christ will do at the end of the age, when he will punish and destroy the Antichrist and the Antichristians by waves, by the sound of the sea, by the bitterness of waters, by stench, by putrefaction, by thunder, by rains, by hail, by lightning, as is evident in Luke chapter XXI, 25, Apocalypse chapters VIII and XVI; so that the abyss and the height, that is the infernal and the celestial regions, earth and heaven, and the whole world fight and contend for him against the impious, Wisdom V, 21, and the vengeance and triumph of God the avenger, with the applause of mouth and hands, may sing and celebrate. He alludes in the word chariot to the Ark of the Covenant: for God sat upon it as upon a war chariot, attended by Cherubim, leading the camps of the Hebrews and conducting them through the Red Sea. For although the Ark with respect to the two Cherubim might appear to be a two-horse chariot, it was also a four-horse chariot, both because it was supported by four globes or spherules, by which it was elevated from the pavement, as if by four wheels; and because the two Cherubim had four and four-formed faces, namely of four animals, the ox, the lion, the eagle and man, as it were four insignia of divine virtues; and because Ezekiel in chapter 1, describing the same chariot of God's glory, gives it four wheels, as well as four Cherubim. Whence the Psalmist, alluding to it in Psalm 67, verse 18, says: "The chariot of God is ten thousand fold, thousands of the rejoicing, the Lord is in them in Sinai, in the holy place," that is to say, many phalanxes of angels, nay myriads, attend and surround the chariot of God, and the Lord riding in them and over them comes into Sinai and dwelt in the sanctuary. Whence he adds: "They have seen thy goings, O God, the goings of my God and my king, who is in the holy place," namely in the sanctuary. Thus Prado in the first vision of Ezekiel, chapter 10, and Pineda, book 6, On the Affairs of Solomon, chapter 1. When therefore Habakkuk says: "Thou shalt ascend upon thy horses, and thy chariots are salvation," the sense is, that is to say, God does not mount a horse except to save, as Guevara says. Secondly, more forcefully Alcazar in the Apocalypse, chapter 6, note 2, that is to say, God's horses and chariots are the very salvation of men, or health; as if he said: God has no other horses, no other chariots which he himself mounts, except such works as pertain to the salvation of men, in which he himself glories and exhibits himself to be known by men, according to that of Zechariah 10, 3: "The Lord of hosts hath visited his flock, the house of Juda, and hath made them as the horse of his glory in the battle." But if you object, how then does it follow: "Death shall go before his face?" I answer, death went before, that he might slay the enemies of his people, and thus save them. Symbolically and allegorically, St. Ambrose, in Psalm 40, understands by the horses and cavalry of God the flesh and humanity of Christ, upon which, as upon a horse and chariot, the divinity sat and rode, that it might work for us victory over sin and the devil. "Whence," he says, "it was said to Habakkuk 3: Thy riding is salvation: because his flesh was about to take upon itself the sin of the whole world, that salvation might succeed for destruction, and eternal life for death. Therefore the horse alone was wounded, not false unto salvation. The horse was wounded which took upon itself the sins of the whole world, and bore our burdens: and was not wearied. And therefore perhaps to John the Evangelist in the Apocalypse 19, heaven was opened, and a white horse was shown, upon which sat one having on his head many diadems, and on his thigh his name written: King of kings, and Lord of lords, etc. This horse therefore is wounded, but not retarded. Finally, with the very wound he rose from the tomb, he ran to heaven above all angels and archangels, found swifter than all the cavalry of the heavenly militia: above those fiery horses also by which Elias was taken up." Secondly, the same Ambrose in Psalm 118, at the end of the fourth octenary, understands by horses the Apostles: "Thou hast ascended," he says, "thy horses, thy riding is health. O wonderful twelve-yoke of good horses, to which the reins of peace, the bridles are charity bound together by bonds of mutual concord, and subjected to the yoke of faith, bearing in four wheels the mystery of the Gospel to the ends of the whole world, carrying the good charioteer the Word of God; by whose scourge the allurements of the world have been put to flight, the prince of this world has been destroyed, the course of the just has been completed! O great contest of rational horses, O marvel-
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11. THE SUN AND MOON STOOD IN THEIR HABITATION. — He commemorates the miracle of Joshua by which the sun and moon stood still, and consequently all the celestial spheres, so that he might pursue his victory against the Amorites and destroy them. For commanding them, he said: "Sun, be thou not moved toward Gabaon, and thou moon toward the valley of Aialon; and the sun and moon stood still, till the people revenged themselves of their enemies, and the sun stood in the midst of heaven, and hastened not to go down the space of one day," Joshua X, 12. Thus the Chaldean, Albert, Clarius, Jansenius, Emmanuel, Mariana and others. Otherwise Vatablus; for he judges that the ninth plague of the Egyptians is signified here, which were most dense darkness for three days, so that the sun and moon seemed to stand still, Exodus X, 21. But then neither the sun nor the moon stood still, nor were these darknesses produced from the standing of the sun and moon, but were brought forth by God darkening the air. IN THE LIGHT OF THY ARROWS, THEY SHALL GO (that is, they went, or had gone; for the past tense "stood" preceded), IN THE BRIGHTNESS OF THY LIGHTNING SPEAR. — He calls the arrows and the lightning spear of God thunderbolts, thunder, hail and stones, which God then hurled from heaven against the Amorites for Joshua and the Hebrews. Whence Tertullian, book IV Against Marcion, chapter XXXIX, reads: "The sun and moon stood in their order; in light thy coruscations shall go in brightness: thy lightning is a shield, in thy threatening thou shalt diminish the earth." The sense is, as if to say, With thy great arrows, namely stones and hail mixed with lightning, thou didst strike down the enemies of the Israelites; then the Israelites themselves, by the light of those same lightnings and thunderbolts unharmed, indeed illuminated, pursued the enemies. Thus by thy wonderful dispensation it came to pass that these weapons of thine served the advantages of thy people, which brought utter destruction to the enemies. For by night the Israelites began to attack the Amorites, as is evident from Joshua X, 9. Secondly, more clearly Arias, who refers "they shall go" not to the Israelites, but to the sun and moon, which went, that is, moderated their course according to the command and convenience of Joshua, "in the light," that is, to the light, or to give light to the arrows of God, as if to say, The sun and moon, which otherwise are accustomed to complete their course for the use of all the earth and all nations, on that day turned their course and converted it to the use of Joshua alone and God's victory: for they stood as if watching the light of the arms and lightning spears of God, and at the same time went with their light with the Hebrews, and went before them to pursue the Amorites. For the sun and moon by standing cooperated in this battle and victory. Whence by this standing of theirs they seemed to go against the enemies of the Hebrews, and to strike them down and prostrate them. By a similar scheme and with similar acclaim Deborah and Barak celebrate their victory against Sisara, Judges V, 20, so as to show that it was won not by human but by divine strength. "From heaven, they say, the battle was fought against them: the stars remaining in their order and course fought against Sisara;" because they shone forth with their light to the Hebrews for fighting and conquering, but struck down the enemies with their splendor and brightness as if with lightning. Whence Plato in the Cratylus judges that ἄστρα is said as if ἀστραπή, that is, lightning; and ἀστραπή, because by that light it ἀναστρέφη, that is, turns back the eyes. Thirdly, Albert, Hugh and Lyra properly take "they shall go" as a future, and explain it of Cyrus and the Persians, who after the times of Habakkuk in the dead of night, as is evident from Daniel V, 30, suddenly attacked Babylon, and by the light of their arrows and lightning spears, as if by torches shining before them, went and entered the city, and laid it waste with sword and flame: just as Joshua laid waste the Amorites in the same way. Allegorically, St. Augustine, book XVIII On the City of God, chapter XXXII: "The sun being raised up, and the moon stood in its order, that is, Christ ascended into heaven, and the Church was ordered under her king. In the light thy arrows shall go, that is, not in secret, but in manifest thy words shall be sent. In the brightness of the coruscation of thy arms, it is to be understood, thy arrows shall go. For he had said to his own: What I say to you in darkness, speak ye in the light. In thy threatening thou shalt diminish the earth, that is, by threatening thou shalt humble men. And in thy wrath thou shalt cast down the nations: because those who exalt themselves, by avenging thou shalt strike down." And St. Gregory in book XXX of the Morals, chapter II, understands by arrows and javelins the words of preachers; by flashing spears, their miracles: for by these the nations were pierced, struck down and converted to Christ. To this is added Anastasius of Sinai, Patriarch of Antioch, in book IV of the Hexaemeron, vol. I of the Library of the Holy Fathers, where he teaches that, just as the moon rises after the setting of the sun, so the Church arose after the departure of Christ: "On high, he says, the sun was lifted up, that is, Christ ascended into heaven; and then the moon stood in its order, namely the Church in its strong state, in its beauty, in its glory, in its illumination, in its course. He rightly said: In its order; for previously it was disordered and unformed, being as it was given over to idolatry." Secondly, "the sun rules the summer, as being a dry element, in type of Christ, who at the end of the harvest of consummation will dry up those who are under sin, by a river of fire: but the moon has governance of water and the Holy Spirit, who was given and entrusted to the Church by Christ as to the moon, so that through it we might be regenerated, until the night of this age shall pass away, and the sun of justice shall rise again." He then adds that the faithful grow as the Church grows, just as animals grow as the moon grows, and gives examples: The ibis, he says, a bird hostile to serpents, does not see nor eat at that time when the moon does not appear in the sky. The eyes of monkeys dilate as the moon grows, and diminish as it wanes. The lamprey stone, as the moon grows, emits a modulated sound. The clopias fish becomes white as the moon grows, black as it wanes. In like manner the changes of the Church overflow and pour themselves into the soul of each faithful one. Anagogically, God will do in the end of the age precisely what the words sound, when He will darken the sun and moon, and hurl lightning against the enemies, according to that passage in Wisdom V, 22: "The emissions of lightning shall go directly forth, and as from a well-bent bow of the clouds shall be scattered, etc. And from a rock full of stony wrath hail shall be sent." Finally then the sun, moon, and all the motion of the heavens shall stand still, and shall remain so forever. Tropologically, when the sun, that is the prelate, elevates himself to the reformation and perfection of life, then to the same elevation is lifted the moon, that is the congregation of the Church, subject to him. Whence St. Bernard in epistle 142 to the Monks of the Alps: "Your good Father and ours, he says, by God's authority has been assumed to a higher degree. Let us therefore do what the prophet Habakkuk says, chapter III: The sun was lifted up, and the moon stood in its order. The sun is he through whom the Alpine congregation is made illustrious everywhere, as the moon through the sun. He being lifted up therefore, let us stand in our order, whosoever have chosen to be abject in the house of our God, rather than to dwell in the tabernacles of sinners. Our order is abjection, it is humility, it is voluntary poverty, obedience, peace, joy in the Holy Spirit. Our order is to be under a master, under an abbot, under a rule, under discipline. Our order is to study in silence, to exercise ourselves in fastings, vigils, prayers, work of hands, and above all to hold the more excellent way, which is charity. Moreover in all these things to make progress day by day, and to persevere in them unto the last day. And these things indeed we trust you are constantly practicing. But you have done one work, and all marvel that, when you were holy, not reckoning your holiness, you took care to share in another's, that you might be holier:" because they had passed over to the stricter Order of the Cistercians. Whence he adds: "How gladly did the multitude of Cistercians receive you in its bosom, how eagerly did this angelic sublimity behold this!"
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rather corrupted it. Symmachus and Theodotion, who, because they were Ebionites and denied that Christ was God, translated it thus: that thou mightest save thy Christ; for Christ is not said here to be saved, but the people through Christ the Saviour: for to go forth in salvation of the people with Christ is to save the people through Christ. The Chaldean also translated it wrongly: Thou wast revealed to deliver thy people, to deliver thy Christ, as if the people of Israel and the faithful were called here Christ, according to that in Psalm CIV, 15: "Touch not my christs," that is, my Israelites. But there the Psalmist by christs understands the Patriarchs, as St. Jerome and Theodoret rightly noted, namely Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, whom God had anointed, that is, consecrated and authorized with his grace, the prophets and princes of his people. Whence, explaining this, he adds: "And in my prophets do no harm." Add that the Hebrew here does not have, to deliver thy Christ, as the Chaldean translated, but to save, or deliver, namely the people, with Christ, or through thy Christ; for the preposition את signifies with, through. Wherefore the Hebrew precisely sounds thus: Thou wentest forth in salvation of thy people, in salvation with thy Christ. Thou hast smitten (Pagninus, thou hast pierced; Zurich, thou hast bruised) the head of the house of the wicked. — By "head" understand Pharaoh, whom God smote by drowning him in the Red Sea: for he was the head and prince of the house of the wicked Cham, who was most wicked, and first reigned in Egypt, which was thence called the land of Cham, Psalm CIV, 23, and Psalm LXXVII, 51. Others, such as Albert and Vatable, by head understand the firstborn son of Pharaoh, whom God smote with death in Exodus XII, 29. Or head, that is, heads, that is, the princes of the wicked Pharaoh. In like manner thou shalt smite Belshazzar, who is the head in the house of the wicked Nebuchadnezzar, through Cyrus, says St. Jerome, Hugh and Lyran. Allegorically, Christ smote the devil, who is the head of the wicked, and at the end of the world will smite the Antichrist, who will be the prince in the house and family of the devil. Thus St. Jerome.
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13. THOU WENTEST FORTH IN SALVATION OF THY PEOPLE (when thou didst deliver and lead him out of Egypt): IN SALVATION WITH THY CHRIST, — that thou mightest save and lead out the people through Moses, whom thou didst anoint with thy spirit as it were a Christ, that he might be the leader and prophet of thy people. In like manner thou shalt go forth with Cyrus into battle against Babylon, that thou mightest deliver and lead out thy people captive from it. Hence Cyrus is called by Isaiah in chapter XLV, 1, Christ, when he says: "Thus saith the Lord to my Christ Cyrus." Thus Albert, Hugh, Lyran and Dionysius. Allegorically, properly and rather through Christ the Lord, whose type was Moses, as also Cyrus, thou shalt save the faithful people, and shalt lead it out of the captivity of the devil. Whence the Sixth Edition has: He went forth that he might save the people through Jesus Christ thy Christ. Thus the Hebrews, St. Augustine in book XVIII of the City of God, chapter XXXII, St. Jerome and others throughout. Wherefore they translated this passage fraudulently, THOU HAST LAID BARE HIS FOUNDATION EVEN TO THE NECK. — "His," namely not of the head, but of the house: for a house has a foundation, not a head, as if to say: The house of the wicked Pharaoh, namely the royal family, and Egypt itself, from the lowest foundations even to the neck, that is, even to the highest peaks, thou hast uncovered, that is, by uncovering thou hast destroyed and overthrown, by metonymy, as if he said: The whole army Secondly, Guevara thus explains it, as if to say: Thou hast afflicted Egypt, O Lord, with the greatest reproaches and ignominies, not otherwise than if thou hadst shaved its head, and the lower parts of the body (which are as it were the bases and foundations) and the shameful parts themselves even to the neck thou hadst laid bare. For to lay bare in Scripture sometimes signifies to shave, as in Isaiah III, 17: "The Lord will make bald the crown of the daughters of Sion, and will lay bare their hair." He alludes to Isaiah VII, 20: "In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired in the parts beyond the river, with the king of the Assyrians, the head and the hairs of the feet, and the whole beard." For what Isaiah said: "He will shave the head," this Habakkuk said: "Thou hast smitten the head:" thou hast smitten, namely with baldness and shaving. Again, by foundation we can understand the head. For man is as it were a tree inverted, having hairs for roots, hands and feet for branches. Moreover, how great a disgrace shaving and baldness and the depilation of the whole man is, appears from that of the Poet: A mutilated flock is shameful, a field without grass is shameful, / And a shrub without leaves, and a head without hair. Thus Guevara. The former explanation, as it is clearer, so also it is more conformable to the letter and more genuine. Finally, in the Hebrew is added sela, as it were a note of admiration and applause at such a slaughter and victory.
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14. THOU HAST CURSED HIS SCEPTRES. — To curse in God's manner is to do evil, to harm, to kill, to destroy: for God's word is efficacious, and the same as action. By sceptres, or princes, understand those who bore sceptres as the insignia of principality: or metonymically by "sceptres," that is, the kingdoms and provinces "of his," which Pharao ruled with the sceptre, that is, with royal power, as if to say: Thou hast destroyed the kingdoms and dominions of Pharao, and all his tyrannical force and power. For of old all princes and magistrates bore sceptres. Thus each tribe of Israel had its own rod, as it were a sceptre, Numb. XVII, 1. Thus Homer gives sceptres not only to Agamemnon, but also to Achilles and Telemachus as princes, by which they swear: because the ancients thought that sceptres possessed something of divinity. Whence we read that the Chaeroneans worshipped the sceptre of Agamemnon above all the gods. Guevara proves this in many ways. Hence Assuerus in Esther, cap. V, 2, extended his sceptre, which she herself venerated by kissing the king. And cap. VIII, 4, again he held forth the sceptre to her, as a sign of clemency. The same is found cap. IV, 11; indeed Jacob also adored the top of his rod, namely the sceptre of Joseph, Hebr. XI, 21. Sceptres therefore here denote princes bearing sceptres. For "thou hast cursed" in Hebrew it is נקבת nakapta, which also signifies to pierce through. Whence Pagninus translates: Thou hast pierced through with rods the head of his armies; Zurich: Thou hast pierced through with his rods the head of the pagans (colonists, who dwell in villages and hamlets) of his, or, as Vatablus, of his forces, namely of Egypt, or of Pharao; that is, thou hast destroyed him, just as if thou hadst pierced through his heads with his own weapons, as if to say: By thy agency the army of Pharao perished, by his own counsel: for Pharao counselled the Egyptians to pursue the Hebrews in the Red Sea, which when they did, the sea rolling back, they were drowned. In like manner God cursed, pierced through and cast down the sceptre of Belshazzar and the Chaldeans through Cyrus. To the head of his warriors. — "To the head," that is, to the heads, namely of all the leaders of his warriors, namely of the impious Cham, or of Pharao, who was the head and prince of the house of Egypt, as was said before. It is an epanalepsis, or repetition and exposition of the former sentence; for the princes, whom he called sceptres, that is, sceptre-bearers, he here calls heads, or leaders of warriors. Wherefore the Septuagint translates: Thou didst divide in amazement the heads of the mighty. Whence concerning them he subjoins: Coming as a whirlwind, etc., — as if to say: Thou didst cast down the sceptres, that is, the sceptre-bearers, who came with impetuosity and fury like a whirlwind, to scatter me, namely Israel, who am thy people. Their exultation, — namely was, as if to say: The sceptre-bearing leaders of Egypt exulted, because they saw me shut in in the sea; for they thought to devour me there, just as a mighty man exults when he finds a poor man whom he intends to slay or despoil in a hiding place, where no one can help him. Note: The prophet throughout this entire song celebrates so greatly the slaughter of Pharao and the liberation of the Hebrews from Egypt; because a slaughter of the Chaldeans similar in all respects was to be, and a liberation of the Hebrews from Babylon, which he himself properly beheld and hoped for; and both were similar to the liberation of men from the captivity of sin through Christ, which ultimately and chiefly he intended to represent. That this is so is evident from these tristrophes and antistrophes: Pharao, Belshazzar, Devil. Moses, Cyrus, Christ. Egypt, Babylon, Sin. Servitude, Captivity, Tyranny. Red Sea, Euphrates, Jordan. Hebrews, Jews, Christians. Judea, Canaan, Church. For Pharao, the tyrant afflicting and persecuting the Hebrews, was a type of Belshazzar holding the Jews captive, and each was a type of the devil oppressing mankind. Moses, the liberator of the Hebrews and slayer of Pharao, was a type of Cyrus the liberator of the Jews through the slaying of Belshazzar, and each was a type of Christ the liberator of the faithful through the slaughter of the devil. Egypt, the prison of the Hebrews, was a type of Babylon the prison of the Jews, and each was a type of sin, death and hell, to which as to a prison sinful men were enslaved. The servitude of Egypt was a type of the captivity of Babylon, and each was a type of the tyranny of sin and concupiscence. Moses divided the Red Sea with his rod, and thus liberated the Hebrews and drowned the Egyptians; thus Cyrus divided and parted the Euphrates, and through its dry bed sent soldiers into Babylon, and thus slew the Chaldeans and liberated the Jews. Allegorically, Christ is baptized in the Jordan, separating the waters of baptism from common waters, and through them leading his faithful justifies and saves them. Moses led the Hebrews out of Egypt into Canaan, Cyrus sent the Jews back from Babylon to Jerusalem, Christ led the faithful from paganism and Judaism to the Church, both militant and triumphant. Allegorically, Christ pierced through and cast down the sceptres of Nero, Decius, Diocletian and other persecutors of the Church; and in like manner at the end of the world he will cast down the sceptres of Antichrist, Gog and Magog.
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15. THOU HAST MADE A WAY IN THE SEA FOR THY HORSES, — that is to say, Thou, O Lord, leading the children of Israel through the Red Sea, didst lead them forth so securely and gloriously in the sight of the enemies of the Egyptians, as if thou didst surround and escort them with a great cavalry. For poetically he calls the horses and chariots of God His strength and power, which availed more than all the horses and horsemen of Pharaoh, according to that in Psalm XIX, 8: "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will call upon the name of the Lord our God." Properly by these horses he signifies the angel in the pillar of fire and cloud going before the camp of the Hebrews; for this angel with the angels attending him was as it were a cavalry and escort of the Hebrews, leading them and defending them against the Egyptians. Whence concerning him it is said in Exodus XIV, 19: "And the angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them: and the pillar of the cloud went from their face, and stood behind them: And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel." The same angel shortly after hurled darts and thunderbolts at the Egyptians and laid them low. This is indeed what is said in the same place, verse 24: "And the Lord looking upon the Egyptian army through the pillar of fire and cloud, slew all their host: and overthrew the wheels of the chariots, and they were carried into the deep." Justly therefore are these called the horses and cavalry of God, which destroyed all the cavalry of Pharaoh. Whence the Chaldee paraphrast translates: Thou wast made manifest over the sea in the chariot of thy glory. In like manner God made a way for the horsemen of Cyrus in the Euphrates, to invade Babylon. IN THE MIRE OF MANY WATERS. — God had already dried up the bed of the Red Sea by sending a wind, so that the Hebrews might pass through on dry ground; yet he calls it mire, because it had been mire a little before, or because on either side covered with waters, among which the Hebrews passed through, there was much mire. For mire in Hebrew is חמר chemer, for which the Chaldee and later interpreters with different pointing read המר chomer, that is a skin or heap, whence they translate, in a heap of many waters. For on either side the waters rose up as it were into great skins and heaps, in the midst of which the Hebrews passed through on dry ground, according to that in Psalm LXXVII, 13: "He divided the sea and brought them through: and he stood the waters as in a bottle;" The Septuagint translates: Thou didst drive thy horses into the sea, troubling many waters. For the root chamar signifies to mix, to trouble, to confound; whence chemer signifies mire, or wine mixed and turbid. Allegorically, God cleft rivers and seas as it were for the Apostles, when he made a way through these for them, so that they might traverse the whole world preaching the Gospel and subject it to Christ. Whence St. Augustine in book XVIII of the City of God, chapter XXXII: "Thou didst send," he says, "thy horses into the sea, troubling many waters, which are nothing else than many peoples; for not some would be converted through fear, others persecuted through rage, unless all were troubled." Tropologically, in like manner through the midst of calamities, as it were through the midst of the waters and waves of the sea, Christ leads and brings forth His faithful safe and unharmed, going with them as it were and protecting them, or, as St. Gregory in book XXXIV of the Morals, chapter XIII: "Thou hast made a way in the sea for thy horses, in the mire of many waters, as if to say: Thou hast opened a way for thy preachers amid the doctrines of this world, sordid and earthly wisdom. For to cleave to mire is to be defiled with sordid desires of carnal concupiscence." The same, in book XXXI of the Morals, chapter X: "Thou didst send," he says, "thy horses into the sea, troubling many waters; for the waters lay quiet, because human minds lay long torpid under the torpor of their vices; but the sea was troubled by the horses of God, because when holy preachers were sent, every heart which lay torpid in pestilential security was startled by the impulse of salutary fear."
3:16
16. I heard. — Here the Prophet returns after the song and victory hymn of God to verse 1, as if to say: Such indeed was the victory of God against Pharaoh, and such will it be against Belshazzar; but meanwhile, while I stand watch in my station to hear the oracle of God, as I said in chapter II, 1, behold from Him I have heard and hear, as I began to say in verse 1, that there will be such great slaughter of the Jews by the Chaldeans, and of the Chaldeans by Cyrus and the Persians, that thinking of it I tremble and shudder, namely, so that while I ponder it, my heart seems to be moved and my voice to quaver. For the sad and atrocious falls, even of enemies, naturally strike horror, and by nature stir up a certain movement of compassion and feeling, as the fall of Babylon stirred it up, Isaiah chapter XXI, 3. Thus St. Jerome, Hugo, Clarius and others. Allegorically, Theodoret, as if to say: I heard from you, O Lord, that my people will kill Christ, and therefore must be destroyed by Titus; wherefore I am troubled and trembled; but I console myself, that at that time I will not survive, nor will I see such great evils. Let rottenness enter into my bones, — as if to say: But why do I torment myself uselessly with these slaughters? For they have already been absolutely decreed by God, and therefore are unavoidable. What then? this one thing alone remains which I may wish and pray for, namely, I wish, O Lord, and I pray that all tribulations and afflictions may come upon me, so much so that my bones may rot, and my flesh like that of St. Job may vomit pus, and may teem with worms, provided you grant me that I may rest in the day of tribulation, that is of the destruction of Babylon, so that then with the Chaldeans I may not perish by the Persians, but from it at the command of Cyrus I may return and ascend to our people, so that being numbered with them, I may go safe with them and among them to the ancestral homeland. For he himself, under the leadership of Zerubbabel, equipped as if in battle array girded for the journey, through the midst of enemies strong and fortunate will return to Judea. Thus St. Jerome, Hugo and Jansenius. Or, as if to say: May I die, O Lord, lest I see this tribulation and captivity of my nation; but resting in the sweet sleep of death I may ascend and pass to the assembly of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joshua, and other holy and strong men of my people, who once girded with arms for their nation, brought back distinguished victories over enemies. Note: In Hebrew, for יגודנו iegudennu, that is he will gird him, our people read יגודנו iegudenu, that is whom he will gird, or who will be girded for us, that is our girded one. Again iegudenu signifies not only girded, but also united, gathered, bound, assembled and joined; hence troops and assemblies of soldiers are called גדודים gedudim. Now when the faithful and saints departed from their day, they were said to be gathered and collected to their people, and to be placed and joined to their fathers, as is said of Moses in Numbers XXXI, 2, of Josiah, II Paralipomenon XXXIV, 28. Moreover, pious men were said to be gathered, or bound in the bundle of the living, I Kings XXV, 29, so that like the most fragrant bundle of flowers they might be in the hand of the Lord forever, Ecclesiasticus XXXIX, 17. To this therefore most flourishing garden of Palestine, blooming with the most fragrant flowers of the Patriarchs, Prophets, and other just men; to this holy people now girded, that is already gathered and bound in the bundle of the living; buried moreover in the land of promise, he rejoices that he will ascend, and at the same time Habakkuk prays, representing the person of the Hebrew people. For it is credible that this was the supreme desire of the Israelites in captivity. Thus Jacob desired to be buried, not in Egypt, but in Canaan, where his parents, Abraham and Isaac, were buried, Genesis XLVII, 29. Thus also Joseph, Genesis L, 23. Moreover, Aeneas in Virgil laments the death of Palinurus, because he would be buried far from his own in foreign soil: O too much trusting to sky and sea serene! / Naked on unknown sand, Palinurus, you will lie. Therefore the Israelites longed to return from Babylon, and to be gathered to their holy fathers, who dwelt buried in Palestine, as if they were certain sentries and garrison soldiers of that land, by whose aid the Jews, snatched from so many perils and calamities, had been continually affected with so many benefits from God. Thus Guevara. Otherwise Pagninus translated it, namely: Rottenness has entered into my bones, and in my place I was afraid, I who thought I would rest in the day of anguish, which will be when the enemy thinks to ascend against the people, to cut it down. Otherwise also Vatablus and others, while in their manner they variously supply the concise Hebrew, and depart from the Vulgate. Moreover Guevara goes in quite the opposite direction; for he holds that these words of the Prophet are not of one grieving, but of one rejoicing and exulting from the joyful oracle concerning the destruction of the Chaldeans and the liberation of the Jews. For vehement joy is wont to alter and move the whole body, indeed with spirits failing to pass into fainting and even death itself. For many have breathed out their soul from sudden and unexpected joy, as Guevara demonstrates with many examples. He therefore gives this sense to this passage: I have heard, says Habakkuk, that Babylon is to be destroyed by Cyrus, and my Jews are to be freed from it; and while with the ears of my mind I perceive such pleasant tidings, my heart and all my inner parts have been made to tremble, and at the voice and this most joyful announcement, my lips have trembled with joy. For of all the members, this tremor is wont to seize especially three things, the lips, the knees and the heart. For at sudden perturbations of the mind, whether they be of sorrow or of joy, the heart palpitates, the lips are shaken, and the knees likewise collapse. But the belly, the Prophet in the Hebrew dialect has put for the heart. For from the heart of joy, as also of sorrow, motion arises, and equally ends in the same place. For whatever from the neck to the groin is of the body, the belly is called by the Hebrews. But what follows: "Let rottenness enter into my bones, and let it spring up beneath me," is a periphrasis of death, which according to Aristotle is a kind of rottenness. For he in the Problems, asking: "Why do those who spend their life in warm places live longer?" answers: "Is it because they are of a drier nature? But what is drier is more firmly and longer lasting: but death is a kind of rottenness." Job used this periphrasis of death, saying in chapter XIII, 28: "Who as rottenness am to be consumed." And in chapter XVII, 14: "I have said to rottenness: Thou art my father; to worms, my mother and my sister." And in chapter XXV, 6: "Man is rottenness, and the son of man a worm." And Ecclesiasticus, chapter XIX, 3: "He that joineth himself to the wicked shall be like him: rottenness and worms shall inherit him," that is, he shall be overcome by swift and premature death. Habakkuk therefore says: Having heard so cheerful a message, I am so possessed by such joy, that both inwardly in all my bowels, and outwardly in my lips I tremble, and it has been but little that I have not been lifeless and rotted, and putrid with worms swarming; that is, it has been but little that I have not died of laughter, and not sustaining such great joy have been rendered lifeless. Or, as if to say: From now on because of so fortunate an oracle I die joyfully, and now indeed it is the time, when already cheerful and content I shall fall: henceforth it may well be, as far as I am concerned, that rottenness enter into my bones, and swarm beneath me. And as Chaerea said: "Now indeed it is the time, when I can endure to be killed." But this exposition is opposed by what follows: "That I may rest in the day of tribulation:" which words signify that these are not of one rejoicing, but of one grieving and fearing, and from fear wishing to endure anything, so that in the day of such great tribulation rest may be given to him, and he may escape its evils and sensation. Mystically, let each faithful one use and pray these things, and with St. Augustine say: Here burn, here cut, O Lord, that in the future Thou mayest spare, that in the day of judgment I may deserve to rest, when mystical Babylon, that is the world, in which is the confusion of proud tyrants and all vices, shall be destroyed by Thee and thrust down into the eternal misery of hell: namely, so that, when the reprobate shall say to the mountains: Fall upon us; and to the hills: Cover us; I with the saints shall ascend to the people of the elect, and with them shall climb into heaven, who in this life girded with spiritual arms, has fought bravely against sin and the devil, and therefore in that day shall be given an eternal crown; so that as here he was girded with a sword for battle, so there he may be girded with a cloak and belt of glory for triumph. Thus St. Augustine in the Manual, chapter XIV, volume IX: "O my soul," he says, "if daily we ought to endure torments, if we ought to tolerate hell itself for a long time, so that we could see Christ in His glory, and be joined with His saints, would it not be worthy to suffer all that is sad, so that we might be made partakers of so great a good and so great a glory? Let demons therefore lie in wait, prepare their temptations, break the body with fastings, press the flesh with garments, burden with labors, dry with vigils, let this one cry out against me, let that one or that one trouble me, let cold bend me, let conscience murmur, let heat burn, let the head ache, let the breast burn, let the stomach swell, let the face grow pale, let the whole body grow weak, let my life fail in sorrow and my years in groaning, let rottenness enter into my bones, and let it spring up beneath me, that I may rest in the day of tribulation, and ascend to our armed people." Finally, St. Gregory in book XXXII of the Morals, chapter X, reads from the Septuagint: And trembling entered into my bones, and beneath me my strength was troubled: and thus he explains it, as if to say, "It is not my strength in which I remain above undisturbed by rapture; but it is the weakness of my infirmity in which I am troubled within. He himself is undisturbed above himself, he himself is disturbed beneath himself: because he had ascended above himself, insofar as he was rapt to the highest things, and he was beneath himself, insofar as he still dragged the remnants of himself to the lowest things. He himself is undisturbed above himself, because he had already passed into the contemplation of God: he himself is disturbed beneath himself, because beneath himself he still remained a weak man."
3:17
17. For the fig tree shall not blossom, — that is to say, so great shall be the desolation of Babylon through Cyrus, so great the burning, so great the devastation, that the fig trees, vines, shoots, sheep and herds shall wither. The Chaldean paraphrast renders it paraphrastically and too freely, indeed violently and falsely thus: For the kingdom of Babel shall not endure, nor shall it exercise dominion in Israel: the kings of Media shall be slain, and the strong of Greece shall not prosper: the Romans shall be destroyed, nor shall they collect tribute from Jerusalem. Which words smack of Judaism: for the Jews expect their Messiah, who shall destroy the Romans, Greeks, Medes and all other nations and subject them to himself and the Jews. Mystically, St. Augustine in book XVIII of the City of God, chapter XXXII, explains these things concerning the sterility of spiritual goods, which the Jews have suffered and suffer on account of the slaying of Christ: "He saw," he says, "that nation which was about to slay Christ losing the abundance of spiritual goods, which he figured through earthly fruitfulness in the manner of prophecy. And because that nation suffered such wrath of God for this reason, because ignoring the justice of God, it wished to establish its own, he immediately says: But I will rejoice in the Lord, and will exult in God Jesus my Saviour." The work of the olive shall lie. — The work of the olive is the fruit of the olive, which the olive tree produces, that is to say, the olive tree shall not bear olives, which it promised by putting forth leaves, and thus it shall deceive its master, and shall as it were lie to him, while it shall promise fruit which it shall not provide. Whence explaining this he adds: "And the fields shall not yield food." Thus Horace: "The crop deceived hope."
3:18
18. But I will rejoice in the Lord. — In Hebrew אעלוזה eeloza, which the Greeks call, the Septuagint ἀγαλλιάσομαι, that is, I will exult, I will jubilate, I will sing alala, and this "in the Lord," on account of the aid and salvation afforded me by him. To rejoice in the Lord is to be glad on account of his dominion, governance and protection over us; whatever good and joyful thing befalls us inwardly or outwardly, to ascribe it to him, and in return for the benefits received from him to render thanks to him with gladness and jubilation. See what is said Philippians IV, 4. Note the τὸ autem, which connects and opposes this to the preceding, that is to say, Our enemies and oppressors the Chaldeans, in the destruction of Babylon shall be in the utmost misery, desolation and devastation of all things: but I with my Jews to be freed from Babylon and to return to my homeland, shall now rejoice happily in the Lord, who has taken just vengeance upon the Chaldeans, and has granted us, snatched from their servitude and tyranny, to return home free and eager. For I shall continually profess with joy and thanksgiving that he himself has procured for me this salvation, this glory, this happiness. And I will exult (Zurich Bible, I will be glad) in God Jesus my Saviour. — Vatablus and other recent scholars, in God my salvation, who namely brought me this liberation and salvation from Babylon: for this is what the Hebrew ישעי iisci signifies. Thus God is said antonomastically and metonymically to be salvation, because he is the source and author of all salvation. Psalm XXXIV, 3: "Say to my soul: I am thy salvation." Psalm III, 9: "Salvation is of the Lord." Psalm XXXVII, 23: "O Lord God of my salvation." Psalm LXVIII, 30: "Thy salvation O God hath upheld me." But better and more sweetly, says St. Augustine in book XVIII of the City of God, chapter XXXII, does our translator render it, in God Jesus my Saviour. For he reads for iisci, with other pointing ישועי Iescui: for Iescua is Jesus, Iescui is Jesus my, so as to signify the tender delights of love, like St. Francis jubilating: "My God, my Jesus, my love and my all." Thus also the Septuagint appears to have read, for they translate, in God my Saviour, that is, my Saviour: for Jesus is the same as saviour; and the Chaldean: In God the maker of my redemption; the Syriac: And I will exult in God my Saviour (Redeemer); the Alexandrian Arabic: And I will exult in God of my salvation; the Antiochene Arabic: And I will rejoice in God Lord of lords, jubilating. Habakkuk therefore, foreseeing in the spirit that Joshua who led the Hebrews out of Egypt, and Cyrus who freed them from Babylon, were both in deed and in name types of Jesus Christ, and thus brought this liberation and salvation to the people of God by the power of his divinity and the merits of the humanity of Jesus Christ: finally that he himself, far greater and eternal redemption and salvation, would bring to mankind by being born; exulting in the spirit he jubilates, and the name of Jesus, six hundred years before his birth he prophesies and names, and converses sweetly with him: because he foresaw that he and we through him were to be freed from all enemies, namely from the demon, sin, concupiscence, the flesh, the world, hell and to be filled with all grace, glory, salvation and happiness. Morally, we learn here how lovable and worthy of reverence is the name of Jesus, so that we ought to exult and rejoice in it continually, and say with St. Bernard, "Jesus is honey in the mouth, melody in the ear, jubilation in the heart." For the name Jesus signifies first that all gifts and goods are given to us by him: for our salvation, which Jesus brought, that is, the Savior, comprehends all these things. Just as all waters flow from their spring and fountain, all rays of light from the sun, all bays and arms of the sea from the Ocean; so all virtue, all grace and holiness in its beginning, middle and end flows from Jesus. Jesus is he who washes away and cleanses all the filth of sins with his blood, who quiets the fires of concupiscence, who breaks the bonds of evil habits, who tames the fury of passions, who breaks the yoke and tyranny of the devil, who restores freedom to the mind, who adorns the soul with his grace, and makes it a daughter, a bride and a temple of God, who calms and clears the conscience, who sharpens and vivifies the inner senses and spirit, who illuminates the intellect with knowledge of divine things, who inflames the will with desire for the same, who strengthens our infirmity, who gives victory in temptation, and triumph in battle. If you dwell in desolation, invoke Jesus, and you will experience the consoler. If fears, if scruples, if anxieties press upon you, invoke Jesus; he will give you breadth of heart and joy. If choler infests you, invoke Jesus, and it will be sweetened by the gall of his passion and the honey of his gentleness. If poverty, if sickness, if tribulations, if enemies invade you, invoke Jesus confidently: "The Lord is my illumination and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? If armies should rise up against me, my heart shall not fear; if battle should rise up against me, in this will I hope." Wherefore pious men have the name of Jesus and Mary continually on their lips, and sigh to him frequently, saying: Jesus, be the guide and director of all my actions. Jesus, be my helper in labor, medicine in pain, refreshment in heat, life in death. Good Jesus, assist me in every action and passion; restore to me the joy of your salvation, and confirm me with a principal spirit. Most sweet Jesus, draw my heart to yourself: be Jesus to me, inebriate me with love of you, so that I may think of nothing, love nothing, desire nothing but you. My Jesus, be present to me in the hour of death, and receive my spirit, so that bound with the tightest bonds of love I may be united to you, and enjoy you eternally in heaven. Secondly, the name Jesus signifies not only the Savior and the salvation which he gave us, but also the manner in which he saved us, which was singular and admirable. For just as he created us by his word, so he did not recreate and save us by his word; but he took upon himself our infirmities, that he might heal them in us: he made our sins his own, and expiated them in his body with the most bitter sufferings, that he might abolish them in us: he took upon himself our death, that by his death he might restore life to us. When therefore we say Jesus, we say the Word made flesh, God made human, who for us lay in a manger, was circumcised, labored, wept, endured hunger, thirst, heat, cold; who for us was captured, beaten, spat upon, mocked, scourged, crowned with thorns, given gall to drink, fixed with nails, crucified, slain. We signify all these things when we name Jesus. Wherefore the name of Jesus, as it is supremely desirable to men and venerable to angels; so it is supremely terrible and dreadful to demons, so that hearing it they are terrified and flee. See St. Bernard, sermon 15 in the Canticles. Let Jesus therefore be our love, and the center of our heart. Let Jesus be the spirit of our mouth, Lamentations IV, 20. Let Jesus be our soul and our life, so that, just as in him according to God we live, move and are, so we serve and please him alone; speak to him alone, see him alone, walk in him alone, work and suffer anything for him alone, however difficult and arduous. Excellently St. Chrysostom, homily 11 on the second epistle to the Corinthians: "When," he says, "we live through Christ Jesus dead, we ought certainly to live for him, on account of whom we live." And St. Bernard, sermon On the Fourfold Debt, assigns this in the first place: "First," he says, "you owe all your life to Christ Jesus, because he himself laid down his life for yours, and endured bitter torments, lest you endure perpetual ones." And after much on this matter, he concludes thus: "When therefore I have given to him whatever I am, whatever I can, is not this as a star to the sun, a drop to a river, a stone to a mountain, a grain to a heap?" The same, tract. On the Love of God: "If I owe myself entirely for being made, what shall I add now for being remade, and remade in this way? For he was not remade as easily as made: for he who made me once and by merely speaking, in remaking certainly both spoke much, and did wonders, and endured hardships; nor only hardships, but also indignities. In the first work he gave me to myself, in the second he gave himself; and where he gave himself, he gave me back to myself. Given therefore, and restored, I owe myself for myself, and I owe twice. What shall I render to God for himself? For even if I could repay myself a thousand times, what am I compared to God?"
3:19
God the Lord is my strength. — In Hebrew, Jehovah our Elohim, that is our provider, governor and ruler, is חילי cheli, that is my virtue, my strenuousness, my vigor, my army, my strength, my might. "For I have no other virtue except in Christ, and I shall reckon all the justices of the law as trifles," says St. Jerome. Moreover the Prophet here exults and triumphs, not in himself, but in the Lord, saying: "God the Lord is my strength." For just as the light of the air is the sun, nor does it matter whether this light is innate to it or borrowed from the sun, provided it be so ready and at hand to it, as if it were innate: so we use the powers of God and Jesus, as if they were our own, and therefore He Himself is our strength. But what does this His strength effect in us? "He will set," He says, "my feet like the feet of harts," so that they may run swiftly, cheerfully and without weariness, not only in the lowest places and on level ground, but "upon the high places" and difficult things whatsoever, and this with me not grieving or groaning, but "in Psalms" singing with jubilation and thanksgiving. This is to be seen with one's own eyes in novices of Religious Orders, whom God fills with such great joy, fervor and spirit, that they undertake the difficult exercises of Religious life cheerfully, concerning which Father Platus recounts fitting and illustrious examples in book III On the Good of the Religious State, chapter XVI. AND HE SHALL SET MY FEET LIKE THE FEET OF HARTS. — By harts understand does. For a hart, ox, horse, sheep, etc., signify both females and males. For in Hebrew it is אילות aialoth, that is does. For does are swifter than male harts, because they are not weighed down by horns, as those are. The male also, when he has grown fat, which happens very much at the time of fruits, nowhere appears, but withdraws far away, because he feels that he can be captured more easily by the weight of his corpulence. Add to this that of wild four-footed beasts, as Aristotle says, the doe appears to excel most in prudence. Indeed the Spaniards believed that the doe of Sertorius was prophetic, says Pliny in book VIII, chapter XXXII, both because the doe gives birth around paths, where wild beasts approach less because of men; and because when she has given birth, she eats the first covering, then seeks out the herb seselim, and when she has eaten it, returns to her offspring. Furthermore, leading the fawn she has borne into stables, she accustoms it where it ought to take refuge. This place is a steep rock, with one entrance: in which place even if someone invades it, they affirm that it is fitting to wait and resist, even if it be without horns. Aristotle has all these things in book IX of the History of Animals, chapter V, and Pliny in the place cited. But on the contrary for males: A degenerate spirit and ignoble breast in harts. / The huge horn stands forth to pride, but a useless weight / So that they never dare to clash with horns. By does therefore Habakkuk signifies that the Jews, by the aid of God, not only most swiftly from Babylon into their ancient dwellings, and the high and steep rocks and mountains of Palestine would return; but also in war would be keen and martial, so that to neighboring nations interrupting the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem they would resist generously, and against their will would restore it, says Guevara. Tropologically, St. Gregory in book XXVI of the Morals, X: "The minds of the elect," he says, "are called does, while whatever things in this world appearing to stand in their way, they transcend by a leap of contemplation, and in the manner of does, despising the senses of earthly things, they lift themselves up into the high places, that is eternal things." AND UPON MY HIGH PLACES (the ridges of hills and mountains of Judea) HE SHALL LEAD ME (in Hebrew ידריכני iadricheni, that is He shall make me tread) VICTOR SINGING IN PSALMS, — namely with joyful songs of victory to God the victor, praises and thanksgivings with canticles, organs and jubilation I shall resound and make noise. Habakkuk speaks in the person not so much of himself, as of the Jews, who were about to return festively from Babylon. For he himself did not live so long, nor did he see this return or the joy of those returning. Mystically, St. Jerome in Psalm XVII: God, he says, gives and sets our feet like does, indeed does, when He makes it so by His consolation and grace, by which He soothes the mind, so that all the high things of the world, both enticements and hindrances and temptations, all the difficult works of virtue, labors, pains and crosses, not only bravely, but also cheerfully, with a joyful and glad spirit singing and jubilating (whence some translate: Upon the necks of my enemies He shall set me) we leap over. Anagogically, by the feet of deer is signified the gift of agility, which will make the saints pass through the heights of the heavens most swiftly, indeed fly through them, as if to say: God, after judgment is completed, will most swiftly lift me up with the other saints into heaven, so that there I may sing praises to Him and to the Lamb, which St. John heard in the Apocalypse V, 12, to Christ the victor over death, hell and all enemies, "who made me transcend all worldly solemnity by contemplation of heavenly things," says St. Jerome. He also adds: "And He will set my feet like the feet of deer, so that I may tread upon the asp and basilisk, etc. For my brother is like a roe, or a young hart of the deer, Cant. II: And because He Himself is a deer, He has also given to me to be a deer, sublime with horns, dividing the hoofs, chewing the cud, and putting to flight serpents at my scent, of which it is said in Psalm XXVIII: The voice of the Lord perfecting the deer. He will therefore set my feet among His other deer, and will lead me to heavenly things, so that among the angels I may sing the glory of the Lord, and upon earth announce peace to men of good will. I will sing moreover His victory and triumph and the trophy of the cross." Victor,—in Hebrew למנצח lamnatseach, that is, to the victor, namely to me singing in psalms. Whence the Chaldean: Whose, he says, are victory and virtues, therefore before Him I strike the lyre with my hymn; and Pagninus: To the victor in my psalms. Thus also the Zurich Bible, Vatablus, Guevara, Ribera, Jansenius and others throughout, who hold that it should be read victori (not victor); for thus St. Jerome reads it in his Commentary, Remigius and others. For the Prophet seems to allude to psalms III, IV, V and the following, which have the title lamnatseach, that is, to the conqueror, namely Christ. Whence the Septuagint translates, to the end, that is, to Christ, who is the end and aim of the law and psalms; for those psalms are the victory songs of Christ. Although Aquila, Theodotion, Vatablus, Eugubinus, Jansenius, Arias, Genebrardus and other recent scholars throughout, together with the Rabbis, hold that lamnatseach, that is, the conqueror, is called the master of the singers: whence both the Psalmist and Habakkuk here add in Hebrew binginoth, that is, in neginoth, which is a kind of music or instrument. For this reason the Zurich Bible translates: In my excellencies He will make me walk, to the master of the singers in my musical instruments, so that namely with the master and under the master, with him directing, I may sing psalms in praise of the Lord; or, as if to say: I will give thanks to God my leader, singing those psalms to which the title lamnatseach is prefixed, that is, to the conqueror, that is, to the master of the singers. For this is understood literally, when in the title of the psalm is inscribed lamnatseach, by which allegorically Christ is understood. For the root נצח natsach signifies to stand firm, to urge, to conquer: hence the master, who directs and urges the singers subject to him, is called menatseach, that is, urging, conquering, surpassing: because he himself is the prince in music and song, and surpasses the other singers, and urges and leads the song to the very end. He conquers therefore and triumphs in music. Furthermore, that some hold this canticle to be inscribed by Habakkuk as lamnatseach, that is, to the master of the singers, and to be dedicated to him, so that he himself might have it sung in the temple, just as David inscribes the aforesaid psalms to him and destines them for this purpose, does not seem to be true, both because thus lamnatseach should have been placed at the beginning of the canticle, as David places it at the beginning of the psalms, not however at the end, as it is placed here; and because it is added binginotai, that is, in my psalms: he therefore understands his own psalmody, not that of the master of the singers. But because the letter lamed, which is at the beginning of lamnatseach, and is the article and mark of the dative case, sometimes serves for the nominative, so that it is the same as the demonstrative he; hence lamnatseach can be translated victor in the nominative, and thus Remigius, Haymo, Albert, Hugh, Clarius and others read it. Again, lamed often serves for the accusative: hence lamnatseach can be translated victorem, equally as victori and victor. These three are here applied and connected: hence all seem to be intended and signified by the Holy Spirit, as if to say: God Himself, the victor, made me a victor through Jesus Christ, and gave that to Christ the victor I may sing equal and eternal praises, and especially those psalms which are the victory songs of Christ, and are therefore inscribed lamnatseach. Thus St. Jerome, Remigius. This sense is full, and embraces all that has been said. The Septuagint, reading for lanatsach לנצח, that is, for urging or conquering, translates it thus: that I may conquer in his song, as if to say, that in praising God, singing psalms and giving thanks, I may conquer others, indeed urge and stir them, so that they may sing psalms and rejoice to God for me and with me. Whence anagogically, St. Jerome refers these things to the triumphs and hymns of the Blessed, after they have trampled upon all the heights of the world. "Then," he says, "whoever just man and worthy of God's election shall be found, will speak exulting: But I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Saviour. The Lord God is my strength. And as if placed by God upon the consummation of the age, so that afterwards he may ascend to higher things, and be led by God to the summit, he will say: And he shall set my feet in the consummation, upon the heights he shall place me, so that when by the agonothetes Jesus, who first overcame in the contest, a prize shall have been set for the singers, I will conquer in his song, and my hands shall compose the harp and the psaltery, and every kind of instruments, and I shall write a panegyric to the triumphant one." And Remigius: "He will lead," he says, "me upon my heights. He himself will lead me, because my own strength will not accomplish this, but his grace. He will lead me moreover singing to the victor, that is to Christ the triumpher over death and the devil. He will therefore lead me upon the heights, that is to the blessed throng of the heavenly city, which consists of angels and holy men, so that mixed with them and joined to them I may sing to the victor with the angels: Glory be to God on high." Morally, learn that the Prophets and Saints refer all their strength, virtues, victories and triumphs to God and Christ. Thus Jephte in Judges cap. XI, 24: "Is it not so," he says, "that whatever your god Chamos possesses is justly due to you? But whatever the Lord our God the victor has obtained, shall fall into our possession." Thus David blessing the Lord, I Paralipomenon XXIX, 11: "Thine, O Lord," he says, "is the magnificence, and the power, and the glory and the victory." Thus the Wise Man, Wisdom X, 19, 20: "The just," he says, "took the spoils of the impious, and they sang, O Lord, thy holy name, and praised thy victorious hand together." Thus Moses, having obtained victory over Pharao in the Red Sea: "Let us sing," he says, "to the Lord: for he is gloriously magnified, the horse and his rider he hath thrown into the sea," etc., Exodus cap. XV, 1. And cap. XVII, 15, Amalec being conquered, "Moses built an altar: and called the name thereof, The Lord is my exaltation." Thus Judith, Holofernes being slain, cap. XVI, 15, sang a hymn to God the victor: "Let us sing," she says, "a hymn to the Lord, let us sing a new hymn to our God. Adonai, O Lord, thou art great, and glorious in thy power, and no one can overcome thee. Let all thy creatures serve thee," etc. Much more do the saints, the devil, flesh and world being conquered, triumphing and reigning with Christ, ascribe all their strength, victory and glory to him. Apocalypse IV, 10: "The four and twenty elders," John says, "fell down before him that sat on the throne, and adored him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: Thou art worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory, and honour, and virtue." And cap. XV, 2: "I saw," he says, "as it were a sea of glass, etc., and singing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb." Moreover, our Lessius most excellently notes in lib. XII De Perfect. divin. cap. XIX, that we owe to our God infinite thanksgiving, namely for infinite time in the future, with infinite affection and expression of gratitude, with infinite humility of mind, with infinite devotion of spirit, with infinite jubilation of spirit, so that with Habacuc we may perpetually rejoice in him; "But I will rejoice in the Lord, and will be joyful in God Jesus my Saviour." The reason is, because his benefits, both general ones of creation, passion, Eucharist, etc., and particular ones of vocation, justification, and of infinite benefits, both natural and supernatural, which we have received and receive from him continually freely from his mere liberality; are eternal, and of infinite estimation, not only in themselves, but also by reason of the manner in which they are bestowed upon us, and are conferred, especially because we are in an infinite manner unworthy of them, and they are given to us by that supreme and most august majesty of God, which we do not even merit to behold. In a similar manner on account of the same reasons, but especially on account of the Word made flesh, namely Jesus Christ, who deigned to become our flesh, our brother, indeed our father and redeemer, and therefore endured so many labours through thirty-three years for us, and most atrociously underwent passion, cross and death for us willingly and gladly, finally spent and gave himself wholly, as much as he is, to us, so that he might give us this victory, salva- We are therefore infinitely short of what is owed to Him, or of that which He Himself by His nature merits, and which we owe to Him, although we are unable to pay it. Yet that we may render to Him what we can, let us frequently with the Psalmist, Psalm 102, cry out to Him: "Bless the Lord, O my soul: and let all that is within me bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. Who forgiveth all thy iniquities: who healeth all thy diseases. Who redeemeth thy life from destruction: who crowneth thee with mercy and compassion. Who filleth thy desire with good things." And Psalm 88, 1: "The mercies of the Lord I will sing forever. I will show forth Thy truth in my mouth to generation and generation." Moreover, because we are in no way sufficient to praise Him and to give Him thanks as we ought, let us invite all the angels, all the blessed, all the heavens, all creatures, both earthly and heavenly, that with us and for us they may give thanks to God and Jesus Christ for His infinite mercy toward us, and that they may praise and bless Him, and with Daniel let us say: "All ye works of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt Him above all forever. All ye angels of the Lord, bless the Lord. All ye heavens, bless the Lord," etc. Nay, drunk with divine love, let us wish for a thousand tongues, a thousand hearts, a thousand souls, a thousand lives, a thousand bodies, which we might consume and expend in His honor: rather let us wish to love and praise Him as much as all the saints in heaven love and praise Him, and let us put on their praises and their minds, as it were, that through them we may immensely love, worship, celebrate and glorify God. Amen.
Machine translation from the Latin, not reviewed.
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v. 2 « Domine audivi auditionem tuam et timui » ; — i. e. effatum, nuntium a Domino communicatum. Ita dici oraculum antecedens de ultione et vindicta divina, qua Deus per Chaldaeos in Iudaeos primum et dein in ipsos Chaldaeos animadvertet, omnino certum est et plurimorum quoque interpretum suffragio approbatum (cf. Hier. Theod. Theod. M. Theoph. Haim. Sanct. Lap. Mar. Tir. Gord. Muis). Sed cum hoc iudicium via sit ad cognitionem laudemque Dei per orbem diffundendam (2, 414) et ad salutem afferendam (9, 4), vates non potest non intimis votis hoc Dei opus expetere ; unde magno cum fervore flagitat : « Domine opus tuum, in medio annorum vivifica illud ; in medio annorum notum facies ; cum iratus fueris, misericordiae recordaberis » ; — hebr. in ira misericordiae recordaberis ; quam instanter petat, repetitione indicatur. Opus tuum (cf. 4, 5) sane est id quod Deus promisit (S. Ilier.), qu»d in antecedentibus continctar et cuius adumbrationem vates in subsequentibus delineat : iudicium scil. Dei ex quo salus efflorescet, proinde deiectio adversariorum Dei et plena rczui Dei restitutio, qua terra cognitione et gloria Dei repleatur et iustus ex omni miseria ereptus salvus laetusque vivat (2, 4. 14). Hoc opus ut vivificet, precatur vates i. e. ut hoc consilium divinum exsecutioni mandetur, et ita opere et vita exprimatur; vel forte etiam, ut opus Dei, regnum Dei inter Israclitas misere deiectum ac prostratum et inter gentes plane ignotum et quasi emortuum ad novam vitam novumque vigorem ac splendorem revocet et resuscitet, illudque omnibus ad salutem innotescere faciat. Drevi, orat vates, ut Dominus terram gloria sua impleat ; idque ut fiat n medio annorum. Satis obscure hoc dicitur ; fortasse referri debet ad 2, 3 ad. tempus illud constitutum pro impletione visionis ! ; quod tempus ut acceleretur, efflagitat vates. A visionis enini tempore usque ad impletionem eertum quendam terminum a Domino esse praefixum, ex 2, 3 patet ; iam igitur petit, ut Deus non in extremo illo termino, verum zn med?o annorum, intra annos * scil. paucos opus suum manifestet. Id indicare videtur S. Hier. quoque : «tu enim dixisti, quia adhuc visus procul et apparebit in fine ; vivifica ergo quod pollicitus es, hoc est, tuum imple promissum ; non moriatur irritus sermo tuus, sed opere compleatur ». Sed quia opus divinum severo quoque iudicio in populum Dei exercendo continetur, addit : in ira misericordiae recordare i. e. ne in furore puniat, sed ut castigationem miseratione temperet, impiis quoque ac scelestis gratiam et misericordiat tribuens, qua resipiscant. Bene notat Rup. : « non erimus sicut Sodoma ; non efficiemur quasi Gomorrha, sed reliquiae salvae fient ex nobis » ; et Theod. M. : «tunc summa tua apparebit benignitas crga Iudaeae incolas, cum eos misericordiae tuae memor aerumnis subtrahes et. praeter omnem humanam spem postliminio in patriam restitues ». [dem rogat propheta magis explicite, quod 4, 43 efflagitaverat, et quod in ipso carmine v. 9, 43. 13. 18. 19 proscquitur. per Isaiam prophetam dicentem : cognovit bos... (Is. 1, 3). Ipsa ergo animalia, bos et asinus, in medio eum habentes incessanter adorabant eum. Tunc impletum est quod dictum est per Ábacuc prophetam dicentem : in medio duorum animalium innotesceris » (Evangelia apocrypha, edidit Tischendorf, Lipsiae 1853, p. 77). Eodem modo hi duo textus iunguntur in Libro de promissionibus et praedictionibus Dei, incerti auctoris opere ; postquam enim Is. 4, 3 et Hab. 3, 2 ex LXX allatum est, pergitur : « firmat haec Lucas evangelista » et sequitur Luc. 9, 6. 1. 11. « testatur et Paulus (9 Cor. 8, 9); fatetur et Sibylla: cum iacet incultus densis in vepribus orbis » (M. 51, 820). Atque ut plenus habeatur huius loci expositionis conspectus, restat dicere, graecos aliquos interpretes eiectis animalibus introduxisse (oov in medio duarum vitarum. Ita &xeoot apud S. Cyr. ; ita Theod. explicite statuit : « mihi vide- .tur non (àa, sed Qué; dixisse prophetam, praesentem seil. vitam et futuram, quarum in medio iustus iudex apparet »; sim. Theoph. Etiam S. Cyrillus hie- | rosolymitanus duas vitas legit, quas explicat de vita Christi ante mortem et post resurrectionem (Catech. 19, 90. M. 33, 152), et Eusebius! humanam ac divinam — (M. 92, 4435). Graecum textum de duobus animantibus Barh. quoque respicit et explicat de angelis et bominibus, quibus innotescat Deus tamquam curam gerens servorum suorum, et de Babyloniis et Hebraeis. Demum afferre iuvat, Aq. Theod. Sym. plane cum textu hebr. consentire, et Aq. quidem molestum illud in medio annorum, quod retinet Theod., removere et scribere dy xà) &fytzsty tà &vr, Qoucov a0r0 ; dum habet Sym. évzoz rüiv Évtautó)v dva, t60y «Uo» (interpretationes has affert Eusebius, dem. evang. 6, 15. M. 22, 444). Mihi videtur, satius esse ad sensum facilem et obvium habendum legere non 2p sed cum Aq. et altero in membro cum LXX quoque infinitivum verbi 2p appropinquare. Retinent in medio annorum cum S. Hier, etiam Syrus et Chald. Opus fllud quod Deus promisit et vates modo efflagitavit, iam describere aggreditur. Quod cum sit iudicium Dei in malos et salug piis praestanda, ita proponitur, ut Deus ipse maiestate eublimi ac terrifica venturus exhibeatur schemate eodem, quo olim ad legem populo dandam descendit. Dicitur enim Deus venire, egredi, descendere etc. cum singulare aliquod potentiae vel providentiae eius facinus editur. Et cum magnalia Dei olim in Aegyptiorum perniciem punitionemque et in Israelitarum salutem patrata non sint nisi initia quaedam ac praeambula ad grande Dei opus, quo regnum suum Deus supernaturale inter homines constituat, omnia quae ad hoc regnum instituendum referuntur íure merito eodem schemate eademque figura proponuntur. Ita enim non solum Dei potentia apte oculis subiicitur et magna reverentia Dei animis infunditur, sed etiam, quod potissimum est, quaecumque Deus per temporum intervalla ad suum regnum stabiliendum, vindicandum, propagandum vel fecit vel facturus est, uno conspectu et in praeclaro symbolo adumbrantur et sensu plenissimo opus Dei nobis quasi una imagine proponitur (cf. quae ad Mich. 4, 3 dicta sunt). Vates quod poposcerat iam visione prophetali impleri cernit : opus tuum vivifica ; iam aspicit Deum apparentem, qui uti est in se lux et gloria, ita gloriam et lucem comites habet :
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v. 3 « Deus ab austro veniet et Sanctus de monte Pharan. Operuist coelos gloria eius et. laudis eius plena est terra » ; — hebr. Deus a Theman veniet ; vevba aperte alludunt ad Deut. 33, 2 ; quare inde explicatio erit petenda. Moyses tribubus benedicturus a Dei magnalibus sermonem orditur : « Dominus de Sinai venit et de Seir ortus est nobis; apparuit de monte Pharan» i. e. cum gloria ad nos descendit in Sinai; circa montes Seir i. e. terram Edom nobis iudex iratus sed etiam salvator misericors apparuit, mittens serpentes ignitos sed remedium quoque concedens (Num 24, 4); multiplici ratione in Pharan et gloriam suam et terrorem manifestavit : ignem 1n castra misit, viros septuaginta spiritu prophetico implevit ; murmurantibus misit coturnices ; rebelles prostravit et generationem contumacem mortis sententia in deserto obeundae punivit apparente gloria Dei super tectum foederis cunctis filiis Israel (cf. Num. 10, 11; 13, 1; 14, 10 etc.). Hisce enim praeclarae Dei manifestationes continentur (cf. Rib. Tiír.), quibus Deus iudex et salvator egregie describitur. Quare vates novam Dei manifestationem, qua iudicis et salvatoris opus est continuaturus idem Deus, delineare aggressus Deum dicit vetera illa et iudicia et beneficia instauraturum et se denuo populo suo talem praestaturum, qualis olim fuerit. Quod ut plastice exhibeat et re olim gesta per similitudinem eiusdem divinae operationis designet, Deum ex Theman, quae est regio meridionalis Edom vel Seir (cf. Iob 2, 11. Am. 1, 12. Ier. 49, 7. 20. Ez. 25, 43) denuo venturum dicit et ex Pharan, quae est regio deserta inter Edom et Palaestinam meridionalem, multorum Dei magnalium testis. Veniet Sanctus, qui propter infinitam sanctitatem foedus suum irritum fieri non sinet, sc! qua sanctus et adversarios conteret et gloriam suam in populo sancto relucentem desiderat (cf. 1, 12). Simul ac Deus apparet, qui lucem inhabitat inaccessibilem, eius gloriae maiestatisque manifestatrix cernitur summa quaedam lucis splendorisque claritas, qua subito totum universum, coclum sursum et terra deorsum, collustratur. Sane aptissima simulet magnifica immensae maicstatis exhibitio! «Sic igitur tamquam fulgentissimum ac lucidissimum sidus exortus est, cum ab austro veniens de splendore summo subito radios suae lucis immisit, adeo ut coelos decor eius seu splendor operiret et terram impleret. Admirabiliter autem et cum emphasi dictum est operuit . . . voluit excellentiam splendoris hac figura significare ac tantum lucis attulisse Deum venientem, ut etiam solis et astrorum lucem operiret ac tegeret » (Ag.); et laudis i. e. magnificentiae, splendoris, decoris eius plena est terra (cf. Sanct. Sa, Muis) ; fulgore divino omnia relucent, quo apparentis sublimitas demonstretur et id imagine proponatur, ad quod omnia Dei opera tendunt, ut terra impleatur gloria Dei. « Operum suorum magnitudine coelum terramque replebit, in tantum, ut omnes ad hymnum convertantur, sapientiam et magnitudinem gestorum admirantes » (Theod. M.). Deus autem eo aptius exhibetur venirc a parte meridionali tamquam ultor et salvator, quia turbo chaldaicus ingruit & septemtrione, cui igitur Deus ex opposito et ex regione foederis cum populo initi obviam occurrit (cf. Iud. 5, 4). Occurrit in textu hebr. post Pharan vox nop, LXX àwaAucs, de cuius notio- ne neque apud veteres neque apud recentiores certi aliquid constat. Refert S. IHier. interpretatum esse Sym. in aeternum, T/Aeod. in finem, se semper, quintam demum editionem ipsum hebraicum reliquisse. Fusius ea de re agit S. Hier. ep. 28 (ad Marcellam M. 22, 433). Varias quoque opiniones congerunt fiib. Sanct. Lap. Muis ad h. |. Calm. in dissertatione 4. in psalmos ; Delitzsch ad Ps. 3 ; Hupfeld- Riehim (Die Psalmen I 2 10, 2) ; esse vocem notam musicam plerique asserunt, sed qualem ? alii pausam indicari statuunt, alii e contra vocis elevationem signari, alii esse immutationem quandam cantus vel variationem, alii interiectionem quandam indicari pulsationis seu instrumentorum musicorum, ad quod óo2ux — quod interpositum canitur etiam referunt, vel significari pro cantu et musicis instrumentis maiorem quandam vocis et musicae sacrae elevationem et vigorem. Neque de vocis etymo satis constat. Alii nob tollere 1n medium proferunt ; alii 2p quiescere afferunt (cf. Fürst C.). Vox in 71 locis psalmorum occurrit et 9, 9; 39, 26. Is. 43, 6. Zach. 6, 6 etc. Theman regionem exprimunt LXX, Aq. Sym.; «solus Theodotion quid significaret Theman interpretatus est dicens : Eloim ab austro veniet et Sanctus de monte Pharan, in finem » (S. Hiei .) ; sim. Chald. At propter Pharan in membro parallelo nomen regionis retineri debet. Huius fulgoris divini claritatem, cuius splendore mentem propheticam quam maxime delectari pronum est, ulterius admirabundus vates describit
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v. 4 « splendor eius ut luz erit ; cornua tn manibus eius ; ibi abscondita est fortitudo eius » ; — hebr. et splendor sicut lux (sicut sol cf. Iob 31, 96 ; 31, 91. Is. 18, 4) ; radii e manu eius i. e. Dominus apparens fulgidissimi solis in modum lucem et splendorem in se ostendit et sicut a sole radii quaquaversus diffunduntur, ita e manu Domini ful- £ores emicant. Cur e manu? Volunt idem esse quod a latere eius, vel circumquaque radios emicuisse (cf. Schegg, Reinke, Keil) ; sed tunc iure exspectares e manibus eius. Forte Dei apparitio, cum facies Dei cerni nequeat, cogitanda erit eo modo, quo Moysi sublata Dei manu aliquid divini splendoris est ostensum (Ex. 33, 93). Apparet igitur splendor quasi sol, in quo nucleus quidam emittens luminis radios insignior cernitur, qui e manu Domini emicare dicitur, quia Deus in luce inhabitans inaccessa sublata manu aliquid fulgoris divini in mundum emittere censetur ea ratione, qua Moysi aliquam gloriae suae adumbrationem manu sublata ostendit. /bi i. e. in luce inhabitat maiestas divina abscondita, quia tali luce est circumfusa, ut ipsa in seab homine mortali vel ab angelo suis tantum viribus instructo videri nullo pacto queat; unde amictus lumine sicut vestimento (Ps. 103, 2) luminis fulgore ab humanis oculis absconditur. Certe praeclaraest haec supremi numinis notio ! ut quicumque splendor cernatur, eum non esse nisi externam quandam obvelationem intelligatur, qua divina gloria in se inaccessa homini abscondatur ; cf. Ex. 24, 11 : «erat autem species gloriae Domini quasi ignis ardens super verticem montis ». Vocem hebr. D'zp ' esse intelligendam de radiis emissis, iam docent Ag. Sanct. Mar. Muis aliique et elucet quoque Ex. 34, 99, quo in ioco LXX habent de Moyse à«50taocat 7, Oy 00 puzó; too Tpocumou aürou (et sim. Chald. el Syrus). Ita nostro loco Chald. quoque : scintillae a quadriga gloriae eius prodierunt. Ceterum cornua plerique de potentia et viribus explicant (cf. Theod. M. Sanct. Lap. Men. Tir. Gord.) ; alii de miraculis (Theod. Theoph.); alii de régnis (Cyr. : « in manibus, in potestate habet contrariarum virtutum tyrannides, 1. Legit Syrus n": in civitate manuum suarum collocabit robur suum. Ergo cum LXX legit quoque Di, uti etiam teste S. Hier. legerunt Aq. et Sym. pro Qv), quod Theod. et S. Hier. et Chald. exprimunt; « magis in praesenti loco ibi legendum est » (S. Hier.). sive regna, sive vires » ; sim. Alb.) ; antiqua est et pervulgata sententia, intelligi tropaea erucis (Cyprianus, testim. adv. Iud. 3, 91. M. 4, 715. Augustinus, Civ. D. 48, 32. M. 44, 589. Hier. Rup. Rib.), quae Salvator manibus gerat. Rem ita declarat Rib. : « cornua habebit, quibus ventilet et disperdat et vincat omnes inimicos suos, sumpta metaphora a tauris et ferocioribus bestiis... itaque cornu insigne potentis bellatoris et victoris est atque instrumentum victoriae Cornu autem Christi adversarias potestates ventilantis et profligantis est sanct crux et per eam sibi omnia subiecit, sicut ait Ioan. 12. et ego si exaltatus [uero a terra, omnia traham ad me ipsum. Quare cum dicat cornua in manibus eius, victoria per crucem et passionem futura praedicitur ». Sed haec est accommodatio verborum, non expositio. De ea plura vide apud Gerhohum et Sanct. in explicatione allegorica ; apud Lap. in explicatione mystica. Eam indicat S. Hier. scribens ad Paulinum : « Ábacuc, luctator, fortis et rigidus stat super custodiam suam et figit gradum super munitionem, ut Christum in cruce contempletur et dicat : operuit coelos gloria eius... cornua in manibus eius... » (ep. 53, 8 M. 22, 54T). Regni Christi insigne et notas significari Eusebius censet, « quibus cornibus invisibiles atque adversantes potestates repellens et victas obtinens abigit » (dem. evang. 3, 19. M 2922, 445). Tertullianus quoque cornua explicat « crucis extima ; nam et in antenna navis, qua crucis pars est, hac extremitates eius cornua vocantur » (adv. Iud. 10. M. 2, 696) ; sed non de nostro loco loquitur, verum Deut. 33, 17 typice de Christo exponit, uti fere etiam SS. Iustinus (c. Tryph. 91. M. 6, 692). Hucusque theophania est descripta, quatenus maiestatem divinam in se repraesentat atque delineat. lam in ea Deum vindicem, ultorem, iudicem exprimi ostenditur
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v. 5 « ante faciem eius ibit mors et egredietur diabolus ante pedes eius » ; — hebr. ante faciem eius incedit pestis et egreditur flamma ad. pedes eius (post pedes eius) i. e. comites habet pestem et ignem ; lux illa divina ignis est et incendium, quo Deus malos absumit, est enim Deus in ira sua ignis consumens (cf. Deut. 4, 24; 9, 8 : « scies ergo, quod Dominus Deus tuus ipse transibit ante te, ignis devorans atque consumens, qui conterat eos et deleat atque disperdat »; . 32, 92). Ita Deus iudex describitur Ps. 96, 3 : « ignis ante ipsum praecedet et inflammabit in circuitu inimicos eius » ; cf. Ps. 17, 9; 928, '1; 67, 3; 18,5; 88, 41. Atque ad Dei arma etiam pestilentia pertinet : « mittam pestilentiam (27) in medio vestri » Lev. 26, 25; cf. Num. 14, 19. Deut. 28, 21. 2 Reg. 24, 13. 1 Par. 21, 12. 2 Par. '], 13. Ier. 29, 48. Ez. 14,19 ; 28, 23 — quibusin locis S. Hier. verbum textus nostri non mortem, sed pestilentiam reddidit, quam Deus se immissurum esse minatur. — Ex interpretatione S. Hier. diabolus tamquam minister et instrumentum ultionis divinae in medium prodit. Qui quamvis tali munere fungatur, tamen hoc loco a propheta non nominatur; idque ostenditur etiam eo, quia ipse S. /Ier. nobis narrat, qua ratione ad versionem illam devenerit : « hebraice dicitur reseph ; tradunt autem Hebraei, quomodo in Evangelio princeps daemonum dicitur esse Beelzebub, ita Reseph daemonis esse nomen, qui principatum teneat inter alios et propter nimiam velocitatem atque in diversa discursum 'avis et volatile nuncupetur, ipsumque esse qui in paradiso sub figura serpentis mulieri sit locutus et ex maledictione, qua a Deo condemnatus est, accepisse nomen ; siquidem reseph reptans ventre (!) interpretatur ». At haec sunt commenta rabbinica, quae alibi in ea voce interpretanda S. Hier. minime sequitur ; vertit enim Deut. 32, 24 et Iob 8, '1 avis; Cant. 8, 6 lampades; Ps. '16, 4 volatilia (vulg. 19, 4 potentias) ; Ps. '18, 48 volucres (vulg. 'lI'l, 48 ignis). Vera vocis significatio esse videtur ignis, flamma, et quae inde deducitur * febris ardens, pestis qua corpus inflammatur !. — Simili schemate Deum olim suum Israelitis auxilium promisisse, bene ad huius loci illustrationem monent interpretes v. g. Ex. 23, 91: « terrorem meum mittam in praecursum tuum et occidam omnem populum, ad quera ingredieris... emittens crabrones prius », cf. Deut. "], 19. 20. los. 24, 12. Sap. 12, 8 ( Ag. Lap. Sanct. Men. Muis). LXX legerunt 423 : « soli LXX et Theodotio sermonem pro morte interpretati sunt « (S. Hier.). In altero membro duplicis iam lectionis mentionem fecit Theod. et Theoph. Genuina est ei; zeóía. quam ab aliquibus in xaiósí(av mutatam constat. Coniicit Ag. LXX legisse non fj^, sed 'D1)5 i. e. egredietur in solitudinem cf. Is. 49, 9. Ier. 42, 12 etc. Talis igitur Deus cum appareat, universa creatura cominoveatur oportet. Pertinet haec commotio ad terrorem maiestatis divinae describendum atque praeterea in divinis manifestationibus, quae fiebant contra Aegyptios et in monte Sinai non pauca neque parva eiusmodi commotionis referuntur indicia (cf. Ex. 15. 49, 16. 18. Deut. 4, 11. Ps. 717, 13 seq. 113, 3-8). Quare duplici ratione e/fectus Dei apparentis qui in creaturis imprimatur, describitur :
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v. 6 «stetit et mensus esl terram; aspexit et. dissolvit gentes, et contriti sunt. montes saeculi, incurvati sunt colles mundi ab itineribus aeternitatis eius »; — bene Theoph. * « omnipotentiam Dei ostendit, ut quae nemini sufferenda sit ; simul enim Stetit et concussa ? est terra; intuetur et simul liquefiunt cerae instar omnes gentes et montes franguntur a vi potentiae eius » ? cf. Ps. 98, 1: « Dominus regnavit, irascantur populi ; qui sedet super Cherubim, moveatur terra ». Stetit i. e. sola sua praesentia et apparitione, aspezit i. e. solo intuitu omnia tremore afficit, uti Ps. 103, 32 dicitur. «qui respicit terram et facit eam tremere ; qui tangit montes et fumigant » vel - Eccli. 16, 18 : « ecce coelum et coeli coelorum, abyssus etuniversa terra et quae in eis sunt, in conspectu illius commovebuntur ; montes simul et colles et fundamenta terrae, cum conspexerit illa Deus, tremore concutientur ». Mensus est i. e. oculis terram lustrat; uno aspectu immensa terrae spatia et quae in iis continentur complexus ipsis oculis et vultu maiestatem Dominatoris prae se fert. Est descriptio ad hominum mores efformata, qui ipso intuitu imperandi vel puniendi auctoritatem exprimunt et subditos ante imperium vel castigationem ipsis oculis terrefaciunt. Unde verbum hoc apte gradum facit ad ulteriores divini terroris cffectus exhibendos, qui in creaturis inanimatis et in hominibus fiunt. Montes saeculi i. e. antiquissimi, qui a mundi exordio per longissimum tempus (ab aeterno hyperbolice) firmi steterunt et inconcussi ; quare temporis mentio auget vim sermonis, eodemque sensu colles mundi (aeterni hebr.) dicuntur, « quorum ea est firmitas, ut sicut a creato mundo permanserunt immoti, sic etiam videntur in omnia saeculorum saecula permansuri » (Sanct.). Contremiscunt vero et quasi liquefacti diffluunt ab itineribus aeternitatis eius i. e. « Deus tunc egredi dicitur, quando aliquid producit extra, quod homines capere sensu possunt» (Sanct.) ; uti olim scil. Deus egressus est ad iudicia infligenda, ita nunc simili modo habitu iudicis et vindicis surgit ; id textu hebr. indicatur : itinera antiqua sunt ei (O99 ; quam vocem S. Hier. modo aliter vertit colles mundi pro colles antiqui vel aeterni !). Quibus verbis innuit propheta, instare opus Dei unum ex magnalibus, qualia olim peracta sint ; unde terrorem maiestatis divinae non solum a creaturarum commotione, sed etiam e rerum olim gestarum memoria et ab antiquis iudiciis et castigationibus illustrat, exhibens Deum venientem, qui cuncta terribilia quibus olim mundi peccatores contremiscebant, suo quasi sinu afferat. Et cum Deus a parte meridionali veniat, maiestatis eius terrore, quo gentes contremiscunt (v. 6 hebr. trepidare fecit), praeprimis gentes austri incolae percelluntur ; unde v. "1 in hebr. sub labore (molestia, aerumna) vid? tentoria Chuschan, turbantur aulaea terrae Midian i. e. Aethiopes et Madianitae pavore corripiuntur ; talis enim Domino apparente fit in rerum natura commotio, ut Aethiopum tentoria quasi onere gravi imposito comprimi et gemere et pariter vela vel aulaea tentoriorum apud Madianitas contremiscere videantur, et ea ratione Dominum sentire » venientem a vate in visione prophetali conspiciantur. Eodem modo intelligenda est versio latina v. '] « pro iniquitate vidi tentoria. Aethiopiae, turbabuntur pelles terrae Madian » ; — i. e. sub afflictione vidi tentoria (et cum latini de iniquitate rerum, temporis, loci i. e. de difficultate etc. loquantur, explicatio non adeo a verbis reccdit, quamvis aliena sit « sensu. quem S. Hier. exprimere ! voluit) ; pelles... ipse S. Hier. declarat : pavebunt tabernacula terrae Madian. Hisce quae v. 6 de gentibus in universum dicta sunt, speciali exemplo descripta illustrantur. Idque apte fit non solum ob regionis situm, sed etiam quia Aethiopes (Cusch), qui cum Aegyptiis saepe sociantur (cf. Is. 11, 141; 20, 4; 43, 3 ; 45, 14. ler. 46, 9. Nah. 3, 9 etc.) et Madianitae (cf. Num. 235, 6. Iud. 6, 2 seq.) hostes erant populi Dci, in quos igitur iudicium Dei devolutum iri facile perspicitur. Legitur h. 1. in hebr. Cuschan, quare non desunt, qui cum Chald. verba accipiant de Chusan Rasathaim, rege Mesopotamiae (cf. lud. 3, 8. 10 — ita Barh. Arias, Clarius, Mar. Ros.), sed cum LXX, S. Hicr. et plerisque interpretibus Cusch i. e. Aethiopes retinendi sunt, ad quos et regionis situs et tabernacula nos ablegant (cf. Keil, Schegg, Reinke). solitudines et montes asperrimos duxerit; v. 7 proponi ultionem de Midianitis captam (Num. 31, 2) et Arabes ad mare erythraeum territos (Ex. 15, 13). Ita Calm. | Alii, iique frequentiores, ad ea addunt, commemorari *praeterita, ut spes et desiderium et petitio ostendatur fore, ut Deus iam similia pro populi salute patret (cf. Mar. Lap. Men. Tir. Gord. Muis). Attamen non enarrari praeterita, iam Sanct. monuit ex co, quia in textu dicitur Deus veniet ; et revera absolutum illud ac primo loco positum N32*, quod LXX £e, S. Hier. rite vertit veniet, non potest cum Syro et Chald. de praeterito exponi (uti volunt Mar. Men. « futurum pro praeterito »); sed potius ea verbi forma etiam subsequentibus facem praefert. Quare in his sententiis non praeterita exhiberi dicenda sunt, sed futura, vel melius ea, quae vates in visione prophetali praesentia cernit, ita tamen ut sententiis et verbis ad magnalia olim patrata fiat allusio et nota similitudinis cum facinoribus olim gestis exprimatur (cf. Sanct.). Atque id quidem aptissime. Ita enim cum vates iisdem verbis rebusque utatur ad Dei opera futura adumbranda, ipsa hac affinitate luculenter docet, esse unum idemque opus Dei grande, quod per varia temporum spatia magis magisque explicetur et ex iisdem normis divinitus praestitutis perficiatur. Alii demum res et beneficia futura indicari rite censent, at verbaimmediate et directe ad unum Christum eiusque opus referunt: venturum Christum ab austro i. e. non sine gloria in carne venturum, sed iterum cum splendore et claritate adfuturum tamquam legislatorem, uti olim in Sina (Ag.) vel : uti olim per figuram manifestam apparuit in Seir et Pharan (scil. in serpente erecto, in spiritu senioribus dato), ita iam veniet ad nos manifestus (Rib.) ; vel: veniet a fervore caritatis et splendore veritatis (S. Augustinus, Civ. D. 18, 39. M. 41, 589); vel: veniet a Bethlehem, qui sit vicus in australi parte situs ; quae explicatio iam legitur apud S. Irenaeum ' (adv. haer. 3, 20, 4. 4, 33, 41. M. 7, 945, 1030) ; eam ab Hebraeo quodam se audivisse S. Hier. testatur ; ei adstipulantur Theod. Theoph. Sa, Ians., eam proponi etiam S. Cyr. commemorat; eius meminerunt Ag. Sanct. Lap. Qui de Christo interpretantur (Hier. Theod. Haim. Rup. Gerh. Rib. lans. Aq. Sa), splendorem intelligunt vel Christi gloriam (cf. Cyr. Theoph.) vel eius doctrinam omnia collustrantem (Theod. Rib. lans. Sa) ; v. 5 victoriam Christi de morte et diabolo expressam cernunt; v. 6 terram inter Apostolos divisam gentesque et immundos spiritus (i. e. montes et colles cf. Cyr. Alb.) subiectos vel reges et principes Evangelio mancipatos ; v. 7 impios iri punitum, qui servos Christi sint persecuti et similia. Alii demum haec ita accipiunt, ut ea de Cyro tamquam typo et adumbratione Christi praedicta esse velint ; ita potissimum S. Cyr. et Alb. et Sanct. qui singulis versibus praeter historicam addit allezoricam explicationem ; et eam explica- tionem generatim etiam ii amplectuntur, qui facinora praeterita eum in finem celebrari censent, ut hisce spes de futura liberatione gloriosa incitetur (cf. Lap Men. Tir. Gord.) Immediatum ac directum de Christo vaticinium hoc carmine non coutineri, verba ipsa et contextus satis clare docent. Multa posse ad Christum accommodari, iam Sanct. monuit. Ob oculos autem habenda est universalis carminis sententia, qua iudicium divinum in impios funestum, salutare in pios delineatur ; quod iudicium unum considerari potest in visione et descriptione prophetica et multiplez atque varium, prout per temporum intervalla opere exprimitur. Unde a vero non aberrabimus neque ab indole visionis propheticae recedemus, si dixerimus, ex occasione iudicii particularisin impios Iudaeos et Chaldaeos devolvendi (2, 4) vatem eam imaginem proponere, qua omnes actus iudiciales generali adumbratione comprehensi repraesententur. Idque eo comprobatur, quod sicut Deus non sine rerum creatarum commotione olim iudicia exercuit particularia in Aegyptos, Iudaeos etc., ita ultimum atque universale iudicium maxima mundi perturbatione esse vestiendum atque peragendum ipso Christo docente didicimus. Neque aliquid aliud innuitur apud Aggaeum : ego commovebo coelum et terram et mare et aridam (Agg. 2, '1).
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v. 8 « Numquid. in fluminibus iratus es, Domine? aut in fluminibus furor tuus, vel in mari indignatio tua? qui ascendes super equos tuos et quadrigae tuae salvatio » ; — qua in comparatione et interitus malorum et piorum salus optime illustratur et indoles iudicii venturi terrifica in impios, in bonos salutifera (2, 4) praeclare delineatur. Bene enim rem tangit S. Hier. : «sicut Iordanem et mare siccasti rubrum pro nobis dimicans — non enim fluminibus et mari iratus es, aut quidquam insensibilia offensionis contrahere potuerunt — ita nunc quadrigas conscendens tuas arcumque corripiens salutem dabis populo tuo » ; vel, ut habet Alb. : « hoc in aquis fecisti, ut tuis auferres impedimenta transitus et hostes involveres in mediis fluctibus » (cf. Rib. Lap. Sa, Mar. Tir. Gord. Muis). Neque a re alienum est, quod alii deaquis 1. Cf. Nah. 1, 3 seq. ct quae ad Mich. 1, 4 adnotata sunt. Nili in sanguinem versis et corruptis adiungunt (cf. Cyr. Alb. Sanct.). Similia in psalmis quoque usitata sunt v. g. «et increpuit mare rubrum et exsiccatum est » Ps. 105, 9 ; « mare vidit et fugit; Iordanis conversus est retrorsum » Ps. 113, 3 et. seq. Repetitis interrogationibus ! et exaggerationi et elegantiae consulit vates (cf. Muis). Deum ascendere super equos, figura est e rebus gestis petita : « Deus quasi strenuus dux seu imperator expedivit equos suos et quadrigas ad servandos Israelitas profligandosque Aegyptios, quando currus, equos equitesque suos curri. bus, equis equitibusque Pharaonis contulit» (Muis). Equi autem Dei sunt « nubes quibus quasi inequitans Deus fulgetra et tonitrua iaculabatur in Aegyptios, iuxta illud Ps. 103, 3 qui ponis nubem ascensum tuum » (Lap. Mar. Men.), ad quod bene refertur, quod Ex. 14, 24 habetur: «ecce respiciens Dominus super castra Aegyptiorum per columnam ignis et nubis, interfecit exercitum eorum » (cf. 15, 3-5. 8. 10. 19) et Ps. 4'1, 12 ; 'i6, 11-21. Hisce vero suis attulit salutem (cf. Ex. 15, 13. 11. Ps. 16, 16. 21) ; unde quadrigae tuae salvatio : apparet enim Deus bellico ápparatu instructus, isque apparatus dicitur salvato, « quia salutem et incolumitatem et gloriosam victoriam -affert his, quorum causa comparatus est » (Sanct.). Vel si imaginem ad omnia bella extendimus, quae Deus tamquam optimus bellator et imperator pro suis gessit, allu- Sionem cernere possumus cum Zap. ad arcam testamenti ; « huic enim quasi currui bellico gloriae suae Cherubinis stipatus insidebat Deus» (Lap.)etin ea potissimum pignus salutis et foederis continebatur. — Iudicium Dei etiam propterea apte maris fluminumque percussione describitur, quia revera ostensurus est Deus talia irae suaesigna in fine saeculorum ; cf. Luc. 21, 95 : «in terra pressura gentium prae confusione sonitus maris et fluctuum » (vide Rib. Sa). Pergit propheta in allusione instituta, hostium interitum et salutem piorum accuratius declarans
Huius iudicii imago expressa cernitur in totius terrae commotione !. Primo flumina et mare sentiunt iudicem ; atque id eum in modum proponitur, ut similitudo quaedam adsit rerum ad mare rubrum et Iordanem olim gestarum
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v. 9 « suscitans suscitabis arcum tuum, iuramenta tribubus quae locutus es » ; — i. e. Deus bellator arcum suum tendit et vehementissime confodit hostes sagittis; « et per arcum omnia intelliguntur instrumenta bellica » (Alb.) et h. 1. contra Aegyptios turbines, tonitrua, fulmina (cf. Ex. 144, 24. Tir. Men. Muis). Atque haec praestans simul suscitat et implet promissa data et iuramento confirmata, quae patriarchis et tribubus populi olim dederat. Dicuntur iuramenta, quia id quod Dominus de perfecta liberatione suorum pollicitus est, saepe est repetitum (Gen. 92, 46. Ps. 88, 80; 131, 11. Mich. 7, 20. Rib.). — Quam apte delineetur indoles iudicii, quod Habacuc efflagitat, audi Jans. : « insigni prosopographia bellatorem inducit, qui omni armorum panoplia instructus ad retributionem peccatorum et conterendos impios egreditur. Suscitans itaque suscitabis i. e certissime tandem suscitabis arceum tuum diutissime sepositum, in quo vasa mortis letaliaque peccatoribus supplicia praeparasti, ita ut simul suscites, id est, ad effectum deducas iuramenta... haec enim iuramenta, quamdiu devorabat hic impius iustiorem se, iacere et negligi a Deo videbantur, suscitabuntur vero cum in fine mundi veniet ad ponendam terram in solitudinem. Ad hunc autem diem cum sese accinget, armabit creaturam ad ultionem impiorum, ut pugnet cum illo orbis terrarum contra insensatos. Nam de praeambulis ad iudicii diem haec intelligit Tertullianus (c. Marc. 4, 99) ». | ius esse vertere ad verbum : iuramenta tribuum, promissum scil. suscitabis vel suscitabuntur, evigilabunt, uti S. Hier. intellexit, iuramenta scil. quae promissa Dei :ontinent et confirmant (cf. Deut. 32, &0-42). Iudicii terrores scissione terrae, inundatione, montium tremore, horrendo fluctuum sonitu et fragore ulterius depinguntur : « fluvios scindes terrae ! ;
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v. 40 viderunt te et doluerunt montes, gurges aquarum transiit, dedit abyssus vocem suam, altitudo manus suas levavit » ; — verte hebr. (in) flumina findis terram i. e. terra finditur, ita ut aquarum gurgites ex ea erumpant ; unde simile quid innuitur, quod in diluvio contigit : « rupti sunt omnes fontes abyssi magnae » (Gen. "1, 11) vel quod habetur Ps. 76, 11 : « turbatae sunt abyssi ; multitudo sonitus aquarum a (Ag.). Simul ac montes Deum vindicem conspiciunt, doloribus ac tremore corripiuntur ; cf. Ps. 96, 4 : « vidit et commota est terra ; montes sicut cera fluxerunt a facie Domini ». Ad hanc montium concussionem accedit gurges aquarum qui irruit, vel ex hebr. imber aquarum, quo omnia inundantur. Igitur aquae e sinu terrae erumpunt, aquae e nubibus irruunt, uti in diluvio utrumque proponitur : « rupti sunt omnes fontes abyssi et cataractae coeli apertae sunt » (Gen. "], 14). Modo consimili iudicium depingit [saias : « cataractae de coelis apertae sunt et concutientur fundamenta terrae » (Is. 24, 18). Et dum profunda terrae scissa vim aquarum profundunt, simul cum fluctibus ingentem miscent fragorem ; et altitudo i. e. profundum abyssi (Sa, Mar. Ians. Muis) vel aquarum gurgites (Sanct.) manus suas levavit i. e. fluctus saevientes vi tempestatis in altum attolluntur. Tanta est rerum perturbatio, ut ima summis, terra et maria nubibus et coelo commisceantur. Textum hebr. commodius vertes : in altum manus suas levat scil. abyssus i. e. impetu aquarum et turbine fragorem edit fluctusque in altum tollit. In ea maris nubiumque commistione coeli sidera caligine obtecta lucem non emittunt ; tenebrarum vero horror crebris fulgurum coruscatio-- nibus augetur :
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v. 141 «sol et luna steterunt 1n habitaculo suo; in luce sagittarum tuarum ibunt, $n splendore fulgurantis hastae tuae » ; — sol et luna sese condunt in suis tabernaculis, e quibus egredi censentur, quando in aethere fulgent (cf. Ps. 48, 6). Dies enim Domini tenebris erit horribilis ; cf. Is. 13, 10 : « quoniam stellae coeli et splendor earum non expandent lumen suum, obtenebratus est sol in ortu suo et luna non splendebit in lumine suo » et Ioel 9, 9. 140. 315; 3, 15: «sol et luna obtenebrati sunt et stellae retraxerunt splendorem suum » ; cf. Am. 8, 20. 4. Hoe membrum adv. 10 pertinere e$ eensu suadetur et probatur ;j9D quod in .2:iu hebr, immediate antecedit. Eodem loco ponunt LXX 6iayo)pax; vide ad v. 3. Soph. 4, 15. Marc. 13, 24. Hebr. verte : ad lucem sagittarum tuarum discedunt ! (abeunt, quasi evanescunt), ad. splendorem fulguris hastae tuae ; fulmina dicuntur sagittae Domini cf. Ps. 1'1, 15; 711, 185 143, 6. Fulgur hastae intelligi possunt globuli ignei vel maiora fulgetra, quemadmodum Aegyptiis tenebris occlusis subitaneus 1gnis timore plenus subinde apparuit (Sap. 1", 6) vel grando et ignis mista in cos immittebantur (Ex. 9, 24). Ita simul optime delineatur ignis ille ccnflagiatorius in saeculorum consummatione, quo «coeli ardentes sclventur et elementa ignis ardore tabescent » (2 Petr. 3, 42) ; in flamma ignis venturus est Dominus (2 Thess. 4, 8) et in igne revclabitur dies Domini (4 Cor. 3, 13). Simili descriptione iudicium Dei illustratur Sap. 5, 19 - 24; quo in loco Deus bellator optimis instructus armis ct orbe terrarum et creaturis in terrorem adhibitis ultimum parat peccatoribus exitium (cf. Sa, lans.). Etiam in his explanandis magna cernitur interpretum varietas. Nam v. 10 aliis placet alludi ad aquas mirabiliter in deserto concessas (cf. Muis), aliis ad torrentem Arnon (Num. 24, 14. Alb.), aliis ad mare rubrum.et Iordanem (Ps. 113, 3 Calm.) et reliqua quae vel in monte Sinai vel in expugnatione terrae gesta sunt (cf. Men. Sanct. Tir. Muis) ita, ut aliqui etiam montes explicent reges Chanaan (Mar.). Aliter, uti patet, exponunt, qui totum canticum de Christo dici censent ; v. g. liib. : « civitates impiorum subvertes ; reges eorum dolebunt et trepidabunt ; omnis eorum impetus et persecutio finita sunt, postquam te videre coeperant venientem ; tunc inferi laudaverunt te, etiam superi, angeli plausum suis manibus concrepabunt, ut victorem veluti gestu quodam et tripudio - elevatarum manuum demonstrent». Alia vide apud Cyr. Hier. Theod. Lap. Sanct. (in explicatione allegorica) etc. In v. 14 multi mentionem fieri censent miraculi, quod petente Iosue accidit [os. 10, 12. 13 steteruntque sol et luna, donec ulcisceretur se gens de inimicis suis ' (cf. Alb. Sanct. Lap. Sa, Men. Tir. Gord. Muis, Calm.). Alii allegorice explanant, in sole Christum, in luna Ecclesiam intelligentes ; ita v. g. S. Augustinus. (Civ. D. 18, 32. M. 41, 590) secundum textum LXX : « elevatus est sol et luna stetit in ordine suo : h. e. ascendit Christus in coelum et ordinata est Ecclesia sub rege suo » ; aliter S. Hier., aliter Sanct. etc. Historice Alb. explanat : ibunt, scil. Cyrus et Darius proficient ; i. e. ad lucem sagittarum. suarum et fulgurantium hastarum quasi facum praelucentium ingressi sunt urbem Cvyrus et Persae eamque ferro et flamma vastarunt, perinde ac Iosue iisdem vastavit Amorrhaeos ; ita quoque Hugo, Lyranus aliique apud Lap. Tir.
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19 «In fremitu conculcabis terram, in furore obstupefacies gentes » ; — hebr. cum fremitu incedis 1n terra, 1n ira trituras gentesi. e. Deus iudex maiestate plenus graditur in terra (cf. v. 6) et si vult, brevissimo momento gentes hostiles plane conterit atque comminuit (cf. v. 6. 7). Qualis sit Dei incessus et contritio gentium, propheta quasi rem praesentem exhibet :
Praecedentia summatim complectens (cf. Sanct.) iudicium Dei 18m proprio sermone tangit, idque in universum : .v.
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v. 13 « egressus es in salutem populi tui, in salutem cum Christo tuo; percussisti caput de domo impii, denudasti. fundamentum eius usque ad collum » ; — duplex est enim exitus iudicii cf. 2, 4. Uti olim Deus in Aegypto sese manifestavit ad populi sui salutem et ei liberationem attulit cum christo suo i. e. cum electo populi duce, Moyse (cf. Alb. Lap. Men. Ag. Tir. Gord.), ita Deus denuo egreditur ad populum suum ex oppressione ct servitute Chaldaeorum (cf. 4, 9-11) eripiendum et hanc quoque liberationem efficiet cum christo suo i. e. electo aliquo principe scil. Cyro (cf. Sanct. Lap. Men. Tir. Gord.). Ita multi. Verum cum hac explicatione id suppleri debeat, quod rei praecipuum est, neque hoc loco determinatum de Cyro vaticinium possit admitti (vide infra), praestat illud cum textus latini ita explanare, ut non societatem salvantis sed opem indicet ipsi salvando ferendam i. e. cum christo tuo i. e. rege theocratico ita ages, ut eum salves. Similem habes locutionem Is. 3, 14 : « Dominus ad iudicium veniet cum senibus populi sui » i. e. veniet non cum iis quasi comitibus, verum ut eos iudicet. Indoles effertur populi regnique iudaici theocratica ; et haec cst ratio, cur oppressis speranda sit salus. Deus enim foedus quod olim iniit, irritum fleri non permittet; quare Psalmista quoque eadem ratione saepius Dominum obsecratur propter christum suum cf. Ps. 88, 10s 88, 39 ; 131, 10; et vide 2 Par. 6, 42. — At quemadmodum salvatio Israelitarum interitum attulit Aegyptiis maris fluctibus oppressis, ita etiamtum fastigium domus impii, summum eius decus et ornamentum, regia Chaldaeorum potestas funditus evertetur, ipse rex interibit et cum eo universi imperii chaldagici gloria corruet et turpi ruina sepelietur. Idque metaphora domus explicat, quae uno quasi ictu ita destruitur, ut et fundamentum nudum, apertum cernatur et superior domus pars simul cum parietibus ac trabibus penitus disiiciatur '. Est igitur imperium chal- 1. Denudavit bene dicitur de fundamento penitus disiecto et destructo qf de acdiliciis daicum imagine domus propositum, domus vero propter caput et collum ad hominis similitudinem depingitur. Textus hebr. jn'io-nw yu etiam verti potest : ad salvandum unctum tuum i. e. regem theocraticum ; ita textum intellexerunt LXX qui legunt plurali numero : oU cójgat toug XpuT0U, cou — uti eliam codices aliqui hebr. prae bent apud de Rossi — ita teste S. Hier. verterunt numero singulari Theod. Sym. *, ita Syrus quoque et Chald. Neque ea versio sperni debet'. Nam, ut theocratia salvari dicatur, optime explicita fit mentio regis theocrotici eoquc coimmemorato indoles theocratica, quae ad iudicium Dei bene percipiendum maximi momenti est, clarius et distinctius effertur. E contra cum christo tuo non caret difficultate. ()Juomodo enim explicabis? Qui non rem futuram hic praedici, sed praeteritam commemorari volunt, Moysen intelligunt ; at non est serio de re iam gesta, neque unquam Moyses unctus dicitur, neque satis scio, an apte dicatur, Deum cum Moyse egressum esse ad populum salvandum. Qui de futuro explicant, fere Cyrum intelligunt ex Is. 45, 1 ; sed cum huius carminis indoles adeo sit generalis, vix probabile est, subito sine praevia praepara-. tione — quae adeo apud Isaiam eminet cf. 41, 9 seq. 25. 44, 97. 98 — vaticinium proferri adeo determinatum. Insuper dubitari potest, num Cyrus tamquam socius et comes Dei in populo liberando considerari possit, cum alias ipse Moyses non ut talis, sed ut instrumentum appelletur : per manum Moysis et. Aaron cf. Ps. 16, 91. Num. 45, 93. — Alii nodum solvunt, interpretantes immediate de Christi adventu et Incarnationis mysterio (cf. S. Hier. Rib. et apud Lap. Ag.) ; immo referente S. Hier. « sexta editio prodens manifestissime sacramentum, ita vertit ex hebraeo : egressus es, ut salvares populum tuum per Iesum Christum tuum ». At de Christo salvatore hoc loco neque proxime neque unice esse sermonem, oratio contexta clare ostendit. — Reges theocraticos dici rite censent Mar. Muis, Reinke, Loch ; interpretes graeci unctos vel electos (Theod. M.) vel Spiritus S. gratia imbutos (Cyr. Theod. Theoph.) explicant. Quod domus destructae metaphora vates modo proposuit, ruinam scil- funditus eversis; « nam si fundamentales eruuntur lapides et nudantur fossae, iu quas primum iacta sunt fundamenta, consequens est, ut tota corruat moles, quae primis illis saxis insidebat » (Sauct.). Cum vero dicitur usque ad collum verbum denudare potius zeugmatice ad collum referri videtur, eo sensu ? domum ab infimis ad summa usque evertisti — et (3*3y habet notionem effundendi, proiiciendi v. g. vit&m, sanguinem — neque enim placet, duas misceri metaphoras eversionis domus et hominis turpiter nudati et profligati. 2. Uti v. g. S. Ilier. eam tamquam pauperem sensum et iudaicam aspernatur. imperii chaldaici vel babylonici, iam alio modo magisque proprie effert ita, ut etiam ratio excidii reddatur:
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v. 14. « maledixisti sceptris eius, capiti bellatorum eius, venientibus ut turbo ad. dispergendum me. Ezsultatio corum sicut eius qui devorat pauperem in abscondito » , — Deus regna et provincias Chaldaeorum maledictione percutit; idem maledictioni devovcet ducem vel principem militum, quem antea caput domus vel fastigium appellaverat; demum omnes interitui tradit, qui saevae tempestatis in modum irruunt in populum Dei (cf. 14, 6 seq ). Quanta cum crudelitate ct iniuria acturi sint, explicatur exemplo iniusti oppressoris, qui cum latere se putet, pauperem devorat, iustum ac pium afflizit, spoliat, interimit (cf. Ps. 9, 8 seq.). Et hac saevitia exsultant, quam maxime delectantur ; cf. Is. 59, 4. 9. Babylonios designari (cf. Sanct. Lap. Men. Tir.), ipsa oratio contexta docet ; praesertim si quis 1, 6 seq. 9, 5 seq. ob oculos habuerit. S. Hier. impium intelligi ait Nabuchodonosorem vel omnem adversarium ; prius dici eatenus solum potest, quatenus in co rex babylonicus simpliciter repraesentetur omnis; alterum, quatenus in uno iudicio omue Dei iudicium delineetur. Qui de reiam gesta verba accipiunt, etiam in hoc versu interitum Pharaonis et exercitus. Áegvptiorum celebrari perhibent, qui venerint ut turbo ad dispergendum lsrael et ad devorandum afflictum populum (cf. Alb. Ag. Calm.) ; alii in re gesta saltem futuram liberationem adumbrari censent (cf. Lap. Men. Tir.). Seunacherib ita Jescribi, opinatur Muis. Qui carmen immediate ad Christi tempora transferre solent, explicant vel de pharisaeis et scribis (Cyr. Theoph.) vel de incredulis "Theod.) vel de ipso Antichristo (Tib. lans.). Textus hebr. alio modo, uti iàm notant. Pagninus, Sanct. Muis, Houbig. aliique, verti debet : per[orasti virgis eius (telis eius) caput. ., — ita verbum 2323 verlit quoquce S. Hier. & Reg. 18, 21 (et quoad sensum 4 Reg. 12, 10), Is. 36, 6. Iob 40, 19. 21 3 at nostro Joco aliam maledicendi notionem selegit, cui tamen obstat usus. praeposiionis 2, uti rite adverlit. Houbig., et revera nullo in Joco ita adlitbetur. Quare alia versio praeferri debet, cui LXX, Syrus, Chald. suffragautur*. Si dicitur virgis, vel hastis (cf. 4 Sam. 14, 27) eius, sensus est, Deum regi impio arma eripere et lis armis bellatores transfodere, i. e. Babylonios suis ipsorum armis interire. Simile logitur Mich. 5, 6 : pascent terram Nemrod inlanceis eius. Aliis id videtur dictum coactius ; unde emendandum censent Aastis tuis (cf. Houbig. Bickell*) . Sed prior lectio. est Dervosior ; cam Syrus quoque exprimit, dum in fragm. llexapl. affertur : $23o7* éfs6i- *553; uitX Óvvipso coU toU; Xpyryoue tov dyxptu) Ov. Praelerea obscura est vox 135; S. Hier. vorüit bellatores, LXX óvvxotóv. ila Syrus quoque; Chald. exercitus ; à)3ex, ut modo audivimus ápapro?.ív. Neque 1ecentiores consentiunt: duces vol praefectos 1. Quod S. Hier. nyzY3 verterit sceptrum, de hac re reprehendendus non est, quia vox ca notione habetur Ps. 110, 9 ct etiam Ier. 48, 17. 2. Caranna veteris Testamenti metrice. Oeniponte 1882. p. 214. laorg. Mix. H1 — 8 militum explieat Ges. (Tlics. p. 1125) ; principes, iudices designari ait. First L. ; for. (e$ cx arabico exponit. Zits.; hominum turbam, quae agros ct planitiem. incolat, interpretantur Delitzsch, ltcin^e, Kcil; pro hoc atlerri potest notio verbicognali 372 Ez. 38, 11. Esth. 9, 19 (Zach. 2, 8?); pro priore Tud. 5, 7. 11; ub: S. Hier. vertit forles (3*2), dum locos spud Ez. et Esth. et ^5. Deut. 3, 5. 1 Sam. 6, 18 a5:que muro vcl similiter interpretatus est. Babylonici imperii casu servitus et oppressio populi Dei tcllitur isque novae libertati et saluti redditur; quare eventus ille aegyptiacus quasi reviviscere videtur:
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v. 43 « viam fecisti in mari equis tuis, 1n luto aquarum multarum » ;, — « ollusio est, uti liquet, ad traiectum maris rubri atque Iordanis, ubi duae occurrebant Iudaeis difficultates ; altera ab aquarum profundo gurgite; altera a limo, qui summotis aquis remansit in alveo. Utramque sustulit Deus... In aperto et sicco alvco maxima intelliguntur impedimenta sublata, quaecumque illa sunt; neque enim aliud requirit proverbialis forma. Equi dicuntur Dei quibus insidebant Persae, quos Dominus quasi ad auspicatum illud bellum conscripserat evocaveratque » (Sanct. cf. Lap. Ag. Mar. Men.). Et revera magna cernitur similitudo inter primam ab Aegyptiorum servitute liberationem foederisque institutionem atque alteram hanc exsilii solutionem foederisque instaurationem ; quare sollemne est apud prophetas, uti exsiliipoenam servituti aegyptiacae comparant, ita reditum ex captivitate. priore illa liberatione illustrare; cf. Is. 52, 4. 12; 63, 11-19. Ier. 31, 2 seq. Ez. 20, 383. 36. Os. 2, 19. Zach. 10, 11. 12. In hebr. calcas mare (ingrederis in mare) — equi tui (calcant) lutum aquarum multarum! i. e. Deus bellator currui militari insistens (cf. v. S), uti olim profectus est per mare rubrum ductor populi eique viam pandens, ita ex ruina imperii chaldaici viam salutis aperiet suis ; cf. Ps. 16, 20:«in mari via tua et semitae tuae in aquis multis ». Ea comparatione simul innuitur, Dei magnalia quae olim pro populo patraverat pignora quaedam esse divinae miserationis, quae populo electo nunquam sit defutura ; nam « sine poenitentia sunt dona Dci ». Considerat ergo vates unum Dei opuset consilium, quod in populi electione Deus manifestavit et ex quo fonte quasi 1. ld videtur simplicius et magis obvium, quam quod alii (cf. Keil, Reinke) volunt "D inexhausto populo eadem semper beneficia promanatura sunt. Ita enim favores iam praestiti et pignora sunt et typi eorum, qui per saeculorum decursum ad piorum salutem concedentur. Quare non adeo procul recedes, si sensu accommodato addideris : Deum etiam Apostolis scidisse flumina et maria, cum illis totum mundum reddiderit pervium et praedicationi patefecerit (cf. Cyr. Theoph. Rib. Lap. Men.). ' Haec visio et divini iudicii imago exhibita sacro quodam terrore mentem prophetae percellit ; neque id mirum; si enim iam omnis manifestatio supernaturalis animo hominis non sine sacro quodam timore illabitur, immo quandoque prae nimia reverentia suspicionem mortis secum affert (Gen. 32, 30. Is. 6, 8 hebr.), tam terribilis iudicii denuntiatio, quae rerum omnium commotione adumbratur (v. 8 - 11), vatis animum et corpus magno horrore perfudisse certo censenda est. Unde
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v. 46 « Audivi et conturbatus est venter meus, a voce contremuerunt labia mea » ; — viscera contremiscunt (hebr.); totus cohorruit ita, ut animi intima commotio, qua expavit, corporis quoque tremore et quasi concussione panderetur ; ad vocem tinniunt labia mea (hebr.) 1. e. labia tremunt et tremula sonum edunt, crepitant; dictum est hyperbolice. Ceterum hoc epilogo vatem ad v. 4 redire monent : « versiculus iste idem sonat eandemque animi rationem renovat, quam in initio praemisit; exposuit, quid audiens timuisset et tunc demum quasi per illam bene ordinatae orationis partem quam rhetores complexionem vocant, ad primam propositionem redit » (Rup. cf. Lap. Gord. Calm.). Insuper prophetae non sunt sine miseratione, verum etiam hostium casus tristes et atroces magno compassionis sensu prosequuntur (cf. Is. 15, 9; 16, 9. 11. Lap.); hoc autem loco eo magis est pavoris ogcasio, quia etiam populo Dei magnae imminent calamitates (cf. 4, 6 seq. 3, 17). Et hisce se praecipuo - tremore concuti vates profitetur secundum textum hebr. etiam in sequentibus : i»vadit putredo ossa mea et subter me contremisco, quod tacite feram diem angustiarum, quando ascendet ad. populum qui eum aggredietur i. e. contabesco prae timore : « vel ossa mea quibus nihil durius in corpore, contabuerunt prae pavore ac mocrore et subter sne i. e. tam vehementer pavore concussus sum, ut solum ipsum meis sub pedibus moveri et contremiscere videatur; vel ita contremui, ut haud satis firmo pede ipsi solo insistam » (Mus), vcl « ac si vestieiis meis fimiter haerere prae tremore non possem » (17.) ; idque propterea, quia imminet dies calamitatis, quem vaticinio sihi habet propositum et quicerto venturus est nulla iam deprecauone avertendus (cf. 2, 8). Hunc igitur tacite ferre, silere, quiescere iubetur vates eo ipso, quia vaticinium ita effertur, ut nullum iam praesto sit eius mali remedium. Id vero praeprimis vatis (qui opponere murum debet pro domo Israel, Ez. 13, 5) animum pulsat, quod angustias venturas impotens quasi et inermis a populo depellere iam non potest.— Hebr. rite exponit ex veteribus Muis, et fere Ag. Mar. Ad eum sensum, quantum fieri poterit, etiam vulg. verba erunt explicanda : « ingrediatur putredo in ossibus meis et subter me scaleat, ut .rTequiescam tn die tribulationis, ut ascendam ad. populum accinctum nostrum » ; — « putredinem in ossa ingressam illam anxietatem animi et sollicitudinem ex illo auditu terribili accipimus, qua sollicitudine, tamquam verme ligni medullas exedente, tabefacta ossa sua dicit » (Ag.). Versionem suam ita enarrat S. Hier. : « libenter patior quod passus est Iob; non solum carnes meas, sed medullas quoque ossium cupio tabefleri ct stratum meum putredine corporis et innumeris scatere vermibus, ut postquam hic pro peccatis meis hàec sustinuero, requiescam in die amara... et ascendam ad populum fortem, bellatorem atque pugnacem... nostrum audacter loquitur, ut iuxta Abraham, Isaac et Iacob et ipse dormiat in senectute bona plenus dierum et apponatur ad patres suos » ; sed «tatim aliam quoque subdit explicationem « ex persona populi » : libenter se subiturum captivitatem et quidquid ultimae futurum sit necessitatis, tantum ut eo tempore requiescat, quo Deus sit maledicturus sceptris imperii, ut postca cum Zorobabel et Iesu filio Iosedec et Estra et Neliemia ;n terram repromissionis revertatur. Alii verba haec vulg. ita accipiunt, ut vates mortem a Deo efflagitet, ne vidcat populi captivitatem, sed « in suavi mortis somno quiescens ascendat et transeat ad coetum... virorum sanctorum: ac fortium e populo, qui olim pro gente sua armis accincti insignes de hostibus victorias retulerunt » (Lap. sim. Tir. Gord.). Aliter Sanct. : « si tabes adveniat, quac corpus attenuct et exulceret, ita ut totus vermibus scateam, fcra:in. non solum patienti, sed etiam libenti animo, duma tribulatione futura sit requies ac levatio et a servili timidaque fortuna eo deducar, ut accingar gladio ; quod conditionis est liberalis et ingenuae ». regrinatu? apud me pro mas. *31*23*. Chald. totum versum a Babyloniis dici exhibet ; etiam ipse, ut LXX in ultima voco legit ^, uti etiam aliqui codices hebr. habent apud de Rossi (Scholia critica seu supplementa p. 91), S. Hier. legisse aliquibus videtur man a "an cingere (de Rossi), et cum vertat scateat etiam pro mas. T3"N legit 32*. — Unde iste quoque locus nobis testimonio est, veteres eundem textum hebr. coram se habuisse, quem nos habemus, paucissimis illis exceptis, quae ex literarum ductu simillimo facile explicantur. Immo omnino dubitare licet, num S. Hier. prout de Rossi censet, 531 legerit; nam Gon. 49, 19 vcrba hebr. Xrw Da 3 vertit : Gad accinc- — tus praeliabitur n NNI et ipse accingetur ; unde *11a accingendi significatione ad- . [| cepit ; et ita versio eius facilius explicatur retenta lectione mas. Sed sensum verbi 13 vel 173 neutro loco rite expressit ; is est insistere, urgere ; vide nomen adeo frequens 7373 furma, agmen quod irruit (cf. Os. 1, 4 latrunculus). Diem tribulationis quem hostis populo est allaturus, imagine regionis sterilis et fame pressae proponit propheta, sicuti saepe faustus ac felix rerum status agrorum fertilitate et regionis amoenitate depingitur ; adest enim arcta inter hominem et res creatas necessitudo, qua hominis et bona et mala in rerum creatarum.conditionem redundant (cf. Gen. 3, 15, 6, l..Lev. 26. Os. 2, 91. Ioel 8, 18. Am. 9, 13. Rom. 8, 91 etc.). Atque id eo magis nostro loco, cum invasione hostili regionis amoenitas iit conculcanda; v. 1'1 « ficus enim non florebit et non erit germen in Jinets ; mentietur opus olivae et arva non afferent cibum ; abscindetur de ovili pecus et non erit armentum $n praesepibus » ; — i. e. tanta erit vastatio et regionis uberrimae destructio, ut terra illa melle ac lacte fluens jam deserti instar sit reputanda ; « percenset autem illa quae palaestino solo familiaria sunt, ficum, vitem, olivam, quarum saepe in Scriptura s. nomen auditur » (Sanct.) ; mentietur i. e. « familiari locutione Hebraei (cf. Is. 58, 11. Ier. 3, 23. Os. 9, 2) et Latini vineam, agrum, collem mendaces nuncupant, ubi agricolae aut coloni spem fallunt » (Calm.). Et tanta est herbarum graminumque penuria adeoque vastata regio olim abundantissima, ut deficiat e caulis pecus (hebr.) et iam nullum supersit armentum in stabulis. Multo igitur maiorem fore indicat calamitatem a Chaldaeis afferendam, quam illam Assyriorum, in qua saltem, ut ait Is. ', 21: « nutriet homo vaccam boum et duas oves ». Chaldaei enim civitate theocratica destructa populum in captivitatem abducent. Quare « in testimonium malorum futurorum » (Barh.) tam atrox rerum omnium defectus describitur, ut « malum ex effectu » quantum sit cognoscatur (Gord.). Neque opus est cum plerisque interpretibus ad mysticam explicationem (cf. Hier. Cyr. Theod. Theoph. Haim. Rup. Alb. Rib. Ag. Sa, Tir.) de bonorum spiritualium penuria velsynagogae pravitate etc. confugere ; neque ea de Babylonia a Persis capta (Lap. Men.), sed de Palaestinae regione dicta sunt (cf. Sanct. Mar. Muis). Si haec iusti timoris argumenta sunt et materies, cur iudicium Dei cum pavore exspectetur, tamen minime desunt illa, quibus animus vere pius magna spe et consolatione in Deum erigatur et firma fiducia meliora post calamitatem tempora sibi promittat. Ad haec vates iam laetis vocibus transit et quis sit rerum omnium pro Dei cultoribus exitus prosper atque festivus, sollemni modo cantat
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v. 18 « ego autem in Domino gaudebo et exsultabo in Deo Tesu meo » ; — verbum hebr. Y?Y maximum gaudium, tubilationem laetumque "ed 5'à exsultationem, tripudium designat ; utrumque in hebr. nota illa exhortationis sui ipsius effertur, ita ut ad maximam animi laetitiam et ad publicam atque sollemnem eius significationem vates in sua persona pios omnes provocet. Dum omnia nutant, corruunt, tenebris obducta sunt, stabilis et immobilis adest suis Jahve qui ipso iam nomine immobilem fidelitatem et promissionum adimplendarum pignus prae se fert (cf. Os. 2, 22 ; 12, 5). Quare non in liominum auxilio, sed in uno JaAve esse sperandum profitetur vates; immo non solum sperandum, verum mediis in tribulationibus esse tubilandum, esse laetitia ingenti exsultandum n Deo salutis meae (hebr.) scil. qui est sponsor et auctor salutis meae et qui talem se ubique praestare vult, dummodo homo ab hoc salutis fonte non recesserit. Hebr. Y salus concrete cum quadam allusione ad /Jesu nominis idem etymon liberius expressit S. Hier., uti alias quoque salvatorem, sustum pro salute, iustitia ponit (cf. Is. 45, 8; 51, 5; 62, 2) ; « Iesus enim salvator, sive salutaris interpretatur, sed interpres maluit ipsum hebraicum verbum ponere, quia dulce et plenum gaudii nomen Iesu semper delectat audire », uti aeque pie ac suaviter dicit Haimo; et eam nominis Iesu expressionem meliorem vocat ac dulciorem interpretationem S. Augustinus (Civ. D. 18, 39. M. 41, 891). Ceterum S. Hier. non verba prophetae sed suum hoc loco posuisse interpretamentum quod ad veram textus mutationem accedat, neminem poterit fugere; quare inepte quis ex hac versione S. Hier. argumentum peteret biblicum pro divina Messiae natura. Hunc Deum salutis ulterius celebrat et quanam in re salutem proxime contineri confidat, pluribus explicat
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v. 19 « Deus Dominus fortitudo mea et ponet pedes meos quasi cervorum et super excelsa mea, deducet me victor in psalmis canentem » ; — hebr. Jahve, Dominus, fortitudo mea: laeta animi exsultatione plures titulos Domini profert; quia quo maior imminet rerum adversa fortuna, eo magis est ad hominum mentes accommodatum, ut pluribus se argumentis confortent, ut quasi densioribus tenebris maiora ac plura lumina affundant. Pedes cervorum cf. Ps. 1'l, 34; faciet «celeres ad fugienda malaet ad transsilienda impedimenta quae prospero ac felici statui obiici possent » (Men.); vel ut Sanct. rem perpendit respiciens 4, 8: «contra horum velocitatem et impetum dàta est prophetae ac populo, qui se totum divinae tutelae concredidit, cervorum celeritas, quam non assequitur Chaldaeorum cursus; et ca etiam parte melior, quod ad alta etiam montium iuga per scopulos et salebrasenititur, qua aspirare non potest equorum quantacumque pernicitas ». A persequentium periculo eos eripiet Deus et super excelsa mea i. e. ad regiones etterram promissam eos reducet, et Super excelsa mca incedere me faciet (hebr.); id quod dicitur ad normam cantici Moysis, magni illius Dei beneficiorum libri : « consutuet cum super excelsam terram, ut comederet fructus agrorum, ut sugeret mel de petra oleumque de saxo durissimo» (Deut. 32, 13; cf. Ag. Muis). Et secundum vulg. Deus, praeclarus adversariorum victor atque triumphator praedam hostibus ereptam i. e. populum electum suis in sedibus collocavit, in terra bona, in locis excelsis i. e. tutis atque munitis, dum illi theocratiae instaurationem festivis carminibus et laeto cantu gratiarum actionis et laudis celebrant. « Ea porro laetitia populus e Babylonia revertetur, ut sicut in exitu e patria, quam longa est via, querelis et planctu resonabat, sic etiam in reditu tota iubilantium choris et quodam quasi hymenaeo plausu compleatur » (Sanct.). Ita prophetia, quae a querela et disceptatione animi exacerbati inceperat (1, 2), in laudis iubilo et laetissima spe finitur (cf. S. Ilier. Rup.). Sane praeclarum documentum, quo uberrima consolationis argumenta pro rebus asperis concluduntur. Neque id praetereundum est, adesse in hoc carmine insigne monumentum, quomodo sancti veteris Testamenti mediis in tribulationibus non tantum patientiam et spem retinuerint, sed in Domino Deo suo dulci caritatis affectu exsultaverint quoque et delectati fuerint, illius iam perfectionis quasi aemulatores, quam in novo Testamento consummatam admiramur, dum S. Paulum clamantem audimus : « superabundo gaudio in omni tribulatione » (2 Cor: 7, 4), dum tot sanctos amore crucis flagrantes veneramur. N Qui carmen hoe non de vatis tempore ac necessitate, sed de Christi mysteriis exponunt, excelsa coelum interpretantur coelestemque beatitudinis patriam (cf. ler. lib. lans. Sa) vel vitam humana conversatione ac carnali negotio superiorem et coelestem (cf. Cyr. Theod.). rach (pro tiphrach)et ma ' sajja (pro ma' se) ; ultimum evitat Dickell interponens articulum ZAa3-zajit pro simplice zajit. Ponitur nop post versus 7; dein iterum post 24 ; tertio post 13. Si carmen strophis listinzuere placet, has cum Gietmann assignare poteris ; quinque septenis versibus constantes, quas excipit una sex consistens versibus heptasyllabis (v. 19. 13); sequitur una quinque versuum (v. 14. 15), duae senis constantes (v. 16. 47) et concluditur stropha quinque versuum (v. 18). Manasses rex captivitatis et carceris miseriis edoctus abiecta idololatria ad Deum reversus etiam populum ad Dei cultum reducere conatus erat (2 Par. 33, 48. 10). Verum qui in regno successit, Amon, filius cjus, non patris pietatem, at priorem impietatem non solum aemulatus est sed etiam longe superavit : fecit malum $n conspectu Domini, sicut fecerat Manasses pater eius, et cunctis idolis quae Manasses fuerat. fabricatus, immolavit atque servivit ; et non est reveritus faciem. Domini, sicut reveritus est Manasses pater cius, et multo maiora deliquit (1l. c. 29. 93. cf. 4 Reg. 21, 20- 22). Amon solum quidem per duos annos regnavit ; at sane tempus hoc satis superque erat ad populi idololatriae ex inveterata consuetudine addicti perversionem maxime augendam. Iosias filius eius, octo annorum puer, regnum capessivit. In tam tenera et imbecilli regis aetate idololatriae vitiorumque colluvies impune grassabatur ordinesque omnes et principes et sacerdotes pessimis moribus vivebant, Verum mox Iosias, pius impii patris filius, tamquam veri nominis rex theocraticus officio fungi coepit; primum ipse Dei cultul se sincere addixit et cum aetate, experientia rerum et auctoritate iam valeret, idololatriae et sceleribus animo invicto bellum indixit : siundavit Iudam et. lerusalem ab. excelsis et lucis simulacrisque et. seulptilibus (2 Par. 34, 3) ; ubique arae Baalim et cetera idololatriae et spurcitiarum instrumenta et fomenta destruuntur, neque tantum intra ludaeac fines, sed etiam tn urbibus Manasse et Ephraim et Simeon usque Nephthali (l. c. 6). Octavo enim regni sui anno iuvenis rex coepit quaerere Deum patris sui David et duodecimo anno mundavit Iudam et lerusalem et alias regiones ; tertio decimo annoa Ieremia propheta, qui eo tempor? ad munus propheticum vocabatur, in ea cultus morumque instaura.ione auxilium nactus est sane potentissimum ; anno octavo decimo libro legis invento foedus cum Domino sollemni modo innovatur cunctaque ad lezis normam rite disponuntur (cf. 2 Par. 34, 8 - 35, 19. 4 Reg. 22, 3- 23, 24. Ier. 11). Optimi sane regis pii conatus. Scd quis inveteratam Iudaeorum impietatem vinceret? Parum emendationis esse subsecutum, et Ieremiae continuae querelae et accusationes testantur et libri produnt historici, qui furorem Domini non esse aversum diserte narrant et firmum permansisse Dei consilium : etiam Iudam auferam a facie mca et proiiciam civitatem hanc, quam elegi, lerusalem, et domum, de qua dixi : erit nomen meum ibi (4 Reg. 93, 2'1). In diebus Iosiae regis surrexit Sophonias propheta, 1*:29 quem Iahve abscondidit i. e. tuitus est ! — quem Ps. - Epiphanius aliique e tribu Simeonis prognatum scribunt (cf. M. 43, 412). Cum 1, 4 inter maiores eius rpm Ezecias connumeretur, aliqui eum regio sanguine ab Ezechia descendere opinati sunt (cf. Hitz. Keil, Zschokke, Vigouroux). Verum gratuito id adstruitur. Sollemne enim est in libris historicis atque etiam propheticis, ut ii qui reges fuerint etiam nomine apposito designenturj id quod eo magis fieri debuit (et iure supponitur futurum fuisse, ut ficret), si quando nomen ipsum pluribus commune erat. Iam eodem Ezechiae nomine complures viri privati inveniuntur designari (ct. 1 Par. 3, 23. Neh. 7, 21). Practerea Sophoniam ad genus regium neipse Ps. - Epiphanius quidem retulit, qui in fabulis afferendis minime est ceteroquin parcus ; quare ex eius ea in re silentio omnino concludi licet, veteres in illam opinionem non incidisse, quamvis Ezechiae nomen ad illam homines curiosos facile invitaret. Unde eo tutius tamquam figmentum otiosorum rabbinorum contemnitur, uti iure contempserunt Rib. a Castro, Lap. Calm. Reinke, Schegg, Trochon. Quaeri etiam solet, quo tempore regni Iosiae muneri prophetico vacaverit Sophonias vel ad quam epocham liber eius potissimum sit referendus. Quae res cum ex internis quae dicuntur libri indiciis solum explorari ac diiudicari possit neque ea certi aliquid et indubitati prodant, in varias sententias abeunt viri docti. Primos regni losiae annos ei assignat Schegg (i. e. inter Iosiae annum 4 et 15), quia graves prophetae denuntiationes in tempus posterius, quippe quo morum cultusque instauratio perficeretur, iam non conveniant. Eandem sententiam propugnant Ewald, Reinke; et munus saltem ante annum 18 Iosiae iniisse etiam Calm. ex eo colligendum esse censet, quod scelera et licentiam in magistratibus Iuda simul et idololatriam ubique regnantem acrioribus verbis reprehendit. Idem Kawlen quoque censet et censuit ante eos omnes Rib. Verum recte contra eum observavit iam Lap. : «haec ratio non concludit certo; nam Ieremias coepit prophetare anno 13 Iosiae et perrexit continue sub eo detonare contra idola, quia licet ea publice a Iosia essent abolita, privatim tamen adhuc a multis retinebantur et colebantur ». élii demum Sophoniam post annum 18 Iosiae vaticinatum esse censent, quia non idola sed reliquias idolorum: delendas esse dicat i. e. ipsa idololatria generatim sublata solum adesse innuat quasdam cultus superstitiosi particulas (cf. 1, 4) et quia veri Dei cultum iam exerceri asserat (cf. 4, 9; 3, 4) — unde librum esse compositum censent purgatione templi per Iosiam iam peracta. Ita Keil. Neque tamen haec rem evincunt. Nam si Deus minatur, se omnia vestigia idololatriae funditus esse eversurum, minime sequitur, solum exstare vestigia, sed idololatriam esse radicitus et stirpitus evertendam praedicit. Finge enim dici de urbe : ipsas quoque reliquias tuas et. ruinas dissipabo; num ex his minis concludes, de ea urbe iam non exsistere nisi reliquias ? Minime sane. Neque maioris ponderis est alterum. Nunquam enim idololatria ita praevaluit et ita omnes omniaque occupavit, ut non simul aliquo modo etiam veri Dei cultus exerceretur. Praeterea liber propheticus non unam aliquam exhibet concionem, sed ea quae propheta saepe et variis occasionibus populo proposuit, ad breve argumentum redacta nobis refert. Quare nihil obstat, quominus dicamus, Sophoniam et ante morum instaurationem praedicasse et post eam, vel eum regi opitulatum esse et in praeparanda et in exsequenda illa reformatione et demum summam concionum, minarum, promissionum hoc suo comprehendisse libello. cultas morumque a Tosia nondum inceptae. Ita v. g. Reuss contendit : « lesdésordres auxquels il essaya de mettre fin par des mesures trés énergiques sont dépeints ici comme existant encore dans toute leur étendue et les membres mmes de la famille royale sont accusés (1, 8) d'y prendre part. .... et e'aurait été une injustice de sa part, si en formulant ses accusations, il avait passé sous silence les nobles efforts faits par le roi pour ameuer un état de choses conforme à ses propres désirs. Nous croyons plutót que ce silence, combiné avec les reproches qu'il adresse aux princes, nous permet de souger de préférence à une époque o le roi était encore mineur et oü le gouvernement a dà étre entre les mains de ses parents ». Eidem sententiae eliam subscribit. Vigouroux (Manuel biblique, II p. 651). Alii demum tot inveniunt in libello Sophouiae allusiones quao fiant ad: Deuterononium et modum loquendi qui supponat populum eas intelligere ; unde sermones hos habitos fuisse concludunt libro legis in templo. invento, de quo 3 Reg. 22, 10 seq. anuo decimo octavo regis Iosiae (cf. T10chon p. 348 seq.) — Alia quae prolata sunt consulto missa facio. Tribus partibus libellus apte dividitur ; in prima minatur vates iudicium orbi et urbi ; in altera adhortatur ad poenitentiam et timorem Dei exemplis iudiciorum exhibitis, quae Deus in gentes exteras et suum populum est exerciturus ; in tertia demum instaurationem messianicam promittit, quae iudiciis illis in altera parte descriptis praeparatur. Sermonem orditur propheta quasi ex abrupto : iudicium instare omnibus et speciatim urbi Ierusalem ; tres recenset ordines, qui tamquam victimae irae Domini sint mactandi : principes scil. primoresve, qui mores gentilium aemulentur aliosque opprimant ; mercatores usuris inhiantes; demum omnes, qui vana fiducia abripiuntur genioque indulgent. Ipsum iudicii diem proximum esse dicit et valde terribilem, ita ut nemo effugere neque opibus terrenis salvari queat (cp. 1). Iudicii descriptioni apte subiungitur adhortatio, quae praeprimis ad pios dirigitur, quo magis virtuti dent operam, ut divina protectione digni inveniantur. Haec autem adhortatio fulcitur longiore iudiciorum divinorum enumeratione, quae fient in Philisthaeos, Moabitas et Ammonitas, Aethiopes, Assyrios et in ipsam quoque urbem Ierusalem, in qua principes, iudices, prophetae iustas dabunt poenas. Hisce vero iudiciis id a Deo efficietur, ut. Dei adoratio et cultus veri propagatio praeparetur. Unde calamitatum fine proposito in altera parte (2-3, 8), via sternitur ad tertiam (3, 9-20), qua instauratio messianica describitur ; fore scil. cultum Dei universalem; populum rediturum esse ex dispersione deleta iniquitate, sanctum, iam non gloriae terrenae cupidum, sed humilem, in Deo sperantem, pace securum ; adfore gaudium et exsultationem, Dei in populo beneplacitum ; oppressores iri destructum, Dei populum fore gloria et honore insignem. Dc dicendi genere Sophoniae ita censet Zschokke (1. c. 911) : « quamvis dicuo Sophliouiae praestantiam Isaiae et Habacuc non exaequet, tamen elexanta et vigore non caret, quemadmodum testatur frequens paronomasiarum usus. Lingua adhuc pura hebraica est, a chaldaismis immunis. Retractat. quidem, prophetas priores !, nihilominus tamen sui iuris cst ». Similiter iudicat Vigouroux (Manuel bibl. II p. 651) : «le style de Sophonie est pur, facile, vil, mais il manque un peu d'originalité ; ii est plein de reminisceuces et d'emprunts aux anciens prophétes ». Anc. — Minatur Deus iudicium universale, quo omnia perimat ; in qua castigatione praeprimis Iudam ct Ierusalem propter variae idololatriae scelus est percussurus (1, 2-6). Iam qualis futura sit castigatio, describitur : erit, quasi victimarum caesio ; principes et primores, qui gentilium mores aemulantur aliosque opprimunt poenas dabunt ; ubique ulures et qui suis opibus confisi voluptatibus indulserunt punientur et spoliabuntur (1, 1-13). Talis autem punitio et proxima est et terrore plena ; est enim dies ultionis Domini quam maxime terribilis; homines horrore obstupefient et: caede creberrima prosternentur, neque ullum vindictae divinae effugiendae piaculum praesto iis erit in opibus (1, 14-18). Titulus et inscriptio : « Verbum Domini quod factum est ad. Sophoniam, filium Chusi, filii Godoliae, filii Amariae, filii Ezeciae, in dicbus losiae filii Amon, regis Iudae » ; — i. e. « ministrum se esse docet huius prophetiae, non auctorem, cum dicit verbum Domin? » ( Rib.). Id factum est i. e. revelatio ei facta, sermo Domini ad prophetam factus est Deo videlicet mentem eius prophetico lumine illustrante (Zans.). Dc Sophonia vide Proleg. Quod longior quaedam maiorum series effertur, aliqui (cf. Reine) nobilitati generis adscribunt — obx &zGuog «v» (Xozcv/xg) «9 xatà cápaa vívog jam S. Cyr. adnotat — sed certa ratio reddi nequit. Id unum notari iuvat, ex tali varietate innui, non unum esse omnium titulorum auctorem, quippe qui inscriptiones omnes ad unam eandemque fere normam exegisset, sed potius titulos singulosa singulis prophetis esse libris praepositos censeri posse; unde facile explicatur varietas illa. Plura genealogiae membra habes apud Zachariam et praeprimis apud Baruch (uti Sanct. advertit ad Zach. 1, 4 !). Meminit hoc loco quoque S. Ilier. traditionis hebraeae, cuiuscumque prophelae paler aut avus ponatur in titulo, ipsos quoque prophetas fuisse; neque prorsus eam reiicere videtur. Pergit enim : « lioc si verum est, Sophionias propheta. ..nomiue (canone? — ut alia fert lectio — ), ut ita dicam proplietico et gloriosa maioruni suorum stirpe generatus est; habuit enim patrem Chusi, avum Godoliam, proavum Amariam, atavum Ezechiam ?. et talem quadrigam ipse velut extremus auriga complevit ». Sed hauc traditionem esse ad. commenta rabbinica amandandam, quamvis aliqui eam tueantur, quos vide apud Jib. in proleg. 4, apud Sanct. (in Zach 4, 4), plerique iure censent. Ab universali iudicio, quo Deus orbem terrarum est puniturus, sermo propheticus quasi ex abrupto orditur. Sed cum ultionis capiendae mentio, qua Deus populos est ad iudicium vocaturus, jam saepius et apud prophetas facta sit et in psalmis (cf. Ioel 2, 315; 3, 14. Am. 1, 2-2, 3. Ps. 96, 1 etc.), nexus facile perspicitur et Sophoniae auditoribus certe familiaris erat. Statimiudicium cum emphasi tamquam omnium exterminium annuntiatur
3:1
Holy Week (Major Hebdomada, Hebdomada Sancta, Hebdomada Authentica)
… Then the readings begin at once; the first from Hosea (Hos 1-6 of Gallican origin), with the responsorial psalm of Habakkuk (Hab 3:1-3; the verse in medio duorum animalium is referred to Christ crucified between two thieves); the second from Exodus (Ex 12:1-11) alludes to the symbol and figure of Christ's sacrifice …
3:2
… association, from a preestablished biblical hymn: the I from the canticle of the Israelites (Ex. 15, 1-8); the II - the canticle of Moses near death (Deut. 32, 1-43); the III - the canticle of Hannah (I Sam. 2, 1-10); the IV - the prayer of Habakkuk (Hab. 3, 2-19); the V - the prayer of Isaiah (Is. 26, 9-21); the VI - the prayer of Jonah (Jon. 2, 3-10); the VII - the hymn of the three youths of Babylon, also called of Azariah (Dan. 3, 2-33); …
3:7
Chusan Rasathaim (Heb. Kūfan Rīš'āthajim)
The Hebrew text calls him king of 'Āram Nahārajim or "Aram (v.) of the two rivers." There are those who make C. the head of an Arab tribe, reading Edom for Aram (cf. Hab. 3:7). Others have attempted to see in C. Tushratta king of Mitanni, a contemporary of Amenophis II (cf. H. Hänsler, Der historische Hintergrund von Richter 3, 8-10, in Biblica, 11 [1930], …
Midian and Midianites (Hebrew Midhjān; Septuagint Μαδιάμ)
… Schools of orient. researches, 83 [1941], p. 84, note 8), the ethnic name of Kūšu in the Egyptian "proscription" texts would be, as the parallelism established in Hab. 3:7 suggests, the archaic designation of the Madianites. …
3:13
… Yahweh (or of an equivalent pronoun): "the anointed of Yahweh" (ὁ χριστὸς Κυρίου); 15 times in I-II Sam.; Ps. (Heb.) 2:2; 18:51; 20:7; 28:8; 84:10; 89:39, 52; 132:10, 17 (the plural, in Ps. 105:15 and I Par. 16:22, is a unique case); Is. 45:1; Hab. 3:13. This royal name māfiah χριστός is used 2 times for Saul, 1 time for Solomon (II Par. 6:42), 1 time for Zedekiah (Lam. 4:20), 1 time (analogously) for Cyrus (Is. 45:1), but …
3:16
Following the example of Abraham (Gen. 21:23; 23:4), of Moses (Ex. 2:22; Acts 7:29), of Israel drawn by God away from the pagan world (Wis. 18:3; Hab. 3:16: παρενία is a synonym of x.), every Christian is and must feel himself a "stranger" (ξένος) and a "foreigner" (παρενός): 1 Pt. 1:1; 2:11; Heb. 11:13; 13:14); his homeland is the …
3:17
Habacuc (Hebrew Hâbaqqûq; Septuagint: Ambakoum, confusing him with the character in Dan. 14:32)
1. LIFE. - Of the person of H. we know only that he lived in Judea (Hab. 3:17) at the end of the 7th century B.C., and wrote a prophecy of three chapters in an elegant style rich in bold images drawn largely from nature. …
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.