God expostulates with the Jews for their ingratitude and sins: for which they shall be punished.
God expostulateth with the chiefe of the Iewes, 3. and with the whole people, their ingratitude, for his singular benefites: 6. who is not pacified with sacrifices, 8. but by doing iustice. 9. which they not doing, 13. shal be afflicted by their enimies.
1Hear ye what the Lord saith: Arise, contend thou in judgment against the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.Ascoltate quello, che dice il Signore: Su via, disputa in giudizio contro i monti, e i colli ascoltino la tua voce.HEARE ye what our Lord speaketh: Arise, contend in iudgement against the mountaines, & let the hilles heare thy voice.Audite quæ Dominus loquitur: / Surge, contende judicio adversum montes, / et audiant colles vocem tuam. 2Let the mountains hear the judgment of the Lord, and the strong foundations of the earth: for the Lord will enter into judgment with his people, and he will plead against Israel.Ascoltino la disputa del Signore i monti, e i fondamenti fortissimi della terra: perocché il Signore viene a disputare col suo popolo, e farassi giudizio tra lui e Israele.Let the mountaynes heare the iudgement of our Lord, & the strong fundations of the earth: because the iudgement of our Lord is with his people, and with Israel he wil be iudged.Audiant montes judicium Domini, / et fortia fundamenta terræ; / quia judicium Domini cum populo suo, / et cum Israël dijudicabitur. 3O my people, what have I done to thee, or in what have I molested thee? answer thou me.Popolo mio, che è quello, ch'io ti ho fatto? Od in qual cosa ti ho io disgustato? Rispondi a me.My people what haue I done to thee, or what haue I molested thee? answer me.Popule meus, quid feci tibi ? / aut quid molestus fui tibi ? Responde mihi. 4For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and delivered thee out of the house of slaves: and I sent before thy face Moses, and Aaron, and Mary.Forse perchè ti trassi dalla terra d'Egitto, e ti liberai dalla casa degli schiavi, e mandai innanzi a te Mosè. Aronne, e Maria?Because I brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt, & deliuered thee out of the house of them that serued: and sent before thy face Moyses, and Aaron, and Marie?Quia eduxi te de terra Ægypti, / et de domo servientium liberavi te, / et misi ante faciem tuam Moysen, et Aaron, et Mariam. 5O my people, remember, I pray thee, what Balach, the king of Moab, purposed: and what Balaam, the son of Beor, answered him, from Setim to Galgal, that thou mightest know the justice of the Lord.Popolo mio, di grazia sovvengati dei disegni di Balach re di Moab, di quello, che a lui rispose Balaam figliuolo di Beor, (sovvengati) da Sethim fino a Salgala, affinchè tu conoscessi la giustizia del Signore.My people remember I pray thee, what Balach the king of Moab purposed: and what Balaam the sonne of Beor answered him: from Setim euen to Galgal, that thou mightst know the iustices of our Lord.Popule meus, memento, quæso, / quid cogitaverit Balach, rex Moab, / et quid responderit ei Balaam, filius Beor, / de Setim usque ad Galgalam, / ut cognosceres justitias Domini.
6What shall I offer to the Lord that is worthy? wherewith shall I kneel before the high God? shall I offer holocausts unto him, and calves of a year old?Che offerirò al Signore, che sia degno di lui! Piegherò le ginocchia dinanzi all'Altissimo Iddio? Offerirogli olocausti, e vitelli d'un anno?What worthie thing shal I offer to our Lord? shal I bow the knee to the high God? What shal I offer vnto him holocausts, & calues of a yeare old?Quid dignum offeram Domino ? / curvabo genu Deo excelso ? / Numquid offeram ei holocautomata et vitulos anniculos ? 7May the Lord be appeased with thousands of rams, or with many thousands of fat he goats? shall I give my firstborn for my wickedness, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?Può egli forse placarsi il Signore per mezzo di mille arieti, o con molte migliaia di grassi capri? Sagrificherò forse a lui pel mio delitto il mio primo genito, od alcuno de' miei figliuoli pel peccato commesso da me?Why, can our Lord be pacified with thousandes of rammes, or with manie thousandes of fatte buckgoates? Why, shal I geue my first borne for my wickednes, the fruite of my womb for the sinne of my soule?numquid placari potest Dominus in millibus arietum, / aut in multis millibus hircorum pinguium ? / numquid dabo primogenitum meum pro scelere meo, / fructum ventris mei pro peccato animæ meæ ? 8I will shew thee, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requireth of thee: Verily to do judgment, and to love mercy, and to walk solicitous with thy God.Io ti insegnerò, o uomo, quello, che è ben fatto, e quello, che il Signore cerca da te: viene a dire, che tu facci giudizio, e ami la misericordia, e cammini con sollecitudine dietro al tuo Dio.I wil shew thee ô man what is good, and what our Lord requireth of thee: Verely to do iudgement, and to loue mercie, and to walke solicitous with thy God.Indicabo tibi, o homo, quid sit bonum, / et quid Dominus requirat a te: / utique facere judicium, / et diligere misericordiam, / et sollicitum ambulare cum Deo tuo. 9The voice of the Lord crieth to the city, and salvation shall be to them that fear thy name: hear O ye tribes, and who shall approve it?La voce del Signore rimbomba sopra la città: avranno salute quelli, che temono il nome tuo. Ascoltate voi, o tribù; ma chi sarà ubbidiente?The voice of our Lord crieth to the citie, and saluation shal be to them that feare thy name: heare ye ô tribes, and who shal approue it?Vox Domini ad civitatem clamat, / et salus erit timentibus nomen tuum: / audite, tribus, et quis approbabit illud ? 10As yet there is a fire in the house of the wicked, the treasures of iniquity, and a scant measure full of wrath.Come fuoco sono tuttora in casa dell'empio i tesori di iniquità, e la misura scarsa ripiena d'ira.As yet there is fire in the house of the impious, treasures of iniquitie, and a lesser measure ful of wrath.Adhuc ignis in domo impii thesauri iniquitatis, / et mensura minor iræ plena.
11Shall I justify wicked balances, and the deceitful weights of the bag?Dovrò io aver per giusta la stadera empia, e i pesi falsi del sacco?Why, shal I iustifie an impious balance, and the deceitful weights of the bag?Numquid justificabo stateram impiam, / et saccelli pondera dolosa ? 12By which her rich men were filled with iniquity, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue was deceitful in their mouth.Pe' quali i suoi ricchi si sono ripieni di iniquità, e i suoi abitanti dicevan bugie, ed hanno in bocca una lingua ingannatrice.By which her richmen were replenished with iniquitie, and the inhabitants therin spake lies, and their tongue was fraudulent in their mouth.In quibus divites ejus repleti sunt iniquitate, / et habitantes in ea loquebantur mendacium, / et lingua eorum fraudulenta in ore eorum. 13And I therefore began to strike thee with desolation for thy sins.Io pertanto ho cominciato a flagellarti, e a desolarti per ragione de' tuoi peccati.And I therfore begane to strike thee with perdition for thy sinnes.Et ego ergo cœpi percutere te perditione super peccatis tuis. 14Thou shalt eat, but shalt not be filled: and thy humiliation shall be in the midst of thee: and thou shalt take hold, but shalt not save: and those whom thou shalt save, I will give up to the sword.Mangerai, e non potrai satollarti; e in mezzo a te sarà (la cagione) di tue calamità. Avrai fecondità, ma non salverai i figliuoli; e se li salverai, io li farò perire di spada.Thou shalt eate, & shalt not be filled: and thy humiliation in the middes of thee: and thou shalt apprehend, and shalt not saue: and whom thou shalt saue, I wil geue vnto the sword.Tu comedes, et non saturaberis, / et humiliatio tua in medio tui: / et apprehendes, et non salvabis, / et quos salvaveris, in gladium dabo. 15Thou shalt sow, but shalt not reap: thou shalt tread the olives, but shalt not be anointed with the oil: and the new wine, but shalt not drink the wine.Seminerai, e non mieterai; pigerai le ulive, e non ti ungerai coll'olio; e le uve, ma non berai del vino.Thou shalt sow, and shalt not reape: thou shalt tread the oliue, and shalt not be anoynted with the oyle: and presse muste, & shalt not drinke the wine.Tu seminabis, et non metes: / tu calcabis olivam, et non ungeris oleo; / et mustum, et non bibes vinum. 16For thou hast kept the statutes of Amri, and all the works of the house of Achab: and thou hast walked according to their wills, that I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof a hissing, and you shall bear the reproach of my people.Perchè tu hai osservati gl'insegnamenti di Amri, e tutte le maniere di vivere della casa di Achab, e hai fatto quel, che ad essi piaceva, affinchè io abbandonassi te alla perdizione, e i tuoi abitanti agli scherni; e voi porterete l'obbrobrio del popol mio.And thou hast kept the precepts of Amri, and al the worke of the house of Achab: and thou hast walked in their willes, that I might geue thee into perdition, and the inhabitants therin into hissing, and the reproch of my people you shal beare.Et custodisti præcepta Amri, / et omne opus domus Achab, / et ambulasti in voluntatibus eorum: / ut darem te in perditionem, / et habitantes in ea in sibilum, / et opprobrium populi mei portabitis.
6:1
Challoner
The mountains, etc. That is, the princes, the great ones of the people. (Challoner)
Calmet
But Hebrew intimates real mountains, which had witnessed the impiety of the people, (Calmet) and had been defiled with their altars, etc. Protestants, "Contend thou before the," etc., (Haydock) as God's advocate. He condescends to justify his conduct towards Israel, Isaias 3:13. (Calmet)
Worthington
He had shewn them great favours, but they were ungrateful. (Office for Good Friday) (Worthington)
6:4
Calmet
Slaves. Their prison, in Algiers, etc., is dreadful. (Calmet)
Mary. She taught the women. (Chaldean; Theodotion)
6:5
Challoner
From Setim to Galgal. He puts them in mind of the favour he did them, in not suffering them to be quite destroyed by the evil purpose of Balach and the wicked counsel of Balaam; and then gives them a hint of the wonders he wrought in order to bring them into the land of promise, by stopping the course of the Jordan, in their march from Setim to Galgal. (Challoner)
Galgala, "limits," may denote those of the Jordan, between which river and Setim Israel was encamped, Numbers xxii., and xxv.
Calmet
Justices. Symmachus, "mercies." (Calmet)
6:6
Challoner
What shall I offer, etc. This is spoken in the person of the people, desiring to be informed what they are to do to please God. (Challoner)
They can answer nothing in their own defence.
6:7
Fat. Hebrew, "torrents of oil."
Calmet
First-born, like Jephte, or the king of Moab, Judges xi., and 4 Kings 3:27. Saturn taught the Phoenicians this impiety. (Eusebius, praep. 4:16.) (Calmet)
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Haydock
Solicitous. Hebrew also, "humbly." (Haydock)
This was preferable to all other sacrifices of the old law, (Worthington) and was frequently inculcated, Deuteronomy 10:12., Psalm 49:9., and Isaias 1:11. Yet the carnal Jews always made perfection consist in exterior ceremonies.
6:9
City, to all mankind.
Salvation. Hebrew, "wisdom shall consider thy name." Syriac, "doctrine to those who fear his name."
Calmet
It? Who will attend? (Calmet)
6:10
Challoner
Full of wrath, etc. That is, highly provoking in the sight of God. (Challoner)
Calmet
False weights are often condemned, Deuteronomy 35:13. (Calmet)
6:14
Haydock
And thy. Septuagint, "I will cast thee away into thyself." (Haydock)
Calmet
Hold of some fruit. (Calmet)
Thy wife shall miscarry; (Vatable, etc.) or if she bring forth, the children shall perish by the sword.
6:15
Haydock
New. Septuagint, "grave." (Haydock)
St. Jerome
"It is good for thee, when thou knowest thy error, to have no disciples." (St. Jerome)
6:16
Challoner
The statutes of Amri, etc. The wicked ways of Amri and Achab, idolatrous kings. (Challoner)
Worthington
They were the most infamous of Israel, 3 Kings 16:25, 30. (Worthington)
Haydock
Hebrew, "the statutes of Amri are kept." Septuagint, "The precepts (ami) of my people shall parish" (Haydock)
Calmet
You, rich men. (Calmet)
Haydock
Septuagint, "you shall receive the reproach of people." (Haydock)
6:1
The mountains, etc.... That is, the great ones, the princes of the people.
6:5
From Setim to Galgal.... He puts them in mind of the favour he did them, in not suffering them to be quite destroyed by the evil purpose of Balach, and the wicked counsel of Balaam: and then gives them a hint of the wonders he wrought, in order to bring them into the land of Promise, by stopping the course of the Jordan, in their march from Setim to Galgal.
6:6
What shall I offer, etc.... This is spoken in the person of the people, desiring to be informed what they are to do to please God.
6:10
Full of wrath, etc.... That is, highly provoking in the sight of God.
6:16
The statutes of Amri, etc.... The wicked ways of Amri and Achab, idolatrous kings.
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VVheras God shevved most singular great benefits the vngratful malignant people required him with most vvicked & reprochful crueltie. As is excellently set forth, in the Churches seruice on good fri•day.
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Concordance Iere. 2. Exo 14. Num. 22.
Both Moyses & Aaron were figures of our Sauiour, and their sister Marie a figure of B Marie the mother of Christ.
6:8
VVorkes of iustice, & mercie do farre excel external sacrifice of the old lavv.
6:14
Concordance Leuit. 26. Deut. 28. Agge. 1.
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Thou Ierusalem art so wicked & foolish, as to imitate the most vvicked kings and people of the tenne tribes Amri, & Achab. 3. Reg 16. v. 25. & 30.
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St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the Romans 5
… But not even for this did He spew us out of His mouth, but like those slighted lovers that be very earnest, He went round beseeching all, the heaven, the earth, Jeremiah, Micah, and that not that He might weigh us down, but that He might speak in behalf of His own ways ( Is. i. 2 ; Jer. ii. 12 ; iii. 12 ; etc.;
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 5
“For a testimony of those things which shall be spoken.” What meanest thou? Doth God receive the witness of man? Yes, certainly. For if He call to witness heaven and earth and hills (saying by the prophet, “Hear, O heaven, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord hath spoken”— Isa. i. 2 —and “Hear ye ravines,
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St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on 1 Timothy 16
… ix. 27 .); much less would he be afraid or ashamed in the case of Timothy. He called the Father and the Son to witness. But wherefore the elect Angels? From great moderation, as Moses said, “I call heaven and earth to witness” ( Deut. iv. 26 .); and again, “Hear ye, O mountains, and strong foundations of the earth.” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 5
… Doth God receive the witness of man? Yes, certainly. For if He call to witness heaven and earth and hills (saying by the prophet, “Hear, O heaven, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord hath spoken”— Isa. i. 2 —and “Hear ye ravines, foundations of the earth, for the Lord hath a controversy with His people”—
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St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 33
II. Would you like me to utter to you the words of God to Israel, stiff-necked and hardened? “O my people what have I done unto thee, or wherein have I injured thee, or wherein have I wearied thee?”
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 Exposition of the Christian Faith 2.13
… What manner of judgment awaits them, what shall be the form of their sentence? To all these He will, indeed, reply, rather in sorrow than in anger: “O My people, what have I done unto thee, wherein have I vexed thee? Did I not bring thee up out of Egypt, and lead thee out of the house of bondage into liberty?”
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 Selections from the Letters of St. Ambrose 41.24
… So when accusing the Jews, He says: “O My people, what have I done to thee, or wherein have I troubled thee, or wherein have I wearied thee? Answer Me. Is it because I brought thee out of the land of Egypt, and delivered thee from the house of bondage?” adding: “And I sent before thy face Moses and Aaron and Miriam.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 29
See, for example, how He Himself, the insulted one, discourses with us, both in the Old Testament, and in the New; in the one saying, “O my people, what have I done unto thee?”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 65
… And there indeed He saith, “What ought I to have done to my vineyard, that I did not;” and elsewhere again, “What transgression have your fathers found in me?” And again, “O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I grieved thee?”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the Romans 5
… 1 ): and along with the prophets He went also Himself to those that turned aside from Him, being ready to submit to examination, and deigning to condescend to a conference, and drawing them that were deaf to every appeal into a disputation with Himself. For He saith, “O my people, what have I done unto thee, and wherein have I wearied thee? Answer me.” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Second Corinthians 4
[4.] Having made this defence of himself, (for he frequently defends himself, without being ashamed; for if God doth so, saying, “O My people, what have I done unto thee?” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Colossians 6
… Thus too the Prophets do. They always first point out the benefits, and then they magnify their accusation; as Esaias saith, “I have begotten children, and exalted them, but they have rejected me” ( Isa. i. 2 , Sept.); and again, “O my people, what have I done unto thee, or wherein have I grieved thee, or wherein have I wearied thee”? (
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St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews 3.21
… It is told thee, O man, what is good; or what else the Lord doth require, save that thou shouldst do judgment and justice, and love mercy, and be ready to go with the Lord thy God. The voice of the Lord shall be invoked in the city, and He will save those who fear His name.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 City of God 10.5
… Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? Hath He showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”
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Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 4.36
… He may likewise be discovered in the following passage of Micah, saying: “He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to be ready to follow the Lord thy God?”
Origen † AD 254 Origen De Principiis 3.1.6
… “If it has been announced to thee, O man, what is good, or what the Lord requires of thee, except that thou shouldst do justice, and love mercy, and be ready to walk with the Lord thy God.”
Origen † AD 254 Origen De Principiis 3.1-2.6
… “If it has been announced to thee, O man, what is good, or what does the Lord require of thee, except to do justice and to love mercy?”
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 Selections from the Letters of St. Ambrose 41.24
… Why should I speak of the troops of the five kings which were slain in endeavouring to deny thee the land given to thee? And now what is required of thee in return for all this, but to do judgment and justice, to love mercy, and to be ready to walk with the Lord thy God?
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 11
… “Offer to God,” it is said, “a sacrifice of righteousness” ( Ps. iv. 5 ); “Offer a sacrifice of praise” ( Ps. l. 14 ); and, “a sacrifice of praise shall glorify Me” ( Ps. l. 23 ), and, “the sacrifice of God is a broken spirit” ( Ps. li. 17 ); and “what doth the Lord require of thee but” to hearken to Him? (
St Jerome † AD 420 Against the Pelagians 2
vi. 8 . The command of justice, mercy, and a humble walk with God is only possible to humble faith, for
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1. Hear (O Jews, O Jerusalemites) what the Lord speaks (to me Micah, so that I may relate and announce the same things to you. Thus God says to me): Rise, contend. — God here commands Micah to contend and dispute in His name with the Jews, and to accuse them of their crimes. The Prophet obeys the command of God in verse 2, saying: "Let the mountains hear the judgment of the Lord." In a similar manner God contends with Israel through Jeremiah, chapter ii, 9, saying: "Therefore I will yet judge with you, saith the Lord, and will dispute with your children. Pass over to the isles of Cethim, etc., and see if such a thing hath been done." Contend in judgment against the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. — Hebrew: Litigate with the mountains; Septuagint: Judge to the mountains; Pagninus: Show judgment to the mountains. Whence Castro thinks that the mountains are cited here as witnesses, not as defendants; for the Israelites are the defendants. But Our author translates better: "Contend in judgment against the mountains," both because the Hebrew ריב rib, when constructed with את eth, which the Latins translate, to litigate with someone, is the same for the Hebrews as for the Latins to litigate against someone; and because thus the weight and force of the discourse is greater, as I shall now show. The mountains are therefore cited here as defendants, because idols were erected and cultivated upon the mountains: for although properly the people are the defendants, yet because they were hard and rebellish and refused to hear the Prophets, and through them the suit and judgment of the Lord, hence by pathos the mountains are cited, in which the people had sinned, as if to say: You, O insensate mountains, are more sensible than the sensible Israelites; for you perceive the voice and command of God your Creator, and obey Him; whom they do not perceive. You therefore quickly, so that you may represent your inhabitants, who are defendants; so that they themselves through you may hear and know my just suit, action and complaint, and may confess themselves guilty, repent, and seek pardon. It is a prosopopoeia: for the mountains are here introduced as living and rational persons; because they themselves through altars and idols, and through the blood of victims, bones and ashes which stood upon them, spoke in a mute but clear voice of the idolatry and crimes of the Jews, and consequently of the just action and expostulation of God against them. In this suit therefore God is the plaintiff, the Jews together with the mountains and all Judea are the defendants, Micah is the herald, the judges are angels and men; indeed the defendants themselves, who, having heard so just a complaint of God most beneficent, cannot but themselves adjudge the cause, and condemn themselves of ingratitude. Thus Theodoret, Arias and Clarius. By a similar prosopopoeia Jeremiah cites and cries out to the land of the Jews, chapter xxii, 29: "Land," he says, "land, land, hear the word of the Lord." And Isaiah, chapter i, 2, cites the heavens and the earth: "Hear," he says, "O heavens, and let the earth give ear, because the Lord hath spoken." Symbolically, by mountains and hills the Prophet understands princes and magistrates, who were eminent in the people, as mountains are on the earth, concerning which Habacuc chapter iii, 6: "He scattered the nations, and the mountains of the world were broken;" and Psalm lxxi, 3: "Let the mountains receive peace for the people, and the hills justice." These are the "foundations of the earth;" because they sustain the people as foundations. Wherefore a king in Greek is called βασιλεύς, which is as if the basis of the people; and in Hebrew adon, that is lord, is said from אדן eden, that is basis. Thus St. Jerome, Haymo, Remigius, Lyran and Vatablus. To this pertains the version of the Chaldean, who by mountains understands the fathers, by hills the mothers of the Jews: Contend, he says, with the fathers, and let the mothers hear thy voice. Whence St. Jerome by mountains understands Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and holy men, who ought to have been a rule of life to their posterity, and a stimulus to virtue, so that it may appear how degenerate these were from them, whom in this judgment the piety and religion of their parents condemn. Wherefore wise men teach that there is nothing which more shakes off sloth and gives a stimulus to all virtue, than to place constantly before one's eyes holy men, especially of one's own state and order, who strenuously labored for God and virtue. Each one experiences this in himself, namely when he recalls the heroic deeds of fathers, or of saints whom he reveres and loves, he is wonderfully stirred to imitate the same: "The smaller ox learns to plow from the greater." There is a golden precept of Seneca on this matter, book I, epistle 11: "Some good man should be chosen and always kept before your eyes, so that we may live as if he were watching, and do all things as if he were seeing. This, my Lucilius, Epicurus prescribed, and gave us a guardian and pedagogue; and not without reason. A great part of sins is taken away if a witness stands by those about to sin. Let the mind have someone whom it may fear, whose authority may make even its secret things more holy. O happy he who corrects not only his deeds but also his thoughts! O happy he who can so fear someone that he composes and orders himself even at the memory of him! He who can so fear someone will soon be feared. Choose therefore Cato: if he seems to you too stern, choose a man of more gentle spirit, Laelius; choose him whose life and speech have pleased you: and bearing his spirit and face before you, always show him to yourself, either as a guardian or as an example. There is need, I say, of someone to whom our morals may be directed. No one corrects what is wrong without experienced help. And no one is happy unless, so to speak, living and conversing in the familiarity of friends and good men; and this is without doubt true." Thus Seneca.
6:2
2. Let the mountains hear the judgment of the Lord, and the strong foundations of the earth: for the judgment of the Lord is with his people, and with Israel he shall be judged. — Hebrew: And the strong, or immovable, foundations of the earth. Septuagint: And the valleys, foundations of the earth; Pagninus: And the robust, or eternal foundations of the earth. Symbolically, by mountains and valleys the Prophet understands princes and magistrates, who were eminent in the people, since the sentence of Micah pertains to all, and touches both greater and lesser equally, as if to say: Let both nobles and commoners hear my judgments: for you are all at fault, namely as worshippers of idols. But the reason for which causes I shall demand an account in this judgment follows:
6:3
3. O my people, what have I done to thee, or in what have I grieved thee? answer thou me. — God complains pathetically of the ingratitude of his people, as if saying: What reason have you for departing from me to idols? Have I been troublesome to you? Have I offended you? Answer me if you can. Certainly you cannot. For this complaint of God is irrefutable. Mystically, this is the complaint of Christ to the Jews, who crucified Christ, most beneficent and most innocent. Whence these words, "O my people, what have I done to thee," are recited in the Church on Friday of Holy Week, on the day of Christ's passion, as the complaint of Christ himself now hanging on the cross to the Jews. For Christ complains pathetically with the Jews: "O my people, what have I done to thee?" as if to say: O my people, whom I made, redeemed, and cherished; what evil have I done to you, that you treat me so badly and nail me to the cross? Answer me.
6:4
4. For I brought thee out of the land of Egypt, and delivered thee out of the house of servants: and I sent before thy face Moses, and Aaron, and Mary. — He enumerates the benefits with which he loaded his people, so as to demonstrate their ingratitude. First, he freed them from Egypt. Second, he gave them leaders: Moses, who was legislator and leader; Aaron, who was priest and pontiff; Mary, who was prophetess and leader of women.
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5. O my people, remember, I beseech thee, what Balach the king of Moab thought, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Setim to Galgala, that thou mayest know the justices of the Lord. — The third benefit of God is that God turned into a blessing the curse of Balaam, whom Balac had hired to curse Israel, Num. xxii, xxiii, xxiv. From Setim to Galgala: this clause signifies the extent of the journey and the abundance of benefits which God had conferred on his people from the exodus from Egypt until the entrance into the Promised Land. For Setim was the last station in the desert, Galgala the first in the land of Canaan.
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6. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and shall I bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with holocausts, and calves of a year old? — Here the people, touched by conscience and moved by God's complaint, deliberates how it may appease God: whether by sacrifices or by another means? It asks therefore as if uncertain and anxious: What shall I offer to God, that I may turn away his wrath from me?
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7. Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of fat goats? shall I give my firstborn for my wickedness, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? — It increases in questioning, from the lesser to the greater, as if to say: If calves do not suffice, will rams please? If not rams, will fat goats? If not even these, shall I give my own firstborn as a sacrifice? This last offering is the greatest and most difficult: to give a firstborn son as a victim for sin, as the Moabites and Ammonites once did, offering their sons to Moloch.
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8. I will show thee, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requireth of thee: Surely to do judgment, and to love mercy, and to walk carefully with thy God. — The Prophet answers, teaching that God is pleased not by external sacrifices, but by internal virtues. He requires three things: First, to do judgment, that is, justice, rendering to each what is his own. Second, to love mercy, that is, to be beneficent, liberal, and merciful toward the poor and afflicted. Third, to walk carefully with thy God, that is, to walk fearfully, reverently and religiously before God, having God before thy eyes in thy whole life, and always striving to please Him. and without priests; and others eating their fruits, they themselves with dry throats, promise themselves future things which they know not. The Prophet returns from Bethlehem, Christ and the Apostles to his own times; and with the Jews of his age, pathetically in the name of God disputes and expostulates: My people, he says, what have I done to thee, or in what have I been troublesome to thee? Then he recounts many and great benefits bestowed upon them by himself, so as to show their great ingratitude, in that they have fallen away from God to idols and crimes. Soon, verse 6, they asking in what manner they might reconcile God to themselves, he answers verse 8, saying: I will show thee, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requireth of thee: surely to do judgment and to love mercy, and to walk carefully with thy God. Third, verse 9, he threatens them with a horrible voice of God and threats on account of their unjust measures and weights, and similar frauds and deceits, by which they despoiled the poor; wherefore he threatens them with want, destruction, captivity and reproach. St. Jerome, Remigius and Hugh think the Prophet speaks these things to Israel, that is, to the ten tribes, because verse 16, he mentions Omri and Ahab, kings of Israel. Better Theodoret, Vatablus and Arias judge these things to be said to the Jews, or to the two tribes. For it appears that the Prophet prophesied these things under Hezekiah, after the destruction of the ten tribes, as I said cap. III, 12, when only two tribes remained in Judea. 1. Hear what the Lord speaketh: Arise, contend thou in judgment against the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. 2. Let the mountains hear the judgment of the Lord, and the strong foundations of the earth: for the judgment of the Lord is with my people, and with Israel shall he be judged. 3. My people, what have I done to thee, or in what have I been troublesome to thee? answer thou me. 4. For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants: and I sent before thy face Moses, and Aaron, and Mary. 5. My people, remember, I beseech thee, what Balach king of Moab thought, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Setim to Galgal, that thou mayest know the justices of the Lord. 6. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with holocausts, and calves of a year old? 7. Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of fat he goats? shall I give my firstborn for my wickedness, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8. I will show thee, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requireth of thee: Surely to do judgment, and to love mercy, and to walk carefully with thy God. 9. The voice of the Lord crieth to the city, and salvation shall be to them that fear thy name: Hear, O ye tribes, and who shall approve it? 10. Yet there is fire in the house of the wicked, treasures of iniquity, and a scant measure full of wrath. 11. Shall I justify false balances, and the deceitful weights of the bag? 12. By which her rich men were filled with iniquity, and the inhabitants thereof spoke lies, and their tongue was deceitful in their mouth. 13. And I therefore began to strike thee with desolation for thy sins. 14. Thou shalt eat, and not be filled: and thy humiliation shall be in the midst of thee: and thou shalt take hold, but shalt not save: and those whom thou shalt save, I will give to the sword. 15. Thou shalt sow, and shalt not reap: thou shalt tread the olive, and shalt not be anointed with oil; and shalt make must, and shalt not drink the wine. 16. And thou hast kept the precepts of Omri, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and thou hast walked in their wills, that I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof a hissing: and ye shall bear the reproach of my people. 1. HEAR (O Jews, O Jerusalemites) WHAT THE LORD SPEAKETH (to me Micah, that I may relate and announce the same things to you. Therefore God says to me): ARISE, CONTEND. — God here commands Micah to contend and dispute in His name with the Jews, and to accuse them of their crimes. The Prophet obeys the command of God verse 2, saying: "Let the mountains hear the judgment of the Lord." In like manner God contends with Israel through Jeremiah, cap. II, 9, saying: "Therefore I will yet contend in judgment with you, saith the Lord, and I will dispute with your children. Pass over to the isles of Cethim, etc., and see if there hath been done any such thing." CONTEND IN JUDGMENT AGAINST THE MOUNTAINS, AND LET THE HILLS HEAR THY VOICE. — The Hebrew: Contend with the mountains; the Septuagint: Judge toward the mountains; Pagninus: Show judgment to the mountains. Whence a Castro thinks that here the mountains are cited as witnesses, not as defendants; for the Israelites are the defendants. But Our translation is better: "Contend in judgment against the mountains," both because the Hebrew ריב rib, when constructed with את eth, which the Latins translate, to contend with someone, is the same for the Hebrews as for the Latins to contend against someone; and because thus the weight and force of the discourse is greater, as I shall now show. The mountains are therefore cited here as defendants, because idols were erected and cultivated upon the mountains: for although properly the people are the defendants, yet because that people, being hard and rebellious, would not hear the Prophets, and through them the suit and judgment of the Lord, hence for the sake of pathos the mountains are cited, in which the people had sinned, as if to say: You, O insensible mountains, are more sensible than the sensible Israelites; for you perceive the voice and command of God your Creator, and obey Him; whom they do not perceive. You therefore quickly, that you may represent to your inhabitants, who are the defendants; that they themselves through you may hear and know my just suit, action and complaint, and may confess themselves guilty, repent, and seek pardon. It is a prosopopoeia: for the mountains are here introduced as if they were living and rational persons; because they themselves through the altars and idols, and through the blood of victims, bones and ashes which stood upon them, spoke in a mute but clear voice of the idolatry and crimes of the Jews, and consequently of the just action and expostulation of God against them. In this suit therefore God is the plaintiff, the Jews together with the mountains and all Judea are the defendants, Micah is the herald, the judges are angels and men; nay, the defendants themselves, who, having heard so just a complaint of God most beneficent, cannot but themselves adjudge the cause, and condemn themselves of ingratitude. Thus Theodoret, Arias and Clarius. By a similar prosopopoeia Jeremiah cites and cries out to the land of the Jews, cap. XXII, 29: "O earth, saith he, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord." And Isaiah, cap. I, 2, cites the heavens and the earth: "Hear, saith he, O heavens, and let the earth give ear, because the Lord hath spoken." Symbolically, by the mountains and hills the Prophet understands the princes and magistrates, who were eminent in the people, as mountains are in the earth, concerning which Habacuc cap. III, 6: "He scattered the nations, and the mountains of the world were broken;" and Psalm. LXXI, 3: "Let the mountains receive peace for the people, and the hills justice." These are the "foundations of the earth;" because they sustain the people as foundations. Wherefore a king in Greek is called βασιλεύς, which is as if the basis of the people; and in Hebrew adon, that is lord, is said from אדן eden, that is basis. Thus St. Jerome, Haymo, Remigius, Lyran and Vatablus. To this pertains the version of the Chaldean, who by mountains understands the fathers, by hills the mothers of the Jews: Contend, saith he, with the fathers, and let the mothers hear thy voice. Whence St. Jerome by the mountains takes Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and holy men, who ought to have been a rule of life to their posterity, and a stimulus of virtue, that it may appear how degenerate these were from them, whom in this judgment the piety and religion of their fathers condemn. Wherefore wise men teach that there is nothing which more shakes off sloth, and gives a stimulus to all virtue, than to set before oneself continually the holy men, especially of one's own state and order, who strenuously labored for God and virtue. Each one experiences this in himself, namely, when he recalls the heroic deeds of the fathers, or of the saints whom he honors and loves, he is wonderfully stirred to imitate the same: "The smaller ox learns to plow from the greater." Golden is the precept of Seneca on this matter, lib. I, epist. 11: "Some good man should be chosen, and always kept before the eyes, so that thus as if he were watching we may live, and do all things as if he were seeing. This, my Lucilius, Epicurus prescribed, and gave us a guardian and pedagogue; and not without reason. A great part of sins is taken away, if a witness stands by those about to sin. Let the mind have someone whom it may fear, by whose authority it may also make its secret things more holy. O happy he who corrects not only his actions, but also his thoughts! O happy he who can so fear someone, that he composes and orders himself even to the memory of him! He who can so fear someone will soon be feared. Choose therefore Cato: if he seems to you too stern, choose a man of more gentle disposition, Lelius; choose him whose life and speech have pleased you: and bearing his mind and face before you, always show him to yourself, either as a guardian or as an example. There is need, I say, of someone to whom our morals may raise themselves. Unless you have a rule, you will not correct what is wrong." Thus the Father Scipio Africanus continually set before his eyes Cyrus of Xenophon for imitation, Julius Caesar set before himself Alexander the Great, Selim the Turkish emperor set before himself Julius Caesar. with himself, by what kind of sacrifice, or by what service he might reconcile to himself the one angered. To whom the Prophet responds, teaching the necessary parts and conditions of true justice, 8. Secondly, by action as it were judicial, or by reproof of crimes, in which first, he calls to hear the voice of God so that no one might excuse himself by ignorance, 9; secondly, he recalls the causes of prepared affliction, or crimes of unjust possession of others' goods, 10; injustice in weight and measure, 11; rapine and fraud, 12; thirdly, he denounces punishments partly present, 13, partly imminent: namely the destruction of men, 14; the despoiling of goods, 15; ruin joined with ignominy not only on account of most corrupt morals, but also on account of obstinate defection from God to the worship of idols, 16. Plato imitated Socrates so much that he is commonly called by Aristotle the younger Socrates. For, as Aristotle says in book IX of the Ethics: "To receive the virtues of the virtuous is the most blessed life." And Plutarch in the Moralia: "Just as," he says, "those who adorn themselves employ a mirror; so let one about to conduct business set before himself the examples of praised men." And again: "Against all perturbations of the soul, certain examples of the best men ought to be kept at hand." Finally St. Basil, in his letter to Gregory, on the Solitary Life: "Just as," he says, "painters often look upon exemplars, so that they might paint them; so he who strives for perfection of virtue ought often to turn the eyes of his mind to the lives of the Saints, as it were to images endowed with life and action." Wherefore it is most useful to read frequently the lives of the saints. This St. Dominic did, St. Thomas Aquinas and others; and especially St. Ignatius, who, converted from military life to holy and spiritual life by the reading of these, became the founder of our Society. Mystically St. Jerome understands by mountains the angels sent from heaven for our custody, as if they were summoned by God, so that they might render account of those committed to them and of the crimes which they themselves committed. Yet this ought to be received with a grain of salt; namely that they are summoned not as defendants, but as witnesses of the works which their clients the men perpetrated. For otherwise it savors of the error of Origen, who held that angels in the custody of men merit and demerit, so that, if they guard them well, they are rewarded by God; if badly, they are punished and thrust into hell: and therefore they are not yet blessed, but uncertain of their own salvation and beatitude. Similar was the error of the Master of the Sentences in II, dist. XI, letters D, E and G, where he teaches that angels through diligent custody of men grow until the day of judgment in merit and in the reward of beatitude, not only accidental, but also essential: which all the Scholastics refute in that same place. 2. HEAR, O MOUNTAINS, THE JUDGMENT OF THE LORD. — "Judgment" in these two verses is taken for a judicial suit and forensic action. Whence the Zurich version translates: Hear, mountains, the action, that is, as Vatablus says, the dispute, quarrel, controversy, of the Lord: for these things are conducted in judgment by the plaintiff before the judge, the defendant defending himself. AND THE STRONG FOUNDATIONS OF THE EARTH; — The Septuagint, And the valleys the foundations of the earth. So also the Chaldean, And the roots, he says, of the foundations of the earth. For the valleys are as it were the lowest parts and roots and foundations of the mountains and earth; and the Jews had their groves and idols not only in the mountains, but also in the valleys; therefore both valleys and mountains they defiled with their sacrilegious sacrifices; whence valleys equally as mountains, as it were guilty, are summoned here by God. Secondly, by way of epexegesis it could be understood as that is, as if to say: Hear, O mountains which are strongly founded in the earth, and therefore are as it were the robust foundations of the earth. For mountains, because they are lofty, have strong foundations in the earth: just as towers, the higher they are, the stronger foundations they require. Thus Vatablus. Castro adds that mountains and hills, as it were foundations, that is, supports, support the earth. Whence Arias thinks they are summoned here by God rather than heaven and earth; because not only heaven, which by its nature is mobile, but even the earth itself, contained in the midst of the orb and permanent, mountains surpass in stability and firmness, inasmuch as they by their strength, rampart and position contain the earth, lest it be scattered either by the force of winds, or by the power of heat, or by the inundation of waters. And so mountains obtain a great name in the nature of things for virtue and constancy, as it is written in Psalm LXIV: "Preparing the mountains in thy strength, girded with power." Therefore God summons here the mountains and their foundations, that is, their roots; for by these as it were foundations they themselves rest, so as to signify his strong and constant power and beneficence, as toward the mountains, so also toward their inhabitants the Jews, which however they themselves abused against God for the worship of idols: wherefore he likewise brings against them here a strong and constant suit, in that sense which I assigned in the preceding paragraph. BECAUSE THE JUDGMENT OF THE LORD IS WITH HIS PEOPLE, — that is, as the Zurich version, because there is a suit for the Lord with his people, who dwell in the mountains and their foundations and have defiled them with their crimes, as if to say: God is prepared and intent to dispute by suit with his people. AND WITH ISRAEL HE WILL BE JUDGED, — that is he will contend and dispute by judgment. Thus Vatablus; whence Pagninus translates: And with Israel he wishes to dispute, not speculatively, as we dispute in schools, but criminally, as is disputed in a tribunal. Thus Job disputed for his innocence with his friends, and with God; and he overcame his friends, but was overcome by God: "I wish to dispute with God," he himself says in chapter XIII, 3; but after the disputation, overcome and confounded he says in chapter XLII, 3: "I have spoken unwisely, and things that exceeded my knowledge exceedingly;" namely because I dared to provoke God to disputation, and to say to him: "Hear, and I will speak: I will ask thee, and do thou answer me," whence repenting he adds verse 6: "Therefore," he says, "I reprove myself, and do penance in sackcloth and ashes." Thus each one in the hour of death, namely in particular judgment, will dispute and defend theses concerning the soul, not specific, but individual and his own; the arguers will be demons, nay God himself. Let each one therefore strive to live well, not to speculate well, so that he may be able to satisfy all the arguments and objections which shall be proposed concerning a life well or badly spent. Our Thomas wisely, in book I of the Imitation of Christ, chapter III: "Certainly," he says, "when the day of judgment comes, it will not be asked of us what we have read, but what we have done; nor how well we have spoken, but how religiously we have lived." For then Christ the Lord, the Master of masters, will hear all lessons, will examine all, will dispute with all concerning the morals and life of each. Thus Climacus, in the Degree of Fear, relates the disputation of Stephen, a holy man, with demons in the agony of death, in which he sometimes answered, sometimes overcome he succumbed, so as to strike great horror into those standing by. St. Jerome, in his letter to Eustochium, relates that he, when more devoted to Cicero than to Holy Scripture, was snatched to the tribunal of Christ, and there examined by him and beaten. 3. MY PEOPLE, WHAT HAVE I DONE TO THEE? (Here begins the judgment, that is, the dispute, action and accusation of the Lord, and it is forceful and pathetic. First, Arias reads these words with the mark of admiration, and thus explains it, as if to say: My people, how many and how great are the good things I have done to thee! how many benefits have I conferred upon thee! how then could you forget them and become ungrateful for them? Second, the Chaldean translates: What good did I say I would do to thee, which I have not done? Third, others commonly explain it thus, as if to say: What evil have I done to thee? why have I offended thee? what occasion for departing from me have I given thee? There follows:) OR WHAT HAVE I BEEN TROUBLESOME TO THEE? — For which St. Jerome in his Commentary translates: With what labor have I pressed thee? Pagninus: In what have I made thee labor? Vatablus: By what thing have I wearied thee, or made thee fail? The Chaldean: What grave infirmity have I multiplied upon thee? Properly indeed, as is evident from what follows, it refers to that great and continuous miracle by which God led the Hebrews through the desert for forty years in health and vigor, so that they were not wearied by the labor of the journey, and there were none among them who were infirm or sick, according to that in Psalm CIV, 37: "And there was not among their tribes one that was feeble." And in Deut. VIII, 4, Moses says to the Hebrews: "Thy raiment, wherewith thou wast clothed, hath not decayed through age; and thy foot is not worn, behold it is the fortieth year." Thus explain it St. Jerome, Remigius, Rupertus, Hugo, Dionysius and others. Second, however, these words, as they sound, can be taken generally of any trouble, as if to say: In what respect have I afflicted thee? in what respect have I caused thee trouble? Is it because in the desert, instead of the onions of Egypt, I rained manna upon thee? but manna was not bitter, but pleasant and savory, having all the sweetness of taste, Wisdom XVI, 20; for it was the bread of heaven and of angels, Psalm LXXVII, 25. Is it because I led thee out of Egypt into the desert, and instead of houses made thee dwell in tents, or rather under the open sky? but the pillar of cloud protected thee from rain, heat, and every inclemency of the air, and treated thee more gently than if thou hadst dwelt in the palace of Pharaoh? Is it because I gave thee so many and so various laws through Moses? but he who fed thee with manna could by right also give thee laws, according to the old saying: "When thou hast fed, command." Again, thy proneness to superstitions, idolatries and all manner of novelties required these laws, which were to be restrained, occupied and curbed by these laws; and they are far more mild than the laws of— 4. BECAUSE I BROUGHT THEE OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT: — Note that these words with the Romans are to be read by way of interrogation, as if to say: Is this what thou objectest to me, as if I had afflicted thee, namely that I brought thee out of the land and servitude of Egypt? for I do not see what else thou canst object to me, except this and other similar benefits, which from that time forth I have continually and abundantly conferred upon thee: for I have inflicted no evil upon thee. Even if I have sometimes permitted thee to be afflicted by the Philistines, Edomites and other nations; yet I did this only when provoked by thee, to chastise and restrain thy crimes. This therefore was thy good, not thy evil; and accordingly I permitted it not from hatred, but from love of thee. It is a mockery, or a tacit derision. See Canon VII, in the Preface of the work. FROM THE HOUSE OF SERVANTS I HAVE DELIVERED THEE. — The Hebrew, From the house of servants; the Septuagint and the Chaldean, From the house of servitude: thus Egypt is called; because such it was to the Hebrews, who served the Egyptians as if they were slaves in brick and clay, Exod. I and following. Arias and Vatablus add that Egypt is called the house of servitude from the fact that the Egyptians were servants; namely, condemned to servitude by Noah cursing his son Ham: "A servant of servants shall he be to his brethren," Gen. IX, 25. For the son of Ham was Mizraim, the first inhabitant of Egypt, the father and namesake of the Egyptians: for Egypt in Hebrew is called Mizraim, as if to say: in Egypt thou didst serve not nobles, not masters, not freemen; but servants, and of old condemned to servitude by thy first parent Noah, to whom to serve was the basest of servitudes: therefore, as great as was the baseness, so great was my clemency toward thee, when I brought thee out of it. AND I SENT BEFORE THY FACE MOSES, AND AARON AND MARY? — These three were the leaders and directors of the Hebrews departing from Egypt, through whom the Hebrews received great benefits. For by Moses they were led through the desert, governed, and fed with heavenly food: by Aaron, through sacrifices, lustrations, expiations, prayers and vows they were expiated and reconciled to God: from Mary they received prophecy, doctrine and the governance of women. Whence the Chaldean translates: I sent before thee three Prophets, Moses, Aaron and Mary: Moses to teach the tradition of judgments, Aaron to expiate the people, Mary for the instruction of women. Thus St. Jerome, Haymo, Remigius, Lyra and Hugo. Allegorically, Moses represents the principality and legislation of Christ in the Gospel, Aaron His priesthood and sacred office, the Blessed Mary represents Mary the Mother of Christ and Mother of God. Just as Micah here assigns the greatest benefit given by God to the Jews, namely that He gave them Moses, Aaron, and Mary; so the greatest benefit given by God to Christians, and to the whole world and all ages, is Christ and Mary. For just as the good of a large household consists in a vigorous head of household and a diligent mistress of the household; so the good of the Church consists in Christ and Mary: which the blessed Leo therefore calls, in sermon 1 On the Passion, the saving Virgin. And St. Germanus, patriarch of Constantinople, in his oration On the Mother of God, says: Just as, he says, continuous breathing is not only a sign of life, but also its cause; so the most holy name of Mary, which is continually on the lips of God's servants, is at once a proof that they truly live: and at the same time it both effects and preserves this very life itself, and imparts to them all joy and help in all things. God therefore, in the pilgrimage and voyage of this life so dark and perilous, has given us Mary, as it were a star of the sea and a guiding star, which may direct our course and lead us to the port of salvation. And St. Bernard, homily 2 on Missus est: If, he says, the winds of temptations arise, if you run upon the rocks of tribulations; look to the star, call upon Mary: if you are tossed about by the waves of pride, of ambition, of detraction, of envy, look to the star, call upon Mary. In dangers, in straits, in doubtful matters, think of Mary, call upon Mary. Let her not depart from your lips, let her not depart from your heart; and that you may obtain the aid of her prayers, do not abandon the example of her conduct. Following her, you do not go astray; asking her, you do not despair; thinking of her, you do not err: with her holding you, you do not fall: with her protecting you, you do not fear: with her as your guide, you do not grow weary: with her propitious, you arrive. The same, sermon 1 on the Nativity of the Blessed Mary: Look more deeply, he says, at how earnestly Mary wished to be honored by us with devotion: so that if there is any hope in us, if there is any grace, if there is any salvation, we should know that it flows from her, who ascends abounding in delights. Truly a garden of delights, which not only has that divine South wind blown upon when coming, but has blown through when arriving, so that her perfumes flow forth and overflow from every side, namely the gifts of graces. Take away this solar body, which illuminates the world, where is the day? take away Mary this star of the sea; of the sea truly great and spacious, what remains but darkness enveloping, and the shadow of death, and the densest darkness? Therefore with all the marrow of our hearts, with all the affections of our innermost being, and with all our vows, let us venerate this Mary: because such is the will of Him who wished to have all of us through Mary. Wherefore the Church on Good Friday aptly and pathetically applies all these things to Christ, and uses and sings them in the adoration and kissing of the cross; so that each one kissing the crucified Christ may think that these things are being said to him by Christ, which were said literally to the Jews: for not the Jews alone so much as each one by his own sins scourged Christ, crowned him with thorns and crucified him. Hear the song, or rather the reproach and lamentations of Christ on the cross, drawn from this place of Micah, and from Jeremiah II, 16, which soften hearts of stone and dissolve them into tears; for each benefit of Christ is directly opposed to each malice of the Jews against him, and therefore they cast as many reproaches in the face of the ungrateful. The precentors lead off each part, then the whole choir in the person of Christ proclaims, and repeatedly and insistently repeats the Trisagion; and: "My people, what have I done to thee," etc. Thus therefore two precentors begin: "My people, what have I done to thee? or in what have I grieved thee? answer me. Because I brought thee out of the land of Egypt, thou hast prepared a cross for thy Saviour." The choir answers alternately: "Holy God, holy God: Holy Strong One, holy strong one: Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us, holy immortal one, have mercy on us." Again the precentors: "Because I brought thee through the desert forty years, and fed thee with manna, and brought thee into a land very rich." The choir answers: "Holy God, holy God," etc. The precentors again: "What more ought I to have done for thee, and have not done? I indeed planted thee my most beautiful vineyard, and thou hast become very bitter to me; for thou hast given me vinegar to drink for my thirst, and hast pierced the side of thy Saviour with a lance." The choir answers: "Holy God," etc. The precentors press on: "I for thy sake scourged Egypt with her firstborn, and thou hast delivered me scourged?" The choir answers: "My people, what have I done to thee, or in what have I grieved thee? answer me?" The precentors continue: "I brought thee out of Egypt, Pharao being drowned in the Red Sea, and thou hast delivered me to the chief priests." The choir answers: "My people, what have I done to thee," etc. The precentors pursue the complaint: "I opened the sea before thee, and thou hast opened my side with a lance." The choir answers: "My people, what have I done to thee?" The precentors urge: "I went before thee in a pillar of cloud, and thou hast led me to the praetorium of Pilate." The choir answers: "My people," etc. Again the precentors: "I fed thee with manna through the desert, and thou hast struck me with blows and scourges." The choir answers: "My people," etc. Again the precentors: "I gave thee to drink water of salvation from the rock, and thou hast given me to drink gall and vinegar." The choir answers: "My people," etc. To this the precentors: "I for thy sake smote the kings of the Chanaanites, and thou hast smitten my head with a reed." The choir answers: "My people," etc. Finally the precentors: "I exalted thee with great power, and thou hast hanged me on the gallows of the cross." The choir answers: "My people, what have I done to thee?" etc. And soon with one voice they all cry out: "We adore thy cross, O Lord, and thy holy resurrection we praise and glorify. For behold through the wood joy has come into the whole world." Wherefore St. Ambrose in Psalm I, to that passage: And thou mayest overcome when thou art judged, pressing these words of Micah: "Each one, he says, places his benefits before thee, so that as if thou shouldest judge concerning these which thou oughtest to have kept, thou mayest become more guilty, thou who couldest not stand before divine benefits. What have I done, he says, to thee? He constitutes himself as guilty, and thee as judge. Or in what have I grieved thee? He did not deny the crime of an offended countenance, if thou hast been grieved by God the author. Or in what have I been troublesome to thee? He confesses the injury of importunity, if it was esteemed more troublesome: he adds benefits, whose grace he did not blush at, he who was ungrateful." From this gather how just and grave will be the complaint of God in the day of judgment against the wicked, who have despised him calling, and have rendered so many malices for so many of his benefits. A similar sharp expostulation, to be directed by Christ the judge against the reprobate on the day of judgment, exists in St. Augustine (or whoever is the author; for it does not seem to be St. Augustine), tract. On the Vanity of the World, cap. III, tom. IX. 5. O MY PEOPLE, REMEMBER WHAT BALAC, KING OF MOAB, THOUGHT (in Hebrew יעץ iaats, that is, took counsel with his princes, and especially with Balaam the soothsayer, seeking from him counsel and a way by which he might destroy and ruin you) AND WHAT (consulted by him) BALAAM THE SON OF BEOR ANSWERED HIM, FROM SETIM EVEN TO GALGALA. — For Setim the Septuagint translates σχίνων, that is, lentisks: for it is wrongly read in them σχοίνων, that is, cords, says St. Jerome. Here he recounts the history of Balac calling Balaam to curse Israel encamped in Setim, Num. XXII and following. From Setim Joshua, cap. II, 1, sent spies into Jericho, and soon after crossing the Jordan, he besieged and took it: for Setim was distant from the Jordan seven and a half Italian miles, that is two and a half French leagues; after crossing the Jordan, Joshua went into Chanaan for six miles, that is two leagues; and pitched his first camp in a place which he called Galgala, that is a rolling away, a removal, namely of the foreskin and the reproach of the Egyptians. For there he circumcised the Hebrews, and thus removed them from the life and customs of the uncircumcised Egyptians by circumcision, and transferred them into a new nation and law, and the holy Church of God, Joshua V, 9. But it is asked what the phrase "from Setim even to Galgala" means? First, some explain it thus, that is, Balac asked Balaam to curse the camps of Israel, which extended from Setim even to Galgala. Thus Remigius, Rupertus and Lyranus. But this is false; for, as I said, the camps of Israel were then in Setim, and were distant from the Jordan seven, from Galgala thirteen miles; and after the death of Moses, Joshua transferred his camps from Setim across the Jordan to Galgala. Second, St. Jerome and Haymo explain it thus, that is, Remember, O Israel, how many evils you have wrought against me from the time when you fornicated and worshipped Beelphegor in Setim, until the time when Saul was made king in Galgalis: and on the other hand, how many and how great goods I have bestowed upon you; and you will see how I have been beneficent to you, you maleficent and ungrateful to me. But this sense is too remote: for here we are dealing with the time of Moses, not of Saul. Third, the Chaldean, Vatablus, Arias and Clarius repeat the word remember, and thus explain it, that is, Remember, O Israel, with how much care, with how many miracles and wonders I led you from Setim into Galgala, namely into Chanaan itself. For, to pass over other things, I miraculously divided the Jordan, and suspended its waters and held them back, so that you might cross through the midst of its bed with dry feet into Galgala. But this opinion supplies and adds many things which are not in the text, namely all these: Remember with how many miracles I led you. Fourth, I say plainly and simply with Ribera that these words: "From Setim even to Galgala," are connected with the preceding words, and depend upon them, as is evident from the Hebrew, Greek and Latin text. Whence the sense is, that is, Remember what he answered, and what evil counsel Balaam gave to King Balac; namely, when he saw that he could not curse Israel, and was compelled by God to bless, he persuaded King Balac to send beautiful Moabite and Midianite girls, as if selling food to Israel, into the camps, who would entice him to fornication, and through it to idolatry; for thus it would be that Israel, forsaking God, would in turn be forsaken by him by whose aid he was invincible, and thus could be overcome and struck down by Balac. See what is said Num. XXV, 1, and Apoc. II, 14. You will say: Balaam gave this counsel in Setim only, not even to Galgala. For before the Hebrews went from Setim to Galgala, by the command of God Joshua declared war against the Midianites, in which he killed all of them with the women who had given this scandal to Israel, and Balaam himself the author of the scandal, as is evident Num. XXXI, 2, 8, 15. I answer: It is true that Balaam and the Midianite women were killed by Israel while dwelling in Setim; but nevertheless before this war and slaughter, Balaam persuaded King Balac to send the aforesaid temptress girls, not only in Setim, but continuously from Setim even to Galgala, to Israel, namely even to the borders of his kingdom, until Israel should enter from Moab the neighboring Chanaan, and pitch his first camp in Galgala. For this is expressly said here: for the impious Balaam wished to secure the kingdom of Moab for King Balac, and utterly to destroy the people of Israel; whence he wished this scandal of women to be long and continuous. For he feared that if he presented it to Israel in Setim only, few of them would be taken by it; THAT THOU MIGHTEST KNOW THE JUSTICES OF THE LORD, — that is, the mercies of the Lord, says St. Jerome, namely how I have been merciful, compassionate and beneficent towards thee, even though thou wast fornicating. Secondly and more properly, he calls justices the faithful promises and the faithfulness of God, as if to say: That thou mightest know how my promises, by which I promised to lead thee into Chanaan, are certain and stable; and how I am faithful in keeping and fulfilling them. Thus Theodoret and Lyran. Thirdly, justices can here be taken properly, namely for the just vengeance upon fornicators, and the just reward of the innocent or penitent: for God exercised justice in Setim, when he slew the fornicators, but preserved the penitent or innocent, and led them safely into Galgal, and specifically to Phinees the priest, who slew the fornicators, he granted the perpetual priesthood. See what is said Num. XXV, 13. Wherefore Vatablus explains it less aptly thus, as if to say: That thou mightest know how just is my action and complaint against thee. nor do they please the Lord of themselves; but they will please only if they are offered with faith, humility, contrition, love and reverence of the highest majesty, whom ye have dishonored and offended by your sins. Note to bend, as if to say: Is it enough for God to bend the knee, as some nobles and courtiers now do, who bend only one knee while they pray, and raise the other as if to God, unless he give what they ask, threatening to restore it, or to demand by swords what they cannot obtain by prayers. 7. Or in many thousands of fat he-goats. — The Hebrew: In many thousands of torrents of oil, or valleys of fatness; the Chaldean: In myriads of torrents of oil; the Zurich: Does God please in a thousand torrents of oil; Our version with the Septuagint translate, he-goats, or fat she-goats. Thou askest why? Some answer first, because by fat valleys metonymically and hyperbolically are understood he-goats and she-goats, which by grazing them become fat, as if thou shouldst say: Shall I offer to God valleys full of the fattest sheep? but what are these before God immense and most high? Secondly, more simply and plainly repeat the rams, which preceded; or rather, lest the same be repeated, repeat what is similar, namely he-goats with the Septuagint and Our version, as if to say: In many thousands of he-goats, or similar cattle of the valleys of fatness, that is which feed in valleys and fat pastures, and therefore are themselves fat. For from the adjoining words it is plain that this substantive ought to be supplied. For it preceded: "Shall I offer him holocausts and calves of a year old? Can the Lord be appeased in thousands of rams?" Therefore likewise here rams or he-goats ought to be understood. Otherwise Clarius and Arias. For by torrents of oil they understand the sacrifice mincha, that is bread and fine flour: for this was offered to God mixed and seasoned with oil. Shall I give my firstborn for my sin? — Does God demand of me a victim and sacrifice of my son, as he demanded of Abraham the slaying of Isaac? or rather as Saturn, Moloch and other gods of the nations, whom we have worshipped, demand human victims, namely sons and daughters, Jerem. XIX, 5. 8. I will show, — in Hebrew הגיד higgid, that is, he showed, he announced. Whence the Chaldean and Tertullian, lib. IV Against Marcion cap. XXXVI, by interrogation thus translate: Will man announce to thee what is good, as if to say: By no means; but it is God's to announce this. Others without interrogation translate assertively: Man will announce to thee what is good; this man is Moses, the Prophets, and namely Micheas. Thus Pagninus, Vatablus and others. Whence the Septuagint translates: It has been announced to thee, O man, what is good, namely in the law and the Prophets. Thus Theodoret. Our version for הגיד higgid in the past tense, reads with another pointing הגיד haggid in the infinitive: for the infinitive is often put for the future among the Hebrews, equally as among the Greeks and Italians: or perhaps 6. What worthy thing shall I offer to the Lord? — These are the words of the people, namely of penitent Israel. For the Prophet here introduces him speaking, and as it were through dialogue questioning what he ought to offer to God, so that it may please Him and reconcile him to God. He does this so that, answering the question, he may teach the people what they ought to render to God; as indeed answering he teaches in verse 8. The people therefore say: "What worthy thing shall I offer to the Lord?" etc. The Septuagint: In what way shall I lay hold of the Lord? shall I receive God the most high? The Chaldee: In what way shall I serve before the Lord? shall I submit myself to God, whose most high majesty dwells in the heavens? The Hebrew texts word for word have: In what way shall I prevent the Lord, shall I bow myself to God of loftiness? Zurich: By what shall I meet the Lord? shall I go bowed before God the most high? i.e., What shall I offer to the Lord, so that I may merit His grace? shall I offer holocausts and victims? The Prophet answers: Not at all: for these do not expiate sins, or, if they were many, they would be restrained by Moses, and would be forced through penance to return into favour with God, and thus God being reconciled to them, He would turn this guilt back upon Balac and Balaam, as He did: wherefore He counselled that this scandal should be given continuously from Setim even to Galgal, so that thus the Israelites would continually sin, and could not repent. The devil does the same thing, when after one act of fornication he invites man to a second; after the second, to a third, fourth, and finally to continuous cohabitation; from which on account of the force and bond of habit, scarcely can those living in concubinage extricate themselves, and in fact very few do extricate themselves. But God discussed this deadly counsel of Balaam through Moses, by suspending the princes, and killing from the people on account of this sin 24,000, Num. XXV, 9. For as the Poet says: An incurable wound / Must be cut away with the sword, lest the sound part be drawn in. For haggid he reads אגיד aggid, that is, I shall declare? Finally if you prefer to read with others higgid, that is, he declared; understand, God through me Micheas, which is the same as what the Interpreter translated: "I will declare to thee, O man." Here the Prophet answers the people asking: What shall I offer to the Lord? by what shall I appease God? And what doth the Lord require of thee: surely to do judgment. — The Hebrew and Chaldee: And what doth the Lord require of thee, but that thou do judgment? You will ask what this judgment is? First, St. Jerome, Haymo, Remigius and Dionysius understand by judgment discretion and prudence, i.e., What does God demand of thee, but that thou do all things discreetly and prudently, according to the prescription of the law? Whence Vatable thinks that here are signified three things, and all the duties of a faithful and Christian man, by which he satisfies himself in so many respects and his debts: for he ought to conduct and compose himself rightly toward himself, toward his neighbour, and toward God. Judgment rightly composes man toward himself, mercy toward his neighbour, solicitude toward God: for man owes judgment to himself, so that he do all things with reason and prudence: mercy to his neighbour, solicitous walking with God. Thus St. Bernard, sermon 57 in the Canticles, places in three things the full perfection of man, "so that," he says, "he be pleasing to God, cautious to himself, useful to his neighbour." Second, Theodoret, Lyran and Arias understand by judgment justice, i.e., What does God require of thee, but that thou do injury to no one, but render to each what thou owest him by right and justice? Third, more aptly and genuinely Rupert understands by judgment the satisfaction of penance, i.e., What does God require of thee, O sinner, but that thou prevent the judgment of God, and judge thyself before He himself judge and condemn thee, as the Apostle commands I Corinth. XI, 31; for God seeks not sheep and oxen, but a contrite and humbled heart. Come therefore, ascend the tribunal of thy reason, there summon thy will as guilty, examine its acts and sins, judge, condemn, and inflict upon it the deserved punishment and penance; thus it will come to pass that thou reconcile to thyself God offended, especially if to this judgment thou add mercy and almsgiving to the poor. For almsgiving gives wings to penance, and lifts it to heaven, says St. Chrysostom homily 5 On Penance, and preserves and increases justice accepted through penance. Whence St. Augustine explaining these words of Micheas, sermon 136 On the Seasons: "Thou wast seeking," he says, "what thou wouldst offer for thyself? offer thyself; for what does the Lord seek from thee, but thee? Because in all earthly creation He made nothing better than thee. He seeks thee from thee, because thou hadst lost thyself." Thus Aeschines, says Seneca lib. I On Benefits cap. VIII; when the poor man had nothing which he could give to his master Socrates, he gave— St. Augustine continues: "But if you do what He commanded, He will find in you judgment and justice: judgment first in yourself, justice toward your neighbor. How is there judgment in yourself? That you may displease yourself for what you were, and be able to be what you were not. Judgment, I say, concerning yourself in yourself, without respect of your person, so that you spare not your sins, nor do they please you because you commit them. Nor praise yourself in your goods, and accuse God in your evils. For this is perverse judgment, and therefore it is not judgment, but a vice." And soon after: "Do you wish therefore to make right judgment? Correct what is perverse, and it will be right. What is 'correct'? Praise God in your goods, accuse yourself in your evils," etc., that is to say, Punish the pleasure of sin with the pain of contrition, with groans and voluntary penances: punish the pride of guilt with humility and the shame of confession, by which you confess those things not only to man, but also to the priest, modestly and sorrowfully. Fourth, more amply and most fully, by judgment understand every debt of virtue, namely whatever we owe to our neighbor, to ourselves and to God, whether we owe it from justice, or from penance, or from religion, or from gratitude, or from charity, or from whatever other virtue; for judgment is opposed to mercy. Just as therefore mercy signifies the liberal works of charity and of other virtues that are not owed; so judgment signifies those things which are owed. Wherefore Scripture by judgment and mercy is wont to signify and embrace every office of virtue, and every good work: for everything is either owed or not owed: if owed, it is judgment; if not owed, it is mercy. Thus Psalm C, 1: "I will sing of mercy and judgment to Thee, O Lord;"; Psalm LX, 8: "Mercy and truth of Him, who shall require?"; Psalm LXXXIII, 12: "God loveth mercy and truth;"; Psalm LXXXIV, 11: "Mercy and truth have met each other;"; for truth is the same as judgment or justice. Whence explaining this, he adds: "Justice and peace have kissed each other. Truth is sprung out of the earth; and justice hath looked down from heaven. For the Lord will give goodness." Just as therefore the Psalmist concludes every office of man, Psalm XXXVI, 27, with these two precepts: "Depart from evil, and do good," so Micah here the same in the same number, namely by judgment and mercy, embraces it, that is to say, If you wish to reconcile God to yourself, and to please Him in all things, do works of virtue both those prescribed by law and those counseled, namely free and voluntary ones. Those things which follow favor this interpretation: for soon in verse 10, he will oppose to the judgment and mercy required by him, the injustice and mercilessness of the Jews, namely their unjust measures, frauds and deceits, that is to say, God requires from you, O Jews, first, judgment, because you gather riches and treasures from injustice by right and wrong; second, mercy, because you mercilessly and unjustly oppress the poor: third, solicitude in walking with God, because you solicitously walk in the precepts of Omri, with his Baals and idols, as we shall hear in verse 16. vit himself, saying: Others have given you much, but kept more for themselves; but I reserve nothing for myself. To whom Socrates: "Why would you not have given me a great gift, unless perhaps you esteem yourself cheap?" And walk carefully with thy God; — Septuagint: That thou mayest be prepared to walk with the Lord thy God; Syriac: That thou mayest be prepared to go after thy God; Alexandrian Arabic: That thou mayest be following the Lord thy God; Antiochene Arabic: Be prepared that thou mayest walk in the footsteps of thy God; Chaldean: That thou mayest be humble in walking in the fear of thy God; Theodotion: And beware diligently, that thou mayest walk with thy God; Tertullian, book IV Against Marcion, chapter XXXVI: And to be prepared to follow the Lord thy God; fifth Edition: To act carefully; Zurich: And to walk submissively with thy God; Pagninus: And humble thyself, and walk with thy God. For the Hebrew צנע tsana, both in voice and in signification is akin to ענע cana, that is, he cared for, and by metathesis with צען tsaan, that is, he rolled himself in the earth, or in a humble place: and it denotes prostration, lowering, modesty, shame and humiliation of a solicitous mind, which from humility and solicitude bends itself, contracts itself, wraps itself up, and as it were hides itself, and signifies to act both humbly and submissively, as the Chaldean, Vatablus, Pagninus and other modern translators rendered it: and both promptly and carefully, as St. Jerome, Theodotion, the Septuagint and the fifth Edition rendered it, for tsana also alludes to צנים tsinnim, that is, thorns; and צנינים tseninim, that is, stakes and spears. For just as these prick the body with their sting, so solicitude stimulates the mind with its anxiety to walk exactly. Just as therefore well-born children act modestly, submissively, reverently and carefully with their parents, disciples with their teachers, servants with the Pontiff, with the king, with the prince, while they carefully observe all their inclinations and nods, so as to execute them immediately not by walking, but by running, and as it were flying; and they take care lest they err even in a point, or do the least thing that would displease the king: so truly ought we to walk with God, solicitous, submissive and suppliant. This is what the Apostle says in Hebrews XII, 28: "Let us serve, pleasing God with fear (in Greek, μετ' αἰδοῖς, that is, with shame) and reverence." The sense therefore of the Prophet is, as if to say: O Jerusalemites, O faithful, walk carefully with God whom ye have offended, that ye may reconcile yourselves to Him as suppliants and penitents, and recover His grace, and having recovered it, preserve it carefully. For from God's grace, salvation and all good; from His offense, gehenna and all evils are to be expected by you. Moreover the spurs to this careful walking with God are various. The first, if thou consider how narrow, sublime and terrible is the majesty of God, in whose sight the pillars of heaven, the Seraphim and Cherubim tremble; again how solicitous He Himself is for thee. For, as St. Augustine says in the Meditations, chapter X: "God does nothing else but provide for my salvation; and therefore I see the whole occupied in my keeping, as if He had forgotten all others, and wished to be free for me alone: God always shows Himself present to me, always offers Himself ready, whithersoever I turn, He does not abandon me: wheresoever I shall be, does not depart: whatever I do, He likewise assists; and to all my actions finally a perpetual inspector; and, as far as His goodness is concerned, as it were an inseparable cooperator assists." And elsewhere: "God," he says, "cares for each one of us as if He cared for him alone. The saints experience this more truly and fully, especially those who dedicate and consecrate themselves entirely to God's service. Whence the Bride in the Canticle II: "My beloved," she says, "is mine," namely He is wholly intent, "and I am his," supply I am wholly intent, as St. Bernard explains, sermon 68 in the Canticle, who also marveling at this condescension of God, exclaims: "O what does a pure heart dare, and a good conscience, and faith not feigned! To me," he says, "He is intent. Is that majesty intent upon this, to whom the governance and likewise the administration of the universe is incumbent? and the care of ages is transferred to the sole affairs, nay rather the leisure, of this love and desire? Thus indeed." And soon after: "Therefore we do not deny providence (of God) to other creatures: the bride claims care for herself," according to that of St. Peter, epistle I, chapter V, 7: "Casting all your care upon Him, for He hath care of you." And that of Psalm XXXIX, 18: "The Lord is careful of me." And a little later: "He is mine, and I am His. He is mine because He is benign and merciful: I am His because I am not ungrateful. He grace from grace to me, I grace for grace to Him. He for my liberation, I for His honor. He for my salvation, I for His will. He is mine and not another's, because I am His one dove; I am His, and not another's." The same, sermon 2 On Pentecost: "You see," he says, "how true was he who said: The Lord is careful of me, the Father, that He might redeem His servant, spares not His Son; the Son most willingly delivers Himself: the Holy Spirit both send; and the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings unspeakable. O hard, and hardened, and obdurate sons of Adam, whom such benignity does not soften, such flame, so great an ardor of love, so vehement a love, which for vile bundles expends so precious merchandise!" And soon after: "What therefore does He seek from you, who with such solicitude sought you, except that you walk solicitous with your God? This solicitude is made by none except the Holy Spirit, who searches the depths of our hearts, discerner of thoughts and intentions of the heart: who does not suffer even the smallest straw within the dwelling which He possesses to remain, but immediately burns it with the fire of most subtle circumspection, Spirit sweet and pleasant," Second, if you consider how exactly and solicitously that majesty wishes to be served by us, as it were by worms; how accurately He wishes His commands to be kept by us: "Thou hast commanded Thy commandments to be kept exceedingly," says the Psalmist, Psalm CXVIII, 4. For, as St. Augustine says, epistle 58 to Boniface: "Solicitude taught them, whom negligence made careless." Third, if you consider your past sins, and the danger of present and future things: "Be not without fear for a sin forgiven," says Ecclesiasticus, chapter V, 5. In the present and future among thorns and thistles of cares and troubles you walk and will walk; therefore fix your foot solicitously, lest you be pricked or stumble: "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling," says the Apostle, Philippians II, 12. See the things said there. Fourth, if you consider that you are here engaged in combat, and have most bitter enemies, who observe you everywhere, that they may supplant you, and turn you from God; whence St. Jerome to Eustochium, on the Custody of Virginity: "I do not wish," he says, "pride to come to you from your purpose (of virginity); you walk laden with gold, a robber must be avoided by you: this life is a contest for mortals: here we contend, that elsewhere we may be crowned. No one walks secure among serpents and scorpions. And my sword is made drunk," says the Lord, "in heaven, and do you think there is peace on earth, which brings forth thistles and thorns, which the serpent eats? Our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers of the world, etc. We are surrounded by great bands of enemies, and all things are full of foes: fragile flesh and ashes to be in a little while, fights alone against many. But when it shall be dissolved, and the prince of this world shall come, and shall find nothing in it, then you will hear secure through the Prophet: Thou shalt not be afraid of the terror of the night," etc. You must therefore walk solicitously with your God, "that you may never be secure, that with all observance you guard your heart, that you consider that you walk in the midst of snares, and under the wings of walls you walk, that you meditate daily on this: Beside the way they have set scandals for me," says the same St. Jerome, book II Against Pelagius. Fifth, if you consider that all your good depends upon God, and that you are a beggar of God. Just as therefore in Venice and elsewhere, whoever seeks some office presses upon all the senators going into the senate house, and commends themselves to them with bare head, bending their knees and their whole body deeply, praying and beseeching, as suppliants, and just as beggars contracting their shoulders most humbly beseech and beg for alms; so indeed and much more does he teach us to walk as suppliants with God, and to press upon him with most humble solicitude, that from him in so many evils we may obtain aid, grace and eternal salvation. Most excellently St. Cyprian, tract. On Zeal, at the end: "Consider," he says, "that we stand before the eyes of God, with him watching and judging as we run the course of our conversation and life; that we can come to the point of being able to see him only if we now delight him who sees us by our deeds, if we show ourselves worthy of his grace and mercy, if we are to please always in the kingdom, let us please in this world first?" And St. Jerome in the Epitaph of Fabiola: "Hidden," he says, "virtue and conscience safe in secret, respects God alone as judge." Sixth, if you consider that word of Moses, Deuteronomy IV, 25, and of St. Paul, Hebrews XII, 29: "Our God is a consuming fire;" you have seen with what care and solicitude goldsmiths melt gold, blacksmiths iron, braziers bronze, and especially those who cast bells and instruments of war: for if they deviate even slightly, they are struck down and killed by the fire or molten metal. One must converse with God with much greater solicitude, lest he strike us with fire and lightning, and cast us down into the abyss. He who walks with a lion, although he be its leader and keeper, carefully observes all its movements and gestures, lest he offend it, so that it itself, seized with anger, may tear its companion. God is a lion: "The lion hath roared, who will not fear?" says Amos, chapter III, 8. Thus Job walked solicitously with God, saying, chapter IX, 28: "I feared all my works, knowing that thou wouldst not spare the offender;" and chapter XXXI, 23: "For I always feared God as waves swelling over me, and I could not bear his weight." And Tobias dying gives this as a kind of testament to his son, chapter IV, 6: "All the days of thy life keep God in mind: and beware lest thou ever consent to sin, and neglect the commandments of the Lord our God;" and David, Psalm CXVIII, 10: "With my whole heart have I sought thee;" and verse 57: "My portion, O Lord, I said, to keep thy law;" and verse 123: "My eyes have failed for thy salvation, and for the word of thy justice;" and verse 168: "I have kept thy commandments, and thy testimonies; because all my ways are in thy sight." This solicitude of fearing and serving God, Moses dying inculcates to the Hebrews throughout all Deuteronomy, and especially in that swan-like song, chapter XXXII. Indeed St. Paul also, I Corinthians IX, 16: "Woe is unto me," he says, "if I preach not the gospel." And verse 24: "Know you not that they that run in the stadium, all run indeed, but one receiveth the prize? So run that you may obtain. I therefore so run, not as at an uncertainty: so do I fight, not as one beating the air, but I chastise my body, and bring it into subjection, lest perhaps when I have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway." Thus St. Cecilia walked solicitously with her guardian angel, and with God, wholly devoted to prayer, fasting, haircloth and the conversion of souls. Whence she made her spouse Valerius, Tiburtius, Maximus and many others not only Christians, but also martyrs, and offered them as victims to God, so that the Church rightly sings of her: "Cecilia, O Lord, like a resourceful bee served thee." Just as therefore bees are solicitous to gather and make honey and wax, so Cecilia was solicitous to offer her own soul and that of others to God. Let Christians imitate her, who strive to walk solicitously with God. Thus Blessed Aloysius Gonzaga walked solicitously with God, while dwelling in the courts of various kings and princes, he preserved himself unharmed from every crime, so that throughout his whole life he scarcely seemed to sin mortally, hardly venially: while he so watched over his senses and mortified his body, that he never felt the stings of the flesh: while he was so attentively and reverently occupied in prayer, that he felt no distraction. Wherefore when Cardinal Bellarmine marveled and asked how this could be, he replied that "he rather marveled how anyone could be distracted in prayer, while thinking that he stands in the presence of such great majesty, and converses with God." Thus his Life has it, which the auditors of the Rota strictly examining in the process of his canonization, gave him the title of Angelic, because like an angel he was constantly occupied before God. Now indeed this solicitude of walking with God pertains not to religious or ecclesiastical persons alone, but also to laypeople, the married, and all men. For it is required not only in prayer and conversation with God, but in every action whatsoever: namely, that we do all our works, even bodily and secular ones, however light and of little moment, carefully, exactly and perfectly, according to the law and will of God, so that we may please Him more and more and delight Him increasingly. This is what Ecclesiasticus commands in chapter XXXIII, 23: "In all," he says, "thy works be excellent." For an action in itself lighter and baser, done excellently, is more pleasing to God than one excellent in itself, done mediocrely, or in a cursory and light manner. For God does not consider how much, but from how much; nor what you do, but with how much virtue you do it. Wherefore in every work, even the smallest, we ought to be solicitous, so that we do it as well as possible, so that it may be most pleasing to God. Our Ludwig of Ponte assigns the manner of doing this, in tome II of his work On Perfection, tract. IV, cap. XV, where he assigns certain rules for living perfectly in any state and office, very useful and practical; namely, if we add to any work, even a vile one, the six wings of the Seraphim of Isaiah VI, 2, by which it may be exalted from earth to heaven. The first wing is the memory of the presence of God existing everywhere, and attending to what you think, speak, or do, indeed inspecting it. The second is a pure intention of the greater glory of God; striving in all things that you do to please Him, and always diligently to execute His divine will, because He is supremely good and goodness itself by essence. The third is prayer, which gives beginning to your works and accompanies them, asking for divine aid, so that you may execute them with that care and perfection which He Himself prescribes and counsels. The fourth is confidence in God, on whom all your good depends, from whose omnipotence you hope that He will aid your weakness; from His mercy, that He will have compassion on your misery; from His faithfulness, that He will protect you in your temptations and dangers; from His providence, that He will lead you in all your ways, and hence while the ultimate wings arise, namely: The fifth, fortitude, that is, in undertaking difficult things, casting aside all fear of difficulties. The sixth, perseverance unto the end of works begun, patiently enduring whatever troubles occur. For, as Isaiah says in chapter XL, 31: "They that hope in the Lord shall renew their strength," fresh, that is, and another more excellent: "they shall take wings as eagles," so that they may fly in spirit and lift their works from earth to heaven: "they shall run, and not be weary," on account of the delight with which God dilates their hearts, according to that of the Psalmist, Psalm CXVIII, 32: "I have run the way of thy commandments, when thou didst enlarge my heart, they shall walk, and shall not fail;" but they shall persevere in solicitude and in works of obedience to Him, until they obtain the crown of glory.
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To walk with thy God,—that is, to cleave to God through all things, to have Him always before one's eyes, to observe and fulfill His commands, will and nod exactly, and to please and satisfy Him in all things. Thus Enoch and Noah, as faithful servants, indeed as friends and sons, are said to have walked with God, Genesis cap. V, 22, and cap. VI, 9. See the remarks there. Seneca speaks excellently in the Wise Man, and in the book On Tranquility: "If," he says, "you should see a man unafraid of dangers, untouched by desires, happy amid adversities, calm in the midst of storms, viewing men from a higher place, regarding gods as equals, will not reverence for him seize you? Will you not say: This thing is greater and loftier than that it could be believed similar to this, in which there is a small body, to be possible." Man acquires this by praying and conversing with God. Wherefore this ought to be the work, this the constant occupation of a religious man, and one tending toward perfection, namely to be familiar with God, and to walk with Him. Hear St. Dionysius, On the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy cap. VI: "It is the part of the religious to pursue that one thing itself, and to be driven toward the sacred monad," according to that saying of Christ: "Martha, Martha, thou art careful, and art troubled about many things. But one thing is necessary; Mary hath chosen the better part, which shall not be taken away from her." Hence Climacus, cap. I: "A monk," he says, "is one who always has his spirit lifted up to God, and prays in every place, time and occupation." And St. Chrysostom in book I On Praying to God: "Prayer," he says, "is the soul and spirit of religious and perfect life." And St. Bonaventure, in the small work On the Perfection of Life, cap. V, teaches that a religious man not frequenting prayer carries a dead soul in a living body; or is like a body without a soul, having that which is external in religion, without that which is internal. The same: "Weak," he says, "and infirm is the religion which does not have much prayer." Indeed, even Iamblichus the philosopher, in the Protrepticus cap. I: "To be wise," he says, "and to contemplate is the work of virtue." The same, cap. III: "Knowledge of God (and contemplation) is perfect happiness." And Livy, decad. I, lib. V: "All things," he says, "turn out favorably for those following the gods, adversely for those scorning them." And Seneca, epist. 103: "Great," he says, "and noble is the human spirit, which suffers no limits to be set for itself except those common with the gods." 9. The voice of the Lord crieth to the city:—or to Samaria, as Remigius and Hugo wish; or rather to Jerusalem: for he deals with it continually from cap. III, 9, to the end of the book, as I said there. Thus St. Jerome, Haymo, Rupert, Vatablus and others, as if to say: God through me, Micah, and other Prophets cries out again and again against Jerusalem, and threatens it with destruction and burning on account of its crimes. For the Prophet seems here to begin a new, or rather to renew an old suit of God against Jerusalem, and to accuse and punish its robberies and injustices toward its neighbors. Whence the Hebrews here begin a new chapter. Thus St. Jerome, Theodoret and the others already cited. For city in Hebrew it is לעיר lair; for which some read להעיר lehair, that is, to stir up, as if to say: God with trumpet voice cries out through me, so that He may stir up the torpid and sleeping Jews from the sleep of sins, and incite them to the care of walking with God. And salvation shall be to them that fear thy name,—as if to say: This is the voice of the Lord by which He cries to Jerusalem: Those who have feared God shall be saved, but the rest shall perish. Or more simply, so that the words are of the Prophet, as if speaking through dialogue and commending the voice of God to the people, so that the people may eagerly hear and receive it, as if to say: O Jerusalemites, hear this voice of God which I shall add: for those who have heard it, and from it have feared and worshipped God, these shall be saved; all the rest shall perish by famine, sword and war. The Interpreter reads תשועה יראי teschua ierae, and rightly: for thus also the Septuagint reads; for they translate: And He shall save those who fear His name, and this version has a fitting sense. Now some read תושיה יראה tuschia iire, that is, wisdom shall see thy name, that is, as the Zurich Bible and Vatablus: He who is endowed with wisdom and reason shall see thy name, as if to say: The Prophets indeed cry out; but only the wise receive their preaching, or have regard for the honor of the name of God. The Chaldean is in the middle, for it reads tuschia with the more recent scholars, and ierae with the Septuagint and St. Jerome. Whence it translates: The wise, or the learned, fear the name of the Lord. Hear, O tribe, and (that is, but) who shall approve it?—Tribe in Hebrew is of the singular number, as if to say: Hear, O men of the tribe of Judah, the voice of God crying through me; but who shall approve it? as if to say: I know that there will be few who shall approve it and carry it out, so that they do what I say, and I shall cry out in the name of God, thus St. Jerome; or, as Rupert, as if to say: Hear, O tribe, your work which is now being argued in the judgment of God, which no good man shall approve, or none but a wicked man shall approve:
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while your houses are still full of rapines, deceits and frauds, and therefore your work cries out to be most wicked. For "three" in Hebrew is מטה matte, which properly signifies a rod or scepter, and from this by metaphor signifies a tribe: because just as many rods are cut from one tree, so many tribes are born and descend from one patriarch, as twelve tribes of Israel were born from Jacob; or because each tribe had its own scepter. Whence the Zurich Bible translates: "Hear the rod, and who decrees it," that is to say, See what scourges threaten you, and from whom, namely from God terrible and almighty. Thus Vatablus. The word matte, that is tribe, in the singular signifies the discourse to be addressed to one tribe, namely to Judah and Jerusalem, not to Samaria and the ten tribes, as Rupertus and others wish. 10. Still is there fire in the house of the wicked treasures of iniquity. — For "fire" in Hebrew there is a threefold reading. First indeed some read האיש hais, that is, is there a man. Whence they translate: Is there still (after so many voices and threats of God) a man who dares to retain treasures of iniquity in an impious house? Second, others read haies, that is, is there. Whence they translate: Is there still a house of the impious? treasures and measures of iniquity? thus the Chaldean; or, as the Zurich Bible and Pagninus: Is there not still an impious treasure in the house of the impious? Third, others read האש haes, that is, fire. Thus Our [translation], the Septuagint and others, that is to say, the Jews after so many cries, threats and warnings of God through the Prophets, still retain riches and treasures unjustly acquired; which therefore shall be to them fire, that is, shall be turned into vengeance and punishment for them, so that houses full of riches unjustly acquired shall be consumed by the Chaldeans burning Jerusalem. In like manner still in the house of the impious is the "measure" justly "smaller," and therefore "full of wrath;" because what is lacking to them in weight shall be supplied and filled with the wrath and vengeance of God. Often the Prophets reprove the Jews for false weights and unjust measures, indeed double ones: namely that, when they bought something, they measured it with a measure greater than fair; when they sold, they measured the same thing with a measure less than just: which vice is still frequent among merchants, especially the poorer ones. Note: These unjust measures and treasures of iniquity acquired from them are called here fire by apposition; because they proceed from the fire of cupidity, namely from the mind of the avaricious desirous of gain, so that by fair means and foul they may become rich: and they shall end in the fire of vengeance, namely in the keen vengeance of God and the fire of hell, according to that of Isaiah 50, 11: "Behold, you all kindle a fire, you are girded about with flames: walk in the light of your fire, and in the flames which you have kindled." See the things said there. Again some read these by interrogation, that is to say, Is it so that the fire of cupidity (namely treasures of iniquity and smaller measure) against which we Prophets have so often thundered, and which we have extinguished with our threats, is again kindled, revives and burns? But the Roman, Plantin and
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other more correct Bibles read assertively without interrogation. Finally he opposes these treasures and measures of iniquity to judgment, that is to justice and mercy, which two God required from them in verse 8. Whence the Syrian translates: Still is there fire in the house of the impious, and (that is namely) repositories of iniquity, and a small measure of fraud; and the Arabic: Is not the beauty (comeliness) of this city turned to fire? because it gathered to itself repositories of iniquity and oppression in the fields.
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Verse 11. Shall I justify the wicked balance, and the deceitful weights of the purse? — that is to say, Shall I, God, who am most just, "justify," that is, hold just and declare, or certainly dissemble and leave unpunished an unjust balance? that is to say, By no means: it is a metonymy; for by the balance he understands the merchants themselves, who weigh out their wares with an unjust balance. Whence the Septuagint clearly translates: Shall the wicked be justified in the balance? and the Chaldean: Shall they be held just in balances of iniquity, and in a purse in which there are weights both greater and lesser? And the Zurich Bible, for the Hebrew אזכה azacce, that is, I shall justify, reading with different points אזכה azucce, translates: Shall I (a merchant) be clean, and innocent before God with a wicked balance, and with a purse in which there are fraudulent stones? that is to say, No. For God severely forbade this in Deuteronomy XXV, 13, saying: "Thou shalt not have in thy purse divers weights, a greater and a lesser." Verse 12. They spoke a lie, — asserting their balances and measures to be equal and just, when they were unjust and fraudulent: likewise their wares to be uncorrupted, fresh and without defect, when they were corrupted, old and defective: "For truth begets poverty, a lie begets riches," says St. Jerome. Wherefore: Verses 13 and 14. I have begun to strike thee (and shall continue, with the air) With destruction (and plague; the Hebrew: I have weakened and made thee sick; the Zurich Bible: I shall weaken thee, or make thee sick, by striking and laying waste on account of thy sins, that is to say, I shall punish thee with want and famine, from which thou shalt contract sickness and become ill. For) thou shalt eat, and shalt not be filled, — that is to say, In the siege and captivity thou shalt eat so sparingly that thou shalt not be filled. This is a fitting punishment, that those who have grown rich by wicked arts should be impoverished, hunger, beg, and become sick. And thy humiliation in the midst of thee. — First, that is to say, Thy affliction, O Jerusalem, shall be within thee, when thou shalt be besieged by the Chaldean enemy. Thus Lyra. Again, in the midst of thy riches and delights, when thou shalt seem to thyself to be happy, thou shalt suddenly become most wretched; for thou shalt be taken and despoiled by the enemy. Thus Arias. Secondly, that is to say, "Humiliation," that is, the cause and guilt of thy humiliation and affliction, is within thee, namely thy sins and crimes, that is to say, Impute thy troubles to thyself and thy crimes, not to thy enemies. This is what Hosea says in chapter XIII, 9: "Thy destruction, O Israel, is only in me thy help." Thirdly, most fittingly and connectedly the Chaldean, Hebrew, Pagninus and Vatablus refer these to the preceding, so that by all these things famine, leanness, squalor, and thence sterility and loss of children may be signified. Whence they translate: Thou shalt eat, and shalt not be filled; depression shall be in the midst of thee, that is, thy belly, once swollen and distended with food, shall be depressed by famine and emptiness, and shall contract and be compressed: hence it shall come to pass that what thou apprehendest, supply thy seed, thy wife, that is, having received seed shall conceive, and shall not bring forth alive, but shall miscarry: and if she shall bring forth, I will deliver to the sword of thy enemies, that is to say, From famine shall follow weakness of generative power, from that miscarriage: and if any children shall be born to thee, I will deliver them to be slain by the Chaldeans. Tropologically St. Bernard, epistle 87: "Humility," he says, "to which indeed humiliation leads, is the foundation of the whole spiritual edifice. For humiliation is the way to humility, as patience is to peace, as reading is to knowledge. If thou desirest the virtue of humility, do not shrink from the way of humiliation." Thou shalt sow, and shalt not reap; — but thy enemies the Chaldeans shall reap thy harvest, and shall gather the vintage of thy vineyards, and shall shake thy olive groves; and the oil and wine which thou hast pressed, either in the vineyards or in the city, they shall plunder, that is to say, As thou hast defrauded thy neighbors of the fruit of their labor, so shalt thou be defrauded of thine own. Thus Vatablus. Here is verified that saying of Chilon: "Gain obtained by crime is loss, not gain." Thus Laertius, book I, chapter IV. And that of Diogenes: "What are riches? the vomit of fortune." Stobaeus testifies, sermon 91. For the wicked man shall vomit forth the riches unjustly gained: for these so burden his stomach, that is, his conscience, that he is forced to vomit them forth, according to that in Job XX, 15: "The riches which he hath devoured he shall vomit up, and God shall draw them out of his belly." Note: The Prophets are wont to signify by ploughing, sowing, reaping, the abundance of all things. For, as Xenophon wisely says in the Oeconomicus, "agriculture is the parent and nurse of the other arts; when it is well managed, all other arts flourish," and there are many who stir them up and urge them on. And thou hast kept the precepts of Amri. — Amri was an impious king of Israel, father of Achab, who together with his son renewed and amplified idolatry in Samaria, which had often before been cut off by God in impious kings, III Kings XVI. Whence St. Jerome and his followers think that the Prophet here speaks to the ten tribes: for Amri was their king. But I say that he speaks to two tribes only, namely the Jews. For the sense is, as if to say, Thou, O Jerusalem, who through the temple wast consecrated to the true God, didst of thy own accord subject thyself not to the precepts of thy God, but to the impious precepts concerning idolatry of the impious Amri, and thus didst live impiously and wickedly, as if thou hadst been not in Sion under David and his posterity, but in Samaria under Amri, Achab and Jezabel, most impious kings. For "the work of the house," that is the family, "of Achab," was idolatry, impiety, slaughter of the Prophets, plundering of the faithful, and other crimes. Thus Theodoret. Note: For Amri the Septuagint read עמי ammi, that is my people. Whence they translate: And the ordinances of my people shall be scattered. They call ordinances the laws and precepts, as the Hebrew, our version, the Chaldean and others have it. The Roman codices of the Septuagint, however, read: And thou hast kept the justifications of Zambri; but the true reading is Amri, as is evident from the Hebrew and the Latin versions. Thou hast walked in their wills. — Thus the Hebrew, Chaldean, Septuagint, Roman, Plantin and other versions everywhere. Therefore some read wrongly, in their pleasures. The sense is, as if to say, Thou didst the things that were willed and pleasing to Amri, Achab, and other impious and idolatrous kings of Israel. He opposes this to the solicitude of walking with God, which he required of him in verse 8, as if to say, I required of thee that thou shouldst walk carefully with thy God; but thou walkest carefully with Amri, and his Baals and idols. That I may make thee a desolation (which signifies consequence, not intended end, as if to say, Hence it shall come to pass, O Jerusalem, that I shall destroy thee) and the inhabitants thereof (in thee, O Jerusalem) a hissing (this is an enallage of person; for he passes from the second to the third person, as if indignant and turning his face and speech away from her, as if to say, The rich and powerful citizens of Jerusalem, on account of idolatry and crimes I will give to a hissing. Whence a new enallage returns to the first person, saying): And ye shall bear the reproach of my people, — as if to say, You, O rich, you, O princes, you I address here, who were leaders and instigators of idolatry and crimes to the people; upon you shall be imputed the shame and ignominy of the destruction and captivity of my people; and you therefore all, both natives and foreigners, shall curse and mock, saying: Justly and most deservedly the princes of the Jews are despoiled, slain, and covered with shame by the Chaldeans; because they themselves despoiled, slew and covered with shame the poor; and because by their impious counsels and crimes they destroyed the people, city and kingdom. Thus St. Jerome, Lyran, Clarius and others. Note: "Reproach of the people" is called the shame of destruction, captivity and mockery, which the Jews suffered from the Chaldeans and other nations, especially neighboring and hostile ones, and which Moses had threatened them with, Deuteronomy cap. XXVIII, 36, and Leviticus XXVI, verse 32.
Machine translation from the Latin, not reviewed.
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v. 4 « Audite, quae Dominus. loquitur : surge, contende iudicio adversus montes et audiant colles vocem tuam »! — surge... verba Domini sunt, quibus prophetae mandat, quae in iudiciali congressu proferre debeat : discepta, in ius voca coram montibus, ita ut montes et colles tamquam festes vocandi sint; ita iam Ep/r. Theoph. Calm. ; idque indubium fit, cum statim subdatur in hebr. et apud LXX ct in versione S. /lier. : audite montes, scil. tamquam testes beneficiorum et magnalium Dei, quae populo praestitit, testes scil. legislationis, foederis initi et populi promissionum, testes commorationis in deserto et plurimorum miraculorum etc. Habet tale dicendi schema pondus suum, cum res inanimatae quasi vita, sensu, mente donantur, ut homines stuporis et obdurationis arguantur. Bene enim notat Theod. : « nam quia rationis capaces rationis inopia laborant, inanimos adversus ratione praeditos iudices dabo ». Quo in dicendi schemate, uti tertiae orationis serie postulatur, maior quoque populi reprehensio exprimitur. Similem affectum prodit, ut Cyr. affert, Isaias quoque 1, 2. In eam vero formam iam Moyses praeivit, invocans coelum et terram testes, quod legem proposuerit, ultores et vindices, si praevaricati fuerint (cf. Deut. 4, 26 ; 30, 19; 31, 28) ; requirit enim, uti adnotat S. Thomas (ad Is. l. c.), creaturam in testem in iudicium peccati, quae etiam fuerat testis in obligatione praecepti. Idque iuremerito. Nam uti creatura Deo inservivit ad puniendos Aegyptios et Israelitas liberandos, ita eius quasi interest, ne frustra praestiterit servitium ; quare nervose testis advocatur contra praevaricatores (cf. .S. Cyr. ad Is. 1. c.). Quare Dominus litem intentat coram iis :
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v. 2 « audiant montes iudicium Domini et fortia fundamenta terrae ! quia iudicium Domini cum populo suo et cum Israel diiudicabitur » ; — hebr. audite... et stabilia (inconcussa, perpetua), (scil.) fundamenta terrae !, quia disceptatio est Domino cum populo suo et 1udicio contendet cum Israel ; quasi disputare vult cum Israel, criminaliter scil. ut. disceptatur in tribunali (Lap.); uti similiter apud Isaiam Dominus loquitur : venite et iudicemur (Is. 43, 26) ; etiam nunc populum Israel cogit praesenti omni creatura, si quid habeat respondere, ut iustificetur Deus in sermonibus suis et.vincat cum iudicatur; vult enim non solum videri potens, qui possit inferre supplicia pro populi peccatoris sceleribus, sed iustus, qui ad iudicium provocat peccatores (S. Hier.). tur:« contende iudicio cum angelis, ut si reperti fuerint non digne homines procurasse, tollatur culpa a populo et referatur ad priacipes vel ad me, qui tales hominibus praeposui ». Angelos intelligi posse etiam S. Cyr. censet, sed ita ut coram ipsis (ex? «ozov) i. e. iis praesentibus tamquam qui divinae mansuetudinis magnitudinem prae aliis cognoscant et quantam nostri curam gerat. Deus optime perspexerint, iudicium instituatur ; praeter eam alias affert expositiones : montes ect colles in iudicium vocari propter idololatriam in ipsis commissam et ideo reos haberi (cf. praeterea Theoph. Lap. Tir. Men.), vel sub tali metaphora intelligi principes et optimates. Quae ultima interpretatio multos nacta est patronos (cf. Rib. Sanct. Su, Mar. Men.). Sed frustra asseritur modus loquendi adeo inusitatus. In eum inciderunt latini interpretes potissimum ex eo, quia vulg. fert adversum montes ; at DN significationem habet cum, de societate vel de praesentia, uti [s. 30, 8 scribe.. coram eis (hebr.); eadem notione etiam zzo; «à 7 explieant S. Cyr. et Theoph. (zag& «oi; óceow). Aliam explicationem commemorat S. ]lier. de Abraham reliquisque patriarchis, vel de daemonibus. Theod. et Theod. M. in montes propterea oculos coniici debere opinantur, quia hostium Assyriorum tot cadavera cireum se habuerint proiecta. — Certe non opus est contra has opiniones explicationem quam proposuimus pluribus vindieare. — Absurde lHitz. explicat, vati ita clamandum esse versus montes, ut eclio audiatur, qua cum montes videantur respondere, disceptationem oriri et litigantium tumultum. Disceptatio Domini non est accusatio actoris implacabilis neque iudicis severi dura sententia, verum expostulatio amore plena et ad animos commovendos quam maxime facta et viscera paterna pandens:
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v. 3 « popule meus, quid feci tibi aut quid molestus fui tibi ? responde mihi » ! — pro molestus fui significantius, ut ait S. Hier. ! in hebr. scriptum est : quo labore te pressi? « quae enim a me data est occasio, inquam, eorum quae adversum me scelerate patrata sunt ? quod iusso- ' rum meorum onerosum, quod molestum ? contra me veni et iniqui me convince !.., singularem facinoris insolentiam demonstrat etiam eorum fortasse iudicio, qui sunt vehementer ingrati » (S. Cyr.). Quaerit Deus, cur foedus initum violaverint ; qua in re te fatigavi scil. ut taedio foederis illud abiiceres ? responde mihi urgentis est et de stupore ct ingratitudine conquerentis. Et ad hanc expostulationem arcte adnectitur sequens quia i. e. numquid ideo tibi molestus fui, quia ex servitute dura in libertatem insperatam te asserui (Sanct.)? Unde
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v. 4 « quia eduzi te de terra Aegypti et de domo servientium liberavi te. et misi ante faciem tuam Moysen et Aaron et Mariam » ? — « illustre hoc fuit et late patens beneficium, in quo uno continentur plurima » (Sanct.). Revocat Deus eis in memoriam miracula in eorum favorem et protectionem, at in punitionem Aegyptiorum patrata et qua ratione ipse suasor, ductor viae fuerit et a servili conditione eos in nobilem filiorum Dei libertatem vindicaverit. Inter potissima beneficia, quibus ea stabilivit, quae fauste coepta erant, recensetur Moyses legislator atque institutor, qui populum a cogitationibus abiectis et humilibus abduceret et perspicue Deo placita demonstraret (S. Cyr.), adnumeratur sacerdotum Aaron, quo officio reconciliationis et expiationis cum Deo satisfieret (cf. Cyr. Alb. Sanct. Rib. Lap.), efferuntur Mariae, sororis Moysis, partes, quae choros ducens gratiarum actionis canticum de magnifica liberatione cecinit (Ex. 15. 5S. Cyr.), quae prophetissa (Ex. 15, 20) mulierum curam agens eas potissimum edocuisse non immerito censetur (cf. Theod. Theoph. Rib. Sanct. Lap. Men.). Ita Deus ordinibus omnibus summa cura providit et. quid aliud erat exspectandum, nisi ut populus suas etiam partes fideliter ac constanter impleret? Expostulationem solum per summa capita literis consignavit propheta, latius certe et per singula in orali sermone prosecutus; quare iis quae initio liberationis gesta sunt !, ea quae in fine peregrinationis per desertum et in ipsa prima terrae occupatione acciderunt, statim adnectit
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v. 8 « popule meus, memento quaeso, quid cogitaverit Balach rex Moab, et quid responderit ei Balaam, filius Beor, de Setim usque ad. Galgalam, ut cognosceres tustitias Domini » | — meus, ut pudore suffundat ingratum ; cf. Num. 92, 2 — 24, 95; 31, 16 ; Balac enim eos maledictione et diris perdere tentavit repetitis vicibus, Balaam vero ne minimam quidem maledictionem proferre concessum est, at iussus est populo iterato et magnifice benedicere. Deus enim, ut Sanct. ait, tam diligit populum, sic illius incolumitati cavet, ut neque illum ab impia lingua patiatur vel inani susurro aut magico sermone perstringi, sicut parentes tenera cura etiam quae natura levissima sunt a filiis arcent, ne eorum quies vel somnus interturbetur. Iam quid Balac cogitaverit et ope pessimi consilii Balaam (Num. 34, 16) effecerit, Deus vero largitus sit, in memoriam vates revocat addens de Setim usque ad. Galgalam : in Setim enim populus idololatria et fornicatione quam maxime reus est effectus (Num. 23, 4 seq.) ; at nihilominus Deus misericors opem submisit, in Galgala lordane transmisso primo in terra Canaan castrametati sunt et circumcisione ibi facta nova illa generatio, quae in deserto succreverat, foederi divino est sociata ; quare iter illud de Setim.usque ad. Galgalam insignia Dei beneficia continet et terrae promissae occupationem et iteratam foederis ictionem verba illa indicant (cf. Ios. 4, 19; 5, 9). Haec autem Deus populo praestitit, wf cognosceres iusti'ias Domini i. e. « ut perspicua omnibus fieret mea iustitia atque veritas; progenitori enim tuo promiseram, me Palaestinae terram vobis daturum ; et idcirco te incolumem servari, quo fidem ei datam servarem » (Theoph. sim. 7Aeod. Rib. Mar. Men. Tir. « impedimenta enim humana et diabolica sustulit »). Eis enim curis et beneficiis populus perspicere potuit, quae essent Dei consilia et quae Deus ab hominibus fieri vellet : ea quippe etiam iustitiae Dei vocantur. — Set?m in campestribus Moab ad orientem maris mortui e regione Iericho erat (cf. Num. 33, 49. Ios. 2, 153, 1). Galgala sita erat inter Iordanem et Iericho distans a fluvio 90 stadiis, ab urbe Iericho decem (cf. Jos. Antiq. 5, 14, 4) ; ibi erant sub Iosue castra Israelitarum (Ios. 4, 19; 5, 10; 9, 6 ; 10, 6). Verbd ea de Setim usque ad Galgalam varie et prioribus adnectunt et explicant, Audi S. Hier. : « Balaam cupiens maledicere benedixit de Settiui usque ad Galgal totum exercitum Israel oculis lustrans et mutans loca », et similiter loquuntur Cyr. Theoph. Alb. Mar. et ut videtur Darh. Eam expositionein ex eo refutat Rib., quia montes, ex quibus Balaam populo maledicere tentavit, non sint in verba explicant de consilio a Balaam dato, ut toto itinere mulieres moabiticae submitterentur ad Israclitas seducendos. Alterius expositionis praeterea meminit S. Hier., quam Hebraeorum esse dicit, ut scil. memoria repetant, quae mala cum Midianitis usque ad tempus quo Saul apud Galgal unctus est in vezzin. (sim. Alb.). Alii supplent : « memento, quae ego vestri causa. egerim a Sctim ad Galgalam usque, quo scil. prodigio aquas lordanis coerceuerim, ut liberum vobis iditum in Chanaanitidem facerem meumque foedus vobiscum ad Galzalam in- 'obis a convalle Sittim.. ; et beneficiorum mentionem etiam iniiciunt S. Ephr. anct. Sa, Trochon. At non opus est suppletione illa.
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Dei beneficiis in memoriam revocatis vates personam populi induens € pro populo, quem ad sensum gratitudinis evehere vult, respondens terit, talia Dei beneficia nulla re humana rependi posse, neque in populi potestate neque in ulla humana virtute positum esse, quo Deo pro illatis iniuriis satisfiat eiusque maiestas peccatis offensa placetur. « Ipse populi vice pias cogitationes excitat, dicens » (Theod. sim. Theoph. Sa) v.6 « Quid dignum o[feram Domino? curvabo genu Deo excelso ? numquid offeram ei holocautomata et vitulos anniculos » ? — hebr. in (cum) qua re obviam ibo Domino? vel quasi praeveniam, pracoccupabo (cf. Rib. Lap.), ei scil. irato occurram, ut placem eum, vel ante eum, qui tot largitus est, comparebo pretium solvens et benignitatem remunerans? et cum quanam re incurvabor, me prosternam Deo excelsi? qua scil. re digne adorabo et honorabo tantam maiestatem, quae coeli stellarumque celsitudine longe cclsior est et imperium tenet coeleste atque terrestre ? Num ea sacrificia, quae ipse fieri voluit, tantae maiestati satisfaciant ? Sed quomodo animalium sanguis et adipum odor et. incendium tanto Deo digna esse possent? Quod ut doceat propheta et populum a sensibilibus ad excelsam de Deo cogitationem elevet, consulto Deum excels? appellat. Erant vituli anniculi victima lectissima (cf. Lev. 9, 3. Ex. 12, 5), quatenus pro excellenti quodam sacrificiorum genere requirebantur. Verum etsi sacrificia ista in immensum augerentur, nihil Deo dignum efficeretur. Id vates inculcat
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v. 1 « numquid. placari potest Dominus in millibus arietum aut n multis millibus hircorum pinguium »? — vel melius in myriadibus, ita ut millia et decem millia inter se excipiant, uti fit proverbiali forma (cf. 1 Reg. 18, 'i). In textu hebr. leguntur myriades rivorum olei (cf. Sanct. Lap. Mar.);oleum enim requirebatur ad incruentam oblationem, quae cum holocausto erat coniungenda (cf. Num. 18, 4. 6. 95; 28, 5. 9. 12; 29, 3. 9. 14 etc.). Sed locutioni proverbiali melius consulitur in lectione, quam praeter vulg. etiam LXX et Syrus sequuntur !. Hisce legalia et ritus V. T. minime sufficere vates ostendit simulque docet, ne populus caerimonias illas nimium ducat et aestimet, sed ut ad verum Dei cultum qui vera pietate et obedientia consistat animum appli cet (cf. Cyr. Theoph. Alb. Rib.). Etiam longius progreditur vates. Concedit culpae conscientia homine impelli, ut culpas eluere sanguine et victimis expiare desiderent, set nullum sanguinem Aumanum, ne carissimorum quidem pignorum, culpa: labem posse emundare ; inde igitur luce clarius patet, quam impar hom sit placationi divinae ; « numquid dabo primogenitum meum pro scelere mco ? fructum ventris mei pro peccato animae mcae » ? — « hoc autem dicit, non quod Deus eiusmodi victimis oblectetur (exemplo enim Abrahami docuit, se talia non accipere), sed hoc ex hypothesi ponit per hyperbolen propterea, quod filius est rerum omnium carissimus » (Theoph.) ; quare primogeniti quoque meminit, cum primogenita ubique maiore in pretio habeantur. Primogoenito additur fructus ventris mei i. e. reliqui filii (cf. Schegg). expiationem efficiat, ex altera vero hominem ad placandum Deum ne a gravissimis quidem resilire debere, sed paratum esse oportere ut se suaque omnia divino committat arbitrio. Modus loquendi similis est ei quem adhibet S. Paulus scribens ad Galatas ; oculos vestros eruissetis et dedissetis mihi (Gal. 4, 15», neque fortasse alienus a genere loquendi quo utitur dicens: optabam ipse anathema esse a Christo pro fratribus meis (Rom. 9, 3). Quid Deus postulet et quibus in rebus vera pietas consistat, declaratur
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V. 8 « indicabo tibi, o homo, quid. sit bonum et quid Dominus requirat a le : utique facere iudicium et diligere misericordiam et sollicitum ambulare cum Deo tuo » ; — hebr. indicavit tibi, i. e. indicatum est tibi ! ; facere iudicium i. e. iustitiam observare, id agere quod rectum, probum, iustum est ; TD! cf. Os. 4, 4 ; veram pietatem ut diligant i. c. totis animis amplectantur et magno cum studio ac fervore opere exsequantur, postulatur. « Ille sollicitus ambulat cum Deo, qui in rebus omnibus divinam explorat voluntatem, illique quam potest diligenter obsequitur » (Sanct.) ; ambulare ex hebraismo totam agendi vivendique rationem designat, est conversari, sese habere ; hebr. proprie humiliter ambulare 1. e. animo demisso, obediente, qui omnibus in rebus Deo se subdat et eius adoret voluntatem atque beneplacitum suspiciat. Eam verae pietatis formam sacer vates proponit, qua populum rebus externis et speciei obsequii exterioris immersum ad veram legis divinae indolem mentemque intelligendam evchat ; erat enim imprimis muneris prophetici excolere et fovere animorum pietatem et cordis circumcisionem ; cf. Deut. 30, 6. 16. 90. Ios. 94, 44. Is. 4, 46. 1'1. 4 Reg. 15, 929. Os. 6, 6 etc. Notat S. Hier. : « verbum esne. (3X5) quod LXX transtulerunt. paratum esse et nos diximus sollicitum ambulare, Theodotio significantius expressit «xi àcxAitou to2 noptuto0at gevx 'EXoxiy i. e. cave diligenter ut ambules cum Deo tuo. Sive, ut quinta editio transtulit xxt opovtizstv agere scil. sollicite ». Syrus sequitur LXX : sis paratus ad sequendum Deum tuum. S. Hier. Prov. 11, 2. vertit : ubi est humilitas, ibi et sapientia ; hebr. et cum humilibus sapientia (QYy323) ; quare etiam nostro loco hu- militer vel animo demisso explicandum est, ut iam Rib. et Calm. observant. C) Àt iniustis et impiis ingruit poena 6, 9-16. « Post ostensam viam salutis addit aculeum et minas ad movendum ct demum excidium, nisi resipiscant » (Gord.). Longe enim absunt a norma proposita v. 8; quare iam tonitru divini iudicii auditur;
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v. 9 « Vor Domini ad civitatem clamat — et salus erit. timentibus nomcn tuum! audite tribus ct quis approbabit illud » ? — i. e. adhortatio, minae Domini iam ad urbem fiunt ; iam strepitus et clamor iudicii quasi tonitru a Domino insonat, quo urbem ex desidia et scelere excutiat et dignas poenas repetat — voz Domini cf. Is. 30, 31; 66, 6. Ioel 2, 41; 3, 16. Am. 1, 2. Soph. 1, 14 —. Et in hac tempestate una salus iis est, qui numen divinum ac maiestatem reverentur, colunt. Tonitru illud a longinquo appropinquans ut audiant i. e. mente percipiant, timeant, et vera poenitentia avertant, monet propheta ; verum iam ipse desperat de amplo admonitionis effectu : quis i. e. paucierunt vel fere nullus, qui obtemperet et monitionem opere compleat (cf. Alb. Rib. Sanct. Sa, Mar. Men.); quis sapiens et custodiet haec (Ps. 106, 43. Alb.)? Civitatem intelligi Jerusalem vera est fere omnium sententia (cf. Ephr. Rib. Sanct. Lap. Men.); S. Hier. Samariam intelligit. Ita quidem vulg. Aliter textus mas. et in secundo quidem membro legitur j2V me mom ; quae verba varie a variis redduntur : salus ei, qui respicit nomen tuum; vel: sapientiam respicit (intendit, ob oculos habet) nomen tuum; vel: sapientia ( vir sapiens ) respicit (curat) nomen tuum. Álii legentes ^N?! ' : sapientiae est timere nomen tuum. Atque veteres versiones singulari consensu non verbum videndi w^, sed timendi NY h. 1. legerunt. LXX xai cwGtt toU; pobouutvou; 1 Ovoua nosou Syrus : doctrinam praedicat timentibus nomen eius ; Chald. : doctores timent nomen. Quare haec notio erit retinenda, quae praeterea optimum sensum praebet ; unde hebr. verte : salus est revereri nomen tuum ct lege ^x uti habetur Ps. 86, 11; de qua locutione cf. Is. 59, 19. Iob 98, 28. Neh. 1, 11 (Hitz.). De voce nen vide, quae notavi Iob 5$, 12; 6, 13 ; 26, 3. In tertio membro rulg. magis recedit a textu hebr. audite virgam (i. e. supplicium decretum) et. quis constituit illam (uti iam Mar. explicat? Virga scil. iudicium imminens ; cf. Is. 10, 5 : « Assur virga furoris mei » ; 10, 291: « in virga percutiet te ». Dein monentur, ut perpendant, quis eam virgam destinaverit, i. e. à quo supplicium illud sit infligendum, scil. a Deo : ergo quis ct quantus quantam inflicturus sit poenam. Translatio S. Hier. ex hebr. facile intelligitur; est enim. mum tribus, virga, uti CO3P ; ramus enim arboris virga est, gentis vero ramus. (ribus habetur. Dein. pro mas. Tz legisse videtur aliquam. formam verbi ym, vel, ut. Scheggy: coniectat $72". fut. hiph. a 37 (cf. 1 Reg. 21, 10) feslificari, contestari (?) — ceterum. 52. alibi rite transtulit constituere 2 Reg. 20, 5; condicere ler. 47, 7. LAN. pracbent :: 3252c «29, Xxi ti; xosuzszt n0Àtv; Frespicere. videntur. verbum A372 (cf. ler. 31, & adhuc 1. I. e. infinitivum verbi qà* ; ita Ewald. Hitz. Immerito negat BReinke eum sensum apto convenire in contextum, Inse explicandum censet: sapiens oculos dirigit ad nomen tuum. ornaberis tympanis tuis) et pro sequenti voce "Y legerunt "y. Syrus in priore parte voce NOUS (hebr. 2:5) utitur ; in altera parte : quis testatus est ? ergo refert ad Ty. Chald. denique virgam sceptrum interpretatus et insigne potestatis explicat : audi, rex et dominator et reliquus populus terrae ; igitur legit in secunda parte ity coetus. — Textus hebr. praeferri debet, quia et optimum sensum praebet et variae versiones veterum tamen eum supponunt. Ex textu hebr. audite virgam et quis constituit eam? supplicium decretum annuntiatur et voz Domini tamquam iudicii index declaratur. Cur autem supplicium in populum decerni debeat, sequentibus probatur :
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v. 10 « adhuc ignis in domo impii, thesauri iniquitatis et mensura minor irae plena » ; — i. e. ignem illum, quo demum domus et civitates magno incendio conflagrabunt, adhuc :semper cum diligentia domi servant, retinent ; causas calamitatis non tollunt; talis ignis est iniquitas (Sa, Tir.), est avaritia (Alb. Rup.), sunt thesauri iniquitate accumulati (Rib. Sanct. Men. ), qui adhuc sunt apud eos, i. e. post tot monita et increpationes prophetarum (Rib. Sa, Tir.), adhuc enim longiturnitatem et perseverantiam sceleris denotat, ut ait Rup. Quanta iniustitia pecuniam corrodant, ostendit epha tenuitatis (hebr. Rib.) vel epha macie: i. e. mensura iusto minor, qua alios defraudant ; quare simul vocatur maledicta, a Deo diris devota et abominationi habita, quae plenam Dei iram provocat. Epha secundum Josephum (Antiq. 15, 9, 2) continuit unum uéBuvov, i. e. sex modios romanos sive 96 sextarios !. Indignabundus interrogat Deus, num talia scelera inulta abire debeant, ita ut ipse flagitiis quasi connivere videatur :
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v. 14 « numquid tustificabo stateram impiam et saccellt pondera dolosa » ? — i. e. numquid puram, innoxiam declarabo stateram infquitatis et pondera fraudulenta? lapides scil. qui pro ponderibus in sacculo portabantur, cf. Deut. 25, 13. Lev. 19, 36. Prov. 16, 11 ; 20, 10. Hisce non pauperes ad amovendam penuriam abutebantur, verum divites insatiabili habendi cupidine stimulati :
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v. 19 « in quibus divites eius repleti sunt iniquitate ct habitantes in ea. loquebantur mendacium et. lingua eorum fraudulenta 1n ore eorum » ; — eius, 2n ea civitate scil. v. 9; in hebr. plen: sunt oppressione, violentia scil. et crudelitate pauperes opprimunt, ad quod eis falsa pondera inserviunt inter alia; dein uni iniustitiae generi alia addunt toti quasi fraudibus et mendaciis constituti ; hebr. lingua eorum deceptio est in ore eorum, est fraus ac fallacia, quasi nihil aliud loqui possint. De textu hebr. praeterea haec nota : v. 10 recentiores fere communiter vertunt : suntne adhuc in domo impii thesauri iniquitatis ? ita scil. ex lectione mas. N23; 1 enim est interrogandi particula et vjN scribitur pro. 9*, uti 2 Sam. 14, 19. S. Ilier. vero legit Nn ignis, quam lectionem etiam LXX et Syrus exprimunt, dum Chald. lectionem mas. sequitur. Sed iure praefertur lectio LXX, S. lier. e& Syri ; nam si " esset interrogandi particula, ex norma communi exspectaretur addi primo vocabulo et scriptio UN pro v"? est valde inusitata, quae uno tantum loco 2 Sam. 14, 19 comprobari possit. Cur igilur in sententia ceteroquin plana et in stilo Michaeae limpido duas subito exceptiones statuamus, ut sensum extrahamus a veterum acceptione alienum ? Sed ignis metaphora, inquiunt, tam subito invecta non placet. At magis placet quam sermo contra consuetum modum formatus. Neque tropus ille adeo est alienus, cf. Iob 20, 26 ; 31, 12 ; et ad eum bene conformatur irae divinae incendium DQy* in fine versus. Ceterum lectioni S. Hier. etiam codices hebr. suffragari plures vide apud de Rossi, qui immo asserit : « quamplures ex meis codicibus habent Kamelz et ' demonstrativum 5, qui igitur lectioni ignis testimonium ferunt. Et v. 11 secundum lectionem mas. verte : num purus ero in bilancibus iniquitatis ? i. e. num ego innocens ero si talia apud me exstent ? At sane. dura est tam rcpentina personae enallage, qua propheta subito impiorum voces usurpat tales, quales illi debebant adhibere. Quare S. Hier. melius piel eiusdem verbi legit et expressit *. LXX sensum eundem exhibent si &v«atw07oz:zt £v tov Xvopoz; sim. Syrus et Chald. — Ylud NON v. 12 diversimode accipitur ; alii huuc. versum cum v. 13 coniungunt ; quia divites.. ideo et ego percutiam te ; alii orationem directam ita. vestiri volunt (Hils.) ; alii relativum agnoscunt iungendum cum suflixo. subsequenti 3: cuius (civitatis) divites pleni sunt violentia, ita ut per modum exelamationis supplendum sil : 0 civitatem, cuius divites... alii simplicius quia vertentes referunt. particulam ad membrum antecedens : num impunitum relinquam... quia divites eius. Eum particulae usum exemplis probant vocabularia. Quare Deus vindictae sententiam pronuntians explicat, quamnam virgam (v. 9 hebr.) constituerit
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v. 13 «et ego ergo coepi percutere te perditione super peccatis tuis » ; — hebr. et etiam ego cum emphasi ; cum populus adeo sit assiduus in sceleribus, etiam Deus assiduus erit in poena infligenda; hebr. proprie infirmo percutere te ?, aegritudine afficio percutiendo te ; te ita percutio ut ad aegritudinem redigaris (cf. Lap. Mar. Men.); plagam proinde minatur et vastitatem (hebr.) magnam. * 2. Hebr. nna a non; S. Hier. lezit, ut. Mar. aduotat, a o n furinaam Té5na; ita Iam supplicium accuratius declaratur idque ex minis iam olim' intentatis cf. Lev. 26, 93. Deut. 98, 30. Os. 4, 10 etc.
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v. 14 «tu comedes et on saturaberis et humiliatio tua in medio tui; et apprehendes et non salvabis, et quos salvaveris in. gladium dabo » ; — primam plagam minatur famem ; ea urbs afflicta est in obsidione Chaldaeorum : « mense autem quarto nona mensis obtinuit fames civitatem et non erant alimenta populo terrae » (Ier. 52, 6). Et talis afflictio diu residebit media in civitate ; humiliationem vocat afflictionem et vastitatem ab hostibus inferendam (Rib. Sanct.): vel, quod magis ad hebr. accedere videtur !, pauperiem illam et famem, stomachi vacuitatem et depressionem (cf. Mar. Men.). Alia poena est : fuga quidem se suaque proripere et salvare tentabunt, at frustra ; immo si qua servata esse putant, etiam illa hostibus et caedi tradet Deus (cf. Rib.). Ita bonis omnibus privabuntur, quae olim e terrae proventibus tamquam Dei benedictio promissa erant observantibus legem
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v. 15 « tu seminabis et non metes ; tu calcabis olivam et non ungeris oleo , et mustum, et non bibes vinum » ; — cf. Deut. 98, 38 seq. Am. 5, 11 ; agros, vineas, oliveta colent, sed pro alienis, qui scil. subito irruent et laborum fructus percipient. Quia foedus Dei abiecerunt, etiam bonis foederis carebunt. Cur autem a promissis et benedictione terrae excludantur, iterum rationem subdit
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v. 16 «et custodisti praecepta Amri et omne opus domus Achab et ambulasti in voluntatibus eorum, ut darem le 1n perditionem et habitantes in ea in sibilum; et opprobrium populi mei portabitis » ; — in priore parte argumentum v. 10-12, in altera argumentum v. 13-15 brevi proponitur; populus scil. a Domino descivit et impiorum regum ]srael vestigia et exempla premens totus abierat in scelera. Mentio fit Amri, qui « operatus est nequiter super omnes qui fuerunt ante eum » (3 Reg. 16, 25) ; filius eius Achab «fecit malum in conspectu Domini super omnes qui fuerunt ante eum » (3 Reg. 16, 30), duxit uxorem Iezabel, filiam Ethbaal regis Sidoniorum, et cultum Baal invexit. Lues autem et perversitas eius regiae domus invecta est in Iudaeam per Athaliam filiam Iezabel et Achab, quae tamquam heres paternae et avitae pravitatis etiam filia Amri appellatur (4 Reg. 8, 26. 2 Par. 22, 9). Quantopere autem ex eo fonte corruptio in Iudaeam manaverit, constat ex 4 Reg. 8, 18 : « ambulavitque (Ioram rex luda) in viis regum Israel, sicut ambulaverat domus Achab ; filia enim Achab erat uxor eius 1. ni^ vacuitas, inanitas ; sed verbum hoc tantum loco occurrit; inde significatio po-. et fecit quod malum est in conspectu Domini » ; immo regnum prope ad interitum adductum est eo iam tempore et interiisset iam tum, nisi Deus promissa Davidi data intuens misericordi longanimitate poenam distulisset ; « noluit autem Dominus disperdere Iudam propter David servum suum » (l. c. v. 19). Unde Michaeas eandem impietatis originem indicat, quam sacer auctor 4 Reg. 8, 18 tangit. In prophetae verbis acerba continetur reprehensio ! : Domini statuta reliquerunt ; adoptarunt impii Amri praecepta ; omne opus Achab, i. e. cultum idolorum, insectationes et persecutiones prophetarum Domini, iniustitias, caedes, mendacia — talia enim erant opera Achab domusque eius cf. 3 Reg. 16, 30 et seq. 18, 4; 21, 3 scq. etc. ; haec autem magno studio, constanter, imitabantur ; ambulare enim est versari, exerceri in aliquo opere (Sanct. Rib... à vero agentes vindictam divinam sibi promerentur; quem nexum necessarium cum ignorare non possent, quasi consulto et intentione expiicita perditionem sibi voluisse procurare censentur; unde uf darem (e. Uti scelus tripliciter, ita et poena triplici ratione profertur ; est interitus, isque cum maxima ignominia et irrisione, et. diuturnus ; opprobrium populi inei i. e. quod gentes ei propterea. summo cum gaudio inferunt quia est populus Dei (cf. Lap. Tir.), quod Deus suo populo sit comninatus et praeparaverit a gentibus inferendum (Rib. Sanct. Sa), tale portabunt et quae natio iudaica per longum saeculorum cursum peccavit et ad poenae rationem accumulavit, ea ipsi iam in se suscipere et experiri debebunt ; ruinam subibunt diu praeparatam et ita poenarum cumulum portabunt. Tale vero excidium merentur, quia tot prophetae monitiones spernentes ad meliorem frugem nullatenus redierunt. Quare gemebundus propheta se frustra laborasse conqueritur neque ullum inveniri ait, qui desiderio prophetae satisfecerit (cf. Theod. M. Theoph. Bib. Sanct. Mar.) ;
6:1
… what God wills (Deut. 18, 15-22; Jer. 23, 16; 20, 7-9, 15, 19; 14, 14; Ezek. 13, 3-17; Mic. 3, 5-8; Zech. 7, 12; cf. II Sam. 7, 1 ff.), declares divine (Hos. 4, 1; Joel 1, 1; Am. 1, 6, 9, 11, 13; 2, 1 etc.; Obad. 1; Jon. 1, 1; 3, 1; Mic. 1, 1; 3, 5; 6, 1; Nah. 1, 12; Zeph. 1, 1; Hag. 1, 1; 2, 1, 11, 21; Zech. 1, 1; 7, 1 ff.) what he has written; reports visions, revelations or supernatural dreams (Num. 12, 6 ff.; Is. 6, 20; Jer. 1, …
… History of the covenant of Sinai: benefits on the part of Yahweh, faithful to his promises, and wickedness of the chosen people (ibid. 6:1-5). The quantity of victims (with the insane practice of human sacrifices taken from the Canaanites: cf. F. Spadafora, Ezechiele, Turin 1948, pp. 164 ff.) is abhorred by God; let there …
6:4
… mother given to him as a nurse by the daughter of Pharaoh (Ex. 2:4-10). At the crossing of the Red Sea, M. was 90 years old (Ex. 7:7) and as a prophetess led, under divine influence, the dances and songs of joy and thanksgiving to Yahweh (Ex. 15:20 ff.; Mic. 6:4; cf. Num. 12:2). In the desert, at Hazeroth, she murmured with Aaron against the authority of Moses, as though they too were not prophets, made jealous by the influence that Zipporah …
6:5
Abel (Hebrew 'Abhēl 'meadow'; possibly Aramaic from Canaanite 'Abil 'channel')
… Camp of the Israelites before crossing the Jordan (Num. 25:1; 33:49; Josh. 2:1; 3:1; Mic. 6:5); today Tell Kefrein, 11 km east of the Jordan, in the direction of Jericho (according to a few, Wadi es-Sejale, 5 km farther south).
He was the protagonist of an episode described at length in Num. 22-24, and to which allusion is made in Deut. 23:4-5; Josh. 13:22; 24:9-10; Mic. 6:5; 2 Pet. 2:15; Jude 11; Rev. 2:14.
BALAC. - Moabite king, son of Zippor, at the time when the Hebrews were about to take possession of Palestine (Num. 22-24; mentioned in Judg. 11:25; Mic. 6:5; Rev. 2:14).
6:6
… 1, 5 ff.; Mic. 3; 7, 2-6; Jer. 2; 5, 19-31; Ez. 4-6, etc.), reducing relations with Yahweh to external worship alone (like the other peoples with their deities) and wholly neglecting the precepts of the covenant: monotheism and the moral law (Hos. 2; Mic. 6, 6 f.; Is. 1; 5, 1-7; Jer. 2; 7, 11; Ez. 15; 16; 20; 22; etc.). …
… victims (with the insane practice of human sacrifices taken from the Canaanites: cf. F. Spadafora, Ezechiele, Turin 1948, pp. 164 ff.) is abhorred by God; let there be a return to the practice of justice and to obedience to the precepts of the covenant (Mic. 6:6 ff.). …
… It is essentially expressed in the Decalogue: monotheism and moral precepts (Hos. 4:1 ff. 12-19; 6:6 ff., etc.; cf. Am. 3:1 ff.; 5:21-26; 8:2; Mic. 6:6 ff.; Isa. 1; 5:1-7; Jer. 7; 11, etc.). …
… The essential element is true piety, obedience to the voice of God, the moral precepts (Hos. 6, 6; I Sam. 15, 22; Mic. 6, 6 ff.). …
… And if in the struggle against erroneous ideologies they sometimes expressed themselves with vehemence (cf. Am. 5:21-25; Hos. 6:6; Is. 1:11-14; Mic. 6:6-8; Jer. 6:20; 7:21 ff.; Ps. 49:7-15), they did not thereby intend to condemn sacrifices as such, willed and ordained by God himself, but to bring external worship back to its religious …
6:7
… The Bible and the prophets have severe words of condemnation against these misdeeds (cf. Ps. 105:37 ff.; Mic. 6:7; Jer. 7:31; 19:5; 32:35; Ezek. 16:20 ff.; 20:26).
6:8
… And they presuppose these precepts as known, when they inveigh against their violation: Am. 2:4-16; Hos. 4:6; 6:5-11; Is. 1:12; Jer. 6:19; Mic. 6:8; etc.
… God made use of the prophets to recall them to interiority (Am. 4, 11-22; 5, 14-15; Mich. 6, 8; Is. 66, 2; Jer. 4, 3-4 and 14, 7). They inculcated the relationship between the soul and God not only with the ancient concept of filial adoption, but also with the delicate image …
6:9
… Instead fraud, violence and lies reign (ibid. 6:9-12); the punishment will therefore fall inexorably (ibid. 6:13-16). In view of it, the nation laments the corruption of its children (ibid. 7:1-6); it expresses in a song, an echo of …
6:13
… Instead fraud, violence and lies reign (ibid. 6:9-12); the punishment will therefore fall inexorably (ibid. 6:13-16). In view of it, the nation laments the corruption of its children (ibid. 7:1-6); it expresses in a song, an echo of the poetry of the Psalms, its firm hope in the mercy and goodness …
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.