God shall protect his church against her persecutors. The mourning of Jerusalem.
The Iewes persecuting Christ and his Church, shal be sore afflicted. 6. The Church stil prospering: 11. the incredulous shal be condemned.
1The burden of the word of the Lord upon Israel. Thus saith the Lord, who stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundations of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man in him:Annunzio pesante del Signore contro Israele. Dice il Signore, che stende i cieli, e dà i suoi fondamenti alla terra, e forma nell'uomo il suo spirito:THE burden of the word of our Lord vpon Israel. Sayth our Lord extending the heauen, & founding the earth, & forming the spirit of man in him:Onus verbi Domini super Israël. Dicit Dominus extendens cælum, et fundans terram, / et fingens spiritum hominis in eo: 2Behold I will make Jerusalem a lintel of surfeiting to all the people round about: and Juda also shall be in the siege against Jerusalem.Ecco che io farò di Gerusalemme un luogo di gozzoviglia per tutti i popoli circonvicini; e lo stesso Giuda si troverà a mettere assedio a Gerusalemme.Behold I wil make Ierusalem a lintel of surfet to al peoples round about: yea & Iuda shal be in the siege against Ierusalem.Ecce ego ponam Jerusalem superliminare crapulæ / omnibus populis in circuitu: / sed et Juda erit in obsidione contra Jerusalem. 3And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone to all people: all that shall lift it up shall be rent and torn, and all the kingdoms of the earth shall be gathered together against her.E io in quel giorno farò, che Gerusalemme sia una pietra di peso grande per tutti i popoli: tutti quelli, che cercheranno di alzarla, rimarranno alla stiaccia: contro di lei si raguneranno tutte le nazioni della terra.And it shal be: In that day I wil make Ierusalem a stone of burden to al peoples: al that shal lift it, shal be torne with tearing: and al the kingdoms of the earth shal de gathered agaynst her.Et erit: in die illa ponam Jerusalem lapidem oneris cunctis populis: / omnes qui levabunt eam concisione lacerabuntur, / et colligentur adversus eam omnia regna terræ. 4In that day, saith the Lord, I will strike every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open my eyes upon the house of Juda, and will strike every horse of the nations with blindness.In quel giorno, dice il Signore, renderò di sasso i cavalli, e senza spinto i cavalieri; e aprirò i miei occhi sopra la casa di Giuda, e torrò l'uso degli occhi a tutti i cavalli delle nazioni.In that day, sayth our Lord, I wil strike euerie horse into astonishment, and his rider into madnes: and vpon the house of Iuda I wil open mine eyes, and euerie horse of the peoples I wil strike with blindnes.In die illa, dicit Dominus, / percutiam omnem equum in stuporem, / et ascensorem ejus in amentiam: / et super domum Juda aperiam oculos meos, / et omnem equum populorum percutiam cæcitate.
5And the governors of Juda shall say in their heart: Let the inhabitants of Jerusalem be strengthened for me in the Lord of hosts, their God.E i capi di Giuda diranno in cuor loro: Si confidino gli abitatori di Gerusalemme nel Signore degli eserciti, nel Dio loro.And the dukes of Iuda shal say in their hart: Let the inhabitants of Ierusalem be strengthened for me in the Lord of hosts their God.Et dicent duces Juda in corde suo: / Confortentur mihi habitatores Jerusalem / in Domino exercituum, Deo eorum ! 6In that day I will make the governors of Juda like a furnace of fire amongst wood, and as a firebrand amongst hay: and they shall devour all the people round about, to the right hand, and to the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place in Jerusalem.In quel giorno farò, che i capi di Giuda siano come carboni di fuoco sotto le legna, e come fiaccola accesa nel fieno: ei divoreranno a destra, e a sinistra tutti i popoli circonvicini, e Gerusalemme sarà di nuovo abitata nel luogo stesso, dove fu Gerusalemme.In that day I wil make the dukes of Iuda as a furnace of fyre amongst stickes, and as a brand of fire in hay: and they shal deuoure to the right hand, & to the left al people round about: and Ierusalem shal be inhabited agayne in her place in Ierusalem.In die illa ponam duces Juda / sicut caminum ignis in lignis, / et sicut facem ignis in fœno: / et devorabunt ad dexteram et ad sinistram omnes populos in circuitu, / et habitabitur Jerusalem rursus in loco suo in Jerusalem. 7And the Lord shall save the tabernacles of Juda, as in the beginning: that the house of David, and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, may not boast and magnify themselves against Juda.E il Signore proteggerà i tabernacoli di Giuda come al principio, affinchè non si glorifichi magnificamente la casa di David, né i gloriosi abitanti di i Gerusalemme contro di Giuda,And our Lord shal saue the tabernacles of Iuda, as in the begynning: that the house of Dauid glorie not magnifically, and the glorie of them that inhabite Ierusalem agaynst Iuda.Et salvabit Dominus tabernacula Juda, sicut in principio, / ut non magnifice glorietur domus David, / et gloria habitantium Jerusalem contra Judam. 8In that day shall the Lord protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and he that hath offended among them in that day shall be as David: and the house of David, as that of God, as an angel of the Lord in their sight.In quel giorno il Signore proteggerà gli abitatori di Gerusalemme, e quelli tra loro, che staran male in piedi, saranno in quel dì tanti David; e la casa di David sarà nel loro cospetto come casa di Dio, come un Angelo del Signore.In that day shal our Lord protect the inhabitants of Ierusalem, and he that offended of them in that day shal be as Dauid: and the house of Dauid, as of God, as an Angel of our Lord in their sight.In die illa proteget Dominus habitatores Jerusalem: / et erit qui offenderit ex eis in die illa quasi David, / et domus David quasi Dei, / sicut angelus Domini in conspectu eorum.
9And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.Ed io in quel giorno mi studierò di abbattere tutte le genti, che si muovono contro Gerusalemme.And it shal be in that day: I wil seeke to destroy al Nations, that come against Ierusalem.Et erit in die illa: / quæram conterere omnes gentes quæ veniunt contra Jerusalem. 10And I will pour out upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace, and of prayers: and they shall look upon me, whom they have pierced: and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for an only son, and they shall grieve over him, as the manner is to grieve for the death of the firstborn.E spanderò sopra la casa di Davidde, e sopra gli abitatori di Gerusalemme, lo spirito di grazia, e di orazione: e volgeranno lo sguardo a me che han tratto: e lui piangeranno, come suol piangersi un unico figlio, e meneran duolo per lui, come si fa duolo alla morte di un primogenito.And I wil powre out vpon the house of Dauid, & vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace, and of prayers: and they shal looke toward me, whom they pearced: and they shal lament him with lamentation as it were vpon an only begotten, and they shal sorow vpon him, as the maner is to be sorowful in the death of the first begotten.Et effundam super domum David / et super habitatores Jerusalem / spiritum gratiæ et precum: / et aspicient ad me quem confixerunt, / et plangent eum planctu quasi super unigenitum, / et dolebunt super eum, / ut doleri solet in morte primogeniti. 11In that day there shall be a great lamentation in Jerusalem like the lamentation of Adadremmon in the plain of Mageddon.In quel giorno sarà gran duolo in Gerusalemme, come il duolo di Adadremmon nella pianura di Mageddon.In that day shal be great lamentation in Ierusalem, as the lamentation of Adadremmon in the filde of Mageddon.In die illa, magnus erit planctus in Jerusalem, / sicut planctus Adadremmon in campo Mageddon. 12And the land shall mourn: families and families apart: the families of the house of David apart, and their women apart:Sarà in duolo la terra: una famiglia a parte, e a parte un'altra famiglia; a parte le famiglie della casa di David, e a parte le donne loro.And the land shal lament: families and families apart: the families of the house of Dauid apart, and their wemen apart:Et planget terra: familiæ et familiæ seorsum: / familiæ domus David seorsum, et mulieres eorum seorsum:
13The families of the house of Nathan apart, and their women apart: the families of the house of Levi apart, and their women apart: the families of Semei apart, and their women apart.Le famiglie della casa di Nathan a parte, e a parte le donne loro; a parte le famiglie della casa di Levi, e a parte le donne loro: a parte le famiglie di Semei e a parte le donne loro.the families of the house of Nathan apart, and their wemen apart: the families of the house of Leui apart, and their wemen apart: the families of Semei apart, and their wemen apart.familiæ domus Nathan seorsum, et mulieres eorum seorsum: / familiæ domus Levi seorsum, et mulieres eorum seorsum: / familiæ Semei seorsum, et mulieres eorum seorsum: 14All the rest of the families, families and families apart, and their women apart.E tutte le altre famiglie, ciascheduna di esse a parte, e a parte le donne loro.Al the rest of the families, families and families apart, and their wemen apart.omnes familiæ reliquæ, / familiæ et familiæ seorsum, et mulieres eorum seorsum.
12:2
Challoner
A lintel of surfeiting. That is, a door into which they shall seek to enter, to glut themselves with blood: but they shall stumble, and fall like men stupified with wine. It seems to allude to the times of Antiochus, and to the victories of the Machabees. (Challoner)
Calmet
Yet it indirectly relates to the last siege of Jerusalem, and to Jesus Christ establishing his Church. Hebrew, "a cup of drowsiness," or trembling. (Calmet)
Haydock
Septuagint, "as courts (or thresholds; prothura) shaken." (Haydock)
Jerusalem first drank the cup herself; and then under the Machabees, made others suffer.
Calmet
Juda. Never before Epiphanes had the Jews fought against their brethren. Then the apostates became most terrible, 1 Machabees 1:55., and 2:7, 19. (Calmet)
Haydock
Thus none persecute the Catholic faith more than those who have perfidiously abandoned it. (Haydock)
Worthington
When the gospel began to be preached, the obstinate Jews opposed it, Acts iv., etc. (Worthington)
12:3
St. Jerome
Stone. It was customary to have such huge stones for people to try their strength. (St. Jerome)
Calmet
Ruptures and wounds were frequently the consequence, Ecclesiasticus 6:22. The nations which attacked God's people, paid dear for their victory. (Calmet)
Haydock
All fight against the Church; (Menochius) yet she prevails. (Haydock)
12:4
Haydock
Blindness. The cavalry of the Syrians proved useless against a few (Calmet) champions under God's protection. (Haydock)
12:5
Haydock
Let. Septuagint, "We shall find for us the inhabitants of Jerusalem, in the Lord Almighty, their God." (Haydock)
Calmet
Judas always exhorted his men to trust in the Lord, 1 Machabees 3:18. (Calmet)
Haydock
Mocbai, the initials of "who is like thee among the strong, (Alim) O Lord," (Exodus 15:11.; Haydock) is supposed to have been his motto, (Calmet) written on his banners; and some assert, that it occasioned the appellation of Machabees. (Haydock)
Aquila
"Strengthen for me." (Aquila)
12:6
Haydock
Furnace. Septuagint, "firebrand among wood, and as a burning lamp amid straw." (Haydock)
Left. The Samaritans shall fall as well as the Idumeans.
Place. The temple and city had been deserted, while the troops of Epiphanes occupied the citadel, 1 Machabees 3:45., and 4:38.
12:7
12:8
Hath. Septuagint, "is weak."
Haydock
Offended. Such shall repent and be pardoned, like David. (Haydock)
They shall imitate his valour. The posterity of David shall no more cause the people to go stray.
12:10
Haydock
Prayers. Septuagint and Chaldean, "pity." (Haydock)
Calmet
After the Machabees more synagogues were erected, and the people were more faithful; yet this chiefly regards the new law, in which the spirit prays with us ineffably, Romans 8:26. (Calmet)
Menochius
Me. So far the prophet speaks in Christ's name. He afterwards relates how the people will grieve for him, beating their breasts, Luke 23:48. This was clearly verified in Christ, John 19:31. (Menochius)
Haydock
But in the gospel we read, him whom they have pierced, as the context seems here to require. (Haydock)
Kennicott
Some Hebrew copies read in like manner, (Calmet) the Erfurth Manuscript 2 having aliu, "on him," though Michaelis remarks not this important variation. The Jewish transcriber would not alter his text to make it conformable to the New Testament. (Kennicott)
Calmet
Septuagint, "they shall look upon me for having insulted," or skipped. (Calmet)
Haydock
Yet "St. John did not much regard what the Greek contained, but interpreted word for word as he had read in Hebrew," as the other sacred writers did when there was any material difference. St. Jerome, quoted by Kennicott. (Dis. ii. p. 347, etc.) (Haydock)
Adopting this reading, we may explain this of Judas, whom the people greatly bewailed, 1 Machabees 9:20. He was a figure of Christ, whom the prophet had chiefly in view. All the Jews who embraced the faith verify this prediction, (Calmet) as those particularly did who had been instrumental to the death of our Saviour, and afterwards entered into themselves, Acts 2:37. Both Jews and Gentiles have all contributed by their sins to crucifying their Lord; and, at the last day, all shall look on him as their judge or as their deliverer.
Haydock
Pierced. Hebrew dakaru. (Haydock)
St. Jerome
Septuagint have transposed d and r, which are very similar, and read rokdu, "have danced," or derided. (St. Jerome)
Calmet
The original implies, have outraged or blasphemed, as well as pierced. They shall henceforward cease to despise God and his law. (Calmet)
12:11
Challoner
Adadremmon. A place near Mageddon, where the good king Josias was slain, and much lamented by his people. (Challoner)
Worthington
It was not far from Jezrahel, 2 Paralipomenon xxxv. The lamentation for Josias, represents that of impenitent sinners at the day of judgment. (St. Jerome) (Worthington)
Haydock
Septuagint translate the proper names, "of the pomegranate which is cut down in the field." (Haydock)
All from ver. 8 may be explained of Judas.
12:12
Calmet
Apart. Bands of men and of women mourning, went with musical instruments separately through the streets, and into the country; as they still do in the East. (Calmet)
St. Jerome
On such occasions, as well as in times of prayer, continence is observed. (St. Jerome)
12:13
Nathan. Zorobabel was his descendant.
Calmet
Semei, the son of Gershom, 1 Paralipomenon 6:16. (Calmet)
St. Jerome
"From this tribe the doctors are chosen." (St. Jerome)
Haydock
The pious of all ranks bewail the death of Christ, and the share which they had in it. (Haydock)
Menochius
He had done good to many; and therefore we may presume that many would grieve in every tribe. (Menochius)
12:2
A lintel of surfeiting.... That is, a door into which they shall seek to enter, to glut themselves with blood; but they shall stumble, and fall like men stupefied with wine. It seems to allude to the times of Antiochus, and to the victories of the Machabees.
12:11
Adadremmon.... A place near Mageddon, where the good king Josias was slain, and much lamented by his people.
12:1
VVhen the Church of Christ beganne in Ierusalem, proceeding to al Iurie, and Samaria, and to other nations, the other Ievves most earnestly persecuted Christians. Act. 4. 5. &c.
12:2
Iuda besieged Ierusalem when Ievves remayning in Iudaisme persecuted other Ievves beleuing in Christ, for then brother deliuered brother to death, the father the sonne &c. Mat. 10. v 21.
12:10
Concordance Ioan. 19. v. 3.
12:11
A towne nere to Iezrahel in the countrie of Mageddon, vvhere Iosas vvas slaine. 2. Baral. 35. and great lamentation vvas made for him, vvhich vvas a figure of the miserable calamitie of the obstinate in the day of iudgement, S. Ierom.
Concordance 2. Par. 35.
12:1
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 16.13
… and a devil our adversary is called spirit. Beware therefore when thou hearest these things, lest from their having a common name thou mistake one for another. For concerning our soul the Scripture says, His spirit shall go forth, and he shall return to his earth : and of the same soul it says again, Which formeth the spirit of man within him
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 On the Holy Spirit 2.6
56. Therefore he referred the thunders to the words of the Lord, the sound of which went out into all the earth, and we understand the word “spirit” in this place of the soul, which He took endowed with reason and perfect; for Scripture often designates the soul of man by the word spirit, as you read: “Who creates the spirit of man within him.”
St Jerome † AD 420 To Pammachius against John of Jerusalem 22
… So that, as body springs from body, so soul from soul. Or is it the case that rational creatures, longing for bodily existence, sink by degrees to earth, and at last are tied even to human bodies? Surely (as the Church teaches in accordance with the Saviour’s words, “My Father worketh hitherto and I work”; and the passage in Isaiah,
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Letters of St. Augustin 166.26
26. Let it not be said to me that we ought to receive as supporting this opinion the words of Scripture in Zechariah, “He formeth the spirit of man within him,”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 A Treatise on the Soul and its Origin 1.22
He proceeds to favour us with a third passage, in which it is written: “Who forms the spirit of man within him.”
12:3
St Justin Martyr † AD 165 The First Apology 52
… and they shall rend not their garments, but their hearts. Tribe by tribe they shall mourn, and then they shall look on Him whom they have pierced; and they shall say, Why, O Lord, hast Thou made us to err from Thy way? The glory which our fathers blessed, has for us been turned into shame.”
12:8
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 7.5
… “For when I am weak, then am I strong,” and again, “for strength is made perfect in weakness.” Of which weakness one of the prophets says: “And he that is weak among them shall be as the house of David.”
12:9
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 City of God 20.30
… And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and mercy; and they shall look upon me because they have insulted me, and they shall mourn for Him as for one very dear, and shall be in bitterness as for an only-begotten.”
12:10
St Ignatius of Antioch † AD 108 Epistle to the Trallians: Shorter and Longer Versions 10
… In such a case, I die in vain, and am guilty of falsehood against the cross of the Lord. Then also does the prophet in vain declare, “They shall look on Him whom they have pierced, and mourn over themselves as over one beloved.”
St Ignatius of Antioch † AD 108 Epistle to the Smyrnæans: Shorter and Longer Versions 3
… For, say the [holy] oracles, “This same Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come, in like manner as ye have seen Him go unto heaven.” But if they say that He will come at the end of the world without a body, how shall those “see Him that pierced Him,” and when they recognise Him, “mourn for themselves?”
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 4.33.11
11. For some of them, beholding Him in glory, saw His glorious life ( conversationem ) at the Father’s right hand; others beheld Him coming on the clouds as the Son of man; and those who declared regarding Him, “They shall look on Him whom they have pierced,”
Tertullian † AD 220 An Answer to the Jews 14
… Gird Thee Thy sword around Thy thigh, most potent in Thy bloom and beauty!” while the Father withal afterwards, after making Him somewhat lower than angels, “crowned Him with glory and honour and subjected all things beneath His feet.” And then shall they “learn to know Him whom they pierced, and shall beat their breasts tribe by tribe;”
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 3.7
… Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh, O most mighty, with Thy glory and Thy majesty.” For the Father, after making Him a little lower than the angels, “will crown Him with glory and honour, and put all things under His feet.” “Then shall they look on Him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, tribe after tribe;”
Tertullian † AD 220 On the Resurrection of the Flesh 22
… Up to the present moment they have not, tribe by tribe, smitten their breasts, looking on Him whom they pierced.
Tertullian † AD 220 On the Resurrection of the Flesh 26
… Then he afterwards says: “The earth saw and trembled; the mountains melted like wax at the presence of the Lord,”—meaning, no doubt the flesh of the wicked; and (in a similar sense) it is written: “For they shall look on Him whom they pierced.”
Tertullian † AD 220 On the Resurrection of the Flesh 51
… since Jesus is still sitting there at the right hand of the Father, man, yet God—the last Adam, yet the primary Word—flesh and blood, yet purer than ours—who “shall descend in like manner as He ascended into heaven ” the same both in substance and form, as the angels affirmed, so as even to be recognised by those who pierced Him.
St Hippolytus † AD 235 A discourse by the most blessed Hippolytus, bishop and martyr, on the end of the world, and on Antichrist, and on the second coming of our lord Jesus Christ 40
… And He will show them the prints of the nails in His hands and feet, and His side pierced with the spear, and His head crowned with thorns, and His honourable cross. And once for all shall the people of the Hebrews see all these things, and they shall mourn and weep, as the prophet exclaims, “They shall look on Him whom they have pierced;”
St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews 2.21
… “The lifting up of my hands is an evening sacrifice.” Of which sacrifice Sophonias said: “Fear from the presence of the Lord God, since His day is near, because the Lord hath prepared His sacrifice, He hath sanctified His elect.” Also in Zechariah: “And they shall look upon me, whom they have pierced.”
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 13.41
41. This shall appear again with Jesus from heaven ; for the trophy shall precede the king: that seeing Him whom they pierced
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 On the Holy Spirit 1.12
127. As to peace we have proved the point; but as to grace the prophet Zechariah says, that God promised to pour upon Jerusalem the spirit of grace and mercy,
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Against Marcionists and Manichæans 1
… For he says “they gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” And again another one says that they smote him with a spear, for “they shall look on Him whom they pierced.”
St Jerome † AD 420 Jerome's Apology for Himself Against the Books of Rufinus 2.25
… ii. 9 ), and many other passages which lack their proper context. Let us ask our opponents then where these things are written, and when they are unable to tell, let us produce them from the Hebrew. The first passage is in Hosea, ( xi. 1 ), the second in Isaiah ( xi. 1 ), the third in Zechariah (
St Jerome † AD 420 Preface to Genesis 1
… iii. of this series, pp. 515–516. Jerome in it complains that he is accused of forging a new version. He justifies his undertaking by showing that in the versions then current many passages were left out (though they exist in our copies of the LXX.), such as “Out of Egypt” ( Hos. xi. 1 ); “They shall look on him whom they pierced” (
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 On the Holy Trinity 1.13
… And the Jews, inasmuch as they will be punished in that judgment for persisting in their wickedness, as it is elsewhere written, “shall look upon Him whom they have pierced.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 77.10
… The Form of Man is to come to judgment; therefore He said, “He hath given Him power to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.” The Judge here shall be the Son of Man; here shall That Form judge which was judged. Hear and understand: the Prophet had said this already, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 36.12
… moment, indeed, as they were beholding Him ascending, the angelic voice sounded in the ears of His disciples, “So shall He come in like manner as ye have seen Him going into heaven;” that is, in the form of man in which He was judged, will He judge, in order that also that prophetic utterance may be fulfilled, “They shall look upon Him whom they pierced.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 102.17
… “And He will appear in His glory.” That He might build up Sion, that He might be a foundation in Sion, He was seen by Sion, but not in His glory: “we have seen Him, and He had no form nor comeliness.” But truly when He shall have come with His angels to judge, shall they not look then upon Him whom they have pierced?
Theodoret of Cyrus † AD 458 Dialogues. The “Eranistes” or “Polymorphus” of the Blessed Theodoretus, Bishop of Cyrus 2
Orth. —I have learnt these things from the divine Scripture. I have heard the words of the prophet Zechariah “They shall look on Him whom they pierced,”
Theodoret of Cyrus † AD 458 Letters of the Blessed Theodoret, Bishop of Cyprus 152
… handle me and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have.” While He was thus beheld He went up into heaven; thus has He promised to come again, thus shall He be seen both by them that have believed and them that have crucified, for it is written “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”
12:12
St Justin Martyr † AD 165 Dialogue with Trypho 121
… For the word of His truth and wisdom is more ardent and more light-giving than the rays of the sun, and sinks down into the depths of heart and mind. Hence also the Scripture said, ‘His name shall rise up above the sun.’ And again, Zechariah says, ‘His name is the East.’ And speaking of the same, he says that ‘each tribe shall mourn.’
Aphrahat † AD 346 Aphrahat: Select Demonstrations 21.17
… Josiah cast out uncleanness from the Holy Temple; and Jesus cast out the unclean traders from His Father’s house. For Josiah the daughters of Israel mourned and wailed, as Jeremiah said:— O daughters of Israel, weep for Josiah ; and over Jesus did the daughters of Israel weep and mourn, as Zechariah said:— The land shall mourn, families over families.
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 13.41
41. This shall appear again with Jesus from heaven ; for the trophy shall precede the king: that seeing Him whom they pierced , and knowing by the Cross Him who was dishonoured, the Jews may repent and mourn; (but they shall mourn tribe by tribe
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 15.22
… And then shall appear , He says, the sign of the Son of Man in heaven . Now Christ’s own true sign is the Cross; a sign of a luminous Cross shall go before the King , plainly declaring Him who was formerly crucified: that the Jews who before pierced Him and plotted against Him, when they see it, may mourn tribe by tribe
12:13
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John chapter21.13
… He remains as He ascended, to come to those to whom He willed His word to be preached before He comes. Thus will He come in human form, and this form the wicked will see; both they on the right shall see it, and they that are separated to the left shall see it: as it is written, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”
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1. The burden of the word of the Lord upon Israel. — "Burden" is a burdensome, sad and calamitous prophecy, as I said on Isaiah cap. xiii, 1. Israel here is called the Jewish people, descended from Jacob. For he was surnamed Israel by an angel, and therefore all his progeny, namely the twelve patriarchs, and the twelve tribes sown forth from them, were called Israel. Now because the ten tribes were once led away into Assyria, scattered throughout the whole world, so that in the time of Zechariah the name of Israel seemed to have vanished in them, hence the stock and family, and consequently the inheritance and name of Israel, were reduced to the two remaining tribes, namely to the Jews. For these were the stock of Jacob, and the people of God, to whom the Messias was exhibited, promised to Abraham and Jacob. Thus Cyril. Therefore Zechariah here predicts the burden, that is the calamity to Israel, that is to the Jews, to be inflicted by Antiochus and his leaders and descendants, but to be turned aside by the right hand and shield of God through the Maccabees. Whence, exaggerating the power of God, he premises, saying: THUS SAITH THE LORD, STRETCHING OUT THE HEAVENS, AND LAYING THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH, AND FORMING THE SPIRIT OF MAN IN HIM, — that is to say, I am God almighty, all-knowing and most good; for I showed my omnipotence when I created from nothing and spread forth the vast heavens; I made manifest my wisdom when I founded and supported the earth hanging in the midst of the world with wondrous art: I demonstrate my goodness when daily I create souls and send them into and preserve them in the bodies of men being born. Therefore much more shall I with that same omnipotence, wisdom and goodness uphold and defend Jerusalem, and dash and break her enemies before her. Hence mystically, heaven is a symbol of the Christian Church, which God extends throughout the whole world; but the earth is the people of the Jews, whom God suspends in the midst of the Church as it were.
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2. Behold I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness. — The Hebrew word saph signifies two things: first, a threshold and lintel; second, a cup or chalice, as the Chaldean, Vatablus, Pagninus, Arias and others translate it here. Again, raal signifies first, trembling; second, drunkenness; third, sleep; fourth, poison; fifth, stupor; sixth, concussion. Whence some translate it, a vessel of drunkenness; others, a vessel of trembling; or, as the Syrian, a gate of trembling; or as the Arabic, a gate of commotion; others, a cup of soporific poison; others, a bowl of stupor. baei fell, so that they fell as if drunk. Allegorically, he speaks of the primitive Church, which was persecuted by Nero, Decius, Diocletian; but God struck and oppressed them as if drunk. Wherefore Alcazar in the Apocalypse, chapter xi, 13, note 12, from Theodoret thus expounds it, "as a cup of drunkenness," that is, as in drunkenness a drunk man, on account of the vertigo of his head, seems to see the lintels move; so truly Jerusalem, that is the Church, shall be shaken, and thus shall be shaken by persecutions, so that it shall appear about to fall, and the neighboring peoples shall encourage one another, that they may beware of it, lest they be involved in its ruin. Or, as if to say, the neighboring peoples of the Church shall regard the lintels as drunkenness, drunkenness and madness; and shall insult the Christians as if drunk and mad; just as boys pursue a drunk man, mock him, and push him as he staggers and totters so that he falls. "And Judas also shall fight against Jerusalem," as if to say, not only the Gentiles shall persecute the Church, but also the Jews; who nevertheless, illuminated by God, shall take up arms for the Church against the Gentiles, and shall make great slaughter among them, as Zechariah says in verse 6. Ribera interprets it somewhat differently, as if to say, just as to drunk men the lintel of the house which they wish to enter seems to move, and therefore they themselves, thinking themselves to be moved as if mad, fall; so it shall happen to the enemies of the Church, who shall come to attack it; for they shall be seized with madness as if from drunkenness, and thus shall fall. Delrio adds in adage 1020, perhaps for this reason the Septuagint translated the lintels in the plural, because to drunk men all things appear double, as also to those possessed. Rupertus less correctly takes drunkenness in a good sense for satiety, as if to say, the Church shall be a house of drunkenness, that is of satiety and spiritual drunkenness, of which it is said in Pentecost in Acts II, that the Jews judged the Apostles to be full of new wine and drunk. A cup of drunkenness, or of trembling, stupor and concussion, can be understood in two ways: first, passively, as if to say, I shall reduce Jerusalem to such straits of siege, that she herself shall seem to tremble and go mad from them as if drunk: for this is the burden of Jerusalem. Whence also follows: "And Judas also shall be in siege against Jerusalem." Thus Theodoret and Eusebius, book VIII of the Demonstration, chapter IV. Second, actively, as if to say, the Gentiles shall besiege Jerusalem so that they may satiate and inebriate themselves with her wine and spoils; but I shall drive them into such disasters and slaughter, that, drunk as if with deadly poison, they shall be driven into trembling, stupor and madness: they shall distress Jerusalem, but they themselves shall be distressed there; and the snare which they laid for others shall fall upon their own head: just as Haman was hanged upon the cross which he had fixed for Mordecai. For thus the following verse explains the stone of the burden of Jerusalem actively, not passively, namely one that burdens and strikes, not Jerusalem, but the enemies harassing her. It is a metaphor from a golden cup, full of excellent wine, but poisoned, to which the thirsty run eagerly, but as soon as they have tasted it, they begin to tremble, to be stupefied, to give up the ghost. In a similar way, Babylon is said to give to the nations a golden cup of malediction, and thereby to inebriate, stupefy and drive mad all nations, Jeremiah chapter LI, 7. Now the sense comes to the same thing, whether you translate saph as a cup, or as a threshold or lintel, as if to say, whoever enemy shall touch the threshold of Jerusalem, immediately as if drunk and out of his mind, shall begin to tremble and rage: just as Virgil relates of the Sibyl of Cumae in the VI Aeneid, that as soon as she entered the threshold of her prophetic cave, she began to be carried out of herself, to rage and to prophesy. Such also is the lake near Naples, into which if you throw a dog, it immediately appears to die and be lifeless; if you bring it to the opposite lake, it immediately comes to itself and revives. Thus St. Jerome, Remigius and Hugh. Again, de Castro thus expounds it, that is to say, I will make Jerusalem as a threshold threatening ruin to all who wish to enter, whom he will make to tremble as drunkards, and infected with a poisonous draught: for as soon as they touch the threshold, they will tremble and fall. But Palacius and Mariana thus: that is to say, I will make Jerusalem a threshold of drunkenness, into which namely the enemies, drunk with fury, will dash, and strike their heads, that is to say, Those who assail Jerusalem, as drunkards and madmen, will fall and perish. Others say, that is to say, Jerusalem will be to the enemies besieging it as a cup of deadly poison, which when drunk causes death eternal to sleep. He speaks literally of Jerusalem straitened and afflicted by Antiochus Epiphanes and his followers, whom Judas and the Maccabees slew. Moreover, it seems that Zechariah alludes to that passage in Jeremiah, chapter xxv, 15: "Take the cup of wine of this fury at my hand: and thou shalt make all the nations to drink thereof, to whom I will send thee. And they shall drink, and be troubled, and be mad, because of the sword, which I will send among them. And I took the cup at the hand of the Lord, and made all the nations to drink thereof, to which the Lord sent me: Jerusalem," etc. And more to Isaiah xxix, 9: "So it shall be, saith he, the multitude of all the Gentiles, that have fought against the mount of Sion: be astonished and wonder, fluctuate and stagger: be ye drunk, and not with wine: be moved, and not with drunkenness. Because the Lord hath mingled for you the spirit of deep sleep, he will shut your eyes," etc. And more clearly Jeremiah, chapter xxv, 27: "Thus saith the Lord: Drink ye, and be ye drunk, and vomit, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword, which I will send among you." Behold, this is the drunkenness, not of wine, but of God's vengeance, of which Zechariah here speaks. See the things said there. For the Greeks wished to inebriate Jerusalem with the cup of their fury, slaughter and blood; but by the same means they were inebriate by God through the Maccabees, who, as the Psalmist saith, Psalm lxxvii, 65, "The Lord was awakened as one out of sleep, as a mighty man that hath been surfeited with wine. And he smote his enemies on the back: he gave them a reproach for ever." The same thing, and much more frequently, he did to the infidels persecuting the Church. For there is no nation which hath not at some time fiercely persecuted Christ and the Church, when from afar it only saw his threshold, that is, Christ crucified, and heard his paradoxical doctrine, namely: "Blessed are the poor: Blessed are they that mourn: Blessed are they that hunger," etc. For all these things the world abhorred and hated, until it saw and tasted the internal beauty, grace, consolation and spirit thereof. For this reason, Canticles I, the Church is said to be as the curtains of Solomon, and as the tents of Cedar, outwardly namely hideous, black, and burnt by the heat of persecutions. Wherefore he who wishes to see her admirable riches must enter her house, and not remain at the threshold. Hence from the beginning of the world there hath been a keen and perpetual war between the good and the wicked: for contraries always fight among themselves, as heat and cold, white and black, virtue and vice, God and the devil. For a symbol of this matter, Stunica thinks that the first miracle wrought by Christ was the production of wine from water, because namely the Church was to be established by him as a vessel of drunkenness. To excite drunkenness properly so called: for this is the sin of inebriation. I answer: Jerusalem had made herself a threshold of drunkenness properly so called; thus God therefore made her a threshold of drunkenness metaphorically, that namely she, who was drunk with inebriation and guilt, should be drunk with punishment, and be inebriate with her own blood and God's vengeance, that is to say, I will punish her and inebriate her with blows, that by these I may show to all the world that she hath made herself a den and tavern of drunkenness. There is therefore in this tropology a metonymy or metalepsis, by which from the consequent the antecedent, from the effect the cause, from the punishment the guilt is understood: otherwise indeed it would be inconvenient and incongruous, as being at variance with the literal sense and repugnant to it. This thou mayest rightly apply to those revelling in Bacchanals, when in many places with great dishonor of the Christian name, and great offense, mockery and reproach to the infidels, almost every house and the whole city becomes a threshold of drunkenness, so that this title may justly be given and inscribed to it: This is the house of drunkenness: This is the city, not of Christ, but of Bacchus: These are the days of revellers, of fools and madmen, not of Christians, as I have read printed in certain Calendars. And Juda also, — that is to say, Not only the Gentiles, but also the faithless Jews, or deserters, will besiege Jerusalem and afflict it, so that she herself may seem drunk with troubles; but God will turn these troubles upon the faithless Jews and deserters themselves, and will inebriate them with blows and the blood of the slain. Such deserters were Jason and Menelaus, who, fleeing to Antiochus, besieged Jerusalem, took and laid it waste, as I said in the preceding chapter, verse 15. The same many others, who, from fear of the threats and torments of Antiochus, apostatized from Judaism to paganism, concerning whom I Maccabees, chapter I, 44 and 55, and II Maccabees, chapter iv and v, and Josephus, book XII of Antiquities, chapter VI. Allegorically, the first persecution of the Apostles and the Church was by the Jews, as is evident from the Acts of the Apostles. Thus Arias and Vatablus.
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3. I WILL MAKE JERUSALEM A STONE OF BURDEN TO ALL PEOPLES. — The Syriac version: a stone of trampling; the Septuagint: a stone which is trampled; the Chaldean: a stone of offense; the Arabic: a stone of subjection. You ask, what is this stone of burden? St. Jerome answers most excellently (whom therefore Remigius, Rupertus, the Gloss, Ribera and others follow throughout), saying: "It is the custom in the cities of Palestine, and even to this day throughout all Judaea the ancient practice is preserved, that in villages, towns and fortresses round stones of very great weight are placed, to which young men are accustomed to exercise themselves, and to lift them according to the variety of their strength, some to the knees, some to the navel, some to the shoulders and head, some over the crown with straight and joined hands, demonstrating the magnitude of their strength, they lift the weight. In the citadel of the Athenians near the image of Minerva, I saw a bronze sphere of very great weight, which I myself on account of the weakness of my body could scarcely move. Tropologically, Messana understands by the lintel of gluttony a drinking cup, or a branch of ivy or vine, which tavern-keepers hang at the threshold of their shop, so that those passing by are invited to enter, and there to drink and become intoxicated. Albert agrees with this, and thus expounds it, as if to say: I will make Jerusalem an open entrance to those coming to it, as to gluttony, by which their insatiable desire may be satisfied. Thus therefore the lintels of gluttony signify a tavern, a brothel, a cookshop, etc., in which drunkenness and gluttony flourish, to which therefore the burden of God the Prophet here threatens. On account of gluttony indeed, equally as other crimes, God seems to have imposed this burden upon Jerusalem. Whence Sanchez takes "the lintel of gluttony" as a brothel of appetite and lust, namely the Ephebium in Jerusalem established by the impious Jason, in which the best of the young men were publicly prostituted to anyone for shameful lust. For this brothel was called one of gluttony, because by the symbol of gluttony, that is a cup, standing out on the lintel, as if by sign and title it was marked. For the cup was sacred to Hercules and Bacchus, the sign of gluttony, and thence of the following lust. Moreover the sacrilegious man had established this very thing near the temple, indeed in the temple itself. For, as it is said in II Maccabees vi: "The temple was full of luxury and feasting of the Gentiles, and of those fornicating with harlots." For the Gentiles held public banquets in temples, as Aristotle teaches in book VII of the Politics, chapter XII. Whence also the Shechemites, feasting in the temple of their god Berith, cursed Abimelech, as it is said in Judges, chapter IX, 27. You will say: God is said here to be about to place Jerusalem in the lintel of gluttony. But God cannot When I was inquiring what this meant, it was answered by the inhabitants of that city, that the strength of athletes in that mass is proved, and no one descends to any contest before it is known from the lifting of the weight, who ought to be compared to whom. The sense therefore is this: I will make Jerusalem to all nations as a very heavy stone to be lifted. They will indeed lift it, and according to the variety of their strength will lay it waste; but it is necessary that while it is lifted, in the very effort and lifting of the weight, the very heavy stone leaves some crack or abrasion in the bodies of those lifting it." This is the stone of burden, burdening and carrying, cutting down and oppressing, of which Ecclesiasticus, chapter VI, 22, makes mention, saying: "As the virtue of a stone of proof shall be in them, and they shall not delay to cast it away," as if to say: Wisdom is a stone of burden, which each one by lifting proves his strength and vigor. Whence the foolish and wicked lift it somewhat, but as soon as they feel its weight, they immediately cast it away. Hence the Greek texts have: As a stone of proof strong shall be in him. Of this stone equally as of athletic lead Jerome Mercurialis makes mention in book II of Gymnastics, chapter XI. Now Theodoret, Remigius and Hugh think Jerusalem was "a stone of burden," when it was conquered by Titus and the Romans. But here the matter concerns the time of Antiochus and the Maccabees, not of Titus and the Romans. For to these Jerusalem was not a stone of burden, but a ball of plunder and joy. I say therefore according to the literal sense that it is signified here that Antiochus and the Greeks with their forces collected from all nations shall besiege Jerusalem, so that they may carry it away as a stone of burden from Judaea into Greece, but by it as by a stone of burden, they shall be broken in pieces and ground down through the Maccabees: for that this happened not once, but often at intervals of time in due order, de Castro demonstrates rightly. For first Ptolemaeus Philopator, when he wished to enter the temple and penetrate into the Holy of Holies, while the priests implored divine aid, nearly died and was overcome by divine force, unless he had been most quickly led out of the temple by his men, as is related in the second book of Maccabees. Heliodorus, sent by King Seleucus to plunder the treasury of the temple, departed scourged, II Maccabees, cap. III. Jason by force entered the city, and perished a fugitive in various places, deprived of the honour of burial. Antiochus Epiphanes plundered the city and temple by himself, I Maccabees, cap. I, and II Maccabees, cap. V; then through Apollonius and Lysias: but the wicked man perished miserably, as is said in I Maccabees, cap. VI, and II Maccabees, cap. IX, begging for mercy from him from whom he was not to obtain it. Alcimus then sent by King Demetrius besieged Jerusalem, I Maccabees, cap. IX, and ordering the inner court and the works of the Prophets to be destroyed, was struck with paralysis, and died grievously tormented. Antiochus Sidetes devastated Judaea, and besieged Jerusalem; but being touched by divine power, he offered sacrifice, and having made a treaty, withdrew, as Josephus relates in lib. XIII Antiq. XV. After these, Pompey of the Romans first subjugated Judaea, entered the adyta of Jerusalem and the temple, and never thereafter prospered in wars, until in the battle of Pharsalus his entire army fell with face turned toward Jerusalem, and he himself fleeing into Egypt was slain. Finally M. Crassus, setting out against the Parthians, plundered the temple of Jerusalem: therefore he was slaughtered by the Parthians with his son and entire army, with gold poured into his mouth, and paid the penalty of his sacrilege, as Josephus relates in lib. XIV Antiq. cap. XIII, and Plutarch in Pompey and Crassus. From which it is clear that for many years the city of Jerusalem was besieged by many kings and leaders, and was liberated by the gift of God, not without their being broken in pieces. The truth is also deduced that all the kingdoms of the earth were gathered together against Jerusalem. Furthermore, Sanchez shrewdly conjectures that the Prophet in this stone of burden looks to the palaestra, which equally as the ephebeia, by the custom of the gentiles, the impious Jason instituted in Jerusalem, in which by bearing a burden and a discus they contended with such great frequency and concourse, "so that the priests hastened to be partakers of the palaestra, and of his unjust provision, and of the discus," II Maccabees, cap. IV. Where note: The discus was a round mass, or globe of iron, lead, or stone, by which young men tested their strength, either by lifting it or throwing it, so that whoever lifted it higher or threw it farther, he won. Whence Pliny calls them discoboli in lib. II, cap. XXXIV, concerning whom Martial in lib. XIV: When the splendid weights of the Spartan discus fly: Be far away, boys, let it once be harmful. Allegorically, the Church is a stone of burden, which the Jews and Gentiles wished to lift, carry away and cast down; but all were broken in pieces and oppressed by it, as is evident in Nero, Decius, Valerian, Julian, etc., but especially in Diocletian and Maximian, who had sworn that they would extirpate the Church of Christ and the faith, or at least lay down the empire. The latter they accomplished, because they could not accomplish the former. Whence each was driven by Constantine, the first Christian emperor, to death and the rope. Anagogically, the Church and Christ shall be a stone of burden, which shall oppress the wicked on the day of judgment, and shall cast them down into Tartarus, concerning which Christ says in Matt. cap. XXI, 44: "Whosoever shall fall upon this stone, shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder," that is to say, Whoever shall resist Christ, whom God has placed in the Church as a cornerstone, namely a stone of burden, and a stone of stumbling, and shall persecute him, shall do so in vain. For he shall bring destruction upon himself in body and soul, yet so that he shall not be utterly ground to powder, but may be repaired through penance: but upon whomsoever this stone shall fall, that is, he upon whom Christ shall have pressed with his heavy vengeance, such as shall be the damned on the day of judgment, for him there shall be no hope left of restoration; just as if a great stone should fall into an earthen vessel, it breaks it into the smallest fragments, so that it can in no way be repaired. Thus St. Augustine in lib. I Quaest. Evang. Quaest. XXX, tom. IV.
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4. I WILL STRIKE EVERY HORSE (namely, the enemy's, such as those of Antiochus and the Greeks through the Maccabees) WITH STUPOR, — that is, unto stupor, so that all who see may be stupefied at so great and so sudden a blow, and the horsemen themselves, seized with stupor and fear, as if turned to madness, know not whither to flee or what they ought to do. Thus St. Jerome, Theodoret and others. AND UPON THE HOUSE OF JUDAH I WILL OPEN MY EYES, — that is, so that I may protect Judaea and the Jews, nay, so that those who through fear of Antiochus have fallen into paganism and, mixed with his forces, fought against their country, may come to their senses, and taking courage may join themselves to the Maccabees and defend their country. Thus we read it happened in I Maccabees, cap. II, 29. Allegorically, as if to say: I will make the Jews who were persecuting the Church see their error and convert to it and propagate it, as happened to St. Paul in Acts IX. Thus St. Jerome. AND EVERY HORSE OF THE PEOPLES I WILL STRIKE WITH BLINDNESS. — It is a catachresis and synecdoche; for by blindness he means the stupor and fear by which the horses, seized with it, as if blind, knew not whither they ought to flee: properly also many of the enemy's horses were struck on the head by the Maccabees and blinded. For in II Maccabees, cap. X, 29, it is said: "There appeared to the adversaries from heaven five men on horses, adorned with golden bridles, leading the Jews: of whom two, having Maccabeus in the midst, and encompassing him with their arms, kept him safe and unharmed: but upon the adversaries they cast darts and lightnings, by which being confounded with blindness and filled with confusion they fell."
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5. AND THE LEADERS OF JUDAH SHALL SAY IN THEIR HEART. — St. Jerome thus expounds it, as if to say: The Jews, from fear of the deserter and with the forces of Antiochus besieging Jerusalem, shall say and pray not aloud, lest they be heard, but in their heart: Lord, strengthen the citizens of Jerusalem, that they may be able to resist these forces of Antiochus; so that thus, conquered together with the enemies whom we were forced to serve, we may conquer together with the citizens whom we love deeply. Secondly and more plainly, as if to say: The Maccabees shall pray to God in their heart, that He strengthen the citizens of Jerusalem, lest they succumb to Antiochus. Thus we read that Judas Maccabeus almost always prayed before battle and implored God's aid, and by it obtained victory. Allegorically, the leaders of Judah are the Apostles, who prayed to God that Jerusalem, that is, the Church, might resist all tyrants bravely even unto death and martyrdom. Thus Albertus and Arias.
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6. I WILL MAKE THE DUKES OF JUDAH AS A FIREPAN, — that is to say, I will make the Maccabees, and mystically the Apostles, like fire to lay waste all things round about, to overcome, to subdue and to convert to themselves. See the deeds of Judas, Jonathan and Simon in the book of Maccabees. This was made manifest in the Apostles at Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit sat upon them in the appearance of fiery tongues: whence immediately by their fiery eloquence they converted many thousands of men, and gradually the whole world to Christ. Thus St. Jerome, Remigius, Albert and others. AND AS A FIREBRAND IN HAY. — Thus the Roman version. Others for firebrand read bundle; others, firebrand, and thus translate the Septuagint, the Chaldean, Pagninus, Vatablus and others. For this is what the Hebrew lappid signifies, namely a lamp and a firebrand. All things come to the same meaning: for a firebrand is fire, burning and consuming most swiftly the hay into which it is cast. And Jerusalem shall be inhabited, — that is to say, Jerusalem, previously emptied of citizens, fugitives on account of fear of Antiochus, by the virtue of the Maccabees, shall be filled with them again, so that in it as before they shall dwell peacefully, numerous and wealthy, as is evident from I Maccabees cap. XIV, 4; and this almost until the time of Christ, who shall enrich and adorn it with other inhabitants, heavenly and divine, namely the Apostles and the early Christians. Note the Hebrew pleonasm, when the Prophet says: "Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in its place in Jerusalem;" for it is redundant, the in Jerusalem. For he wishes to say nothing else than that Jerusalem is to be built and inhabited not in another, but in the same place as before: and in order to signify that this shall happen plainly, fully and certainly, he adds in Jerusalem. For many cities that were destroyed were afterwards built not in the same, but in another nearby place, as New Tyre: for old Tyre is called Palaetyrus, and is at some distance from New Tyre. Thus modern Rome is different from the ancient. Thus also Tusculum: indeed modern Jerusalem is in another place than ancient Jerusalem was; for Mount Calvary, which once was outside the city, is now in the very midst of the city. Therefore Zechariah predicts that Jerusalem under the Maccabees is to be restored, frequented and magnified in precisely the same place as before. Allegorically, Jerusalem is the Church of Christ, which although it has been agitated by the most grievous persecutions, and as it were driven from its seats, has nevertheless always stood in its place, indeed has settled itself more firmly and more abundantly in the same place, for example our Jerusalem is Rome, from which although almost all emperors, for nearly three hundred years, strove to uproot the pontiffs and Christians, and therefore slew hundreds of thousands of martyrs with the most exquisite torments, they nevertheless always persisted in it, indeed grew in number and strength, until at length they came to rule not only over the whole city, but also over the whole world. Whence St. Ambrose in cap. IX of the epistle to the Romans reads: I will make Jerusalem in all nations; "because, he says, everywhere there were to be (through Christ) sons of God, and the house of God in all places, which is the Church."
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7. THE LORD SHALL SAVE THE TABERNACLES OF JUDA. — This is a prolepsis, or anticipation of an objection. For it meets a tacit objection: How shall Jerusalem and Juda remain safe amid so many enemies? And he answers that this will come about not by their own strength, but by God's power. For God shall save them and their houses, even the rustic ones, which he therefore calls tabernacles, especially because the Hebrews in ancient times dwelt in the desert in no other dwellings than tabernacles. Allegorically, "tabernacles" are particular Churches, to which, although in former times Christians dared to gather scarcely and only by night, and few in number, out of fear of persecutions, God nevertheless preserved them, indeed increased and enlarged them; just as of old "in the beginning" the Synagogues, namely in the desert, the antitypes of the Hebrew tabernacles, God preserved unharmed from enemies, as well as from heat, rains and storms. THAT THE HOUSE OF DAVID MAY NOT GLORY MAGNIFICENTLY, — that is to say, Lest the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and especially the descendants of David, glory that they themselves by their own strength have defended both themselves and the Jews dwelling in neighboring towns and villages against Antiochus and other enemies; behold, I say and decree that I shall save both the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the other Jews. Let all therefore submit themselves to me, and let them acknowledge their salvation as received from me; for I shall give to the Maccabees strength and courage, by which a few, fighting against the greatest armies, shall strike them down and rout them. This was professed by Judas Maccabaeus, II Maccabees, chapter VIII, 18, and elsewhere; and thus he obtained miraculous victories from God. Note: "The house of David" are called the descendants of David and their families, which shall be very many and most noble in Jerusalem. Again, "the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem," by hypallage are called the citizens dwelling gloriously in Jerusalem: "For glorious things are said of thee, O city of God," Psalm LXXXVI, 2. But Juda are called the other Jews who dwelt around Jerusalem in villages and cities. A similar hypallage is found in the Poet, when he says: "Commit the ship to the winds," for commit the winds to the ship. And: "The pipe blew the cheeks," for the cheeks blew the pipe. Allegorically, "the house of David" are the Apostles and similar princes of the Church: "the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem" are doctors, and men religious and illustrious in holiness: these indeed are the glory of the Church. These also cannot glory against Juda, that is the people and faithful multitude, as if they themselves had protected it by their own strength, when this is the work of God and His grace. Thus Albert, Hugh and Vatablus. Tropologically, Clarius says: The house, he says, of David and the glory of Jerusalem are kings, princes, nobles and the rich. These cannot glory against Juda, that is the people of the faithful, as if they themselves by their nobility, power, riches, obtain faith and a more worthy place in the Church, when this is the work of mere grace of Christ, which in Christianity makes equal the ignoble with the noble, the poor with the rich. For, as the Apostle teaches, in Christ Jesus there is neither Jew nor Greek: neither slave nor free: neither rich nor poor; but all are one, namely a new creature of God, indeed in Christianity the poor hold the first and principal parts, both because Christ preached to the poor, Luke chapter IV, 18, and preached the poor blessed: and because He constituted the poor Apostles as the leaders of His kingdom, through whom He converted kings and princes, according to that I Corinthians I, 26 and 27: "Consider your calling, brethren, that not many of you are wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble: but the foolish things of the world hath God chosen, that he may confound the wise: and the weak things of the world hath God chosen, that he may confound the strong," etc. And James chapter II, 5: "Hath not God chosen the poor in this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which God hath promised to them that love Him?" Finally, the rich and noble have greater obstacles to humility and Christian virtue than the poor: for honors puff up, riches and delights enervate the mind; wherefore they have need of greater grace of Christ, by which to break these bonds, than the poor. Wherefore on account of the greater grace shown to them, they are held to render greater thanks to Christ.
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8. He that shall stumble among them. — Zurich: He that shall strike against. For the Hebrew word cashal signifies to strike against, or to stumble upon something, for example a stone, and from this to fall and to be weakened. Whence the Septuagint, the Chaldean and Pagninus translate: He that shall be weak among them; Vatablus: He that shall be feeble, shall be as David; Arabic: As he who belongs to David, namely. Now the sense is, as if he should say: The Maccabees and their associates, who seemed few and weak, by the aid of God shall become strong warriors like David, who, although he was a youth and almost a boy, nevertheless slew a lion, a bear and Goliath the giant: nay, those of them who shall stumble, when through fear of Antiochus they shall fall away from Judaism to paganism, these, seeing the courage and victories of Judas and his brothers, shall do penance with David who fell into murder and adultery, shall recover their faith, and with faith shall take on new courage and strength like David. That this happened thus is related by the books of the Maccabees. Thus St. Jerome, Theodoret and others at the beginning of the cited chapter. Allegorically, this is more truly in the Church, where the weak, nay even women, children and girls by the grace of Christ become so strong that they overcome the world, the flesh, the devil, executioners, fires, beasts, and all torments, as appeared in St. Agnes, Cecilia, Dorothy, Lucy, Pancras, Vitus, Celsus, and appears daily. Again, those who have fallen into some sin, touched by God rise up stronger, like David doing penance, as appeared in Saints Peter, Paul, Matthew, Magdalen, Pelagia and many others. Thus St. Gregory in homily 20 on Ezekiel, Albert, Hugh and Lyran here. Otherwise Arias, as if to say: Infinite saints of the new law could be compared with the greatest saints of the old law, such as David was. This therefore is a great consolation to the saints of Christ, that he himself chooses the weak things of the world, and so strengthens them that he confounds the strong; for his virtue is made perfect in our infirmity, II Corinthians chapter XII, 9. Whoever therefore is weak, either by age, or by sex, or by health, or by spirit, let him say with St. Paul: "I can do all things in him who strengtheneth me." to his brothers, although sprung from Levi, not from Judah and David, is called the house of David; because the house of David and the whole commonwealth of the Jews chose him for their head and leader. He therefore succeeded David in the principate, and in the rule of his house, tribe and people of Judah. He alludes to the house of the mighty men of David: for David, because he was warlike and was engaged in continual wars; hence he likewise had soldiers and leaders, or by exercising made them most warlike, among whom stood out thirty-seven who in II Kings chapter XXIII, 8 and following are enumerated, and are called "the mighty men of David," of whom the first three and most mighty were Jesbaam, that is sitting in the chair, Eleazar and Semma, of whom it is said: "Up to the three first none reached." Whence Adrichomius in the Description of Jerusalem depicts the house of the mighty men of David, in which those heroes of David dwelt: where also as in a gymnasium athletes and boxers for the sake of exercise contended in combat, and he cites for this matter Nehemiah chapter III, 16, and there Lyran. The sense therefore is, as if to say: The house of David, that is the posterity and followers of David, namely the Maccabees, shall be so warlike and strong that they shall equal in strength the house and company of the mighty men of David, and so his three first and mightiest, nay even surpass them. Allegorically, David is Christ: he is mighty as the angel of great counsel, nay as God; because he was truly God, equally as man. The house and family of Christ were the Apostles and apostolic men, whom he himself constituted princes of his Church, which is the house of God, and made them so valiant that they seemed rather angels, or gods than men, especially because they lived the life of angels on earth, and as it were were angels mediating between God and men. Thus Vatablus, Ribera and others cited a little before. AND THE HOUSE OF DAVID SHALL BE AS GOD. — The Hebrew word Elohim, which you may take either in the nominative or in the genitive case. In the nominative case Vatablus, Pagninus, the Syriac and the Antiochene Arabic versions take it, when they translate: The house of David shall be as God, which the Prophet explains when he adds: As the angel of the Lord, that is to say, The house of David shall be strong like the angel of God. For the Hebrew word Elohim signifies not only God, but also angels, heroes, leaders and princes. Whence the Chaldean version translates: The house of David shall act like heroes prosperously, as if the angel of the Lord were in their sight; but the Septuagint, the Arabic, the Alexandrian and our version take Elohim in the genitive: The house of David shall be as the house of God, namely because it shall be strong as an angel, which is of the house of God. And thus either sense, and either version comes to the same thing. It signifies that the princes of Judah (for these were of the house and posterity of David) shall be most mighty, so that they have not human but divine strength, and like angels shall easily rout the armies of Antiochus and all men. The sense therefore of the whole verse is this: Under the Maccabees the timid and weak people, by the aid of God shall become so strong that it may be compared to David the mighty warrior: but the princes not only with David, but also with angels in strength, leadership, providence and government shall be able to be compared. Thus it came to pass: for Judas, Jonathan, Simon surpassed David in strength and victories, and so much so did they fight and conquer with the aid and leadership of angels. For the angels hurled darts and thunderbolts at their enemies, as is related in II Maccabees, chapter X, 30. And in chapter XV, 16 it is said that Jeremiah appeared and gave Judas a golden sword, saying: "Take this holy sword, a gift from God, by which thou shalt strike down the adversaries of my people Israel." From that time he himself and his followers became as the house of God, that is as a divine refuge, to which all the Jews afflicted by enemies, as to a sure anchor of salvation, might flee, and in them as in angels sent for salvation might trust; nay, even the Gentiles, such as the Spartans and Romans, sought their friendship, as is evident from I Maccabees, chapter XII, 1, and chapter XIV, 17. Thus Theodoret. Moreover, when Judas Tropologically, the house of David is religion, in which like David all sing praises and praise God, and therefore they become strong in spirit to overcome all difficulties, as David did. Hence the same is the house of God, in which the religious live as angels; for both are of the house of God, because they stand before God and are messengers of God, and they lead the camp of the people, as brave soldiers and leaders. Add that they are familiar with angels, and are ruled by them, according to that word in Exodus, chapter XXIII: "My angel shall go before thee, and shall bring thee in to the Amorrhite." Finally, St. Gregory in homily 20 on Ezekiel, by the house of David understands the house of the penitent: "This," he says, "is the day of mercy, which has been promised to us from the coming of our Redeemer. Whosoever therefore shall offend, shall be as David: because the sinner returns to penance. But the house of David as the house of God: because each one returning to justice becomes the dwelling place of his Creator, so that he may be as an angel in his sight: because the bowels of mercy which he has experienced in himself, announcing to others he distributes."
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9. I WILL SEEK TO DESTROY. — In Hebrew lehasmid, that is to destroy, that is to say, I will strive that the Greeks and other nations, which shall attack Jerusalem, shall be destroyed and dispersed by the Maccabees and their descendants, and that Jerusalem shall enjoy continuous peace as it were until Christ, who as a new Solomon the son of peace, nay rather the father of peace, shall bring full and divine peace to the world. Thus Theodoret. Note, when it says all nations, it is to be understood of the nations neighboring and subject to the Greeks, or confederated with them. For, as St. Jerome says in Isaiah, chapter XIII, it is the idiom of Holy Scripture to understand by all nations, or all the earth, the provinces thereof, of which the discourse is made. Allegorically, that is to say, God shall destroy all emperors and nations, which shall persecute the Church, nay he shall subject them to the Church and make them faithful, as it is evident that God has done in fact, from the Histories of Eusebius, Socrates, Sozomen, Baronius and others. Thus St. Jerome, Albert, Remigius and Vatablus. Otherwise Arias, who by nations understands the troops of demons attacking Christ and the Church of Christ, all of which Christ has broken.
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10. AND I WILL POUR OUT UPON THE HOUSE OF DAVID. — Here the Prophet rises in his customary manner to Christ, and promises that He Himself will pour out upon Jerusalem, namely upon the Jews who believe in Him, that is upon the primitive Church, which began in Jerusalem and Judaea, and was formed from the Jews, the spirit of grace and of prayers. For grace in Hebrew is chen, which signifies the grace by which certain ones are gracious and lovable. Whence in Scripture it is said so many times: I have found, or I shall find grace in thy sight, that is, I am pleasing, acceptable, lovable to thee. God therefore here promises that through Christ He will pour out upon the faithful the spirit of grace, that is the spirit which through infused grace makes them gracious to God, and makes them gracious and lovable to themselves and to the angels, according to that in Ephesians I, 5: "He predestinated us unto the adoption of children through Jesus Christ, etc., unto the praise of the glory of His grace, in which He hath graced us in His beloved Son." Thus St. Jerome, Theodoret, Remigius and others everywhere. Secondly, the Chaldean and Arias for chen do not badly translate compassion, by which we suffer with the miserable, especially the innocent, such as Christ pierced, of whom verse 10 speaks. Whence thus with the Chaldean thou mayest translate: I will pour out upon the house of David, etc., the spirit of mercy and compassions; or with Arias, the spirit of compassion and supplication, which for the most part proceeds from the thought and feeling of compassion. For supplication is the indication of a merciful mind through voice, weeping and lamentation. AND OF PRAYERS. — In Hebrew tachanunim, which the Septuagint translates as mercy; the Chaldean, compassions; Clarius, propitiation. For the root chanan signifies to have mercy, and from it to pray: for misery excites prayers, by which we relieve it. Whence Our author translates it, of prayers. Now St. Jerome, Remigius, Albert, Vatablus and others everywhere hold that here is generally predicted the mission of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and the faithful at Pentecost and thereafter. Where note two principal effects of the Holy Spirit: the former, that He gives us grace, by which we are pleasing to God; the latter, that He gives us the spirit of prayer and supplications, through which we heal all our infirmities and miseries, and obtain from God all the good things of which we have need; according to that in Romans cap. VIII, 26: "The Spirit helpeth our infirmity; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit Himself asketh for us with groanings that cannot be uttered." Great therefore is the gift of God and of the Holy Spirit, the gift of prayer. Secondly and more strictly, and more aptly and connectedly to what follows, Arias and a Castro hold that the spirit of grace and of prayers is here called that which God cast into the hearts of the Jerusalemites, when they saw Christ crucified on the cross, namely that they should look upon Him with eyes, not fierce and cruel, but kind, gracious and compassionate, and from this should burst forth into tears and prayers, wishing that God would have mercy on Christ the innocent, and suffering such dire things. For spirit in Scripture signifies the impulse and vehemence of the mind, for example to love and to have compassion, if it be a spirit of compassion, as it is here. That this is the sense is evident from the Hebrew, where these words depend on what follows: "And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for an only begotten." For this compassion of theirs was the beginning of faith and conversion to Christ, and of the propagation of the Church. For God on account of this their compassion for Christ, gave them faith, grace and salvation through Christ. In a similar way, moved by the sight of Christ crucified, and converted to a perfect life, was St. Elizabeth, daughter of the king of Hungary, and very many others, as I shall show presently. Wherefore less correctly according to the letter do some hold that this spirit of grace and of prayers is here promised to the Maccabees, as we know it was given to Judas Maccabeus. Again Mariana takes this spirit of grace and of compassion passively, as if to say: I will make it so that my faithful are pleasing to all, so that all may have compassion on them, and bring them aid. Morally, learn here that the gift of prayer and supplication is a great gift of God: for prayer is a heavenly pipe, through which we suck from God through the merits of Christ all grace, as it were manna. In this excelled St. Bernard, St. Dominic, St. Francis, St. Thomas Aquinas (who professed that he obtained his wisdom and learning by praying rather than by studying), St. Francis Xavier and others, who relying on this undertook and accomplished difficult things, and so requested nothing from God which they did not obtain. To this disposes and leads great confidence in God, which is born from deep consideration both of the goodness of God and of the merits of Christ. For what would the most benign God deny to his friends, who lavish their lives and all things for him? What would he refuse to those presenting the blood of Christ, his sorrows and most bitter death, and through them supplicating him? Hence faith working miracles, the worker of miracles, and the raiser of the dead, nay even of the damned, or certainly of those about to be damned. Do you wish examples? Take a few from many. St. Elizabeth by her prayers converted a vain youth and impelled him to religion, so that while she was praying the youth cried out: "Cease, O lady, cease, for by the vast fire of your supplication my heart and even my very marrow are consumed, so that I faint and die." Thus her Life has it. In the year of the Lord 959, the English Church obtained perfect peace, King Edwin having died, and Edgar succeeding to the monarchy of the whole kingdom. Moreover, by the prayers of St. Dunstan, whom he had afflicted, his soul was snatched away, as Osbert the monk thus narrates: "Meanwhile Edwin was taken from this present life, and his soul, while Dunstan was occupied in prayers, was swiftly presented by certain most terrible men. Taking pity on his misery, unmindful of his own injuries, he poured out immense showers of tears to almighty God for his liberation, nor did he cease from them until he knew himself to be heard for him. Therefore, after no great interval, those Moors returned to Dunstan empty of their prey. And because they had come in vain to avenge their injuries, they uttered slanderous voices; he, weighing nothing of their rages, gave thanks to God for his ineffable mercy." Thus Osbert has it in the Life of St. Dunstan, and from him Baronius in the year of Christ 959. Sophronius in the Spiritual Meadow, chapter XLIV, narrates of a certain old man, whose negligent disciple died. Being therefore saddened, he prayed and said: Lord Jesus Christ, our true God, reveal to me what is concerning the soul of the brother. And he beheld in an excess of mind a river of fire, and a great multitude in that very fire, and that brother in the middle submerged up to the middle. Then the elder said to him: "Did I not pray you on account of this punishment, that you take care of the soul, my son?" The brother answered, and said to the elder: "I give thanks to God, Father, that even my head has rest. For by your prayers I stand above the head of the bishop." In the year 920, Sisinandus, the fourth bishop of Compostela, yielded to fate, whose fame of sanctity was so great that John the Pope (I think the tenth) commended himself by letters and his own messenger to his prayers. He died worn out by old age. At his death voices of angels singing were heard: "Come, elect of God, enter into the joy of your Lord." Gundesindus V, bishop of Compostela, and son of a certain count, succeeded him: but he, being more devoted to the world than to God, is said to have closed his life without a sufficiently pious end. Concerning which matter his mother, a pious matron, worn out by grave sorrow, and greatly anxious about the soul of her son, before the altar of the most blessed Apostle James did not cease day and night to implore divine mercy, and by tears, prayers, fastings, and alms sought to merit it for herself, with the intercession of St. James interposed, until one night in the temple of that same apostle she heard this voice: "Know that your son this night has been admitted to the society of the elect." Thus John Vasaeus has it in the Chronicle of Spain, at the year 920. AND THEY SHALL LOOK UPON ME WHOM THEY HAVE PIERCED. — The foolish Jews understand this from the Chaldean in reference to some Christ, a son of Joseph, whom they fable to have fallen in war, or to Judas Maccabaeus slain by enemies. For the word "me" signifies here that God speaks: in Hebrew it is "they have pierced through," that is, they have pierced through, they have transfixed, they have pierced, namely the unfaithful and impious Jews, the head of Christ with thorns, his hands and feet with nails, his side with a lance on the cross. That this is a prophecy and discourse concerning Christ transfixed on the cross, St. John teaches and interprets in chapter XIX, 37, where, after he had narrated that the soldiers did not break the legs of Christ, because they saw that he was already dead: "but one of the soldiers, he says, opened his side with a lance. And these things were done that the Scripture might be fulfilled: You shall not break a bone of him. And again another Scripture says: They shall look upon him whom they have pierced." Thus St. Jerome, Theodoret, Cyril and all other interpreters, both Greek and Latin; indeed even the ancient Hebrews according to Galatinus, book VIII, chapter XVII. He speaks of the Jews who beheld Christ on the cross, especially those who were moved with compassion and pity for him, as I said a little before, and Alcazar proves at length and correctly in Apocalypse I, 7, note 6, such as was the Centurion and his companions, who "seeing the earthquake and the things that were done, feared greatly, saying: Indeed this was the Son of God," Matthew XXVII, 54. Moreover, that there were many such, indeed very many, Luke signifies in chapter XXIII, 48, saying: "And the whole multitude of them that were come together to that sight, and saw the things that were done, striking their breasts returned." Thus Arias, a Castro, Salmeron volume X, tract. 48, at the end, and Alcazar in the place already cited. For "pierced" the Septuagint translates "mocked," because for dakaru by metathesis they read rakadu, that is, they danced, they mocked. Thus St. Jerome. Symbolically, Cyril and Eusebius in book VIII of the Demonstration, chapter IV, adapt these words to the Jews in the destruction by Titus, namely to those who recognized that the cause of the destruction was that their fathers had crucified Christ, and therefore were converted to Christ. For the rest attributed the cause of the destruction not to the slaying of Christ, whom they did not recognize, indeed denied to be the Messiah, but to seditions and mutual slaughters, and other sins of the Jews, as is evident from Josephus, book VI of the Wars, chapter XVI. Anagogically, this will be fulfilled on the day of judgment, when the Jews and other impious, who here were unwilling to acknowledge Christ, will acknowledge him unwillingly: for they will be damned because they pierced him, or were forgetful and ungrateful for his piercing and passion through their crimes, and therefore will mourn. Thus St. John explains it in Apocalypse I, 7: "Behold, he says, he comes with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also that pierced him. And all the tribes of the earth shall bewail themselves because of him." See the words there. Indeed many think this to be the literal sense, as Theodoret, Remigius, Lyra here, and St. Augustine in book XX of the City of God, XXX, Suarez, III part, volume II, disputation LVII, section IX, Jansenius in the Harmony of the Gospels, chapter I, 44, Toletus on John XXIX, 37, who from this place prove that the marks of the crucifixion and passion remained in the body of Christ after the resurrection, and are to be seen by the impious on the day of judgment. But from what has been said it is evident that this sense is rather anagogical. To this also Christ alluded in Matthew XXIV, 30, saying: "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man (namely the cross, with nails, lance, etc.) in heaven, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn," etc. Finally, some extend this very thing to the particular judgment of each man. Thus Pope Innocent in his book On the Misery of the Human Condition, and from him Ludolphus, vol. III On the Life of Christ, cap. XLVI, hold that each man at death sees Christ placed upon the cross: the wicked, to their confusion, so that they may be ashamed that they are not redeemed by the blood of Christ, their guilt requiring this; and this is what is said here by Zechariah: "They shall look upon me, whom they have pierced;" but the good see Christ to their exultation. And they prove this from I Thess. III, 13: "At the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ," that is, they say, at the day of death, when Christ placed upon the cross appears to both good and evil. And from Apoc. III, 3: "I will come to thee as a thief." But these are weak and uncertain, and therefore it seems rash to assert them, as Dionysius the Carthusian rightly says in his dialogue On Particular Judgment, art. 2 and 11. In the universal judgment, however, Christ will appear, not crucified, but with the cross and the scars of the five wounds, as I have already said. Wherefore Christ performs the particular judgment of each, either by himself, or through angels. By himself, not by descending from heaven (for thus at any hour, namely when many die throughout the world, he would have to descend from heaven, and replicate himself many times, so as to judge those who die at the same instant in various places and provinces), but through mental speech, by which, remaining in the empyrean heaven, he speaks to the soul dying on earth, revealing to it its deeds, and pronouncing the sentence of life or eternal death. For thus do angels speak to one another, even if they are very far distant from each other. Or certainly he exercises particular judgment through angels: for they are his ministering spirits, as the Apostle says in Hebrews I. Whence Bartholomaeus Sibylla, a doctor of Sacred Theology of the Order of St. Dominic, in his Mirror of Pilgrim Questions, decade I, cap. II, Question IX, holds that Christ exercises this judgment through the guardian angel of each, so that he then leads him according to his merits either to purgatory, or to heaven, or delivers him to a demon, so that he may snatch him away to hell. For this seems to pertain to the guardianship of the angel, and to be his final act. AND THEY SHALL MOURN — not so much their own sorrows, as the wicked will do on the day of judgment, but the unworthy death of Christ. For he says: "They shall mourn him," namely him unjustly crucified and slain, "with mourning as over an only-begotten, as is customary to grieve at the death of a firstborn." For Christ is "the firstborn of every creature," Coloss. I, 15, "like the mourning of Adadremmon in the field of Mageddon," that is, as the Jews once mourned King Josiah, an excellent king, slain by the Pharaoh in the field of Mageddo, whose son and antitype was Christ slain in Jerusalem by the Jews. Thus St. Jerome. "When the Lord Savior is crucified," he says, "the mourning will be renewed in Jerusalem, men separated from women, because in the time of mourning we ought not to serve conjugal duties and the work of marriage." He proves this from Joel II, 16: "Let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, and the bride from her bridal chamber." And he adds: "This is done not only in time of distress, but also in time of prayer, when we wish to beseech God. Therefore now the house of David, and the tribe of the house of Nathan, and the tribe of the house of Semei are separated from their wives, so that they may mourn the Lord." He speaks literally of the mourning of the faithful at the death of Christ, as I showed a little before. Symbolically, you may rightly understand this mourning, both that with which the faithful mourned, partly from penance and the joy of their conversion, by which they had received the Holy Spirit of Christ; partly on account of the various persecutions which they suffered for Christ's sake at first from Jews and Gentiles; indeed St. Jerome, Remigius, Albert and Alcazar in the place already cited hold that he understands this literally here; and also that with which the faithful, especially in Holy Week (in which God pours out upon the faithful and pious this spirit of grace and prayers or compassion), yearly commemorate and mourn the passion of Christ, while they think that by their sins they have crucified Christ, and therefore do penance, and undertake an austere life, subdue their appetites, and strive for mortification, as religious do. For these truly suffer with Christ, while on account of the remembrance, veneration, love and imitation of Christ, they carry about in their flesh the mortification of Jesus, as the Apostle says, and thus as it were pay a just debt to Christ crucified for them, and do honor to him. For they truly say and mourn that which is in Lam. IV, 20, and cap. V, 16: "The Spirit of our mouth, Christ the Lord, was taken in our sins. The crown of our head is fallen: woe to us, because we have sinned." Moreover, this lamentation is at Adadremmon, that is, in gardens of pomegranates: for such are religions and monasteries, in which discipline and charity flourish, whose care pertains to the Bride of Christ, according to that in Canticles VI, 10: "I went down into my garden, to see the fruits of the valleys, and to observe whether the vineyard had flourished, and the pomegranates budded." And cap. VII, 12: "Let us rise early to the vineyards, and see, etc., if the pomegranates have flowered." Hence separately the men mourn in monasteries of men, separately the women in monasteries of women, performing penance of the religious life. Moreover, the houses of David, Nathan, Levi and Semei mourn most greatly, which were related to Christ, that is, which by piety and charity approach Christ most closely. Whence David is expounded as beloved, Nathan as given, Levi as joined, Semei as obedient. This is from Alcazar, with whom agree Isidore, Clarius, Vatablus and Dionysius. Thus Abbot Stephen in the Spiritual Meadow, cap. LXIV, three elders discoursing about the salvation of the soul: "I," he says, "day and night behold nothing else than our Lord Jesus Christ hanging on the wood." Thus St. Elzearius, count of Ariano, always gazing upon the Crucified, was moved by no injury, no affliction, no trouble to anger or impatience, but bore all things calmly with unmoved countenance and unconquered patience. And when his wife Delphina marveled at this apathy and sought the cause, he answered: "I will explain to you the secret of my heart. Know that I sometimes feel some indignation in my mind against those who molest me, but immediately I turn myself to thinking of the injuries inflicted on Christ, and desiring to imitate him I say to myself: Even if my servants were to pluck out your beard and strike you with blows, it would be nothing compared to your Lord, who suffered greater things; and be assured, Delphina, that I never cease from commemorating the injuries of my Savior, until my mind is fully tranquillized." By this means no disturbance or commotion could prevail over him. Thomas of Cantimpré in book II of the Bees, cap. XXV, part V, recounts a certain martyr captured by a pagan tyrant, who always went about groaning; and when the tyrant sought the cause of his sadness, he answered: "I always go about sad, because mindful of the death of my God, I continually bear in my heart the stigmata of his passion." Whence the tyrant, indignant, ordered his heart to be torn out and dissected, in which he found the image of Christ crucified; moved by which, he turned to Christ and was baptized. The same image of Christ crucified was found in the heart of St. Clare of Montefalco, as an eyewitness, Thomas Bosius, recounts in book XV On the Signs of the Church, cap. III, tom. II. The sacred stigmata of St. Francis, impressed by Christ crucified, whom he continually beheld, are well known. St. Lydwina continually dwelt in the wounds of Christ, as in the holes of a rock, like a dove nesting, as her Life has it with Surius, cap. VII, on the 14th of April. St. Clare, disciple of St. Francis, did the same, as her Life has it, cap. XX, with Surius, on the 12th of August, and her follower St. Coleta, as in her Life the contemporary Stephen of Juliers recounts. St. Hedwig, duchess of Poland, did the same, as her Life has it, cap. V, with Surius, on the 15th of October. And St. Bridget, as her Life has it, cap. V, and Gertrude, Mechtild, and Catherine with Blosius the abbot in the Spiritual Ornament, cap. II. Finally St. Elizabeth, daughter of the king of Hungary, when one day she entered the church in royal ornament and retinue, as soon as she saw the cross and Christ hanging upon it, began to dissolve in tears and was tormented by the keenest sorrow, thinking and saying to herself: "My God and Savior dies on the gallows; I shine with gems, gold and purple: he wears a crown of thorns; I wear a golden one: he is among robbers, enemies and mockers; I am surrounded by a crowd of servants honoring me." Wherefore, since she on this account called herself unhappy, wretched, and almost damned, because she so poorly imitated her Creator, she fell from her seat to the ground, and scarcely recovering herself, determined to change her life and to imitate the humility and cross of Christ, which she indeed accomplished. Thus her Life has it, and Jerome Platus in the book On the Dignity of Cardinals, cap. XVII. Moreover, Zacharias teaches here that among the various affections which we are able to draw forth from meditation on the passion of Christ, such as admiration, love, gratitude, compunction, fear, penance, imitation, patience, joy, hope, etc., the affection of compassion should be preeminent, and that we ought properly to have it toward Christ suffering for us. For who would not with inmost feeling sympathize with Christ innocent and holy, indeed the only-begotten Son of God, when he beholds him fixed upon the cross, suffering so much and so great things so lovingly for himself? Who would not groan from commiseration and flow with tears? Truly St. Bonaventura in the Goad of Divine Love: What, he says, could be more fruitful, what more sweet, than to sympathize with all one's heart with the most bitter passion of Jesus Christ our Lord? See the same author, and our Francis Arias, lib. On Mental Prayer, cap. XII. Wherefore St. Clare, disciple of St. Francis, commanded the nuns of her Order to bewail frequently the death of Christ, as her Life relates. They shall mourn him,—He passes from the first person to the third, namely from me to him. Hence Sanchez thinks the Prophet, after being caught up to Christ and his wounds with which he is fixed, immediately returns and flies back to the Maccabees, of whom he has treated throughout the chapter, as if to say: In the persecution which the Jewish people will endure most grievously from Antiochus, all the pious will mourn over him, namely the people just mentioned: for that all mourned then is evident from II Maccabees I. But in the preceding verses there has been mention not of devastation, but of the strength and victories of the Maccabees. Add that this rapture seems too sudden and insolent. Yet I do not deny that allusion is made to it. Secondly, Alcazar in the place cited thinks that "me" is to be referred to the eternal Father: for he is accustomed to speak of himself in his own person, that is in the first person in Scripture; but that "him" is to be referred to the Son, as if to say: They shall look upon me, the eternal Father, whom they have pierced; because a wound was inflicted upon me, which they inflicted upon Christ my most beloved Son, according to that in Malachi cap. III, 8: "If a man shall wound God, because you wound me?" Wherefore I will cause them to mourn him. Thirdly, others more simply think it to be a Hebrew enallage: for the Hebrews often change persons, and speak of themselves now in the first person, now in the third. Or more easily you might say that up to this point Christ has spoken of himself in the first person, but now the Prophet speaks of Christ, and therefore speaks of him in the third person. For the Prophet exaggerates what Christ had said in few words and shows how great the mourning of all will be over his piercing on the cross. The Septuagint translates: They shall mourn over themselves, which the following St. John in the Apocalypse I, 7: "They shall mourn, he says, over him all the tribes of the earth;" because on the day of judgment the wicked will mourn over themselves, in that they either procured the death of Christ or were ungrateful to him: concerning which more at the end of the chapter.
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First, "Adadremmon" was a city near Jezreel, which was afterwards called Maximianopolis, situated in the plain of Megiddo, where Josias king of Juda was slain by Pharao Nechao, whose death was mourned by Jeremias and all Israel, II Paralipomenon XXXV, that is to say: In the crucifixion and death of Christ there will be the greatest lamentation of the faithful, such as was made at the slaughter of Josias, the best of kings, who was the great-grandfather and type of Christ. Thus St. Jerome, Remigius, Albert and others. This city appears to have been so named from the abundance of pomegranates. For Remmon in Hebrew is the same as pomegranate, hadad, or as the Chaldean reads it, habar, that is, what is ornament. This city was therefore called most pleasant Adadremmon, that is, the ornament of pomegranates. Whence the Arabic and Syriac versions render it: As the lamentation over the son of Amon (that is, over Josias: for Josias was the son of Amon, Matthew I, 10) in the plain of Megiddo. Second, the Septuagint, after its custom of interpreting proper names from their etymology, for Remmon render pomegranate, or pomegranate-tree; for Megiddo, they render, cut down. Thus they have it: As the lamentation of the pomegranate, or rather, of the pomegranate-grove, which is cut down in the plain. Where St. Jerome rightly notes that the Greek rhoonos (for thus it should be read in the Septuagint, not rhoon, as the Complutensian reads it, meaning pomegranates) does not signify pomegranate, but pomegranate-grove, that is, a place planted with pomegranates. Now St. Cyril thus explains the version of the Septuagint, that is to say: In the death of Christ there will be a lamentation similar to the lamentation of the husbandman, when a pomegranate tree with its fruits is cut down. The tree is suavons (that is, beautifully flowering), and sending forth frequent branches from the root, straight and tall, which when adorned with its pomegranates causes admiration, that is to say: Just as the master grieves greatly when the pomegranate-grove is cut down, since he had his delights in it, especially when it is adorned with purple flowers like little cups, or with pomegranates glowing red (as we see the delights of the Romans to be in pomegranate-groves); so all the pious will grieve exceedingly at the death of Christ. He uses the similitude of pomegranates rather than other fruits, because pomegranates when pressed pour forth a blood-red juice, which is both pleasant and healthful, which represents the blood of Josias and Christ, by which the world was saved. Whence the Bride in the Canticle VIII, 2: "I will give thee a cup of wine mingled, and the new wine of my pomegranates." Cyril adds that by the pomegranate are signified the nobles of the commonwealth; but Theodoret thus explains the Septuagint: As, he says, woodcutters cutting down a very great pomegranate tree make a great noise; so their lamentations will resound in the ears of all. Moreover, the pomegranate is a type of charity: for it has seeds most densely and closely packed together, like the grapes of a bunch, and thus appears to be a bunch of a fruit, just as a cluster is a bunch of a vine: for in its rind it is a fruit, but in its seeds it is a bunch and cluster. Add that the crimson or purple color of the pomegranate and of its flower is the symbol of love. This concerning the version of the Septuagint, from which some think that in the death of Josias a pomegranate-grove was cut down, according to which he himself was slain, called Adadremmon, and therefore mention is made of it here, because it brings in a twofold cause and similitude of lamentation, one from the death of Josias, the other from the cutting down of the pomegranate-grove. Third, the Chaldean thinks that two mournful slaughters are here signified, namely of Achab and Josias, and the similitude is drawn from both. For thus he renders it: As the lamentation of Achab son of Amri, whom Hader Remmon (Benadad) son of Tabremon (king of Syria, as appears from III Kings XV, 18, and chapter XXII, 34) slew in Ramoth Galaad: and as the lamentation of Josias son of Amon, whom Pharan the lame slew in the plain of Megiddo. But Achab was an impious king: whence at his death there was no great lamentation, and if there had been, Scripture would not use it, nor would it compare the lamentation at the death of Christ to it. Wherefore Castro suspects that Adad was some celebrated man, a citizen of Remmon, slain in Megiddo, whose death was celebrated with the lamentation of all, and whose history was most commonly known in the time of Zacharias, although it is unknown to us. It is therefore a proverb among the Hebrews: The lamentation of Adadremmon or The lamentation of Josias, signifying a great lamentation, such as is the lamentation for an only son deceased. A similar thing among the Gentiles was The lamentation of Adonis. For Venus wept mourning for the dead Adonis, whose laments they renewed and celebrated with an annual lamentation and solemn rite. Whence Venus in Ovid, book X of the Metamorphoses: "My grief," she says, "shall remain a monument forever for my Adonis, and the repeated image of his death, the annual semblance of my lamentation shall perform." And Ezechiel chapter VIII, 14, saw in the temple women lamenting Adonis. See the things said there.
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12. Separately. — Because among the Hebrews, indeed also among the Greeks, women were separated from men at banquets, in prayer, and in other public and solemn acts, so much so that among the more respectable, one part of the house was assigned to men, which was called the andronitis; another part to women, which was called the gynaeceonitis. Thus from Plutarch, Athenaeus and others, according to Sanchez. FAMILY OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID. — All these families, but four especially, are said to have mourned in the slaughter, not at the time of the Jews under Antiochus, but of Christ, namely David, Nathan, Levi and Semei, for which the Septuagint has Simeon. But Semei, or Simeon here, is not that son of Jacob born second, brother of Judah, and patriarch; but another, says Lyra, far later than he, who illustrious in life and wisdom established a school, or sect, concerning which St. Jerome in Isaiah VIII, and to Algasius Question X: Two houses, he says, the Nazarenes interpret as two families, Shammai and Hillel, from which arose the scribes and Pharisees, not long before Christ was born, whose school Akiba afterwards ruled; and these are the two houses which did not receive the Saviour, who was to them a ruin and a scandal. Now what these four families were is not certain: it is certain that in the time of Zechariah and Christ they were known and celebrated among the Jews. Yet two probable opinions concerning them are: The former, that these four were the ancestors of Christ; whence their families mourned most greatly in the death of Christ, as his kinsmen, especially those who had embraced the faith of Christ. For Luke chapter III, in the genealogy of Christ, names his ancestor Levi, verse 24, and another, verse 29, then Semei, verse 26, again Nathan and David, verse 31. St. Matthew, Mark and Luke favour this, who say that in the death of Christ not only women wept, and all his acquaintances stood afar off, but also the whole multitude, seeing so many prodigies which then occurred, smote their breasts. Thus Arias and a Castro. The latter is that of St. Jerome, Theodoret, Remigius, Albert, Ribera and many others, that by the family of David are signified the nobles; for these were born from David: by the descendants of Levi are signified priests and pontiffs; for these descended from Levi: by Semei, or Shammai, are signified doctors and scribes, who had Shammai as their leader and master: by the descendants of Nathan the prophet are signified Prophets, that is, religious men, who were devoted to prayer, meditation and the praises of God, who in the books of Kings are called the sons of the Prophets. For these were the duties of the Prophets, and from this some of them, more elevated in spirit, conceived the spirit properly of prophesying, that is, of foretelling the future. You will say: Many of these, such as priests and scribes, did not mourn the death of Christ; but rather procured it. I answer that in Scripture those deeds or future events are often said to occur which ought to occur, or which the honesty and nature of things demands should occur, or for which there is given a just and grave cause that they should occur, as I said in the Proem, Canon XV. These four families therefore are said to have mourned in the death of Christ: because it was fitting for them to mourn, because each had its own grave cause for mourning, even if many of them, being perverse, did not in fact mourn. For the family of David had its own cause for mourning, in that Christ, born from it as king and Messiah, would be slain. Again, in that on account of Christ slain the kingdom of David and Judah would be destroyed. The family of Levi had cause to mourn, in that Christ, priest and pontiff, foreshadowed by all Levitical sacrifices and priests, would be put to death, and in that the death of him would be the cause, and therefore from it the priesthood would be taken away, and the temple would be polluted and burned by the Romans. The family of Semei had cause to weep, in that Christ, the teacher of the world, would be slain, and therefore the order of teachers and scribes would be contaminated and abolished. The family of Nathan had cause to grieve, in that Christ, the leader of the Prophets, would be most unjustly and cruelly slain, and therefore from them all prophecy, religion and holiness would be taken away. Add that many of these families were pious and converted to Christ, who certainly in fact bitterly mourned his death. Moreover, Arias, Mariana and Sanchez think that these four families especially mourned the death of Josiah more than others, and paid him their mourning as a debt, and that many of them did the same for Christ, the antitype of Josiah. Finally, these and all other families will mourn on the day of judgment, when they shall see themselves, or their own, on account of the death of Christ either procured or despised, condemned by the same Christ now glorious, judging and reigning, as ungrateful, unfaithful, rebellious and impious, to eternal fires. Whence the Septuagint, verse 10, for that which the Hebrew and Our translation have, they shall mourn for him, render, they shall mourn over themselves. And from these St. John speaking of Christ the judge, Apocalypse cap. I, 7: "They shall mourn over (on account of) him all the tribes of the earth." From which it is clear that this sense of the mourning of the impious on the day of judgment is not so much anagogical as literal. For the Prophet combines all mourning over the death of Christ, both that of the pious at his funeral, and that of the impious on the day of judgment. Thus St. Augustine, Theodoretus, Remigius, Suarez and others, whom I cited verse 10, to whom add Tertullian, lib. Against the Jews, cap. XI, and Irenaeus, lib. IV Against Heresies, cap. LXVI. The impious therefore will mourn then, because they will see the marks of the wounds of Christ, as well as their own sins, which were the cause of those wounds, for example, Judas will see that by his betrayal he drove Christ to the cross: the rich man feasting will see that by his luxuries he pierced Christ: the proud man will see that by his points of honor; the avaricious man, by his frauds and usuries; the adulterer, by his lusts; the quarrelsome man, by his daggers he pierced Christ: each impious man will see how many wounds he inflicted on Christ by his crimes, how many thorns on his head, how many blows and pains he inflicted on him, how many torments he added to him. Moreover, he will see that Christ received all his sins upon himself to be expiated, out of immense love, and expiated them as far as in him lay; and therefore he will see his own ingratitude and madness, that he was unwilling to repent and correct his life, and to obey Christ, and therefore made the passion and cross of Christ fruitless for himself; and consequently that by his own fault, negligence and malice alone he perishes, and is therefore most justly condemned to horrible and eternal torments. He will therefore mourn with good reason. Finally, all faithful families mourn the slaying of Christ every year in Holy Week. For this prophecy began to be fulfilled when Christ died, and after his death continues to be fulfilled through each century, until it is fully completed at the end of the world and on the day of judgment. Thus Vatablus and Dionysius. This explanation is general and complete, and comprehends all the others: for the Prophet, verse 12, seems to extend and spread this mourning to all families and all times. Tropologically, the religious and faithful mourn the crucified Christ, who mortify their vices, crucify their passions and members out of love for Christ, so that they may continually bear his cross, both active and passive, for his honor, both in body and in mind, so that they may say with St. Paul, Galatians cap. VI, verse 17: "I bear the marks of the Lord Jesus in my body," as I said from Alcazar verse 10.
Machine translation from the Latin, not reviewed.
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v. 2 «ecce, ego ponam lerusalem superliminare crapulae omnibus populis in circuitu, sed et Iuda erit in obsidione contra lerusalem » ; — uti Israel h. 1l. generatim populum Dei novamque theocratiam dicit, ita ex analogia lerusalem metropolis pro ipso centro theocratiae eiusque quasi parte praecipua ponitur; est enim regni eius urbs primaria, civitas capitalis et sedes regia, qua capta et deleta regnum ipsum deletum videri poterat. Metaphoram declarat S. Hier., « ut qui limen eius attigerit inebrietur et corruat, sive ipsum superliminarein eum corruat, a quo contingitur » ; i. e. quicumque hostis, utexplicat Tér., vel limen attigerit urbis, mox quasi ebrius et mente captus retroagetur, trepidusactremulus ... exitiosum ac letiferum erit vel limen urbis hostiliter attigisse. Experti id sunt non modo Antiochus Epiphanes ete., verum quicumque bellum theocreiee intulerunt, omnes Ecclesiae Dei persecutores, uti h. 1. S. Cyr. advertit. — Hebr. non tam de limine vertiginis, quam potius de phiala, patera, de pelvi vertiginis ! interpretaberis (cum Mar. Lap. Clario, Gord. Calm. et recentioribus) ; est scil. Ierusalem pro populis quasi vas repletum potu inebriante, ut Chald. habet; «est metaphora a calice aureo, optimo vino pleno sed venenato, ad quem certatim accurrunt sitibundi, sed mox ut eum gustarint, tremere, stupere, animam agere incipiunt » (Lap.). Unde simul innuitur, sicuti bibulus fatali quadam voluptate, ne dicam necessitate, ad vinum stimulatur et avide potum arripit, ita populos stimulis quasi agitari et excitari et voluptate quadam perfundi, ut bellum inferant theocratiae. Verum potus ex eo calice haustus iis est fatalis ; est pro iis vinum calicis furoris Domini, quo vertigine et ebrietate correpti stupefiunt ac concidunt. Est enim ebrietas in s. literis tropus usitatus, quo calamitatum pondus et inde sequens stupefactio exitialis depingitur (cf. Is. 19, 14. Ier. 25, 16). Alterum membrum verte ex hebr. et etiam supra (contra) Iuda erit in obsidione contra lerusalem i. e. quando Ierusalem oppugnatur et obsidetur, impetus hostilis et belli pondus etiam erit contra Iudam, etiam Iudae incumbet (cf. Calm. Reinke, Schegg, Keil, Trochon) ; non tantum metropolis, sed etiam cum ea tota regio petulantiae hostium erit exposita, ergo tota theocratia furorem hostium experietur. Tribulatio et angustiae, quae in patera vertiginis solum indirecte et ex consequente exprimebantur, iam mentione obsidionis clare designantur. Veteres hoc membrum de Iudaeis accipiunt, qui ipsi quoque simul cum hostibus iuncti obsidionem et inimicitias moveant contra lerusalem ; « sed et [udas obsessa ferusalem est captus a gentibus et in illarum transiens societatem cogetur obsidere metropolim suam » ; ita S. Hier. quem fere sequuntur; et eadem ratione Chald. quoque. Secundum variam capitis huius acceptionem (de qua postea) id explicant vel de Iudaeis apostatis tempore Machabaeorum, qui ad hostes desciscentes acerrime omnium in fratres suos saeviebant (cf. 4 Mach. 1,55 ; 7, 20 seq. 2 Mach. 5, 6 etc.), vel de iis, qui Iudaei nomine et genere Ecclesiam Dei statim ab exordio acriter sunt persecuti, vel demum de degeneribus Ecclesiae filiis, qui in adversariorum castra transfugae Ecclesiam hostiliter impugnant. Tales utique internos Ecclesiae hostes:nullo fere tempore defuisse atque odia sua cum externis hostibus miscuisse, res est aeque vera ac luctu plena. Sed hoc loco id a propheta innui negandum esse videtar. Nam v. 4 et 5. 6. "1 Iuda certe it& 1. Hac enim significatione F|D quoque pollere, certum est ox. £x. 12, 92. 2 Sam. 1", $8 describitur, ut ab omni animo hostili alienissimus intime cum lerusalem iunctus appareat et insignis gratiae divinae et protectionis particeps eundem cum metropoli triumphum agat de oppugnatoribus ; dum enim Deus v. 4 oppugnatores prosternit, domum Iuda gratia et misericordia praevenire dicilur et in subseq. Iudaei insignes describuntur heroes qui proelia Domini cum gloria proeliantur. Ergo perdurum esset, Iudam v. 2 alio prorsus et contrario sensu accipere quam v. 4. 5. 6. 7. Neque iure dixeris, illos Iudaeos, antea hostes theocratiae, per Dei gratiam ad meliorem frugem rediisse et impia belli societate derelicta pro civitate Dei arma arripuisse. Hoc quidem valde pulchrum est ac laudabile; at in verbis prophetae de tali conversione non est sermo, et si rerum eventum ipsum in auxilium vocare velles, talis interpretatio fundamento fere destitueretur ; neque enim [udaei apostatae tempore Machabaeorum, neque ludaei illi in exordiis rei christianae, neque filii Ecclesiae apostatae degeneresque ullo unquam tempore heroes evaserunt et defensores theocratiae eo numero, ut simpliciter posset asseri id quod in hac explanatione oraculum prophetae affirmaret, eos qui oppugnatores olim fuerint, defensores factos esse. Dein perpende, v. 4-7 ludaeos exhiberi oppugnatos ab hostibus ; ergo concludendum, nisi ratio evidens contraria appareat, eosdem Iudaeos etiam v. 2 designari. Adde quod verba prophetae et etiam supra luda per se societatem dicunt sortis et rerum cum [erusalem ; dein potes iure merito etiam prius DY vertere contra, uti vox versa est ultimo loeo : in obsidione contra lerusalem ; sensu enim hostili adversus, contra vocem eam usurpari saepius, et notum est (cf. Iud. 46, 49. Ez. 59, 8. Iob 46, A. 9. 10; 19, 12; 91, 21 etc. vide Ges. Thes. p. 1028) et ipso hoc loco ostenditur. Syrus verba hebr, eodem sensu accepit : et etiam contra Iudam erit obsidio cum lerusalem. ' Oppugnationem theocratiae, quae tamen ipsis aggressoribus male cedet, alia imagine vates proponit v. 2 populos in circuitu intelligi vel posse vel debere putaveris de vicinis solum tribubus, quae Machabaeorum tempore bella movebant, mox tamen vy. 93 latior aperitur campus, cum iam omnes populi, immo omnes nationes terrae y?wn "13 5» in scenam prodeant. Deinde attende ad ea quae in subseq. promittuntur; adeo enim magnifica sunt, ut res Machabaeorum longissimo intervallo relinquant. Demum a v. 10 apertissimum est, vatem agere de tempore messianico, neque tamen ullo modo transitum in aliam epocham indicat, sed eodem cursu pergens et effundam simpliciter subdit; unde pronum est concludere, eum in instituta oratione et serie rerum versari; insuper adverte, a v. 10 eum adesse nexum et rerum coliigationem, ut ratio afferatur et explicetur, cur Deus praeclaros triumphos et tam sublimem animorum fortitudinem ac virtutem largiatur. De quo nexu vide infra ad v. 10 et seq. Quibus perpensis non dubito asserere sacrum vatem haec oracula de reguo messianico fudisse. Restat tertia sententia, cui Reinke et Schegg potissimum patrocinantur, fleri vaticinium de futura Israelis conversione, in temporum fere fine ex S. Pauli doctrina exspectanda (Rom. 14, 25) atque de illis oppugnationibus, quas in ultima temporis messianici periodo hostis valentissimus, Gog et Magog (cf. Ez. 38, 39, Apoc. 90, 7) Ecclesiae Christi est illaturus. Verum non perspicio, cur vaticinium ad id unum restringatur, neque cur de Iudaeorum conversione sit explicandum. Unum quod id suaderi potest, in nominibus Iuda et lerusalem continetur. Ad nomina haec theocratiam significare, quia et vetus theocratia in Iuda et Ierusalem erat constituta et nova ex eadem vetere enascitur et in illa tamquam in typo est pracparata et adumbrata, res est apud prophetas saepe obvia (vide quae notavi ad Is. cap. 40, Erklaerung p. 461 et seq.) et a sacris N. T. auctoribus prorsus comprobata ; cf. Rom. 4,12; 14,417. Gal. 3,299; 4,97. Eph. 2,19 etc. Novum Israel, novam theocratiam ex omnibus gentibus coalescere debere, et nihilominus sacris nominibus theocraticis antiquis iri nominatnm, non obscure quoque innuitur Os. 4,10. Am. 9,41. 19. Mich. 7,11. 12. Quare haec nomina etiam hoc loco non ad ludaeos genere et natione sunt restringenda. Sententia vero a Pressel proposita, describi h. 1. invasionem a Sennacherih factam clademque exercitui eius divinitus immissam (4 Reg. 18,13 seq. 2. Par. 32, 4 seq. Is. 30, 4 seq.), refutatione nou indiget, cum tota pendeat ab eius de tempore Zachariae opinione. Quicumque enim hanc quoque vaticinii partem post exsilium esse compositam censet, eo ipso illam explanationem explosit, sicuti etiam opinionem a fleuss propositam, describi hic tempus Manassis regis et tangi ea quae 4 Reg. 91, 2 seq. 16. 2 Par. 33, 11 narrentur. — Ceterum ipse Hits. cp. 12 tempus describi messianicum agnoscit.
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v. 8 « et erit, in die illa ponam lerusalem lapidem oneris cunctis populis ; omnes qui levabunt eum concisione lacerabuntur, et colligentur adversus eam omnia regna terrae » ; — hebr. omnes gentes terrae ; « sensus iste est : ponam Ierusalem cunctis gentibus quasi gravissimum lapidem sublevandum. Levabunt quidem eam et pro virium varietate vastabunt ; sed necesse est ut dum levatur, in ipso nixu et elevatione ponderis gravissimus lapis scissuram aliquam vel rasuram in levantium corporibus derelinquat » (S. Hier.). Certatim theocratiam aggredientur; uno oppugnatore cessante alter succedet; omnes sese exercebunt et vires exserent ad lapidem istum sublevandum ; conanturtollere i. e. vastare et delere urbem ; verum nulli res bene cedet ; sibi ipsis vulnera et concisiones inferunt ; nihilominus alii se for- Uores et prudentiores existimantes idem conamen aggredientur reliquorum sorte et poena minime edocti. Pulcherrime et brevissime hac comraratione sacer vates bellum illud continuum delineat, quod theocratiae in fertur aemulatione quadam nationum, quae omnes vires suas ostentare et exercere certatim volunt in hac oppugnatione neque tamen aliorum cladibus eruditae ab incepto desistunt. Qualiter Deus sui regni partes sit acturus ac tuiturus, declaratur
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v. 4 « in die illa, dicit Dominus, percutiam omnem equum in stuporem et ascensorem eius in amentiam ; et super domum [uda aperiam oculos meos, et omnem equum populorum percutiam caecitate » ; — in expeditione bellica equites celeritate, impetu maxime terribiles sunt ; unde in eorum clade insigni omnium clades et conatus irriti bene delineantur. Quam fortiter suorum causam Deus sit suscepturus, collige ex locutione emphatica : omnem equum stupore, eiusque sessorem amentia esse percutiendum ; omnes ergo praecipites in certam ruinam et exitium ruent. Erga suos vero qui opprimuntur tenerrimam pandit curam ; oculos aperire providentiam dicit dirigeresummo amore impensam ; « aperiri oculos illud sibi velle existimo, quod amplissime et toto velut aspectu respiciet; quod suae erga illum benevolentiae ac praeterea indulgentiae et caritatis indubitatum erit indicium » (S. Cyr.) ; vel ut Rup. ait : oculorum apertio gratiae est effusio. Illis lumen divinum affulget ; hostibus ipsum naturale lumen subtrahitur, ut tenebris obvoluti cum ignominia ab oppugnatione repellantur ; cf. 4 Reg. 6, 18. 2 Mach. 10, 30. ter vel allegorice vel mystice de Ecclesiae triumphis, eo tempore iam typice demonstratis, interpretentur (cf. S. Ephr. Sanct. Lap.). Alii ea directe atque immediate dici existimant de nova Messiae theocratia, de Ecclesia Christi et variis persecutionibus quibus per temporum decursus impetitur et quas Dei ope omnes superat; ita fere S. Hier. Cyr. Rup. Su, Rib. Vat. Clarius, Loch, Trochon. Atque hanc sententiam implectendam esse censeo. Primo enim postquam cap. 14 iam tempora Messiae delineata sunt (11, 19-177), vix mihi persuadebo, vatem regredi ad praeviam epocham. Dein post opus vindictae ac destructionis quod Messias in grege contra contemptores est completurus (11, 14-17) quam aptissime altera subiungitur pars positiva qua regnum Messiae et bona in eo conclusa proponuntur; id vero fit cap. 12. Tertio ea quae hic promittuntur, et ampliora sunt et sublimiora, quam ut Machabaeorum conditionibus conveniant. Etiamsi enim
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v. 8 « Et dicent duces luda in corde $uo : confortentur mihi habitatores lerusalem in Domino ezercituum, Deo eorum »1— efflagitabunt primores a Domino, ut populo suo vires subministret et animorum fortitudinem, quibus roborati afflictione et persecutionibus evadant superiores. Spem unice reponendam esse docent in Domino exercituum, cui omnes exercitus coelestes ac terrestres praesto sunt et subiecti et qui est Deus eorum, singulari foedere et eximiis promissionibus eorum protector, vindex, omnium bonorum sponsor. Textum mas. i'1Y'ON recentiores fere vertunt : robur (praesidium) mihi incolae lerusalem, explicantes nomen forma femin. ab V2N derivatum. At veteres formam verbalem ibi deprehenderunt. Scribit enim S. Hier. : pro eo quod nos diximus confortentur mihi et LXX transtulerunt sop5cogpsv &xuxot; inveniemus nobis, in hebr. scriptum est emsa lí, quod Aq. transtulit x«otípneóv pot i. e. conforta mihi, ut sit sensus : vota facient in abscondito mentis arcano, ut Deus confortet.. ». Forma imperativi optime sensui congruit ; unde illa erit legenda punctatione mas. parumper mutata "YN i. e. uno dagesch adiecto, ut sit imperat. piel cum he paragogico. LXX verbum NY32 legerunt ; sim. Chald. inventa est salus. Syrws verbum agnoscit hebr. sed alia forma effert : praevaluerunt prae nobis. Houbig. et Ges. (Thes. p. 119) offensi vocula mihi illam expungi volunt ac rescribi Y3g1*) (uti praebent pauci codd. apud de Rossi pro *2un *5): praesidium est habitatoribus Ferusalem apud Dominum. Verum est, illud mihi etiam omitti apud Chald., sed reliqui testes ei suffragantur et insuper sensus adest optimus, quia illud tihi intimum uniuscuiusque ducis votum et desiderium eleganter aeque ac breviter exprimit. Tempore igitur afflictionis et persecutionis primores Ecclesiae pro fidelium populo opem Dei implorabunt. Talem vero opem Deus plebi Suae feret virtute et constantia donans Ecclesiae principes eosque victores constituens ;
Meque in hac theocratiae oppugnatione licebit otiosos esse, qui 1n ea principes vel duces sint constituti; sed pia precatione et divinae opis fiducia freti periculis sese obiicient
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v. 6 « in die illa ponam duces Iuda. sicut. caminum gnis in lignis et sicut facem ignis in. feno, et devorabunt ad dexteram et ad. sinistram omnes populos in. circuitu; et. habitabitur lerusalem rursus 1n loco suo in. lerusalem » ; — victoria describitur facilis, insignis; quid enim igni resistet et quam apta materia ignis sunt ligna et manipuli (hebr.) segetis demessae "idi? « Quod autem ait ad. dexteram et ad. sinistram fortitudinem ac successum indicat quibus nemo resistere aut impedimento esse poterit » (Rib.). Verum, ut bene monet S. Cyr.,. «non perdunt gentes, sed potius falsae in ipsis scientiae detestanda et impura dogmata incenderunt veterisque fallaciae sordes absumpserunt et animos eorum qui semel crediderant, ad insipientiam et temeritatem frigefieri amplius passi non sunt». Illis enim persecutionibus Ecclesia non erit minuenda, sed augenda novis incrementis (Rib.). Habes praeformatum illud : non praevalebunt adversus eam portae inferi. Post oppugnationem Ecclesia erit ditior, pacatior, in sua sede firmissime constituta; id dicit et habitabitur rursus in loco suo i. e. in eo statu in quo tunc erat quando vere potuit dici Ierusalem, civitas pacis et civitas sancta (Sanct.) *. In hebr. lerusalem habitabit in loco suo sensu eodem; in lerusalem additum videtur emphasis gratia; hostes enim urbem delere student, lapidem illum removere et auferre (v. 3); at manet urbs inconcussa, manet ubi a Deo fundata est; quare non sine sarcasmo inimicis dicitur : habitabit Ierusalem in loco suo i. e. in Ierusalem ; manebit theocratia et centrum eius ibi, ubia Deo ponitur, ne latum quidem "Triumphus vero bonique incrementum ita a Deo conceditur, ut auxilium divinum non possit non perspicuo cognosci; v. "1 «etsalvabit Dominus tabernacula Iuda sicut in principio, ut non magnifice glorietur domus David et gloria habitantium lerusalem contra Iudam» ; —tabernacula, quae bellico apparatu destituta minime sustinere posse videntur impetum hostilem, a Domino salvabuntur s?cut in. principio i. e. sicut antea populum suum magnifice ab hoste salvavit et vindicavit ita, ut salus et victoria ipsi soli adscribi potuerit v. g. tempore Gedeonis, tempore invasionis a Sennacherib factae; eodem modo populum suum ita periculis eripiet, ut gloria nulli alii attribui possit, ut appareat non humana principum (domus David) sapientia et prudentia neque humanis Bubsidiis (quae in arce munita et in urbe munita lerusalem cernere licet in oppositione ad tabernacula), sed sola Dei ope victoriam esse partam. Duces scil. non poterunt gloriari, quod ipsi attulerint salutem populo, nec metropolis munita, quod ipsa auxilium vel refugium praestiterit ruricolis (cf. S. Hier. Theod. Alb. Rib. Sanct.). Uti explicatione ipsa ostenditur, illud sicut in principio, vel uti S. Hier. Deut. 9. 48 vertit, sicut prius apte ponitur, cum iam in Iudaeorum rebus bellisque gestis similes adfuerint eventus, quorum gloriae ad unius Dei opem mirabilem referri debuerunt. Legit igitur S. Hier. n39N?5 cum particula comparationis, quae etiam a LXX et Syro effertur ac etiam ab aliquibus codd. praebetur (cf. de Rossi). Aptior sane est haec lectio 2$ facilior quam mas. '3 in principio, quam Chald. sequitur ; nam quid sibi vult hoc loco : prius Iudam salvabit, dein Ierusalem? Est enim una eademque theocratia, quae oppugnatur et salvatur. Neque si Iudam populum intellexeris et domum David principes theocratiae qui eius gubernacula tenent a Messia ut altero Davide in consortium regiminis quasi assumpti, apparet, quo sensu dici possit prius servatum iri et ad victoriam perductum populum, dein duces ac principes. Atque quo maior cernatur gloria Dei et theocratia nova illustriorappareat, Deus praeter victoriam de hostibus populum suum insigni virtute et excellentia antea inaudita donabit ; v. 8« $n dieilla proteget Dominus habitatores lerusalem, et erit qui offenderit ex eis & die illa, quasi David, et domus David quasi Dei, sicut angelus Domini $n conspectu eorum » ; — i.e. debilis vel infirmus ! erit quasi David ; fiet, a Domino roboratus, heros uti David qui ursum et leonem superavit et Goliath prostravit; et domus David, ii scil. quos Messias, alter David, inlaborum suorum ac regiminis sui consortium tamquam socios et adiutores accersit (cf. Ps. 44, 8 prae consortibustuis) et qui eotitulo ad eius domumac familiam peculiari ratione accensentur, isti erunt ut Elohim (hebr.), i. e. uti explicationis gratia adiungitur (Sanct. Lap.), ut angelus Domini ante eos (hebr.) i. e. ille angelus qui Dei nominecastra Israelitarum ex Aegypto egredientium et per desertum migrantium praecedebat, et saepius insignem protectionem populo Dei exhibuit, cum v. g. una nocte in castris Assyriorum centum octoginta quinque millia percuteret (Is. 36,36). Hisce comparationibus egregie effertur, in quantum nova theocratia gratiarum abundantia et favoribus divinis excedat veterem illam, in quantum scil. umlira et figura superetur a veritate et impletione. Is enim qui in infimo gradu novae theocratiae constitutus est, erit virtute et fortitudine sicut David; ii vero qui proxime Deo adhaerent et ab ipso quasi in suam familiam atque intimam admittuntur familiaritatem, iam ipsi Deo et angelo Domini comparantur ; adeo enim excellunt, ut in V. T. nihil adsit, quod cum ipsis aliqua ratione conferri possit. Ita clare descrihjtupsexcel- lentia novi foederis, quam Christus ipse effert qui postquam Ioannem praecursorem dixerat maximum omnium, continuo subiecit minimum in regno coelorum esse illo maiorem, ratione scil. habita dignitatis theocraticae, qua in novo foedere filii sumus et heredes, dum vetus illud omnes tamquam parvulos sub'tutoribus et actoribus et paedagogis continuit (Gal. 4, 2). Haec autem dignitas theocratica maior maiorem etiam ac pleniorem sibi vindicat gratiarum fontem, virtutis excellentiam, divinorum mysteriorum cognitionem. Cum sacer vates de oppugnatione agit, illud praecipue comparatione Davidis, Dei, angeli Dei indicare velle censendus est, quod ad vincendas persecutiones necessarium est : animi robur acpectus magnanimum, cui accedat auxilium Dei potentissimum, uti in angelo Dei cernebatur. Hic locus certe insignis est ad N. T. excellentiam commendandam et simul consolatione plenus. Utinam vitaquoque omnium tam gublimi dignitati congrueret ! Hanc excellentiam N. T. hoc loco indicari innuit S. Cyr. Vaticinium istud etiam eo modo impleri docet Arias Montanus, quia infiniti sancti N. T. poterunt conferri cum maximis sanctis V. T. qualis fuit David. Hoc igitur loco meo quidem iudicio apertissime patet, vatem non de tempore praeparationis (de tempore suo vel Machabaeorum), verum de nova theocratia messianica verba facere. Quo enim pacto Machabaeorum faci- Dora, utut praeclare gesta erant, tanto intervallo superarunt res Davidicas? quomodo duces Machabaeorum tam sublimes erant ac divini, et talem populo praestiterunt ducatum, talem protectionem, salutem talem, ut iam nihil inveniretur in annalibus populi Dei, tot miraculis plenis, cui possent conferri, sed ut ad ipsum Dei angelum esset ascendendum ? Haec sane maiora sunt quae h. l. dicuntur et nisi ad indolem spiritualem et gratiae abundantiam et virtutum eminentiam transferantur, con- Stare nullo modo possunt. Theod. quidem de tempore Machabaeorum ita explicat : « tantam ex victoria gloriam collegerunt Iudas et Ionathan, ut accolae et vicini ac finitimi avidissime hos sibi socios adiunxerint » ; Lap. vero rem ideo esse confectam putat, quia duces Machabaeorum angelorum ope et ductu dimicarunt et vicerunt. Sed tum Ezechias rex quoque iure dici potuit heros sicut angelus Dei, quia pro ipso angelus Dei Assyrios prostravit; at non puto talem comparationem hoc sensu ab ullo interprete iri approbatum.
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V. O « Et erit, in die illa quaeram conterere emnes gentes, quae vetiunt contra ferusalem » ; — i. e. « ne semel tantum aut iterum id facturus putaretur, dicit quaeram conterere, id est, semper mihi curae erit conterere omnes hostes Ecclesiae, ut nullo modo in eam praevaleant ; omni tempore haec praestabo » (Rib.). At quid suis sit largiturus, eodem modo exponit, quo v. 4 dixerat se oculos aperturum super domum Tuda. Quod supra belli analogia est explicatum, nunc supernis subsidiis spiritualibus effectum iri docetur; hostes scil. conterentur et ipsa Ecclesia interne victoriis et triumphis decorabitur, quia spiritus Dei large effunditur isque spiritus ad orationem et Christi passionis devotionem potenter excitat ; unde
Uti v. 4, ita v. 9. 10 Deus declarat, quid hostibus, quid suis sit. exhibiturus. Hoc parallelismo iam innuitur, ea quaea v. 4 et deinceps tractata sunt, denuo assumi et sub alia quadam ratione proponi. Ad hoc etiam confert, quod altera haec pars eadem formula in d:e illa vestitur. Sicut enim in antecedentibus imagine bellica Ecclesiae victo^ia est declarata eiusque excelsior dignitas comvoaratione cum David instituta est annuntiata, ita in subsequentibus exponitur, quibus auxiliis ad victoriam illam et dignitatem tuendam Ecclesia sit perventura ; fortitudinem scil. ac virtutem Ecclesiae unice reponi in Det gratia et hauriri augerioue ex devota Christi passionis contemplatione. Ita pars antecedens pulcherrime absolvitur et indoles spiritualis novae theocratiae egregie effertur. Primo promissio in priore parte v. & data repetitur modo eenerali
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v. 140 « et effundam super domum David et super habitatores lerusalem spiritum gratiae et precum, et aspicient ad me quem confixzerunt et plangent eum planctu quasi super unigenitum, et. dolebunt super eum, ut doleri solet in morte primogeniti » ; — « verbum effusionis sensum largitatis ostendit » (S. Hrer.) ; domus David et habitatores lerusalem i. e. theocratia secundum ordinem hierarchicum vel regiminis et secundum ordinem civium (laicorum, populi) designatur (vide v. "1. 8). Ut igitur id fiat quod Deus pollicetur (Rib.), copiose conceditur spiritus gratiae, quo gratum sibi habeat et efficiat populum illique liberaliter largiatur, quae usui futura sunt et gloriae (Sanct.), ille scil. spiritus, qui eos per gratiam infusam gratificet Deo ipsique et angelis faciat gratiosos et amabiles (Lap.) ; gratia haec iis infusa praeclarum continet titulum, quo ius habent ad auxilia peculiaria et ad opem divinam, ita ut ea gratia muniti egregie iam instructi sint ad praeclara certamina subeunda. Huic intime conseritur spiritus precum, « quia quos Spiritus s. repleverit, eos statim ad adorandum accendit» (IJaimo). «Spiritus autem precum ille est, qui pro nobis postulat gemitibus inenarrabilibus, qui nos facit postulare. Magnum sane donum est et velle Deum grato sibi populo concedere quae illi ad salutem expediant, et eidem eam mentem et spiritum dare, ut semper petat, ut gnarus infirmitatis suae ad Deum confugiat » (Sanct.). Haec igitur arma sunt, quibus et moderatores Ecclesiae qui in corisortium regiminis et partem potestatis a Messia sunt assumpti assumptique domum ac familiam Davidis alterius constituunt, de hostibus triumphant et subditi, qui cives sunt Ierusalem (cf. Gal. 4, 26. Hebr. 42, 22) in suo quisque ordine tamquam heroes consistunt et victoriam reportant (v. 8). Gratia Dei ornati et adiuti nunquam sibi suisque viribus confidunt, sed ad Dei opem confugiunt et per supplices preces obtinent ab €o duci et recte cuncta perficere (Rib.). Orationis igitur studium quam maxime in Ecclesia florebit. In oratione eius robur, certitudo triumphi, hostium conversio vel prostratio reponitur ; oratione conteret hostes « non in perditionem, sed in emendationem, ut adversum Ierusalem militare desistant et esse incipiant de Ierusalem » (S. Hier.). Iuvat h. l. advertere, quam continuo in Ecclesia spiritus precum vigeat : cogita tot sacerdotes, tot ordines religiosorum per singulos dies in orbe universo preces statutas persolventes et opem divinam continuo efflagitantes, ita ut nullum diei noctisque momentum sit quo non ex aliqua orbis parte preces liturgicae ad thronum gratiae ascendant, quibus adde plurimas tot piorum supplicationes. Iste autem spiritus et impulsus a Deo copiose effusus ad id praecipue tendit, ut piis oculis aspiciant ad me quem confixerunt; quis iste sit, ex serie oraculorum dubium esse nequit. lam enim apud Isaiam Messias describitur vulneratus, attritus, sublatus, abscissus propter iniquitates nostras et propter scelera nostra et percussus propter pacem nostram, cuius livore sanati sumus (Is. $3, 3-12; cf. 49, 1-9; $0, 6. 1) et apud Zachariam Messiam pastorem male habitum et despectum a suis didicimus (11, 12. 13) et infra 13, '1 eundem pastorem framea impetitum atque percussum legimus. Unde qui h. l. se confixum dicit, alius esse non potest nisi ipse Messias. Cur autem ipsi theocratiae cives eum configere dicantur, ratio est manifesta, quia ipse grex pastorem male tractat (14, 19. 13) et quia propter hominum scelera mortem subit et quia ab hominibus humano iudicio morti adiudicatur, uti apud Isaiam innuitur (53, 8. 9. 19). — Ad eum aspicient ; verbum v'33 cum 5N iunctum dicit aspicere cum spe, fiducia, admiratione, reverentia, aspicere cum attentione, cura, amore, uti patet Num. 91, 9. 4 Sam. 10, "7. 9 Reg. 39, 14. Ps. 34, 6; Ps. 119, 6. Is. 8, 92 ; 992, 11; 51, 92. 65; 66, 9 etc. Unde ex usu verbi aspectus indicatur reverentia, fiducia, admiratione plenus ; cf. Num. 21, 9 : «fecit Moyses serpentem aeneum et posuit eum pro signo; quem cum percussi aspicerent, sanabantur ». Quanto autem doloris et devotionis affectu hanc Messiae vulnerum contemplationem peracturi sint spiritu gratiae et precum imbuti atque impulsi, comparatione effertur duplicidoloris && gemituum parentum de morte unici filii, doloris ac lamentationis de obitu primogeniti. Quae vis ut percipiatur, perpende quantopere apud Hebraeos nominis ac familiae conservatio ac propagatio valuerit, quanta in ea credita sit divina benedictio, quanta in eius exstinctione maledictio (cf. Gen. 30, 23. Deut. "1, 14; 25, 6. 1 Reg. 4, 6. Ps. 112, 9; 126, 3. Prov. 1'1, 6. Is. 4T, 9 etc.). Unde bene notat S. Cyr.: «profusissimis lacrimis parentes primogeniti et dilecti mortem semper prosequuntur nec plangendi et lamentandi invenire modum sustinent, estque dolor longinquus plane et quasi perennis acriter et intolerabiliter vellicando animos macerans». In primogenito enim, ut ait Alb., quia praeclarior natio est et floret in eo vigor patris et matris, maior dolor esse solet; est insuper plerumque columen familiae (Rib.). Atque solet luctus magnus in Scriptura assimilari luctui unigeniti ; cf. Ier. 6, 26. Am.8, 10. Quod autem Messias ea de se dicit, quae Iahvedicere solet: quaeram conterere, effundam spiritum gratiae, ne tempore quidem Zachariae mirum videri poterat iis, qui recordarentur, iam ab Isaia Messiam vocatum fuisse iis nominibus, quae divinam eius naturam designarent (Is. 9, 6; praesertim Deus fortis), in psalmis eandemdivinam naturam et appellationem praedicari (Ps. 44, 1; 2, "1; 109, 3), a Michaea divinam et aeternam eius originem indicari (Mich. 5, 2). Hos locos praesens vaticinium praeclare illustrat, quia Iahve se dicit confixum, ergo divina Messiae natura clare asseritur. Cum vero nihilominus Messias a Iahve iterum distinguatur, tamquam missus a mittente (cf. Is. 61, 1. Ps. 44, 8. Zach. infra 13, '] etc.), plures esse in una Dei natura personas pro indole V. T. iam satis distincte docetur. Nam quod aliqui interpretes volunt, Dominum se dicere confixum, non quia ipse sit confixus aut configendus, sed quia propheta Dei et legatus a populo morti tradatur, admitti commode nequit. Aliud est enim dicere: qui vos spernit, me spernit, et dicere : qui vos occidit, me occidit; prius verum est et recte dicitur ; alterum non ita. Iniuria quae legato fit, morali aestimatione tamquam contumelia eius honori illata transit in mittentem ; sed verbera, vulnera, mors non wt talia, non ut iniuria realis, sed priori solum modo tamquam honorem mittentis laedentia in mittentem referuntur; quare locutio prior recte usurpatur, altera usurpari nequit, nisi asserere velis transfigere, occidere solum honoris laesionem vel talem designare persecutionem, quam utique Christus in membris affirmavit suis se perpeti (cf. Act. 9, 5). Inde quoque patet, nostrum locum etiam insignius divinam Messiae naturam probare, quam 11, 13 appretiatus sum. Neque admitti potest, quod aliqui volunt (cf. Ros. Ges. Thes. p. 348; Fürst L.), verbum ^p7 significare maledicere, conviciari. Nam 1*aliis omnibus locis solum significat neque aliud significare potest nisi transfodere, confodere hasta, gladio ; ita Num. 25, 8 perfodit ambos simul ; Iud. 9, 54 evagina gladium tuum... et percussit eum et mortuus est ; eodem modo de gladii percussione 4 Sam. 31, 4 et 1 Chron. 10, 4; Is. 13, $ membrum parallelum ad cadere in gladio exhibet ; ler. 37, 10 adhibetur de vulneratis; 594, 4 eodem modo; Thren. Á, 9 de occisis ; ergo non licet aliam statuere significationem pro hoc Zachariae loco; adde 2» quod ex ipsa comparatione luctus de morte unigeniti et primogeniti et ex planctu funebri instituto apertissime patet, de morie esse sermonem ; ille enim qui conviciis lacessitur, non tamquam mortuus plangitur ; demum 3? hane significationem praeter S. Hier. rite secuti sunt Aq. Sym. Theod. itexivrmoay (cf. M. 16, 3008 *; cod. syr. hexapl. p. 244. 563) et Syrus ; legunt praeterea &exeveneoy transfizerunt Theod. Theod. M. et S. Cyr. quoque explicite asserit, hebraicam editionem non cum LXX consentire verum efferre éexevtrcav, Átque hanc vocem etiam praebet evangelium Ioan. 19, 37 et Apoc. 1, 7. LXX praebent &v0? àv xaxopcyavco pro eo quod insultarunt (S. Hier., quam versionem iam S. Hier. ex similium literarum permutatione explicat : « si enim legitur dacaru &£exévracav id est compunzerunt sive confixerunt accipitur, sin autem contrario ordine literis commutatis racadu «pyrsavro id est saltaverunt intelligitur, et ob similitudinem literarum error est natus ». ln uno cod. hebr. (Kenn. 333) haec lectio *Tp^ servata est. Mutatio erat facilis et error scribendi obvius ; nam « hebraicae literae daleth et res similes sunt et parvo tantum apice distinguuntur » (S. Hier.) ; atque eam similitudinem non tantum adesse in scriptura quam vocant quadrata, sed etiam in antiquiore, literarum specimina ostendunt, quae v. g. proponuntur in Schenkel, Bibell. V p. 241 et de W. Schrader, Einl. post p. 620, Cornely, Introd. I post p. 742. Eandem lectionem forte etiam Chald. secutus est ; habet enim : rogabunt a me, eo quod translati fuerunt. Certissime quoque retinenda est lectio '5N ad me; hanc enim commendant res omnes interpretes ; ita LXX non in vaticano solum, sed et in reliquis omnibus codicibus; ita syriaca versio hexaplaris, ita Theodotio habet et ipse «poc ut teste scholio codicis barberini et eadem versione syro-hexaplari ; ita Chald. Vulg. Syrus, Arabs » (de Rossi 3 p. 919 ; cf. M. 16, 3008). Cum igitur tot testimoniis lectio constet ad me (etiam Aq. et Sym. ita legisse non spernendis indiciis colligit de Rossi l. c.), non laudandus est hoc in loco optimus ceteroquin vir Reinke, qui * eam mutari vult in "ON et vertere : áspicient versus eum quem transflxerunt. Sed quamvis forma ea in statu constr. quater in libro lob inveniatur (lob 8, 22; 5, 20; 15, 96; 15, 92; 99, 19), nullibi tamen talis iunctio invenitur UN DN "oe scil. ut nN nota accus, cum praepos. copuletur. Sensit id incommodi Reinke ; unde ad aliud effugium se recipit, TN scil. h. 1. vim habere vult pronominis demonstrativi «bró;, Aic ; at id in lingua hebr. est inauditum et si in rabbinismo et syriasmo ita adhibetur, sane non continuo sequitur eandem vim ac potestatem in sermone hebr. ei competere. Ergo inutile et arbitrarium est, pro lectione plana, ab omnibus veteribus rite eodem modo explicata, lectionem et versionem nobis obtrudi duplici soloecismo et altero quidem vix non inaudito oneratam. Immerito quoque Rieinke in subsidium suae lectionis provocat ad Ioan. 19, 371 ójovcas elc 6v dexzvroav. Est enim notissimum, Apostolos raro ad literam locum afferre sed sensu esse contentos, nisi ipse sensus idem omnino verbum postularet, id quod hoc loco in éZexévczoav obtinet, minime vero in priore membro; adde quod in contextum evangelii aptius congruit dicere : videbunt in quem transfizerunt, quam aspicient ad me; nam illud omnis qui legit statim intelligit, in hoc autem quotusquisque non haereret mirans ac dubitans, quis ille sit qui subito in evangelio dicat ad me? Atque quantopere patientis Messiae contemplatio ac devotio animos sit occupatura, altera comparatione effertur, qua insignis totius nationis dolor ac fletus ob oculos ponitur;
12:11
v. 14 « in die illa magnus erit planctus in. lerusalem, sicut planctus Adadremmon in campo Mageddon » ; —i. e. sicut planctus qui instituebatur ob rem luctuosissimam, quae olim accidit in Adadremmon in campo Mageddon; ibi scil. Iosias rex pius qui labantem rerum conditionem sua pietate diu fulserat, vulnus accepit letale, quo mox vitam exhalavit. Eum autem « universus Iuda et lerusalem luxerunt, Ieremias maxime, cuius omnes cantores atque cantatrices usque ín praesentem diem lamentationes super losiam replicant et quasi lex obtinuit in Israel » (2 Par. 33, 24. 25). Luctus igitur erat universalis, totius populi, luctus perenni memoria institutus et celebratus. Talis erit dolorum Messiae recordatio. Id impletum cernimus in Ecclesia, in cuius liturgia perennis exstat mortis Christi commemoratio. 3. Duces in ea re secutus est Calusium, 1. D. Michaelis, Bleek (cl. de Rossi, Presscl). dem ; verum de ea re dubitat R. Riess |. c. p. 62, qui potius vicum hodiernum Medscheidel cum Mageddo esse componendum arbitratur. Quod LXX h. 1. de planctu malogranati, quod in campo succiditur, habent, facile explicatur ex lectione 112*, de qua arbore cf. Num. 20, 5. Deut. 8, 8etc. ; et ipsi masorethae ex hac etymologia vocem eam sibi ignotam legisse et punctis &dnotasse videntur. Melius LXX legunt 4 Reg. 5, 18 'Psuuav (3 Reg. 15, 18 T«6psi.ov), quae lectio proxime ad nomen assyriacum accedit. Nam de malo punica (rimmon) hie nulla mentio ingeritur. Syrus interpretationem de [osiae morte ipsi textui inserit vertens : eo die multus erit planctus in Ierusalem, sicut planctus filii Amon in valle Mageddon. Insigni amplificatione planctum hunc universalem, perennem, totam theocratiam pervadentem et animos omnium intimo affectu commoventem sacer vates describit et vivo modo omnium oculis mentibusque proponit ;
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v. 12 «etplanget terra, (amiliae et familiae seorsum : familiae domus David seorsum et mulieres eorum seorsum ; familiae domus Nathan seorsum et mulieres eorum seorsum ;
12:13
v. 13 familiae domus Levi seorsum et mulieres eorum seorsum ; familiae Semei seorsum et mulieres eorum seorsum ; v. A& omnes familiae reliquae, familiae et familiae seorsum et mulieres eorum seorsum » ; — peculiari mentione domus David et domus Levi efferuntur, et utrique, tribui regiae et sacerdotali, alia familia ex eadem stirpe subiungitur ; Nathan filius est David, a quo Zorobabel descendit ( Luc. 3, 21. 31) ; de Gerson filio Levi orta est familio semeitica (Num. 3, 21). Cum familiae regiae et sacerdotalis planctus speciatim commemoretur, per seinnuitur, quod aequissimum est atque in Ecclesia ipsa liturgia perficitur, ordines illos quibus Ecclesiae regimen et munus incumbit sacerdotale, singulari ratione passionem Christi continuo celebrare. Et si audimus mulieres quoque pia illa repleri tristitia, quis non cogitet mulieres in Christi morte lugentes et de eius sepultura sollicitas atque tot virgines sacras, quae per saeculorum decursum in varia vitae conditione sed praecipue in monasteriis adunatae vitam degunt meditationi et amori Sponsi patientis sacratam et devotam? — Rationem aliam, cur illae tribus nominentur, affert S. Hier.: «in David regia tribus accipitur ; in Nathan prophetalis ordo accipitur ; Levi refertur ad sacerdotes; in Semei doctores accipiuntur, ex hac enim tribu magistrorum agmina pullularunt. Reliquas tribus tacuit, quae non habent aliquod privilegium dignitatis ». Quam rationem multi adoptarunt (cf. Alb. Lap. Men.). Sed doctores ad Semei referri, a Iudaeis est excogitatum ; et cum Semei ad Levi tribum adnumeretur, omnino suaderi videtur, ut etiam in membro antecedenti Nathan intelligatur stirps ad tribum et domum David pertinens. Sanct. vero probabilius censet, eas afferri familias quae praecipue etiam Iosiae regi parentaverint et subaydiendem esse similitudinis gotam. citium animaverit (cf. Lap. Men. Tir. Calm Trochon). Neque huic acceptioni generali obstat Apoc. 1, 7: « ecce venit cum nubibus et videbit eum omnis oculus et qui eum pupugerunt et plangent se super eum omnes tribus terrae ». Cum enim apud Zachariam amoris aspectus ille et luctus ez effusione spiritus gratiae et precum oriatur et uti cp. 13 docetur effectus habeat quam maxime salutares, in Apocalypsi autem illis verbis proponatur Christum esse iudicem venturum terribilem et Iudaeis infidelibus et gentibus incredulis, verba ea in Apoc. non sunt dicta eodem sensu, quo apud Zachariam occurrunt ; licet igitur sint verba materialiter fere eadem, non sunt eadem formaliter ; vel aliis verbis non exhibent explicationem sensus, sed eorundern applicationem et translationem ad rem similem et alium aspectum. Ad quam rem nota, Apostolos si ex s. Scriptura argumentum proferre vel verba s. Scripturae explicare volunt, explicite's. Scripturam nominare. Tale discrimen v. g. advertis Ioan. 19, 37 ; ibi conceptis verbis dicitur : « et iterum alia . Scriptura dicit » ; Apoc. 4, 7 nihil tale habes ; vel sedulo confer Rom. 10, 11-94 ; ex quibus locis S. Paulus arguere vult, hos formula affert : dicit Scriptura, scriptum est, Isaias dicit, Moyses dicit : unum solum locum sine tali formula profert : « numquid non audierunt? et quidem in omnem terram exivit sonus eorum et in fines orbis terrae verba eorum ». Ratio est obvia; nam Ps.18, ex quo verba materialiter deprompta sunt, non agitur de Apostolis neque sensu literali (uti patet) neque sensu typico, cum sol et stellae et coeli non sint typi. Eodem modo verba Zachariae per accommodationem usurpata sunt Apoc. 1, 1 et cum Scripturae non fiat mentio, Scriptura quoque non explicatur. Sed quod verba a contextu avulsa ad alia quoque, immo ad contraria designanda usurpari possunt et usurpantur, veram loci alicuius ex contextu explanationem ninime poterit in dubium vocare. Saepius quoque eam quam hermeneutae accommodationem dicunt, in s. literis a sacris scriptoribus adhiberi, vide Ubaldi (Introd. in s. Ser. HI p. 114 seq), Cornely (Introd. in s. Script. I p. 5406) aliosque. : Ceterum de historia explanationis huius vaticinii apud Iudaeos et Christianos fuse agit Reinke, die mess. Weissag. IV. 9 p. 911-931. Eodem tempore, quo mors Messiae pio luctu recolitur, Deus omnibus aperit fontem ad omnem immunditiem eluendam ; v. 1« 7n die illa erit fons patens domui David et habitantibus lerusalem in ablutionem peccatoris et mensiruatae » ; — hebr. ad. peccatum et immunditiem ; allusio fit ad rituslustrales, quibus immunditiaeleviticae abluebantur ; cf. Num. 8, "l etNum. 19,9aqua aspersionis commemoratur, cuius usu maculae immunditiae legalis abluuntur ; sed etiam vera peccati ablatioet mundities animi eadem metaphora declaratur; cf. Ps. 50,9 : « asperges me hyssopo et mundabor ; lavabis me et super nivem dealbabor». De tali aqua mundante et eluente peccatorum sordes iam vaticimatus est Ezechiel : « eteffundam super vos aquam mundam et mundoabsmini ab omnibus inquinamentis vestris » (36, 95; cf. 41, 1. Ioel 3, 48). Immundities ^72 illa praecipue dicebatur mulierum in menstruis, quae maxima censebatur et omnia inficiens, quaecumque ab iis attingebantur (Lev. 15, 20seq.). Utisupra 12, 40 promissio dabatur deeffusione spiritus gratiae et precum i. e. deanimis interno afflatu gratiae imbuendis, ita h. 1. innuiturapertum iri in Ecclesia sacrum quoddam lavacrum et remedia perenniter oblata, quibus peccata omnia et vel maximae sordes (cf. Is. 64, 6) eluantur. Notatu dignum est, talem aquam salutarem intimo nexu coniunctam proponi cum Messia confixo. Utique ex Christi sanguine sacramenta baptismi et poenitentiae vim suam habent salutarem, atque in eius sanguine spes veniae reposita est. Verba oraculi adeo sunt generalia, utin impletione ad baptisma (S. Hier. Cyr.) restringi nequeant, sed potius lavacrum indicent continuo paratum et ad omnia peccata quoties opus fuerit eluenda factum et apertum. Quare alteram post naufragium tabulam, baptisma laboriosum i. e. poenitentiae sacramentum necessario simul comprehendunt et totum illud, quod in Ecclesia Christi adest, ad delenda peccata, apto symbolo fontis aperti, aquae nunquam deficientis omnibusque oblatae, exprimunt. Cum igitur talia adsint uberrima gratiae subsidia et interna et externa, in nova hac theocratia status vigebit sanctitatis et virtutis, et ea sunt illa arma, quibus hostes theocratiae debellabuntur atque in iis reposita est et declarata illa oculorum Dei apertio, qua Iuda ab hostium insidiis eripietur (cf. 12, 4). Ita haec pars quemadmodum arcte cohaeret cum : effusione spiritus gratiae et precum, non minus arcte simul cum illa effusione refertur ad victoriam spiritualem quae de hostibus theocratiae reportanda erit (cf. 12, 4. 9. 40). Tali igitur modo imago bellica antea 12, 5-8 nobis proposita ad victoriam spiritualem declarandam transfertur. Eam autem novae theocratiae sanctitatem vates ita describit, ut duo illa damna et vitia capitalia quibus vetus theocratia corrupta et demum eversa fuit, a nova longissime abesse demonstret, idololatriam scil. et pseudoprophetiam. Haec duo enim veteri theocratiae ruinam attulisse, libri historici et prophetici abunde testantur. Causis igitur ruinae amotis novam theocratiam perennem fore semperque Dei favore illustrem atque gratiosam simul innuitur. Sic patet nexus
12:1
2. When the Old Testament speaks of rūah, it thinks of the life participated to man by a divine breath (Zach. 12, 1; Job 12, 10; cf. Ez. 37, 6 where the vivification of the people is described with terms taken from the life of individuals), residing in him as the principle of vital activities, in …
12:2
… serve as a transition between the calamity described thus far and the final act. This is announced with the grandiose images of prophetic style (Mt. 24:20; Mk. 13:24; Lk. 21:25f.). Mt. 24:30a is only a reference to the fulfillment of the prophecy of Zach. 12:2: not a physical vision (cf. Mt. 26:64; Mk. 9:1), but recognition of the vindication of the Cross; in the same way as in 16:19, 37 for Zach. 12:10. It will be a general mourning of …
12:8
… "Servant of Yahweh," his vicarious expiation and the marvelous consequences that followed; they will hasten to the chosen one whom Yahweh will exalt (ibid. 49, 7; 52, 13-53, 12). The Jewish people will expiate with a national mourning the killing of the M.: Zach. 12, 8-13, 1 (= Mt. 24, 30; Jn. 19, 37). V. ADADREMON.
12:10
Adadremmon (Hebrew Hadadrimmōn)
For the exegesis of Zach. 12:10-11, cf. A. Skrinjar, in Verbum Domini, 11 (1931), pp. 233-42. Gaetano M. Perrella
… (Mt. 24:20; Mk. 13:24; Lk. 21:25f.). Mt. 24:30a is only a reference to the fulfillment of the prophecy of Zach. 12:2: not a physical vision (cf. Mt. 26:64; Mk. 9:1), but recognition of the vindication of the Cross; in the same way as in 16:19, 37 for Zach. 12:10. It will be a general mourning of the Jewish people, who will have to acknowledge that they have been punished for the crucifixion of Christ.
… Firstborn were the object of the greatest affection (cf. Gen. 22:2, 12, 16; Ios. 6:26; II Reg. 3:27; Zach. 12:10). God therefore calls Israel "his firstborn" (Ex. 4:22 ff.; Eccli. 36:14; cf. Ier. 31:9). And "beloved son" (Lk. 20:13: ἀγαπητός) is equivalent to only son (Mc. 12:6: cf. M.-J. …
… Many prophecies of the Old Testament announce that from the Messiah must gush torrents of graces, rivers of living water (Is. 12, 3; 55, 1; 48, 21; Zach. 12, 10). St. Paul presents the Messiah as the miraculous rock, which gives the refreshing water to the Hebrews in the desert (I Cor. 10, 4). St. John emphasizes that the rivers of living …
… seg.), in Palestine exploration quarterly, 82 (1950), pp. 102-22; 83 (1951), pp. 139-55; M. Delcee, Les allusions à Alexandre le Grand dans Zach. 9, 18, in Vetus Testamentum, 1 (1951), pp. 110-24; id., Un problème de critique textuelle et d'exégèse: Zach. 12, 10, in Revue biblique, 58 (1951), pp. 189-99; id., Les sources du Deutéro-Zacharie et ses procédés d'emprunt, ibid., 59 (1952), pp. 385-411; H. J. Fugman, The messianic teachings of …
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Adadremmon (Hebrew Hadadrimmōn)
According to St. Jerome (In Zach. 12:11; PL 25, 1515), A. would be the locality of Maximianopolis, today
The Syrian Baal of Byblos, Adôn-Elmun, is not named in the Bible, but allusions to his cult, which must have attracted the Israelites, are perhaps found in Dan. 11, 36, almost certainly in Is. 17, 10. For Zach. 12, 11, v. ADADREMOM.
… and Ahaziah were killed there (2 Kings 9:23-27); above all memorable is the rout of King Josiah (609 B.C.), killed in the "plain of Megiddo" by the troops of Pharaoh Necho II (2 Kings 23:29-30; 2 Chron. 35:22-25), and that mourning remained proverbial (Zech. 12:11; v. ADADREMMON).
… Owing to the unevenness of the terrain - the height varies from 25 to 100 m above sea level - particular zones are distinguished within it, such as the "field of Megiddo" (2 Chron. 35:32; Zech. 12:11) and the valley of Jezreel (Judg. 6:33; 7:1).
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Nathan (Hebr. Nāthān «[God] Has Given»)
Others in the Bible bear the same name: a Jew in I Chron. 2:36; a son of David (II Sam. 5:15; Zech. 12:12), through whom Christ traces His descent to David in the genealogy of Luke (Lk. 3:31); the father (or brother?) of one of David's warriors (II Sam. 23:36; I Chron. 11:38); an …
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.