“Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime:”
Ashes. Some think that he alludes to 4 Kings iii. 27., or rather to some war, the ashes of the dead were disturbed. (Calmet) — Both these acts of inhumanity deserved severe punishment. (Worthington)
“But I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kerioth: and Moab shall die with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet:”
Fire: war under Ozias. (Calmet) — Carioth. Septuagint, “the cities.” Carioth has this meaning, but is was also the name of a great city, Jeremias xlviii. 24. (Haydock)
“And I will cut off the judge from the midst thereof, and will slay all the princes thereof with him, saith the LORD.”
Judge, ruler, or head, shall be no more.
“Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the LORD, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked:”
Walked. After Solomon, scarcely a good prince appeared, till the days of Amos. Juda imitated the idolatry of Israel, hoping thus to find assistance. (Calmet) — His crime was the more grievous, as they had the law. (Worthington)
“But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.”
Fire. Under Joathan, Rasin, &c., invaded the country. Achaz increased the misery, by applying to the Assyrians. (Calmet)
“Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes;”
Just man. Joseph, (Rupert) or our Saviour, (Sanctius) or any other. The expression is proverbial, Ezechiel xiii. 19. (Calmet) — Israel contemned the law, and adopted the abominations of all. (Worthington)
“That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name: maid: or, young woman”
Humble, provoking him to anger. — Name. Such incests caused infidels to blaspheme, Leviticus xviii. 8. (Calmet) — They must be punished with severity. (Worthington)
“And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god. the condemned: or, such as have fined, or, mulcted”
Altar. Herein they offended doubly, (Exodus xxii. 26.) as they used the garments of others to hide their shameful actions, 4 Kings xxiii. 7. (Calmet) — Septuagint, “and tying up their garments with cords, they made veils touching the altar, and drank wine procured by calumnies,” (Haydock) or “rapine,” &c. (Chaldean) — Condemned by them unjustly, though some think that a very delicious and intoxicating wine is meant, such as was given to people in grief, Proverbs xxxi. 6., and Mark xv. 23. Helena learnt in Egypt how to compose such wine. (Homer, Odyssey iv.) — Feasting in temples on carpets was an ancient custom.
“Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath.”
Beneath. The Israelites seemed like locusts in comparison, Numbers xiii. 34.
“And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the LORD.”
Nazarites. Some went secretly to Jerusalem for this purpose; or perhaps they performed these rites illegally at Bethel: for many parts of the law were observed, though not perfectly, chap iv. 4. The Nazarites were in high estimation, Lamentations iv. 7. But the dissolute Israelites (Calmet) derided them as well as the prophets, (Haydock) and attempted to make them transgress. (Calmet)
“Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves. I am: or, I will press your place, as a cart full of sheaves presseth”
I will screek. Unable to bear any longer the enormous load of your sins, &c. The Spirit of God, as St. Jerome takes notice, accommodates itself to the education of the prophet, and inspires him with encouragements taken from country affairs. (Challoner) — Septuagint, “I am overturned.” Hebrew, “pressed.” (Calmet)
“Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself: himself: Heb. his soul, or, life”
Swift. Jeroboam I. Other kings are described afterwards. (St. Jerome) — In the latter times all was in confusion. (Calmet)