“Also, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD unto the land of Israel; An end, the end is come upon the four corners of the land.”
Israel, or Judea, in all its parts. (Worthington) — In five or six years’ time all shall be destroyed.
“Now is the end come upon thee, and I will send mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense upon thee all thine abominations. recompense: Heb. give”
Set, as accusers, to increase thy confusion.
“Thus saith the Lord GOD; An evil, an only evil, behold, is come.”
One. A second shall not be necessary, Nahum i. 9. (Calmet)
“An end is come, the end is come: it watcheth for thee; behold, it is come. watcheth for: Heb. awaketh against”
Awaked. Justice seems to have slept. (Haydock) See ver. 10., and Jeremias i. 12.
“The morning is come unto thee, O thou that dwellest in the land: the time is come , the day of trouble is near, and not the sounding again of the mountains. sounding: or, echo”
Destruction, (contritio.) St. Jerome reads “contraction,” as also [in] ver. 10. Protestants, “the morning.” (Haydock) — Chaldean, “the reign.” (Calmet) — Hebrew tsephira, is variously rendered. (Haydock) — Joy. Hebrew, “echo or cry” of people in the vintage.
“Behold the day, behold, it is come: the morning is gone forth; the rod hath blossomed, pride hath budded.”
Budded; figurative expressions, denoting a speedy vengeance. (Calmet) — Chaldean, “the reign is open, the ruler has flourished, the wicked hath appeared.” In this reign of Nabuchodonosor ye shall be chastised. (Haydock) — Septuagint or rather Theodotion, from whom many things have bee supplied according to St. Jerome, (Calmet) have, “The deceit (or thick foliage; ploke) has gone forth, the rod,” &c. (Haydock)
“Violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness: none of them shall remain, nor of their multitude, nor of any of theirs: neither shall there be wailing for them. theirs: or, their tumultuous persons: Heb. tumult”
Iniquity. What other fruit could be expected from wickedness? It draws on chastisement. — Noise, or grandees. None will repent, and therefore none shall escape, from the highest to the lowest.
“For the seller shall not return to that which is sold, although they were yet alive: for the vision is touching the whole multitude thereof, which shall not return; neither shall any strengthen himself in the iniquity of his life. although they: Heb. though their life were yet among the living in the: or, whose life is in his iniquity the iniquity: Heb. his iniquity”
Sold, as in the year of jubilee, Leviticus xxv. 25. (Calmet) — Now there shall be no recovery. (Worthington) — They shall be driven from the land. — Although. By supplying the former negation, (Calmet) we may render “Nor,” &c., (Haydock) which seems better. (Calmet) — It may also mean, “those who are now alive” shall witness these things. (Haydock) Back. It is not a mere threat.
“They have blown the trumpet, even to make all ready; but none goeth to the battle: for my wrath is upon all the multitude thereof.”
Ready. He describes the vain attempts of the Jews to make resistance.
“But they that escape of them shall escape, and shall be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them mourning, every one for his iniquity.”
Doves, not daring to vent their complaints. (Calmet)
“All hands shall be feeble, and all knees shall be weak as water. be weak: Heb. go into water”
Water; urine, (St. Jerome) sweat, &c., the usual effects of fear.
“They shall also gird themselves with sackcloth, and horror shall cover them; and shame shall be upon all faces, and baldness upon all their heads.”
Heads. They cut their hair in times of penance and of mourning.
“They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity. removed: Heb. for a separation, or, uncleanness it is: or, their iniquity is their stumblingblock”
Iniquity. Riches have fostered their passions: they will not now procure food or liberty, Sophonias i. 18. (Calmet) — The riches of the idols invited the enemy to plunder. (Worthington)
“As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in majesty: but they made the images of their abominations and of their detestable things therein: therefore have I set it far from them. set it far: or, made it unto them an unclean thing”
And. Protestants, “As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in majesty: but they made the,” &c. The sacred ornaments of the temple, appointed by God, (Haydock) have been converted into idols, and shall be carried to Babylon, ver. 21. (Calmet)
“My face will I turn also from them, and they shall pollute my secret place: for the robbers shall enter into it, and defile it. robbers: or, burglers”
Secret: the inward sanctuary, the holy of holies. (Challoner) — God would guard it no longer. (Calmet)
“Make a chain: for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence.”
Shutting up. Hebrew, “chain,” for imprisonment and captivity. (Challoner) — Pronounce sentence upon all.
“Wherefore I will bring the worst of the heathen, and they shall possess their houses: I will also make the pomp of the strong to cease; and their holy places shall be defiled . their holy: or, they shall inherit their holy places”
Sanctuary; the temple of God, or of idols, chap. vi. 3.
“Destruction cometh; and they shall seek peace, and there shall be none. Destruction: Heb. Cutting off”
Distress. When the enemy is before the city, they will see their error; but it will be too late. They shall not obtain peace, Jeremias xxxviii. 1.
“Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumour shall be upon rumour; then shall they seek a vision of the prophet; but the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the ancients.”
Ancients. Priests shall afford no consolation, nor counsellors any advice. They shall be all confounded. (Calmet) — During the captivity a few only were found to give instruction, Malachias ii. (Worthington)