“Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.”
Lord. He speaks of the redemption of mankind, under the allegory of the return from captivity.
“Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.”
Alone, and gave him children when he was grown old, and Sara barren. I can surely save you likewise. (Calmet) — The example of these great progenitors is set before the Jews. Thus St. Paul says: Remember your prelates, Hebrews xiii. (Worthington)
“Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.”
Nations. This was verified when the Bible was translated into Greek, and still more by the preaching of the gospel.
“My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust.”
Just. Christ, prefigured by Cyrus, whose empire was very mild, chap. xliv. 28.
“Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.”
Fail. Matthew xxiv. 35. The prosperity of the Jews was not of long duration. But the Church will remain till the end of time.
“Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?”
Proud. Hebrew, “Rahab,” Pharao, king of Egypt, Job xxvi. 12., and Ezechiel xxix. 3. (Calmet) — God drowned in the water, which had retired for Israel. He will thus destroy the devil. (Worthington)
“And forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor? were: or, made himself ready”
Oppressor. If thou hadst not abandoned God, thou wouldst have had no reason to fear Nabuchodonosor; and his power is now gone.
“The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit, nor that his bread should fail.”
Fail. Cyrus shall quickly restore the Jews to their country. He shall not lay waste the provinces, like many conquerors.
“And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.”
People. This may refer to Isaias, Cyrus, &c., as figures of Christ, chap. xlix. 1. He has bestowed greater favours on Christians than Cyrus did on the Jews, opening the kingdom of heaven to true believers, &c., Ephesians ii. 19.
“Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.”
Dregs. Take courage: Babylon’s turn is come, ver. 23. (Calmet)
“These two things are come unto thee; who shall be sorry for thee? desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee? are: Heb. happened destruction: Heb. breaking”
Two. War and famine cause desolation and destruction. (Worthington) — Jerusalem was reduced to the greatest misery in the last siege under Nabuchodonosor, Lamentations iv. 3. (Calmet)
“Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as a wild bull in a net: they are full of the fury of the LORD, the rebuke of thy God.”
Ox, oryx. Hebrew Thua, Deuteronomy xiv. 5. (Haydock) — Many accounts respecting it are fabulous. Some understand a sort of wolf, mentioned by Pliny, [Natural History?] viii. 34. Septuagint, “like beet half boiled.”
“But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street, to them that went over.”
Over. This inhumanity was not uncommon, Josue x. 24., and Psalm cix. 1.