“Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God. standing: or, pillar image of: or, figured stone: Heb. a stone of picture”
To adore it. This explains the prohibition of making graven things, &c. The Protestants translate as usual, “Ye shall make you no idols, nor graven image, neither rear ye up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land to bow down unto it.” They seem terribly afraid of images, as if they were all idols. See Exodus xx. 4. (Haydock) — Pillars. Hebrew mattseba, “statue, or monument.” Such were erected by Jacob, Josue, and even by Moses himself, without any offence or danger of idolatry, Genesis xxviii. 8 and Josue iv. 4 and Exodus xxiv. 4. Apuleius (Flor.) makes mention, among other species of superstition, “of a stone anointed, and of an altar crowned with flowers.” — The stone, which is here condemned, is one set up “for adoration.” (Onkelos) — Hebrew, “a stone of sight,” placed on some eminence, or on the high roads. Strabo, (xvii.) speaking of those which he had seen in Egypt along the roads, says, “they are lofty, polished, and almost like a sphere, some 12 feet in diameter. There are sometimes three, of different dimensions, one upon another. Some were to be seen upon Mount Libanus. They were objects of adoration.” The Greeks raised heaps of stones on the high roads, in honour of Mercury, Proverbs xxvi. 7[8?]. (Calmet) — We are not forbidden to place land-marks, &c.: but we must not adore them. (Du Hamel)
“Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.”
Reverence. The Rabbins inform us, with what respect their ancestors appeared in the temple. They left their sticks and shoes behind them, and washed their feet; entering solely to perform some act of religion, and not to go a shorter road to another street. When they had ended their devotions, they retired slowly without turning their back to the sanctuary. (Outram, Sacrif. lib. 3. n. 7.)
“If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;”
Due seasons. Before harvest, in spring; and after that in autumn; when they sow their wheat and barley in Palestine. (Calmet)
“And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.”
Time. So great shall be the abundance, that you will scarcely have time to get all the work done before you will be called off to something else. (Haydock) — These promises would be so much the more agreeable to them, as in Egypt, they had been forced to keep in their houses two or three months together, on account of the overflowing of the Nile. In that country, as well as in Greece and Palestine, people sow both wheat and barley about October; while in other countries the latter is sown in spring. The harvest is ready in about six months, and that of wheat in seven. (Pliny, [Natural History?] xviii. 18.; Hesiod, ep. ii.) (Calmet)
“And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.”
Five. Thus Gedeon’s 300 men put to flight the great army of the Madianites; (Judges vii. 22,) and the Machabees destroyed vast numbers with a small force.
“And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new.”
Old; Being unable to consume all. (Menochius) — Hebrew, “ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new.” Septuagint, “you shall eat the old of old, and you shall bring out the old from the face of the new.” Like a householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasury new things and old, Matthew xiii. 52. (Haydock)
“I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright.”
Upright; and be no longer bowed down with a heavy yoke, like oxen. “I have broken the locks of your prison, and have set you at liberty,” Arabic. (Calmet) — A Greek proverb says, “Never was a slave’s head right, but always crooked, like his neck.” (Menochius)
“I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. over: Heb. upon”
Heat. Hebrew kaddachath, is rendered “scab and jaundice,” by the Septuagint: and by others “a dangerous wind,” like that which causes so many diseases in Egypt. The precise meaning of some terms in this verse is not well known.
“And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.”
More, (septuplum.) “Very often, or very much;” in which sense it is used in this chapter. (Calmet)
“And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:”
As brass (æneam.) “Brazen,” without moisture, and barren. (Onkelos)
“I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate.”
Desolate, none being left to frequent them: or the few who remain, shall keep within doors, lest the wild beasts should meet and devour them, Isaias xxxiii. 8.
“And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied.”
Bread; or that which supports you. You shall be deprived of the necessaries of life. — One oven shall be used by 10 families, so little bread shall be baked, and even that little shall be delivered out by weight. I will also deprive it of its nutritive qualities, so that it shall not satisfy your craving appetite. (Calmet) See Psalm civ. 16 and Isaias iii. 1.
“Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.”
Fury. You will gain nothing by opposing me, but your own destruction. I will treat you, as you would deal with me. (Haydock)
“And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat.”
Daughters. To such extremities were the Jews reduced, at the sieges of Samaria and Jerusalem. (4 Kings vi. 28 and Lamentations iv. 10.) (Josephus, Jewish Wars vii. 8.)
“And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you.”
Places. The temple of Solomon was built on Mount Moria or Sion. The Persians sacrificed upon the mountains, and the Romans and Athenians built their most magnificent temples on the highest parts of their respective cities. — Idols. Hebrew chammanim, denotes the chariots dedicated to the sun; (4 Kings xxiii. 11,) or the pyreia, or enclosures for the sacred fire, in honour of the god Homanus, (Strabo xv.) whose name is probably derived from this Hebrew word, (Calmet) as well as Hammon, a title of Jupiter. (Menochius) — Ruins. Hebrew, “and cast your carcasses upon the carcasses of your gods of dirt, and my soul shall vomit you out.” The Egyptians embalmed the carcasses of their sacred animals. God threatens that, if his people be so stupid as to adore them, they shall die, and be deprived of sepulture.
“And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours.”
Odours. Even the sanctuary of the Lord shall be destroyed, as you will be unworthy to have it among you, or to offer sacrifices to me. (Haydock)
“Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths.”
Desolation. It shall be uncultivated; and though you would not comply with my injunctions to let it rest one year out of seven, it shall now remain desolate for many years together. (Haydock) — Theodoret (q. 37) says for 70 years; the number of sabbatic years, from the reign of Saul till the captivity of Babylon, during the space of 490 years. This verse seems evidently to allude to those days of distress. (Calmet) (2 Paralipomenon xxxvi. 21.) — But we can hardly suppose that none of the sabbatic years should have been duly observed during the reigns of David, Solomon, &c. (Haydock) — Instead of enjoy, Hebrew may be “shall expiate her sabbaths,” or the neglect of them. The same term, tirtse, is used, (ver. 41 and 43,) and the Vulgate generally renders it agreeable, speaking of sacrifices, chap. i. 4 and xxii. 20. (Calmet)
“As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it.”
Your sabbaths, holidays and years of rest, and of jubilee. The earth is represented as entering into the views of God, and rejoicing at his judgments. (Haydock)
“And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth. shaken: Heb. driven”
Fear. Septuagint, “timidity, or slavishness.” Hebrew morec, “softness and inactivity.” (Calmet) — Their haughty temper shall be broken; and though they have dared to rebel against their God, the fall of a leaf shall now terrify them. (Haydock)
“And they shall fall one upon another, as it were before a sword, when none pursueth: and ye shall have no power to stand before your enemies.”
Brethren, in their flight; while each one is endeavouring to save himself. The Rabbins say they shall be punished for the sins of their brethren, if they have not endeavoured to prevent them.
“And ye shall perish among the heathen, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up.”
Consume you. The Hebrew spies said that the land of Chanaan devoured its inhabitants. Such shall be in reality the enemies’ country in your regard. You shall not be able to establish yourselves or be happy there.
“And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies' lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them.”
Own. The sins of their fathers, which they have imitated, shall fall upon them; so that they shall pine away with remorse and misery.
“And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity:”
Mind. Hebrew, “heart,” wicked, rebellious, and unclean. (Menochius) — Pray for. Hebrew and Syriac, “please themselves in,” &c. They shall see what advantage they have derived from their sins. (Calmet) — Then they shall enter into themselves, like the prodigal son. (Haydock)
“Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.”
Jacob is placed first, because he was the father of no other nation; as Abraham and Isaac were. (Worthington)
“And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I am the LORD their God.”
I did not. He speaks of a future event, which he sees will certainly come to pass, as if it had already happened. As God had preserved his people, in Egypt, conformably to his covenant with the patriarchs, so he will be reconciled to them, after they shall have done penance, and acknowledged all their excesses, in the captivity of Babylon. (Haydock) — The church never ceases all together. (Worthington)
“But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God: I am the LORD.”
Moses. What has been hitherto recorded, was mostly prescribed by God at Mount Sinai, as some of the following laws were also. (Calmet) — It would seem as if this were the conclusion of Leviticus. We must remember, however, that these divisions were not introduced by Moses, as he wrote his five books without any interruption, like one verse. So St. John seems to conclude his Gospel, (chap. xx. 31,) though he afterwards adds another chapter. (Haydock)