“For great are thy judgments, and cannot be expressed: therefore unnurtured souls have erred.”
Souls. The Egyptians, who were punished with horrible darkness, as they had followed an unjust, dark, and cruel policy against the Hebrews.
“For when unrighteous men thought to oppress the holy nation; they being shut up in their houses, the prisoners of darkness, and fettered with the bonds of a long night, lay there exiled from the eternal providence.”
Providence, and day-light, like incorrigible slaves, in prison. (Calmet) — The Egyptians were three days in darkness, (Exodus x. 22.) and the Gentiles continued without faith in God, till after Christ’s resurrection. (Worthington) — Only few served him, before that glorious event.
“For while they supposed to lie hid in their secret sins, they were scattered under a dark veil of forgetfulness, being horribly astonished, and troubled with strange apparitions.”
Sins. This interior darkness was punished with the exterior one. (Calmet) — Forgetfulness. Of each other, being concerned only for themselves, (Haydock) or they seemed to be forgotten by Providence, or buried in Lethean, most dismal obscurity. The interpreter thus mentions Cocytus, without sanctioning poetical fables, Job xxi. 33. (Menochius) — Exceeding. Greek, “spectres.” (Calmet)
“Only there appeared unto them a fire kindled of itself, very dreadful: for being much terrified, they thought the things which they saw to be worse than the sight they saw not.”
Fire. Like lightning, which would not allow them leisure to distinguish objects. (Calmet)
“As for the illusions of art magick, they were put down, and their vaunting in wisdom was reproved with disgrace.”
Rebuked. Or chastised. (Haydock) — The magicians could not imitate this miracle, nor secure themselves from its horrors. (Calmet)
“For though no terrible thing did fear them; yet being scared with beasts that passed by, and hissing of serpents,”
Fear. the Egyptians kept serpents in their houses, and fed them. But now, neglecting to shew this attention, they were affrighted with their hissing. — Air. Or could live. They seemed to wish for death, (Calmet) like the damned, but it fled from them. (Haydock)
“They died for fear, denying that they saw the air, which could of no side be avoided.”
Things. The wicked are most cowardly. (Calmet) — “Crimes may be safe; they cannot be secure.” (Seneca, ep. xcvii.)
“For wickedness, condemned by her own witness, is very timorous, and being pressed with conscience, always forecasteth grievous things.”
Thought. And giving way to despair, when it is extreme.
“For fear is nothing else but a betraying of the succours which reason offereth.”
Expectation. Or fear. Such an one is filled with a mortal anxiety.
“But they sleeping the same sleep that night, which was indeed intolerable, and which came upon them out of the bottoms of inevitable hell,”
Them. From the sight of spectres, and remorse of conscience.
“Were partly vexed with monstrous apparitions, and partly fainted, their heart failing them: for a sudden fear, and not looked for, came upon them.”
Irons. Darkness forced them to stay where they were. (Calmet)
“For whether he were husbandman, or shepherd, or a labourer in the field, he was overtaken, and endured that necessity, which could not be avoided: for they were all bound with one chain of darkness.”
Birds. Nothing can afford comfort to the affrighted. (Menochius)