Sung. Greek, “Gave out this confession, in all Israel: and all the people echoed this praise;” (Haydock) either repeating the whole after her, or singing the first verse as a chorus, Exodus xv. 20., 1 Kings xviii. 6., and 1 Paralipomenon xvi. 8. (Calmet) — Saying. Greek, “And Judith said: Begin ye to my Lord.” (Haydock) — It is time for us to break silence, and to sound forth the praises of God. (Calmet)
Wars, or destroys armies. (Haydock) — God is often represented as a mighty warrior, Isaias i. 24., Jeremias ii. 20., and Romans ix. 29. (Calmet) — This passage is quoted by St. Ephrem (ser. de 2. Adv.) as a part of Scripture. (Worthington) — Lord is. Greek, “For he has drawn me from the hands of my persecutors, into his camp, in the midst of the people.” (Haydock)
Mountains of Cilicia, and through the defiles of Libanus and Hermon, on the north of Palestine, by which road they were forced to come. The desert Arabia was impassable for a large army. (Calmet) — North, inclining to the east. (Haydock) (Isaias xiv. 13., Jeremias i. 13., and Ezechiel i. 4.) — Torrents, drinking them up, as Sennacherib boasted; (4 Kings xix. 24.) and the Greeks assert the same of the army of Xerxes. (Herodotus vii. 108.)
To make. Greek, “that he would throw my children at the breast, on the pavement, and make,” &c. (Haydock)
Stuck. Literally, “hurt him, overturning all his projects, (Calmet) as the Greek (ethetesen) intimates. (Menochius) — Him. Greek, “them, by the hand of a woman: For,” &c.
Men; soldiers, chap. xiv. 6., and Genesis xiv. 24. — Titan. So the Septuagint render Raphaim, 2 Kings v. 18. The Greek translator of this work seems to have read the poets, who pretend that the Titans attempted to take heaven by storm. (Calmet) — Neither such giants as those who lived before the flood, (Genesis vi.) nor such as were seen after, (Numbers xiii.; Worthington) attacked Holofernes. (Haydock) — Neither does the Vulgate give any authority to poetic fictions, but only adopts terms which are best understood. (Tirinus) (St. Jerome in Amos v. 8.)
And put. Greek, “for the exaltation of those who laboured in Israel.”
Crown. Greek, “mitre,” or ribband, ornamented with jewels, chap. x. 3. Syriac, “net-work.” — New. Greek, “linen stole,” which was a long robe, usually of linen, and worn both by men and women. (Calmet) — Deceived him; as he would make love to her, and thus give her an opportunity to perform what she had designed. (Haydock) — She was not actuated by the desire of being admired, but sought to deliver her people, ver. 9. (Menochius)