George Leo Haydock

Hands. He seems to allude to the regulation of Nehemias, (2 Esdras iv. 17.; Haydock) or to the Machabees, who were priests and soldiers. They shall proclaim God’s praises, and defend the nation. In the spiritual sense, Catholics employ the two-edged sword of the Old and New Testament against heretics, and exercise the power of Christ in excommunicating the wicked. (St. Jerome) — Our Saviour enables the saints to judge at the last day, Matthew xix. 28. (Calmet) — This chiefly regards such as have left all things, like the apostles, and those who embrace a monastic life, Matthew iv. 20., and xix. 27., Acts iv. 34., and 1 Corinthians vi. 3. — They shall judge whether people have made good or bad use of their possessions. (St. Augustine) (Ven. Bede) — All the blessed will approve of God’s sentence; and their example in overcoming difficulties, will evince the baseness of the wicked, who have yielded to less temptations. (Worthington)