Notes, Critical and Explanatory, on the Holy Scriptures

He is thought to have been a Syrian, but a worshipper of God, as the termination of his name indi- cates. St. Jerome takes it to mean "Good God." The Syrians designed to place him on the throne of Juda, but as a tributary and dependent prince. a L. The term signifies to stand, but it is used with great latitude.

St. Jerome, after Symmachus, explains it: "You shall not continue in year kingdom, but you shall be led away into captivity, suffering punishment like those whose unbelief you imitate." The Assyrians, on whose help Achax relied, exacted tributes from him, and brought great evils on him and his kingdom.

St. Jerome remarks, that the prophecy is directed to the family of David, that Is. the royal tribe.

St Jerome explains this of the Divine Infant: "Lest you should Imagine that He was born in appearance only, He will use the nourishment of infancy, eating butter and milk. Although this is remarked in order to prove the reality of his human body, yet being wrapped up in swaddling clothes, and eating butter and honey, Ue will judge between good and evil, rejecting evil and choosing good : not that He actually did so. by rejecting or approving, but because He knew how to reject, or to approve, that we may know from this fact, that the infancy of nis human body did not detract from His divine wisdom."

The Assyrian troops, allured by the hope of plunder, are compared to a razor hired for ahaving.

The scarcity of cattle will make pastures abundant. , St. Jerome writes : "In that day, that is at that time, when all the wealth of Judea shall hare been transferred to Chaldea, there will be such deso- lation and Incredible solitude, that the inhabitants will no longer hare herds of cattle, or flocks of sheep, as before; but the lonely occupant, here and there, will hare two sheep and a single cow, not for plough- ing, but in order to use the milk and fleece for fool and clothing. For the want of corn and of all things which the earth produces to support life, they shall eat milk and butter and wild honey. What is said: 'for the abundance of milk he shall eat honey,' means that the land not being generally in tillage, will be richer, and fitter for pasture."

Valued at a shekel each. M To defend themselves from wild beasts, as well as to procure venison. " 8L Jerome writes : " 8uch will be the terror, the swords being everywhere unsheathed, that no one ( will dare visit his land without bow and arrow ; and all deserting the plains, will flee to the mountains ; and there, although protected by the situation, they will scarcely cultivate the rough soil, since they will not have oxen, ploughs, or ploughshares. If here and there a tiller of the land be found amidst the mountains, they may derive thence a wretched support: but the rest of the lands lie open as pasture ground, and is trodden down by the cattle, wandering without any herd." R. Ges. understand it differ- ently : "Thou shalt not go thither, for fear of thorns and briers." Such plaoes were left untilled for the want of the necessary implements : they served only as pasture for the cattle.