Notes, Critical and Explanatory, on the Holy Scriptures

P. " Her ruler* with shame do love, Give ye " L. " Her ruler* love, prepare themselves hat dam" R. favors the interpretation of St Jerome, who says: "Their prince* deceived the unhappy people^ and fa- stead of the worship of God. brought on them the *bame of idolatry."

The idolatrous priests, who worshipped the calves at Bethel, and Dan, are addressed.

P. " A snare on Mizpab." It is taken for the proper name of a mountainous and woody ngks. Josue 11 : 3 ; Judges 10 : 17. It signifies " a watch tower," in which sense it is taken by At Jeceaas, after Sept. : " I have put you as sentinels over the people, and placed you in high station, that you wmj dftnet the people, lest they stray." Thabor was a famous mountain. The priests were as a net and snare, la* volving the people in idolatry, whilst their high position should have made them eervo as gniiaeiB the worship of the true God. a P. " And the revolters are profound to make slaughter." L. " And for murdering, they who bed rebelled (against God) concealed themselves in deep places." The false priests caused bloodshed, turning away the people from the worship of God. "Turning victims into the depth," Is understood by some of forcing the true worshippers to offer their victims in secret places. St Jerome says that it was done, in order " that no one might do penance, and that being slain, he might not raise his head. Both kings and priests forbade the people to go to the temple of Jerusalem*, wherefore they are said to have tamed the victims into the deep places."

P. " After the commandment" The orders given by Jeroboam and Aohab to practise idolatry may he meant St Jerome took Uf for K1¥, tarda, the filth of idolatry. M As the moth destroys garments, and rottenness consumes timber after a long time, so God, giving room for repentance to the ten tribes, and afterwards to the two tribes, during a long time, is as a moth •ad rottenness : not that He really is such, but that He appears such to those who suffer chastisement.1* St Jerome.