Notes, Critical and Explanatory, on the Holy Scriptures

This regards the whole people, all the descendants of Jacob.

Lit "Visit upon you." St Jerome observes: " He said excellently: I will visit, not I will strike, for the scourge is at once a visitation and a cure."

As fear is excited by the sound of a trumpet announcing hostilities, so the prophetic announcements should inspire salutary terror.

All the calamities with which cities are visited, are from God, who punishes the sins of men. The prophet is not treating of moral evil, which must be ascribed to the free act of man. " The evil which the Lord doth in the city, is not oontrary to virtue, but it is affliction and torment, of which we read:

Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof^ namely, tribulation aDd distress." St Jerome. u The evils that were experienced, were preceded by the warning voice of the prophets. "The merciful and good God always announces future things, that He may not be forced to inflict punishment What heretics impiously represent as severe, savage, and cruel, and the act of a judge, we refer to the greatness of His mercy, since He does not inflict punishment without previously announcing it: l or by foretelling He manifests His unwillingness to punish delinquents." Idem.

A MS., 126 K., has the future tense. Who dares resist the Divine will impelling him to prophesy:

P. "An adversary there shall be even round about the land." The phrase la elliptical. The inva- sion of an enemy is predicted, who is to spread desolation. St. Jerome explains it of the Assyrian army. u " He borrows an example from what he had often seen, and states that the slight remains of the ten tribes shall be rescued from the hands of the Assyrians, as a shepherd rescues from the lion's Jaws two legs or the tip of the ear, the rest of the sheep being devoured." St Jerome. The shepherd was liable to be called on to make restitution of the lost sheep, unless he could show bow the animal had perished, by exhibiting at least some small piece of its remains. Kxod. 22 : 13.

On the edge of a bed, where they lay without fear of danger. Allusion is made to the league between the Israelites and Syrians. "The children of Samaria resting confident in the aid of the Syrians, and promising themselves victory, dwell in their country, as resting on a bed or couch, that as a weary man reposes on a bed, so they may repair their strength by the aid of a neighboring nation." St. Jerome. u H means to visit, which is taken for punishing. Caeprro is pleonastic. Jer. 20 : 10. The altars shall be stricken down in the general visitation.

The lion roais when its prey is in sight : the cry of its whelp from its den is a token that prey lies before it. In like manner the voice of God threatening sinners with punishment, is a certain sign that it is impending.