Dove. Jerusalem is upbraided, and then comforted. She had been treated like a spouse, a dove; and yet proved faithless. (Calmet) — Hebrew, “Woe to the famous, and defiled, and oppressing city.” Septuagint agree with us, if we only exchange famous for provoking. (Haydock) — After being redeemed from Egypt, the Jews ungratefully follow idols, Osee vii. 11. (Menochius) — Jerusalem having been freely chosen and favoured above other places, and still provoking God, cannot escape a severe chastisement. (Worthington)
 | Author: George Leo Haydock Rank: Author AD: 1849 Source: Title: Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary Year (original): 1859 Number of pages: 571 Print: Edward Dunigan and Brother, New York, New York |
Here, He refers to Jerusalem some very bad attributes; He calls her rebellious, defiled, and oppressive. From the outside, she is the city of God. It was fitting for her to be up to this great honor; Yet, through her rebellion, she became worse than any pagan city. She is the center of the worship of God, embracing His holy temple; Yet, because holiness had no place in her, she became worthy of the Hebrew name ‘Moreah’, meaning (defiled), instead of ‘Mariah’, the name of the hill on which she was built. Finally, she is oppressive, and does not testify to God’s mercies, and compassion on those who are in need. In other words, He chose her to be His city; yet, instead of obeying Him, she became rebellious. He set His holy temple in her; yet, instead of holiness, she became defiled. He provided her with His commandment of love and mercy toward the neighbor; Yet, she became oppressive, and did not listen to His divine commandment. Hence, the Lord advises the king of Judah and the people of Jerusalem, saying: “Execute judgment and righteousness, and deliver the plundered out of the hand of the oppressor. Do no wrong and do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless or the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place” [Jer 22:3].
Three serious attributes, that make the people, as well as the individual, lose fellowship with the Holy God, the Grantor of life, holiness, and love. These attributes are: “rebellion”, namely lack of obedience, “defilement”, namely, lack of holiness, and “oppression”, namely, lack of love. “Rebellion” is not obeying God, and not keeping His commandment; “Defilement” touches his inner life; And “oppression” touches his relationship with his brethren; However, each of these attributes reflects on these three ranges; as there is no separation between obedience to God, sanctifying man and the love of neighbor.
1 Rebellion or lack of obedience: St. Augustine in a commentary on the words of the Psalmist: “Through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way” [Ps 119:104], sees a connection between these three attributes. He believes that, in obedience to God’s commandments, there is an enjoyment of the riches of the knowledge of wisdom; through which, man would be dismayed by every way of evil, would love righteousness, and would hate oppression.
+Through his obedience to God’s commandments, (the Psalmist) gains an understanding of the issues he longs to know… “ Through His precepts he gets understanding” … Those who keep the commandments get greater riches in the knowledge of wisdom …”He loves righteousness”, and hates every oppression … A higher wisdom is given to him who obeys God; and an understanding of His commandments. - St. Augustine
+Nothing would please the lord like obedience. - St. Jerome
2 Concerning holiness it is said:
+“Your way, O God, is holy” [Ps 77:13]. If you are not holy, the way of God is not in you. What is the way of God? The Savior says: “I am the way, the truth, and the life” [John 14:6]. Hence the “Way” is the Son of God. If we wish to have Christ dwell in us, Let us be holy; As the way of God is holiness.
+A holy man does not fear the fire {“A fire goes before him, and burns up his enemies round about” [Ps 97:3]. Let the sinner fear it! Fire sanctifies the saints, but burns up the sinners!. “He makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire” [Ps 104:4]. - St. Jerome
3 Concerning Oppression, it is said:
+As “Christ has no accord with Belial”, and “the righteousness has no fellowship with lawlessness” [2Cor 6:14-15]; It is not possible for one soul to love both goodness and evil.
You, who love the Lord, have to hate the devil! In every single work, there is love for one, and hate for the other!
+The haughty man in his pride, acquires the source of all other evils, he offers no regret, assuming that he is the object of God’s pleasure. Pride is against God; The proud or the haughty, assuming that he is righteous, does not submit to God, nor repent his evil ways, but, in hypocrisy, he boasts his assumed good works. - St. Jerome
Three serious attributes, that make the people, as well as the individual, lose fellowship with the Holy God, the Grantor of life, holiness, and love. These attributes are: “rebellion”, namely lack of obedience, “defilement”, namely, lack of holiness, and “oppression”, namely, lack of love. “Rebellion” is not obeying God, and not keeping His commandment; “Defilement” touches his inner life; And “oppression” touches his relationship with his brethren; However, each of these attributes reflects on these three ranges; as there is no separation between obedience to God, sanctifying man and the love of neighbor.
1 Rebellion or lack of obedience: St. Augustine in a commentary on the words of the Psalmist: “Through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way” [Ps 119:104], sees a connection between these three attributes. He believes that, in obedience to God’s commandments, there is an enjoyment of the riches of the knowledge of wisdom; through which, man would be dismayed by every way of evil, would love righteousness, and would hate oppression.
+Through his obedience to God’s commandments, (the Psalmist) gains an understanding of the issues he longs to know… “ Through His precepts he gets understanding” … Those who keep the commandments get greater riches in the knowledge of wisdom …”He loves righteousness”, and hates every oppression … A higher wisdom is given to him who obeys God; and an understanding of His commandments. - St. Augustine
+Nothing would please the lord like obedience. - St. Jerome
2 Concerning holiness it is said:
+“Your way, O God, is holy” [Ps 77:13]. If you are not holy, the way of God is not in you. What is the way of God? The Savior says: “I am the way, the truth, and the life” [John 14:6]. Hence the “Way” is the Son of God. If we wish to have Christ dwell in us, Let us be holy; As the way of God is holiness.
+A holy man does not fear the fire {“A fire goes before him, and burns up his enemies round about” [Ps 97:3]. Let the sinner fear it! Fire sanctifies the saints, but burns up the sinners!. “He makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire” [Ps 104:4]. - St. Jerome
3 Concerning Oppression, it is said:
+As “Christ has no accord with Belial”, and “the righteousness has no fellowship with lawlessness” [2Cor 6:14-15]; It is not possible for one soul to love both goodness and evil.
You, who love the Lord, have to hate the devil! In every single work, there is love for one, and hate for the other!
+The haughty man in his pride, acquires the source of all other evils, he offers no regret, assuming that he is the object of God’s pleasure. Pride is against God; The proud or the haughty, assuming that he is righteous, does not submit to God, nor repent his evil ways, but, in hypocrisy, he boasts his assumed good works. - St. Jerome
 | Author: Tadros Yacoub Malaty Rank: Monk Posted on: 2022-11-09 |
The listed verse explanations of the individual persons have nothing to do with the explanations of the other persons. This also applies to the Bible translations.