Verse 1

Amen. He approves of God's judgments (Haydock) against Jerusalem. (Worthington)

Verse 2

City; Jerusalem, or rather Babylon, (chap. xxi.; Calmet) or every city (Haydock) in the world. (Menochius) --- Strangers: the temples of idols.

Verse 3

People; the Chaldeans, or their conquerors.

Verse 4

Poor; Juda, whom Nabuchodonosor's fury could not exterminate.

Verse 5

Away. Cyrus (Calmet) shall reduce Babylon the great. (Haydock)

Verse 6

Mountain of Sion, a figure of the Church, and of heaven. The Jews shall feast: yea, some of all nations shall partake of the blessed Eucharist, and obtain heaven. The expressions are too grand for a corruptible feast. (Calmet) --- Wine. Literally, "of vintage," (Haydock) on which occasion great rejoicings were made. (Hesiod, Hercul. 297.) --- Protestants, "of wines on the lees." (Haydock) --- In the East, the wines were very thick, Psalm lxxv. 9. (Calmet) --- On the rejection of the Jews, the Gentiles were converted. (Worthington)

Verse 7

Tied. He will open their eyes to the truth of the gospel. They shall be no longer as criminals, expecting death, or mourning.

Verse 8

Ever. Hebrew, "he shall swallow up death in victory," 1 Corinthians xv. 54. Christ, by dying, conquered death, and rescued us from its power, if we do not voluntarily subject ourselves to it again. This was faintly represented by the liberation of the captives.

Verse 10

Mountain: the Church. (Calmet) --- Moab. That is, the reprobate, whose eternal punishment, from which they can no way escape, is described under these figures. (Challoner) --- The Machabees probably executed this vengeance on Moab, 1 Machabees v. 6.

Verse 11

Hands. All his exertions and fury will prove useless. (Haydock) --- Moab shall lie prostrate.

Verse 23

CHAPTER XXV.