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Oh that you would tear the heavens, that you would come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence—
Verse 1. Presence, as at Sinai. Exodus 19:16. Judges 5:4. Judas continues to pray. Calmet.—The faithful sigh for Christ’s coming. Bible.—All good people desired it most fervently. Worthington.
as when fire kindles the brushwood, and the fire causes the water to boil. Make your name known to your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at your presence!
Verse 2. They. Septuagint “As wax melts before the fire, so also fire will burn the adversaries, and thy,” and so forth Bible.—Burn. Sparks of fire seem to proceed from it.
When you did awesome things which we didn’t look for, you came down, and the mountains quaked at your presence.
Verse 3. Bear. Exodus 20:18. Hebrew “expect.” Judas appeared victorious, when the nation was prostrate.
For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides you, who works for him who waits for him.
Verse 4. Thee. Never was deliverance more unexpected or miraculous. Saint Paul quotes this passage, to shew the wisdom manifested in the incarnation. 1 Corinthians 2:9. It is commonly applied to the glory of heaven.
You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned. We have been in sin for a long time. Shall we be saved?
Verse 5. Thee. The little band of Judas was sincerely attached to the Lord. 2 Maccabees 1:3.—Sinned. This excited thy anger. Yet thou wilt shew mercy. Sin is often put for punishment. Calmet.—Vau means also, “for, and, yet.” Prot. “for we have sinned.” But we follow Saint Jerome and the Vulg. Worthington.
For we have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteousness is like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
Verse 6. Unclean: leper. Grot. Leviticus 13:45.—Justices. That is, the works by which we pretended to make ourselves just. This is spoken particularly of the sacrifices, sacraments, and ceremonies of the Jews, after the death of Christ, and the promulgation of the new law. Challoner.—The justice which is under the law is stated uncleanness, when compared with evangelical purity. Philippians 3:8.—“If any one after the gospel … would observe the ceremonies of the law, let him hear the people confessing that all that justice is compared to a most filthy rag.” Saint Jerome—The good works which are done by grace, and not by man alone, cannot be said to be of this description. They constitute the internal glory of man, and God will one day crown these his gifts. Of ourselves indeed we can do nothing, and the works of the Mosaic law will not avail, as Saint Paul inculcates; but those works, point out the saint, which are preformed by charity with faith in Christ. This justice is not imputed only, but real; and shews where true faith exists, according to Saint James. Thus the apostles explain each other. Bible.—Woman. Septuagint “of one sitting down;” like Rachel. Genesis 31:35. Sym. “lying-in.” Aq. “of proofs.” Grot. “like a plaster on a sore, which is thrown away.” Such were Alcimus, and so forth Calmet.—To practise ( Bible.) the Jewish rites would now be sinful. Menochius.
There is no one who calls on your name, who stirs himself up to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have consumed us by means of our iniquities.
Verse 7. Of thee; to remove thy indignation, like Moses, Jeremias, (7:15.) and so forth See Ezekiel 13:5.
But now, LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay and you our potter. We all are the work of your hand.
Don’t be furious, LORD. Don’t remember iniquity forever. Look and see, we beg you, we are all your people.
Your holy cities have become a wilderness. Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
Verse 10. Desolate, under Antiochus Epiphanes. 1 Maccabees 1:31 and 4:38. Calmet.
Our holy and our beautiful house where our fathers praised you is burned with fire. All our pleasant places are laid waste.
Will you hold yourself back for these things, LORD? Will you keep silent and punish us very severely?