And she fasted all the days of her widowhood, except the eves of the Sabbaths, the Sabbaths, the eves of the new moons, the new moons, and the feasts and joyful days of the house of Israel.
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 6. Loins. Greek “and she had on the garments of her widowhood, and.” Bible.—She laid these aside. Calmet. 10:2. Calmet.—Life. Greek “widowhood, except the day before the sabbath, and the sabbaths, and the new moons, and feasts, and days of rejoicing of the house of Israel.” Bible.—Syr. and old Vulg. omit, “the day before the sabbath;” and perhaps it may not have been in the original, the Greek translator having inserted it conformably to the practice of his times. It was then prescribed to abstain from fasting, that the joy of the festival might not be impaired, (Grot.) and because it would be necessary to taste what was made ready for the sabbath; (Skikard, Purim) or rather because, as the festival began on Friday, between the two vespers, or from three to six in the afternoon, during the equinoxes, the fast could not be rigorously observed on Friday. Calmet.—New moons were days of rejoicing. Menochius. 1 Kennicott. 20:5.—The Jews kept two days together, for fear of missing the day on which the moon really appeared. Several feasts were also prescribed perhaps before this time, on the 1st and 22nd of Nisan, and so forth