He spoke before his brothers and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, since they are burned?”
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 2. Multitude. Hebrew and Septuagint “army.” Calmet.—Silly. Lit. “feeble.” Bible.—Sacrifice, at the dedication. Tirinus.—Day, in so short a time, as their present vigorous proceedings seem to promise, notwithstanding their feeble condition, and the paucity of their numbers. Bible.—But no: we shall have time enough to hinder them, ( Menochius.) if the nature of their materials do it not for us. Bible.—Raise. Hebrew “revive;” a word used for reparations of walls, and so forth Calmet. Delrio, adag. 221.—Septuagint “heal.” God’s providence did not permit the enemy to rage, till the work was greatly advanced; so infidels laugh at the attempts of your priests to restore religion, which nevertheless flourishes. Worthington.