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Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, you nation that has no shame,
Verse 1. Together, in love. Saint Jerome—Hebrew “gather” the wood or chaff, ( Calmet.) your wicked deeds, lest they prove the fuel of fire. Calmet. 1:18. Bible.—He addresses the Jews and all their neighbours. Calmet.—Though you deserve no love, God will receive the penitent. Worthington.
before the appointed time when the day passes as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD comes on you, before the day of the LORD’s anger comes on you.
Verse 2. The day. Hebrew “to-day.” Calmet.—Septuagint “before you become as a passing flower.” Prot. “before the day pass as the chaff.” Bible.
Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who have kept his ordinances. Seek righteousness. Seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the LORD’s anger.
Verse 3. Just. Hebrew “justice.” Calmet.—Septuagint “righteousness, and answer the same.” Bible.—Scarcely the innocent will escape. Menochius.—The prophet does not specify the crimes of the Philistines, as Ezechiel (25:15) does. Calmet.
For Gaza will be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation. They will drive out Ashdod at noonday, and Ekron will be rooted up.
Verse 4. Shall be, or “is.” The prophets often represent future things as past, to shew the certainty of the event. The destruction of other cities by the Chaldees, gave the Jews to understand what they had to expect, as all sin must be punished sooner or later. Worthington.—Psammetichus, and his son, Nachao, probably fell upon these cities. Calmet.—The former besieged Azotus for twenty-nine years. Herod. ii. 157.—Afterwards Nabuchodonosor reduced the country, beginning with the house of God. Jeremiah 47:4. Ezekiel 25:15, and so forth Calmet.
Woe to the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! The LORD’s word is against you, Canaan, the land of the Philistines. I will destroy you until there is no inhabitant.
Verse 5. Coast. Lit. “line,” ( Bible.) with which land was measured. Calmet.—Reprobates. Hebrew cerethim, ( Bible.) or Cerethi, of whom David’s guards were formed. Calmet.—Septuagint “people sprung the Cretans,” whence some (Theod.) of the Philistines came, perhaps rather than from Cyprus, as was conjectured. Genesis 10:14.—Chanaan. So the Philistines are styled contemptuously. They adored the same idols. Wisd. 12:23.
The sea coast will be pastures, with cottages for shepherds and folds for flocks.
Verse 6. Shepherds. Merchants shall come no longer, the country being subdued by Nabuchodonosor, and by the Machabees. verse 7.—Alexander ruined Gaza. Curt. iv.
The coast will be for the remnant of the house of Judah. They will find pasture. In the houses of Ashkelon, they will lie down in the evening, for the LORD, their God, will visit them and restore them.
The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).
I have heard the reproach of Moab and the insults of the children of Ammon, with which they have reproached my people and magnified themselves against their border.
Verse 8. Borders, helping the Chaldeans. This brought on their ruin. Saint Jerome—They were always disposed to seize the country.
Therefore, as I live, says the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, surely Moab will be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, a possession of nettles and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation. The remnant of my people will plunder them, and the survivors of my nation will inherit them.
Verse 9. Dryness. Septuagint “Damascus shall be abandoned as a heap on the barn-floor, and disappearing for an age.” Bible.—This city is threatened with the rest. Isaiah 17:1. Calmet.—Ever. Septuagint refer this to Damascus, others to Ammon, and so forth Bible.—The latter nations were in desolation for a long time; but had re-established themselves, when the Machabees reduced them again. Jeremiah 48 and 1 Maccabees 5:6.
This they will have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of Armies.
The LORD will be awesome to them, for he will famish all the gods of the land. Men will worship him, everyone from his place, even all the shores of the nations.
Verse 11. Own place. The Jewish religion could be practised only at Jerusalem, so that this is one of the most striking predictions of the conversion of the world. The Jews in vain attempt to restrain it to the captives returning. See Saint Jerome Calmet.—They shall inform many of the truth, and be the means of their conversion. Bible.—But God shall be adored in every place. Menochius.
You Cushites also, you will be killed by my sword.
Verse 12. Ethiopians. Hebrew Cushim, denotes also the Arabs, and so forth who fell a prey to the Chaldeans. Calmet.
He will stretch out his hand against the north, destroy Assyria, and will make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as the wilderness.
Verse 13. The beautiful city. Ninive, which was destroyed soon after this, that is in the sixteenth year of the reign of Josias. Challoner. A. 3378.—Hebrew “he shall make Ninive desolate.” Bible.—This famous and potent city was at last destroyed. Worthington. See Jonas 3:4. Calmet.
Herds will lie down in the middle of her, all kinds of animals. Both the pelican and the porcupine will lodge in its capitals. Their calls will echo through the windows. Desolation will be in the thresholds, for he has laid bare the cedar beams.
Verse 14. Bittern and the urchin. Hebrew kaath and kippod, are terms to us ( Bible.) unknown.—Threshold. Hebrew “the pomegranates,” supposed to be an ornament of the doors.—Raven. Septuagint also read arb better than choreb, “the desolation or the sword.” See Isaiah 34:11. Calmet.—Chereb has both meanings, “a raven, or sword.” Saint Jerome—I will. Hebrew “he has uncovered her cedar,” ( Calmet.) her fine palaces and apartments. Septuagint “for the cedar is its height, (or pride) this is the city given to evils, that,” and so forth Bible.
This is the joyous city that lived carelessly, that said in her heart, “I am, and there is no one besides me.” How she has become a desolation, a place for animals to lie down in! Everyone who passes by her will hiss and shake their fists.
Verse 15. Beside, or equal. This was true. Jonas 1:2. Calmet.—The founder intended that no city should ever equal it. Diod. ii. S. Jerom applies what is here said of Ninive to the Church in the times of antichrist, (Rondet.) or to a fallen soul. Any nation may abandon the faith: but the whole Church cannot fail. Bible.