| Douay RheimsDouay-Rheims Bible -- The New Testament was published at Rheims (1582), the Old Testament at Douay (1609). The Douay Rheims served as the main English bible for the Catholic world for centuries. Bishop Challoner updated it extensively mid-18th century. Biblical scholar Rev. George Haydock compiled a Catholic commentary mid-19th century. This text set is from an approved 1914 U.S. printing. | Haydock CommentaryHaydock Catholic Bible Commentary - based on the Douay-Rheims Bible; originally compiled by Catholic priest and biblical scholar Rev. George Leo Haydock (1774-1849). |
| 1 Silver hath beginnings of its veins, and gold hath a place wherein it is melted. | Silver. Heb. "Surely there is a vein, or mine, for silver." H. --- The sagacity of man has discovered all these things. Wonderful also is the instinct of animals, v. 7. Yet wisdom comes from God alone; and those act rashly, who pretend to dive into his counsels in punishing his creatures and ruling the world. C.
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| 2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and stone melted with heat is turned into brass. | Stone. Prot. "and brass is molten out of the stone." H. --- "When brass comes out of the mine it resembles stone, and being mixed with earth is refined in the fire." Pliny xxxvi. 27. M. --- All this process would require much ingenuity and time. Tubalcain was a great artist before the deluge; (Gen. iv. 22.) but we cannot tell who were the inventors of these things, though (C.) the Greeks have specified the names of some who introduced these metals into their respective countries. Pliny vii. 56. H.
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| 3 He hath set a time for darkness, and the end of all things he considereth, the stone also that is in the dark and the shadow of death. | He (God) hath, &c. H. --- Darkness, before which these inventions could not be made; (M.) or, man has been able to measure the hours of day and night by the shadow of the sun, and by other means. He always strives to perfect his works, and examines with care the mines which lay concealed in the most profound obscurity. C. --- Precious stones and metals lie the deepest. M. --- From the consideration of these beautiful works, men ought to raise their minds to the Creator, and wisely rest in him alone. W.
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| 4 The flood divideth from the people that are on their journey, those whom the food of the needy man hath forgotten, and who cannot be come at. | At. Nations are separated by waters from each other. C. --- Some, like the Chinese, keep all strangers at a distance. H. --- But the industry of man breaketh through all barriers. Heb. "a river separates a foreign nation forgotten by travellers; but these waters cannot stop man: they flow away." C. --- "The flood breaketh out from the inhabitants, even the waters; forgotten of the foot, they are dried up; they are gone away from men." Prot. "Sand cuts off a torrent: but those who forget the way of justice, have become infirm, and have been instable among mortals." Sept. H. --- Travellers are sometimes parted by a swelling torrent; (Sa) and waters, bursting forth suddenly, change the roads of man. W.
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| 5 The land, out of which bread grew in its place, hath been overturned with fire. | In its, &c. Heb. and Sept. "and under it is turned up as it were fire," which lies in it. H. --- Fire, like Sodom; to which event Job alludes, C. xxii. 20. C. --- The furnaces to melt various metals have taken the place of corn, and occupy the land. M. --- Men have extracted bitumen, &c. even from the lake of Sodom. Pliny vii. 15. --- Nothing escapes them. C.
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| 6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and the clods of it are gold. | Sapphires. The best are found in Media, in the country of the Taphyri, (Ptol.) or Raspires. Herod. iii. 94. --- Gold. This precious metal, like all others, is found in the bowels of the earth, (H.) and in the bed of rivers, in Ophir, Peru, &c. C.
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| 7 The bird hath not known the path, neither hath the eye of the vulture beheld it. | Path of these metals, (M.) or a path in general. H. --- They fly, as beasts roam about, without keeping the high road; yet never miss their way, or fail to return to their own place, though they may have crossed the sea or woods, and been absent many months. This instinct is one of the wonders of nature. C.
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| 8 The children of the merchants have not trodden it, neither hath the lioness passed by it. | Merchants, who go the shortest road. H. --- Heb. "of lions," which find their deans without asking for the path. C.
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| 9 He hath stretched forth his hand to the flint, he hath overturned mountains from the roots. | Roots, in quest of precious metals. M. --- " Imus in viscera terræ et in sede Marium opes quærimus. " Pliny xxxiii. pref.
Effodiuntur opes, irritamenta malorum. Ovid, Met. i.
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| 10 In the rocks he hath cut out rivers, and his eye hath seen every precious thing. | Rivers. Or, the waters lodged in the mines. M. --- He hath even cut canals through the hardest rocks, (H.) and sunk wells. C.
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| 11 The depths also of rivers he hath searched, and hidden things he hath brought forth to light. | Searched, by diving; (C.) or, Heb. "he bindeth the rivers from flowing;" diverting their course by dams, &c. This is another proof of the power of man. C. --- Labor omnia vincit. Hor.
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| 12 But where is wisdom to be found, and where is the place of understanding? | Understanding, of supernatural things, which teaches us to love God, and to comprehend his counsels. This is very different from the human sagacity of which he has been speaking; and this is the gift of God alone. C.
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| 13 Man knoweth not the price thereof, neither is it found in the land of them that live in delights. | Price. It has none, like other precious things. Bar. iii. 15. --- In delights is not expressed in Heb. or Sept. C. --- But to live in misery is hardly to be accounted living, (H.) and the addition restrains the proposition, as some men possess this treasure, though not those who take no pains (C.) to mortify corrupt nature. H. --- Chal. "it is not found in the land of the proud, whose life is spent in sin." C. --- True wisdom is found, not in natural, but in supernatural, things. W.
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| 14 The depth saith: It is not in me: and the sea saith: It is not with me. | |
| 15 The finest gold shall not purchase it, neither shall silver be weighed in exchange for it. | Finest, obrizum, which has the colour of fire. Pliny xxiii. 3. The old Vulg. and Sept. read "locked-up gold," aurum conclusum, (C.) and the Heb. Segor, (H.) "that which is shut up," like things of value: gold is sometimes specified, 3 K. vi. 20.
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| 16 It shall not be compared with the dyed colours of India, or with the most precious stone sardonyx, or the sapphire. | |
| 17 Gold or crystal cannot equal it, neither shall any vessels of gold be changed for it. | Gold. This is the third time it has been mentioned, according to its different degrees of excellence. Hence it is called by the most common name, (C.) zahab. H. --- Crystal was formerly more "transparent" than we have it at present. C. --- Zecucith (H.) denotes something of this kind. C.
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| 18 High and eminent things shall not be mentioned in comparison of it: but wisdom is drawn out of secret places. | |
| 19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equal to it, neither shall it be compared to the cleanest dyeing. | Ethiopia, on the east of the Red Sea. Pliny (vi. 29.) mentions the isle of Chuthis, which was also famous for the topaz. --- Dying. Heb. cethem, (H.) which we have observed relates to gold, v. 16.
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| 20 Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding? | |
| 21 It is hid from the eyes of all living. and the fowls of the air know it not. | |
| 22 Destruction and death have said: With our ears we have heard the fame thereof. | Destruction. Heb. abaddon, which is before (C. xxvi. 6.) used to signify the bottomless abyss. There, too late! the dead become acquainted with the value and nature of wisdom. H. --- But their knowledge is imperfect, and of no use to us. C.
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| 23 God understandeth the way of it, and he knoweth the place thereof. | |
| 24 For he beholdeth the ends of the world: and looketh on all things that are under heaven. | |
| 25 Who made a weight for the winds and weighed the waters by measure. | Measure. He regulates the winds, and know the drops of water, (H.) which to man is impossible. Prov. xvi. 2.
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| 26 When he gave a law for the rain, and a way for the sounding storms. | Storms; or Heb. "for the lightning, which attends thunder." C.
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| 27 Then he saw it, and declared, and prepared, and searched it. | It. All the works of God proclaim his wisdom. H. --- He never made an acquisition of it, but possessed it from all eternity. Prov. viii. 23.
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| 28 And he said to man: Behold the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom: and to depart from evil, is understanding. |
Understanding.
This is the duty of man, and a thing of the utmost importance. This teaches us to adore God's judgments (C.) in silence. H. --- It is the most important instruction of the whole book. Pineda. --- Man must consider God's works to fear Him; and by avoiding evil, and doing good, (W.) to shew true wisdom. H.
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