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4_Kings
22:1
Josias was eight years old when he began to reign: he reigned one and thirty years in Jerusalem: the name of his mother was Idida, the daughter of Hadaia, of Besecath.
*H The memory of Josias is like the composition of a sweet smell made by the art of a perfumer:
Ver. 1. Perfumer. The Scripture reproaches this king alone with no fault. C.
*H He was directed by God unto the repentance of the nation, and he took away the abominations of wickedness.
Ver. 3. Directed. Gr. "prosperous in converting the people." 4 K. xxii. and 2 Par. xxxiv. H. — He began when he was only eight years old: but set to work more effectually ten years afterwards. The prophets complain of the disorders which prevailed before that period. C.
*H And he directed his heart towards the Lord, and in the days of sinners he strengthened godliness.
Ver. 4. Sinners. Or "sins," when iniquity was become fashionable. He consulted no false policy, (H.) but boldly exerted himself in God's service, and even invited the Israelites out of his dominions to come and celebrate the passover. 2 Par. xxxiv. 6. C. — They belonged, in effect to him, as the twelve tribes were all promised to David's family, and the kingdom of Jeroboam was only a rebellion. C. xlvii. 23. H.
*H Except David, and Ezechias and Josias, all committed sin.
Ver. 5. Sin. The two former effaced their sins by repentance, and never tolerated idolatry, which even Josaphat and Asa did, (3 K. xxii. 43. &c. C.) not destroying the high places. Many others yielded not to idol worship. W.
*H For the kings of Juda forsook the law of the most High, and despised the fear of God.
Ver. 6. Despised. Gr. "they failed," and lost the crown.
*H So they gave their kingdom to others, and their glory to a strange nation,
Ver. 7. They gave. Achaz called in to his assistance the king of Assyria, who afterwards claimed the kingdom as tributary to him, 4 K. xviii. 7. 14. Gr. "He (God. C. Alex. copy has They) gave their horn," &c. H.
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4_Kings
25:9
And he burnt the house of the Lord, and the king's house, and the houses of Jerusalem, and every great house he burnt with fire.
*H They burnt the chosen city of holiness, and made the streets thereof desolate according to the prediction of Jeremias.
Ver. 8. Holiness. Jerusalem, which was styled holy, in the sicles of Simon. — Desolate. No one came to the festivals. Lam. i. 4.
*H For they treated him evil, who was consecrated a prophet from his mother's womb, to overthrow, and pluck up, and destroy, and to build again, and renew.
Ver. 9. Renew. To foretell the destruction and establishment of kingdoms. Jer. i. 5. 10.
*H It was Ezechiel that saw the glorious vision, which was shewn him upon the chariot of cherubims.
Ver. 10. Cherubims. Ezec. i. 4. and viii. 1. and x. 1.
*H For he made mention of the enemies under the figure of rain, and of doing good to them that shewed right ways.
Ver. 11. Rain. Denoting great misery. Ezec. xiii. 11. and xxxviii. 22. C. — And of. Lit. "to do good," (H.) or to announce the liberation of the penitent captives. Ezec. xviii. 21. and xxiii. 16. &c.
*H And may the bones of the twelve prophets spring up out of their place: for they strengthened Jacob, and redeemed themselves by strong faith.
Ver. 12. Place. C. xlv. 15. The Pharisees adorned the tombs of the prophets. Matt. xxiii. 29. Daniel is not mentioned among them, because he lived at court.
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Aggeus
1:14
And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zorobabel the son of Salathiel governor of Juda, and the spirit of Jesus the son of Josedec the high priest, and the spirit of all the rest of the people: and they went in, and did the work in the house of the Lord of Hosts their God.
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Aggeus
1:1
In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Aggeus the prophet, to Zorobabel the son of Salathiel, governor of Juda, and to Jesus the son of Josedec the high priest, saying:
*H How shall we magnify Zorobabel? for he was as a signet on the right hand;
Ver. 13. Hand. Most precious. Jer. xxii. 24. Cant. viii. 6.
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Zacharias
3:1
And the Lord shewed me Jesus the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord: and Satan stood on his right hand to be his adversary.
*H In like manner Jesus the son of Josedec who in their days built the house, and set up a holy temple to the Lord, prepared for everlasting glory.
Ver. 14. Josedec. He was a noble figure of Christ, and helped to build the temple. Agg. i. 2. and ii. 3. Zac. iii. 1. and vi. 11.
*H And let Nehemias be a long time remembered, who raised up for us our walls that were cast down, and set up the gates and the bars, who rebuilt our houses.
Ver. 15. Houses. He laboured much for the people's welfare. 2 Esd. v.
*H No man was born upon earth like Henoch: for he also was taken up from the earth.
Ver. 16. Henoch. Before the deluge. M. — He stood up for the Lord, amid the most corrupt people, and was translated. C. xliv. 16. He and Joseph have many advantages over the rest. C.
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Genesis
41:40
Thou shalt be over my house, and at the commandment of thy mouth all the people shall obey: only in the kingly throne will I be above thee.
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Genesis
50:20
You thought evil against me: but God turned it into good, that he might exalt me, as at present you see, and might save many people.
*H Nor as Joseph, who was a man born prince of his brethren, the support of his family, the ruler of his brethren, the stay of the people:
Ver. 17. Joseph. He has not been named, but designated. C. xliv. ult. C. — Who. Gr. the "ruler," &c. H.
*H And his bones were visited, and after death they prophesied.
Ver. 18. They prophesied. That is, by their being carried out of Egypt, they verified the prophetic prediction of Joseph. Gen. l. Ch. Carriers. — This sentence is omitted in Gr. H. — See c. xlviii. 14. — Joseph had intimated that the Israelites should leave Egypt. W.
* Summa
*S Part 3, Ques 171, Article 1
[II-II, Q. 171, Art. 1]
Whether Prophecy Pertains to Knowledge?
Objection 1: It would seem that prophecy does not pertain to knowledge. For it is written (Ecclus. 48:14) that after death the body of Eliseus prophesied, and further on (Ecclus. 49:18) it is said of Joseph that "his bones were visited, and after death they prophesied." Now no knowledge remains in the body or in the bones after death. Therefore prophecy does not pertain to knowledge.
Obj. 2: Further, it is written (1 Cor. 14:3): "He that prophesieth, speaketh to men unto edification." Now speech is not knowledge itself, but its effect. Therefore it would seem that prophecy does not pertain to knowledge.
Obj. 3: Further, every cognitive perfection excludes folly and madness. Yet both of these are consistent with prophecy; for it is written (Osee 9:7): "Know ye, O Israel, that the prophet was foolish and mad [*Vulg.: 'the spiritual man was mad']." Therefore prophecy is not a cognitive perfection.
Obj. 4: Further, just as revelation regards the intellect, so inspiration regards, apparently, the affections, since it denotes a kind of motion. Now prophecy is described as "inspiration" or "revelation," according to Cassiodorus [*Prolog. super Psalt. i]. Therefore it would seem that prophecy does not pertain to the intellect more than to the affections.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (1 Kings 9:9): "For he that is now called a prophet, in time past was called a seer." Now sight pertains to knowledge. Therefore prophecy pertains to knowledge.
_I answer that,_ Prophecy first and chiefly consists in knowledge, because, to wit, prophets know things that are far (_procul_) removed from man's knowledge. Wherefore they may be said to take their name from _phanos_, "apparition," because things appear to them from afar. Wherefore, as Isidore states (Etym. vii, 8), "in the Old Testament, they were called Seers, because they saw what others saw not, and surveyed things hidden in mystery." Hence among heathen nations they were known as _vates,_ "on account of their power of mind (_vi mentis_)," [*The Latin _vates_ is from the Greek _phates_, and may be rendered "soothsayer"] (ibid. viii, 7).
Since, however, it is written (1 Cor. 12:7): "The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man unto profit," and further on (1 Cor. 14:12): "Seek to abound unto the edification of the Church," it follows that prophecy consists secondarily in speech, in so far as the prophets declare for the instruction of others, the things they know through being taught of God, according to the saying of Isa. 21:10, "That which I have heard of the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, I have declared unto you." Accordingly, as Isidore says (Etym. viii, 7), "prophets" may be described as _praefatores_ (foretellers), "because they tell from afar (_porro fantur_)," that is, speak from a distance, "and foretell the truth about things to come."
Now those things above human ken which are revealed by God cannot be confirmed by human reason, which they surpass as regards the operation of the Divine power, according to Mk. 16:20, "They . . . preached everywhere, the Lord working withal and confirming the word with signs that followed." Hence, thirdly, prophecy is concerned with the working of miracles, as a kind of confirmation of the prophetic utterances. Wherefore it is written (Deut. 34:10, 11): "There arose no more a prophet in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, in all the signs and wonders."
Reply Obj. 1: These passages speak of prophecy in reference to the third point just mentioned, which regards the proof of prophecy.
Reply Obj. 2: The Apostle is speaking there of the prophetic utterances.
Reply Obj. 3: Those prophets who are described as foolish and mad are not true but false prophets, of whom it is said (Jer. 3:16): "Hearken not to the words of the prophets that prophesy to you, and deceive you; they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord," and (Ezech. 13:3): "Woe to the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and see nothing."
Reply Obj. 4: It is requisite to prophecy that the intention of the mind be raised to the perception of Divine things: wherefore it is written (Ezech. 2:1): "Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak to thee." This raising of the intention is brought about by the motion of the Holy Ghost, wherefore the text goes on to say: "And the Spirit entered into me . . . and He set me upon my feet." After the mind's intention has been raised to heavenly things, it perceives the things of God; hence the text continues: "And I heard Him speaking to me." Accordingly inspiration is requisite for prophecy, as regards the raising of the mind, according to Job 32:8, "The inspiration of the Almighty giveth understanding": while revelation is necessary, as regards the very perception of Divine things, whereby prophecy is completed; by its means the veil of darkness and ignorance is removed, according to Job 12:22, "He discovereth great things out of darkness." _______________________
SECOND
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Genesis
4:25
Adam also knew his wife again: and she brought forth a son, and called his name Seth, saying: God hath given me another seed for Abel, whom Cain slew.
*H Seth and Sem obtained glory among men: and above every soul Adam in the beginning,
Ver. 19. Men. The former was the father of the faithful, before the deluge; the latter after. C. — Beginning. Gr. "in the creation" was appointed to rule. H. — He alone among men was innocent, coming from the hands of God, and he might glory that he had no other father. C. — Eve enjoyed the like privileges. H.