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13:1 [Vani autem sunt omnes homines in quibus non subest scientia Dei ; et de his quae videntur bona, non potuerunt intelligere eum qui est, neque operibus attendentes agnoverunt quis esset artifex :
*H But all men are vain, in whom there is not the knowledge of God: and who by these good things that are seen, could not understand him that is, neither by attending to the works have acknowledged who was the workman:


Ver. 1. Vain. Sept. "foolish by nature, who are ignorant of God." H. — In this and the three following chapters, the miseries of idolatry are described, to shew the value of wisdom and piety. C. — Without the knowledge of God, all is darkness. 1 Cor. ii. 2. S. Just. dial. — Is. He who is, must be the most proper name of God. Ex. iii. 14. Philosophers could perceive that all creatures had a beginning, and that there must be some first cause or God, whom some confessed, but did not honour as they ought. Rom. i. W. — Could not. Inasmuch as they were vain. H.

* Footnote * Romans 1 : 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and injustice of those men that detain the truth of God in injustice:
13:2 sed aut ignem, aut spiritum, aut citatum aerem, aut gyrum stellarum, aut nimiam aquam, aut solem et lunam, rectores orbis terrarum deos putaverunt.
*H But have imagined either the fire, or the wind, or the swift air, or the circle of the stars, or the great water, or the sun and moon, to be the gods that rule the world.


Ver. 2. Fire. The chief god of the Persians. — Wind. Zephyrus, &c. — Air. Which is perhaps the wind. Socrates was accused of adoring nothing, but heaven and the clouds, (Aristot. nub.) as the Jews were. Nil præter nubes et Cœli numen adorant. Juv. xiv. 97. — Stars. The zodiac, or pleiads. This species of idolatry was most ancient and general. — Water. The ocean, Neptune, &c. The Egyptians adored water above all, as the origin of other things. Hence they were punished first by it. Philo, vit. Mor. 1. — Moon. These were mostly the objects of worship, under the names of Baal, Astarte, (C.) the Phœbus, or Dianæ of the Romans. H.

* Footnote * Deuteronomy 4 : 19 Lest perhaps lifting up thy eyes to heaven, thou see the sun and the moon, and all the stars of heaven, and being deceived by error thou adore and serve them, which the Lord thy God created for the service of all the nations, that are under heaven.
* Footnote * Deuteronomy 17 : 3 So as to go and serve strange gods, and adore them, the sun and the moon, and all the host of heaven, which I have not commanded:
13:3 Quorum si specie delectati, deos putaverunt, sciant quanto his dominator eorum speciosior est : speciei enim generator haec omnia constituit.
With whose beauty, if they, being delighted, took them to be gods: let them know how much the Lord of them is more beautiful than they: for the first author of beauty made all those things.
13:4 Aut si virtutem et opera eorum mirati sunt, intelligant ab illis quoniam qui haec fecit fortior est illis :
Or if they admired their power, and their effects, let them understand by them, that he that made them, is mightier than they:
13:5 a magnitudine enim speciei et creaturae cognoscibiliter poterit creator horum videri.
*H For by the greatness of the beauty, and of the creature, the creator of them may be seen, so as to be known thereby.


Ver. 5. Thereby. God is announced by the heavens, and by all creatures. Ps. xviii. 1. Rom. i. 20. "Who can look up to heaven, and be so foolish as not to allow that there is a God?" Cic. Harusp.

13:6 Sed tamen adhuc in his minor est querela ; et hi enim fortasse errant, Deum quaerentes, et volentes invenire.
But yet as to these they are less to be blamed. For they perhaps err, seeking God, and desirous to find him.
13:7 Etenim cum in operibus illius conversentur inquirunt, et persuasum habent quoniam bona sunt quae videntur.
For being conversant among his works, they search: and they are persuaded that the things are good which are seen.
* Footnote * Romans 1 : 21 Because that, when they knew God, they have not glorified him as God or given thanks: but became vain in their thoughts. And their foolish heart was darkened.
13:8 Iterum autem nec his debet ignosci.
But then again they are not to be pardoned.
13:9 Si enim tantum potuerunt scire ut possent aestimare saeculum, quomodo hujus Dominum non facilius invenerunt ?]
For if they were able to know so much as to make a judgment of the world: how did they not more easily find out the Lord thereof?
13:10 [Infelices autem sunt, et inter mortuos spes illorum est, qui appellaverunt deos opera manuum hominum : aurum et argentum, artis inventionem, et similitudines animalium, aut lapidem inutilem, opus manus antiquae.
*H But unhappy are they, and their hope is among the dead, who have called gods the works of the hand of men, gold and silver, the inventions of art, and the resemblances of beasts, or an unprofitable stone the work of an ancient hand.


Ver. 10. Of men. The pagans in general took the material statue to be the residence of a god. S. Aug. de Civ. Dei. C. vii. 6. and viii. 13. — The more learned regarded the figures of the sun, &c. as his representations, while others supposed that Jupiter meant the heavens, Juno the air, Vulcan, fire, &c. — Hand. This is to abuse antiquity. The idol of the Arabs was a rough stone. In more polished nations, the workmanship of Praxiteles, Phidias, &c. was more regarded. C. — As no creature deserves to be esteemed a god, much less do the works of men's hands. W.

13:11 Aut si quis artifex faber de silva lignum rectum secuerit, et hujus docte eradat omnem corticem, et arte sua usus diligenter fabricet vas utile in conversationem vitae ;
Or if an artist, a carpenter, hath cut down a tree proper for his use in the wood, and skilfully taken off all the bark thereof, and with his art, diligently formeth a vessel profitable for the common uses of life,
* Footnote * Isaias 44 : 12 The smith hath wrought with his file, with coals, and with hammers he hath formed it, and hath wrought with the strength of his arm: he shall hunger and faint, he shall drink no water, and shall be weary.
* Footnote * Jeremias 10 : 3 For the laws of the people are vain: for the works of the hand of the workman hath cut a tree out of the forest with an axe.
13:12 reliquiis autem ejus operis ad praeparationem escae abutatur,
And useth the chips of his work to dress his meat:
13:13 et reliquum horum quod ad nullos usus facit, lignum curvum et vorticibus plenum sculpat diligenter per vacuitatem suam, et per scientiam suae artis figuret illud, et assimilet illud imagini hominis,
And taking what was left thereof, which is good for nothing, being a crooked piece of wood, and full of knots, carveth it diligently when he hath nothing else to do, and by the skill of his art fashioneth it, and maketh it like the image of a man:
13:14 aut alicui ex animalibus illud comparet : perliniens rubrica, et rubicundum faciens fuco colorem illius, et omnem maculam quae in illo est perliniens ;
*H Or the resemblance of some beast, laying it over with vermilion, and painting it red, and covering every spot that is in it:


Ver. 14. Vermilion. The ancients greatly esteemed this colour, (C.) and painted with it the statues of their gods on festival days, and the bodies of those who had the honour of a triumph. Pliny, xxxiii. 6.

13:15 et faciat ei dignam habitationem, et in pariete ponens illud, et confirmans ferro
*H And maketh a convenient dwelling place for it, and setting it in a wall, and fastening it with iron,


Ver. 15. Iron. Baruch (vi. 26.) ridicules the same custom, and the other prophets intimate that the pagans took these statues to be really gods, otherwise their practice was no more blameable than that of the Jews, who fastened the cherubim to the ark with gold, and carried them. But the latter did not believe that the Deity resided personally in those images; no more than we do, that Christ is attached to his image on the cross. This distinguishes the behaviour of the faithful from that of pagans. C.

13:16 ne forte cadat, prospiciens illi : sciens quoniam non potest adjuvare se : imago enim est, et opus est illi adjutorium.
Providing for it, lest it should fall, knowing that it is unable to help itself: for it is an image, and hath need of help.
13:17 Et de substantia sua, et de filiis suis, et de nuptiis votum faciens inquirit : non erubescit loqui cum illo qui sine anima est.
And then maketh prayer to it, enquiring concerning his substance, and his children, or his marriage. And he is not ashamed to speak to that which hath no life:
13:18 Et pro sanitate quidem infirmum deprecatur, et pro vita rogat mortuum, et in adjutorium inutilem invocat.
And for health he maketh supplication to the weak, and for life prayeth to that which is dead, and for help calleth upon that which is unprofitable:
13:19 Et pro itinere petit ab eo qui ambulare non potest ; et de acquirendo, et de operando, et de omnium rerum eventu, petit ab eo qui in omnibus est inutilis.]
And for a good journey he petitioneth him that cannot walk: and for getting, and for working, and for the event of all things he asketh him that is unable to do any thing.
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