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14:1 [Iterum alius navigare cogitans, et per feros fluctus iter facere incipiens, ligno portante se, fragilius lignum invocat.
*H Again, another designing to sail, and beginning to make his voyage through the raging waves, calleth upon a piece of wood more frail than the wood that carrieth him.


Ver. 1. Him. The folly of exposing one's life, without necessity, to such imminent danger at sea, is great; though much less than to confide in idols, (C.) which are commonly made of more corruptible wood than ships. W.

14:2 Illud enim cupiditas acquirendi excogitavit, et artifex sapientia fabricavit sua.
For this the desire of gain devised, and the workman built it by his skill.
14:3 Tua autem, Pater, providentia gubernat : quoniam dedisti et in mari viam, et inter fluctus semitam firmissimam,
*H But thy providence, O Father, governeth it: for thou hast made a way even in the sea, and a most sure path among the waves,


Ver. 3. Waves. Of the Red sea, (Vat.) through which the Israelites passed, (W.) or rather hast taught navigation to Noe, (v. 6.) and enabled him to build the finest vessel that ever appeared.

* Footnote * Exodus 14 : 22 And the children of Israel went in through the midst of the sea dried up; for the water was as a wall on their right hand and on their left.
14:4 ostendens quoniam potens es ex omnibus salvare, etiam si sine arte aliquis adeat mare.
Shewing that thou art able to save out of all things, yea, though a man went to sea without art.
14:5 Sed ut non essent vacua sapientiae tuae opera, propter hoc etiam et exiguo ligno credunt homines animas suas, et transeuntes mare per ratem liberati sunt.
*H But that the works of thy wisdom might not be idle: therefore men also trust their lives even to a little wood, and passing over the sea by ship, are saved.


Ver. 5. Saved. Before the invention of the compass, long voyages were deemed the effects of rashness, or of great confidence in Providence. C.

14:6 Sed et ab initio cum perirent superbi gigantes, spes orbis terrarum ad ratem confugiens, remisit saeculo semen nativitatis quae manu tua erat gubernata.
And from the beginning also, when the proud giants perished, the hope of the world fleeing to a vessel, which was governed by thy hand, left to the world seed of generation.
* Footnote * Genesis 6 : 4 Now giants were upon the earth in those days. For after the sons of God went in to the daughters of men, and they brought forth children, these are the mighty men of old, men of renown.
* Footnote * Genesis 7 : 7 And Noe went in and his sons, his wife and the wives of his sons with him into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.
14:7 Benedictum est enim lignum per quod fit justitia ;
*H For blessed is the wood, by which justice cometh


Ver. 7. Cometh. By which Noe was preserved, (Corn. a Lap.) or criminals are executed. Jans. — The author foretells the redemption of mankind on the cross. W. Gal. iii. 13. S. Aug. de Civ. Dei. C. xv. 26. S. Amb. Ps. cxviii. ser. 8.

14:8 per manus autem quod fit idolum, maledictum est et ipsum, et qui fecit illud : quia ille quidem operatus est, illud autem cum esset fragile, deus cognominatus est.
But the idol that is made by hands, is cursed, as well it, as he that made it: he because he made it; and it because being frail it is called a god.
* Footnote * Psalms 113 : 4 The mountains skipped like rams, and the hills like the lambs of the flock.
* Footnote * Baruch 6 : 3 But now, you shall see in Babylon gods of gold, and of silver, and of stone, and of wood borne upon shoulders, causing fear to the Gentiles.
14:9 Similiter autem odio sunt Deo impius et impietas ejus ;
But to God the wicked and his wickedness are hateful alike.
14:10 etenim quod factum est, cum illo qui fecit tormenta patietur.
For that which is made, together with him that made it, shall suffer torments.
14:11 Propter hoc et in idolis nationum non erit respectus, quoniam creaturae Dei in odium factae sunt, et in tentationem animabus hominum, et in muscipulam pedibus insipientium.
Therefore there shall be no respect had even to the idols of the Gentiles: because the creatures of God are turned to an abomination, and a temptation to the souls of men, and a snare to the feet of the unwise.
14:12 Initium enim fornicationis est exquisitio idolorum, et adinventio illorum corruptio vitae est :
*H For the beginning of fornication is the devising of idols: and the invention of them is the corruption of life.


Ver. 12. Fornication. Invention of idols brought people to give way to spiritual fornication, and corruption of manners. W. — They freely practised what was sanctioned by the example of their gods. S. Aug. de Civ. Dei. ii. 7. and 3 K. xiv. 24. and 4 K. xxiii. 7. 3. C.

14:13 neque enim erant ab initio, neque erunt in perpetuum.
*H For neither were they from the beginning, neither shall they be for ever.


Ver. 13. Beginning. Truth is always prior to falsehood. H. — Josephus (Ant. i. 4.) says, idolatry commenced in the 8th generation, and the Jews assert, under Enos. "Then began the name of God to be profaned," as the Chal. &c. translate, Gen. iv. 26. S. Jer. q. Heb. — The corruption of morals was the natural consequence. v. 12. — Ever. Christ shall destroy them. C.

14:14 Supervacuitas enim hominum haec advenit in orbem terrarum, et ideo brevis illorum finis est inventus.]
For by the vanity of men they came into the world: and therefore they shall be found to come shortly to an end.
14:15 [Acerbo enim luctu dolens pater, cito sibi rapti filii fecit imaginem ; et illum qui tunc quasi homo mortuus fuerat, nunc tamquam deum colere coepit, et constituit inter servos suos sacra et sacrificia.
*H For a father being afflicted with bitter grief, made to himself the image of his son, who was quickly taken away: and him who then had died as a man, he began now to worship as a god, and appointed him rites and sacrifices among his servants.


Ver. 15. Servants. This was at first done privately, and made the way for public idolatry. Calvin attempts to refute this assertion, maintaining that Laban's idols were more ancient, and not images. But this argument is nugatory, as theraphim may be rendered either images, (Prot. 1552.) or idols. Prot. 1603. The latter version is preferable, as Laban called them his gods, and the Greek and Latin have idols. It is also certain, that Ninus set up the image of his father, Jupiter Belus, to be honoured by the people, before Abraham's time; and the fathers agree, that the making of images in memory of the dead, was the first occasion of idolatry. S. Chrys. hom. 87. in Matt. S. Jer. in Osee ii. &c. W. — Nimrod ordered divine honours to be paid to his deceased son. Gul. Paris. Leg. — Yet this fact is not certain. Diophante, the Lacedemonian, assigns the same origin to idolatry as is here given. Grot.

14:16 Deinde interveniente tempore, convalescente iniqua consuetudine, hic error tamquam lex custoditus est, et tyrannorum imperio colebantur figmenta.
Then, in process of time, wicked custom prevailing, this error was kept as a law, and statues were worshipped by the commandment of tyrants.
14:17 Et hos quos in palam homines honorare non poterant propter hoc quod longe essent, e longinquo figura eorum allata, evidentem imaginem regis quem honorare volebant fecerunt, ut illum qui aberat, tamquam praesentem colerent sua sollicitudine.
And those whom men could not honour in presence, because they dwelt far off, they brought their resemblance from afar, and made an express image of the king, whom they had a mind to honour: that by this their diligence, they might honour as present, him that was absent.
14:18 Provexit autem ad horum culturam et hos qui ignorabant artificis eximia diligentia.
*H And to the worshipping of these, the singular diligence also of the artificer helped to set forward the ignorant.


Ver. 18. Ignorant. The arts of sculpture and painting may be prejudicial, (C.) and were therefore banished by Moses from his republic, (Philo) as the Jews were so prone to idolatry. C. xv. 4. The case is different with us. H.

14:19 Ille enim, volens placere illi qui se assumpsit, elaboravit arte sua ut similitudinem in melius figuraret.
For he being willing to please him that employed him, laboured with all his art to make the resemblance in the best manner.
14:20 Multitudo autem hominum, abducta per speciem operis, eum qui ante tempus tamquam homo honoratus fuerat, nunc deum aestimaverunt.
And the multitude of men, carried away by the beauty of the work, took him now for a god, that little before was but honoured as a man.
14:21 Et haec fuit vitae humanae deceptio, quoniam aut affectui aut regibus deservientes homines, incommunicabile nomen lapidibus et lignis imposuerunt.]
*H And this was the occasion of deceiving human life: for men serving either their affection, or their kings, gave the incommunicable name to stones and wood.


Ver. 21. Name. It cannot with propriety be given to any but God. W. — The Jews explain this of the name Jehovah, which they will never pronounce. C.

14:22 [Et non suffecerat errasse eos circa Dei scientiam, sed et in magno viventes inscientiae bello, tot et tam magna mala pacem appellant.
And it was not enough for them to err about the knowledge of God, but whereas they lived in a great war of ignorance, they call so many and so great evils peace.
14:23 Aut enim filios suos sacrificantes, aut obscura sacrificia facientes, aut insaniae plenas vigilias habentes,
*H For either they sacrifice their own children, or use hidden sacrifices, or keep watches full of madness,


Ver. 23. Children. This was done by the Chanaanites, Hebrews, &c. C. xii. 23. Is. lvii. 5. — Hidden. The sacrifices of Ceres, Bacchus, &c. were performed in the dark, and horrible impurities were committed. Eph. v. 12. — Madness. Before they be initiated in the mysteries of Ceres, or prostitute themselves in honour of the deities of impurity, (Jos. Ant. xviii. 4.) in the very temples. Quo non prostrat femina templo? Juv. ix. C. — Many crimes proceed from idolatry. W.

* Footnote * Deuteronomy 18 : 10 Neither let there be found among you any one that shall expiate his son or daughter, making them to pass through the fire: or that consulteth soothsayers, or observeth dreams and omens, neither let there be any wizard,
* Footnote * Jeremias 7 : 6 If you oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, and walk not after strange gods to your own hurt,
14:24 neque vitam, neque nuptias mundas jam custodiunt : sed alius alium per invidiam occidit, aut adulterans contristat,
So that now they neither keep life, nor marriage undefiled, but one killeth another through envy, or grieveth him by adultery:
14:25 et omnia commista sunt : sanguis, homicidium, furtum et fictio, corruptio et infidelitas, turbatio et perjurium, tumultus bonorum,
And all things are mingled together, blood, murder, theft, and dissimulation, corruption and unfaithfulness, tumults and perjury, disquieting of the good,
14:26 Dei immemoratio, animarum inquinatio, nativitatis immutatio, nuptiarum inconstantia, inordinatio moechiae et impudicitiae.
Forgetfulness of God, defiling of souls, changing of nature, disorder in marriage, and the irregularity of adultery and uncleanness.
14:27 Infandorum enim idolorum cultura omnis mali causa est, et initium et finis.
For the worship of abominable idols is the cause, and the beginning and end of all evil.
14:28 Aut enim dum laetantur insaniunt, aut certe vaticinantur falsa, aut vivunt injuste, aut pejerant cito.
*H For either they are mad when they are merry: or they prophesy lies, or they live unjustly, or easily forswear themselves.


Ver. 28. Mad. Like the Bacchanalian women, running crowned with serpents, and eating raw flesh. — Lies. The delusions of the devil, or the fraud of priests. — Easily. Those who believe not in religion, or in the power of him by whom they swear, can give no security by an oath. They fear no harm. v. 29. Yet they are perjured if they believe Jupiter, for example, to be a god, (S. Aug. ep. 54. ad Pub.) and if they do not, they are impious; abusing an oath, which is in itself sacred. C.

14:29 Dum enim confidunt in idolis quae sine anima sunt, male jurantes noceri se non sperant.
For whilst they trust in idols, which are without life, though they swear amiss, they look not to be hurt.
14:30 Utraque ergo illis evenient digne, quoniam male senserunt de Deo, attendentes idolis, et juraverunt injuste, in dolo contemnentes justitiam.
But for both these things they shall be justly punished, because they have thought not well of God, giving heed to idols, and have sworn unjustly, in guile despising justice.
14:31 Non enim juratorum virtus, sed peccantium poena, perambulat semper injustorum praevaricationem.]
*H For it is not the power of them, by whom they swear, but the just vengeance of sinners always punisheth the transgression of the unjust.


Ver. 31. Just. Lit. "the punishment of sinners always walketh about," &c. H. — "The stone does not hear thee speaking, but God punishes the deceiver." S. Aug. — The pagans supposed that their idols sometimes punished perjury. Juv. Sat. viii. — It is God who does it. C.

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