Eat this book, and go speak to the children of Israel. By this eating of the book, was signified the diligent attention and affection with which we are to receive and embrace the word of God; and to let it as it were, sink into our interior by devout meditation. (Challoner) --- The revelation came from God, ver. 10. (Worthington)

Book, in spirit; (Calmet) or in reality, he chewed the volume. (Haydock)

Mouth. I readily accepted the commission, but soon found the difficulties to which it would expose me, ver. 12., Jeremias xv. 16., and Apocalypse x. 10.

Unknown. Hebrew, "heavy." (Calmet) --- Protestants, "hard." (Haydock) --- It is not above thy strength, Deuteronomy xxx. 12. --- To thee. He insinuates that the Gentiles would obey the apostles. (St. Jerome) --- But the time was not yet come. (Calmet) --- From this text and Matthew xi. 21., it appears that "the same grace" is accepted by some and rejected by others, as "more grace is added to the former, which was sufficient before, and by this....is made effectual" through God's mercy, Romans ix. (Worthington) --- Those who reject the first grace, can blame only themselves, if they receive no more. The same grace falling on a heat better prepared by God, like seed on good soil, is more fruitful.

Hard. Literally, "rubbed" like a stone, or brass; attrita. (Haydock) --- God's ambassadors (Ephesians vi. 20.; Calmet) must do their utmost. (Haydock) --- The success must not puff them up, nor the failure too much depressed them, as all regards God, (Matthew x. 40.) who will know how to make things conduce to his own glory. They must only bewail the blindness of sinners. (Calmet) --- The care of them, and not the cure, will be required at their hands, ver. 19. (Haydock)

Harder. If they will not blush, thou shalt not be ashamed to lay their disorders before their eyes, though they be such as ought not to be mentioned, as becomes saints. (Haydock) See chap. xvi., and xxii. (Calmet)

CHAPTER III.

Spirit; wind (Hugo) or angel, took me through the air; (Prado.) or, I went willingly. (St. Jerome) --- Commotion, like an earthquake, (Hebrew; Septuagint) occasioned by the motion of the chariot, or the voice of the cherubim, ver. 13.

Spirit, resolved to rebuke (Calmet) sinners. Septuagint, "the spirit of the Lord also lifted me....and I went aloft (like a meteor; Greek: meteoros) by the impulse of my spirit; for the hand of the Lord upon me was strong; and I went loft, to the captivity, and passed through them....conversing in the midst of them." (Haydock)

The heap of new corn. It was the name of a place; in Hebrew, Telabib, (Challoner) as the Chaldean leaves it (Menochius) with the three Greek interpreters. (Calmet) --- Tel means "a heap," and abib "new corn." (Haydock) --- There was no new wheat in the fourth month, but rather in May or June, chap. i. 1. Ptolemy places Thelda near the Chaboras. --- Mourning; or Protestants, "astonished," like Job's friends, for people dead in sin. (Haydock) --- Many suppose that he never spoke. Yet this is not certain, (ver. 11.; Calmet) though probable from ver. 16. (Haydock)

Watchman: the usual title of those placed over others, chap. xxxiii. 2., and Isaias xxi. 6. Let none perish through thy neglect. (Calmet) --- "He (the pastor) kills the man whom he delivers up to death by silence." (St. Gregory, hom. xi. 9.)

Iniquity, for want of thy instruction; (Haydock) or, if thou neglect to reclaim him, (Calmet) and he perish, or owe his conversion to another, when duty requires thee to take care of him, thou shalt answer for the possible bad consequences. Thy sin is great, whatever become of him. But if he be damned, though he must blame himself chiefly, yet the blood of his soul shall cry for vengeance more than Abel's. (Haydock) --- Before him, taking away my grace in punishment of his revolt. (Worthington) --- If thou neglect to attempt reclaiming him, thou shalt perish with him; (St. Gregory) or if he be exposed to trial, and thou abandon him, (Vatable) of if thou neglect to husband well the precious moments, when I open his eyes, and fill him with apprehensions of his dangerous state, I will require, &c. (Origin; St. Jerome) --- Remembered. Ingratitude caused the fruits of virtue to decay, and former crimes to revive, in some sense. (St. Thomas, [Summa Theologiae] iii. p. q. 88. a. 1.) (Matthew v. 26.) (Calmet)

Warn. It is the duty of a pastor to warn the just as well as sinners. (Worthington) --- It will not suffice to do this publicly: sometimes we must go from house to house, like St. Paul, and compel those who are in the hedges to enter the marriage feast, by the most persuasive arguments. (Haydock)

Bands. It is uncertain whether by his order, or they supposed he was deranged, as our Saviour's brethren meant to treat him, Mark iii. 21. The Chaldean explains it figuratively of God's order, attaching the prophet to his service. (Calmet) --- But real chains would more forcibly shew the future captivity of Juda (Haydock) which the prophet declared both by words and actions. (Calmet)

House. "When there is a multitude of sins, (or sinners; peccatorum) the offenders are unworthy of being corrected by the Lord." (St. Jerome) --- The prophet's silence might suffice to admonish them. (Calmet) --- He heard the Lord's commands to chap. xi. 24., before he spoke to the people. (Menochius)

Forbeareth. Septuagint, "disbelieveth, let him disbelieve." So we read, He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; (Apocalypse xxii. 11.) which denotes the most desperate condition. (Haydock) --- Aquila (2 edition) has, "he who abandons, shall be abandoned." (St. Jerome) --- The man who makes good use of grace shall receive more; but he who despises the offers of God, shall be justly deprived of them in his greatest need. (Calmet)