HAYDOCK CATHOLIC BIBLE COMMENTARY ON THE OLD TESTAMENT

ON THE PROPHETS.

We come now to another division of the Bible, specified by our Saviour: All things must needs be fulfilled which are written in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning me. Luke xxiv. 44. He more frequently comprises all the Scriptures under the titles of Moses, or the Law and the Prophets; (ib. v. 27) as in effect, all the sacred writings refer ultimately to him, who is the end of the law; (Rom. x. 4.) and the Jews comprise under the name of the first prophets, the histories of Josue, &c. H. --- God has kept up a succession of prophets from the beginning, who either by word of mouth or by writing, established the true religion. Their predictions are the most convincing proof of its divine of its divine origin. Is. xli. 23. They contain many things clear, and others obscure: having, for the most part, a literal, and a mystical sense. C. --- Yet some relate solely to Christ, while others must not be applied to him. Bossuet. --- The Fathers, in imitation of the ancient Jews, and of the apostles, discover frequently a spiritual sense, concealed under the letter, as Christ himself declared that Jonas, in the whale's belly, prefigured his burial and resurrection on the third day. See Mat. xii. 39. Mar. ix. 11. Gal. iv. 24. When the figurative sense is thus authorized, it may serve to prove articles of faith; and such arguments must be more cogent in disputes with the Jews, than what can be drawn from their authors. They must confess that the New Testament contains a true history, or they cannot require that we should pay greater deference to the Old. Tertullian (PrÃ¦s.) well observes, that heretics have no right to the Scriptures: But if they will quote them, they must receive them all, and adopt the sense given to them by the Church. C. --- The providence of God, in giving the prophets, and other guides to direct his people, was ever an object of admiration and gratitude. The prophets were enabled, by a supernatural light, superior to that of faith, though beneath that of glory, to announce the secrets of futurity, as eye-witnesses; whence their predictions are styled visions, as such witnesses deserve the utmost credit. We have the writings of the four great, and the twelve less prophets. In these, many things are hard to be understood, which must not be interpreted by the private spiri. 2 Pet. i. A large commentary would be requisite to explain these to the bottom, and we must refer the curious to the works of the Fathers, &c. as the subsequent notes will be rather briefer than usual. W. --- The Sept. varies much from the original in Isaias. But we cannot specify every particular. C. --- S. Jerom has frequently given a double version in his learned comments on the prophets, as he would not peremptorily decide which exhibited the sense of God's word more accurately. H.