What contrasts with concern for Joseph’s affliction?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Luxury and confidence precede captivity, death and a nation raised against Israel.

Chapter breakdown

The heading names Israel’s desolation for pride and luxury. Woe addresses the wealthy in Sion and those confident on Samaria’s mountain, great heads entering Israel’s house in state. They are told to examine Chalane, great Emath and Philistine Geth and compare borders. Those separated unto the evil day approach iniquity’s throne.

Beds of ivory, wanton couches, lambs and calves accompany psaltery singing and the thought of having instruments like David. Wine in bowls and the best ointments contrast with unconcern for Joseph’s affliction. The luxurious faction will be removed, and these people lead the captives. God swears by his own soul, detesting Jacob’s pride and hating his houses, and will deliver the city and its inhabitants. Even ten remaining in a house die. A kinsman burns a man to carry his bones out, asks the person in the inner rooms whether anyone remains, hears that there is an end, and tells him to keep silence and not mention the Lord’s name. The account supplies no private reason for this command.

God’s command brings breaches to the greater house and clefts to the lesser. Questions about horses running on rocks and ploughing with buffles precede the accusation of judgment turned bitter and justice into wormwood. Boasts of horns obtained by their own strength meet the promise of a nation raised against Israel, destroying from Emath’s entrance to the desert torrent.

The story inside

Beds, music, wine and ointments accompany unconcern. The funeral exchange contains a command to silence. Horns claimed by strength meet the final threat.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Beds, music, wine and ointments accompany unconcern.
2
The funeral exchange contains a command to silence.
3
Horns claimed by strength meet the final threat.

Test your recall

Which houses receive breaches and clefts?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 100828–100835
6:1. Woe to you that are wealthy in Sion, and to you that have confidence in the mountain of Samaria: ye great men, heads of the people, that go in with state into the house of Israel. 6:2. Pass ye over to Chalane, and see, and go from thence into Emath the great: and go down into Geth of the Philistines, and to all the best kingdoms of these: if their border be larger than your border.
Lines 100839–100851
6:4. You that sleep upon beds of ivory, and are wanton on your couches: that eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the herd; 6:5. You that sing to the sound of the psaltery: they have thought themselves to have instruments of music like David; 6:6. That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the best ointments: and they are not concerned for the affliction of Joseph. 6:7. Wherefore now they shall go captive at the head of them that go into captivity: and the faction of the luxurious ones shall be taken away.
Lines 100853–100865
6:8. The Lord God hath sworn by his own soul, saith the Lord the God of hosts: I detest the pride of Jacob, and I hate his houses, and I will deliver up the city with the inhabitants thereof. 6:9. And if there remain ten men in one house, they also shall die. 6:10. And a man’s kinsman shall take him up, and shall burn him, that he may carry the bones out of the house; and he shall say to him that is in the inner rooms of the house: Is there yet any with thee? 6:11. And he shall answer: There is an end. And he shall say to him: Hold thy peace, and mention not the name of the Lord.
Lines 100869–100878
6:13. Can horses run upon the rocks, or can any one plough with buffles? for you have turned judgment into bitterness, and the fruit of justice into wormwood. 6:14. You that rejoice in a thing of nought: you that say: Have we not taken unto us horns by our own strength? 6:15. But behold, I will raise up a nation against you, O house of Israel, saith the Lord the God of hosts; and they shall destroy you from the entrance of Emath, even to the torrent of the desert.