How does dispossession precede Jacob’s gathering?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Violent seizures and disbelief meet punishment before the flock and way-opener promise.

Chapter breakdown

The heading connects Israel’s injustice with punishment and eventual restoration. Woe falls on devising unprofitable things and evil in bed, executed in morning light because their hand is against God. Coveted fields and houses are seized violently, oppressing a man, household and inheritance. God devises evil against this family, with no withdrawal of necks or haughty walking in the evil time. A parable and melodic song lament changed portions and divided land. The edition explains that the Assyrian is coming to divide lands among subjects, not departing. Loss of a lot-cord in God’s assembly is explained as loss of inheritance.

The denial that prophecy will drop upon these people is attributed by the edition to unwillingness to believe the threats. Jacob’s house asks whether God’s spirit is straitened or these his thoughts; his words are good to upright walkers. The people instead rise as an enemy, taking a cloak from a coat and treating harmless passers as foes. The edition emphasizes necessary garments and innocent travel. Women are driven from delightful houses and children lose God’s praise. The note preserves alternatives of direct dispossession or crimes leading to captivity where children do not learn praise.

Departure is commanded from a land without rest and with grievous corruption. The prophet wishes he were not a man with the spirit but spoke a lie, then announces wine and drunkenness upon this people. The edition explains his loving wish that the evils were mistaken, followed by conformity to God’s will and the wine of indignation stupefying them. The conclusion gathers all Jacob and Israel’s remnant like sheep in a fold with a multitude’s tumult. A way-opener goes before them, they pass through and come in by the gate, their king before them and God at their head.

The story inside

The hand is described as against God. The women’s note offers two explanations. The edition explains wine as indignation.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The hand is described as against God.
2
The women’s note offers two explanations.
3
The edition explains wine as indignation.

Test your recall

What direction through the gate does the final verse give?

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 101564–101574
2:1. Woe to you that devise that which is unprofitable, and work evil in your beds: in the morning light they execute it, because their hand is against God. 2:2. And they have coveted fields, and taken them by violence, and houses they have forcibly taken away: and oppressed a man and his house, a man and his inheritance. 2:3. Therefore thus saith the Lord: Behold I devise an evil against this family: from which you shall not withdraw your necks, and you shall not walk haughtily, for this is a very evil time.
Lines 101576–101589
2:4. In that day a parable shall be taken up upon you, and a song shall be sung with melody by them that say: We are laid waste and spoiled: the portion of my people is changed: how shall he depart from me, whereas he is returning that will divide our land? How shall he depart, etc.... How do you pretend to say that the Assyrian is departing; when indeed he is coming to divide our lands amongst his subjects? 2:5. Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast the cord of a lot in the assembly of the Lord. Thou shalt have none, etc.... Thou shalt have no longer any lot or inheritance in the land of the people of the Lord.
Lines 101591–101608
2:6. Speak ye not, saying: It shall not drop upon these, confusion shall not take them. It shall not drop, etc.... That is, the prophecy shall not come upon these. Such were the sentiments of the people that were unwilling to believe the threats of the prophets. 2:7. The house of Jacob saith: Is the Spirit of the Lord straitened or are these his thoughts? Are not my words good to him that walketh uprightly? 2:8. But my people, on the contrary, are risen up as an enemy: you have taken away the cloak off from the coat: and them that passed harmless you have turned to war. You have taken away, etc.... You have even stripped people of their necessary garments: and have treated such as were innocently passing on the way, as if they were at war with you.
Lines 101610–101621
2:9. You have cast out the women of my people from their houses, in which they took delight: you have taken my praise forever from their children. You have cast out, etc.... either by depriving them of their houses: or, by your crimes, given occasion to their being carried away captives, and their children, by that means, never learning to praise the Lord. 2:10. Arise ye, and depart, for there is no rest here for you. For that uncleanness of the land, it shall be corrupted with a grievous corruption.
Lines 101634–101641
2:12. I will assemble and gather together all of thee, O Jacob: I will bring together the remnant of Israel, I will put them together as a flock in the fold, as sheep in the midst of the sheepcotes, they shall make a tumult by reason of the multitude of men. 2:13. For he shall go up that shall open the way before them: they shall divide and pass through the gate, and shall come in by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the Lord at the head of them.