double

January 22, 2018

The return of the prisoner captives (Zech 9:11-9:13)

“As for you also,

Because of the blood

Of my covenant

With you,

I will set your prisoners free

From the waterless pit.

Return to your stronghold!

O prisoners of hope!

Today I declare

That I will restore to you double.

I have bent Judah

As my bow.

I have made Ephraim

Its arrow.

I will arouse your sons!

O Zion!

Against your sons,

O Greece!

I will wield you

Like a warrior’s sword.”

In this oracle, Yahweh said that he was going to free the prisoners from their dungeons or waterless pits, because of the covenant or blood treaty that he had with Israel.  Perhaps, this is an allusion to the Temple sacrifices.  The former prisoners of hope or captives would return to their stronghold, since Yahweh was going to double what they had before.  He was going to use Judah in the south and Ephraim in the north as a bow and arrow against other countries, such as Greece.  Yahweh was going to wield them like a warrior’s sword.

November 16, 2016

The hunters and fishermen (Jer 16:16-16:18)

“Says Yahweh.

‘I am now sending

For many fishermen.

They shall catch them.

Afterward I will send

For many hunters.

They shall hunt them

From every mountain.

They shall hunt them

From every hill.

They shall hunt them

Out of the clefts of the rocks.

My eyes are upon all their ways.

They are not hidden from my presence.

Their iniquity is not concealed

From my sight.

I will doubly repay their iniquity.

I will doubly repay their sin.

Because they have polluted my land

With the carcasses of their detestable idols.

They have filled my inheritance

With their abominations.”

Yahweh was going to send fishermen and hunters to gather up the Israelites. This is a reference to the Egyptians, probably the fishermen, and the Babylonians, the hunters. These hunters would hunt all over the place, from the mountains, hills, and rocks. No one could hide from them. Yahweh saw all of them. He was going to repay them in double for their sins and iniquities. They had polluted his land with their detestable idols. These abominations and false worship gods had ruined his inheritance.

May 19, 2016

Swearing oaths (Sir 23:9-23:11)

“Do not accustom your mouth

To oaths!

Do not habitually utter

The name of the Holy One!

As a servant,

Who is constantly under scrutiny,

Will not lack bruises,

So also the person

Who always swears,

Who utters the Name of God,

Will never be cleansed from sin.

Whoever swears many oaths

Is full of iniquity.

The scourge will not leave his house.

If he swears in error,

His sin remains on him.

If he disregards it,

He sins doubly.

If he swears a false oath,

He will not be justified.

His house will be filled

With calamities.”

Sirach does not want us to get accustomed to swearing oaths to the Most Holy One. If you swear too much, you are a like a servant under constant scrutiny who gets bruised by his master. So too, anyone who swears by the Name of God will never be cleansed from their sins. If you are always swearing to God for this or that, you will be full on iniquity, since the scourge will never leave your house. You can actually sin by swearing in error. Then you can double you sin by not fulfilling the false oath that you swore. You will never be justified since your house will be filled with calamities.