Cornelius à Lapide (d. 1637) on Luke 22:44 and Jesus Sweating Blood

  

And His sweat was as it were great drops of blood. The Greek has θρόμβοι, gouts, thick masses. The Arabic and S. Irenæus have globi. The Arabic says, “His sweat was (made) as distilling blood descending on the ground.”

 

Note. Firstly, Some copies have nothing about this bloody sweat, as S. Hilary shows (De Trinit. lib. x.); S. Jerome (lib. ii. against Pelagius), lest men should ascribe infirmity of mind and weakness to Christ. But now all versions, Greek, Latin, Syriac, Arabic, have the same account, so it is certainly to be read, according to the agreement of the Council of Trent, Session IV.

 

Secondly, Christ is said to have sweated blood not improperly or as a by-word, and an allegory, as we say of one who is grievously afflicted and tormented, “he sweats blood,” as Euthymius and Theophylact explain it—but truly and properly. Hence the words “as it were” denote not resemblance but the truth. So SS. Hilary, Jerome, Augustine passim. The Ethiopic renders it plainly, “And His sweat was made as the sweat of blood flowing down upon the earth.” The Persian agrees with it. S. Athanasius, also, in hi sixth book to Theophilus, which is on the Beatitude of the Son of God, says, “Anathema to those who deny that Christ sweated true blood.”

 

S. Bernard, treating of this prayer of Christ in the garden, says, “Not only with His eyes does He seem to have wept, but, as it were, with all His members, that His whole Body, which is the Church, might be the more effectually purged by His tears” (Serm. 3 on Palm Sunday). The love of Christ indeed was not content with the watery tears of His eyes, but wished, by the bloody tears of His whole Body, to lament and blot out our sins, and these tears of Christ were most efficacious with God the Father. “For,” says S. Irenæus (Lib. v. cap. i.) “the blood of Christ has a voice and ‘speaketh better things than that of Abel,’ Heb. 12:24. The blood of Abel calls for vengeance, that of Christ for mercy.” (Cornelius à Lapide, The Great Commentary of Cornelius À Lapide, 8 vols. [4th ed.; trans. Thomas W. Mossman; Edinburgh: John Grant, 1908], 4:487-88)

 

Robert Alter on Isaiah 23:1

  

for their house is sacked. The Masoretic Text reads mibayit, “from within” (or “from a house”). This translation assumes that a scribe inadvertently transposed a mem at the end of the word, which would be a possessive plural suffix, to the beginning, and that the original text had beytam. (Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible, 3 vols. [New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2019], 2:692)

 

Robert Alter on Isaiah 32:19

  

And it shall come down as the forest comes down. This entire verse appears to be damaged beyond repair. The first word in the received text is barad, “hail” (though the vowel-points make it look like a verb), which makes no sense; it has been emended here in accordance with one Hebrew manuscript and two ancient versions to yarad, “shall come down,” which at least yields semantic parallelism in the line. Even so, it is unclear what is being said, and attempts to explain the line or recover an original version that lies behind it have been unavailing. (Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible, 3 vols. [New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2019], 2:727)

 

Robert Alter on Isaiah 32:9

  

Women at ease . . . / Complacent young women. A female audience is addressed both because it is these women of Jerusalem who egregiously have been leading a self-satisfied life of luxury (compare chapter 3) and because it is the role of women to take up public keening in a time of disaster, which is about to come. The first of the two terms here is nashim, the second banot, and while banot (literally, “daughters”) are definitely young women, there is no persuasive basis for the scholarly claim that nashim means “married women.” (Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible, 3 vols. [New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2019], 2:725)

 

Robert Alter on Isaiah 30:7 and 8

  

Isa 30:7:

 

Arrogance Ended. The Masoretic Text reads rahav hem shevet, which would be literally: “arrogance [or Rahab] they to-sit.” This cannot be right. The translation reads with many scholars rohabam moshbat, which is merely a respacing of the letters and a revocalization. The first word could either mean “arrogance” or be the proper name Rahab, a ferocious Canaanite sea beast, possibly here referring to Egypt. (Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible, 3 vols. [New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2019], 2:717)

 

 

Isa 30:8:

 

as a witness. The received text reads laʿad, “forever,” the same meaning as the next word in the text, but two Hebrew manuscripts and several ancient versions show laʿed, “as a witness.” (Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible, 3 vols. [New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2019], 2:717)

 

Transcription of "Meeting Minutes, February 16, 1849"

Source: Meeting Minutes, February 16, 1849, CR 100 318, Church History Library (emphasis in bold added):

 

Feb. 16. 1849 . 10 a.m.

 

Council opened at 11.20 prayer by H. Herriman

 

Present Young Kimball - Pratt, Taylor, Sy[?]man, Pitch L. Snow, F. D. Richards - N.K. Whitney - H. Herriman - K. Cahoon

J. M. Grant - W. W. Major - B. H. Wells - G. Wallace - K. Campfield Hulloch - D. Shiner -

 

"Glorious things of thee & spoken" was sung

 

Brigham young suggested Elisha H. Groves for an Hi council -

 

Leager Miller, Titus Billings, Levi Jackman, Shadrach Roundy, John Vance, Ira Eldredge, Henry G. Sherwood, Orinhas Richards,

Edwin D. Woolley, W. W. Major, Elisha H. Groves, & Isaac Morley Pres^ -

 

(Erastus Snow come in 20 min to 12)

 

John Taylor moved that Isaac Morley be Pres. of the Hi council - sec? carried

H. C. Kimball moved that John Nebeker be Pres. of the El. Quorum - sec? carried

Pres. Young then directed N.K. Whitney to organize the lower Priesthood -

 

H.C.K. old men have more power over the young members than young men have -

P.Y. admonish D. men at H.P. & set them apart to teach - & you can have each ward like a family. let each Bishop take H.P. he

& their counselors be teachers - & let the young P. go along with their old men that they may learn -

P.Y. called on N.K. Whitney to work out the duty of D. Shiner Pres. of Stake -

N.K.W. seconded himself - when

P.Y. spoke to say, my heart is in two wallaces room - Pres. of Stake shall take charge of all the jurisdiction, both temporal & spiritual

under the direction of the Pres^ of the Prst? (William Snow came in 12.10 noon) -

 

They will now to be a vision of the S[?] to comprehend it - a time to fill as to our the St. of S. understanding is wisdom and by day

as it was meant. themselves before him - there is not a man can magnify any office unless the S[?] of the S. is with him continually -

when there ought to be an house kept the Pres^ of Stake can call in every man to assist him. I do say brethren to this

wards - that I also as I send on helping e - the H? & all the 2 v? it is no every work & come & see that the Bishops can train

their duty to assist every Zvo - to be careful & give attention - & that the necessities of that Stake. to see they are all industrious &

trying to go to work - to build up a city in manner of [?]. any public would - to see the Bishops - & to be that in the

see their own in this place - call congregations to order in evening the blessings, & preach, & open meetings in season - every man in his

place in temporal & spiritual things - & if called to be raised call on every man to his choice - & see that every man keeps his

calling & if he don't try him to an acct. - & the H? & subject to Pres^ of Stake as much as any I. ought to observe every

case conscience as much as any in the Ch. - if the Pres^ of the Stake is going wrong, then it is for any of it to watch the

city titles & call on / etc & try the members of the body of the whole what the greatest number? when a stake of Zion is

in wilderness, the whole mission - I am appointed can wield the sword of the Sh - & if the world turn him can bind them (preached?)

& leave us in c of the d? Devl.

The H of ? a second ? to tell up the havely? two when needed

 

H.C.K. Mr. P. if you are censured my feeling - since we were aq. we are all united to wickedness yet still right. I acknowledge the

of the Ld. we never were in a situation that we could organize according to the K of God, & I want to see them ag. & see every man

act in his place - my faith is as soon as this is done - I shall then see what you have desired more than my bread: I shall

then see the whole will. the house of God resting on them & they will roar; & all the ills of wickedness will clear out of the country

we shall then become men of God & it will come to pass - I want to see the city perfectly organized, then the diff^ Pres^ set [??]

clean off the load - for either of these Pres^ is capable of bearing off the world? - & if he does not act, he will not on the Sh of J.C.

if a man is to sit in judgment let him decide right. & prove himself, & decide the thing as it is, all the time - same man sit in two

sides decide out all. I want to see the Pres^ mind relieved - that he may compose his mind & be filled with rest all the time

Now it is time for men to be liberated - I want to see the great men of the Earth come here to get knowledge - etc and

10 times more liberal than we have got - This is correct -

 

Sidney Snow put out some principles arguing that Jesus Christ is our God, & not our Elder Brother, exalted to right.

B.Y. as he was, so it were now

as he is now [illegible]

 

A[n] God was once born of heavens, & had a body & must same as we - he is the Saviour of the world. the root of Sh. & offspring of David

only begotten of God in flesh - he that came down & dwelt here: same as we do now - & Jesus was the only one - it was all hid in the Temple

[illegible] it was run over quick. Moses was as God to the child of Israel - so was Joseph to us - & no man can love God without

loving Joseph.

 

"The mountain Standard" by O. O. Pratt was sung -

 

Erastus Snow expressed his feelings -

 

His Council to meet at G. B. Wallaces at 10 a.m. on monday -

Bishops to go to office, examine [the] wards, choose their counselors & meet on Thursday at 10 a.m. at G. B. Wallaces

also Pres. of the Ensign John Nebeker -

 

F. D. Richards read of returns of 12. dividing it into Wards. Kan[g]on Ward. mill creek ward. Mississippi ward.

N. of Jordan Canyon ward - N. of city 3 wards 1st of city to include Sessions. 2d from Sessions to Weber - 3d Drown settlement -

 

B.Y. [a]nnounced cotton wood etc there be a ward. & over cotton wood Sandy ward -

B.Y. when the officers are organized & if they can't do as a king with? Bro. Brigham. Talent intend to any a word to the little - now Bro Shiner. GOC cls as Thom Cast said -

D. Shiner. I am not deficient, but when I know my duty I don't fear men or devils, & am very thankful for this move instead.

I want you to let the suggestions to me. I don't care how strong. my life is subject to this work. I submit to the authorities -

I will never be offended at sec? neither - I never considered my property my own, & own now.

suggested that the Bishops go round to each family who are without grain - offer them money for it - & if refuse, then take it -

Adjourn to monday at 10 a.m. at his place - Benediction by John Taylor

Angus McDonald (1889) Affirming the First Vision and Dating it to April 6, 1820

  

The seven times of Moses, 2,520 years, beginning with the scattering of the Ten Tribes, 700 B.C. The seven hundred taken from the total number of years leaves eighteen hundred and twenty, the time appointed of the Father to reveal himself to Joseph, the son of Joseph, of the seed of Joseph, that were scattered among the nations of the Gentiles, from whom the Lord had hidden his face from 700 B.C. to 1820 A.D. (Angus McDonald, Mormonism: The Advance Guard of the Terrestrial Kingdom of God [1889], 16; note also that McDonald believes Joseph Smith, not a then-future figure, fulfilled the prophecy of 2 Nephi 3 [cf. JST Gen 50])

 

 

Let us now look to the Western Hemisphere, on which we are informed that on the 6th of April, 1820, the keys of the terrestrial kingdom of God were given to Joseph Smith, Jr., by the Lord Jesus Christ in person, to whom the site of the lost Eden was shown. (Angus McDonald, Mormonism: The Advance Guard of the Terrestrial Kingdom of God [1889], 38)