And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the hosts of heaven.
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George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Soothsayers. Protestants, "the idolatrous priests. "Grotius thinks that camilli, or "ministers of the gods "(Serv. and Varro. vi.) may be derived from the Hebrew hacemarim, "the black-vested "or cryers. The Rabbins give this title in derision to the religious of the Christian Church. There were some melanophori, or people "in black "who honoured Isis, or the moon, by this dress; as if to condole with her on the absence of the sun. Plutarch Apuleius describes a shining black veil, which was carried in the procession of her statue.
Baal. Hebrew, "to Baal the son "(Calmet) or rather, "to Baal, to the son. "(Haydock)
People are divided whether they were one and the same idol. The Hebrew mazatoth, (Calmet) Septuagint Mazouróth (Haydock) is not better understood. St. Jerome translates signs of the zodiac; others have, influences, planets, Lucifer, Venus Job (xxxviii. 32.) designates some stars by the name of Mozruth, and Mozrim. (Calmet)
