It shall devour patches of his skin: even the firstborn of death shall devour his strength.
Read Chapter 18
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
First-born denotes the best, or the worst. (Haydock)
Death. Hebrew, "of death "the devil, or a premature death, and most cruel enemy. (Calmet)
Septuagint, "But death devours his most beautiful things. "(Haydock)
19. ‘The beauty of his skin’ is temporal glory, which whereas it is coveted as an object without us, is retained as a beauty on the skin. But by the title of ‘arms’ works are not unfitly set forth, in that the work of the body is done by the arms. And what is death but sin, which kills the soul to the interior life? Whence it is written; Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection [Rev. 20, 6], in that he shall hereafter rise again joyfully in the flesh, who whilst set in this life has risen again from the death of his soul. If then sin is death, ‘the firstborn death’ may not unsuitably be taken for pride; in that it is written, Pride is the beginning of all sin. [Ecclus. 10, 13] And so ‘the beauty of his skin and his arms the firstborn death devoureth,’ in that the glory or the practice of the bad man is overthrown by Pride. For he might have been glorious even in this life without sin, if be had not been proud. He might in the judgment of His Creator have ...
