A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the fool's back.
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Ephrem The Syrian
AD 373
The nations confess you because your word became a mirror before them in which they might see hidden death devouring their lives. Idols are ornamented by those who craft them, but they disfigure their crafters with their ornamentation. [The mirror] brought [the nations] directly to your cross, where physical beauty is disfigured but spiritual beauty is resplendent. The one who was God pursued the nations who were pursuing gods that were not gods at all. And [using] words like bridles, he turned them away from many gods [and brought them] to one. This is the mighty one whose proclamation [of the gospel] became a bridle in the jaws of the nations, turning them away from idols to the one who sent him. –.
Snaffle. "Bit "or muzzle, (camus) to prevent the animal from biting. (Haydock)
Septuagint, Arabic, "a goad for an ass. "But metheg denotes a bridle. (Montanus; Haydock) asses being there very large, and commonly used for riding, chap. xiii. 13. (Calmet)
