The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that says not, It is enough.
Read Chapter 30
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Womb. Septuagint, "the love of a woman "(Haydock) a harlot, or rather Hebrew, "a barren woman. "
Enough. The more fuel, the brighter the flame. These four similitudes may denote cruelty, lust, avarice, and prodigality; (Calmet) or the first and last may be understood (Haydock) of envy and ambition. (Worthington)
“The horseleech had three dearly loved daughters.” Its daughters lead to sin: the daughters of fornication, murder and idolatry. These three did not satisfy her, for she is not to be satisfied. In destroying man by these actions, sin never varies but only grows continually. For the fourth, [Solomon] continues, is never content to say “enough,” meaning that it is universal lust.… For as the body is one and yet has many members, so also sin, being one, contains within it many various lusts by which it lays its snares for men. .
Who can hide from himself what is thus enigmatically expressed? “The horseleech had three daughters, dearly loved, but they satisfied her not, and a fourth is not satisfied when you say Enough: the grave, and woman’s love, and the earth that is not satisfied with water, and the fire that does not say Enough.” The horseleech is the devil, the daughters of the devil are dearly loved, and they cannot be satisfied with the blood of the slain: “the grave, and woman’s love, and the earth dry and scorched with heat.” It is not the harlot or the adulteress who is spoken of, but woman’s love in general is accused of ever being insatiable. Put it out, it bursts into flame; give it plenty, it is again in need. It enervates a man’s mind and engrosses all thought except for the passion which it feeds.
