My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my plague; and my kinsmen stand afar off.
Read Chapter 38
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
15. "My lovers;" why should I henceforth speak of my enemies? "My lovers and my neighbours drew nigh, and stood over against me" (ver. 11). Understand this that he saith, "Stood over against me." For if they stood over against me, they fell against themselves. "My lovers and my neighbours drew nigh and stood over against me." Let us now recognise the words of the Head speaking; now let our Head in His Passion begin to dawn upon us. Yet again when the Head begins to speak, do not sever the Body from it. If the Head would not separate itself from the words of the Body, should the Body dare to separate itself from the sufferings of the Head? Do thou suffer in Christ's suffering: for Christ, as it were, sinned in thy infirmity. For just now He spoke of thy sins, as if speaking in His own Person, and called them His own. ...To those who wished to be near His exaltation, yet thought not of His humility, He answered and said to them, "Can ye drink of the cup that I shall drink of?" Those suff...
Have. Hebrew, "over-against my wound (Haydock) or leprosy. "(Calmet) Protestants, "stand aloof from my sore. "(Haydock)
But the original means rather "near to. "Septuagint may have read u for i, in nighi. (Berthier)
But Symmachus and St. Jerome translate, "stood against my leprosy, (Haydock) and my neighbour stood at a distance "as if they had been afraid of the contagion. Job (xix. 13, 19.) makes the same complaints. (Calmet)
These manners of world lings may be seen in every age, and ought not to fill us with surprise. (Berthier) (John xv. 18.)
David was abandoned by Achitophel, and by most of the tribe of Juda, (Theodoret) as our Saviour was by his disciples. (St. Augustine)
