God has spoken in his holiness;
I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and measure out the valley of Succoth.
Read Chapter 60
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
8. "God hath spoken in His Holy One" (ver. 6). ...In what Holy One of His? "God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself." In that Holy One, of whom elsewhere ye have heard, "O God, in the Holy One is Thy way." "I will rejoice and will divide Sichima. ...and the valley of tabernacles I will measure out." Sichima is interpreted shoulders. But according to history, Jacob returning from Laban his father-in-law with all his kindred, hid the idols in Sichima which he had from Syria, where for a long time he had dwelled, and at length was coming from thence. But tabernacles he made there because of his sheep and herds, and called the place Tabernacles. And these I will divide, saith the Church. What is this, "I will divide Sichima"? If to the story where the idols were hidden is the reference, the Gentiles it signifieth; I divide the Gentiles. I divide, is what? "For not in all men is there faith." I divide, is what? Some will believe, others will not believe. ...The shoulders are divi...
Holy one, Jesus Christ, (Eusebius) the prophet, (Menochius) the sanctuary, (Calmet) or oracle. (Worthington)
He had promised that the captives should return in seventy years time, Jeremias xxv. 11., and xxix. 10. (Calmet)
Sichem. (partibor Sichimam.metibor.) These two verbs are sometimes used for partiar and metiar, in ancient authors.
Tabernacles. Hebrew, "succoth. "(Berthier) (Genesis xxxiii. 17.)
It may also signify the Arabs, who lived in tents. (Menochius)
David's dominion extended over these nations, (Haydock) and the captives at Babylon hoped to recover them, as the Machabees did. The kingdoms of Juda and Israel were no more divided, (Isaias xi. 13., and Jeremias xxxi. 8.) to show the unity of the Church.
