Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together
Read Chapter 98
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
7. While ye are rejoicing, and delighted with the ductile trumpets, and the voice of the horn, what followeth? "Let the sea be stirred up, and the fulness thereof" (ver. 7). Brethren, when the Apostles, like ductile trumpets and horns, were preaching the truth, the sea was stirred up, its waves arose, tempests increased, persecutions of the Church took place. Whence hath the sea been stirred up? When a joyful noise was made, when Psalms of thanksgiving were being sung before God: the ears of God were pleased, the waves of the sea were raised. "Let the sea be stirred up, and the fulness thereof: the round world, and all that dwell therein." Let the sea be stirred up in its persecutions. "Let the floods clap their hands together" (ver. 8). Let the sea be aroused, and the floods clap their hands together; persecutions arise, and the saints rejoice in God. Whence shall the floods clap their hands? What is to clap their hands? To rejoice in works. To clap hands, is to rejoice; hands, mean w...
Hands. These strong oriental expressions hardly suit our language. (Calmet)
They contain a metaphor, and denote the inhabitants of the world, (Haydock) or those rivers, which spring from Jesus Christ, and mountains, which are raised to heaven by his grace, to praise the Redeemer. (St. Augustine)
Then the just are exhorted to lift up their heads. (Menochius)
