1883 Haydock Douay Rheims Bible
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| Nehemiah 9:7 | Thou, O Lord God, art he who didst choose Abram *and broughtest him forth out of the fire of the Chaldeans, and gavest him the name of Abraham. Genesis 11:31. | The fire of the Chaldeans. The city of Ur, in Chaldea, the name of which signifies fire. Or out of the fire of the tribulations and temptations, to which he was there exposed. The ancient Rabbins understood this literally, affirming that Abraham was cast into the fire by the idolaters, and brought out by a miracle without any hurt. (Challoner) --- The Chaldeans adored fire, (St. Jerome, q. Heb. in Genesis 11:31.) and the Persians probably imitated them. (Strabo xv.) --- The emperor Heraclius destroyed their Pyreia. (Suidas.) --- St. Jerome translates Ur of the Chaldeans, in all other places. (Amama) --- Septuagint, "the country of," etc. (Calmet) --- It is supposed that the sacred fire preserved in this city, gave name to it, (Ur, "fire,") as Heliopolis was so called, from the particular worship of "the sun." (Haydock) --- Abraham, to imply some mystery, Genesis xvii. (Worthington) --- See Isaias 43:27. |