| I Samuel 25:22
| May God do so and so, and add more to the foes of David, if I leave of all that belong to him till the morning, any that pisseth against the wall.
| The enemies, is left out in some editions of the Septuagint. But David wishes all evils to himself, though, to avoid the ominous expression, he specifies his enemies, if he do not punish Nabal. --- Leave. David certainly sinned in his designs against Nabal and his family, as he himself was afterwards sensible, when he blessed God for hindering him from executing the revenge he had proposed. (Challoner) --- All. Chaldean, "any one who is come to the use of reason." Syriac and Arabic, "the least thing hanging upon the wall." I will destroy the guilty, and plunder all the valuable effects. (Calmet) --- But the Hebrew, Septuagint, etc., agree with the Vulgate and the meaning is, either that every man, or that every dog, and even the meanest things, should be enveloped in the general ruin. (Haydock) --- The manners of men vary, but those of dogs are always the same. Hence, it is more generally supposed that this expression (Calmet) denotes that even dogs shall be exterminated, and consequently other things for which Nabal would have a greater affection. (Haydock) --- Aurelian being irritated against the inhabitants of Thiane, swore, "I will not leave a dog in this town;" which all people explained as if he meant to leave nothing alive in it. But being afterwards moved with compassion at the distress of the people, he executed his threat literally, and killed all the dogs. (Vopisc.) See 3 Kings 14:10., and 15:29., and 21:21., and 4 Kings 5:6. (Bochart, Anim. 2:55.; Delrio, adag. 184.) (Calmet) --- The unhappy Geddes translates, "a dog," to avoid the indelicate allusion. It would have been well if he had allowed himself no greater liberties! (Haydock) --- The Hebrew mashtin, may denote a shepherd's or a mastiff dog. (Menochius)
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