20. τοῖς ματαίοις] The Heb. word is believed to mean ‘moles’ (diggers), but was divided in most Mss., owing, probably, to its some- what unusual form. The Greek may be a mere guess: if ABBREVE were interpreted in the sense of ‘shame,’ it might be thus rendered, like ABBREVE or it might (less probably) have been read as some unusual form from ABBREVE ; or μάταιος might have been taken as connected in meaning with ματεύω, and won in the sense of ‘search.’

[22.] The Lxx. omits this verse altogether; and probably on this ground in the first place, its genuineness has been suspected by some. It is inserted (from Aquila) by Q mg, and by the Lucianic cursives, and a few others: in 22 and 48 with asterisks, in 36 and 51, and with slight variations in 93, 90 147, 62 228 233 303 305 307 309.

Kay, in the Speaker's Commentary, has an important note on the correspondence of the language of this and the three following chapters to circumstances described in 2 Kings xiv. 22 and 2 Chron. xxvi. ‘Ships of Tarshish’ sailed from Elath, as comparison of 1 Kings ix. 26 and xxii. 48 shows; towers, vine dressing in the mountains, men of valour, cunning atificers, are all mentioned; while ii. 11, iii. 8, v. 15 might suggest the sin of Uzziah and its punishment.

III. 1. ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰουδαίας καὶ ἀπὸ Ἰερ.] So, against the Heb. order, ℵAQ and most cursives, and Old Latin (Cyp. T est. i. 22) ; B has as Heb.

ἰσχύοντα καὶ ἰσχύουσαν] Heb. has two words, masc. and fem. from the same root, both meaning ‘support,’ the masc. again in slightly different form in the rest of the verse,= ἰσχύν. For ἰσχὺν ἄρτου, cf. Psalm civ. 15, ἄρτος καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου στηρίξει, and Ezek. iv. 16, θc. (different Heb. word).