23. θέριστρα κατάκλιτα] θέριστρον represents the same Heb. word, Song of Sol. v. 7; a scarf or mantle rather than a veil. It stands for another Heb. word, Genesis xxiv. 65, xxxviii. 14, 19, of similar meaning. Vulgate generally varies between pallium and theristrum, as here; omitting the epithet, which is probably to be rendered ‘reclining,’ accubitoria; but perhaps κατάκλειστα, κτάκλειστα, ℵ ca. cb Γ, is to be preferred : with the sense of ‘close-wrapping.

24. The mercy underlying these threatenings shows in iv. 4 the reversal for good in lxi. 3.

The syntax of the verse is altered, and mm. inserts ζώσῃ and ἕξεις διὰ τὰ ἔογα σου.

25. καὶ ὀ υἱός σου ὁ κάλλιστος] Different from the Heb., except that κάλλιστος clearly corresponds to ‘beauty.’ The Heb. word ABBREV it is now generally agreed is a noun meaning ’branding,’ was probably taken by Lxx. and Vulgate for a conjunction, though not rendered in the usual way καὶ, quoque). Vulg. also has pulcherrimi, but υἱὸς is difficult to account for, and with ὃν ἀγαπᾷς looks like a guess, com- bined with a reminiscence of Gen. xxii. 2. Cf. also the Book of Enoch, xii. 5, 6, καὶ περὶ ὦν χαίρουσιν τῶν υἱῶν αὐτῶν, τὸν φόνον τῶν ἀγαπητῶν αὐτῶν ὄψονται: and xiv. 6, where somewhat similar words followed by πεσοῦνται ἐνώπιον ὑμῶν ἐν μαχαίρᾳ.

καὶ ταπεινωθήσονται] Coupled in LXX. to what precedes, in Heb. to what follows. The Heb. verb is a rare one, meaning ‘lament’ possibly the LXX. read ABBREVfor ABBREVor confused them. μαχαίρᾳ πεσοῦνται is repeated instead of the Heb. parallel phrase.