THEOSISJerome of Stridon
Cursed is the one who constructs his abode in wickedness, his chambers lacking true justice, who unjustly exploits his neighbor and withholds their wages, who boasts, "I will create for myself a grand dwelling and expansive rooms," who opens wide his windows, adorns the ceilings with cedar, and paints them in vivid hues. Will you have dominion simply because you compare yourself to a cedar tree? Did not your father partake of food and drink? Did he not practice justice and righteousness, leading to his well-being? He attended to the cause of the destitute and the needy for his own benefit, all because he knew Me, declares the Lord. Yet your gaze and heart are directed toward greed, the shedding of the innocent, malicious speech, and a rush to commit evil deeds.
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O you who build his house devoid of righteousness, and whose upper rooms lack true judgment! You have your neighbor laboring without compensation and offer no payment. You have constructed for yourself a fragile dwelling, its upper rooms buffeted by winds, divided by openings, clad in cedar, and painted in scarlet. Will you reign when you clash with your forefather Ahaz? You shall neither eat nor drink; it would have been far better for you to pursue justice and integrity. You have disregarded the cases of the humble and the poor. Does this not indicate that you do not know Me, says the Lord? Behold, your vision is corrupt, and your heart is tainted; it is turned towards self-interest, cruelty, injustice, and the murder of the innocent.
I have presented both versions fully to highlight the truth of the Hebrew text and the perplexity of the Vulgate. This is directed against Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah, who was appointed by Pharaoh Necho of Egypt in place of his brother Jehoahaz, who was taken away in chains to Egypt. As detailed in the accounts from both Kings and Chronicles, Jehoiakim ruled Jerusalem for eleven years, ruling ruthlessly and wickedly, and then met his demise; yet, no mention is made of his burial. While the Scriptures often recount the deaths and burials of other kings, it notably states that he died without burial, a point we will revisit.
Thus, we mourn for this king who clings to false hope, believing in the longevity of his royal status, constructing his lofty chambers, mistreating his allies, withholding wages from those who toil, and viewing the building of his palace as unending. Can you, according to divine instruction, reign indefinitely while endeavoring to elevate yourself to the stature of the tall cedar, that is, in comparison with your righteous father Josiah? Your father enjoyed the riches and treasures of kings without offending God, for he was pleasing to Him through his dedication to justice and righteousness. Hence, what was beneficial for him in this life will indeed prove advantageous in the age to come. He advocated for the downtrodden and disadvantaged, seeking their comfort, all for his personal benefit. These deeds were favorable to him, for he knew Me, says the Lord.
But your focus, Jehoiakim, is skewed towards selfishness, the shedding of righteous blood, slander, and the eagerness to do wrong. As for the meaning of these words in the Septuagint, I find it perplexing. While some elements are interconnected, the assertion that you will not reign because of your antagonism towards your father Ahaz lacks clarity, especially as the Hebrew term araz, signifying cedar, seems out of place. The derivative phrases, "neither do they eat nor drink," become equally muddled, creating confusion that renders them nearly incomprehensible without the original Hebrew.
In a profound sense, we might interpret this passage as a critique against heretics who do not construct a great house in alignment with the breadth of the Church, but instead, a diminutive one, lacking truth and justice, desiring to seize the possessions of others. Thus it is proclaimed, "You have built for yourself a small dwelling, its upper rooms vulnerable to every gust of doctrine, separated by windows," for heretics lack an eternal foundation and steadfastness. They adorn it, however, with seemingly beautiful ceilings of cedar, which deteriorate quickly under the storms and hardships of persecution.
Despite promising the suffering and blood of the Lord, they will not reign eternally, for they quarrel against Araz, their father. Every heretic is birthed within the Church yet is cast out, contending against their spiritual parent. The phrase "they neither eat nor drink" refers to the Body and Blood of the Savior, along with similar matters. Their errors stem from ignorance of God, their vision distorted, with hearts inclined towards greed, desiring to plunder and commit the bloodshed of the tempted, which defines murder. The darker and more complex issues warrant deeper discussion.