THEOSISJerome of Stridon
You shall not tremble before Me, declares the Lord; shall you not stand in reverence before My presence, who has established the sand as the boundary of the sea, the constraint of the everlasting waters that shall not be surpassed? They shall be uplifted but remain unable to be stirred, and the waves shall be agitated yet will not transgress it. The hearts of this people have become hardened and disbelieving: they have turned away and departed, failing to reflect in their hearts, ‘Let us revere the Lord our God, who provides us with early and late rain in due season, ensuring the abundance of our yearly harvest.’ He speaks of blessings to admonish the ungrateful. Will you not fear Me, He asks, who has bestowed so much upon you?
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I seek not the affection of the perfect, but the reverence of the humble. Who has established the sand as the boundary of the sea—who by His command has tamed such a powerful element, and has caused the endless depths to be restrained by the shores, in accordance with what is written, "He established them forever and they cannot pass away" (Psalms 148:6). That which lacks reasoning listens to Me and perceives My presence, yet My people, who were once My own, have become foolish through their own actions, not only disregarding but also hardening their hearts against the compassionate God. They have rebelled against Me, turned their faces away from Me, and their inner conscience did not prevent them from pondering in their hearts, ‘Let us revere Him, who provides the early and late rain and through it all grants us the bountiful harvest of the year.’ Instead of abundance, Aquila, the first edition, and Symmachus translate as sevens, for in Hebrew sabaoth carries the dual meaning of both sevens and fullness.