[lVhere8oever„.body...^agle8...together.] This is a dark and mysterious saying, and has greatly perplexed all conmientators. That it refers to the weU-known power of the vulture-tribe, to discern carcases, whether by eye or by smell, is allowed by all. (Job xxxix. 80.) — That it is a proverbial saying, signifying the gathering of things which from any cause have an attraction one to another, is also allowed. — But when we come to the pre- cise application of the saying, we find great variety of opinions. The parallel expression in St. Matthew, (Matt. xxiv. 28.) con- tains a Greek word for the body, which means a " dead body.*' The word used in the verse before us, does not necessarily mean
a dead body. In other respects the two passages are alike.
*
1. Some think that " the eagles'* mean the saints. This is by far the commonest opinion. It is held by Chrysostom, Ambrose, Jerome, Theophylact, Euthymius, Luther, Calvin, Brentius, BuUinger, Bucer, Oualter, Beza, Pellican, Flacius, Musculus, ParaBus, Piscator, Cocceius, Jansenius, Quesnel, Du Veil, Cornelius a Lapide, Calovius, Suicer, Eavanell, Poole, Trapp, Cartwright, Pearce, Leig^, Wordsworth, and Burgon.
The meanings these writers attach to " the body," are exceed- ingly various. Suffice it is to say that some think it means "heaven," — some "Christ," — some "the Church," — some "the Lord's supper," — and some " the judgment."
2. Some think that " the eagles " mean the Boman armies, whose military ensign was the eagle, and " the body," Jerusalem and the Jewish nation. This is the view of Hammond, Ligfat- foot, Whitby, Doddridge, Burkitt, Bengel, Gill, Parkharst, Soott, A. Clark, Major, Davidson, Stier, and Barnes. *