Commentary on Isaiah 1 part 2/2

For since to the more carnal-minded the deliverance from sins is not so desirable and readily grasped as the enjoyment of the things that seem good in the present life, He promises these things along with those;

for this too comes from that.

Then, showing that virtue is easy, He makes it rest solely in the willing.

And that He might not slacken them by the promise of good things, He again shuts up the discourse in things fearful, making it worthy of belief by the power of Him who pronounced these things.

'How is the faithful city Zion become a harlot?' Here is the anguish of the speaker, and the great insensibility of the Jews, and the wonderment that what had happened had come to pass beyond all expectation.

Such things Paul too expresses in perplexity concerning the Galatians, saying:

'I marvel that you are so soon removed.'

which, in the manner of an accusation, is also a form of exhortation, calling back to virtue those who are being summoned.

For even though what is said is marvellous, praise is mingled with the accusation, making the accusation the more severe.

For we do not so blame those who are nothing and pursue a base life, as those who seemed at first to be earnest, but afterward display the deeds of the wicked.

He here calls her a harlot, not hinting at bodily licentiousness, but at ingratitude toward God, which is more grievous than that fornication.

For there it is a man who is outraged, but here it is God who is set at nought.

And this he does, both this prophet and all the other prophets;

since God also deigned to stand toward the city in the place of a husband, thereby showing the unspeakable love He has for them;

and they often discourse as of husband and wife, not that they might drag the discourse down to human grossness, but that through matters familiar to them they might lead them by the hand to the knowledge of God's tender affection;

at the same time they wish also to lay hold of them by the shamefulness of the appellation.

that is, godly and full of every virtue;

so that from this too it is clear that he does not speak of the fornication of bodies;

for such was that which stood in contrast to the harlot;

but now, showing that by 'fornication' he hints at impiety, he has set down its opposite, namely faith.

that is, full of righteousness.

Again a very great charge: not that they deserted to complete vice, but that they betrayed complete virtue, and casting from their hands all at once the whole wealth of good things, were brought down to the utmost poverty of evils.

'in which righteousness lodged in her.'

'It lodged, it made its dwelling'—that is, it was planted, it was rooted, it was diligently practised by all the citizens.

He dwells upon the former praises, at once heightening the accusation that arises from the change, and at the same time holding out good hopes and showing that it is easy to recover them again.

'Your silver is worthless.'

that is, counterfeit, spurious, adulterated.

'Your tavern-keepers mix the wine with water.'

Since in his opening he had not named their vice according to its kind, but only that they had rebelled, and that they were an evil seed and lawless sons—which seemed to be more of a reproach than an accusation—

here he sets down the charges themselves according to their kind, and first that which is first and midmost and last of evils, namely covetousness and the fraudulent dealing in contracts.

But some, not understanding the unspeakable wisdom of God, took what was said in an allegorical sense.

For, they say, the great and lofty Isaiah would not have discoursed about the roguery of money-changers and the corrupt practices of tavern-keepers;

But here by 'silver' he means the oracles of God, and by 'wine' the teaching, which they were fouling by introducing their own doctrines.

For my part, I neither dishonor this interpretation, and yet I affirm that the other is the truer one.

For not only is it not unworthy of the prophet to discourse concerning these matters, but it is exceedingly worthy both of him and of the loving-kindness of God.

And what need is there to say much? Indeed, when—

when the only-begotten Son of God came bearing lofty teachings and was about to plant the manner of life proper to the angels, He too discoursed not a little concerning measures and things that seem more trifling than these—greetings, and seats in the midst, and the first places at table.

For these things that seem small, when neglected, become great kindling for sins.

But if these things had to be set right under the New Covenant, much more under the Old, when the hearers were also cruder, and their whole life was rectified from this starting-point—the people being thus the more instructed in these very matters, to keep far from all injustice, and in nothing to overreach one's neighbor, nor to wear down the poverty of those in lower estate through the knavery of petty trade.

When these things, then, were neglected, cities were often overturned, rulers were cast down from their thrones, and implacable war arose;

just as, when they were rightly ordered, there was much peace and good order and security, leading men by the hand toward virtue.

'Your rulers are disobedient.'

It is a sign of the greatest disease and perversion, when the physicians themselves aggravate the maladies.

For it belongs to rulers to check the disorders of the people, to reduce them to what is fitting, and to make them obedient to the law;

but when they themselves are the first to transgress the laws, how could they become teachers to others? For the word 'They disobey' means: they are not persuaded by the law, they do not endure the commandments;

which Paul also charges when he says:

'You then who teach another, do you not teach yourself?' When therefore the root is corrupted, what good is there to expect concerning the branches? 'Partners of thieves.'

An added accusation, that not only do they not restrain the terrible deeds, but they even work against them;

not only do they not war against the thieves, but they even cooperate with them, pursuing wickedness in a manner diametrically opposed to the virtue that befits a ruler.

Another grievous form of avarice, having a specious pretext, but under the guise of goodwill displaying the utmost greed.

Bearing grudges against their enemies, eager to requite those who have wronged them—which is the greatest form of wickedness.

Wherefore not in the New Covenant only, but also in the Old, it is forbidden with much earnestness.

For 'Let none of you,' He says, 'bear malice in your hearts, each against his neighbor's wickedness.'

For most of all, indeed, even the common man, but far more the ruler, must be pure of this vice, and be released from voting against those on trial out of hostility, lest the harbor become a reef.

That is, they do not stand up for them, so that they may obtain what is just.

'And they do not attend to the judgment of widows.'

It must be observed that it is not the doing of evil only, but also the not working of good, that is reckoned in the rank of wickedness—just as also in the New Covenant.

For those who did not feed the hungry are sent into the fire of Gehenna, not because they seized what belonged to others, but because they did not give of their own to those in need;

so also these men are now accused, not because they overreach, nor because they oppress, but because they do not stretch out a hand to those who need their help.

'Therefore thus says the Sovereign Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel:'

And He has not simply set down 'the Mighty One,' but is reminding them both of the benefits granted beyond their hopes and of the grievous chastisements they had endured.

For since, often sinning much and enjoying much long-suffering, they were falling into slackness, He wishes to make this clear: that He is able to proceed against them whenever He wills, and needs neither seasons nor times, but all things are ready and prepared for Him.

'Woe to the mighty in Israel;'

'for my wrath shall not cease against my adversaries.'

For what is more wretched than those who have God as their foe? And He said 'It shall not cease,' not to cast them into despair, but so that, having increased their fear, He might call them to repentance.

'The wrath shall not cease'—this is more fearful.

For nothing is so wont to provoke God as the injustice committed against the poor by such men.

He said this not simply disparaging power, but the power directed toward evil.

And by 'strength' here he does not mean that of the body, but the dominance that comes from the abundance of one's affairs.

'And I will execute judgment upon my enemies.'

'I will chastise my enemies,' calling His enemies the enemies of the poor, because of their being insolent toward them;

and this He said, that you might learn the greatness of the injustice.

'And I will bring my hand upon you, and I will purge you unto purity.'

That you may learn that, whatever be the wrath of God and the punishment, it comes not for evil and merely to exact a penalty, but that even the chastened themselves may become better.

'And I will purge you,' He says, 'unto purity.'

Therefore it is not when we are chastised, but when we sin, that it is just to grieve;

for the one works defilement, but the other purification.

But what does 'unto purity' mean? So that there be not even a trace of a stain in you.

For what fire is to gold, that punishment is to the slothful.

'But the disobedient I will destroy, and I will remove all the lawless from you, and all the proud I will humble.'

'For those who are incurably diseased,' He says, 'and yield not even to punishments, shall perish.'

For what profit is there in the life of these, when both against themselves and against others they plot in their living? But those who from the punishment of those men are able to become better shall remain.

It seems to me that here he also hints at the captivity.

'And I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as from the beginning.'

Here he speaks of the return.

For when those incurably diseased have been removed, and those able to receive care have been set right, then opportunely the remaining form of healing is added—the superintendence of approved rulers and the bringing-in of good counselors—so that, the body yielding to the remedies and the physicians being of the best, the parts of the city may from every side return to health.

For it is no small form of benefit to obtain good rulers.

'And after this you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful mother-city, Zion.'

And yet nowhere do we find this name applied to the city of Jerusalem.

What then should we say? That here he speaks of the appellation drawn from the deeds themselves.

And this will contribute to us not a little, when the Jews demand of us the interpretation of 'Emmanuel.'

For since Isaiah said that Christ would be so named, but nowhere is He so named, we might say to them that he meant the signification drawn from the deeds to be a name;

'For with judgment shall her captivity be saved, and with mercy.'

'With judgment,' that is, with justice and chastisement and punishment of the enemies.

'With mercy,' that is, with much loving-kindness.

Here He promises them two very great gifts: both that those who carried them away should pay the penalty, and that they themselves should enjoy much prosperity—each of which, even by itself, is able to furnish the greatest pleasure;

but when both run together, the gladness would become unspeakable.

And besides, wishing to show that even after the long captivity they are brought back to their own land not because of having paid a worthy penalty and having shorn off their sins, but because of His own loving-kindness, and that their salvation is more of mercy than of recompense and requital, He added:

'And the lawless and the sinners shall be crushed together.'

This too is a third form of benefit: that there should be no one to lead astray and to drag toward deception, but that the teachers of wickedness should be put out of the way.

'And those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed.'

'But the ungodly,' He says, 'shall perish.'

'For now they shall be put to shame by their idols, on which they had set their desire.'

Some indeed attempt to fit what is here spoken to the present season as well;

but we shall neither find fault with them nor depart from the natural sequence of the text.

For these are the things which he says shall come to pass at the onset of the enemies.

For when the barbarian overruns the land and besieges the city, holding all as it were caught in the midst of nets, and there is none to defend and to beat off that gathering cloud—because God has forsaken them—then fittingly, even from the very

experience of these very events, great shame shall be poured out upon those who serve the idols.

'On which they had set their desire'—that is, concerning the things about which they had been so zealous, he says.

'And they shall be ashamed of their graven images, which they themselves made.'

In the form of a narrative he sets forth the accusation.

For it was enough, he says, even before the outcome of their wounds, that the very manner of such idol-making should of itself put them to shame.

For what is more shameful than to make oneself a god? 'And they shall be ashamed of their gardens, which they had coveted.'

For they did not worship carved images alone, but also served trees in the gardens.

'For they shall be as a terebinth that has cast off its leaves.'

Either the idols, or the very inhabitants of the city.

He brought forward the image of this tree both because the plant is especially native to that region and abundant among them, and because it blossoms and flourishes exceedingly when it is at its prime, yet displays utter unsightliness once it sheds its leaves.

'And as a garden that has no water.'

And the second image is clearer than the former and confirms the sense expressed in the first.

For nothing is more delightful than a flourishing garden, nor more joyless than one laid waste—both of which befell that mother-city.

For it was ever the more excellent and splendid, adorned with countless ornaments;

and it became meaner and more shameful than all, having all at once cast away so great a wealth of comeliness.

'And their strength shall be as a strand of tow.'

The former images were introduced to convey joylessness, but this one to convey weakness;

and all of them are exceedingly vivid, possessing much clarity and expressive force.

'As a strand of tow,' that is, weak.

'And their works as a spark of fire.'

Here he shows that the evils came from within themselves, and that they themselves gave birth to the captivity and kindled the furnace.

For just as sparks that fall kindle a fire, so the sins of these people, being gathered together, kindled the wrath of God.

'And the lawless and the sinners shall be burned up together, and there shall be none to quench them.'

Again he forbids the hope of salvation, for that same reason once more—not that they should despair, but that, receiving through this at least a fear at its height, they might shake off their great sloth.

And he also hints here at something else: the irresistibleness of His power, and that, when He punishes and takes vengeance, none shall be able to withstand and to undo the calamities.