Commentary on Isaiah 5.6.12–5.6.19

So those of the blood of Israel did not make their works old (for the worship of the law is useless as far as the types are concerned), but those in Christ will make them old. For no other law will be given them, so as to change the force of the gospel decrees for something better. For it was said somewhere to Christ, the Saviour of all, through the voice of the psalmist: “Your righteousness is righteousness for ever, and your law is truth.” “And my elect”, he says, “shall not labour in vain, nor bear children for a curse.” He teaches again as by comparison, that is, by contrast with what happened long ago to the teachers of the Jews. These were scribes and Pharisees … commandments of men; they became fathers of children, plainly by discipleship, but in vain and for a curse; and the Saviour taught us this too, rebuking the scribes and Pharisees; for he said: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around sea and dry land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him a son of Gehenna twice as much as yourselves.” So those bore children for a curse and in vain; but my elect, he says, that is, the divine disciples, or in short the ministers of my sacred decrees, will not bear children for a curse, nor … their seed will be …, but blessed by God. And that he will be very well disposed toward them, granting the gifts of gentleness and love for humankind, and lending a most ready ear to their supplications, he shows by saying: “Before they cry out, I will hear them; while they are still speaking, I will say: What is it?”

“Then wolves and lambs shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and the serpent earth as bread. They shall not do wrong, nor destroy on my holy mountain, says the Lord.”

You will take these things too in two ways. Either the force of the prophecy would signify the union of the two peoples through faith, that is, that those who once leapt upon the saints like wild beasts and persecuted the church, differing in nothing from snakes, will come to agree with them, bound fast in disposition and unanimity by the bond of peace, through Christ, who justifies the ungodly, gathers what was scattered, brightens with divine light what was darkened, and changes all things for the better. For he makes and refashions all things, as it is written. Kids, then, and lambs are sacred and clean animals according to the law, so as to be offered on the divine altar and to be brought up for a fragrant

odour to God; but the wolf and the lion are unholy and unclean, and hostile to the animals named; and the serpent, besides, is most hostile to man, sharpened for this by the laws of nature. But … with those cleansed in Christ, who have a holy and exceptional life, those who were once loathsome and unclean, with a heart full of beastlike savagery, will come together through the gospel proclamations into the unanimity that comes through faith. “These”, he says, “will do no wrong, nor harm any of those on my holy mountain”, that is, in the church. For the wild will eat with the tame; and their food is Christ, the living bread who came down from heaven and gives life to the world; and he nourishes us with his own flesh, reshaping us for incorruption and life, and with his own proclamations, that is, those of the gospel; for “man shall not live on bread alone”, he says, “but on every word that proceeds through the mouth …” … will eat the food of the lions and wolves (for he did not say, “They shall eat meat”), but the wolves and lions will use the food of the tame, which is signified by the straw; and the clean will not rather follow the unclean, nor emulate their way of life and conduct; but rather the profane [will follow] the ways of the meek and …

“Thus says the Lord: Heaven is my throne, and the earth the footstool of my feet. What kind of house will you build for me? Or what is the place of my rest? For my hand made all these things, and all these things are mine, says the Lord. And upon whom will I look, but upon the humble and quiet, and him who trembles at my words? But the lawless one who sacrifices a calf to me is like one who kills a dog; and he who offers fine flour, like swine's blood; and he who gives frankincense for a memorial, like a …”

Having woven his word to the nations sufficiently, he now moves the sacred teaching to Israel itself. For he wishes to remove them too from the wickedness under the law, just as he commanded those to depart from the ancient deceit and from the profane life of wandering. So he teaches clearly that he lays claim rather to the worship in spirit, and counts as nothing at all the worship as in shadows and types. And besides this he wishes them to know something else, since they raised their brows high and were very proud, about nothing necessary, of having set up the temple in Jerusalem; for they thought that the divine is contained in a place, and dwells, as if enclosed, in temples made with hands, like the falsely named gods of the nations, which are nothing at all but wood and stones. And for this reason he says: O you who do not know the pre-eminence of the divine glory! O you who do not consider the greatness of the dignities that are mine! “Heaven is my throne, and the earth the footstool of my feet. What kind of house will you build for me? Or what is the place of my rest?” For the divine fills all things; and what are earth and heaven beside him? Let it be said in human fashion that he has heaven as a throne and makes the earth something like a footstool. What place, then, will receive him? Or what house will suffice to contain him? “For my hand”, he says, “made all these things, and all these things are mine.” And what are these? Plainly the things that are seen, and those beyond the things seen; for all creation is his, and by his nods the things that once were not were brought into being. What then shall we offer him as though it were not his? He says something of this kind through the voice of the psalmist too: “If I am hungry, I will not tell you; for all the beasts of the field are mine, cattle on the mountains and oxen. I know all the beasts of the field and all the birds of heaven, and the beauty of the field is with me.” Upon whom, then, he says, will I look? Surely upon the

humble and quiet, that is, the yielding and meek, the genuine servant of my wishes, so as even to tremble at the words that come from me. By these he means the gospel, the saving proclamation; these he deigns to look upon and to visit as humble. For bold and arrogant is he who rises up against his divine laws and, through great disobedience, lifts up against him the neck of his own understanding, proud, as it were, and hard. And that he finds the worship through the law unacceptable and holds it in hatred he makes clear by saying: “He who sacrifices a calf to me is like one who kills a dog; and he who offers fine flour, like swine's blood; and he who gives frankincense for a memorial …” The things in shadows and types he not only rejects but even hates, as I said; for he considers the slaughter of a calf as the death of a dog, and the fine flour unclean and …; for this, I think, he shows by likening it to the blood of a swine, and the pig is unclean according to the law; and the smoke from frankincense he counts equal to a blasphemous voice. So by these words he moves them toward wishing to live in the way of the gospel, and not at all any longer according to the shadow in the law.

“And these have chosen their ways and their abominations, which their soul desired. And I will choose their mockeries, and repay them their sins; for I called them, and they did not obey, and they did evil before me, and what I did not want …”

Again he makes his defence and makes plain the cause for which Israel was cast off, though it had been named firstborn and called God's lot. “For they themselves chose”, he says, “their ways and their abominations, which their soul desired.” In saying “they chose”, he showed them to be judges who do not judge rightly in necessary matters, “but rather call the good evil, and put darkness for light and light for darkness, bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.” For while it was possible for them through the gospel decrees to be carried to every one of the best noble deeds, and the power lay before them to depart from the ways of wickedness and to choose instead what by nature is beneficial, they, he says, chose their own ways, which are outside the sacred laws, the snares of death, and … and it also leads to the remembrance of their more ancient sin; for at times they became idolaters and worshippers of abominations. “Since then they were called”, he says, “and did not obey”, nor gave heed to the words I spoke to them.

For I said: “I am the light of the world, and he who believes in me, even if he dies, will live”; and again: “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” So I will use this holy verdict against them: … those who mock, that is, who behave like drunkards toward them. He surely means those who sacked Judaea and burned the once holy and renowned city, that is, plainly, the Roman generals. “For I will repay them”, he says, “their sins.” For what I hated and did not want, they chose.

“Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at his word. Say, our brothers, to those who hate you and abhor you, that the name of the Lord may be glorified and be seen in your gladness; and they shall be put to shame.”

He turns his words to everyone who is humble and quiet and trembles at his words; of these the divine disciples became the firstfruits, the first, picked out one by one. And the force of the command extends also to all in succession who lead the peoples, who have been appointed by divine vote [leaders] of the holy churches and ministers of the sacred proclamations. He commands them, saying: “Say to those who hate you and abhor you: Our brothers.” For either he wishes them to be meek and patient under wrongs, according to the gospel traditions, and by long-suffering to the utmost to draw into spiritual kinship, as in a net, those who turn away and refuse communion with them; or perhaps he gives this command, I mean, to preach to the nations and to call to the true knowledge of God those who had gone astray and worshipped unclean spirits, [who hated] the Jews because these did not accept polytheism as they did, but confessed one God, by nature and alone. But even if “they have hated you”, he says, reckoning you loathsome, let your word be held out to them even so, and let them be counted in the rank of brothers, “that the name of the Lord may be glorified”. For the multitude of the nations has been gathered in the net to the glory of Christ, and he has become manifest in their gladness; for while the nations rejoiced in the grace and salvation that come from him, those of Israel were put to shame as rejected and hated, wholly without share in the hope of the saints and in what he has given to those who believe in him. And one must know that he has abolished a commandment of the law by commanding them to call those from the nations brothers. For it was forbidden to those of Israel to mingle in friendship with those who had gone astray: “For you shall not speak peaceable words to them”, says the law through Moses, “nor intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughter to his son, nor take his daughter for your son, lest he turn your son away from me, and he go and serve other gods.” But in Christ the two have become one, and the dividing wall of the fence has been broken down, and the law of commandments in decrees has been abolished; “for he himself is our peace.”

“A voice of crying from the city, a voice from the temple, … adversaries.”

Having said, “And I will choose their mockeries, and repay them their sins”, he shows at once the outcome of what was threatened; and, as though the enemies had already taken their city and the temple, he says there was a voice from the city and a voice from the temple, as of priests weeping together and peoples lamenting with one another; and it was natural, when the calamity of war overpowered them, to lament and wail; for there was no escape from the evil. And he says there was a voice of the Lord “rendering recompense to the adversaries”, as though commanding and ordering the destroyers to spare none of those captured, but rather to leap savagely upon the adversaries, and this not at all by the impulses of the warriors, but by the Master's will; for this was what brought about their capture and their suffering.

“Before she who was in labour gave birth, before the … came … Who has heard such a thing? And who has seen it so? Has a land been in labour in one day, or has a nation been born at once, that Zion was in labour and bore her children? But I have given this expectation, and you did not remember me, said the Lord. Have I not made her who bears and her who is barren? said the Lord.”

He teaches again that Israel will not perish root and branch. For since he had foretold the capture of Jerusalem in full, he again calls to mind the remnant according to election; for no small multitude has been saved, plainly through faith in Christ. He wishes to suggest something like this. … the Jews … toward him, and killed the Author of life. But when he came back to life, having trampled on death, and went up to the Father in heaven, … speaking to all, even to those who had behaved like drunkards, and calling them to repentance, to the salvation that comes through faith, and to the forgiveness of sins through holy baptism. For Peter said: “And now I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your rulers also.” “Repent, then, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children.” When the divine Peter said this, many believed. So it is written in the Acts of the holy apostles that about three thousand souls were added that day. So the divine disciples went on admonishing those of Israel and drawing them into faith as in a net; then, after time had passed, the effects of divine wrath were at last brought upon the country of the Jews and on Jerusalem itself, since the more reasonable had already gone in and been called; and these were the remnant. He teaches this by saying: “Before she who was in labour gave birth, before the pain of her labour came, she escaped and bore a male.” For before the terrors came upon her, and the calamities of war fell on Jerusalem like bitter pangs, she escaped, that is, before the danger she bore a male, that is, a fine and thrice-longed-for offspring; for to women giving birth a male child is preferred to the other; or perhaps also because what was born is male; for the people in Christ is not made womanish toward softness; for there is in it a manly and youthful spirit, and the blessed Paul is witness of this, writing: “And those who are of Jesus Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Then he makes a great wonder of the surpassing divine power, since it worked this too, saying: “Who has seen it so? Has a land been in labour in one day, or has a nation been born at once, that Zion was in labour and bore her children?” For who has heard, he says, or who has seen a land, that is, a whole country, sprout in one day those who can fill it? For at once, that is, at one …

has a whole nation ever been born? But so, he says, “Zion bore her children.” For that three thousand souls were added in one day, and underwent spiritual rebirth through faith and holy baptism, how would this not plainly be the conception and birth of a whole nation? “But I”, he says, “have given this expectation.” For this too was foretold through the voice of the holy prophets, and God promised her beforehand an abundance of children. “But she did not remember me”, says the Lord, “although I made the barren and the one who bears.” And he who has power over these things, how would he have allowed her to become childless, if she had been willing to accept faith in him, and to be seen by those all over the earth as rich in children, and in fine ones? But since she became disobedient, hard, … the country of the nations [bore] the people past numbering and beyond; and the divine prophet Isaiah teaches this very thing, saying, as to the church from the nations: “Rejoice, barren one who does not bear; break forth and shout, you who are not in labour; for many more are the children of the desolate than of her who has a husband.”

“… in her, all you who love her. Rejoice with joy, all you who mourn over her, that you may … and be filled from the breast of her consolation, that having drawn the milk you may delight from the entrance of her glory. For thus says the Lord: Behold, I turn toward them like a river of peace, and like a torrent flooding with the glory of the nations.”

He commands the new and spiritual Zion, that is, Jerusalem, which is the church of the living God, to rejoice; Christ presented her to himself spotless and blameless, from the Jewish ranks and from the flock of the nations. For he joined the two peoples into one new man, making peace, and reconciled both in one body to the Father. And to rejoice would befit her; for she is filled with hopes beyond mind and word. “For eye has not seen”, it says, “nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, what God has prepared for those who love him.” And he has commanded those who are in her and love her to be glad; and these would again be those who, as it were, uphold her and …, and all who mourn over her, according to the word of the Saviour himself: “Blessed”, he says, “are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” The mourning here hints at the accomplishment of pure noble deeds; for they have the sweat that brings profit, and endure hardship vigorously, not to gain anything earthly, but that [they may become] full of the graces from God; for this he promises them, saying: “That … her.” Having once given the new Zion the person of a woman, he keeps to the figure of speech, and likens the consolation in her, I mean that which comes through the Holy Spirit, to breasts and milk. For it was said somewhere

… to her in the Song of Songs too: “Your breasts are better than wine.” First of all, to those who accept faith in our God Jesus Christ food fit for infants is offered, that is, the tender and simple word of catechesis; for so Paul too addressed some, saying: “I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able, and even now you are not yet able.” And that those who drink in the word of catechesis should not always be, and be seen to be, infants, but must rather go up to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that they may at last be able to understand the exact and searching word about him, he taught by adding: “That …” And by “having drawn the milk” he means: having come away from breast and nipple, that is, weaned, that is, no longer remaining infants, but ranking already as youths and men, and desiring solid food, “you may delight from the entrance of her glory”. And he calls Christ glory (for so the psalmist too says of him: “That glory may dwell in our land”), and the entrance the mystery of the dispensation in the flesh: being God by nature he became man, and as it were entered into this world through the incarnation. So those delight who know the exact word of faith about him, and learn in what way the glory, that is, Christ, entered the inhabited world. For this reason the divine prophet too, at once and in close connection, makes plain his appearing in the flesh; for he brings him in speaking in person: “Behold, I turn toward them like a river of peace, and like a torrent flooding with the glory of the nations.” A river of peace, then, and a torrent of delight is Christ (for so the divine David too names him, saying: “How you have multiplied your mercy, O God! The sons of men will hope in the shelter of your wings; they will be drunk with the fatness of your house, and you will make them drink from the torrent of your delight.” And again: “The rushings of the river gladden the city of God”). … the glory of the nations, that is, what is precious among the nations … gives us to understand something of this kind. For his way and journey, according to the purpose and good pleasure of the Father, was to those of the blood of Israel; so he said: “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But since they thrust away the faith, he turned away from them, as it is written, and … believed, nor were they glorified; but, as Paul says about the God and Father: “Those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son; these he also called; and those whom he called, these …” … to the flocks of the nations he granted the consolation from the sacred streams, that is, the gospel and saving proclamation, through which they have gained peace with him, and through him have been joined in spiritual kinship to God and …

“Their children shall be carried on shoulders, and comforted on knees. As if a mother … and in Jerusalem you shall be comforted. And you shall see, and your heart shall rejoice, and … known to those who worship him.”

… and the bestowal of all sparing, so that they can accomplish what pleases him even without any toil. For those among them, he says, who are still infants and not yet perfect in mind will be carried on shoulders like little babes, and comforted on knees; for this is how mothers are accustomed to care for infants. I will yield little, then, he says, to a mother, but I will comfort those who for the time have a weak mind in such a way that nothing that makes for their rest will be lacking to them. And being nursed in this way, he says, and passing through every sparing and love, you will in due time see the city above, the heavenly Jerusalem; you will be filled with delight, and the bones of you all will flourish again like grass. For the dead will be raised, and those in the tombs will rise, having been enriched with the dew from Christ, that is, the life-giving Spirit; for so the psalmist says somewhere to God about those who lie in the earth: “You will send forth your Spirit, and they will be created, and you will renew the face of the earth.” So just as what blossoms in the fields falls after a little and withers, yet when spring comes rises again and appears, so the remains of the dead in the earth will spring up again at the time of the regeneration by the ineffable power of God. For they will be raised, as I said. “Then, then the hand of the Lord will be known to those who worship him.” By hand he means here either his power, or our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and in whom are all things. For through him again comes the return of the dead to life. For it would be the work of his power both to be able to bring into existence the things that once were not, and to renew again to their first state the things that have suffered corruption.

“And he will threaten the disobedient. For behold, the Lord will come like fire, and his chariots like a whirlwind, to render vengeance in wrath, and rejection in a flame of fire. For by the fire of the Lord all the earth shall be judged, and all flesh by his sword; many shall be wounded by the Lord. Those who sanctify and purify themselves for the gardens, and eat swine's flesh in the porches, and the abominations and the mouse, shall be consumed together, said the Lord. And I know their works and their reasoning.”

Having sufficiently comforted those in the new Zion, that is, the church, and promised them the most ample consolation, and … the spiritual … return to life, and the mansions above, and the glory there, he says that their undertaking in these matters will not go unpunished for those who have chosen to disobey him. For he will come like fire, he says; for he will come down from heaven in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. For this is his chariot, according to what is sung in the Psalms: “The chariot of God is ten-thousandfold, thousands of those who rejoice.” And he will come to render vengeance in wrath, and rejection in a flame of fire. The rejection signifies casting away; for he will say to those who have died in sins: “Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” For so, he says, the whole earth will be judged, and many will be wounded, struck as by the sword of the divine wrath. These would be those who receive the inescapable penalty, run into the unquenchable flame, and are bound fast with the cords of their own offences; and above the others, he says, those will be brought under the penalty who sanctify and purify themselves for the gardens, that is, those who have thrust away the redemption through Christ and that through holy baptism