God’s Case against His People 1 Hear the word of the LORD, sons of Israel, for the LORD has a case against the inhabitants of the land — for there is no truth and no loyal love and no knowledge of God in the land.
Jerome · AD 420 "Hear the word of the Lord, sons of Israel; for judgment is for the Lord with the inhabitants of the earth: for there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
2 Swearing and lying and murdering and stealing and committing adultery — they break out, and blood touches blood.
Cyril of Jerusalem · AD 386 After Moses, prophets were sent to heal Israel. But in their exercise of healing they deplored the fact that they could not overcome evil, so that one of them says, "The faithful are gone from the earth, among men the upright are no more," and again, "All alike have gone astray; they have become perverse; there is not one who does good, not even one." And again, "Cursing, and t…
3 Therefore the land mourns, and everyone dwelling in it languishes, with the animals of the field and with the birds of the heavens; and even the fish of the sea are gathered away.
Jerome · AD 420 Therefore the earth will mourn, and all who dwell in it will be weakened: in the beast of the field and in the bird of the sky, and even the fish of the sea will be gathered.
4 Yet let no man contend, and let no man reprove; and your people are like those who contend with a priest.
Jerome · AD 420 "Nevertheless, let no one judge, and let no man be accused: for thy people are as they that contradict the priest, and thou shalt fall this day, and the prophet shall fall with thee." LXX: "That no one be judged, nor anyone be rebuked: but my people are like a priest who is contradicted, and shall be weakened" "during the day, and the prophet shall be weakened with thee." Accor…
Theodore of Mopsuestia · AD 428 My people are like a priest who is compromised. He has fallen from his previous dignity and does not appear worthy for any reason, just as a priest who falls into controversy would be set aside and dishonored by everyone. "And he will be weak by day." To the greatest extent he will become weak because of the upcoming evils.
5 And you will stumble by day, and the prophet also will stumble with you by night; and I will destroy your mother.
Theodore of Mopsuestia · AD 428 Of the ones who first made use of false predictions to deceive you, most will also themselves become weak because of the calamity that holds them back. As if they were wrapped up in some kind of night darkness, they see the pursuit of deceit, which was useless for them.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Day continues according to your ordinance." For all these things are day: "and this is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" and "let us walk honestly as in the day." "For all things serve you." He said "all things of some," "all" which belong to this day "serve you." For the ungodly, of whom it is said, "I have compared thy mother unto the night,"…
Cyril of Alexandria · AD 444 One says that Israel will be weak not forever but for days. For it has been reserved for her a time of salvation and a return to faith.
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being priest to me; and you have forgotten the instruction of your God — I also will forget your sons.
Jerome · AD 420 "At night, I made your mother be silent, my people have become silent, because they have no knowledge: for you have rejected knowledge, I will reject you, and you will not serve as a priest to me; and you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your sons." LXX: "I have compared thy mother to the night, and my people to have no knowledge.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 Because the ecclesiastical hierarchy is founded upon Scripture, which is compared to the water of the sea, therefore sentence has been passed against those who do not possess this knowledge.
7 As they multiplied, so they sinned against me. Their glory I will exchange for dishonor.
Jerome · AD 420 "According to their abundance, so they sinned against me: I will change their glory into shame." LXX: "According to their abundance, so they sinned against me, I will turn their glory into shame." Israel had as many altars built for demons as they had men, in whose sacrifices they sinned against me.
8 They eat the sin of my people, and to their iniquity they lift up their soul.
Origen of Alexandria · AD 253 The text wants you to make a more daring assertion if your hearing will still follow. What is the "sacrifice" that is offered "for sin" and is "very holy" except "the only begotten Son of God," Jesus Christ my Lord?
Cyril of Alexandria · AD 444 They used to sacrifice goats for sin; for this reason the sacrifice was called sin. By offering a goat on the altar, the priests at the right time used to bring the intestines and the lard, and they ate the rest. This was ordered by the divine law. … "They eat the sins of my people" means they eat the offerings brought for sins.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 But we must remember without ceasing what is written about certain ones: They shall eat the sins of my people. Why are they said to eat the sins of the people, unless because they encourage the sins of transgressors, lest they lose their temporal payments?
9 And it will be, like people, like priest — and I will attend to him for his ways, and his deeds I will return to him.
Jerome · AD 420 "and it shall be as the people, so the priest, and I will visit upon him his ways, and render to him his thoughts." LXX: "and it will be as the people, so also the priest, and I will take vengeance on him for his ways, and render to him his thoughts." Hence, both the people and the priest will equally endure the sentence of God's indignation; for not only will He visit the work…
Julian of Eclanum · AD 455 When, he says, the avenging judgment begins to work, these measures of griefs that they [Israel] made in sins will be filled, so that they may experience in punishments what they have achieved in desires.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 We seek no gain of souls, we attend daily to our own pursuits, we desire earthly things, we eagerly chase human glory with intent mind.
10 And they will eat and not be satisfied; they will whore and not break out — for they have abandoned the LORD, to keep him no more.
Jerome · AD 420 Desire is insatiable, and the more it is felt, the more it creates in those who enjoy it a greater hunger. On the contrary: "Blessed are the ones who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied." For righteousness satisfies, while wickedness—because it has no substance—deceives by fraud those who feed on vain things and leaves empty the stomachs of those who…
Cyril of Alexandria · AD 444 A remnant from Israel has been preserved. Since the judgment does not go entirely to the priest, he adds, "They eat, but they are not satisfied." This means either emigration and captivity for those leaders of Israel or, because of Christ, desolation of Judea by the hands of Romans.… For among those Israelites brought then by Shalmaneser and Tiglath-pileser III to Assyria and M…
11 Whoring and wine and new wine take away the heart.
Jerome · AD 420 "fornication, and wine, and drunkenness take away the heart." LXX: "fornication, and wine, and drunkenness take away the heart of my people." But it should be read emphatically: Fornication and wine and drunkenness take away the heart.
12 My people ask of their piece of wood, and their staff declares to them; for a spirit of whorings has led them astray, and they have whored away from under their God.
Athanasius of Alexandria · AD 373 Anthony then asked, "Who are you who say such things to me? And at once he [the demonic voice] uttered a contemptible speech: 'I am a lover of fornication; I have undertaken to ensnare the young and to entice them to it, and I am called the spirit of fornication. How many I have deceived who wished to be chaste!
Jerome · AD 420 "My people hath consulted their stocks, and their staff hath declared unto them: for the spirit of fornication hath deceived them, and they have committed fornication against their God." LXX: "They consulted their wood, and their staff answered them: for the spirit of fornication hath deceived them, and they have committed fornication against their God." And when his heart is s…
John Cassian · AD 435 "It is written in the law: 'You shall not commit fornication.' " This is kept in a beneficial way according to the simple sound of the letter by the person who is still entangled in the passions of fleshly impurity. It is necessarily observed in spiritual fashion, however, by one who has already left behind this filthy behavior and impure disposition.
13 On the tops of the mountains they sacrifice, and on the hills they burn incense — under oak and poplar and terebinth, because their shade is good. Therefore your daughters whore and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.
Jerome · AD 420 "On the tops of the mountains, they sacrificed, and on the hills, they burned incense under an oak and a poplar and a terebinth because its shade was good." According to the Law, it is commanded that one should not offer sacrifice to the Lord anywhere other than the place that the Lord God chooses.
14 I will not attend to your daughters when they whore, or to your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery — for the men themselves go apart with whores and sacrifice with cult prostitutes; and a people that does not understand is thrust down.
Origen of Alexandria · AD 253 But do you wish to hear the terrible voice of an indignant God? Hear what he says through the prophet: when he had enumerated the many wicked things which the people had committed, he adds also these: "and for this reason" he says "I will not visit upon your daughters when they fornicate, nor upon your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery".
Jerome · AD 420 "Therefore, your daughters will prostitute themselves, and your daughters-in-law will commit adultery. I will not punish your daughters when they fornicate or your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery, because they themselves consorted with prostitutes and offered sacrifices with effeminate men, and the people who do not understand will be punished." LXX: "Therefore your…
Cyril of Alexandria · AD 444 And when these things occur, he says, I will remain calm, and I will not lay charges. Because of the misfortunes of the war and the troubles of the captivity, it seems right that all that will happen be predicted to the sinners.
15 Though you whore, Israel, let Judah not become guilty. And do not come to Gilgal, and do not go up to Beth-aven, and do not swear, “As the LORD lives.”
Jerome · AD 420 "If you fornicate, Israel, let not at least Judah sin, and do not enter into Gilgal, and do not ascend into Bethaven, neither shall you swear, by the living Lord, for as an wanton heifer, Israel has sinned.
16 For like a stubborn heifer Israel is stubborn. Now will the LORD pasture them like a lamb in a broad place?
John Chrysostom · AD 407 But what is the source of this hardness? It comes from gluttony and drunkenness. Who says so? Moses himself. "Israel ate and was filled, and the darling grew fat and frisky." When brute animals feed from a full manger, they grow plump and become more obstinate and hard to hold in check; they endure neither the yoke, the reins, nor the hand of the charioteer.
Philoxenus of Mabbug · AD 523 In another place, the prophet heapeth contumely upon Israel who had slipped his shoulder from [under] the yoke of the divine commandments: "As an ox which hath escaped from the yoke, so have the children of Israel escaped, they and their kings and their nobles." Now Israel became rebels because there was no fear [in them]; and they trod under foot the commandments because they…
17 Ephraim is joined to idols — let him be.
Jerome · AD 420 "Partaker of their idols is Ephraim, leave him." LXX: "Ephraim, a participant in idols, has placed scandals for himself." Ephraim, of whose tribe Jeroboam son of Nabath, who first set up golden calves in Bethel and Dan, is king of ten tribes. Therefore, O Judah, whom I mentioned above, if Israel commits fornication, let at least Judah not sin.
18 Their drink has turned; they surely whore. Her shields dearly love dishonor.
Jerome · AD 420 "he is separated from their congregation: they have committed fornication in their fornication; they loved to bring disgrace upon their protectors." LXX: "he has provoked the Canaanites, they have committed fornication, they have loved disgrace from his roar." They serve idols once, sacrificed to devils, fornicating every day, and loving their fornication.
19 A wind has bound her up in its wings, and they will be ashamed of their sacrifices.
Jerome · AD 420 "his spirit is bound up in their wings, and they shall be confounded because of their sacrifices." LXX: "a whirlwind of spirit will whistle in his wings, and they will be confounded from their altars." The unhappy people received the worship of idols, whose unclean spirits bound Israel in their wings and do not allow it to fly freely.
Ishodad of Merv · AD 850 The words "I will not visit your daughters when they prostitute themselves," that is, when a woman is accused of being adulterous and there is no witness, "she will make," Scripture says, "her offering of barley flour and will not pour any oil or incense." And since she is in her sorrow, the appearance of her offering will be equally sad.