Isaiah 56 · The Lantern

Salvation for Foreigners

Thus says the LORD: Keep justice and do righteousness, for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.

Therefore, this is the man, and the son of the inner man, of whom it is frequently said in Leviticus: "Man, man": in him is blessedness, because he accomplishes the first and grasps these things: judgment, namely, and justice, and the salvation of the Lord, which is near, and is to be revealed to all nations: so that he not only does what is commanded, but holds fast with a str…

The inspired prophets spoke not only of things to come but also gave dogmatic and ethical instruction. And they announced both judgment and salvation to those of former times, so that by the promise of good things and by the warning of pains they might turn them from evil and point them to virtue. One can easily learn this from the present oracle.

Thus says the Lord. Here, after he had promised liberation from evils, he begins to promise salvation in the conferring of goods. And this is divided into three parts: in the first part, the preparation of salvation is set out; in the second, the promise of salvation: arise, be enlightened (ch.

Happy is the man who does this, and the son of man who takes hold of it — keeping the sabbath from profaning it, and keeping his hand from doing any evil.

(Verse 2.) Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who understands it: who keeps the Sabbath, so as not to pollute it: who keeps his hands from doing evil. LXX: Blessed is the man who does these things, and the person who retains them, and keeps the Sabbaths, so as not to profane them, and keeps his hands from doing iniquity.

No one should be exercised by the words said to the Israelites about keeping the law, which doubtless belongs to the shadows of the world of types; for no one is justified by the law with God.… We should understand this spiritually; and abstaining from the care of the flesh we should offer spiritual sacrifices with the odor of a good spiritual fragrance and minister to God … to…

Blessed is the man. Here he sets out the fruit of this counsel in those who receive it. And first, he sets out its utility, setting out the fruit of fulfilling it: blessed is the man that doth this, fulfilling it by his works, and the son of man that shall lay hold on this, undertaking it strenuously: blessed is the man that fears the Lord (Ps 111[112]:1); and the manner of ful…

And let not the son of the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, The LORD will surely separate me from his people. And let not the eunuch say, See, I am a dry tree.

What does it mean that the Law calls those accursed who have not left seed in Israel, while through Isaiah it is said that eunuchs suffer no disadvantage, because they cannot generate offspring? — Because it had begun to be understood in a way different from how it was spoken, therefore the prophet Isaiah later showed in what sense it had been said.

The stranger who comes before the Lord should not say, "The Lord will surely cut me off from his people." For it will not be because he is foreign in the sense of not having Israelite blood therefore that he will be without a share in the gifts from the Lord, the intimate and spiritual relationship with him.

Second, he sets out the universality of this utility: and let not the son of the stranger. And first, he excludes the desperation of some who seemed unworthy, either because of defect of race, because they were not of the race of Israel: that adheres to the Lord, keeping his precepts; saying: the Lord will divide and separate me from his people, not making me a sharer in the sa…

For thus says the LORD to the eunuchs who keep my sabbaths and choose what I delight in and take hold of my covenant:

I will give them in my house and within my walls a hand and a name better than sons and daughters. An everlasting name I will give him, which will not be cut off.

All the pure virgins who are betrothed to Christ shall light their lamps, and with the Bridegroom they shall go into the marriage chamber. All those who are betrothed to Christ are far removed from the curse of the law and are redeemed from the condemnation of the daughters of Eve.

The house and wall that are strength and security seem to describe the church that is above somewhere in the heavens, that is, over the earth. People dwell there who have grown in holiness and virtue and who shine forth and receive the honor of self-control along with a greater inheritance. They receive from God an eternal glory. There is nothing lacking of grace in them.

Within my walls, a place, that is, a dwelling within the walls of my city; and a name better, because they will be called my servants and holy ones, and sons, that is, as if they had begotten many sons: the eunuch, that has not wrought iniquity (Wis 3:14). Note on the words, I will give to them . . .

And the sons of the foreigner who join themselves to the LORD to serve him and to love the name of the LORD, to be servants to him — everyone keeping the sabbath from profaning it, and taking hold of my covenant —

"And the sons of the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, … these I will bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer." These words refer to the church of the Gentiles, as the Lord himself explained to the Jews, and it is written in the Gospel, "My house shall be called the house of prayer for all nations."

As if you did not know that all human beings come from Adam and that it is written that the nations will believe in Christ, as it is said, "My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations." … The saints were uncircumcised before they were circumcised, and Abraham before circumcision had faith, since there is one God who justifies a circumcision of faith.

And as to foreigners: and the children of the stranger, that is, I will give them the privileges in which the Jews glory, to worship him, as to special worship, and to love his name, like children, to be his servants, and to glory in his dominion, above: they shall worship the Lord (Isa 19:21).

I will bring them to my holy mountain and make them glad in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be for acceptance on my altar — for my house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.

And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.

How could it be shown from the testimony of the prophets, already received among the Gentiles in the New Testament, that the promise which God made to Abraham has been fulfilled through the coming of Christ? — It is written in the prophet Isaiah: “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations” (Isa. 56:7).

Second, as to everyone generally: every one that keeps the sabbath from profaning it. And concerning this, he does two things.

The utterance of the Lord GOD, who gathers the banished of Israel: I will gather still more to him, beside those already gathered.

(Vers. 8, 9.) Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will please me on my altar: for my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples, says the Lord God, who gathers the dispersed of Israel: I will still gather together those who have been gathered to him: All the beasts of the field, come to devour, all the beasts of the forest.

The Savior, however, is gentle not only with the nations. For he says, "I will gather the scattered of Israel." For these were far from the community in the law, being far away from Judah, and [they] were idol worshiping and teaching doctrines and precepts of human invention. Those who were thus gathered included the godly of old and even the disciples of the Savior.

Second, as to the gathering of the people: the Lord God, who gathers, to him, Israel, the peoples who adhere to him: the Lord builds up Jerusalem: he will gather together the dispersed of Israel (Ps 146[147]:2).

Israel’s Sinful Leaders

All you beasts of the field, come to devour, all you beasts in the forest!

We have often seen the mass of the other nations called "the woodlands." These are the beasts of God's calling worthy to be called up due to their fear. Aquila has instead, "all the beasts," "all his living beings," and then, the second time, "all his living things." Do they belong to someone or to God?

"The beasts of the forest" means the nations. For a forest denotes the group of nations of different branches that he invites to the spiritual banquet. According to Aquila, he does not call them simply wild beasts, but "his wild beasts." Why "his"? Why "God's"? Because, captured by the devil, they became wild beasts under his tyranny and while alive they were hardly human.

All you beasts of the field. Here he threatens lack of salvation to those who hold his counsel in contempt. And first, he designates the punishment of killing: all you beasts of the field come to devour, their corpses: say to every fowl (Ezek 39:17).

His watchmen are blind, all of them; they do not know. All of them are mute dogs; they cannot bark — dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.

In souls, pure and cleansed from all defilement, the prophetic gift shines clear. In a foul mirror you cannot see what the reflection is, neither can a soul preoccupied with cares of this life and darkened with the passions of the lust of the flesh receive the rays of the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes in sacred speech preachers are understood by dogs. For the tongue of a dog, when it licks a wound, heals it, because holy teachers too, when they instruct us in the confession of our sin, touch as it were the wound of the mind through their tongue; and because by speaking they rescue us from sins, by touching wounds as it were they restore us to health.

Second, he sets out the fault. And first, that of the superiors as to their lack in governing and in foreseeing dangers: his watchmen, for superiors are set over the people to guard them against dangers like a watchman guards against enemies; they are ignorant, unable to foresee dangers: let them alone: they are blind, and leaders of the blind (Matt 15:14); in the correction of…

And the dogs are fierce of soul; they do not know satisfaction. And they are shepherds who do not know how to understand. All of them have turned to their own way, each to his own gain, from every quarter.

And the most shameless dogs knew not satisfaction: the shepherds themselves ignored understanding: all turned aside unto their own way, each to his own greed, from the highest even unto the lowest. LXX: And impudent dogs have ignored satisfaction. And they are evil, not understanding intelligence: they have followed all their own ways. Each together from its summit.

For often improvident rulers, fearing to lose human favour, shrink timidly from speaking freely the things that are right; and, according to the voice of the Truth, serve unto the custody of the flock by no means with the zeal of shepherds, but in the way of hirelings; since they fly when the wolf cometh if they hide themselves under silence.

In plundering their goods: and most impudent dogs, plundering their subjects of their goods as if without any bridle of shame, and they are never satisfied: they shall suffer hunger like dogs (Ps 58:7[59:6]); and as to lack in perfection of knowledge: the shepherds themselves knew no understanding, of the law and the prophets: he that understands shall possess governments (Prov…

Come, let me take wine, and let us drink our fill of strong drink! And tomorrow will be like this day — great, exceedingly abundant.

Isaiah56

Salvation for Foreigners

Israel’s Sinful Leaders