Isaiah 59 · The Lantern

Behold, the Lord 's hand is not shortened, that it can't save; neither his ear heavy, that it can't hear:

but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

The Lord can prohibit adversities, but the merits of sinners cause him to give no aid.… Therefore, let your sins and offences be numbered; let the wounds of your conscience be considered; and let each one cease to complain about God and about us, if he understands that he deserves what he suffers.

Rising again with the same flesh as that with which he was buried, [Christ] stands behind the wall of our unbelief, the wall that as we sinned we built with our muddy, dirty works.

Second, he adds the true cause, namely, their own fault, first touching upon their fault in general: but your iniquities, as to great sins, have divided, like a wall or clouds might be interposed, and your sins, as to common sins: he said: I will hide my face from them (Deut 32:20). 1048.

For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue mutters wickedness.

None sues in righteousness, and none pleads in truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.

They hatch adders' eggs, and weave the spider's web: he who eats of their eggs dies; and that which is crushed breaks out into a viper.

Of such a kind as this, perhaps, is that of which the prophet says, touching the ungodly, "They weave a spider's web." For as in the cobweb there is the appearance of something woven, but no substantiality in the appearance,—for he who touches it touches nothing substantial, as the spider's threads break with the touch of a finger,—just such is the unsubstantial texture of idle…

"They will hatch adders' eggs." Also the children, whom they have generated, are evil and want to be even more harmful than their parents. "And they have woven a spider's web." As the threads woven by the spider catch the flies, so their schemes catch the poor amid the trials, which they organize arbitrarily.

1040. Second, he applies a certain metaphor to this. And first, he sets out the metaphor itself as to their cunning, both as to their oppression of others: eggs of asps, that is, counsels full of poison, they have broken, namely, bringing their works in public: their wine is the gall of dragons, and the venom of asps, which is incurable (Deut 32:33); and as to their own advanta…

Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands.

Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their paths.

What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

They sin with all parts of the body, through hands, feet, tongue. But it is the life inside their minds that sins before all of these once it has fallen into imprudence, so that it cannot recognize the peace that is at hand.

Second, as to thoughts: their feet, that is, their affections, as to one part: their feet run to evil (Prov 1:16); their thoughts, as to the other: woe to you that devise that which is unprofitable (Mic 2:1). 1042. Wasting. Here he shows them their misery.

The way of peace they do not know; and there is no justice in their goings: they have made them crooked paths; whoever goes therein does not know peace.

Therefore is justice far from us, neither does righteousness overtake us: we look for light, but, behold, darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity.

We grope for the wall like the blind; yes, we grope as those who have no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the twilight; among those who are lusty we are as dead men.

This is to be understood that just as there are eyes where there is no light or there is light but not eyes to see it with, they are unable to see the matter at hand; so it is necessary that the one who wants to understand the sense must not miss what is offered as wisdom from the holy Scriptures.There will be on that day so much groaning and howling, just as a bear when it is…

We have groped like the blind against a wall: and we have touched as if without eyes: we have stumbled at noonday, as if in darkness: we are in dusky places as dead. LXX: They shall grope in the dark and feel their way like blind men; they shall stumble at noonday as in the twilight; they shall be like those who die in the midst of their groaning.

And the difficulty of deliberations: we have groped, as though not knowing what to do, above: who is blind, but my servant? (Isa 42:19); and injury from dangers: we have stumbled at noonday, on these things where there was a clear way for us to avoid them, we are in dark places, that is, in doubts: they shall meet with darkness in the day (Job 5:14).

We roar all like bears, and moan bitterly like doves: we look for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us.

For our transgressions are multiplied before you, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and as for our iniquities, we know them:

For this reason righteousness and peace are far from you, since each has abandoned the fear of God and grown blind in his faith and ceased to walk by the rules of his precepts or to behave in a way worthy of Christ. Rather does each follow the lusts of his evil heart by reviving that wicked and unholy rivalry, by which, indeed, "death came into the world."

Our iniquities have multiplied before you, and our sins have answered us: for our crimes are with us, and we know our iniquities. LXX: For our iniquity is great in your sight, and our sins have held us back. For our iniquities are within us, and we have acknowledged our injustices.

1045. Second, they confess their fault. And first, the manifestation of their fault as to God: for our iniquities are multiplied before you, in your sight: all things are naked and open to his eyes (Heb 4:13); and as to the people themselves: and our sins have answered us, in punishments, for our wicked doings are with us, because we do not make satisfaction or correct our ways…

transgressing and denying the Lord, and turning away from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.

Justice is turned away backward, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and uprightness can't enter.

And judgment has been turned away backwards, and justice has stood far off, for truth has fallen down in the street, and equity could not enter. LXX: And we have gone away from judgement, and justice stands far away, because truth has been consumed in their ways, and they were not able to pass through the straight path.

The prophetic text makes this statement detailed in order to invite those who desire help to appease the Lord by saying something like the following: We acknowledge our offenses, we have recognized our impiety, we have spoken falsely against you, our Master, since we promised to keep your laws and we have violated them.

And as to action, and judgment is turned away backward, that is, the judgment of God for saving us; in the street, they carried out their injustices in public.

Yes, truth is lacking; and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice.

And truth has been turned into forgetfulness, and those who have turned away from evil have become a prey. LXX: And truth has been taken away, and they have turned their mind so that they do not understand. And truth has been forgotten, as it is written: Truth has sprung up from the earth, and righteousness has looked down from heaven (Psalm 85:12).

He has shown how truth has departed: they did not want to consider their duty, he says, but they have distorted their intelligence so as not to understand what ought to be done and what is useful.

He that departed from evil, lay open to be a prey, for not only did they do wicked deeds, but they plundered those who would not: there is no mercy (Hos 4:1); let us lie in wait for the just, because he is contrary to our doings (Wis 2:12). 1046. And the Lord saw. Here he sets out the preparation of salvation on the part of the Savior.

He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his own arm brought salvation to him; and his righteousness, it upheld him.

(Verse 16, 17.) And the Lord saw, and evil appeared in his eyes: because there is no justice, and he saw that there is no man, and he was astonished, because there is no one to oppose. And his own arm will save him: and his righteousness itself will strengthen him. He is clothed with righteousness as with a breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head.

For the unjust deeds displeased the just judge so he did not call the workers of these deeds "humans," for although being in an honored place they do not understand and are comparable to the unthinking beasts and resemble them.… In place of "mercy" the three translators have rendered "justice," so as to say "he has exacted a just recompense on them." It calls the operation of G…

And the Lord saw. Here he sets out the preparation of salvation on the part of the Savior. And first, he sets out the manner of preparation, speaking of God according to a human manner. He sets out his compassion: and the Lord saw, with the eye of mercy, there is no judgment, of anyone to save.

He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; and he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a mantle.

[Isaiah] says that God shares salvation, which is exchanged for repentance and understanding with those deserving, who put on righteousness just as if it were their garment. He says nothing less than that God is girded with the righteous deeds of human beings, just like body and head armor.

But God has strengthened him with his arm and righteousness, and confirmed him with mercy, so that those who desire to turn from error may be saved not by their own merit, but by God's mercy. Finally, he has put on the armor of righteousness, and the helmet of salvation, and the garments of vengeance, and has wrapped himself in the cloak of zeal.

He put on justice as a breastplate: for as a soldier is strengthened by armor, so his work is strengthened by justice and his intention to save: his arm has wrought for him salvation (Ps 97[98]:1); he will put on justice as a breastplate (Wis 5:19).

According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, wrath to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompense.

So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun; for he will come as a rushing stream, which the breath of the Lord drives.

"A Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from disobedience in Jacob," says the Lord.

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

"And he will come to Zion as Redeemer," that is, Zerubbabel. Therefore the spiritual Zion and the hill of visions and revelations is the church. The Redeemer, who comes to it, is Christ, that great Zerubbabel. "This is my covenant with you," which I made with your ancestors on the mountain, so that my words might never be lacking from the mouths of your descendants.

It follows: "A Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from wickedness in Jacob," says the Lord. For this reason, the Seventy translated it: "A Deliverer will come from Zion, and will turn away wickedness from Jacob." Therefore, if He will come from Zion to turn away wickedness from Jacob, we understand that a man will be born in Zion, and the Most High will establish…

"As for me, this is my covenant with them," says the Lord. "My Spirit who is on you, and my words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, nor out of the mouth of your seed, nor out of the mouth of your seed's seed," says the Lord, "from henceforth and forever."

And he promises to them, saying: This is my covenant with them, whether the agreement, as all others transferred, or the testament, as the Seventy have set forth.

He calls "mouth" that of the apostles, and "seed" of the apostles those who learn from their teaching. Thus he promises grace of the Spirit to those who believe in him.… Thus, we who also enjoy this grace, let us sing praises to the fount of grace to whom glory is due for the ages of ages. Amen.

Third, his pact of strength: this is my covenant with them, says the Lord: my spirit that is in you, the spirit of prophecy; your seed, as to the other prophets and the apostles upon whom his Spirit came like an inheritance through a succession of descendants: I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy (Joel 2:28).

Isaiah59