Chapter 2
Lecture 1
2:1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amos saw, concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2:2 And in the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be prepared on the top of mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it.
2:3 And many people shall go, and say: come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall come forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
67 . The word that . Here he begins to rebuke their fault on the part of turning toward. And this is divided into three parts:
in the first part, he denounces them for the fault which they were committing in the worship of idols;
in the second, for the fault which they were committing in the oppression of men: for behold (ch. 3);
in the third, for the fault which they were committing in the abuse of things: I will sing to my beloved (ch. 5).
The first of these is divided into two:
into a title
and a treatise, the second beginning where it says, and in the last days (Isa 2:2).
And he sets out this word in the beginning of the chapter because it is a prophecy especially of the Incarnate Word: for the Lord God will do no word without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets (Amos 3:7).
68 . And it shall be . Here he carries out the intention. And this is divided into three parts:
in the first part, he promises the remedy of salvation, lest the weight of the following fault leads to despair;
in the second, he shows the guilt of the fault, where it says: for you have cast off your people (Isa 2:6);
in the third, he threatens the lash of punishment, where it says: therefore forgive them not (Isa 2:9).
Concerning the first, three things are set out:
first, the preparation of salvation;
second, the conversion of the gentiles, where it says, and all nations shall flow unto it (Isa 2:2);
third, the calling of the Jews in the end, where it says, O house of Jacob, come (Isa 2:5).
69 . Concerning the first of these, three things are set out.
First, the time of salvation; hence he says, and it shall be . And he connects this to the preceding prophecy, or to that which he heard from the Lord, as Gregory says about the beginning of Ezekiel. In the last days , that is, in the time of grace, which is called the last, because the observance of another religion will not succeed it: behold I am with you . . . even to the consummation of the world (Matt 28:20); gather yourselves together, [sons of Israel,] that I may tell you the things that shall befall you in the last days (Gen 49:1).
70 . But it seems that this salvation which is through the Incarnation of the Son of God ought to have been prepared from the beginning of the human race, because the more quickly a disease is remedied through medicine, the easier it is cured.
To this it is to be said that medicine ought to be offered according to the condition of the disease. And because the sin of man occurred through pride, which scorned the precepts of God, it is fitting that the medicine for attaining salvation was prepared through humility, so that man might know the weakness of his powers: for by neither natural law nor written law was he able to provide help to himself; and thus, he would more ardently and humbly seek the medicine, the more he found no help in himself.
71 . Second, he puts forth the power of the savior, when he says, the mountain of the house of the Lord , on which the house of the Lord was founded: he set me upon a very high mountain (Ezek 40:2).
Third, the position of the savior: on the top of mountains , that is, greater princes, and it shall be exalted above the hills , that is, lesser princes. Below: behold my servant shall understand, he shall be exalted, and extolled, and shall be exceeding high (Isa 52:13).
72 . And all nations shall flow unto it . Here he places the conversion of the gentiles. And concerning this, he sets out three things:
first, the conversion itself;
second, he declares the order of conversion, where it says, and many people shall go (Isa 2:3);
third, he promises peace to the converted, where it says, and he shall judge the Gentiles (Isa 2:4).
Therefore as to the first, he says, and all nations , that is, from all other nations, shall flow , in which is noted their multitude and haste: I will bring them through the torrents of waters in a right way, and they shall not stumble in it (Jer 31:9).
73 . The order of conversion was that the gentiles were converted through the calling of those who were from the Jews. And therefore he sets out three things concerning the second:
first, those who call,
second, the calling, where it says, come ,
third, the reason for this order, where it says, for the law shall come forth from Zion .
Therefore he says, many , not all, people , that is, who are from the Jews: in which is noted the small number of Jews who converted in respect to the multitude of gentiles; shall go , by steps of faith believing, and say : we also believe. For which cause we speak also (2 Cor 4:13).
74 . Come . Here he places the calling. And they are called to three things.
To eminence of faith; hence he says, come , through consensus, let us go up , through faith, to the mountain of the Lord , that is, to Christ, and to the house of the God of Jacob , that is, to the Church: arise, and let us go up to Zion to the Lord our God. For thus says the Lord: rejoice in the joy of Jacob (Jer 31:6–7); ascent to mount Zion (Heb 12:22).
Second, to teaching, when he says, he will teach us his ways , that is, the precepts by which one goes to him: there you shall teach me, and I will give you a cup of spiced wine and new wine of my pomegranates (Song 8:2).
Third, to obedience: and we will walk , after him, in the paths , of his counsels: ask for the old paths, which is the good way, and walk in it (Jer 6:16).
75 . For the law shall come forth from Zion . Here he places the reason for the order of the calling, saying, for the law shall come forth , understood spiritually, from Zion , not from Mount Sinai, and the word of the Lord , that is, the Gospel, from Jerusalem , for the contemplation of peace: for salvation is of the Jews (John 4:22), and below: when they rush out from Jacob, Israel shall blossom and bud (Isa 27:6).
Lecture 2
2:4 And he shall judge the Gentiles, and rebuke many people: and they shall turn their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into sickles: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they be exercised any more to war.
2:5 O house of Jacob, come, and let us walk in the light of the Lord our God.
2:6 For you have cast off your people, the house of Jacob: because they are filled as in times past, and have had soothsayers as the Philistines, and have adhered to strange children.
2:7 Their land is filled with silver and gold: and there is no end of their treasures.
2:8 And their land is filled with horses: and their chariots are innumerable. Their land also is full of idols: they have adored the work of their own hands, which their own fingers have made.
2:9a And man has bowed himself down, and man has been debased.
76 . And he shall judge . Here he promises peace to the converted. And concerning this, he does three things:
first, he sets out that which brings about peace;
second, the sign of peace: and they shall turn their swords into ploughshares ;
third, the fruit of peace: nation shall not lift up sword .
That which brings about peace is the judgment of a king, and therefore, first, he says, he shall judge the Gentiles , giving them laws, and rebuke many peoples , correcting their faults, below: he shall judge the poor with justice, and shall reprove with equity the meek of the earth (Isa 11:4).
The sign of peace is that the instruments of war are turned to the cultivation of the field; hence he says, and they shall turn their swords into ploughshares . He shall destroy the bow, and break the weapons (Ps 45:10[46:9]).
The fruit of peace is in the removal of enemies; hence he says, nation shall not lift up sword against nation , below: the old error is passed away: you will keep peace: peace, because we have hoped in you (Isa 26:3).
77 . On the contrary, afterwards, there were many wars. The Gloss responds that these were not as large as before; hence in the time of the antichrist, however great the future persecution of the saints, nevertheless they will have great peace among themselves, as it was in the time of Diocletian. Or, better, it may be said that this refers to the peace made through Christ, which will be completed in the future.
78 . O house of Jacob . Here he places the calling of the Jews after the conversion of the gentiles has occurred: speaking either in the person of the prophet or in the person of the gentiles, that they may be in the tail who were in the head: blindness in part has happened in Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles should come in (Rom 11:25). Let us walk , at the same time and in agreement, that there may be one sheepfold: and there shall be one fold and one shepherd (John 10:16). In the light . Walk whilst you have the light (John 12:35).
79 . For you have cast off . Here he shows their guilt.
And first, in general,
second, in particular, at: and have had soothsayers .
Concerning the first, he does two things.
First, he shows their separation from God, when he says, for you have cast off , and, as the Gloss continues, rightly are they to be called, because you have cast off . Why are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not? (Jer 22:28).
Second, he places the reason for their separation, because , namely, they are filled , with iniquity, as in times past , in Egypt. The land is full of adulterers (Jer 23:10). For there is no cause of separation from God except sin; hence below: your sins have divided between you and your God (Isa 59:2).
80 . And soothsayers . Here he sets out their fault in particular, and especially concerning idolatry, which he denounces in them in three ways.
First, as to the gentile way of life;
second, as to the occasion of idolatry, where it says, their land is filled with silver and gold (Isa 2:7);
third, as to the observation of worship, where it says, and their land is filled (Isa 2:8).
81 . He censures them for the gentile way of life in two matters.
First, as to the diviners and soothsayers that they had: hence he says: soothsayers , that is, those who foretell the future from the cry and chirping of birds, as the Philistines , among whom this superstition flourished most, against what is commanded in Deuteronomy 18:9: beware lest you have a mind to imitate the abominations of those nations , and immediately below this, let there be not found among you any one . . . that consults soothsayers, or observes dreams and omens (Deut 18:10).
82 . But it seems that augury is not a sin. For birds have a better estimation than fish who are more aquatic; but mariners obtain predictions of a coming storm from the movement of certain fish: therefore something also may be foretold concerning the future through birds.
And to this is to be said that God foresaw what was necessary for each thing to be preserved in being, according to the capacity of its nature; and therefore to man he gave reason, through which, by comparing, he is able to devise for himself remedies against harmful things. And because reason is lacking in brute animals, he ordained that nature should supply what is lacking from reason; and therefore weapons and coverings, which man must acquire for himself through art, are given to animals by nature. Similarly, a certain power of natural estimation was also created for them, impelling them to carry out the activity of their species; hence it is better to say that they are acted upon than that they act, as John Damascene says; and when an inferior nature is regulated by a superior nature and is moved, impressions are left in them of superior movements rubbing such movement by which they are moved to provide for themselves in necessities. And obtaining a prediction in such things from birds or the movements of birds or of other animals is not a sin, but only about those things which have their cause from free will, which does not operate by the necessity of the stars.
83 . Second, he censures them as to unnatural passions, in which they were subject: hence he says: to strange children , that is, foreign, or strange to God, have adhered , through filthy abuse. Men with men, working that which is filthy (Rom 1:27). In 2 Maccabees 4:13, it is said of this vice, now this was . . . an increase, and progress of heathenish and foreign manners, through the abominable and unheard of wickedness of Jason, that impious wretch, and no priest .
84 . Their land is filled . Here he sets out the occasion of idolatry, which is avarice or its likeness: or covetousness . . . which is a serving of idols (Eph 5:3–5).
First, therefore, he shows their avarice as to the multiplication of things which pertain to the necessities of life, when he says, their land is filled , in which is indicated the abundance of things; and there is no end , in which is indicated the insatiability of the covetous man, who is not satisfied with money. A covetous man shall not be satisfied with money: and he that loves riches shall reap no fruit from them (Eccl 5:9), and: I gave them corn, and wine, and oil, and silver, and I multiplied for them, and gold, which they have used in the service of Baal (Hos 2:8).
Second, he shows their avarice as to things which pertain to transportation, where he says, filled with horses . Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will call upon the name of the Lord, our God (Ps 19:8[20:7]).
85 . Their land also is full of idols . Here he denounces in them the worship of idolatry; and he adds to the weight of this from three things.
First, from its multitude, where he says, also is full : Ephraim has made many altars to sin (Hos 7:11); under every green tree, and on every high hill you didst prostitute yourself (Jer 2:20).
Second, from the worthlessness of the idols: for they are the work of their own hands , and still more, which their own fingers have made . The idols of the Gentiles are silver and gold, the works of the hands of men (Ps 113:12[115:4]).
Third, from the dignity of man: and therefore he says: man , who was made to the image of God, has bowed himself down , in putting himself under idols; man , who seems powerful as to acquired things, has been debased : man when he was in honor did not understand; he is compared to senseless beasts, and is become like to them (Ps 48:13[49:12]). Below: he bows down before it, and adores it, and prays unto it, saying: deliver me (Isa 44:17).
Lecture 3
2:9b Therefore forgive them not.
2:10 Enter you into the rock, and hide you in the pit from the face of the fear of the Lord, and from the glory of his majesty.
2:11 The lofty eyes of man are humbled, and the height of men shall be made to stoop: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.
2:12 Because the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and high-minded, and upon every one that is arrogant, and he shall be humbled.
2:13 And upon all the tall and lofty cedars of Libanus, and upon all the oaks of Basan.
2:14 And upon all the high mountains and upon all the elevated hills.
2:15 And upon every high tower, and every fenced wall.
2:16 And upon all the ships of Tharsis, and upon all that is fair to behold.
2:17 And the loftiness of men shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be humbled, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.
2:18 And idols shall be utterly destroyed.
2:19 And they shall go into the holes of rocks, and into the caves of the earth from the face of the fear of the Lord, and from the glory of his majesty, when he shall rise up to strike the earth.
2:20 In that day a man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which he had made for himself to adore, moles and bats.
2:21 And he shall go into the clefts of rocks, and into the holes of stones from the face of the fear of the Lord, and from the glory of his majesty, when he shall rise up to strike the earth.
2:22 Cease therefore from the man, whose breath is in his nostrils, for he is reputed high.
86 . Therefore forgive them not . Here he threatens them with punishment. And this is divided into two parts:
in the first part, he shows them that danger is imminent;
in the second part, he closes the remedy of escape, where it says, cease therefore from the man (Isa 2:22).
He shows them that danger is imminent, by taking away three things:
first, presumption of divine mercy;
second, confidence in their own power, where it says, the lofty eyes of man are humbled (Isa 2:11);
third, the remedy which remained in confidence in other [gods], where it says, in that day a man shall cast away his idols of silver (Isa 2:20).
And because divine mercy has no measure, but always exalts itself above judgment (Jas 2:13), he does not remove it by foretelling that it will fail but by calling it down as just. Therefore he does two things.
First, he places the calling down, saying: since they do such filthy evils, therefore forgive them not , as if to say: would that there were justice, that you might have mercy on them in nothing: shall I not visit for these things, says the Lord? And shall not my soul take revenge on such a nation? (Jer 5:9).
87 . Second, he places, ironically, the counsel to escape, saying, enter you ; as if to say, since he himself does not send you away, it remains that you should hide yourself from his face. Enter you into the rock , literally, into the fissures of the rocks to remain there; hide you in the pit , that is, in the caverns of the earth, from the face of the fear of the Lord , that is, from the face of those through whom God proves that he is to be feared and glorified: leave the cities (Jer 48:28); but this does not avail them, hence in Psalm 138[139]:7: whither shall I go from your spirit? Or whither shall I flee from your face?
88 . Bernard explains this as referring to Christ. And the rock was Christ (1 Cor 10:4); one must enter him through the affection of devotion. Therefore, Bernard says: that which is lacking to me I usurp from the heart of Jesus Christ. For out of his heart mercies overflow, and there is no lack of fissures by which they flow out: for they dug holes in his hands, pierced his feet . Arise, make haste, my love, and come . . . in the clefts of the rock (Song 2:13–14).
89 . The lofty eyes . Here he takes away from them confidence in their own power, and concerning this, he does two things:
first, he excludes the power of resistance;
second, he rejects the precaution of hiding, where it says, and they shall go into the holes of rocks (Isa 2:19).
Concerning the first, he does two things:
first, he sets out the intention;
second, he explains the manner, where it says, because the day of the Lord of hosts (Isa 2:12);
third, he concludes the proposition: and the loftiness of men shall be bowed down (Isa 2:17).
He sets out two things to exclude the power of resistance.
First, their lowering, both as to pride of heart, when he says, the eyes , that is, pride, of the lofty , that is, of powerful men, are humbled , that is, they will be humbled: the past tense is used for the future because of the certitude of the prophecy: a generation, whose eyes are lofty, and their eyelids lifted up on high (Prov 30:13); he will look on all that are proud, and confound them, and crush the wicked in their place (Job 40:7). Then also as to nobility of ancestry; hence he says, the height of men , that is, their nobility of ancestry: yet I cast out the Amorrhite before their face: whose height was like the height of cedars (Amos 2:9).
Second, he places the exaltation of the one who punishes: the Lord alone shall be exalted , that is he who seemed weak in expectation, will appear high in punishing: the Lord shall be known when he executes judgments (Ps 9:17[16]); below: the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment (Isa 5:16).
90 . Because the day of the Lord . Here is set out the manner of fulfillment of the things that have been predicted.
And first, as to the lowering of men;
second, as to the subtraction of things, where it says, and upon all (Isa 2:13).
Thus he says first: therefore this will be which was said, because the day of the Lord , that is, the time of vengeance, below: the day of vengeance is in my heart, the year of my redemption is come (Isa 63:4); of hosts , that there be no doubt about victory of him, under whom there is such a multitude of servants; he will come as heavy weight to compress, upon every one that is proud and high-minded , that is, upon him who is raised up more from the great things he has; and upon every one that is arrogant , who is elevated because of that which he does not have. The arrogant man is he who attributes to himself what he does not have (Gregory). I hate arrogance, and pride, and every wicked way, and a mouth with a double tongue (Prov 8:13). And he shall be humbled : he that exalts himself shall be humbled (Luke 14:11).
91 . And upon all the tall and lofty cedars . Here he places the subtraction of things which make for defense.
And first, as to things that pertain to preparing machines of war: either because of their height, and thus he says, upon all the cedars ; or because of their strength, and thus he says, upon all the oaks : open your gates, O Libanus, and let fire devour your cedars (Zech 11:1); and below this: howl, you oaks of Basan, because the fenced forest is cut down (Zech 11:2).
Second, as to things which pertain to the fortification of places, either from nature: and upon all the high mountains : thus says the Lord God to the mountains, and to the hills, and to the rocks, and the valleys (Ezek 6:3); or from art: and upon every high tower : a day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high bulwarks. And I will distress men (Zeph 1:16–17).
Third, as to things which pertain to abundance of provisions, and thus he says: and upon all the ships , in which provisions are borne, of Tharsis , that is, of the sea, below: howl, you ships of the sea, for the house is destroyed, from whence they were wont to come (Isa 23:1).
And upon all that is fair to behold : this pertains to the placating of enemies, or the increase of fighters: who can despise the people of the Hebrews, who have such beautiful women? (Jdt 10:18).
92 . Shall be bowed down . Here it is as if he concludes the proposition; and it is entirely the same as what was said before, except that something is added about the destruction of idols, so that he alone may be shown to be the highest, when he says, and idols (Isa 2:18). Your idols shall be broken in pieces and shall be no more, and your temples shall be destroyed (Ezek 6:6).
93 . And they shall go into the holes of rocks . Here he places the precaution of hiding; and it is the same as before, except that here it is foretold as in the future, because he had also explained by foretelling and not by calling down that their power was to be thrown down; they shall go into the lower parts of the earth: they shall be delivered into the hands of the sword, they shall be the portions of foxes (Ps 62:10–11[63:9–10]).
94 . In that day . Here he removes the third, namely confidence in idols.
And first, he takes away their help; to adore . And I went in and saw, and behold every form of creeping things, and of living creatures, the abominations, and all the idols of the house of Israel, were painted (Ezek 8:10). Below: in that day a man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your hands have made for you to sin (Isa 31:7).
Second, he returns to the protection of hiding, where it says, and he shall go into the clefts of rocks : every bondman and every freeman hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of mountains (Rev 6:15).
95 . Cease therefore . Here he places sound counsel for escape; therefore since all these things do not avail you, cease therefore from the man , that is, cease from what is offensive to him, namely Christ, whose breath is in his nostrils , that is, who breathes with his nostrils and lives like other men as to his humanity; for he is reputed high , as to his divinity, by the saints and angels: the Lord is high above all nations; and his glory above all the heavens (Ps 112[113]:4).
96 . Or otherwise: it speaks of God in likeness to man through an anthropopathic figure: from the man , that is, from God, whose breath is in his nostrils ; this speaks in likeness to an angry man, who because of the multiplication of his breaths, breathes out through his nostrils; hence Homer says that strong men breathed out harsh power through each of their nostrils. At the blast of the breath of your wrath (Ps 17:16[18:15]). Below: his wrath burns, and is heavy to bear (Isa 30:27), and again: his breath as a torrent overflowing even to the midst of the neck, to destroy the nations unto nothing (Isa 30:28). And this refers to the first, in which he takes away presumption of the mercy of God. For he is reputed high , separately, as if alone, against the second.