Chapter 46
46:1 Bel is broken, Nebo is destroyed: their idols are put upon beasts and cattle, your burdens of heavy weight even unto weariness.
46:2 They are consumed, and are broken together: they could not save him that carried them, and their souls shall go into captivity.
46:3 Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel who are carried by my bowels, are borne up by my womb.
46:4 Even to your old age I am the same, and to your grey hairs I will carry you: I have made you, and I will bear: I will carry and will save.
46:5 To whom have you likened me, and made me equal, and compared me, and made me like?
46:6 You that contribute gold out of the bag, and weigh out silver in the scales: and hire a goldsmith to make a god: and they fall down and worship.
46:7 They bear him on their shoulders and carry him, and set him in his place, and he shall stand, and shall not stir out of his place. Yea, when they shall cry also unto him, he shall not hear: he shall not save them from tribulation.
46:8 Remember this, and be ashamed: return, you transgressors, to the heart.
46:9 Remember the former age, for I am God, and there is no God beside, neither is there the like to me:
46:10 Who show from the beginning the things that shall be at last, and from ancient times the things that as yet are not done, saying: my counsel shall stand, and all my will shall be done:
46:11 Who call a bird from the east, and from a far country the man of my own will, and I have spoken, and will bring it to pass: I have created, and I will do it.
46:12 Hear me, O you hardhearted, who are far from justice.
46:13 I have brought my justice near, it shall not be afar off: and my salvation shall not tarry. I will give salvation in Zion, and my glory in Israel.
872 . Bel is broken . Here he foretells the destruction of the enemies holding them captive, namely, the Babylonians, as to two things in which they gloried:
first, as to the destruction of their idols;
second, as to the ending of their kingdom, below: come down, sit in the dust (Isa 47:1).
The first of these is divided into two.
In the first, he foretells the destruction of the idols of Babylon as to the breaking of their statues: Bel is broken : I will throw down your altars (Ezek 6:4); and as to the carrying away of their metal, because the Persians carried off their gold and silver with them in vain, he sets out the disadvantage of weariness on the part of those who carried them off: upon beasts and cattle , namely, horses and camels, on which they carried off heavy metals: they must be carried to be removed (Jer 10:5); or their worshippers, who are beasts, adoring the images of beasts: there you shall serve strange gods (Jer 16:13). He sets out the lack of aid on the part of the idols: they are consumed , that is, they fail, namely, the idols, him that carried them , namely, the beasts, or the men worshipping them: that which is made, together with him that made it, shall suffer torments (Wis 14:10); he sets out also the disgrace of captivity: and their souls , namely, the idols’, metaphorically: that is, their divinity; or the gentiles’, for they loved their idols like their own souls: for itself also is carried into Assyria, a present to the avenging king (Hos 10:6).
873 . Second, he calls the Jews back to worship of him, the idols having been abandoned: hearken unto me .
And first, he calls them back to worship of him;
second, he promises the benefit of liberation to those who turn back to him: who show from the beginning (Isa 46:10).
Concerning the first, he does three things.
First, he shows them his love from his affectionate carrying of them: borne up by my womb , that is, in my mercy I have carried you so affectionately, in the desert and in the other places where you sinned against me, as a mother carries her child: what, O the beloved of my womb? (Prov 31:2); out of whose womb came the ice? (Job 38:29); upholding all things by the word of his power (Heb 1:3). From the continuation of his carrying them: even to your old age , that is, to the end of the world: unto old age and grey hairs (Ps 70[71]:18); from the reason for his carrying them: I have made you , it is fitting that he who made you should preserve you: he spread his wings, and has taken him and carried him on his shoulders (Deut 32:11).
Second, he shows the worthlessness of the idols, showing the foolishness of those who serve idols, both as to intention, for they wish to make something equal to God: to whom have you likened me , above (Isa 40:25) has the same thing. And as to their service, for they employed craftsmen to make gods from gold, because they are like misers who store up gold for ages: you that contribute gold : the works of the hand of the workman (Jer 10:3). He also shows the worthlessness of the works, namely, the idols themselves, for they can neither be moved or stand by themselves: they bear him : you shall see in Babylon gods of gold, and of silver, and of stone, and of wood borne upon shoulders (Bar 6:3); and he shows their uselessness: yea, when they shall cry also unto him, he shall not hear : for life he prays to that which is dead, and for help calls upon that which is unprofitable (Wis 13:18).
Third, he concludes the calling back: remember this , what I have said of my love and the worthlessness of idols. The former age , in which I gave you many benefits: I thought upon the days of old (Ps 76:6[77:5]).
874 . Who show from the beginning . Here he promises liberation from captivity to those who are converted to him. And concerning this, he does two things.
First, he promises liberation, setting out the power of him who announces it: who show the things that shall be at last , whatever is to come in the last times: he declares the things that are past, and the things that are to come (Sir 42:19); he also sets out the firmness of the announcement: saying : my counsel shall stand , it shall be fulfilled; my will , of good pleasure, his counsel continues like a fountain of life (Sir 21:16); he has done all things whatsoever he would (Ps 113:11[115:3]). And he sets out the order of liberation: who call a bird from the east , Cyrus, called a bird because of the swiftness of his victory; or Christ, above: who has raised up the just one from the east? (Isa 41:2).
875 . Second, where it says, hear me , he promises the nearness of liberation,
setting out first their unworthiness, lest it be ascribed to their merit: O you hardhearted , for acting rightly, who are far from justice , through the multitude of their sins: a hard heart shall fear evil at the last (Sir 3:27[26]);
second, he foretells its nearness: I have brought near , I will bring, using the past tense for the future, my justice , concerning Babylon for you through Cyrus, or the justice of Christ, below: my salvation is near to come, and my justice to be revealed (Isa 56:1);
third, he sets out the determination of the place: I will give salvation in Zion, and my glory , my benefits, from which I will appear glorious, or Christ, who is the glory of the Father: great shall be the glory of this last house (Hag 2:10).
876 . Sin makes us weary (see 46:1),
because of the anxiety in devising it: for they sleep not, except they have done evil (Prov 4:16);
because of the labor in carrying it out: we wearied ourselves in the way of iniquity (Wis 5:7);
because of the shame in reflecting on it: what fruit therefore had you then in those things of which you are now ashamed? (Rom 6:21);
because of the frustration in expecting it: the expectation of the just is joy: but the hope of the wicked shall perish (Prov 10:28).
877 . Man ought to return to the heart (see 46:8),
as to the throne of a judge, that he might examine himself: I meditated in the night with my own heart: and I was exercised and I swept my spirit (Ps 76[77]:7);
as to the principle of life, that he might guard himself: with all watchfulness keep your heart, because life issues out from it (Prov 4:23);
as to an audience hall of divine speech, that he might listen diligently: I will lead her into the wilderness: and I will speak to her heart (Hos 2:14);
as to a treasury of divine words: your words have I hidden in my heart (Ps 118[119:11);
as to the cenacle of divine peace and refreshment: he will speak peace unto his people (Ps 84:9[85:8]).