Chapter 5
Lecture 1
5:1 I will sing to my beloved the canticle of my cousin concerning his vineyard. A vineyard was made for my beloved on a horn in a son of oil.
5:2 And he fenced it in, and picked the stones out of it, and planted it with the choicest vines, and built a tower in the midst thereof, and set up a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.
5:3 And now, O you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard.
5:4 What is there that I ought to do more to my vineyard, that I have not done to it? Was it that I looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it has brought forth wild grapes?
5:5 And now I will show you what I will do to my vineyard. I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be wasted: I will break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down.
5:6 And I will make it desolate: it shall not be pruned, and it shall not be dug: but briers and thorns shall come up: and I will command the clouds to rain no rain upon it.
5:7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel: and the men of Judah, his pleasant plant: and I looked that he should do judgment, and behold iniquity: and do justice, and behold a cry.
5:8 Woe to you that join house to house and lay field to field, even to the end of the place: shall you alone dwell in the midst of the earth?
5:9 These things of the Lord of hosts are in my ears: unless many great and fair houses shall become desolate, without an inhabitant.
5:10 For ten jugera of vineyard shall yield one little measure, and thirty bushels of seed shall yield three bushels.
152 . I will sing to my beloved . Here he denounces the third sin of the two tribes, which they committed in abuse of things, under a certain metaphor; and this is divided into two parts:
in the first, the metaphor is set out;
in the second, it is explained: for the vineyard of the Lord (Isa 5:7).
153 . Concerning the first, he does two things.
First, he sets out the title, saying, I will sing , that is, I will proclaim loudly and openly, below: lift up your voice with strength (Isa 40:9): to my beloved , that is, to the people of the Jews, the canticle of my cousin , that is, of the son of my uncle, concerning his vineyard , that is, what he did concerning his vineyard. For sometimes the prophets take up similitudes to their prophecies from such deeds, as is evident in Jeremiah 32:7 concerning the sale of the field, behold, Hanameel the son of Sellum your cousin shall come to you, saying: buy you my field, which is in Anathoth, for it is your right to buy it . So also it may have happened that literally some cousin of his had composed a similar song concerning his vineyard.
154 . Or it may be understood otherwise: I will sing the canticle in the beloved , namely, in God, that is, in the person of God, I will sing to his vineyard.
Or otherwise, to the beloved , namely, to God, the canticle of my cousin , that is, concerning my cousin, namely the people of the Jews, for we descend from the same ancestors, concerning his vineyard , that is, he who is my cousin is the vineyard of God the beloved.
Or mystically, of my cousin , that is, of Christ, who is from the same people as I am, concerning his vineyard , that is, he laments concerning his vineyard, that is, the synagogue, which bore bitter fruits to him in his passion.
And note that a canticle is properly a song of exultation. Hence this is improperly called a canticle, since it is a song of mourning; David sang such a canticle concerning the death of Saul: the illustrious of Israel are slain upon your mountains: how are the valiant fallen? . . . You mountains of Gelboe, let neither dew, nor rain come upon you (2 Sam 1:19, 21); sing a mournful song (Ezek 32:18).
155 . Second, where it says, a vineyard was made , he sets out the canticle itself, which contains the metaphor; in which three things are set out:
first, the recitation of the cause;
second, the questioning of the court, and now, O you inhabitants of Jerusalem (Isa 5:3);
third, the pronouncement of the sentence: now I will show you what I will do to my vineyard (Isa 5:5).
Concerning the first, he sets out forth two things.
First, on the part of the one who laments, the diligence of his cultivation;
second, on the part of the vineyard, the wickedness of its fruit: and I looked that it should bring forth grapes (Isa 5:4).
And the diligence of his cultivation is shown from three things: in preparation of the location, in choosing of branches, and in costly building.
156 . Now the preparation of the location is shown in three ways.
First, as to the richness of the location; hence he says: a vineyard , of which it says in Psalm 79:9[80:8]: you have brought a vineyard out of Egypt: you have cast out the Gentiles and planted it ; was made for my beloved , that is, for God, acquisitively, or by God, on a horn , that is, in a prominent location, in which is noted the mountainous nature of land for establishing a good vineyard, because it is shined upon by the sun; a son of oil , that is, land so rich that it would suffice for a multitude of oil. It is an idiom of the Hebrew language that someone is said to be the son of a thing in which he abounds, as is said in 1 Samuel 26:16: as the Lord lives, you are the sons of death . And in this is designated the goodness of the land that was given to the Jews, of which Ezekiel 20:6 says: I lifted up my hand for them to bring them out of the land of Egypt, into a land which I had provided for them, flowing with milk and honey, which excelled amongst all lands .
Second, the diligence of his preparation is set out as to the fortification of the location; hence he says, and he fenced it in : I will hedge up your way with thorns (Hos 2:6), in which is signified the guardianship of angels and good men.
Third, as to its purification: and picked the stones , that is, collected them diligently, out of it : you have cast out the Gentiles and planted it (Ps 79:9[80:8]).
157 . As to choosing of branches is said: and planted it with the choicest , that is, from the choicest branches; hence another translation has, soreth vine , which is the noblest kind of vine, in which the goodness of their fathers is signified: I planted you a chosen vineyard, all true seed (Jer 2:21).
As to the cost of the building, which pertains to defense, he says: and built a tower in the midst thereof ; in which is shown royal dignity: you were made exceeding beautiful: and were advanced to be a queen (Ezek 16:13); the tower of David, which is built with bulwarks (Song 4:4). Or the temple, according to others. A tower is used for the preservation of fruit and for looking out to keep guard.
As to the gathering of fruit, he says: and set up a winepress therein : and your barns shall be filled with abundance, and your presses shall run over with wine (Prov 3:10); in which the altar of holocausts is noted because of the outpouring of blood.
158 . And he looked that it should bring forth . Here the wickedness of the fruit is set out; hence he says, and he looked , following the order of benefits, that it should bring forth grapes , the fruit of good works, and it brought forth wild grapes ( labruscas ), so called because in they grow on the lips ( labiis ) of the roads, namely on fences: in which the bitterness of their vices is noted: how are you turned unto me into that which is good for nothing, O strange vineyard? (Jer 2:21); he that is best among them, is as a brier, and he that is righteous, as the thorn of the hedge (Mic 7:4).
159 . And now, O you inhabitants . Here the questioning of the court is set out, and concerning this, he does two things.
First, he beseeches the judges, saying: therefore, because I did what I ought to have done, now , my reason having been heard, judge between me and my vineyard : judge your mother, judge her: because she is not my wife, and I am not her husband (Hos 2:2). In 2 Samuel 12, a similar judgment is sought by David of himself, as if of another man, upon the sin committed by him, namely, concerning his adultery and murder of Uriah the Hittite.
160 . Second, he seeks judgment; and he asks two things.
First, whether he had sinned from negligence; hence he says: what is there that I ought to do more , beyond what has been said? O my people, what have I done to you, or in what have I molested you? Answer you me (Mic 6:3).
Second, whether he had sinned in the cultivation of the vineyard from excessive care; hence he says: perhaps I seem to have done contrary to what was due in that I looked , tending it well, that it should bring forth grapes, and it has brought forth wild grapes? As if to say: in this I seem rather to be excessive, that I have applied such cultivation to my vineyard, below: O Lord, you have been favorable to the nation: are you glorified? (Isa 26:15); and: I have called you a transgressor from the womb for my name’s sake (Isa 48:8–9); at the noise of a word, a great fire was kindled in it, and the branches thereof are burnt (Jer 11:16).
161 . Note on the words, my beloved had a vineyard (Isa 5:1), that the vineyard is manifold.
First, the vineyard of carnal concupiscence: their vines are of the vineyard of Sodom, and of the suburbs of Gomorrah (Deut 32:32):
and the first wine of this vineyard is the wine of wrath: their wine is the gall of dragons (Deut 32:33);
second, the wine of lust: all nations have drunk of the wine . . . of her fornication (Rev 18:3);
third, the wine of unseemly joy: it turns every mind into security and cheerfulness (3 Esdras 3:20).
162 . Second is the vineyard of the faithful soul: our vineyard has flourished (Song 2:15):
the first wine in this vineyard is the wine of penance: going up to him, bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine (Luke 10:34);
second, the wine of bodily purity: for what is the good thing of him, and what is his beautiful thing, but the corn of the elect, and wine springing forth virgins? (Zech 9:17);
third, the wine of spiritual joy: and that wine may cheer the heart of man (Ps 103[104]:15).
163 . Third is the vineyard of the Church militant: the peaceable had a vineyard, in that which has people (Song 8:11):
and the first wine of this vineyard is the wine of the holy washing: and wine for libations of the same measure (Num 15:5);
second, the wine of fruitful preaching: by the fruit of their corn, their wine, and oil, they rest (Ps 4:8[7]);
third, the wine of devout confession: your throat like the best wine (Song 7:9).
164 . Fourth is the vineyard of heaven: Naboth the Jezrahelite had at that time a vineyard (1 Kgs 21:1):
and the first wine of this vineyard is the wine of divine enjoyment: I have eaten the honeycomb with my honey, I have drunk my wine with my milk (Song 5:1);
second, the wine of inner fullness: wine also in abundance and of the best was presented, as was worthy of a king’s magnificence (Esth 1:7);
third, the wine of the fellowship of joy of the saints: I will give you a cup of spiced wine (Song 8:2).
165 . And now I will show you . Here the sentence is pronounced.
And first, he calls for attention or a hearing, saying: now , because you do not want to pronounce sentence, I myself will show you what I will do to my vineyard , below: I foretold you of old, before they came to pass I told you, lest you should say: my idols have done these things, and my graven and molten things have commanded these things which you have heard (Isa 48:5–6).
166 . Second, he pronounces the just sentence that he should take away from the ungrateful the benefits he has furnished, when he says, I will take away the hedge thereof .
And first, he takes away the benefit which pertains to protection, which is twofold: that of the angels, and as to this he says, I will take away the hedge thereof , that is, the help of the angels, by whom it was protected against enemies, and it shall be wasted , by the gentiles: where there is no hedge, the possession shall be spoiled (Sir 36:37[30]); there is also the protection of superiors, and as to this he says, I will break down the wall thereof , that is, the garrisons of the kingdom, of which it says above: and all loftiness of men shall be bowed down (Isa 2:17): and it shall be trodden down , that is, made base: you have broken down the hedge thereof (Ps 79:13[80:12]).
167 . Second, he takes away the benefit which pertains to diligence of cultivation; hence he says: and I will make it desolate , that is, I will leave it uncultivated like a desert; it shall not be pruned , by the lash of admonition or correction when they sin, and it shall not be dug , that occasions of evil might be taken away from them like weeds; but briers and thorns shall come up , that is, major and minor sins; or briers of sins, thorns of tribulations, below: for briers and thorns shall be in all the land (Isa 7:24).
168 . Third, he takes away the benefit of fertility, against which he sets out lack of rain; hence he says: and I will command the clouds to rain no rain upon it , literally; or the clouds represent preachers, below: who are these, that fly as clouds, and as doves to their windows? (Isa 60:8); therefore the showers were withholden, and there was no lateward rain (Jer 3:3).
169 . For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts . Here he explains the metaphor:
and first, as to the vineyard,
second as to the trial of the vineyard, where it says, I looked that he should do judgment .
Concerning the first, he explains the vineyard saying, for the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel , either all of Israel, or as to the ten tribes, which were called Israel after the separation of the kingdom because of their multitude (1 Kgs 12; 2 Chr 10).
Second, as to the plant or branches, men of Judah , that is, the two tribes in which the worship of God was still observed: if you play the harlot, O Israel, at least let not Judah offend (Hos 4:15); or because the princes came from Judah: but of the race of Judah, who was the strongest among his brethren, came the princes (1 Chr 5:2).
170 . I looked that he should do judgment . Here he explains the trial of the vineyard, which consists in the fault and the punishment that follows upon the fault. Hence it is divided into three parts:
in the first, the fault in general is set out;
in the second, the punishment and the fault together in particular, where it says, woe to you that join house to house (Isa 5:8);
in the third, the punishment in general, where it says, for after this (Isa 5:25).
He denounces the fault in general as to their superiors, to whom it belongs to do judgment, where he says: I looked , following the order of benefits, that he should do judgment , judging justly; and behold iniquity , as inequality of judgment: I saw under the sun in the place of judgment wickedness, and in the place of justice iniquity (Eccl 3:16).
Second, as to their subjects, to whom it belongs to hold to the justice appointed to them by their superiors: and do justice , which is through comparison to the precepts of the law; and behold a cry , the tumult of quarrelers, or of the lamentation of the poor, below: what ails you also, that you too are wholly gone up to the housetops, full of clamor, a populous city, a joyous city? (Isa 22:1–2).
171 . Woe to you that join house to house . Here he sets out their fault in the abuse of things in particular, going through it part by part. And this is divided into two parts:
in the first, he denounces them as to the fault itself,
in the second, as to their obstinacy in sinning, where it says, woe to you that draw (Isa 5:18).
Concerning the first, he does two things:
first, he denounces them as to the abuse of possessions, which occurs through avarice;
in the second part, as to the abuse of food, which occurs through gluttony, where it says, woe to you that rise up (Isa 5:11).
172 . Concerning the first, he sets out three things.
First, their superfluous multiplication of possessions is denounced, whence he says: woe to you that join house to house and lay field to field, even to the end of the place , as to the public road: the princes of Judah are become as they that take up the bound upon them (Hos 5:10); woe to him that builds up his house by injustice, and his chambers not in judgment: that will oppress his friend without cause, and will not pay him his wages. Who says: I will build me a wide house, and large chambers (Jer 22:13–14); and they have coveted fields, and taken them by violence, and houses they have forcibly taken away: and oppressed a man and his house, a man and his inheritance (Mic 2:2).
173 . Second, the interpretation of the judge is set out: shall you alone dwell in the midst of the earth , which is broad and spacious and given in possession to many: increase and multiply, and fill the earth (Gen 1:28).
174 . Third, the threat of punishment is set out, and concerning this, two things are set out.
First, the authority and power of the one who punishes; hence he says: these words of the Lord of hosts , who is able to punish, are in my ears ; these words, which I will speak to you, are still sounding in my ears , within: in which the certitude of the words is noted, below: in the morning he wakens my ear, that I may hear him as a master. The Lord God has opened my ear, and I do not resist (Isa 50:4–5).
175 . Second, the severity of the punishment is set out, where it says, unless many great and fair houses .
And first, as to desertion of their houses; hence he says, unless many great and fair houses shall become desolate , as to guardianship, and without inhabitant , as to desertion of their houses, as if to say: unless this happens, my wrath will not rest. And this is an aposiopesis , which is the failing of speech. And he sets out those things in which the riches of houses consist: namely, in multitude, and as to this, he says, many ; in beauty, and as to this, he says, fair ; in size: great : and their strength shall become a booty, and their houses as a desert (Zeph 1:13).
Second, as to the barrenness of the vineyard, he says: for ten jugera (a jugerum is 120 feet in length) of vineyard shall yield one little measure . Another reading has one bath , which is the same volume in liquids as an ephah is in dry goods.
Third, as to the loss of seed: and thirty bushels of seed shall yield three bushels , because you will harvest less than you sowed: when you went to a heap of twenty bushels, and they became ten (Hag 2:17). Other readings have cors , or ephahs , which is one tenth of a cor: the ephah and the bath shall be equal, and of one measure: that the bath may contain the tenth part of a cor, and the ephah the tenth part of a cor (Ezek 45:11).
Lecture 2
5:11 Woe to you that rise up early in the morning to follow drunkenness, and to drink until the evening, to be inflamed with wine.
5:12 The harp, and the lyre, and, the timbrel and the pipe, and wine are in your feasts: and the work of the Lord you regard not, nor do you consider the works of his hands.
5:13 Therefore is my people led away captive, because they had not knowledge, and their nobles have perished with famine, and their multitude were dried up with thirst.
5:14 Therefore has hell enlarged her soul, and opened her mouth without any bounds, and their strong ones, and their people, and their high and glorious ones shall go down into it.
5:15 And man shall be brought down, and man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be brought low.
5:16 And the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and the holy God shall be sanctified in justice.
5:17 And the lambs shall feed according to their order, and strangers shall eat the deserts turned into fruitfulness.
5:18 Woe to you that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as the rope of a cart.
5:19 That say: let him make haste, and let his work come quickly, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel come, that we may know it.
176 . Woe to you that rise up early in the morning to follow drunkenness . Here he denounces their fault as to the abuse of food.
And first, he denounces the fault,
second, he threatens punishment, where it says, therefore is my people led away captive (Isa 5:13).
Concerning the first, he does two things:
first, he denounces gluttony as to its species,
second as to its effect, where it says, and the work of the Lord you regard not (Isa 3:13).
177 . Now the species of gluttony are five, which are contained in the verse: hastily, sumptuously, too much, greedily, daintily .
Therefore, he first says: woe to you that rise up early in the morning , as to “hastily”: woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, and when the princes eat in the morning (Eccl 10:16); when shall I awake and find wine again? (Prov 23:35).
As to “greedily,” he says, to follow .
As to “too much,” he says, and to drink until the evening : who has woe? Whose father has woe? Who has contentions? Who falls into pits? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Surely they that pass their time in wine, and study to drink off their cups (Prov 23:29–30); to be inflamed with wine , with lust, and to all the vices.
As to “daintily,” he says, the harp and wine , sought out daintily, with great eagerness because they prepare for themselves pleasure in food.
As to “sumptuously,” he says, in your feasts , in which there were great pomps and choice foods: you that eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the herd; you that sing to the sound of the psaltery: they have thought themselves to have instruments of music like David; that drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the best ointments (Amos 6:4–6).
178 . The effect is thoughtlessness, and as to this he says, and the work of the Lord you regard not , that which you ought to do, nor the works of his hands , which he himself has done: wine is a luxurious thing, and drunkenness riotous (Prov 20:1).
179 . Therefore is my people led away captive . Here he sets out the corresponding punishment:
and first, as to the affection of the will; hence he says, therefore , just as their knowledge was taken captive by drunkenness, so will they themselves be taken captive: my people have been silent, because they had no knowledge (Hos 4:6).
180 . But it seems that ignorance does not merit punishment, because it excuses fault.
And to this is to be said that ignorance can mean merely the negation of knowledge; and thus it merits neither punishment nor pardon, like ignorance of geometry among peasants. It can also mean the privation of knowledge, so that it neglects the aptitude one ought to have in the subject; and thus it is evident that it is vicious to not know those things which someone is able and bound to know.
181 . Second, he sets out the punishment opposed to the five species of gluttony: and thus he sets out hunger and thirst, which correspond, as to cause, to what is “hastily,” for hunger is caused by someone excessively postponing the taking of food; as if he were saying: you used to eat too quickly, but you only postponed your going hungry.
Again he answers the species of gluttony that is “greedily” as to its genus, for hunger is the desire for food. Hence he says: and their nobles ; and he sets out thirst in opposition to the multitude of the common people, who at least were accustomed to quench their thirst with water; but against the nobles, who abounded in provisions sometimes weighed down with thirst, he sets out hunger: it was better with them that were slain by the sword, than with them that died with hunger (Lam 4:9).
182 . Second, against another species of gluttony which is “too much,” he sets out the insatiability of those who take them captive in subjugation; hence he says, therefore has hell , that is, death or the devil, enlarged her soul , as to affection, and opened her mouth , as to effect. And he speaks according to a human manner, for hell does not have a soul: hell and destruction are never filled (Prov 27:20). Or hell may be said to be Nabuchodonosor: who has enlarged his desire like hell: and is himself like death, and he is never satisfied (Hab 2:5).
183 . Third, as to dainty preparation of food, which arises from a certain vanity, he sets out the punishment of humiliation, where it says, and shall go down . And he shows that they are going to be humiliated as to three things.
First, as to subjugation; hence he says: their strong ones , as to the powerful, and their high ones , as to the rich and others prominent in wealth, who are prideful about it, glorious ones , as to the noble and famous, shall go down , as if humiliated, into it , namely to the hell of captivity: and the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah. He also put out the eyes of Sedecias: and bound him with fetters, to be carried to Babylon (Jer 39:6–7); and below that in the same place: and Nabuzardan the general of the army carried away captive to Babylon the remnant of the people that remained in the city, and the fugitives that had gone over to him, and the rest of the people that remained (Jer 39:9).
Second, as to the lowering of the captives: and man shall be brought down , being in captivity, as to the high ones, and man shall be humbled , as to the powerful, and the eyes of the lofty , as to the glorious ones: neither shall you be quiet, even in those nations, nor shall there be any rest for the sole of your foot (Deut 28:65).
Third, as to the exaltation of God who punishes them: and the Lord of hosts shall be exalted , he will appear high, who was first despised, in just judgment , and the holy God , holy in himself, shall be sanctified , that is, he will appear holy; above: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day (Isa 2:11).
184 . Fourth, against the species of gluttony which is “sumptuously,” he sets out the devouring of their goods by their enemies: and the lambs shall feed , that is, they shall be consumed by your enemies, according to their order , for the better are first, as to animals; and as to products of the soil, strangers shall eat the deserts , that is, the fields deserted by you, turned into fruitfulness , that is, made more fertile: the Lord shall bring you, and your king, whom you shall have appointed over you, into a nation which you and your fathers know not (Deut 28:36); and below this in the same place: the stranger that lives with you in the land, shall rise up over you, and shall be higher (Deut 28:43).
Mystically: the lambs , that is, the saints, shall feed , shall be refreshed by the teaching of God the Father, according to their order , that is, their capacity; strangers , the Gentiles; and deserts , what has been deserted by the Jews, namely the Sacred Scriptures, turned into fruitfulness , of spiritual understanding.
185 . Woe to you that draw . Here he denounces the pertinacity of their sinning:
and first, he denounces their fault,
second, he threatens punishment, where it says, therefore as the tongue of the fire devours the stubble (Isa 5:24).
Concerning the first, he does two things:
first, he denounces the fault in general,
second, he explains it in particular, where it says, that say (Isa 5:19).
Therefore, he first says: woe to you that draw , that is, draw out, iniquity with cords of vanity , that is, with the vain occasions by which man is drawn to sin, while the fault is prolonged by increase: his own iniquities catch the wicked, and he is fast bound with the ropes of his own sins (Prov 5:22). And this is said as to common sins; as to grave sins, however, he adds: and sin as the rope of a cart , that is, the rope by which a cart is bound and drawn, which is larger than a cord. And he designates the weight of the sin in the cart, below: loose the bands of wickedness, undo the bundles that oppress (Isa 58:6).
186 . That say . Here he shows those vanities in particular, from which they drew sin upon themselves. And this as to three things:
first, as to their contempt of the judge;
second, as to their excusing of sin, where it says, woe to you that call evil good (Isa 5:20);
third, as to the presumption of their sinning, where it says, woe to you that are wise (Isa 5:21).
And this is the threefold cord , which is not easily broken (Eccl 4:12).
187 . They have contempt for the threat of the judge because of two things,
namely because of the delay of the sentence; hence he says: let him make haste, and let his work , of captivity, which you threaten, come quickly : for because sentence is not speedily pronounced against the evil, the children of men commit evils without any fear (Eccl 8:11).
Second, because of the distance of the judge; hence he says, let him come near , as if to say: he is in heaven and cannot see, but let him be near: for they have said: the Lord has forsaken the earth, and the Lord sees not (Ezek 9:9).
188 . Note on the words above, and sin as the rope of a cart (Isa 5:18), that sin is first called a cord:
and this is because it draws us, first, to the pattern of sin: immediately he follows her as an ox led to be a victim . . . and not knowing that he is drawn like a fool to bonds (Prov 7:22);
second, it draws us to the custom of sinning: a wild ass accustomed to the wilderness in the desire of his heart, snuffed up the wind of his love (Jer 2:24);
third, to the destruction of eternal death: deliver them that are led to death: and those that are drawn to death, forbear not to deliver (Prov 24:11).
189 . Second, sin is called vanity: and this is because it falls short
first, of the imitation of divine truth: all men are vain, in whom there is not the knowledge of God (Wis 13:1);
second, of the attainment of the end we hope for: but to the sinner he has given vexation, and superfluous care, to heap up and to gather together, and to give it to him that has pleased God: but these also are vanity, and a fruitless solicitude of the mind (Eccl 2:26);
third, of long length of time: the son of man is not immortal, and they are delighted with the vanity of evil (Sir 17:29); all those things are passed away like a shadow, and like a post that runs on (Wis 5:9).
190 . Third, sin is called a bond: and this is because it binds
first, the intellect so that it may not see: for while the wicked thought to be able to have dominion over the holy nation, they themselves being fettered with the bonds of darkness, and a long night, shut up in their houses, exiled, they pleased the eternal providence. And while they thought to lie hid in their obscure sins, they were scattered under a dark veil of forgetfulness (Wis 17:2–3);
second, it binds the hand so that it may not do good;
third, the feet so that they may not advance.
Concerning these two, Matthew 22:13 says: bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the exterior darkness .
191 . Fourth, sin is called a cart, and this is because it oppresses
first, with the burden of servitude: and there you shall serve strange gods day and night, which shall not give you any rest (Jer 16:13);
second, with fear of the heart: for whereas wickedness is fearful, it bears witness of its condemnation (Wis 17:10);
third, with uneasiness of conscience, below: but the heart of the wicked is like the raging sea, which cannot rest (Isa 57:20).
Lecture 3
5:20 Woe to you that call evil good, and good evil: that put darkness for light, and light for darkness: that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter.
5:21 Woe to you that are wise in your own eyes, and prudent in your own conceits.
5:22 Woe to you that are mighty to drink wine, and stout men at drunkenness.
5:23 That justify the wicked for gifts, and take away the justice of the just from him.
5:24 Therefore as the tongue of the fire devours the stubble, and the heat of the flame consumes it: so shall their root be as ashes, and their bud shall go up as dust: for they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, and have blasphemed the word of the Holy One of Israel.
5:25a Therefore is the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people, and he has stretched out his hand upon them, and struck them: and the mountains were troubled, and their carcasses became as dung in the midst of the streets.
192 . Woe to you that call evil good . Here he sets out vanity as to the excusing of sin.
And first, as to the effect: that call evil good : the evil of their hands they call good (Mic 7:3);
second, as to the intellect: that put darkness for light , truth for error: men loved darkness rather than the light (John 3:19);
third, as to the affections: that put bitter for sweet , thinking the life of sin to be sweet: and it was not enough for them to err about the knowledge of God, but whereas they lived in a great war of ignorance, they call so many and so great evils peace (Wis 14:22).
193 . Woe to you that are wise . Here he sets out the third vanity as to the presumption of their sinning, which concerns three things.
First, wisdom of heart, both in speculative things: you that are wise : be not wise in your own conceit (Prov 3:7); and in practical things: prudent : be not prudent in your own conceits (Rom 12:16).
Second, as to the power of the body for sinning: you that are mighty to drink ; they boast that they are able to drink much and to become drunk, because of the custom of the land in which mixed wine is drunk, below: let the islands keep silence before me, and the nations take new strength (Isa 41:1); they are glad when they have done evil, and rejoice in the most wicked things (Prov 2:14).
Third, as to authority: that justify , that is, you say that you have such authority that at your will you are able to justify the wicked, so that whatever pleases you may have the force of law, below: woe to them that make wicked laws: and when they write, write injustice (Isa 10:1); he that justifies the wicked, and he that condemns the just (Prov 17:15); and if a man give not something into their mouth, they prepare war against him (Mic 3:5).
194 . Therefore as the tongue of the fire devours . Here he threatens punishment.
And first, he sets out the punishment of consumption under the metaphor of fire, therefore , because you draw iniquity placing a root for yourself in your sins, as the flame of fire consumes the stubble which it touches, and the heat of the flame consumes that which is at a distance—for persecution slayed the captives and afflicted the others: without, the sword shall lay them waste, and terror within (Deut 32:25), so shall their root be as ashes , as to the things in which they trusted, whether their fathers or their kindred, and their bud , that is, their sons, shall go up as dust . In which is noted the strength coming forth from these causes: and all that do wickedly shall be stubble: and it comes shall set them on fire (Mal 4:1).
195 . Second, he places the process and order of the punishment.
And first, he sets out the cause of punishment, and especially as to the first vanity; hence he says: for they have cast away the law , having contempt for it in their heart, and have blasphemed the word of the Holy One of Israel , mocking with their mouth: they obeyed not your voice, and they walked not in your law (Jer 32:32).
Second, the wrath of the one who punishes: therefore is the wrath of the Lord kindled ; he speaks after the manner of the process of wrath in men. And the Lord was exceedingly angry (Ps 105[106]:40).
Third, the infliction of the punishment: and he has stretched out his hand , the hand of his power to strike them, which, in sparing them, he had kept folded: and he will stretch out his hand upon the north, and will destroy Assyria: and he will make the beautiful city a wilderness (Zeph 2:13).
Fourth, the effect of the punishment in the massacre of souls: the mountains , that is, the great, were troubled , because of their fear.
196 . The Gloss says that this is said hyperbolically.
On the contrary, this implies that the prophet goes beyond the truth.
And to this is to be said that in some writings this is taken to mean going beyond the truth simply, but in Holy Scripture, it is taken for going beyond the truth according to the opinion of men; as if to say: the trouble will be beyond what can be believed. Or otherwise: hyperbole is a certain trope, and in tropological speech, one thing is said and another is understood; hence there is no falsehood in regard to the sense which it intends to make, just as in metaphor; as if to say: the trouble will be so great that the mountains, if such a thing were possible, shall be troubled: the mountains were troubled with his strength (Ps 45:4[46:3]). And, as to baseness of their bodies, their carcasses became as dung : they shall not be gathered, and they shall not be buried: they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth (Jer 8:2); they shall die by the death of grievous illnesses: they shall not be lamented, and they shall not be buried, they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth (Jer 16:4).
Lecture 4
5:25b For after this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
5:26 And he will lift up a sign to the nations afar off, and will whistle to them from the ends of the earth: and behold they shall come with speed swiftly.
5:27 There is none that shall faint, nor labor among them: they shall not slumber nor sleep, neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken.
5:28 Their arrows are sharp, and all their bows are bent. The hoofs of their horses shall be like the flint, and their wheels like the violence of a tempest.
5:29 Their roaring like that of a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea they shall gnash their teeth, and take hold of the prey, and they shall keep fast hold of it, and there shall be none to deliver it.
5:30 And they shall make a noise against them that day, like the roaring of the sea; we shall look towards the land, and behold darkness of tribulation, and the light is darkened with the mist thereof.
197 . For after this his anger is not turned away . Here he places the common and ultimate punishment, as to their captivity by the Romans. And concerning this, three things are set out:
first, the preparation of the army;
second, the disposition of the army, where it says, and behold they shall come with speed swiftly (Isa 5:26);
third, the infliction of the punishment, where it says, and they shall keep fast hold of it (Isa 5:29).
Concerning the first, three things are set out.
First, the indignation of the one who gathers the army together: for after this , as if to say: just as you add sins to sins, so he will add punishment to punishment, below: no man shall spare his brother. And he shall turn to the right hand, and shall be hungry: and shall eat on the left hand, and shall not be filled (Isa 9:19–20).
Second, the raising of the standard, and he will lift up a sign , that is, a standard: set up the sign in Zion. Strengthen yourselves, stay not: for I bring evil from the north, and great destruction (Jer 4:6).
Third, the calling together of the army, and will whistle , that is, he will blow upon, below: and it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall whistle for the fly, that is in the uttermost parts of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. And they shall come, and shall all of them rest in the torrents of the valleys (Isa 7:18–19). And to frighten them more, he adds the foreignness of the people, as to cult: to the nations , so that they do not revere your holy things; and as to language, afar off , lest they be appeased by words; and as to customs: from the ends of the earth , lest they make an alliance with them.
198 . Behold they shall come with speed swiftly . Here the disposition of the army is set out.
And first, he shows that they are unencumbered for coming;
second, that they are armed for fighting: their arrows (Isa 5:28);
third, that they are cruel for punishing: their roaring (Isa 5:29).
Concerning the first, two things are set out.
First, their swiftness: behold , for certainly, they are swift : our persecutors were swifter than the eagles of the air (Lam 4:19); for their horsemen shall come from afar, they shall fly as an eagle that makes haste to eat (Hab 1:8); behold he shall come up as a cloud, and his chariots as a tempest: his horses are swifter than eagles (Jer 4:13).
199 . Second, the cause of their swiftness, following the removal of a threefold impediment:
first, that which may occur from infirmity of nature, against which he says: there is none that shall faint , who would have to stay behind, nor labor among them , who would have to come late, below: but they that hope in the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall take wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint (Isa 40:31).
Second, against that impediment which may arise from the will, he says: they shall not slumber , through laziness, so that, namely, they would go lazily, nor sleep , so that they would recover their senses: slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle soul shall suffer hunger (Prov 19:15).
Third, he removes the impediment that arises from the need for things: neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed , and he sets out those things by which travelers are usually impeded from their journey; as though all these things will last longer than usual: I have brought you forty years through the desert: your garments are not worn out, neither are the shoes of your feet consumed with age (Deut 29:5).
200 . Their arrows are sharp . Here he shows that they are armed for fighting.
And first, as to the goodness of their arms; and he sets out the arms that are customary in those lands: their arrows are sharp , in which the goodness of their arrows is noted; their bows are bent , in which the preparation of their arms is noted, lest they be impeded by preparing: the sharp arrows of the mighty (Ps 119[120]:4).
Second, he places their transport: the hoofs of their horses shall be like the flint , which is not easily broken, and their wheels like the violence of a tempest , making a great noise because of their multitude and great speed: behold he shall come up as a cloud, and his chariots as a tempest (Jer 4:13).
201 . Their roaring . Here he shows that they are cruel for punishing.
And first, as to their vehemence: roaring : they shall walk after the Lord, he shall roar as a lion: because he shall roar, and the children of the sea shall fear (Hos 11:10).
Second, as to their rapacity: they shall roar like young lions : the young lions roaring after their prey (Ps 103[104]:21).
Third, as to their cruelty, they shall gnash their teeth , which is characteristic of a boar: they gnashed upon me with their teeth (Ps 34:16[35:15]); the boar out of the wood has laid it waste: and a singular wild beast has devoured it (Ps 79:14).
202 . And take hold . Here the infliction of punishment is set out, and, finally, the despair of those who are punished, where it says, we shall look (Isa 5:30).
Concerning the first, he sets out three things.
First, he threatens capture, take hold of the prey , as if to say: they will capture you like prey: the lion caught enough for his whelps, and killed for his lionesses: and he filled his holes with prey, and his den with rapine (Nah 2:12).
Second, careful detention: and they shall keep fast hold of it , lest you escape through their carelessness; and there shall be none to deliver it , through their lack of power: the Lord has delivered me into a hand, out of which I am not able to rise (Lam 1:14).
Third, rigid domination, and they shall make a noise , with threats and terrors: behold a people comes from the land of the north, and a great nation shall rise up from the ends of the earth. They shall lay hold on arrow and shield: they are cruel, and will have no mercy. Their voice shall roar like the sea (Jer 6:22–23).
203 . We shall look towards the land . Here he sets out their despair.
And first, as to help from earth: we shall look towards the land , everywhere, and behold darkness , because everyone persecutes them.
Second, as to help from heaven: and the light , of divine hope, is darkened with the mist thereof : I beheld the earth, and lo it was void, and nothing: and the heavens, and there was no light in them (Jer 4:23). And the prophet numbers himself among them by compassion.