Chapter 56
56:1 Thus says the Lord: keep judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my justice to be revealed.
56:2 Blessed is the man that doth this, and the son of man that shall lay hold on this: that keeps the sabbath from profaning it, that keeps his hands from doing any evil.
56:3 And let not the son of the stranger, that adheres to the Lord, speak, saying: the Lord will divide and separate me from his people. And let not the eunuch say: behold I am a dry tree.
56:4 For thus says the Lord to the eunuchs: they that shall keep my sabbaths, and shall choose the things that please me, and shall hold fast my covenant:
56:5 I will give to them in my house, and within my walls, a place, and a name better than sons and daughters: I will give them an everlasting name which shall never perish.
56:6 And the children of the stranger that adhere to the Lord, to worship him, and to love his name, to be his servants: every one that keeps the sabbath from profaning it, and that holds fast my covenant:
56:7 I will bring them into my holy mount, and will make them joyful in my house of prayer: their holocausts, and their victims shall please me upon my altar: for my house shall be called the house of prayer, for all nations.
56:8 The Lord God, who gathers the scattered of Israel, says: I will still gather unto him his congregation.
56:9 All you beasts of the field come to devour, all you beasts of the forest.
56:10 His watchmen are all blind, they are all ignorant: dumb dogs not able to bark, seeing vain things, sleeping and loving dreams.
56:11 And most impudent dogs, they never had enough: the shepherds themselves knew no understanding: all have turned aside into their own way, every one after his own gain, from the first even to the last.
56:12 Come, let us take wine, and be filled with drunkenness: and it shall be as to day, so also to morrow, and much more.
996 . 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. 60);
in the third, the great separation in the conferring of salvation: who is this? (ch. 63).
The first of these is divided into two:
in the first, the preparation on the part of the recipient of salvation is set out;
in the second, on the part of the savior himself: behold the hand of the Lord is not shortened (ch. 59).
The first of these is divided into two:
in the first, he gives beneficial counsel of preparation;
in the second, he excludes vain remedy: cry, cease not (ch. 58).
The first of these is divided into two:
in the first, he sets out the diversity of the recipients of this counsel, as to constitution of rewards;
in the second, their diversity as to escape from dangers: the just perishes (ch. 57).
The first of these is divided into three:
in the first, he sets out the counsel;
in the second, the fruit of the counsel in the recipients: blessed is the man that doth this (Isa 56:2);
in the third, the lack of salvation in those who hold it in contempt: all you beasts (Isa 56:9).
997 . Concerning the first, he does two things.
First, he considers the due preparation: keep judgment , you superiors, to whom it belongs to judge; do justice , you subjects, that is, do every virtue, in as far as it is conformed to others by the precepts of the law: I will show you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: Verily to do judgment, and to love mercy, and to walk solicitous with your God (Mic 6:8).
Second, he promises the nearness of salvation: for my salvation is near , for you shall be saved by me after your captivity, and my justice , as to your enemies, from whom I will vindicate you, above: I have brought my justice near, it shall not be afar off (Isa 46:12).
998 . 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 fulfilling it, as to ceremonial precepts: that keeps the sabbath . For the observance of the sabbath belonged to the moral law as to the requirement that rest be placed in God and sometimes freed for divine affairs by abstaining from other things; but it belonged to the ceremonial law as to the determination of the time.
Now, for them, the seventh day was determined because of the work of creation, which had as yet been surpassed by nothing worthier; for us, the first day, or the eighth, is determined because of the mystery of the resurrection, in which created nature was restored to something better: remember that you keep holy the sabbath day (Exod 20:8); take heed to your souls, and carry no burdens on the sabbath day (Jer 17:21). And as to moral precepts, that keeps his hands from doing any evil : I will wash my hands among the innocent (Ps 25[26]:6).
999 . 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 salvation promised to them: for there is no distinction of the Jew and the Greek: for the same is Lord over all (Rom 10:12). Or because of lack of generative power: and let not the eunuch say: behold I am a dry tree , unable to beget, like a dry tree is unable to sprout: the just shall spring up as a green leaf (Prov 11:28).
1000 . Second, he sets out the promise: for thus says the Lord .
And first, in those things pertaining especially to eunuchs: they that shall keep my sabbaths , as to religious worship, and shall choose the things that please me , as to obedience of the law, and shall hold fast my covenant , as to observance of the promise to abstain from evils. 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). 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). And these things were indeed fulfilled in the return of the people from captivity, but more fully in the conversion of the gentiles to the faith of Christ, as to the Gloss explains.
1001 . Second, as to everyone generally: every one that keeps the sabbath from profaning it . And concerning this, he does two things.
First, he sets out the promise, in which he promises restoration of the holy place: I will bring them into my holy mount , namely, as above: come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord (Isa 2:3); and as to the acceptance of sacrifices: their holocausts, and their victims shall please me : the sacrifice of Judah and of Jerusalem shall please the Lord (Mal 3:4).
Second, he sets out the order of fulfillment, and first, as to the worship of the temple: for my house : the temple which is honored throughout the whole world (2 Macc 3:12); my house shall be called the house of prayer (Matt 21:13; cf. John 2:16); 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).
1002 . Note on the words, I will give to them . . . a name better , that the saints have a name
first, from predestination, above: the Lord has called me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother he has been mindful of my name (Isa 49:1);
second, from divine obtaining, behold what manner of charity the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called and should be the sons of God (1 John 3:1);
third, from the infusion of grace: you have a name and hold fast my name (Rev 2:13);
fourth, from the renewal of their minds: I will give him a white counter: and in the counter, a new name written (Rev 2:17).
1003 . Note also that the name of God is to be loved (see 56:6),
first, because it is great to be feared: my name is great among the Gentiles, says the Lord (Mal 1:11);
second, because it is holy to be venerated: he that is mighty has done great things to me: and holy is his name (Luke 1:49);
third, because it is sweet to be meditated upon, above: your name, and your remembrance are the desire of the soul (Isa 26:8);
fourth, because it is abundant to show mercy: your name is as oil poured out (Song 1:2);
fifth, because it is effective to be called upon: whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he will give it you (John 15:16);
sixth, because it is powerful to save: for there is no other name under heaven, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12);
seventh, because it is hidden for knowing: what is his name? (Prov 30:4).
1004 . 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).
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 vices: all dumb dogs not able to bark , against vices: but I, as a deaf man, heard not: and as a dumb man not opening his mouth (Ps 37:14[38:13]); in admonishing them of what is to be done: seeing vain things , promising them prosperity when adversity nears, and thus encouraging them in their sins: her prophets have daubed them (Ezek 22:28). 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 1:5); they have not known nor understood: they walk on in darkness (Ps 81[82]:5).
1005 . Second, the fault of the subjects, or of all of them together.
And first, as to their own will, which pertains to pride: all have turned aside into their own way : every one of you walks after the perverseness of his evil heart (Jer 16:12);
second, as to their desire, which pertains to avarice: every one after his own gain : from the least of them even to the greatest, all are given to covetousness (Jer 6:13);
third, as to pleasure, which pertains to concupiscence of the flesh: come, let us take wine , and it shall be , that is, if today we rejoice in such things, to morrow, much more , above: behold joy and gladness, killing calves, and slaying rams, eating flesh, and drinking wine (Isa 22:13).