Isaiah 1 · The Lantern

The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, [and] Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

When Hezekiah, king of Judah, was still sick and weeping, there came an angel, and said to him: "I have seen thy tears, and I have heard thy voice. Behold, I add unto thy time fifteen years.

(Chapter 1, Verse 1) The vision of Isaiah, the son of Amos, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. For Judah, in which two tribes are signified, the Seventy and Theodotion have translated 'Judah,' which signifies the entire land of the twelve tribes.

17. The vision of Isaiah the son of Amos. This book is divided into two parts: into a preface, and a treatise, which begins where it says, hear, O you heavens (Isa 1:2). The preface is introduced like a title to make the work that follows manifest.

Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.

Our Lord frequently proclaimed God as a Father to us. He even gave us an instruction "that we call no one on earth father, but the Father whom we have in the heavens." So, in praying ["Our Father"] we are likewise obeying the precept. Those who recognize their Father are blessed!

When Moses was going to bring Israel to the Promised Land, he had in full view all that they would do, that they were going to disregard those things he transmitted to them.

26. Hear, O you heavens, and give ear, O earth. Here begins the treatise of this book; hence will be accepted a division according to the necessities of the matter. However, it was said above that his intention principally concerns the coming of Christ and the calling of the gentiles; but it is evident that all the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth (Ps 24[25]:10).

The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: [but] Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

For how shall we not regard it fearful, if one who knows God shall not recognize the Lord? While the ox and the donkey, stupid and foolish animals, will know one who feeds them, Israel is found to be more irrational than these? And having, by Jeremiah, complained against the people on many grounds, God adds, "They have forsaken me, says the Lord."

Therefore those oxen magnified the Lord, not themselves. See the ox magnifying his Lord because the ox has acknowledged his owner; observe the ox fearing that the ox's owner may be deserted and confidence be placed in the ox. How he is terrified of those who want to put hope in him!

32. He adds to the weight of their ignorance, however, through the example of beasts; hence, concerning this, he does two things: first, he introduces the knowledge of beasts, second, the ignorance of sinners, where it says, but Israel has not known me. The ox knows his owner, by a sort of custom of benefit.

Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel to anger, they are gone away backward.

Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.

It shows utter contempt when, even with retributions, [the Israelites] do not become better. But even this is a kind of benefit—to be chastised. For they would have to admit that God not only condemned and rewarded but was also forgiving sinners. And certainly he was coaxing them with rewards and also chastising them with fear of punishments.

Isaiah calls the kings and the leaders the heads and the priests and teachers the heart. For what the heart is to the body, the priests and teachers are for the people, and what the head is for the body, the kings and leaders are for their subjects.

34. For what shall I strike you any more, you that increase transgression? Here he shows the incorrigibility of their sin, removing a threefold mode of correction.

From the sole of the foot even to the head [there is] no soundness in [it]; [but] wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

Isaiah teaches that there are certain wounds of the soul.… Without doubt, he is speaking about the transgressions of the people, because there are some to whom the medicine of the poultice must still be applied. Others may be sinners in such a degree that no cure can be found for them.

(Verse 6) It is not wrapped, nor treated with medicine, nor anointed with oil. For which the LXX translated: It is not to apply a plaster, nor oil, nor bandages. Even today, the wound and swelling of the people of Israel are not wrapped with strips, nor treated with medicine.

36. Third, where it says, wounds and bruises, he removes the manner of correction which is through human exertion, as when someone is disposed to grace, which blots out sins through good works.

Your country [is] desolate, your cities [are] burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and [it is] desolate, as overthrown by strangers.

And concerning its desolation, and that no one should be permitted to inhabit it, there was the following prophecy by Isaiah: "Their land is desolate, their enemies consume it before them, and none of them shall dwell therein." And that it is guarded by you lest any one dwell in it, and that death is decreed against a Jew apprehended entering it, you know very well.

Isaiah lived almost [two] thousand years ago and saw Zion in a hut. The city was still standing, beautiful with public squares and clothed in honor; yet he says, "Zion shall be plowed like a field," foretelling what has been fulfilled in our day.

37. Your land is desolate. Here he threatens punishment: and first, he sets out the judgment of the one who punishes; second, any solace of consolation, where it says, except the Lord of hosts had left us seed (Isa 1:9). He sets out a threefold punishment.

And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.

(Verse 8) The daughter of Zion will be abandoned like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field. The vineyard, which is called the whole of Israel, is testified to by the Prophet in the following, saying: 'The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel; and the man of Judah, a new plant and beloved' (below chapter 5, verse 7); and in the Psalm: 'You brou…

Third, as to the captivity of men: hence he says, the daughter of Zion shall be left, that is, Jerusalem or the temple, from which came the protection of the whole province, as it was solitary and as a covert in a vineyard after the harvest, below: for the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel: and the man of Judah, his pleasant plant (Isa 5:7); as a lodge in a g…

Except the LORD of hosts had left to us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom; we should have been like Gomorrah.

Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

If the Lord of hosts had not left us seed, we would have been as Sodom, and we would have been like Gomorrah. This place Paul the Apostle explains more fully to the Romans, writing: I say therefore, has God rejected his people? By no means: For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

38. Except the Lord of hosts had left us seed. Here he sets out consolation from the promise to liberate their seed. The Lord, however, left to them the gathered seed of the flesh, below: I will bring your seed from the east, and gather you from the west (Isa 43:5); the promised seed of blessing: to Abraham were the promises made and to his seed (Gal 3:16); the scattered seed o…

Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear to the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.

To what purpose [is] the multitude of your sacrifices to me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt-offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he-goats.

How do you hope to find any redemption for your souls through sacrifices that are offered in quantity but with no repentance worth mentioning? For God is merciful not through the blood of animals or through slaughter on the altar but upon the contrite heart.

(Verse 11) What use to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord. I am full. I do not desire burnt sacrifices of rams, or the fat of fattened cattle, or the blood of bulls, or lambs, or goats. Because they exist, I did not desire them. The Septuagint translates 'I do not desire' as 'I will not desire', using the present tense instead of the past tense.

43. To what purpose? Here he shows the uselessness of the remedy which they were applying; and first, as to the offering of sacrifices; second, as to the celebration of feasts, where it says, the new moons (Isa 1:13); third, as to divine prayers, where it says, and when you stretch forth your hands (Isa 1:15).

When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?

Now this is the spiritual victim which has set aside the earlier sacrifice.… The gospel teaches what God demands. "The hour is coming," he says, "when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth." … We are the true worshipers and true priests who, offering our prayer in the spirit, offer sacrifice in the spirit—that is, prayer—as a victim that is appropri…

(Verse 12.) For who indeed sought these things from your hands? Let the Ebionites hear, who after the passion of Christ think that the Law has been abolished and should be observed. Let the associates of the Ebionites hear, who decree that these things should be observed only by Jews and those of Israelite descent.

45. Second, he rejects the sacrifices which were offered wholly to God. And first, he places the rejection of these three animals; and he mentions only three animals, because the sacrifices which were from the herd were made only from these; holocausts were also made from turtledoves and the young of doves, but these were because of the deprivation of poverty, as is evident fro…

Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination to me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot endure; [it is] iniquity, even the solemn meeting.

Further, He says to them, "Your new moons and your Sabbath I cannot endure." Ye perceive how He speaks: Your present Sabbaths are not acceptable to Me, but that is which I have made, [namely this,] when, giving rest to all things, I shall make a beginning of the eighth day, that is, a beginning of another world.

(Ver. 13.) You will not trample on my courtyard. Note that after the devastation of Babylon, the Temple was built again by Zerubbabel: and for many years sacrifices have been offered in the Temple (1 Esdras, 5). Therefore, it indicates the final destruction of the Temple under Vespasian and Titus, which will persist until the end of the world.

46. Third, he rejects the sacrifices which were owed to God and the priest, saying: offer sacrifice no more. Shall the holy flesh take away from you your crimes, in which you have boasted? (Jer 11:15); and: what shall I offer to the Lord that is worthy? . . . Shall I offer holocausts unto him, and calves of a year old?

Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble to me; I am weary to bear [them].

Fear and patience, then, are helpers of our faith; and long-suffering and continence are things which fight on our side. While these remain pure in what respects the Lord, Wisdom, Understanding, Science, and Knowledge rejoice along with them.

(Verse 14.) I will not bear your new moons, and sabbaths, and other feasts: your assemblies are wicked. Every gathering that does not offer spiritual sacrifices, and does not listen to what is sung in the fiftieth psalm: A sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit: a broken and humbled heart God does not despise, is abominable to God.

Second, where it says, your kalends, as to the present, he sets out hatred, saying: kalends, which are called new moons above; hence, in another Psalm: take up the trumpet at the beginning of the month (80:4[81:3]). The Lord has caused feasts and sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion: and has delivered up king and priest to reproach, and to the indignation of his wrath (Lam 2:6).

And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you: yes, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

Wash ye, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil;

The ministers of the grace of God have, by the Holy Spirit, spoken of repentance; and the Lord of all things has himself declared with an oath regarding it, "As I live, says the Lord, I desire not the death of the sinner, but rather his repentance;" [Ezekiel 33:11] adding, moreover, this gracious declaration, "Repent, O house of Israel, of your iniquity." [Ezekiel 18:30] Say to…

So present yourself to such a head as a body worthy of him, to such a bridegroom as a worthy bride.… This is the bride of Christ, without stain or wrinkle. Do you wish to have no stain? Do what is written.… Do you wish to have no wrinkle? Stretch yourself on the cross.

52. Wash yourselves. Here he sets out salutary counsel. And concerning this, he does three things: first, he gives the efficacious remedy; second, the effect of the remedy, where it says, come, and accuse me (Isa 1:18); third, the punishment for contempt, where it says, but if you will not (Isa 1:20).

Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

God offers a brief summary through the prophet Isaiah of the honor that widows enjoy in the sight of God.… The Father defends these two types of people [widows and orphans] through divine mercy in proportion to their being destitute of human aid. Look how the widow's benefactor is put on a level with the widow herself, whose champion shall "reason with the Lord."

And if thou hast pity on the widow, thy sins are washed away. For, "Judge," saith He, "the orphan, and plead for the widow, and come and let us reason together, saith the Lord. And if your sins be as scarlet, I will make them white as snow; and if they be as crimson, I will make them white as wool." For not even a single scar of the wounds doth He suffer to appear.

53. Learn to do well. Here he gives the remedy as to the following of good. And first, that they learn it; second, that they fulfill it in deed, where it says, relieve the oppressed.

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be white as snow, though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

As many as are persuaded and believe that what we teach and say is true, and undertake to be able to live accordingly, are instructed to pray and to entreat God with fasting, for the remission of their sins that are past, we praying and fasting with them.

Shouldest thou then have gone all lengths in wickedness, yet say unto thyself, God is loving unto men and he desires our salvation: for "though your sins be as scarlet, I will whiten you as snow," saith He; and unto the contrary habit I will change you.

55. And then come. Here he promises the effect, and concerning this he sets out three things. First, the obligation of the one who promises, where he says, come, and accuse me, as if to say: if you do what I say, and what I promise does not follow, I oblige myself that you should accuse me.

If ye are willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

This passage means the blessings that await the flesh when in the kingdom of God it shall be renewed, and made like the angels, and waiting to obtain the things "which neither eye has seen nor ear heard, and which have not entered into the heart of man."

(Verse 19, 26.) If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. Free will is preserved, so that on either side, not by the prejudice of God, but by the merits of each individual, there may be either punishment or reward.

Third, the restoration of good things is set out: if you be willing, and will hearken to me, you shall eat the good things of the land. I believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living (Ps 26[27]:13); you shall eat, below: behold my servants shall eat, and you shall be hungry (Isa 65:13).

But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken [it].

And that expression, "The sword shall devour you," does not mean that the disobedient shall be slain by the sword, but the sword of God is fire, of which they who choose to do wickedly become the fuel.

He who forgives sins is proclaimed to be just and merciful; we know with the greatest of ease that the forgiveness of sins is granted only to the converted, and the punishment of eternal damnation is inflicted only on those who remain in sin.…In Isaiah is found a similar declaration from the divine Word against the recalcitrant who scorn the divine clemency.

56. But if you will not. He sets out the punishment for contempt. And first, he sets out the contempt, saying: but if you will not: as I purposed to afflict you, when your fathers had provoked me to wrath (Zech 8:14). Second, he threatens the sword of vengeance: the sword shall devour you: I will draw out a sword after them.

How is the faithful city become a harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:

Someone who looks at what is done divinely by the Word and denies the body, or looks at what is proper to the body and denies the Word's presence in the flesh or from what is human, entertains low thoughts concerning the Word … as a Jewish vintner, mixing water with the wine, shall account the cross an offense, or as a Gentile, will deem the preaching folly.

(Verse 22.) Your silver has turned into dross. The city of Zion speaks, in which righteousness once rested: that silver, namely the doctrine of the Scriptures, about which we read in the Psalms: The words of the Lord are pure words: silver tried by fire, purified seven times (Psalm 12:6), has turned into dross, which in Hebrew is called Sigim: namely, the rust of metals, or imp…

58. He denounces the sin of the priest in two matters. In corrupting the truth of doctrine: hence he says, your silver is turned into dross: the words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried by the fire, purged from the earth, refined seven times (Ps 11:7[12:6]). The prophets prophesied falsehood (Jer 5:31).

Thy princes [are] rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come to them.

Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of my adversaries, and avenge me of my enemies:

And I will turn my hand upon thee, and thoroughly purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:

"For we are not as the rest, which corrupt the word of God." `For even if we use great sounding words, yet we declared nothing to be our own that we achieved, but all Christ's. For we will not imitate the false apostles; the men who say that most is of themselves.' For this is "to corrupt," when one adulterates the wine; when one sells for money what he ought to give freely.

This occurs for the sake of cleansing, however, when he humbles his righteous ones for their small and as it were insignificant sins or because of their proud purity, giving them over to various trials in order to purge away now all the unclean thoughts … which he sees have collected in their inmost being, and in order to submit them like pure gold to the judgment to come, perm…

61. And I will turn my hand to you. Here he threatens the punishment of the subjects. And first is set out the preparation of the one who punishes, where it says, and I will turn my hand to you, to punish, which, in sparing you, I had held as though folded: the hand of the Lord has touched me (Job 19:21).

And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counselors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.

(Verse 26.) And I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city. Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her penitents with righteousness. But rebels and sinners shall be broken together, and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed.

Within the order of laymen, there is a threefold order, that is, of the holy people, the holy masters and the holy leaders. As Isaias writes, "I will restore your judges as at first." For good leaders have good masters. And good leaders together with good masters have good people, since they teach them.

62. And I will restore your judges. Here he places what follows the punishment. And first, as to those corrected, renewal; second, as to the obstinate, consumption, where it says, and he shall destroy the wicked (Isa 1:28): for by the same fire, as Augustine says, gold is tested and chaff smokes.

Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.

And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners [shall be] together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.

Moreover, who can agree with the thesis that you [the Pelagians] set down as your next heading: "In the day of judgment, no leniency shall be shown to the ungodly and to sinners, but they shall be consumed in eternal fires," for you prevent God from showing mercy, and you pass judgment on the sentence of the judge before judgment day, so that if he wanted to spare the unjust an…

63. And he shall destroy the wicked. Here he places the destruction of the obstinate. And concerning this, he does three things: first, he proclaims their destruction; second, the manner of their destruction, where it says, for they shall be confounded (Isa 1:29); third, he takes away the hope of escape, where it says, and your strength shall be as the ashes of tow (Isa 1:31).

For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.

For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.

In the beginning of his whole book, the prophet saw the "vision against Judah and against Jerusalem." After listing all the many transgressions of the Jewish people and warning them about the complete destruction of Jerusalem, he brought to an end the spiritual sayings concerning them.

(Verse 30) For they will be like a terebinth tree with falling leaves; and like a garden, or a paradise, without water. Until today, the Jews reading the holy Scriptures are like terebinth trees or oaks, as Symmachus interpreted.

65. When you shall be. Here he places the subtraction of good. And first, of that which pertains to protection and adornment, which is signified by the removal of leaves; second, of that which pertains to fruit, where it says, as a garden, which is barren without water.

And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench [them].

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