Thomas Aquinas

Therefore do not forgive. Here he threatens them with punishment. And it is divided into two parts. In the first he shows that danger is imminent for them; in the second he concludes with the remedy of escape, there, "Cease, therefore." Now he shows that danger is imminent for them by removing three things. First, presumption concerning divine mercy; second, confidence in one's own power, there, "the lofty eyes"; third, the remedy that remained in the trust placed in other things, there, "in that day a man shall cast forth idols." And because divine mercy has no measure, but always exalts over judgment (James 2), therefore he does not remove it by foretelling that it will fail, but by imprecating that it be just. He therefore does two things. First he sets down the imprecation, saying: since they do such shameful evils, therefore do not forgive them; as if to say: it would be just that you show them mercy in nothing. Jeremiah 5: Shall I not judge for these things, says the Lord, and shall not my soul take vengeance on such a nation? Second, he ironically sets down counsel for escape, saying, "Enter"; as if to say: since he himself does not forgive, it remains that you hide yourselves from his face. "Enter into the rock": literally, into the clefts of the rocks to remain there; "hide in the dug ground," 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 shows himself to be feared and glorified. Jeremiah 18: Leave the cities. But this will not avail them: whence in Psalm 138: Whither shall I go from your spirit, and whither shall I flee from your face? Bernard expounds this of Christ. For the rock was Christ: 1 Corinthians 10. Into him one must enter through the affection of devotion. He says therefore: I confidently take for myself what I lack from the bowels of Jesus Christ. For the bowels of mercy have flowed forth abundantly, nor are there lacking openings through which they may flow out: for they dug his hands, and pierced his feet. Song of Songs 2: Arise, make haste, my love (...) and come into the openings of the rock.

The lofty eyes. Here he removes from them confidence in their own power; and concerning this he does two things. First he excludes the power of resisting; second he repels the precaution of hiding, there, "and they shall enter." Concerning the first he does three things. First he sets down his intention; second he explains the manner, there, "for the day"; third he concludes the proposition. And it shall be bowed down. But he sets down two things to exclude the power of resisting. First, their depression, both as regards the pride of heart, when he says, "the eyes," that is, pride, "lofty," that is, of a powerful man, "humbled," that is, they shall be humbled — the past tense for the future, on account of the certainty of the prophecy. Proverbs 30: A generation whose eyes are lofty, and whose eyelids are lifted up on high. Job 40: Look on all the proud, and confound them, and crush the wicked out of their place. Then also as regards the nobility of race: whence he says, "the height of men," that is, the nobility of race. Amos 2: I destroyed the Amorrhite before their face, whose height was the height of the cedars. Second, he sets down the exaltation of the one punishing: "shall be exalted," that is, he who seemed weak in expectation will appear lofty in the act of punishing. Psalm 9: The Lord shall be known doing judgments. Below 5: The Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment.

For the day of the Lord. Here is set down the manner in which the foregoing is fulfilled: and first as regards the depression of men; second as regards the taking away of things, there, "and upon all." He says therefore first: this that has been said will come to pass because it is the day of the Lord, that is, the time of vengeance: below 63: The day of vengeance is in my heart, the year of my recompense has come; "of hosts," so that there be no doubt about his victory, to whom so great a multitude of servants is subject: it will come like a heavy weight to crush, "upon every proud and lofty one," that is, upon him who is exalted more on account of the great things he has; "and upon every arrogant one," who is lifted up on account of that which he does not have. Gregory: he is arrogant who attributes to himself what he does not have. Proverbs 8: Arrogance and pride, and the wicked way, and the double tongue, I detest. And it shall be humbled. Luke 14: He who exalts himself shall be humbled.

And upon all the cedars. Here he sets down the taking away of the things that serve for defense: and first as regards those things that pertain to the preparation of siege-engines: either on account of height — and so he says, "upon all the cedars"; or on account of strength — and so he says, "upon every oak." Zechariah 11: Open your gates, O Lebanon, that fire may devour your cedars. And further on: Howl, oaks of Bashan, because the fortified forest is cut down. Second, as regards those things that pertain to the fortification of places: either from nature — "and upon all the high mountains," Ezekiel 6: Thus says the Lord God to the mountains and hills, to the rocks and valleys; or from craftsmanship — "and upon every lofty tower." Zephaniah 1: A day of the trumpet and of the alarm upon the fortified cities, and upon the lofty corners; and I will afflict men. Third, as regards those things that pertain to the abundance of provisions; and so he says: "upon all the ships," in which they are carried, "of Tarshish," that is, of the sea. Below 23: Howl, ships of the sea, for the house from which they were wont to come has been laid waste. And upon everything that is beautiful to see. This pertains to the provoking of enemies, or to the increase of those who fight. Judith 10: Who could despise the people of the Hebrews, who have such beautiful women?

And it shall be bowed down. Here he as it were 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 lofty, when he says, "and the idols." Ezekiel 6: Your idols shall be broken and shall cease, and your shrines shall be crushed.

And they shall enter into the caves. Here he sets down the precaution of hiding, and it is the same as before, except that here it is foretold as it were as future, since he had already expounded the power that would be cast down, by foretelling it and not by imprecating it. Psalm 62: They shall enter into the lower parts of the earth, they shall be delivered into the hands of the sword, they shall be the portions of foxes.

In that day. Here he removes the third thing, namely, trust in idols. And first he removes the help, so that one might worship. Ezekiel 8: And having entered I saw; and behold every likeness of creeping things, and the abomination of animals, and all the idols of the house of Israel, painted. Below 31: In that day a man shall cast away his idols of silver, and the idols which his hands made unto sin. Second, he repeats the recourse of hiding, there, "and he shall enter." Apocalypse 6: Every bondman and freeman hid themselves in the caves, and in the rocks of the mountains.

Cease, therefore. Here he sets down sound counsel for escaping: therefore, since all these things will not avail you, cease from man, that is, cease from offending him, namely Christ. Whose spirit is in his nostrils, that is, who breathes through his nostrils, and lives like other men as regards his humanity. Because he himself is reckoned lofty, as regards his divinity, by the saints and by the angels. Psalm 112: The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above all the heavens. Or otherwise: he speaks of God after the likeness of man, by the figure of anthropopathy. From man, that is, God, whose spirit is in the nostrils: he speaks after the likeness of one who is angry, who, on account of the increase of breath, blows it out through the nostrils; whence Homer says that strong men used to blow out harsh strength through each nostril. Psalm 17: at the blast of the breath of your wrath. Below 30: his fury burning, and heavy to bear. And again: a breath as an overflowing torrent, even to the midst of the neck, to destroy the nations unto nothing: and this is referred back to the first point, in which he removed presumption concerning the mercy of God; for he himself is lofty, distinctively, as it were alone, over against the second.