Commentary on Isaiah (Super Isaiam)

The burden of the valley. Here he threatens against those who were joined to the people of God by right of leadership, and yet despoiled it of its goods: and first as regards those to whom leadership pertained in temporal matters; second, against those to whom it pertained in spiritual matters: "thus says the Lord." Now leadership in temporal matters pertained to kings: and therefore in the first part he threatens against Jerusalem, which was the seat of the kingdom; and concerning this he does two things. First the title is set down, "valley," that is, Jerusalem — not on account of the location's site, since it is on a mountain, but on account of vileness, because to it, as to a valley, filth flowed together from every side, while it followed the practice of the neighboring nations. Ezek. 5: "This is Jerusalem; I have set her in the midst of the nations." Or it is called a valley on account of the lowest part of the city, which was handed over by Shebna to Sennacherib. "Of vision," on account of the holiness of the temple: for in it visions were made to the prophets by the Lord; or on account of the eminence of the place, because it could be seen from afar; or on account of the name which Abraham gave to that place, as is said in Gen. 22: "and he called the name of that place, On the mountain the Lord will see."

Second, the threat itself is set down; and concerning this he does three things. First he charges the fault; second he threatens the punishment: "and your slain"; third he shows, within the punishment itself, the persistence of obstinacy: "and you gathered together." Concerning the first he does two things. First he charges a twofold sin. Of idolatry: "what ails you then, that you have gone up to the housetops" — to sacrifice to idols — and you, who rejoiced in the special act of a holy privilege? Hosea 4: "If you play the harlot, Israel, let not Judah at least offend." And the sin of strife: "full of clamor." Above, 5: "I looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes." Second, to aggravate the sin, a twofold benefit of God is set down: namely of the multitude of men, "a populous city": Lam. 1: "How does the city sit solitary, that was full of people?" And of the fullness of joys, "an exulting city," once, in the time of Solomon, on account of excessive prosperity. Ps. 47: "is founded with the exultation of the whole."

"Slain." Here he sets down the punishment: and first he threatens the destruction of men as regards those besieged who died of famine: not slain by the sword, but by famine and thirst. Lam. 4: "It was better for those slain by the sword than by famine." As regards the fugitive princes, namely those who were seized and bound, as is read in Jeremiah, last chapter: "all the princes." Lam. 1: "the princes have become like rams that find no pasture." As regards those seized in the city, who were likewise taken captive: "all who were found," "afar off" — into a distant land, led into captivity. Deut. 28: "The Lord will lead into a distant nation." Second, he sets down the prophet's inconsolable compassion: "depart" — you consoling prophets — "do not press upon me," in the manner of those who console. Jer. 9: "Who will give water to my head, and to my eyes a fountain of tears, that I may weep for the slain of my people?" Third, he sets down the manner and order of the punishment: "a day of slaughter"; and concerning this he sets down three things. First, God's indignation: "a day of slaughter" impends. "Searching" — causing a search to be made by the enemies; "magnificent" — making the enemies magnificent: for they trusted in mountains and walls. Zeph. 1: "At that time he will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will visit upon the men who are settled on their lees." Second, he sets down the overpowering by the enemies: "and Elam" — a city of Persia, from which fighters came with Nebuchadnezzar, who held the monarchy of the East. "The shield," borne against Jerusalem, "has laid bare the wall," on which it had been hung for the adornment of the house. Jer. 46: "Prepare shield and buckler." Or otherwise: "the shield" — the power of the Chaldean — "has laid bare the wall" of the temple of the gold with which it was clothed.

Third, he sets down the infliction of loss as regards four things. First as regards the devastation of possessions. "They shall be choice; of chariots" — of Babylon. Jer. 49: "Why do you glory in the valleys? Your valley has flowed away, delicate daughter." Second, as regards the capture of the cities: "horsemen at the gate," lest anyone escape. Jer. 39: "All the princes of Babylon entered, and sat in the middle gate." Third, as regards the profanation of holy things: "and it shall be uncovered" — it shall be laid bare — "the covering," that is, the holy things previously covered, which it was lawful for none but the priest to see. Lam. 1: "The nations have seen your shame." Fourth, as regards the destruction of the armory: "you will see the armory" — that is, the house of the forest, in which weapons were stored — overthrown; concerning the building of which, 3 Kings 7. "Of the city of David," most strong; or Jerusalem itself, with a strong wall in many places. Cant. 4: "The tower of David is built with bulwarks."

"And you gathered the waters." Here he sets down the persistence of obstinacy: and first he charges the fault of obstinacy; second he sets forth against them the divine sentence: "and it has been revealed." Now their obstinacy is charged as regards two things. First, as regards the divine help which they did not invoke, trusting in their own strength and ingenuity: "you gathered" — into one place within the city, through hidden channels — "the waters of the lower pool," which had waters flowing from the earth, which, however, could be cut off by the enemies. "You numbered," so that the water might be dispensed by number and measure; "you destroyed the houses" which were next to the wall, so that they would not hinder the defenders; "a reservoir," of the lower pool, "you made," "to flow" between the two walls with which the city was girded; and the water — namely, you restored it; "him" — that is, God; "her" — the water. Ps. 13: "They did not call upon God." Second, as regards the divine counsel, which they despised: "and he will call." And concerning this he sets down three things. First, the counsel itself: "to weeping" — of the eyes; "to mourning" — of the hands; "to baldness," according to the ancient custom, by which they performed these actions in sorrow. Joel 2: "Turn to me with all your heart, in fasting, and weeping, and mourning." Second, he sets down the contempt of the counsel: "and behold joy" — above, 6: "the harp and the lyre are in your feasts." Third, the spirit of contempt: "let us eat." 1 Cor. 15. Wisdom 2: "for our time is the passing of a shadow."

"And it has been revealed." Here the sentence is set down; and it can be read as from the person of the Lord: "this blasphemy of yours has been revealed" — that is, I have heard it. "If it shall be forgiven": as if he were to say, do not believe it — above, 2: "therefore do not forgive." Or from the person of the prophet: "this is the voice of the Lord" that has been revealed. And all these things that have been said pertain to the captivity brought about under the rule of Nebuchadnezzar.

"Thus says the Lord." Here the threat is set down against those to whom leadership in spiritual matters pertained: and first against the priest who then was; second against the whole priestly order: "in that day, says the Lord." Concerning the first he does two things. First he foretells the deposing of him who, struck with terror, handed over the city to Sennacherib — that is, the lower part; second, the substitution of another: "and it shall come to pass in that day." Concerning the first he does three things. First he describes the person by his office: "who dwells in the tabernacle." It belonged to the priest to keep watch in the tabernacle, as is found in Num. 1. "Set over" — supreme over ten. Second he charges a threefold fault: of unworthy habitation: "what are you doing here" in my house, unworthy of such a habitation? Jer. 11: "What is it that my beloved has done many wicked things in my house?" Of proud presumption concerning himself: "or as who are you here?" Do you esteem yourself as if you were of some worth, when you are nothing? Zech. 11: "O shepherd, and idol." Of the curious building of a sepulcher: "you have hewn out," here in Jerusalem next to the temple, "a memorial," that is, an epitaph, "in a high place," that is, in the loftiest site of the sepulcher; or literally, he had placed his sepulcher in a high place for his own memory, as is found in 1 Macc. 13. Third he threatens the punishment: "behold, the Lord" — threefold: first, of captivity, just as one is carried off — bound, and without labor — a cock, one that rears chicks in the manner of a hen, being castrated, which they call capons; and, as a garment, lightly lifted upon the shoulder. Jer. 20: "You, Pashhur, and all the inhabitants of your house, shall go into captivity, and you shall come into Babylon, and there you shall die, and there you shall be buried, you and all your friends." Second, of confusion: "crowning" — that is, in place of the crown which you used in the pontifical rite, you will have tribulation, like a ball, which finds no lofty resting-place. "The chariots of your glory," in which you were borne gloriously, turned into your confusion. "And the shame of the house of the Lord"; that is, the glory which you had in the house of the Lord will be turned for you into shame. Hosea 4: "I will change their glory into shame." Third, the punishment of deposition: "and I will drive out." 3 Kings 2: "Solomon therefore cast out Abiathar, that he should not be priest of the Lord."

"And it shall be." Here he sets down the substitution of another; and concerning this he sets down three things. The election: "I will call" — one of the twenty-four, as is read in 1 Chron. 25; 1 Kings 2: "I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall be according to my heart." Second, his consecration: "and I will clothe him"; for he was consecrated with the pontifical vestments, as is clear from Lev. 18 concerning these vestments, and Exod. 28. Third, he confers jurisdiction: "and power." And first as regards the power which he had over the people, setting down the power: "and the power" — namely, "I will give." Ps. 108: "Let his days be few, and let another take his office." "And he shall be as a father." Jer. 3: "I will give you shepherds according to my own heart, and they shall feed you with knowledge and doctrine." Second, as regards the power which he had over the temple: "and the key," which was golden, "of the house of David," that is, of the temple, for the building of which David prepared the expenses, as is clear at the end of 1 Chron.; "upon his shoulder," that is, his own governance; or because he used it as a kind of ornament. "He shall open," because it was lawful for him to enter once a year into the holy of holies, as is said in Heb. 9. Third, as regards the power which he had over the whole order of ministers: "and I will fasten him as a peg" — a diminutive from "pole"; for just as various vessels are hung upon some pole, so various offices, which have the use of various vessels in the ministries of the house of the Lord, pertained to his charge: "in the place of the faithful," namely, the temple. Concerning this power it is spoken of in Numbers 3 and 4.

"In that day." Here he speaks against the whole priesthood, which was destroyed in the time of Zedekiah, when Nebuchadnezzar took captive. For the things that were said about Shebna pertain to the time of Sennacherib. And here "the peg" is called the priesthood itself, which ceased at the time of the captivity. Hosea 3: "The children of Israel shall sit many days without king, and without prince, and without sacrifice, and without altar, and without ephod, and without teraphim."

Note, upon that word "who dwells in the tabernacle," that the tabernacle is manifold. The first, of carnal concupiscence, which is that of swine. Heb., last chapter: "We have an altar, from which they have no right to eat who serve the tabernacle." The second is of temporal and natural life, which is that of men. 2 Pet. 1: "For I am certain that the putting off of my tabernacle is swift." The third is of the Church militant, which is that of those who fight. Above, 4: "It shall be a tabernacle for a shade in the daytime from the heat." The fourth is of contemplative wisdom, which is that of those who rest. Ps. 131: "We will go into his tabernacle." The fifth is of the eternal vision, or the heavenly homeland: which is that of all the blessed. Below, 33: "Your eyes shall see Jerusalem, a wealthy city, a tabernacle that can never be removed."