Commentary on Isaiah (Super Isaiam)

Woe to those who go down. In this part he threatens both together, namely the Egyptians and the Jews: and concerning this he does two things. First he sets down the threat; second, the consolation, at the words, for thus says the Lord. Concerning the first, two things. First he sets down the fault arising from confidence in human help, trusting in horses: Psalm 32: a horse is a vain thing for safety; he shall not be saved by the abundance of his strength: and from the contempt of divine help, and have not trusted. Against this, in Psalm 19: these in chariots, and these in horses, but we have trusted in the name of our God. Second, he threatens the punishment, but he himself: and first, against the contempt of divine help, he sets down God's wisdom, and the firmness of his sentence, and he has not withdrawn his words: that is, he has not made void what he threatened through the prophets. Numbers 23: God is not as man, that he should lie, nor as the son of man, that he should be changed. And he adds the punishment: and he shall rise up. Second, against confidence in human help, he sets down their weakness, Egypt is man. Ezechiel 28: since you are a man, and not God. And he adds the punishment, and the help shall fall down. Job 4: who dwell in houses of clay, who have an earthly foundation. For thus says the Lord. Here he sets down the consolation, promising through God deliverance from the enemies, from whom they could not be delivered through the Egyptians. And concerning this he does three things. First he sets down the defense of the Jews under the likeness of a lion defending, saying: you and the Egyptians, in whom you trusted with me held in contempt, shall perish; for thus says the Lord, who alone saves. That he may fight, as a defender against those who were hindering the building of the temple after the return from captivity. Or against the Assyrians, Osee 13: I will be to them as a lioness, as a leopard in the way of the Assyrians. And under the likeness of a bird protecting, as birds: Matthew 23: as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not; Deuteronomy 32: as an eagle provoking her young to fly, and hovering over them. Second, he sets down the destruction of the enemies, promising counsel for the meriting of this, return to me. Proverbs 18: the wicked man, when he has come into the depth of sins, holds in contempt. Romans 6: as you have presented your members to serve iniquity unto iniquity, so now present them to serve cleanness unto sanctification. And he sets down the fulfillment, in that day. Above, chapter 2: in that day a man shall cast away his idols. And he sets down the fruit, namely the destruction itself: as to the slaying of those killed, by the sword. Deuteronomy 32: my sword shall devour flesh. And as to the wiping away of those remaining, in flight, in fear, and in servitude, as tributaries, afterward to the Babylonians. Third, he sets down the confirmation of both: the Lord has said, whose fire, burning the Assyrians. Above, chapter 10: the light of Israel shall be in fire, and his Holy One in flame. Or, fire on the altar of incense. The furnace, on the altar of holocausts. Leviticus 6: fire shall always burn on my altar. Or, the fire of charity in the Church militant imperfectly, but the furnace in the Church triumphant perfectly. Note, that charity is called fire. Look for this in the preceding collation before the beginning of the chapter.