Commentary on Isaiah (Super Isaiam)

"Draw near, nations," etc. In this part he threatens those who were helpers to the Assyrians: and first, all in common; second, specially the Idumeans, at the place, "behold, upon Idumea," etc.

Concerning the first, two things. First he stirs up attention, setting down the order of attention, so that those approaching may draw near, those near may hear, and those hearing may attend. Below, 49: "hear, O islands," etc. And he sets down the universality of those summoned: "let the earth hear." And "the world," as to the middling; the container put for the thing contained; "the fullness," as to the greater; "the offspring," as to the lesser: he shows himself ready to announce to all, not that he shows that all are able to hear. Ps. 23: "the earth is the Lord's," etc.

Second, he sets down the threat: "for indignation," etc. As to three things.

First, as to the destruction of the peoples, setting down the indignation of the judge, namely God: "the indignation of the Lord," etc.; above, 14: "this is his hand," etc.; above, 30: "to destroy the nations," etc. The slaying of men: "he has slain" by authority; "he has given" them, as it were, to others for killing, as to executioners. Zach. 11: "I will deliver up men, each one," etc.; and the casting away of corpses: the slain will be thrown out, without burial, Joel 2: "its stench shall rise," etc.

Second, as to the ceasing of tyrants: "the mountains shall melt" — tyrants — "with blood," that is, on account of the guilt of blood shed. Below, 64: "at your face the mountains," etc.

Third, as to the destruction of idols: and concerning this, three things. And first he shows that the help of idols in wars will cease: "it shall waste away." "Of the heavens" — namely of the aerial ones, that is, demons; or, literally, the spirits who according to the opinion of the gentiles presided over the stars. Above, 19: "the idols shall be moved," etc.; and "in counsels," inasmuch namely as they divined by the stars; "and they shall be folded together," etc. That is: just as in a folded book nothing can be read, so too in the sky they will not be able to foresee the evils to come upon them. Apoc. 6: "the sky withdrew," etc. Second he shows that the cult of idolatry will cease: "and all the host," etc.; or, the ease of the fulfillment of what has been said. Apoc., the same: "the stars of heaven fell," etc. Third he shows the cause effecting both: "for the sword" — that is, vengeance — "is made drunk in heaven" — that is, I have abundantly exercised vengeance upon the demons who presided over the idols. Deut. 32: "I will make arrows drunk," etc.

"Behold, upon Idumea." Here he threatens specially the Idumeans, who came with the enemies against Jerusalem, as is said in Abdias, when strangers were seizing the army, etc.; and concerning this he does three things. First he threatens the slaying of men; second, the destruction of the land, at "and they shall be turned"; third he sets down the confirmation of both, at "look diligently," etc.

Concerning the first, three things. First he describes the equity of the punishment: "behold, upon Idumea," to overwhelm it. "Of my slaying" — worthy to be slain by me. Jer. 49: "the destruction of Esau," etc. Second he describes the slaying as to the middling, setting down the diversity of those slain: "for the sword," etc., "of lambs," etc., through all of which the different ranks of those slain are understood. Ezech. 21: "this is the sword of slaughter," etc.; and the greatness of the killing: "victim" — that is, as it were as at the banquet of a great king, many animals are slain. Ezech. 39: "I sacrifice to you a victim," etc.; and as to the greater, setting down their slaying: "and they shall come down," unto death — "unicorns": an animal the size of a cat, most fierce, having one horn; whence it signifies the powerful and monarchs. Above, 5: "its strong ones shall come down," etc.; and the greatness of the slaughter: "it shall be made drunk," etc. Ps. 105: "the land was slain in bloods," etc. Third he sets down the reason for the punishment: "for it is the day of judgment of Sion" — namely, that Sion may be avenged of the Idumeans. Below, 63: "the day of vengeance in the heart," etc.; yet according to the Gloss, "of Sion," that is, against Sion. Whence it expounds everything that follows concerning the destruction of Jerusalem wrought by the Romans.

"And they shall be turned." Here he sets down the threat as to the destruction of the land: and concerning this he does three things. First he foretells the destruction; second, the solitude of the destroyed land, at "and it shall be desolate," etc.; third, the horror of the solitude, at "and it shall be a lair," etc.

Concerning the first he sets down two things. First, the destruction: "they shall be turned" — that is, thus the whole land will be burned up by the enemies, as if the waters were pitch and the earth sulphur. Ps. 10: "fire, sulphur, and the spirit," etc. Second he sets down the duration of the destruction: "it shall not be quenched" — that is, the effect of that fire will remain forever. "Smoke" — the sign and memory of the preceding fire. Apoc. 19: "its smoke shall ascend," etc.; and this is to be understood as long as the cause of the threat remains, namely sin: for thus conditionally are all prophecies of this kind to be expounded, according as the Lord himself explains concerning himself. Jer. 18: "suddenly I will speak," etc.

"And it shall be desolate." Here he sets down the solitude: and first he foretells the solitude itself as to inhabitants. "It shall be desolate." Thren. 1: "he has made me desolate," etc.; as to travelers, "there shall be none passing through." Jer. 49: "no man shall remain there," etc.; as to the free dwelling of beasts: "and they shall possess it," as if without fear — "the onocrotalus," the same as the pelican; "the ibis," a bird hostile to serpents. There is "ibex, ibicis," a quadruped; "ibis, ibidis," a bird. And the envious ibis. Ps. 103: "the house of the heron," etc.

Second he sets down the equity of the solitude: and first the judgment of equity, at "and it shall be stretched out"; "the measure" — of punishment against the measure of guilt. "The plumb-line" — the mason's rule. Above, 27: "in measure against measure," etc. Second he sets down the manner of the judgment: "its nobles" — in whom they used to glory. Soph. 3: "I will take away from your midst," etc. "They shall spring up in the houses" which they built too elaborately. And "paliurus" — a certain plant of many thorns, which clings to cloaks, having broad leaves. Osee 9: "the desirable things of silver," etc., so that "according as she glorified herself," etc., Apoc. 18.

"And it shall be a lair." Here he shows the horror of the solitude from the monsters which dwelt there: "demons" — monstrous demons, which appear most often in deserts; "the onocentaur," which is half ass and half ox, or rather is an illusion of a demon than a natural animal. "The hairy one" — an ape, or a wild man, or an incubus demon; "the lamia," having the rest of its limbs female, but horse's feet: "one has cried out to another." Above, 13: "there shall the beasts rest," etc.

"Seek ye." Here he confirms all that has been said from the authority of divine inspiration. "Seek ye" — you who are to come — "in the book of the Lord," that is, in this book which I have learned from the Lord; "not one of them was lacking" — that is, all the monsters which I have mentioned will be there; "one another," that is, the male the female. "Them" — namely the monsters — male and female. "The lot" — distributing to each their fitting places to remain. Luke 21: "heaven and earth shall pass away"; or, if it be expounded of Judea, by these different monsters are understood the different errors of the gentiles, who were settled there as colonists by the Romans.

(Collation on chapter 34).

Man draws near to God: through the reception of grace, Rom. 5: "we have access through him," etc. Through the contemplation of divine wisdom, Ps.: "draw near to him," etc. Through the ministry of obedience, Ez. 40: "the sons of Sadoc who draw near," etc. Through the expectation of firm trust, Eccli. 7: "as one who plows and sows," etc. Through the spirit of concord, Eph. 2: "you have access in one spirit," etc.