Commentary on Isaiah (Super Isaiam)

In those days, etc. In this part he sets down certain things occasioned by the aforesaid history: namely, the illness of Hezekiah, which he incurred on account of ingratitude, because after so great a victory he did not compose a song of thanksgiving, as was the custom. And it is divided into two parts. In the first he sets down his sickness and his healing; in the second he sets down the congratulation of his friends, chapter 39: "At that time," etc.

Concerning the first he does three things: first he sets down the sickness; second, the deliverance, "And Hezekiah turned," etc.; third, the order of the deliverance, "And Isaiah commanded," etc. Concerning the first, two things. First he sets down the illness, "he was sick," etc. Ecclesiasticus 31: "A grievous sickness," etc.; second he sets down the announcement of death, "and he entered." "Set in order," by arranging who ought to succeed you. Ecclesiasticus 33: "In the day of consummation," etc.

But against this it is objected that he lived afterward, and did not die: therefore this prophecy, "thou shalt die," etc., had falsehood underlying it, and he was not announcing the outcome of things with unshakable truth. To this it must be said that, since the reasons of all things that come to pass in the whole course of time have existed from eternity in God, some of them were implanted in things, and these are worked out through the operation of nature and of will; but some he retained with himself alone, so that he might bring them into act when he willed. The prophets, therefore, seeing in the mirror of eternity, see of both kinds as much as God wills to reveal to them. There had been revealed to Isaiah, therefore, those reasons which were implanted in things, which come about (through) lower causes, namely natural and meritorious ones, according to which the king's illness was ordered toward death. Hence, as to the sense which the prophet had in his words, he spoke the truth: because according to the lower causes it was so. Likewise also, as to the other sense, which the Holy Spirit understood, he spoke the truth: because he died to that ingratitude, when afterward he rendered to God the thanks that were due; just as Nineveh also was overthrown as to its state of iniquity, as Augustine says.

"And Hezekiah turned." Here he sets down the deliverance: and concerning this, three things: first Hezekiah's prayer is set down; second the promise of salvation, "and the word came," etc.; third the giving of thanks, "The writing of Hezekiah," etc.

Concerning the first he sets down three things. First, the preparation for prayer, "toward the wall," of the temple, or of his own house, that he might pray more devoutly and more secretly. Psalm 85: "In the day of my tribulation," etc. Second he sets down the prayer itself, "and he prayed." "Remember," that for the good things I have done you may grant me life. For God is said to have forgotten, when he does not repay. "In truth," of your worship, "with a perfect heart," as to love. But against this: Proverbs 20: "Who can say," etc. And it must be said that he did not say that he had a perfect heart absolutely, but as to this, that he did not limp after idols, as is said in 3 Kings 18. Ecclesiasticus 11: "In the day of evils," etc. Third he sets down the compunction of the one praying. "And he wept," etc. Matthew 5: "Blessed are they that mourn," etc.; Judith 9: "Of the humble and the meek," etc.

"The word came," etc. Here the promise of salvation is set down: and first he sets down the hearing of the prayer, "it came to pass," before he had gone out of the middle part of the court. 4 Kings 20: "I have heard the prayer," etc. Above, chapter 30: "At the voice of the cry," etc. Second he sets down the promise: "Behold, I will add." Psalm 60: "Days upon the days of the king," etc. Third he sets down the confirmation by a sign. "And this shall be," etc., "on the sun," that is, by the motion of the sun, "ten lines," by which, according to the motion of the shadow, ten hours were reckoned. "And it returned" — if suddenly, then that artificial day had 22 hours, nearly doubled, according to the Gloss. But if successively, then it had come by ten and returned by ten and again came by ten; and thus that day had 32 hours, nearly tripled, according to Dionysius. Now this came about either with all the other heavenly bodies returning as well, or with the sun having a shorter path or a swifter motion, so that it might arrive at its own position at the same time as the others. Ecclesiasticus 48: "In his days, backward," etc. And this sign fits the thing signified, hence Job 11: "When thou shalt be consumed," etc.

"The writing of Hezekiah," etc. Here the giving of thanks for the promised salvation is set down: and first he sets down the title, "the writing," namely, this is it; second he sets down the song, "I said," in which he does three things. First he laments the danger which he escaped; second he recalls the benefit which he received, "O Lord, if so," etc.; third he asks for the fulfillment of what God promised, "O Lord, save," etc.

Now he laments three things. First, the horror of death. "In the midst," that is, in my youth, "to the gates of hell," that is, to Limbo, or to death, or to the grave. Ecclesiasticus, the last chapter: "My life drawing near," etc. Second he laments the loss of goods, as to the vision of God: "I sought," from the Lord, that he would supply, "the residue," taken from me; or, I inquired within myself how much remained to me of life. "I said," within myself: "I shall not see" — by sight, as yet — "in the land of the living," in the heavenly beatitude. Psalm 26: "I believe to see," etc.; or, I shall not see — by seeing further — the temple and its worship, "in the land of the living," namely, of the Jews. Matthew 22: "He is not the God of the dead," etc. Also as to the fellowship of men, "I shall not look upon man," living in this life. Jeremiah 49: "No man shall dwell there," etc.; or, the man Christ promised to us. Also as to the posterity of children, "generation," namely of sons, because he did not yet have sons, "is folded up," rolled together, lest it be extended to those who come after. Above, chapter 24: "It shall be taken away as a tabernacle," etc. Also as to the brevity of life: "it is cut off, as by a weaver," while I was still, "weaving," the web unfinished, "I was beginning to weave" in my youth. Job 7: "My days more swiftly," etc.

Third he laments the anguish of his heart: and first, as to the continual expectation of death. "From morning," namely I was saying, "until evening thou wilt finish me," by death. And then, not dying, I hoped again until morning: that together with death the pain of my sickness might come to an end. Nonetheless, "as a lion, so hath he broken" — the sickness, or God himself, through the pain of the illness. Job 7: "If I shall sleep," etc. Second, as to the delay of hope; where he sets down three things belonging to one who hopes: compunction: "like the young of the swallow," he awaits the mother, because he does not see. "Like the dove," namely with groaning. Nahum 2: "Moaning like doves," etc. He also sets down the delay of hope, "weakened," as though wearied, "looking upward," through hope. Proverbs 13: "Hope that is deferred," etc.; Psalm 120: "I have lifted up my eyes," etc. He also sets down a certain dispute with God: "O Lord, I suffer violence"; as if to say: violence is done to me, I am afflicted beyond my deserts. "Respond," that is, stand surety, for me. "What shall I say?" As if turning back into himself: what could I put forward against God? "Or what will he answer?" When he must answer to the questions, since he himself has done it — me, or my punishment. Job 9: "If he will contend with him," etc.; below, chapter 45: "Shall it contradict its maker," etc. Third, as to the recollection of past things, "I will recall to mind the years," in which I suffered good things, or also in which I sinned against thee. Job 7: "I will speak in the tribulation of the spirit," etc.

"O Lord, if so." Here he recalls the benefit which he received. And first, correction: "if it is thus lived"; that is, if the life of men is so wretched, or if life is acquired through tribulations. Proverbs 6: "The way of life is the reproof of discipline." And he sets down: "behold, in peace" — as though the people having (peace) from the Assyrians — "bitterness" threatens me. Proverbs 14: "Laughter to grief," etc. Second he recalls the deliverance from punishment: "but thou hast delivered the soul," the life; and from guilt, "thou hast cast behind thy back," or, mine, as though forgetting, all my sins. Wisdom 11: "Thou hast mercy upon all, O Lord," etc. Third he assigns the reason for the deliverance: and first, as to the uselessness of death: because "not hell" — that is, the damned, or the buried; "death" — the Devil, or the dead; "truth" — of the promises, or the Son. Psalm 6: "There is none in death," etc.; second, as to the praise of the living, "the living, the living" — for greater affirmation, or on account of a twofold life. Psalm 113: "We who live," etc. Third, as to the propagation of divine praise, "the father to the children," etc., Psalm 77: "He commanded our fathers to make known," etc.

"O Lord, save." Here he asks that the promise be fulfilled. "Save me," from the Assyrians, and from the sickness. Psalm 33: "I will bless the Lord at all times," etc.

"And he commanded," etc. Here he sets down the order of the healing: and this is transposed, and it ought to be before the giving of the sign, as is plain from 4 Kings 20. But because he does not intend history but prophecy, he set down first the things that pertain to prophecy: and first he sets down the manner of the cure. "Let them make a plaster" — let them apply a poultice — to the wound inflicted by God, or the ulcer from the corruption of the humors, "the flesh laid open." For they say that he was suffering from the royal disease, which is called lupus, which figs and all sweet things harm, so that the whole cure might be attributed to the divine power. Others say that it was an aposteme, which is from the humors collected within, the flesh not yet cut open; for the ripening of which figs are beneficial, so that it might be shown that medicine is not to be despised. Ecclesiasticus 38: "He shall make sweet medicines," etc. Second, Hezekiah asks for a sign. "And Hezekiah said: What shall be the sign," etc. 1 Corinthians 1: "The Jews seek signs," etc. (Collationes, chapter 38).

"In death I will trust" — the house, of conscience: if pure from the contagion of sin, above, chapter 50: "The place is too strait for me," etc., Ezekiel 8: "that I may depart from the sanctuary"; if firm in good work, Matthew 7: "the rain came down," etc.; if ample in love, below, chapter 49: "It is too strait for me," etc.; chapter 54: "enlarge the place." "Lofty eyes": through loftiness of heart, Psalm: "Lord, it is not exalted" — they are weakened by God through depression, above, chapter 2: "the eyes of the lofty," etc.; through the curiosity of inquiry, Job 15: "as one thinking great things," etc. — they are weakened through the oppression of light, Proverbs 25: "he that is a searcher of majesty," etc.; through contemplation, below, chapter 40: "lift up on high," etc. — they are weakened on account of the smallness of knowledge, Job 36: "all men see," etc.