Commentary on Isaiah (Super Isaiam)

"Let them be silent before me," etc. Here he begins to strengthen them toward a firm expectation, from the love of the God who promises. And it is divided into three parts. In the first he shows divine love from the benefits which he showed to the fathers; in the second, from the son whom he promised them, chapter 42: "Behold my servant," etc.; in the third, through the consolations which he foretells amid various distresses, chapter 43: "And now thus says the Lord," etc. Now by the benefits previously bestowed he intends the strengthening of the Jews and the refutation of the idols, which did not show such things to their worshippers; and therefore the first part is divided into two. In the first he disputes against the worshippers of idols; in the second against the idols themselves, at "Come near," etc.; the first into two: for first, by the benefits bestowed on the Jews, he convicts the adversaries; second, by the same he strengthens the Jews, "And you, Israel, my servant," etc.

Concerning the first, three things. First he summons the nations to judgment, pursuing the order of judgment, that being silent they may hear, and thus respond. "Let them renew their strength," that is, let them strengthen themselves as if renewed in strength to dispute with me. Micah 6: "Let the mountains hear the judgment," etc. Second he recounts the benefit that was shown, "who called," where he recounts the multitude of benefits: as to the divine election, "from the east," namely Chaldea; "the just one," Abraham. Genesis 12, Job 23: "he has followed his steps," etc., Jeremiah 13: "as a girdle cleaves," etc., Hosea 9: "like the first fruits of the fig tree," etc.; as to the power granted, "he will give in his sight," namely when he freed Lot, fighting against four kings: Genesis 14. Psalm 1: "not so the wicked, not so," etc.; as to the ease of carrying it out, "he will pass in peace," that is, without labor; "the path," etc., as one who walks lightly, as it were leaving no trace of the way; or because the labor is in the feet, no sign of the way is left behind. Above, 40: "they shall run, and not labor," etc.; he seeks the author: "who has wrought this," and "who," calling, by eternal foreknowledge, below, 49: "the Lord from the womb," etc.; and he gives the response: "I the Lord," etc., Apocalypse 1: "I am Alpha," etc. Otherwise, according to the letter, it is expounded of Cyrus; mystically, of Christ. Third, he sets forth, as it were, the response of the Gentiles, in which they believed they could defend themselves by means of idols. And first he touches on their astonishment at the things alleged or the wonders seen, "the islands saw," etc., Psalm 76: "the waters saw you, O God," etc.; "they drew near," to resist. Second, he sets forth their mutual encouragement, "each one," etc., Job 40: "one shall cleave to another," etc. Third, he sets forth the fabrication of idols: "the one striking will strengthen," the iron with the hammer, he was forging, he was shaping the figure of the idol; saying of the glue, "it is good," for consolidating the idol: Wisdom 13: "setting it on the wall," etc.

"And you, Israel," etc. In this part he strengthens the Jews from these same benefits: and first there is set forth the repetition of the past benefit in the election of the fathers Jacob and Abraham, by which they were universally distinguished from others: "Jacob whom," etc., Psalm 104: "the seed of Abraham his servant," etc., Romans 11: "but according to the election," etc. Second, there is set forth the promise of future things: and first as to immunity from evils, excluding fear: both on account of God's presence, "do not fear, because," etc., Jeremiah 1: "do not fear before the face," etc.; and on account of the justice of the fathers, "he has taken you up," as the promised seed, "of my just one," Abraham. Or "he has taken up," to defend, "the just one," Cyrus. Psalm 90: "in their hands they shall bear," etc.; setting forth also the removal of enemies as to their confusion, "behold they shall be confounded." Jeremiah 17: "let them be confounded who persecute me," etc.; as to destruction, "they shall be as if they were not." Above, 30: "to bring the nations to nothing," etc.; and the impossibility of restoration, "you shall seek them," etc., Psalm 36: "I saw the wicked, above," etc.; showing also the reason for the destruction, "because I the Lord," etc., Psalm 143: "send forth your hand," etc.

Second, as to the abundance of goods: and first against servitude, setting forth the very yoke of servitude: "fear not, worm"; as one who is held vile and trodden upon like a worm, and reckoned as dead. Psalm 21: "I am a worm," etc.; setting forth also the divine help. Below, 41: "I have helped," etc.; setting forth also the benefit of exaltation, as to the subjugation of enemies, "I have set you," etc., above, 25: "and Moab shall be threshed," etc., which perhaps refers to the time of the Maccabees. And as to their exultation, "and you shall exult," etc., Canticle 1: "we shall rejoice and exult," etc. Second, against poverty, setting forth first the hardship of poverty, "the needy and the poor," etc., above, 5: "her nobles have perished," etc.; second, the divine purpose: "I the Lord," etc., Psalm: "he shall call upon me and I," etc.; third, he sets forth the benefit as to the abundance of waters in mountainous places: "I will open on the heights," etc., above, 30: "there shall be upon the mountain," etc.; and in desert places, "I will make a desert," that is, your land, previously deserted. Psalm 106: "he has turned the desert into pools," etc.; and as to the beauty of the trees, "I will give in the wilderness," etc., Ezekiel 30: "the plantations have multiplied," etc.; fourth, he sets forth the fruit of the benefit, "that they may see," etc., Ecclesiasticus 36: "let them know that there is no God," etc.

"Come near," etc. Here he sets forth the dispute against the idols themselves: and first he sets forth the dispute; second, the determination of the sentence, "and I saw, and there was not," etc. Concerning the first, two things. First he disputes against the idols with universal arguments; second, by an argument taken from a certain particular deed, "I have raised up," etc. Concerning the first, three things. First he summons them to judgment: "come near," that is, draw near to me, that we may be judged together — you idols, or idolaters; "bring forth," that is, allege, if you have anything, that you may prove yourselves gods; "if you have something to say," etc., Psalm 81: "God has stood in the assembly," etc. Second, he proposes a twofold argument. One taken from divine knowledge, which fully knows all things, past and future, which the idols do not have: "the former things, what they were," etc. Ecclesiasticus 23: "to the Lord God before they were created," etc.; the other is taken from divine power, which can punish and do good: "also do good," etc., Baruch, last chapter: "nor if they suffer any evil," etc. Third, he concludes their defect: as to the material cause, "behold you," idols, are from nothing, from created matter; as to the formal cause, "a work," that is, an artificial form, which fashions in you a divinity that is not; and as to the efficient cause, "an abomination," that is, abominable — or: "you," the craftsmen; "your work," namely the idols; "who chose," the worshippers. 1 Corinthians 8: "we know that an idol," etc., Jeremiah 10: "every craftsman is confounded," etc.

"I have raised up." Here he takes up a certain special deed to argue against the idols, and first he foretells a certain future thing: "from the north," the Chaldean; "from the east," the Persian, who subjugated to themselves various lands and princes. "Plastes," that is, the potter; "plasma," the thing formed. Mystically: by him who is from the north, the Gentile; by him who is from the east, Christ. Psalm 17: "as the mire of the streets," etc. Second, from this, under a question, he proposes the argument: that he who can foretell this is justly to be called God; and he who cannot, is not. "Who has announced it?" Below, 48: "assemble yourselves and hear," etc. Third, he excludes from the idols any indication of divinity: "there is none announcing," any among you gods; nor, any of the worshippers, "hearing," etc., Psalm 113: "they have eyes, and shall not see," etc. Fourth, he shows in the true God the sign of divinity. "The first," that is, our singular God. "Behold I am present," in help, the Evangelists, announcing future things. Daniel 2: "truly your God is God," etc.; or "the first," the prophet of the Lord, in the person of God; or "the first": the firstborn Son of God. Ephesians 4: "and he gave some indeed," etc.

"And I saw." Here, from the dispute set forth above, he concludes the determination of the sentence: and it is evident of itself. Jeremiah 10 and 11: "they are vain, and a work worthy of laughter," etc.

(Collationes, chapter 41.) Christ passed over in the peace of flesh to spirit, which he had — Job 5: "you shall know that it has peace," etc.; of man to neighbor, which he taught — below, 52: "how beautiful upon the mountains," etc.; of the world to God, which he made — Ephesians 2: "he made peace," etc. There moves one to preach: the instinct of faith — Psalm: "I believed, therefore," etc., 2 Corinthians 4, Apocalypse, last chapter; the goad of zeal — Jeremiah 20: "and it became in my heart," etc.; the greatness of the reward — Matthew 5: "whoever shall do and teach," etc. Christ took us up as a victor a captive, to set free — Genesis, last chapter: "to the prey, my son," etc.; Psalm: "lead out of custody"; as a physician the sick, to heal — Psalm: "who is merciful to all," etc.; as an advocate the accused, to excuse — 1 John 1: "we have an advocate," etc.; as the strong the weak, to defend — below, 63: "I who speak justice," etc., Exodus: "the Lord will fight," etc.; as a bridegroom the bride, to rejoice together — Hosea 2: "I will espouse you to me," etc. Water: tears poured out — Jeremiah 9: "who will give to my head," etc.; the cleanness of baptism — John 3: "unless one be born again," etc.; spiritual grace — John 7: "he who believes in me, rivers," etc.; divine wisdom — Ecclesiasticus 24: "I, wisdom, have poured forth," etc.; inner joy — Proverbs 5: "drink water," etc.