Commentary on Isaiah (Super Isaiam)

And now hear, Jacob, etc. Here for the third time he comforts them from the worthlessness of idols, lest perhaps they should believe that the divine promises could be hindered by them. And it is divided into two: in the first he excludes fear; in the second he shows the worthlessness of idols, there, "Thus says the Lord the King," etc.

Concerning the first, three things. First he stirs up attention: "Hear, Jacob, whom I have chosen," Esau having been rejected — Malachi 1: "Jacob I have loved," etc. Second he excludes fear: "Thus says the Lord," etc., "forming you"; below, 49: "Thus says the Lord, forming me," etc. — "most upright" (rectissime), which corresponds to the name Israel as to its true meaning; but it is said, as it were by etymology, "a man seeing God": Is, man; rac, seeing; hel, God. Third he sets down the promise, there, "For I will pour out," etc. And first he promises the divine benefit as to temporal things: "I will pour out waters," that is, consolations — Ezekiel 36: "I will pour out water upon you," etc.; as to spiritual things, "I will pour out the spirit," etc., "blessing," as to the multiplication of gifts — Joel 2: "I will pour out of my spirit," etc. Second he sets down the fruit of the benefit as to temporal goods: "and they shall spring up," namely they shall be multiplied out of the abundance of prosperity, as a tree from abundance of water — above, 35: "springing, it shall spring up," etc.; Psalm 1: "he shall be like a tree," etc. He also sets down the effect of the spiritual gifts. "This one shall say," because each one will confess himself subject to God: "he shall write," "songs," "to the Lord," that is, to the honor of the Lord; or "of the Lord," namely, "I am one bearing the writing," which pertains to the worship of God. "He shall be likened," the foreigner, in worshiping God; or he shall be steadfast like Jacob — Jeremiah 3: "you shall call father," etc.

"Thus says the Lord," etc. Here he shows the worthlessness of idols, and concerning this he does three things. First he shows the defect of idols; second, from this he calls them back to his own worship, "remember these things," etc.; third he promises to those who worship him the benefit of liberation, "thus says the Lord the redeemer," etc.

Concerning the first, two things. First he argues against idols from the divine working; second from the formation of idols, there, "who has formed," etc. Concerning the first, two things. First he sets forth the singularity of his divinity: "I am the first," etc.; Apocalypse 1: "I am the Alpha," etc. Second he brings forward proof: "who is like," etc. And concerning this he does three things. First he sets forth the divine act in announcing future things, and the order of past things: "let him call," by predestining, etc. — Ecclesiasticus 23: "to the Lord God, before they were created," etc. Second he assigns the sign of his divinity, confirmed by witnesses: "do not fear" — as if to say: do not be anxious on my account, as though I should fail in the proof of my divinity; below, 48: "I have made new things heard to you," etc. Third he concludes the defect of idols: "is there," etc. And first he sets forth the question: "besides me" — Deuteronomy 32: "see that I am alone," etc.; second he shows the unfitness of the witnesses: "the makers of the idol," that is, those who fashion them, "are nothing," of no power — above, 40: "all nations are as though they were not," etc. — or because they do not attain their own intention, wishing to fashion God with their own hands; just as the idol too is nothing — 1 Corinthians 8; Job 18: "let them dwell in the tabernacle," etc. — "most beloved," the idols, which are either the more to be venerated, or of more precious material. Third he shows the falsity of the testimony: "they themselves are witnesses," who do not see, namely [witnesses] of the idols, saying that they are gods — Proverbs 19: "a false witness," etc.

"Who has formed," etc. Here he shows that they are not gods, from their formation, and concerning this he does two things. First he sets forth the formation, in order to exclude divinity; second the manner of the formation, in order to show its worthlessness: "the ironsmith," etc.

Concerning the first, two things. First he sets forth the formation, intending this argument: that which has been made by man is not God, etc. "Who?" — as if he should say, no one; "to nothing else useful." Baruch, last chapter: "they themselves who make them," etc. Second he foretells the confusion of those who work at it: "behold, all," the partakers of the worship of idols, "when they come to judgment," "they shall stand," as if to be judged; "from men," that is, from the number of men — Psalm 96: "let all be confounded who adore," etc.

"The ironsmith," etc. Here he shows their worthlessness, that they are not only not gods, but certain worthless things: and first he sets forth the manner as to the idols that were made of metals: "with an arm of strength," that is, striking strong blows. "He shall hunger and shall fail" — as if he should say: the god which he makes cannot come to his aid, though it is most bound to its maker — above, 41: "the smith strengthened," etc. Second, as to those things that were made of wood. "The craftsman in wood." And first he shows the worthlessness of the idol, setting down the efficient cause with its instruments: "the rule," a measure for straightening the woods; "the plane," a curved instrument on the side for hollowing the woods "at the corners," that is, into a quadrangular shape — or it is an instrument for making shapes of this kind; "with the compass," that is, the lathe. As to the formal cause: "and he made an image," etc.; as to the material cause: "he cut down cedars," etc., which he also puts to base uses — Jeremiah 10: "he has cut wood out of the forest," etc. Second he shows the blindness of the craftsman: "they did not know." "A part of it," of the wood from which the idol was made, is already ash, because it was burned. "Perhaps" (forte), that is "perhaps" (forsitan), "is in my right hand" — that is, in the working — Wisdom 13: "he is not ashamed to speak," etc.

"Remember these things," etc. Here he calls them back to his own worship: and first he assigns the reason, setting forth the debt of servitude: "remember these things," that is, consider again the worthlessness of idols; "servant," etc. — Jeremiah 51: "not like these is the portion of Jacob," etc.; and as to the benefit already granted, or promised: "I have blotted out," or, "I will blot out," "as a cloud," that is, easily — Wisdom 2: "our life shall pass away," etc. Second he sets down the calling back: "return," etc. — Jeremiah 3: "return to me," etc. Third, for their return, he invites the whole creature to the giving of thanks: "rejoice, you lowest parts," etc. — Psalm 68: "let the heavens and the earth praise him, the sea," etc.

"Thus says the Lord." Here, to those returning to him, he promises the benefit of liberation: and concerning this he does two things. First he shows the power of the one who liberates, through the benefits which he conferred on them: "redeemer," from evils, and "former," in goods — below, 49: "Thus says the Lord, forming me," etc.; as to the creatures which he made: "I am the Lord," etc. — Jeremiah 10: "he makes the earth by his strength," etc.; as to the wise, whom he made foolish — of whom some professed to know divine things: "making void," etc. — Jeremiah 50: "a sword upon the diviners," etc. — some, concerning worldly matters: "turning back the wise," etc. — 1 Corinthians 1: "has not God made foolish," etc.; also as to the fulfillment of promises: "raising up," "fulfilling": "of the servant," of the prophet, or of Moses, or of Christ — Ecclesiasticus 36: "raise up preachers," etc. Second he promises liberation: first as to the rebuilding of cities: "who say to Jerusalem," etc. — Psalm 68: "the cities shall be built," etc.; second as to the destruction of enemies: "who say to the deep," that is, to the sea, namely to Babylon — whence above, 21: "the burden of the desert of the sea"; above, 19: "the water shall dry up from the sea," etc.; third as to the exaltation of the liberator: "who say to Cyrus: shepherd," feeding my sheep — Ezekiel 34: "and he shall feed them and he shall be to them," etc.; fourth as to the restoration of the temple: "who say to Jerusalem," etc., "you shall be founded": because in his time only the foundations were laid — Jeremiah 30: "Jerusalem shall be built again," etc.

(Collations, chapter 44.) The Spirit is given: to beginners, as the beginning of quickening — Ezekiel 37: "it entered into them," etc.; as the washing of renewal — Titus 3: "through the washing of renewal," etc.; as the privilege of adoption — Romans 8: "you have received the spirit," etc.; to those advancing, for the instruction of the intellect — John 14: "the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit," etc.; for the refreshing of the affections — Ecclesiasticus 24: "my spirit is above honey," etc.; for the aiding of action — Romans 8: "the spirit helps weakness," etc.; to the perfect, as the benefit of liberty — 2 Corinthians 3: "where the spirit of the Lord," etc.; as the bond of unity — Ephesians 4: "careful to keep," etc.; as the pledge of inheritance — Ephesians 1: "you were sealed," etc.

The saints are: chosen through predestination — Ephesians 1: "he chose us," etc.; formed through the infusion of grace — Genesis 1: "the Lord formed," etc.; upright through love — Canticle 1: "the upright love," etc.; servants through the debt of works — Luke 16: "unprofitable servants," etc.