Commentary on Isaiah (Super Isaiam)

Thus says the Lord to my Christ, etc. After he had strengthened them to a firm expectation of the divine promises, in this part he begins to pursue the divine promises, for their consolation: and it is divided into two. In the first he promises liberation from evils; in the second he promises salvation in goods, chapter 56: Thus says the Lord: keep judgment, etc. The first is divided into two. In the first he promises them the benefit of liberation; in the second he excludes every impediment to liberation, chapter 50: Thus says the Lord: who is this bill, etc. The first is divided into three. In the first he signifies beforehand for them a liberator; in the second he foretells the destruction of those who capture and detain them, chapter 46, Bel is broken, etc.; in the third he promises the liberation of the Jews, chapter 48: Hear this, house, etc. The first is divided into two. In the first he announces beforehand the liberator; in the second he shows the resulting benefit, Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, etc. The first is divided into three. In the first he foretells the power of the liberator; in the second he describes his nativity, Drop down dew, you heavens, etc.; in the third he refutes the contradiction of unbelievers, there, Woe to him who contradicts, etc.

Concerning the first, two things. First he sets down the summit of power to which he was exalted, against three things which are wont to escape the hand of a king: either on account of multitude; and as to this he says, to my Christ, that is, to the king, not on account of anointing, but on account of royal dignity: because among them kings were anointed. I have taken his right hand, as a helper of his works, nations, diverse, etc., Deuteronomy 28: the Lord will give enemies, etc. Or on account of strength; and as to this he says: I will go before you, preparing a place for your victory, sending your terror into the adversaries: the glorious ones, powerful above others, like the Babylonians: the brazen gates, the most powerful cities. Psalm 106: who broke the brazen gates, etc. Or on account of concealment; and as to this he says: and I will give you treasures, of diverse kings, whose cities he took. Job 12: he reveals deep things out of darkness, etc.

Second, he sets down the fruit of this benefit: and first in himself; second in others, that they may know, those who from the rising, etc. Concerning the first, two things. First he sets down the fruit of power required by God in Cyrus, namely of his own knowledge: that you may know that I, etc., Romans 4: who calls the things that are not, etc.; and of the liberation of the people, for the sake of my servant, etc., namely so that you may liberate him from captivity, Esther 3: who knows whether for this reason to the kingdom, etc. Second he shows that this benefit, on the part of Cyrus himself, is in part frustrated: and I called, foretelling your name: I have likened you, in this to my other saints, whose names were foretold beforehand by the Lord: you have not known me, to be the only true God, remaining in idolatry. I have girded you, with strength, etc., Proverbs 1: I called and you refused, etc.

That they may know. Here he shows the fruit in others: and first he shows that in others he seeks the fruit of the knowledge of himself. Who from the rising, that is, those dwelling through the whole world. This was fulfilled in that Cyrus wrote the praise of God everywhere in his letters; or because all praised God together, seeing the liberation of the Jews. Psalm 82: let them know that your name, etc. Second he proposes an argument for his divinity, by which he can be known in this, that he is able to afflict and to liberate, I am the Lord, etc. Light, the day or consolation: evil, of punishment. Amos 3: if there is evil in a city, etc., Ecclesiasticus 42: God has made all things double, etc.

Drop down dew. Here he describes the nativity of Cyrus under the metaphor of the fruit of a tree, for whose generation the moisture of the earth and rain and dew from heaven are required; so in the nativity of Cyrus the divine mercy concurs, intending to liberate its people through him; and the lower nature, which is signified. Hence he does three things. He describes the rising, drop down dew: the fruit of the nativity, and let justice arise: and the first principle of the nativity, I the Lord, etc. Let them rain the just one, neuter or masculine: or by heaven and clouds, the prophets and other just men who, by foretelling him, and by asking for him from God with tears, in a certain way rained him down. Psalm 71: he shall come down like rain, etc.

Woe to him who contradicts. Here he excludes the contradiction of unbelievers: and first under the metaphor of a craftsman shaping clay: because just as clay does not contradict the potter, so neither should the Jews contradict God, not believing that anyone could arise who would overcome the Babylonians. Of the Samian, earthen vessels, because this art was invented in the city of Samos, without hands, as if without the proper working of a hand, or as flagons have hands. Above, 29: as if the clay against the potter, etc., Romans 9: shall the thing formed say, etc. Second, under the metaphor of a father begetting, woe to him who says, as if: I am the father procreating Cyrus, and like a mother conceiving him in purpose; and therefore you ought not to contradict me in this, just as neither should one contradict a mother who is begetting. Below, 66: shall I who cause others to bring forth, etc.; or he speaks against those diviners who, from the birth of Cyrus, pronounced many future evils, saying it would be better if he were not born. Or against those among the Jews who said: why do we beget sons, that they should be born into captivity?

Thus says the Lord, etc. Here he sets down the benefit of the liberator: and first as to the liberation of the Jews; second as to the conversion of the Gentiles, for thus says the Lord, etc. Concerning the first, three things. First he shows his authority for foretelling future things: his, namely Cyrus's, maker, the fashioner, concerning the sons, the Jews, to be liberated, or whatever others I will to be born, and not the idols. Above, 8: shall not a people, etc.; but the Gloss reads it ironically. Second he foretells the liberation, showing his own power, he who promises, I have made. Their host, namely of the heavens, I have commanded, prefixing to each its office and nature. Above, 40: who brings out their host by number, etc.; and the direction of the one executing it: I have raised up, to dignity, him, Cyrus, (the past for the future) unto justice, to be done concerning the Chaldeans. Proverbs 3: in all your ways think, etc.; and he promises liberation: he himself, namely Cyrus, shall build, promising, and giving expenses for the building. Below, 52: you were sold for nothing, etc.

Third, there Thus says the Lord, etc., he promises the exaltation of the liberated as to three things. First as to the adherence of strangers, setting down the adherence: the labor of Egypt, their riches, and they themselves, as to the many who followed them, Zechariah 8: ten men shall take hold, etc., or he speaks of those who clung to Christ, the labor, in idols, shall cease. The trade, earthly. And the subjection of those adhering: they shall walk after you, subject to you, bound in chains, that is, in bonds of the hands, as if so humbled before you as those who are bound in such a way, or in the bonds of the precepts of Christ. Below, 40: they shall come bent to you, etc.; and setting down also the confession of the truth, only in you, namely saying these things. Hidden, not visible like our gods; savior, not weak. Psalm 17: he made darkness his hiding place, etc. Second he shows their exaltation as to the confusion of enemies, they are confounded, etc., Micah, last chapter: the nations shall see, etc. Third as to the perpetual salvation of the Jews: Israel is saved forever. Unless he shall have sinned, or concerning the spiritual Israel. Zephaniah 3: the king of Israel, the Lord, etc.

For thus says the Lord. Here he sets down another benefit as to the conversion of the Gentiles: and concerning this he does three things. First he brings forward five reasons leading to conversion; of which the first is taken from the creation of things, he himself, God, forming, etc., Psalm 145: who made heaven and earth, etc.; the second from the love of men, because he gave them the earth as a habitation, not in vain, etc., (Psalm 113): the heaven of heaven to the Lord, etc.; the third from the manifestation of the truth preached, not in secret, as those things which natural reason dictates are to be done; or concerning the preaching of the Christian faith. John 18: I have spoken openly, etc.; the fourth from the usefulness of the precepts, I have not said to the seed, etc., Psalm 18: in keeping them, etc.; the fifth from the equity of the precepts, I the Lord, etc., below, 63: I who speak justice, etc.

Second, there assemble yourselves, he enjoins upon the Jews the calling of the Gentiles, recalling their own salvation: assemble yourselves, as it were to hear my command, you who are saved, liberated from the captivity of the nations. Below, the last chapter: I will send from those who are saved, etc.; setting down also the necessity of calling, the error, namely of the Gentiles, they have not known who lift up, Baruch, last chapter: you shall see in Babylon gods, etc.; enjoining the announcement of his praise, announce; in which he enjoins the office, take counsel, how you ought to convert others. Psalm 95: announce among the nations, etc., who has caused to be heard, in which he teaches them an argument for his divinity, for converting others, namely from the foreknowledge of future things: and he sets down the reason, and the conclusion there, is it not, therefore, etc., Ecclesiasticus 42: declaring the things that have passed, etc.

Third he invites the Gentiles to conversion: and first the invitation is set down, be converted, etc., Zechariah 1: turn to me, etc. Second he foretells their conversion, setting down the sign of adoration, by myself: because I have no greater one by whom to swear. Hebrews 6; it shall not return, without effect. Below, 55: so shall the word be, etc. Shall be bent, by Christians, which is the manner of adoring the Redeemer, according to Damascene, Philippians 2: in the name of Jesus, etc.; setting down also the sign of swearing, and shall swear: because each one swears by his own god. Psalm 62: all shall be praised who swear, etc.; setting down also the sign of true confession: therefore in the Lord, that is, in the person of the Lord, my, namely God's: Apocalypse 1: to him be glory and dominion, or my, namely the Church's, justice, the figure of the law of the Jews. Third he foretells the confusion of unbelievers: to him shall come, as it were to be judged, those who do not come as believers, on the day of judgment. Fourth, the salvation of believers: in the Lord shall all the seed be justified, not only according to the flesh, but according to faith. Psalm 108: let those who rise up against me be confounded, etc.

Mystically, drop down dew, concerning the nativity of Christ. In which three things: the principle of the nativity, the rising of the one being born, and the fruit of the nativity. The principle is threefold. The first is the heaven dropping dew, as it were the effective principle, namely the operation of the three persons, on account of which heavens is plural. The Father by sending the Son. Galatians 4: when the fullness came, etc., the Son by assuming flesh. Philippians 2: he humbled himself, etc., the Holy Spirit by bringing about the conception. Matthew 1: for that which is born in her, etc. The second principle is the cloud raining, which is the preparatory principle; in which is taken the office of the Angel announcing. Job 37: the clouds scatter, etc., Luke 1, the prophecy of the prophets. Psalm 17: dark water, etc., Romans 1: he had promised before through the prophets, etc., the desire of the just. Psalm 103: you make the cloud an ascent, Malachi 3: presently he shall come, etc. The third principle is the earth budding forth, which is the receptive principle, namely the blessed Virgin; concerning whom in Psalm 84: our earth shall yield, etc.; whose affection is opened for finding the privilege of grace. Luke 1: fear not, Mary, etc., Proverbs, last chapter: many daughters have gathered together, etc., the understanding, for believing the word of the Angel. Luke 1: blessed are you who have believed, etc., the womb, for conceiving the Son of God. Behold you shall conceive in the womb, etc., Luke 1: but the rising is compared to dew, to rain, and to the sprout. Because Christ is dew for refreshing. Above, 18: like a cloud of dew, etc., rain for fructifying. Psalm 71: he shall come down like rain, etc., below, 55: as the shower and the snow, etc., a sprout for bearing fruit. Jeremiah 23: I will raise up David, etc. The fruit is justice, which arises with him, threefold: which he fulfilled in deed: Matthew 3: thus it becomes us, etc., which he taught in word: below, 63: I who speak, etc., which he gave as a gift. 1 Corinthians 1: he was made unto us wisdom, and sanctification, and justice, etc.