Commentary on Isaiah (Super Isaiam)

Who has believed? Here he begins to set down remedies against the obstacles spoken of: and first, against sin, he promises the passion of Christ; second, against dejection, he promises exaltation, chapter 54: Give praise, thou barren; third, against poverty, he promises the free enjoyment of things, (chapter 55), All you that thirst.

On the first point, two things. First he shows the loftiness of the mystery, because it is not easily believed even by report. By report — of those things which we have heard from you concerning Christ. (Abdias): We have heard a report, etc.; Habacuc 3: Lord, I have heard your hearing, and I feared. Nor is it easily seen — and the arm, that is, the Son of God, the power of God. Job 40: If you have an arm like God.

Second, he pursues the order of what came to pass: and first, setting forth a likeness as to his exaltation: and he shall ascend — being born from his mother's womb, rising again from death, ascending from the world into heaven, and into the faith of the nations — like a young shoot, which grows upward and multiplies broadly. Above, 11: There shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall rise out of his root. And as to his humanity: and as a root out of thirsty ground — that is, out of ground without moisture, which by reason of its dryness appears unlovely; so too he himself was born of his mother without male moisture. Apocalypse, last chapter: I am the root of David.

Second, he sets down the exposition of the likeness: there is not. And first as to his humiliation; second as to his exaltation, from anguish.

On the first, two things. First he describes Christ's humility; second, the meekness of the humbled one, he was offered.

On the first, three things. First he describes the office of humility; second, the contempt of the humbled one, and as it were hidden; third, the fruit of the humiliation, but he was wounded.

On the first, two things. First his humility is shown as to the concealment of his majesty: there is not to him beauty — as to the abundance of interior goods — nor comeliness — as to the abundance of exterior goods: for beauty properly regards loveliness as to the proportion of the members, but comeliness regards the fittingness of color and of the other things surrounding it. He had, indeed, beauty, for he was beautiful in form beyond the sons of men (Psalm 44); but it lay hidden on account of the weakness he had assumed. He had comeliness, for strength and comeliness are his clothing, Proverbs, last chapter; but it lay hidden on account of the poverty he kept. Whence Canticles 2: Let your voice sound in my ears. And therefore we — who were then unbelieving and afterward converted, in whose person he speaks — saw him, bodily, and there was no — magnificent — appearance, according to what is said, that the beauty of Priam was worthy of empire.

Second, his humility is shown as to the manifestation of weakness: and we desired him, awaiting him with desire as a great redeemer. Aggeus 2: Behold, the desired of all nations shall come. And in dignity, against which we saw him despised, inglorious, the most abject of men, on account of the most shameful kind of death. Wisdom 2: Let us condemn him to a most shameful death. Proverbs 30: I am the most foolish of men. Great also in prosperity; against which we find him a man of sorrows, as it were wretched, full of sorrows. Lamentations 1: O all you who pass by the way, attend and see if there is sorrow like my sorrow. Great also in power; against which we find him knowing infirmity, by experience. 2 Corinthians, last chapter: For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he lives by the power of God.

And as it were hidden. Here he shows the contempt of the humbled one: and first as to the majesty concealed in the withdrawal of honor, as it were hidden — majesty lying concealed beneath the weakness of the flesh. Whence we esteemed him not — not paying him the honor due. Above, 45: Truly you are a hidden God.

Second, as to the weakness displayed, setting down the sign of that weakness: truly — as a true man — infirmities: weaknesses, such as hunger and thirst, he bore, he sustained; sorrows, sensible ones, in the passion; and sadness — or, taking infirmities as sins — he took away from us, or, in our place, he sustained the punishments. 1 Peter 2: He bore our sins upon the wood.

Setting down also the contempt: and we esteemed him as it were a leper, unclean and a sinner, and therefore struck by God — for his own sins, as to the punishments — and humbled, as to the disgraces. Job 22: For your very great malice, and your infinite iniquities. And 39: They abhor, etc.

Note on that word: And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? — that Christ is the arm, first, for scourging the demons. Psalm 88: With the arm of your strength you have scattered your enemies. Second, for supporting the weak. Above, 40: In his arm he will lift up the lambs. Third, for defending the faithful. Wisdom 5: His right hand shall rule them.

Likewise on that word, young shoot — that Christ is the rod, first, for striking. Numbers 24: A star shall rise out of Jacob, and a rod shall spring up from Israel; second, for sustaining. Psalm 22: Your rod and your staff, they have comforted me. Third, for directing. Psalm 44: The rod of your direction.

Likewise on that word, a root out of the ground — that Christ is the root, first, on account of its being hidden. Ecclesiasticus 1: To whom has the root of wisdom been revealed? Second, on account of the ministering of nourishment. Jeremias 17: He shall be like a tree that sends out its roots toward moisture. Third, on account of the sustaining of the whole tree. Romans 11: You do not carry the root.

But he was wounded. Here he sets down the fruit of the humiliation, or of the passion: and first he assigns the moving reason: but he, not as we thought, was wounded — with thorns, nails, the lance — for our iniquities, to be taken away. Bruised — with scourges and blows. Or, wounded, as to what is said, struck; bruised, as to what is said, humbled. Lamentations 4: The spirit of our mouth, Christ the Lord.

Second, he shows the benefit that follows, in the reconciliation of peace: the chastisement of peace — that is, he himself, for us, sustained the chastisement of correction; through which peace we have access to God. Romans 5: For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son; and in the restoration of lost health, by his bruise, which he had from the rods. 1 Peter 2: By whose bruise you were healed. Psalm 102: Who is propitious to all your iniquities, who heals all your infirmities.

Third, he shows the necessity impending on our part, because all were infirm: whence all need a physician, and no other could supply a sufficient remedy. Romans 3: For there is no distinction between the Jew and the Greek: for all have sinned, and need penance. All we like sheep — 1 Peter 2: You were once as sheep not having a shepherd.

He was offered. Here he shows the meekness of the sufferer; and first he sets forth this meekness itself, and first as to his voluntary offering of himself: he was offered — to God the Father, for us, as a victim; Psalm 53: I will freely sacrifice to you. Second, as to his patient suffering: and he opened not his mouth — as one contradicting and contending: even before Herod he answered nothing, Luke 23. Lamentations 4: Out of the mouth of the Most High, etc.

Second, he sets down a likeness: as a sheep to the slaughter — because he was killed without resistance — and as a lamb, suffering injury without contradiction. Jeremias 11: I am as a lamb that is carried to be a victim.

Note on that word, the most abject — that Christ was the most abject, first on account of the bitterness of his sorrow. Lamentations 1: O all you who pass by the way, attend and see if there is sorrow like my sorrow. Second, on account of the shamefulness of his death. Wisdom 2: Let us condemn him to a most shameful death. Third, on account of the greatness of the crime laid upon him. Proverbs 30: I am the most foolish of men, and the wisdom of men is not with me.

Likewise on that word, a man of sorrows — that Christ was full of sorrows, first on account of the necessity of the malady. Above, 1: From the sole of the foot even to the crown there is no soundness in it. Second, on account of the outpouring of graces. John 1: Of his fullness we have all received grace. Third, on account of our obligation. 2 Corinthians 5: For this Christ has died, etc.

From anguish. Having set down the humility of the passion, here he begins to set forth the glory of the exaltation, which is the reward of the passion, as is said, Philippians 2: For which cause God has exalted him. And first as to the escaping of dangers; second as to the vengeance upon his enemies, and he shall give the wicked; third as to the justification of men, if he shall lay down; fourth as to the victory over rebels, therefore will I distribute.

On the first, two things. First he sets down the reward: from anguish — of the passion; from judgment — the unjust judgment by which he was judged by others — he was taken up, in the resurrection. Proverbs 11: The just man is delivered out of anguish.

Second, he sets down the merit, setting forth the dignity of the sufferer, so that from the condition of the person the merit of the passion might be weighed: his generation — the eternal one, by which he is from the Father without a mother, or the temporal one, by which he is from a mother without a father — who? As it were no one, by natural reason, although in some measure by divine inspiration. Ecclesiasticus 43: Who has seen him, and shall declare?

Setting down also the passion inflicted upon him: for he was cut off — by death, at the hands of the Jews — out of the land of the living — out of this life. Jeremias 12: Come, let us put wood into his bread, and root him out of the land of the living.

Setting down also, on the part of God the Father, the acceptance of the passion: for the wickedness I struck — I permitted him to be struck. 1 Peter 3: Christ once for our sins, etc.

And he shall give the wicked. Here he sets down the second point, namely the vengeance upon those who persecuted him: and first he sets down the reward: and he shall give the wicked — the Jews, into the hands of the Romans — for burial — because they had him guarded in the sepulcher. Proverbs 21: For the just shall be given, etc.

Second, he sets down the merit as to the innocence of his life: because he did no iniquity — as to the sin of deed; in his mouth — as to the sin of the mouth. 1 Peter 2: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. And as to his obedience unto death: and the Lord — the Father — willed. And he himself was obedient to the Father even unto death. Philippians 2: Become obedient unto death. 1 Corinthians 1: That which is weak of God is stronger than men.

If he shall lay down. Here he sets down the third point, namely that through him the justification of men was accomplished: and first he sets down the reward against the sorrow of death, if he shall lay down — of his own will. John 10: I lay down my life. He shall see a long-lived seed — unto the end of the world, sons being regenerated for him by the power of his death. John 12: Unless the grain of wheat falling into the ground be dead, itself remains alone; but if it be dead, it brings forth much fruit. And the will shall be directed — shall be fulfilled — in his hand — in his work. 1 Thessalonians 4: This is the will of God, your sanctification. And against the labor of teaching: because he labored — in preaching and going about — he shall see — the nations converted to him — and shall be satisfied — as one having what he intends. John 4: I have food to eat which you know not.

Second, he sets down the merit as to the exercise of preaching: by knowledge — that is, by teaching. Romans 5: Justified freely by faith. John 6: Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. And as to the torment of death: iniquities — that is, the punishments for iniquities. Above, 46: I have made, I will bear.

Therefore will I distribute. Here he sets down the fourth point, namely the victory over enemies: and first he sets down the subjection of the enemies: therefore will I distribute — as it were, I will give him his portion — the many — who shall believe in him — and he shall divide the spoils of the strong — that is, of those held captive by the demons — to his disciples, setting different ones over different nations. Osee 13: He shall snatch away the treasure of every desirable vessel. Psalm 67: The king of powers, of the beloved, beloved, and of the beauty of the house, to divide the spoils.

Second, he sets down the reason of the subjection: as to death, because he delivered — and as to the kind of death, and with the wicked. Luke 23: And there were crucified with him two malefactors. Psalm 87: I am reckoned with them that go down into the pit.

Third, the salvation of those subjected. For he did not subject them to himself as a tyrant, to torment them, but to save them. And he himself bore the sin of many — efficiently, though of all sufficiently — took it away, and prayed for the transgressors. Luke 23: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.