Commentary on Isaiah 1 part 8/23

For since he himself has been made to be mocked in turn (for this, it is said, is 'the chief of the Lord's creation, made to be mocked by his angels':

whence the one who perceives the sin worked in him by the devil says: 'For my loins,' he says, 'are filled with mockeries.'

And nearly as Samson, having become spoil for the Philistines through fornication, was blinded by them and led forth to be mocked, so also everyone whom sin has blinded is mocked by strangers.

But the Lord does not threaten that he himself will set these mockers in place, as he does the youthful rulers; rather he said that they would rule of their own accord, from whatever things each one, through his own deeds, draws upon himself the being ruled by them.

Perhaps, then, because those who were about to crucify the Lord mocked him before the cross, they were handed over to a younger dominion, that of the Romans;

and mockers gained dominion over them, those who did not have the truth within themselves.

And if you see a Church being led by those who enslave the word through cunning, and by liars speaking in hypocrisy, know that mockers have dominion over her — those who, through fair speech and persuasive words, deceive the more simple-hearted.

'And the people shall clash with one another, man against man, and man against his neighbor.'

The Prophet is describing directly the events before the capture of Jerusalem (this last capture, after which they were handed over to the dispersion), no longer advancing his discourse through prophetic riddles, but recounting the very facts nakedly and openly;

when, clashing with one another, they filled the city with sedition and murder, not even being driven together into the necessary concord by the enemies who surrounded them, but, while struggling over the last extremities, with the city already being taken, the walls being thrown down, the enemies pouring in, they attacked one another out of love of power and love of primacy.

And they suffered these things because the Prophet and the diviner and the elder and the Wonderful Counselor had been taken away from them;

and youths were set as rulers over them, and mockers had dominion over them.

'And the child shall stumble against the elder, the dishonored against the honored.'

He goes on to describe the peculiar features of the confusion.

For it is characteristic of sedition to distinguish nothing, but even for the child to be displeased with the elder, and to stumble against his teachings;

and the dishonored, because he has been insulted in the passion of dishonor, will wish to be considered more venerable than the honored one.

But I fear lest these things reach even unto us, and these prophecies apply to the present time;

when children, young in age and even more youthful in manner, offend against the elders of the Church, neither accepting their sacred ministrations nor preserving the fitting order of the Church.

And whenever those who have lived wickedly wage war against those who have conducted themselves well, the dishonored offend against the honored.

For do we not see men every day, rising up from drunkenness and gluttony, from brothels, disputing about God and passing judgment on the honored ones of the people? 'For a man shall take hold of his brother, or of one close to his father's house, saying:'

'and let my food be under your authority.'

...of the capture, when, wasted away by famine, so that they even fell into eating one another, they went over to those who seemed to have resources, calling upon them for their protection;

The true ruler is not recognized from external tokens, such as purple, robe, and diadem, but from possessing the virtue befitting rule.

For the one who is ruled by pleasures and led by various desires, being a slave of sin, is unfit for ruling.

Yet here the evidence of being able to rule comes not from the soul being adorned, but from the wearing of garments.

But let us pray that the rulers of the Churches and the leaders of the people may have their testimony not from external attire and the outward display they bear, but from the truth itself, so that we may say:

'Not because your exterior has been adorned and the semblance of piety has been sufficiently achieved by you, but because God has clothed your soul with the garment of salvation and the tunic of gladness, and has magnified you with every kind of wealth — become our leader, so that from the abundance of your word and wisdom and good works, we may find, through your ministry, prosperity in the enjoyment of spiritual things.'

'And let my food be under you,' that is, let the ration of grain be under your authority.

'And answering, he shall say in that day:'

'for there is no bread in my house, nor a garment.'

Furthermore, the passage still hints at matters pertaining to sedition, in relation to the historical narrative, describing the utter fall of the people, such that those who were being drawn upon for protection were not even provided with a single garment.

but each one lays hold of whoever he happens to meet, and does not choose the one who is worthy, but the one who is his own kin;

nor the one who is able to save, but the one who is related to him by family;

"For a man," he says, "will lay hold of his brother, and of the kinsman of his father's house"

May this never happen in the leadership of the Churches, that anyone at all should lay hold of anyone at all, one who lacks the wedding garment and is bereft of fitting adornment;

one destitute of spiritual food, and having in his house — that is, in the hidden place of his heart — no true and living bread able to strengthen the heart of man

But now I fear that among the Jewish faction there were some who considered themselves unworthy to rule over others, on account of their awareness of the poverty within them;

whereas among those of the present time, even if some are not clothed with Christ, nor have a heart of compassion, according to the Apostle, yet if anyone lays hold of them they do not refuse, and even if no one lays hold of them, many thrust themselves in; and many are self-appointed office-seekers, pursuing the present splendor but not foreseeing the judgment to come.

But he who was in all things obedient and ready to listen, when he was being sent to the people, [heard]:

"Do not seek to become a judge, lest you lack the strength to remove injustices."

The prophetic word, however, does not say that the refusal of those dragged to rule by the factious ones occurred universally;

"I will not be leader of this people;"

"For Jerusalem is undone, and Judea has collapsed, and their tongues, together with lawlessness, disobey the things of the Lord"

For Jerusalem, which was until now held together by the hand of the Lord with the bond of union, is now undone and cast out

And Judea has collapsed, its supports having been taken away

what zeal is there for pleasing God, and what eagerness for repentance, so that from this there might be hope that the terrible things would cease? But "their tongues disobey the things of the Lord," and they do not merely disobey, but "together with lawlessness"

Inasmuch as, because their heart has been estranged from God and is unsubmissive to the divine law, their tongue — which ought to meditate on the law of the Lord night and day — instead contradicts and disobeys

For Jerusalem? But she has been cast out and undone

For Judea? But she no longer stands upright;

For those who repent? But they disobey with their tongues

Perhaps then, because of the glory that formerly existed, to rule over such people still seemed a dignified thing;

But "their glory has been humbled," he says, "and the shame of their face has risen up against them"

That is, they do not even have the boldness to lift up their face to God, because their sin is not an ordinary one, but is worthy to be compared with that of the Sodomites — a sin which they committed not secretly nor with shame, but as though glorying in the practice of wickedness, they announced it to all and displayed it openly; just as those Sodomites, rushing upon their lawless pleasures, did not conceal their licentiousness with fair-sounding words

"For where," he says, "are the men who came in to you? Bring them out to us, that we may know them"

They imitated that sin

For they announced and displayed openly their sin, as that of Sodom

Whoever comes upon the history recounting the sufferings that preceded the destruction of Jerusalem will be amazed at the vividness of this prophecy

his own inability, and the difficulty of the matters, since the peoples were hard to correct because of the great outpouring of sin

Both of these things the present passage contains:

concerning his own inability, in the words of him who disavows the rulership, saying,

"There is no bread in my house, nor a garment"

And the incurable condition of the people is shown by what follows, namely:

"I will not be ruler of this people, for Jerusalem is undone and Judea has collapsed"

"And their tongues, together with lawlessness, disobey the things of the Lord"

"For they announced and displayed their lawlessness, as that of Sodom"

For not even one man could have been able to save the Sodomites; rather, they needed at least ten righteous men interceding for them

"Woe to their soul, for they have devised an evil plan against themselves, saying:"

"Therefore they will eat the fruits of their own works"

These things, then, the Prophet says, lamenting the people, after he saw that they had grown as shameless in sinning as Sodom — so that they did not even sin with concealment and covering, but boasted shamelessly and took pride in shameful deeds:

"Woe to their soul, for they have devised an evil plan against themselves, saying:"

The plans devised against the righteous return upon the heads of those who devised them, just as arrows striking against solid and resistant bodies rebound back upon those who shot them

"They devised a plan against themselves, saying:"

The Jews did these very things at the coming of the Lord;

for having bound him, they led him to Caiaphas

"They will eat the fruits of their own works"

And these are the fruits of those works:

the captivity, the dispersion, the destruction of the temple, the fall from glory, the shame of their face which does not allow them to look up to God, because of their sin against the Only-Begotten

They have therefore lost their former boldness, having neither prophets nor worship;

having bound Righteousness, having bound the Savior, having bound the Physician, having bound the Liberator (all of which, according to the various conceptions concerning him, is Christ), they have been deprived of light, deprived of the Word, deprived of truth;

they live together with injustice, they suffer from an incurable disease

These are the fruits of the works which they eat

"Evil things will befall him according to the works of his hands"

We say that these words are spoken concerning the divine judgment, which renders to each according to his worth

"Woe to the lawless one, for evil things will befall him according to his works" — but for the one in whom the injustice did not proceed into deed, but was accomplished only in the secret place of the heart, will punishment not be brought upon him also, so that the "Woe" should apply to him too? Or rather, having spoken of the complete degree in wickedness, he has left it for you to understand by proportion what is lacking

For perfect wickedness is to sin both in intention and in deeds;

but it is half of the evil when the sin stops at the impulse that arises in the mind, without proceeding further

The one who sins in thought, then, is not entirely without punishment; rather, by however much he falls short of the full extent of evil, by that much will his sufferings be diminished for him

"Woe, then, to the lawless one, for evil things will befall him according to his transgressions and according to the works of his hands," because the hands are the instruments of the intention

Just as, then, the ruling part moves, so also the operative part is moved accordingly

"My people, your exactors glean you like stubble, and those who demand payment lord it over you"

This is the voice of one calling the people back and grieving together with those who are mistreated: "My people"

And such are we, repenting in a mean, cheap, and fruitless manner

"For whatever a man sows, this he will also reap"

He, then, who with worthy repentance sows richly unto the Spirit — mercy, compassion, supplication, righteousness, unceasing tears — this man, sowing in tears, will reap in exultation, gathering in the sheaves of repentance, so as to pay the whole debt to the exactor

But he who, in repentance for former sins, sows little in almsgiving, in prayer, nourishing a stalk barren of fruit, will not even be permitted to keep even that by the exactor

But who this exactor is, let us learn from the exhortation in the Gospel, where the Lord says:

"For as you go with your adversary to the ruler, make an effort along the way to be released from him, lest he drag you to the Judge, and the Judge hand you over to the exactor, and the exactor throw you into prison"

Consider, then, the adversary there, and the way;

then the ruler who presides over our adversary

For the way is our life;

and the adversary is the power that wrestles against us and accompanies our life, contriving by every scheme to turn us aside from the way that leads to God;

And the ruler — that is, the ruler of this world — concerning whom the Lord has said:

"Now comes the ruler of this world, and he will find nothing in me."

But in the Lord he found nothing, because "He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth" — he who was tempted in all things according to likeness, yet without sin.

Whenever, then, he finds much in us, dragging us along by the many cords of our own sins with which we have bound ourselves, he will hand us over to the Judge.

And the Judge, to whom the Father has given all judgment, having received from the enemy and avenger those convicted on many charges, will hand them over to the officer appointed over the punishments,

who will cast them into prison, that is, into the place of punishment, exacting and extorting through grievous scourges even the smallest of the sins we committed with contempt,

let us do the works that lead to release from the enemy, and not wait to be led away whenever the final hour comes;

in which hour the ruler, standing over us, will thoroughly search us out;

and if he finds much of his own in our life, he will hand us over to the Judge, convicting us and not permitting denial, reminding us of the place in which we committed the sin, as one who was present with us and cooperated with us in the evil, of the manner we practiced, and of the disposition with which we sinned.

Therefore, while we are still masters of our own action, let us make it our task to be freed from the adversary.

"And those who exact debts rule over you."

Those who exact payment from the poor who are burdened with many debts drag them into slavery.

It is good, then, not to incur debt;

and second, not to lack the means to discharge the debt.

But if not, it is altogether necessary to be a slave to the demands imposed upon him.

These things are said because of: "Your exactors glean you like gleaners of stubble, and those who exact debts rule over you."

"My people, those who call you blessed lead you astray, and confound the path of your feet."

Those who are governed by youths and ruled by mockers, those who are gleaned by exactors and, because they lack the means to settle their debts, are led into slavery, and who have lost their freedom on account of excessive poverty — these deserve rather to be pitied than to be called blessed.

He, then, who calls such people blessed, doing the work of a flatterer, bestowing favor beyond what is fitting, leads them astray, causing no small harm, and takes away their perception of their own sins;

and of those who are deceived by an unworthy blessing, the path of their feet is also thrown into confusion.

He said generally, "people," showing that it is not only this one man in a lowly condition, as being among the sufferings enumerated, but that the whole people in general — being a gathering of human beings, assembled from various occupations, ages, and ways of life — cannot fall equally under a single blessing.

For different misfortunes, in different ways, wear each person down;

one is worn by the hardships of old age, another by the evils of slavery;

another by poverty, others by the loss of family;

How, then, is the blessing that is proclaimed to the whole people not deceptive? The Lord, however — even though he indicates a multitude through his beatitudes ("Blessed are the poor in spirit," and "Blessed are those who hunger," and "Blessed are those who weep") — by addressing those present, shows that the number of those blessed is a countable one.

and, "Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled."

But if the way is narrow and few are those who find it, how can those who are blessed be many? So that anyone who calls the whole people blessed altogether leads it astray and disturbs it, not allowing it to travel in peace.

It is easy for those who are inattentive to be captured by the passion of praise, since each person, through self-love, is readily led away by the deceptions arising from flatteries.

It belongs to a man who is truly profited neither to be humbled when he falls under the slanders of some, nor to be cast down on that account, nor readily to swell up and be puffed with pride through ignorance of his own condition on account of praises.

Since the "path" is the road worn smooth and traveled by those who have gone before, he who does not allow those who fall short of the zeal of their predecessors to come to a painful realization of this, but instead calls those who sin blessed as though they were succeeding rightly, throws the path of their feet into confusion.

"But now the Lord will arise for judgment, and will set his people to judgment."

All things — both what is now brought upon each, and what pertains to the age to come — are distributed by divine judgment and understanding, according to a wisdom hard to explain, to each according to his worth.

the people transgressed the law, and the Lord brought such things upon them.

Or perhaps the word "now," as applied to us, signifies the instantaneous and indivisible point of time;

but with God all things lie present according to the sense of "now."

For nothing has passed away for him, nor is anything future, but all things are present;

and the things we anticipate from far off are beheld by the divine eye as already present, so that with God "now" also embraces the age to come.

Since, then, the appointed time of judgment is not far off as regards God, we have understood "now" to refer to the universal judgment.

"He will arise for judgment," unfolding the words of his righteousness, according to which he renders a just recompense of such punishments for the same deeds, so that even those who are condemned agree that the judgment pronounced against them is most just.

"And he will set the Israelite people to judgment."

For as many as sinned under the law will be judged through the law, but the rest of the peoples no longer so;

because "as many as sinned without the law will also perish without the law";

and "the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment," but in condemnation.

For every lawgiver, judgment upon those who are judged according to the law he has written consists in the comparative examination of both the deed and the intention of the lawgiver.

"The word (he says) which I have spoken, this shall judge you," because our thoughts stand opposed to one another;

both the one set before us by the Lord, and the one that summons us toward sin.

For according to Hosea, "his own counsels shall encircle each man."

For we shall see all our deeds at once, as though standing present before us through memory, appearing face to face to our mind with their own particular forms, just as each was done, or as it was spoken.

For whenever the Lord shows that he has done, without omission, everything that was his part concerning the care of the nations that he undertook, he is said to prevail when he is judged against us.

It is not, however, fitting to suppose that lengths of time will be consumed for each person to see himself together with his own deeds, and the Judge, and the things that follow the divine tribunal; rather, by an ineffable power, in the twinkling of a moment, the mind forms an image and repaints all things for itself, beholding, as it were in a mirror in the governing faculty, the imprints of what was done.

"The Lord himself will come to judgment with the elders of the people, and with its rulers."

How the text also shows a more vehement stirring in the words, "The Lord himself will come to judgment";

for concerning the people it was said, "The Lord will arise for judgment, and will set his people to judgment";

but concerning the elders and the rulers, "The Lord himself will come to judgment."

First, that we may be taught that each of us will be judged in his own rank — the people, the elders, the rulers;

for the least is deserving of mercy's pardon, but the mighty shall be examined mightily.

For it does not belong to the judge to come to the judgment together with those being judged, but rather to those being judged to come together with one another to meet the judge.

But having come to judgment with them, he will immediately also bring an accusation reprovingly, saying:

"But you — why have you set my vineyard on fire, and why is the plunder of the poor in your houses? Why do you wrong my people?" Let us take counsel, we elders and rulers of the people, as to what we shall answer to him who accuses;

or rather, let us pray that such things worthy of such accusation may not be found in us.

"I entrusted to you a flourishing vine, altogether true, that through your care it might produce the fruits it ought;"

"but you not only let it run wild, but even set it on fire besides."

This happens whenever, in addition to not teaching what is necessary, we also let into the vineyard the conflagration arising from impiety, like some flame creeping everywhere and continually seizing what lies next to it.

Those who show branches once flourishing and prospering to have become dry, unseemly, and unfruitful, and those who do not quench the passions arising from the fiery darts of the devil, but by the slackness of their own manner of life allow much of this to occur, set the vineyard on fire.

But also he who, through pleasant covetousness, provokes many to desire what belongs to others, sets the vineyard on fire.

He accordingly adds: "And the plunder of the poor is in your houses."

So that even those who gather unjust possessions through plunder and violence give cause for the vineyard's burning, since, from the wicked example set by those in leadership, the whole people also is trained toward covetousness against one another.

We, then, elders and rulers, who do not cultivate the vineyard through sound teaching and good examples in our own manner of life, shall be accused of these very things.

And rightly shall we also hear, "And the plunder of the poor is in your houses";

if we keep in our own houses the things given for the purpose of the relief of the poor, defrauding the needy.

Why do you wrong my people and put to shame the face of the poor? It is the custom of those who commit injustice and defraud, whenever they are accused by those they have wronged, to shame them with insults and abuse, humiliating them, threatening blows, and slandering them as busybodies.

Not only, then (he says), do you wrong the poor man—who is easily plundered and easily plotted against because of his defenselessness—but you also shame the faces of the poor.

The shame that rightly belongs to you on account of your injustice, this you turn back upon the poor through your tyranny, persuading witnesses, hiring advocates, and corrupting the judges, until, in addition to the rest of your injustice, you have also brought upon the poor the shame that comes from false accusation.

This charge also becomes ours in another way, when, in cases of similar faults, we attack the poor severely, publicizing their faults and sparing no reproach, while displaying zeal for God against the poor, and by this shaming their faces.

But since there are some poor who are called blessed—those who for the sake of piety have despised all things and, in hope of the wealth that comes from God, have disdained worldly possessions—those who preside badly over the people, instead of blessing those who are thus poor, slander them and treat them with contempt, and debase their praiseworthy humility; they are rightly accused, especially if they are presbyters or rulers, as men who put to shame the faces of the holy poor.

Such was the poor John, having no house, no servant, no plow-ox, no plot of land, no bed, no table, no bread.

Such was each of the Saints, who went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated.

Because the daughters of Zion were exalted, and walked with outstretched neck and with wanton glances of the eyes, and with a mincing gait, trailing their tunics as they walked and playing with their feet, God will humble the princess-daughters of Zion.

Even though the passage primarily signifies something greater, nevertheless what is said also has, in itself, something useful and corrective for the multitude.

For it restrains the life of licentious women, who by their bearing, their glance, their gait, and their dress display a readiness for fornication.

For when, priding themselves on the beauty of their body, they exalt themselves above the rest, indulging in vain arrogance and being puffed up over a thing that quickly fades and flows away, they then carry their neck held high, so that their faces may be conspicuous to all.

But a modest and orderly woman, bowing her head to the ground out of shame, keeps her face drawn downward;

but the one who chooses to hunt many with the snare of her beauty walks with neck held high.

This is the mark of a woman who breathes fornication: to look about with curious eyes, to betray the licentiousness of her soul by her glance, to smile enticingly, to provoke lustfully with her eyes, to send forth from her eyes a certain destructive poison;

such as, indeed, the account holds concerning the basilisk, which they say destroys those who behold it by sight alone.

The high-held neck is a sign of not even being subject to the yoke of chastity;

and, being dainty and luxurious, to walk trailing the tunic, and to make one's gait not according to nature, but affectedly and languidly, to an unnatural, contrived rhythm.

Instead of these things, then, God will humble the princess-daughters of Zion.

Since they did not choose humility of their own will, but walked with neck held high, he says, He will humble their leaders, the daughters of Zion.

Even now, still, one may see in many places Jewish women playing wantonly with their feet, and not respecting the voice of the Prophet.

Would that the daughters of the Church might not also be accused of the same things!

For many, as is common among the multitude of those who come to the divine word, on the days of the feasts, not knowing spiritual gladness, give themselves over to indecent amusements, and wallow in revels and drunkenness, and do not keep the precept that says, Let your eyes look straight ahead;

but casting sidelong glances and turning aside their eyes, they exhibit a mark of an evil disposition.

In many places the winking of the eyes is condemned, as is observed in Proverbs concerning the wicked man, that He winks with his eye, and gives a sign with his foot.

He who winks with his eye deceitfully gathers up sorrows for men.

And the verse, Those who hate me without cause and wink with their eyes.