Commentary on Isaiah 1 part 17/65

'For the wolf shall feed together with the lamb,' he says, 'and the leopard shall rest together with the kid,' that is, through Christ the savage shall be joined to the tame, those in no way sacred to the sacred and holy.

For inasmuch as Israel was educated by the law and knew the ways of moderation, he was tame and meek, and at the same time sacred, and like a sheep and a goat;

and both are sacred and clean animals, and besides this they have obtained their tameness from nature itself.

But the wolf and the leopard, and indeed the lion also, are naturally savage and incompatible with the others;

yet in Christ this too has been set right.

For they were brought together with one another, both Jews and Greeks, making as it were a common food—that is, evidently, the evangelical and apostolic proclamation—and having come to be under one, the Chief Shepherd of all, who knows how to pasture them, as the prophet says, in a good pasture and in a rich place.

'But the calf also,' he says, 'and the bull and the lion shall feed together.'

He seems to call the freshly-grown and youthful people of those who have believed a 'calf'—that is, the one who is but an infant in Christ.

And by the 'bull' he perhaps means Israel, as being the elder-born.

For in point of time the bull takes precedence over the newborn calf.

That is to say, by the calf he indicates one who is surpassing in knowledge and virtue.

Such is the saying that the small shall be blessed by the Lord together with the great, and the aged together with the younger, according to the voice of the psalmist.

And the most wise John also knows such a maturity of mind and soul.

He writes to fathers and to little children, and besides these also to young men, likening, I think, the measure of each one's understanding—that is, of intelligence and knowledge of God—to the ages of the body.

'They shall feed, therefore,' he says, 'together and at the same time—the calf and the bull and the lion.'

And again he usefully interweaves the lion with the calf and the bull, so that once more you may understand enigmatically that those who have been justified in faith and have come under the scepter of Christ, the Savior of us all, are not only of the pure and holy—that is, of the tame and gentle, meaning those tamed through the Law—but also of the wild, which is to say plainly, of the Gentiles; for Christ, the Savior of us all, binds them together into oneness of soul and transmits the good that flows from thence even to children's children, that is, to those descended from them.

For the peace of Christ, and the good that comes from oneness of soul together with oneness of faith, extends even to this present time among us as well.

For this, I think, is what he indicates by adding that their little children shall be together, and the lion and the ox shall eat straw together, he says.

Observe that he did not speak of the tame passing over to the food accustomed to the wild, but of the wild passing over to that of the tame.

For the bear and the lion are admittedly flesh-eating, but the ox and the calf—or rather the kid—are no longer so;

rather, such animals as these are grass-eating.

'But the wild one,' he says, 'shall depart from its habitual ways.'

Rather it shall pass over to the food of the tame, for they too shall eat straw.

And the food may well be a figure of teachings.

It is therefore possible to consider that before faith in Christ the Gentiles had wicked teachers, who set before them a beast-like lesson and persuaded them to honor the works of corruption and destruction.

But since they have been called to the knowledge of the God who truly is, together with their ancient error they were also delivered from the lessons that had been bred up with them, coming to honor, along with those of Israel, the flowering and easily-crumbled food of the evangelical teachings.

'But also a little child,' he says, 'shall lead them'—that is, they shall be under teachers and instructors who have a mind that is neither bitter nor fond of cunning, but rather simple, and childlike in malice, yet wise in understanding.

And such are all who are in Christ, having the divine treasure in earthen vessels, and keeping their heart free from perversity and baseness, in no way falling short of newborn children.

For the Savior Himself says that such as these are worthy of the kingdom of heaven;

'For let the little children come,' He says, 'and do not hinder them from coming to Me;

for of such is the kingdom of heaven.' And that they will keep the utmost innocence in their mind, and will be unconquered and uncaptured, and stronger than all terrors, he intimates by saying:

'And a suckling child shall lay its hand upon the hole of asps, and upon the den of the asps' brood, and they shall in no way do harm, nor shall they be able to destroy anyone upon My holy mountain.' By the holes and dens of asps I think he names either the wicked bands of the demons, or, as it were, the houses and lurking-places of the unholy heretics;

so that we need not call them churches;

upon which those who are childlike in Christ, laying their hand many times over, easily prevail, being in no way harmed;

for it is Christ who defends them, and who does away with the bites of that malice of theirs, and renders the venom ineffective.

'For they shall in no way be able,' he says, 'to destroy anyone upon My holy mountain.'

By the holy mountain he means the Church, because of its being set on high as regards its glory, and the exaltedness of the doctrines within it.

For there is nothing lowly in us.

For we are not, perhaps, accustomed to attach reverence to the creature instead of to the Creator and Maker;

nor do we bring down the Word, God the Maker of all things, from the glory befitting Him, by numbering Him among the creatures.

And one might see that this too is true.

For where at all, or among whom, is Christ not named? Or what race of men has not submitted to Him? For 'every knee shall bow to Him, and every tongue shall confess to Him,' according to what is written, 'that the Lord Jesus Christ is to the glory of God the Father.'

'And it shall come to pass in that day that the root of Jesse, even He who rises up to rule the Gentiles—in Him shall the Gentiles hope, and His rest shall be honor.' Little by little the contemplation of the things obscurely spoken begins to shine forth, and what he uttered through enigmas he makes exceedingly clear to eager listeners.

For in what way shall the wolf feed with the lamb, and the leopard rest together with the kid, and the calf and the ox and the lion together eat straw; and when in fact shall these things be; and who are they that were once savage and harsh, but shall thereafter be tame and gentle, and shall somehow be mingled with the tame and the holy, pastured under one Chief Shepherd of all—he makes clear by saying:

'And there shall be the root of Jesse.'

But what shall He be, and over whom? 'So as to rule over,' he says, 'the Gentiles, and to become a hope also to those who have no hope'—that is, plainly, to the Gentiles themselves, to whom the most wise Paul also writes, saying:

'But now you who were once far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ.' But even though they were without hope and had no God in the world;

for they had worshiped the works of their own hands;

yet having been called through faith to the knowledge of Christ, they have been placed under Him, and have gained as their God Him who is God by nature and in truth, and have become partakers of the hope of the saints.

'And His rest,' he says, 'shall be honor.'

For if anyone should choose to understand the 'rest' in these words as signifying the death of Christ in the flesh, which He endured willingly for our sake—not as one submitting to death, for He was life by nature, but as it were causing the flesh to be at rest for a little while—

the matter is honor, and nothing else.

And indeed He said to the Father in heaven, when about to go to the precious cross:

'Father, glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You.' And again:

'Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him.' For insofar as it concerned the madness of those who crucified Him, and their unholy and hateful undertaking, the passion was a reproach and dishonor to Him.

For they supposed, perhaps, that He suffered even unwillingly.

But since He rose again, having despoiled Hades, and by the very deed declared Himself stronger than death, we shall find the outcome of the matter issuing into honor and glory for Him.

'Therefore,' he says, 'in this manner His rest shall be honor.'

But if anyone should wish to approach the contemplations in yet another way, he will take the force of what has been said in the following manner.

For Christ shall be to the Gentiles not for hope alone, but shall be manifested in due seasons—that is, shall rise up not only to rule over them, but shall also freely bestow upon them, for their honor and glory, the rest that is within them.

For the mind of the saints is His dear dwelling-place, and He lodges among the worthy, and rests in the holy souls of those who reverence Him, and to those who receive this gift it is honor and glory.

For what could there be, in terms of good repute, equal to having God lodging within and dwelling in the heart? Therefore in this manner also the rest of Him within us shall be honor to those who once for all are willing.

'the remnant of the people, whatever shall be left from the Assyrians, and from Egypt, and Babylonia and Ethiopia, and from the Elamites, and from the rising of the sun, and out of Arabia.' By 'day' in these words the prophet names the time at which the coming of Christ took place, and the mystery of the dispensation in the flesh of the Only-begotten was made manifest.

'Then indeed, at that time,' he says, 'the Lord shall display His own hand'—that is, there shall be a great demonstration of power;

and this not in vain, but for the sake of provoking to zeal the remnant that was left of the people, whatever shall be left from the Assyrians, he says, and from the other nations.

For in the times of long ago the nation of the Jews was worn down in no moderate degree, being ravaged, now by the Assyrians and Elamites, now by those from Egypt and Babylonia, and from the rising of the sun, and out of Arabia.

But afterward Christ, the all-mighty hand and all-working right hand of God the Father, shining forth, made Himself manifest through miracles, and hastened to give full assurance to those of Israel that He was in truth God, and the Son of God who is in truth.

For what among the greatly marvelous things was not accomplished among them? For all were fitting to God and wondrous, and had of the supreme power a clear and most evident demonstration.

'At that time, therefore,' he says, 'the Lord shall proceed to show His hand,' for the sake of provoking Israel to zeal, and, as it were, so as not to yield Christ to the Gentiles alone, but that they too should choose to have their hope upon Him, and indeed should seek to come under Him, and to make Him their ruler, guide, and teacher—Him who for this very cause became man.

'But I was appointed king by Him upon Zion, His holy mountain, proclaiming the decree of the Lord.' For Christ came, saying that He had not been sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

And indeed He preached first among them, and He also charged the holy apostles:

'Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter into a city of the Samaritans;

but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.' But since the wretched ones persisted, out of an exceedingly great madness, in outrageously insulting with their disobedience Him who had come to this end, He thereafter passed over to the Gentiles, and the last became first, and the first last.

For this reason indeed the prophet now also, inasmuch as he is a Spirit-bearing man, and has been enriched with the knowledge of things to come through the illumination from on high, first makes mention of the Gentiles, then after them of Israel, as of one cast behind those sanctified through faith, and set to the rear and among the remnant, according to what is written.

'And He shall raise a sign to the Gentiles, and shall gather the lost of Israel, and shall gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.'

'And the envy of Ephraim shall be taken away, and the enemies of Judah shall perish.'

'Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not afflict Ephraim.' In these words above all the prophet carries through for us a wonderful discourse.

And I think it necessary, so far as one may, to expound this too with clarity.

The nation of the Jews was torn asunder into division from itself;

and the ten tribes and half the tribe of Ephraim were removed to Samaria, while in Jerusalem there remained the tribe of Judah and half the tribe of Manasseh.

And at various times certain men reigned over both these and those:

in Jerusalem, those of the tribe of Judah;

and in Samaria, those of the tribe of Ephraim;

and much jealousy was kindled between the parties, and frequent wars, and risings up against one another, as is plainly recounted also in the books of the Kingdoms.

that is, their own Israel and Judah — namely, those in Samaria and those in Jerusalem;

then, being delivered from captivity, they returned again to their own land, and dwelt no longer in a divided state, but all together in Jerusalem;

and they ceased any longer to anoint over themselves, each side separately, kings and rulers, and to afflict one another, and to be jealous as before.

For at that time they came under one head, Zerubbabel the son of Salathiel, who was of the tribe of Judah, and moreover Jesus the son of Josedek, who held the primacy in the priesthood.

And such is the account according to the history in these matters.

But the prophet's aim was, from things more evident and from what had befallen those of old, to make manifest the achievements of the coming of our Saviour.

For when the sign had been raised up — that is, the precious Cross — and had become manifest to the nations and peoples throughout the whole inhabited world, there came a release for those in captivity (clearly the spiritual captivity), a running together toward unity of soul, a zeal for concord and for common faith among those long divided;

for those who had been yoked beneath many unholy tyrants (for they had been enslaved to the unclean spirits) shook off their yoke, and ran together most eagerly to the spiritual Zion, or Jerusalem — that is, the Church — and came under one king, that is, Christ, of whom Zerubbabel was also a type, bringing Israel up out of captivity, with Jesus the great priest at his side, that in him Christ might be understood as both king and high priest, holy, harmless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens, as the divine Paul says.

And that the sign of Christ — that is, the precious Cross — became the cause of the bringing together into common faith of those throughout all the earth, and of their being thus reconciled through it to the all-holy Father, would become clear from what the divine John the Evangelist has written.

For he brought in the accursed Caiaphas saying to those in the council:

'You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish.' And he added to these very words:

'This he did not say of himself, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was about to die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but that he might also gather together into one the scattered children of God.' For Christ has become our peace, according to the Scriptures, who broke down the middle wall of partition, and abolished the law of commandments contained in ordinances, and created the two peoples into one new man;

and reconciling both through himself to God and Father, and destroying the enmity between them, that we all, being in one Spirit and in one body, of one soul with one another and of one body — that is, plainly, in Christ himself — might bear fruit to him: the righteousness that is above the law, and the purity of the evangelical way of life.

Therefore, as one who passes from things historically enacted to spiritual contemplation, you will understand exceedingly well the mystery of Christ.

'And they shall fly in the ships of foreigners;

together they shall spoil the sea, and those from the risings of the sun, and Idumaea, and against Moab first they shall lay their hands;

but the sons of Ammon shall be the first to obey.' In what manner those from the four wings of the earth — that is, all the nations — should be brought together into the unity that is in Christ through faith, and into a bond of holy-befitting love, he again makes plain in these words.

For before the precious Cross Christ said to the holy apostles:

'Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and enter not into a city of the Samaritans;

but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.' For as he himself said again:

they denied the Holy and Just One;

then indeed, then, having trampled upon death and risen from the dead, he charged the holy disciples:

'Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit;

teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.' And when he had ascended into heaven, and then the power from on high had come down upon them, they no longer remained preaching Jesus in Judaea alone, but some, departing to the East and the cities there, proclaimed him;

others took hold of the West, and yet others bestowed the words of catechesis upon the neighbouring nations;

and there was, in a way, a necessity for those wishing to traverse the whole world beneath the sun to make use of sea-voyaging as well.

And indeed the divine Paul affirms that he spent a night and a day in the deep.

For it is somehow the custom, especially in the ships of the Alexandrians, that upon the prow, on the right hand and on the left, there are such inscriptions.

'Therefore in the ships of foreigners they shall fly,' he says — that is, running and eager and, as it were, winged, they shall cross over, and shall spoil the sea.

It is the custom of the divine Scripture to call the parts toward the West 'the sea,' because the sea in that region is exceedingly great and broad.

'They shall spoil,' he says, 'also those from the risings of the sun, and Idumaea, and against Moab they shall lay their hands.'

'But the sons of Ammon shall be the first to obey.'

For after the land of the Jews, all the remaining neighbouring and bordering peoples, even those still farther off, were full of idolaters, and irreconcilable in their minds with those who knew the one God by nature and in truth.

The Idumaeans and Moabites, and moreover the sons of Ammon, bordered on those of Israel, and possessed a neighbouring land, but were terribly at variance, and among those most hostile of all.

They worshipped the stars, and held the Morning Star in all reverence, and, as surpassing the others, called it God.

But upon these first there dawned in mind and heart the true Morning Star, and the light of the spiritual day shone through.

And having cast off that ancient gloom, and having thrust away serving the creature any longer, they worshipped Christ, and made those who of old had been their bitterest enemies — I mean those of Israel — their initiators into the mysteries and guides of the way that leads to salvation.

'And the Lord shall utterly lay waste the sea of Egypt, and shall lay his hand upon the river with a mighty wind, and shall smite the seven ravines, so that men may pass through it in sandals;

and there shall be a passage for my remnant people in Egypt;

and it shall be to Israel as the day when it came out of the land of Egypt.' Out of covetousness the inventor and father of sin gained mastery over those throughout all the world beneath heaven.

Having led man astray from the truth like cattle, he made him a worshipper of the herd of demons, and subjected him to his own yokes;

and the Egyptians above all became the most superstitious beyond others, and terribly given to this.

For there were sacred precincts everywhere and altars throughout the land among them, and countless shrines, and a swarm of images, and things of many forms in their temples.

For they worshipped birds and fishes, a goat and a sheep, and the calf was an object of veneration to them.

this partly setting out from the land of the Hebrews, and partly from among the very ones who had believed — being appointed at various times as initiators into the mysteries and teachers.

In what manner this too was accomplished, it is necessary to explain, broadening the historical account.

For before the power of the Romans prevailed over all, when each land had its own leader or king, there was much difference among the nations;

partly because the diversity of religion kindled enmity between them, and partly because it was possible for those who wished to plunder the man from the other land, with none to rebuke them.

There was therefore, up to that time, very great non-intercourse among the nations toward one another, and for some to be caught within the land of others was not without penalty.

But when the rule of the Romans prevailed over all, and they came under one leader, and were taught to live by the laws that came from them, then thereafter intermingling among the nations with one another became fearless, and much gentleness prevailed;

then indeed, then, for those who preached Jesus there came a passage, or a way, of being able to pass even into Egypt.

And in what manner Augustus Caesar took the land of the Egyptians, the prophetic word interprets for us.

For the river of Egypt is broad and great, and, flooding at its seasons, comes down through seven mouths, bestowing its stream upon the neighbouring sea;

and when it comes into the parts of the marsh-men, it forms long and broad lakes, and floods over all their land, so that even the wheat-bearing country is navigable.

So when Augustus Caesar, having gained mastery over Judaea, came into the land of the Egyptians, its inhabitants supposed that, even if they should choose to remain at rest and to abstain from war and arms, their being girded about by lakes and rivers would render the land impregnable to him.

But since it seemed good to God, who rules over all things, that Egypt too, along with the rest, should be brought under the Roman sceptres, by a most violent south wind he drove down the water of the river toward the sea, and made the whole land passable, so that those wishing to cross the lakes and the very ravines — that is, the seven mouths of the river — did not so much as, one might say, loose the sandal from the foot.

So when God had smoothed the passage for the Roman army, the affairs of the Egyptians were overcome.

This again the prophet teaches us, saying:

'Thus says the Lord Sabaoth: And the Egyptians shall drink the water that is by the sea;

but the river shall fail and be dried up;

and the rivers shall fail, and the channels of the river;

and every gathering of water shall be dried up, and in every marsh of reed and papyrus; and the green sedge, all that is round about the river, and everything sown by the river shall be dried up in the blasting of the wind.' — 'Therefore,' he says, 'the Lord shall utterly lay waste the sea of Egypt.'

It is customary for the divine Scripture to call even lakes themselves 'seas.'

'And he shall lay his hand upon the river with a violent wind.'

For we say that the bringing of the most violent wind against the waters is the work of a hand, that is, of the divine power.

For he smote the seven ravines, that is, the mouths, and made them

so dry, that they could pass through them in sandals.

'Then indeed, then,' he says, 'there shall be a passage in Egypt for my people that is left.'

And who was this? Those of Israel who believed, concerning whom also the prophet Isaiah says:

'Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, the remnant shall be saved.' And the firstfruits, as it were, of the remnant were the blessed disciples and those with them, of whom the divinely inspired Mark also became one.

'But it shall also be,' he says, 'as in the day when they came out of the land of Egypt.'

That is, those from the blood of Israel, having proclaimed the divine and heavenly word to those in Egypt, shall rejoice exceedingly, just as indeed they also rejoiced on that day when they came out of the land of Egypt.

they were being brought out of bondage in Egypt.

But having become the priestly ministers of the divine proclamations, and true stewards of the evangelical oracles, they were not delivering the Egyptians from a bondage of the flesh, but, rescuing them from the hand of the devil, they were rendering them free.

And with the all-wise Moses mediating, the river was transformed into blood;

but now the water has become for them, in Christ, unto salvation.

For we have been saved through holy baptism.

At that time those who pursued Israel were drowned, having rushed upon the Red Sea;

but they were taught through the holy apostles to swim across the surge of the present life, and to be seen as superior to the waves of the world;

the terrible and most violent hail fell upon them at that time.

But since they have been initiated into the word of the dispensation in the flesh, the divine rain has descended into their mind, rendering them fruitful.

A deep and three-day darkness was brought on;

They lamented over the firstborn;

but the Firstborn from the dead, that is, Christ, saved them from death and corruption.

Therefore, upon all these things, it was fitting that those of Israel should rejoice, as when they themselves came out of the land of Egypt.

'And you shall say in that day:'

'I will bless you, O Lord, because you were angry with me, and you turned your wrath away from me, and had mercy on me.'

'Behold my God, the Lord my Saviour; I will trust in him and be saved in him, and I will not be afraid, because the Lord is my glory and my praise, and he has become my salvation.' He is saying that those of the Gentiles have been restored to safety through faith in Christ, and have come to the knowledge of the truth—those who were the most superstitious of all others—and he fittingly introduces them as giving glory.

For to be wholly delivered from the first and original ignorance that was in them, and thenceforth to pass over to choosing to think the things that seem good to him alone, the God who saved them—this would be a clear demonstration: their eagerness to give glory, and to offer up their thanksgivings to him as a kind of spiritual sacrifice.

'Therefore, at that time,' he says, 'in which there might be a passage in Egypt'—that is, for those who serve as ambassadors of the evangelical and saving word—'you,' he says, 'who were once in deep darkness, the bitter idolater buried in the deceits of the demons, whenever you look up with the eyes of your understanding toward the light;'

'whenever you see the glory of him who called you, and are brought to the perception of from what sort of things to what sort of things you have passed over;'

'and that, having been yoked to a bitter tyrant, you have gone out from his greed, and have taken refuge under the succour of the God who is mighty in all things and saves those who were lost;'

'then indeed, then, exulting in yourself very greatly and most fittingly, you will cry aloud, saying:'

'I will bless you, O Lord, because you were angry with me, and you turned your wrath away from me, and had mercy on me.'

And they render up thank-offerings, and kindle their doxologies, not because they came to be under the divine wrath, but because, having been under it, they have been shown mercy.