Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary: Isaias
Chapter 31
Ver. 1. Chariots. He continues to inveigh against this practice, chap. xxx. 16. (Calmet) --- Salmanasar will ruin the ten tribes. (Menochius)
Ver. 2. Words. The Lord will punish the wicked Jews, (Calmet) after the Egyptians. (Josephus, [Jewish Antiquities?] x. 1.) --- The former would not believe the prophets. (Worthington)
Ver. 3. Hand. If God neglect to support empires, they fall of themselves.
Ver. 4. Thereof. He will thence hurl destruction on the distant enemy. (Calmet) --- He had destroyed Sennacherib's army, 4 Kings xix. Yet they forgot this and other proofs of God's power and love. (Worthington)
Ver. 5. Over. He will protect Jerusalem, notwithstanding the menaces of Sennacherib, as he did his people from the destroying angel.
Ver. 6. Revolted. Let your conversion bear proportion (Calmet) with your sins. (Haydock)
Ver. 7. Idols. Their worship was afterwards more severely prohibited, chap. xxx. 21.
Ver. 8. Flee not. Hebrew, "flee to himself," lo. Septuagint and Vulgate have read la, "not." The angel destroyed the army, and the king was slain at his return. --- Tributaries. Ninive being afterwards subject to the Chaldeans, &c. (Calmet) --- Hebrew, "shall melt." (Vatable)
Ver. 9. Strength. Hebrew, "rock," the king. --- Jerusalem, to protect it, (Calmet) and punish the guilty. (Chaldean)
Bible Text & Cross-references:
The folly of trusting to Egypt, and forgetting God. He will fight for his people against the Assyrians.
1 Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help, trusting in horses, and putting their confidence in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; and have not trusted in the holy One of Israel, and have not sought after the Lord.
2 But he that is the wise one hath brought evil, and hath not removed his words: and he will rise up against the house of the wicked, and against the aid of them that work iniquity.
3 Egypt is man, and not God: and their horses, flesh, and not spirit: and the Lord shall put down his hand, and the helper shall fall, and he that is helped shall fall, and they shall all be confounded together.
4 For thus saith the Lord to me: Like as the lion roareth, and the lion's whelp upon his prey, and when a multitude of shepherds shall come against him, he will not fear at their voice, nor be afraid of their multitude: so shall the Lord of hosts come down to fight upon Mount Sion, and upon the hill thereof.
5 As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts protect Jerusalem, protecting and delivering, passing over and saving.
6 Return as you had deeply revolted, O children of Israel.
7 For in that day a man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your hands have made for you to sin.
8 *And the Assyrian shall fall by the sword, not of a man; and the sword, not of a man, shall devour him; and he shall flee not at the face of the sword: and his young men shall be tributaries:
9 And his strength shall pass away with dread, and his princes fleeing shall be afraid: the Lord hath said it, whose fire is in Sion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.
____________________
*
8: Isaias xxvii. 36.; 4 Kings xix. 35.; 2 Paralipomenon xxxii. 21.
Chapter 32
Ver. 1. King. Ezechias or Josias, as figures of Jesus Christ, who is meant. (Calmet) --- They and their counsellors only foreshewed the advantages derived from Christ and his apostles in a more abundant manner. (St. Jerome) --- Judgment and justice. These words have a higher meaning than what is assigned to them by philosophers. In God, the former implies the preparation of the means for man's redemption, as the latter does the execution; and in man, judgment denotes the selection of what is right, and justice implies the putting it willingly in practice. Thus Christ will fulfill all that he has graciously purposed, with the two other divine persons; and the princes, his pastors, shall discern what is good for their own and people's eternal welfare. (Worthington)
Ver. 2. Land. Ezechias and Josias were both a defence to their subjects.
Ver. 3. Dim. True prophets shall speak, while false ones shall be silent. (Calmet)
Ver. 4. Plain. Some parts of the prediction relate literally to the Old Testament. But this alludes to the New, when the mysteries of religion are clearly confessed in the Catholic Church. (Worthington) --- Even the most illiterate are guided with security, if they will but hear the Church. (Haydock)
Ver. 5. Deceitful. Hebrew, "miser be called liberal," Luke xxii. 25. These good princes are contrasted with Achaz, who had oppressed his subjects.
Ver. 7. Vessels. Arms, (Calmet) or all the words and actions of the miser are bent on evil. (Haydock) --- The ministers of wicked princes resemble them. (Menochius)
Ver. 9. Women. Great cities. He announces the impending dangers.
Ver. 10. Year. After a long time; or the prophet speaks two years before the arrival of Sennacherib, after the vintage was ended, chap. xxx. 20., and 4 Kings xix. 29. (Calmet)
Ver. 12. Mourn. Septuagint, "beat." (Haydock) --- Breasts, suckling infants. In mourning, women beat and uncovered their breasts, which, on any other occasion, would have been deemed very indecent. (Calmet) (Ezechiel xxiii. 34.) (Herodotus ii. 84.)
Ver. 13. Up. Being uncultivated for two years. This was still more the case during the captivity. (Calmet) --- How. Septuagint, "from every house joy shall be taken away, thou rich city." (Haydock)
Ver. 14. Ever. Some palaces had been demolished by Sennacherib, though this seems to refer to the Babylonian captivity.
Ver. 15. High, as Ezechiel (xxxvii. 10.) saw the dry bones rise again. Under this idea prosperity is frequently described. The rest of the chapter may very well be explained of the propagation of the gospel. --- Forest. Carmel was a fertile spot. Judea shall flourish, and Assyria shall be laid waste. The synagogue will be rejected, while the Gentiles, (Calmet) formerly so barren, shall embrace the faith and true piety. (Haydock)
Ver. 17. Peace. The just shall enjoy peace, under Ezechias.
Ver. 19. Hail. God's judgment shall overtake Babylon, or rather Ninive.
Ver. 20. Waters. Fruitful soils, abounding with cattle. (Calmet) --- Both Jews and Gentiles shall submit to Christ. (Clement of Alexandria, Strom. vi.) (St. Jerome)
Bible Text & Cross-references:
The blessings of the reign of Christ. The desolation of the Jews, and prosperity of the Church of Christ.
1 Behold, a king shall reign in justice, and princes shall rule in judgment.
2 And a man shall be as when one is hid from the wind, and hideth himself from a storm, as rivers of waters in drought, and the shadow of a rock that standeth out in a desert land.
3 The eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken diligently.
4 And the heart of fools shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of stammerers shall speak readily and plain.
5 The fool shall no more be called prince: neither shall the deceitful be called great:
6 For the fool will speak foolish things, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and speak to the Lord deceitfully, and to make empty the soul of the hungry, and take away the drink from the thirsty.
7 The vessels of the deceitful are most wicked: for he hath framed devices to destroy the meek, with lying words, when the poor man speaketh judgment.
8 But the prince will devise such things as are worthy of a prince, and he shall stand above the rulers.
9 Rise up, ye rich women, and hear my voice: ye confident daughters, give ear to my speech,
10 For after days and a year, you that are confident shall be troubled: for the vintage is at an end, the gathering shall come no more.
11 Be astonished, ye rich women, be troubled, ye confident ones: strip you, and be confounded, gird your loins.
12 Mourn for your breasts, for the delightful country, for the fruitful vineyard.
13 Upon the land of my people shall thorns and briers come up: how much more upon all the houses of joy, of the city that rejoiced?
14 For the house is forsaken, the multitude of the city is left, darkness and obscurity are come upon its dens for ever. A joy of wild asses, the pastures of flocks.
15 Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high: and the desert shall be as a charmel, and charmel shall be counted for a forest.
16 And judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and justice shall sit in charmel.
17 And the work of justice shall be peace, and the service of justice quietness, and security for ever.
18 And my people shall sit in the beauty of peace, and in the tabernacles of confidence, and in wealthy rest.
19 But hail shall be in the descent of the forest, and the city shall be made very low.
20 Blessed are ye that sow upon all waters, sending thither the foot of the ox and the ass.