Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary: Isaias
Chapter 52
Ver. 1. Thee. Judea was no more laid waste by its ancient enemies. The persecution of Epiphanes did not continue long. Many have attacked the Church; but they cannot overcome her, nor will she cease to preach the truth, and to continue pure and holy.
Ver. 3. Money. The Chaldeans acted impolitically in leaving the country without inhabitants, and Cyrus will derive no immediate advantage from your return. (Calmet) --- The Jews had not injured the Chaldeans, nor mankind the devil. But both had offended God, who out of mercy paid their ransom. (Worthington)
Ver. 4. Assyrian. Pharao, (Sa; Tirinus) or rather Nabuchodonosor, (Calmet) and the princes of Assyria, who acted tyrannically. (Haydock)
Ver. 5. Long, by the Chaldeans, weak Jews, and strangers, who misconstrue my conduct towards my people, and represent it as the effect of injustice, or of weakness.
Ver. 6. Here. Jesus Christ appears, the Redeemer foretold so long before.
Ver. 7. Peace. He comes like a conqueror to save his people. It may also be applied to the prophets and apostles, (Calmet) as St. Paul explains it, Romans x. 15. (Menochius)
Ver. 8. Watchmen, prophets. The angels sung at the birth of Christ, Luke ii. 14.
Ver. 10. Arm. The Saviour, Luke i. 51.
Ver. 11. Lord, the Levites departing from Babylon, 1 Esdras i. 7., and Numbers iii. 6., and iv. 5., &c. (Calmet) --- St. Paul proves hence that communication with infidels in spiritual things is always unlawful, 2 Corinthians vi. 17. (Worthington)
Ver. 13. Servant, Christ. In vain do the Jews attempt to apply this to any other. It is wonderful that Grotius should follow their steps, and understand Jeremias to be meant; though elsewhere he allows that the prophet speaks only of the Messias. (De Verit. v. 19.) --- This author [Grotius] has been of great prejudice to religion. The Chaldean and many modern Jews have been compelled by evidence to apply this to the Messias. See Geir., &c. Jesus was pleased to assume the form of a servant, Philippians ii. 7.
Ver. 14. Of men, who have disfigured the countenance of our Saviour with buffets, &c. The Jews would not receive him under this abject form, though it had been foretold equally with his elevation. (Calmet)
Ver. 15. Sprinkle with baptism, (Haydock) and his manifold graces. (Calmet) --- Septuagint, "so many nations shall wonder at him." (Haydock) --- Mouth, out of reverence. How many great princes have submitted to his yoke? (Calmet) --- Beheld. The Gentiles (Menochius) embrace the faith, at the sight of Christ's miracles. (Calmet)
Bible Text & Cross-references:
Under the figure of the deliverance from the Babylonian captivity, the Church is invited to rejoice for her redemption from sin. Christ's kingdom shall be exalted.
1 Arise, arise, put on thy strength, O Sion, put on the garments of thy glory, O Jerusalem, the city of the holy One: for henceforth the uncircumcised, and the unclean, shall no more pass through thee.
2 Shake thyself from the dust, arise, sit up, O Jerusalem: loose the bonds from off thy neck, O captive daughter of Sion.
3 For thus saith the Lord: You were sold gratis, and you shall be redeemed without money.
4 For thus saith the Lord God: *My people went down into Egypt at the beginning to sojourn there: and the Assyrian hath oppressed them without any cause at all.
5 And now, what have I here, saith the Lord: for my people is taken away gratis? They that rule over them, treat them unjustly, saith the Lord, *and my name is continually blasphemed all the day long.
6 Therefore my people shall know my name in that day: for I myself that spoke, behold, I am here.
7 *How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, and that preacheth peace: of him that sheweth forth good, that preacheth salvation, that saith to Sion: Thy God shall reign.
8 The voice of thy watchmen: they have lifted up their voice, they shall praise together: for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall convert Sion
9 Rejoice, and give praise together, O ye deserts of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted his people: he hath redeemed Jerusalem.
10 The Lord hath prepared his holy arm in the sight of all the Gentiles: *and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
11 Depart, depart, go ye out from thence, *touch no unclean thing: go out of the midst of her, be ye clean, you that carry the vessels of the Lord.
12 For you shall not go out in a tumult, neither shall you make haste by flight: for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will gather you together.
13 Behold, my servant shall understand, he shall be exalted, and extolled, and shall be exceedingly high.
14 As many have been astonished at thee, so shall his visage be inglorious among men, and his form among the sons of men.
15 He shall sprinkle many nations, kings shall shut their mouth at him: *for they to whom it was not told of him, have seen: and they that heard not, have beheld.
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*
4: Genesis xlvi. 6.
5: Ezechiel xxxvi. 20.; Romans ii. 24.
7: Nahum i. 15.; Romans x. 15.
10: Psalm xcvii. 3.
11: 2 Corinthians vi. 17.
15: Romans xv. 21.
Chapter 53
Ver. 1. Revealed. Who could have believed such things? The apostles complain how few were converted, John xii. 38., and Romans x. 16. (Calmet) --- These would not submit, though the gospel was not against reason. (Worthington)
Ver. 2. Plant. Hebrew also, "suckling child." (Septuagint, &c.) --- Ground. The blessed Virgin [Mary]. (Calmet) --- Was. Septuagint, "he had no appearance nor beauty. But his appearance was abject and deficient above all men; a," &c. --- That we. Literally, "and we have desired him." Notwithstanding his abject condition, He was the desired of all nations, and by his wounds we are healed. (Haydock) --- Some assert that the person of Christ was not beautiful, while others think that his wounds prevented it from being discerned. Salmeron would supply a negation from the first number: "We have not desired him."
Ver. 3. Not. The whole life of Christ was spent in the midst of poverty, and contradictions, Hebrews iv. 15. He has thus taught us to despise ourselves.
Ver. 4. Sorrows. Healing them by his own afflictions, Matthew viii. 17. Sickness is an effect of sin, which Jesus came to destroy, 1 Peter ii. 24. --- Leper, who was bound to have his face covered, ver. 3., and Leviticus xiii. 45. --- God. Payva (Def. Trin. iv.) assures us that many Jews were converted by the perusal of this chapter, and particularly of this verse, which may be rendered "as a God wounded and afflicted." (Calmet)
Ver. 5. Healed. He inculcates this important truth repeatedly. Christ nailed the hand-writing that was against us to the cross, Colossians ii. 14. (Haydock)
Ver. 6. Astray. We belong to his fold, chap. xl. 11., John x. 11., and Luke xv. 4. --- Laid. Septuagint, "abandoned him to our sins," as to so many executioners; (Calmet) "and he, because he had been abused, opened," &c. (Haydock)
Ver. 7. Will. The pagans were very attentive that the victim should not make much resistance. (Macrobius iii. 5.) --- God loves a cheerful giver. (Haydock) --- Our Saviour offers himself willingly, knowing the inefficacy of legal victims, Psalm xxxix. 7. (Calmet)
Ver. 8. Judgment, or by an unjust and cruel judgment. (Haydock) --- Hebrew, "from prison and judgment." (Calmet) --- Septuagint, "in humiliation, (Haydock) or humility, his judgment was taken away," or rescinded, by his glorious resurrection. St. Philip follows this version in explaining this passage to the eunuch, Acts viii. 33. --- Generation, from his eternal Father or from the Virgin [Mary], his incarnation, life, resurrection, or posterity in the Church. All these may be meant, and are inexplicable. (Calmet)
Ver. 9. Death. Hebrew, "and he made his grave with the wicked men, and with the rich man, in his death." (Haydock) --- Grave and death seem to be transposed; and we might better read, "He was taken up with wicked men in his death, and with a rich man was his sepulchre." This indeed is only a conjecture, but well grounded in the context. See Josue xxiv. 19. (Kennicott) --- Septuagint, "and I will give the wicked for his grave, and the rich men for his death." (Haydock) --- The rich man may denote the small number of Jews who embraced the faith. (Calmet) --- They esteemed themselves rich, and were highly favoured by God; yet they were blinded, (Haydock) and given up to the Romans, in punishment of their deicide, Matthew xxvii. 25. The Church is gathered both from Jews and Gentiles, ver. 10. (Calmet) (St. Jerome) --- "He will send to hell the wicked," (Chaldean) who slew him. (Menochius) --- Christ was buried where malefactors were generally, yet honourably, in the tomb of Joseph [of Arimathea]. (Worthington) (Matthew xxvii. 57.)
Ver. 10. Bruise. Septuagint, "to cleanse him from the wound." (Haydock) --- God was pleased that he should satisfy for our crimes. --- Hand. Christ has died for all, and established a Church which shall not perish.
Ver. 12. Many. Even to the ends of the earth, Psalm ii. 8. --- Strong. Demons, Jews, &c. Hebrew, "with the strong" apostles. --- Wicked thieves. Barabbas, &c. --- Transgressors. His executioners. The gospel could not speak plainer. (Calmet)
Bible Text & Cross-references:
A prophecy of the Passion of Christ.
1 Who *hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
2 And he shall grow up as a tender plant before him, and as a root out of a thirsty ground: there is no beauty in him, nor comeliness: and we have seen him, and there was no sightliness, that we should be desirous of him:
3 *Despised, and the most abject of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with infirmity: and his look was as it were hidden and despised, whereupon we esteemed him not.
4 *Surely he hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrows: and we have thought him as it were a leper, and as one struck by God and afflicted.
5 *But he was wounded for our iniquities, he was bruised for our sins: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his bruises we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray, every one hath turned aside into his own way: and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all.
7 He was offered because it was his own will, and he opened not his mouth: he shall be led as a sheep to the slaughter, and shall be dumb as a lamb before his shearer, *and he shall not open his mouth.
8 He was taken away from distress, and from judgment: who shall declare his generation? because he is cut off out of the land of the living: for the wickedness of my people have I struck him.
9 And he shall give the ungodly for his burial, and the rich for his death: *because he hath done no iniquity, neither was there deceit in his mouth.
10 And the Lord was pleased to bruise him in infirmity: if he shall lay down his life for sin, he shall see a long-lived seed, and the will of the Lord shall be prosperous in his hand.
11 Because his soul hath laboured, he shall see and be filled: by his knowledge shall this my just servant justify many, and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore will I distribute to him very many, and he shall divide the spoils of the strong, because he hath delivered his soul unto death, *and was reputed with the wicked: and he hath borne the sins of many, **and hath prayed for the transgressors.
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*
1: John xii. 38.; Romans x. 16.
3: Mark ix. 11.
4: Matthew viii. 17.
5: 1 Corinthians xv. 3.
7: Matthew xxvi. 63.; Acts viii. 32.
9: 1 Peter ii. 22.; 1 John iii. 5.
12: Mark xv. 28.; Luke xxii. 37. --- ** Luke xxiii. 34.