Commentaria in Scripturam Sacram, Vol. 11: Prolegomena (prefaces and canons)
LV. Chap. liv, ver. 1. “Give praise, O thou barren, that bearest not: sing forth praise, and make a joyful noise, thou that didst not travail with child: for many are the children of the desolate, more than of her that hath a husband, saith the Lord.” The widow and barren one bearing is a hieroglyph of the Church of the Gentiles; the married one having a husband, of the Synagogue of the Jews, whose husband was the law. But Christ betrothed the widow to himself, and made her fruitful, that she might bear more children to God than the Synagogue, formerly wedded and joined to God. Hence he adds in explanation: “Enlarge the place of thy tent, etc., for thou shalt pass on to the right hand and to the left: and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles.”
LVI. Ver. 11. “… and I will make thy bulwarks of jasper: and thy gates of graven stones, and all thy borders of desirable stones.” The sapphire is a symbol of heavenly conversation, the jasper of fortitude, the graven stones of mortification and charity, the desirable stones of the notable virtues and graces of the Church and the faithful. Hence he adds in explanation: “All thy children shall be taught of the Lord, etc., in justice shalt thou be founded, etc.”
LVII. Chap. lv, ver. 1 and 4. “All you that thirst, come to the waters: and you that have no money, make haste, buy and eat: come ye, buy wine and milk without money, and without any price.” The waters, wine and milk are symbols of the Gospel doctrine, with which Christ feeds and gives drink to the souls of his own: hence of Christ follows: “Behold I have given him for a witness to the people, for a leader and a master to the Gentiles.”
LVIII. Ver. 12. “You shall go out with joy” from captivity, not so much of Babylon as of the demon and of sin, “and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall sing praise before you, and all the trees of the country shall clap their hands,” as if to say: So great shall be the joy of the faithful, and of the world under Christ, that the mountains seem to rejoice, and the trees to applaud them.
LIX. Chap. lvi, ver. 3. “And let not the eunuch say: Behold I am a dry tree, etc. I will give to them in my house, and within my walls, a place, and a name better than sons and daughters: I will give them an everlasting name.” These eunuchs are a symbol of virgins, who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven: for these shall have in it a separate place, eternal glory and name.
LX. Chap. lvii, ver. 15. “Thus saith the High and Eminent that inhabiteth eternity: and his name is Holy, who dwell in the high and holy place, and with a contrite and humble spirit: to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.” This is a hieroglyph of God, who is high, king of ages, king of eternity, and yet looks upon the lowly, and knows the high afar off.
LXI. Chap. lviii, ver. 10. “When thou shalt pour out thy soul to the hungry, and shalt satisfy the afflicted soul, first, thy light shall rise up in darkness; second, the Lord will give thee rest always; third, he will fill thy soul with brightness; fourth, he will deliver thy bones; fifth, thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a fountain of water whose waters shall not fail; sixth, the places that have been desolate for ages shall be built in thee, thou shalt raise up the foundations of generation and generation; seventh, thou shalt be called the repairer of the fences, turning the paths into rest.” This is a hieroglyph of piety and almsgiving, laying open its seven fruits by as many sayings.
LXII. Ver. 13. “If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, to do thy own will in my holy day,” as if to say: If you keep the sabbaths and feasts rightly, resting not only from work but from following your own will and its desires, so as to fulfil in its place my will alone, and in this way, “thou shalt call the sabbath delightful, and the holy of the Lord glorious, etc. Then shalt thou delight in the Lord, and I will lift thee up above the high places of the earth, and will feed thee with the inheritance of Jacob thy father,” as if to say: Then God will give thee divine delights, and make thee greater than the earth, so that standing in heaven and united to God thou mayest despise this whole point of earth: for there he will feed thee with a far greater and better inheritance, promised to Jacob and Abraham and his seed.
LXIII. Chap. lix, ver. 17. “He (God) put on justice as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon his head: he put on the garments of vengeance, and was clad with zeal as with a cloak.” This is a hieroglyph and panoply of God, going forth to a duel against the demon and sin, to vanquish them through Christ. So God’s breastplate is justice, the helmet salvation, the garments vengeance, the cloak zeal.
LXIV. Ver. 21. “This is my covenant with them, saith the Lord:” the new covenant, namely, by which through Christ he conferred on us his spirit and salvation: “My spirit that is in thee, and my words that I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, etc., from henceforth and for ever.”
LXV. Chap. lx, ver. 1 and 6. “Arise, be enlightened, O Jerusalem: for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall walk in thy light, and kings in the brightness of thy rising. The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Madian and Epha: all they from Saba shall come, bringing gold and frankincense, and shewing forth praise to the Lord.” It is a hieroglyph of the Church, to which the three Magi, and other princes and peoples, offered themselves and their gifts and goods. Hence he adds: “And the children of them that afflict thee shall come bowing down to thee, and all that slandered thee shall worship the steps of thy feet, and shall call thee the city of the Lord, the Sion of the Holy One of Israel. I will make thee to be an everlasting glory, a joy unto generation and generation: and thou shalt suck the milk of the Gentiles, and thou shalt be nursed with the breasts of kings.”
LXVI. Ver. 19. “Thou shalt no more have the sun for thy light by day, neither shall the brightness of the moon enlighten thee (O Church, both militant and still more triumphant): but the Lord shall be unto thee for an everlasting light, and thy God for thy glory.”
LXVII. Chap. lxi, ver. 1. “The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me (Christ), etc., to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,” that is, the time of grace, salvation and Christianity: for this is for us a continual and unceasing year of jubilee: “and to give them a crown for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, a garment of praise for the spirit of grief: and they shall be called in it the mighty ones of justice, the planting of the Lord,” for they are brave soldiers fighting for justice, and fruitful trees planted by the Lord, glorifying him.
LXVIII. Ver. 10. “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, and my soul shall be joyful in my God: for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation: and with the robe of justice he hath covered me, as a bridegroom decked with a crown, and as a bride adorned with her jewels.” These are symbols of the adornment of the spouse of Christ, namely the Church, which is adorned not with gold, not with fine linen, not with gems, but with faith, hope, charity, patience, fortitude, and other gifts and virtues of God.
LXIX. Chap. lxii, ver. 3. “Thou shalt be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a diadem of royalty in the hand of thy God. Thou shalt no more be called Forsaken, etc., but thou shalt be called My pleasure in her.” The crown of glory and diadem of God is the Church, and the faithful and holy soul, which is in the hand, that is in the care and protection, of God.
Ver. 6. “Upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen, all the day and all the night they shall never hold their peace.” These watchmen are the pastors of the Church: likewise the holy Angels.
Ver. 12. “And they shall call them (the faithful, children of the Church and of Christ) The holy people, the redeemed of the Lord. But thou (O Church) shalt be called, A city sought after, and not forsaken.”
LXX. Chap. lxv, ver. 17. “Behold I create new heavens, and a new earth,” namely the Church. Hence he adds of it: “Behold I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and the people thereof joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her.”
LXXI. Chap. lxvi, ver. 23. “And there shall be month,” new moon, “after month, and sabbath after sabbath,” as if to say: In heaven there will be continual and perpetual feast and joy.