Commentaria in Isaiam
Again and more: after the Roman captivity, of which that Babylonian was the forerunner and type, at the time of Christ God restored to the Jews, in place of impious Scribes and Pharisees, pious and holy Apostles, and other Princes of the Church, who surpass those first judges in wisdom, in diligence, and in facility and felicity of teaching and governing. For St. Jerome, Cyril, Hugh, Haymo, Dionysius and Forerius take this of the Apostles, whence follows:
AFTER THIS THOU SHALT BE CALLED THE CITY OF THE JUST.—The Septuagint and the Hebrew: city of justice, namely that just princes, Esdras, Nehemias and others, may dwell in Jerusalem, and rule and judge it justly, and that justice and the just God may reign in it: for those princes will rule the people according to the just laws of God prescribed and ordained by him. He alludes to Melchisedech king of Salem, who from his probity was called Melchisedech, that is, king of justice. Second, and more truly, “thou shalt be called the city of the just,” namely of Christ, when he shall be born, and shall teach and sanctify thee, especially when at Pentecost he shall send into thee the Holy Ghost. So St. Jerome. For Christ is by antonomasia called in Scripture the Just One and the Holy of Holies, and thus justifying and sanctifying all: whence it came about that the Apostles and their successors ruled the Church, not for their own advantage or glory, but keeping in view in governing it only the most just and most holy will and pleasure of Christ the Lord.
A FAITHFUL CITY,—namely to God, persevering in faith in him alone, worship and obedience: this therefore looks to the keeping of the first table of the Decalogue: as the city of justice looks to the second, as I said at verse 21. For the Church was faithful to God, because it constantly kept the conjugal faith given to God, though it had often violated it, and like an adulteress turned aside again and again to idols.
27. SION SHALL BE REDEEMED IN JUDGMENT.—As if to say: Israel will be freed from Babylon through Cyrus after just satisfaction, namely the punishment of 70 years of captivity endured: for that is here called judgment, because it was inflicted on them by the just judgment of God. Hence the Septuagint render: With judgment her captivity shall be saved. Whence then Esdras, Nehemias and other just judges and princes “shall bring her back,” and rule “her in justice,” as I explained in the preceding verse. Otherwise Sanchez, “in judgment,” he says, that is, not at random, but with selection; because namely those shall be brought back who were fearing God, as Tobias says, chapter 14, verse 7, and whose spirit God raised up, as is said in 1 Esdras 1, 5. Second, more fully and truly this was done by Christ (to whom, as usual, here the Prophet flies off, according to Canons 6 and 12), who “in judgment,” that is, by strict justice, redeemed Sion, that is, the Church of the Jews and Gentiles, which began in Sion and Jerusalem.
Where note: This redemption of Christ, though it was a work of supreme clemency and mercy, is yet here called “judgment and justice.” First, because Christ redeemed us in justice by paying the ransom, namely the price of his blood. Second, because the devil, as a tyrant, unjustly held the Jews and other men captive, though sinners, driving them at his pleasure to every crime; whence he was justly deprived of this tyranny by Christ. Third, because although the devil received from God the power of a tormentor over sinners, to slay them by present and eternal death, yet he did not receive power over Christ, the just one and Son of God. Whence because he abused this power of his, when he had him slain by the Jews, he justly deserved to be wholly deprived of it: Christ also by his death so unjust and unworthy merited this very thing; and this is what Christ says, John chapter 12, verse 31: “Now is the judgment of the world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.” So St. Jerome and Rupert. Fourth, because Christ gives and infuses justice into the Church and sinners, while he redeems them from sin and justifies them.
Anagogically, Christ will redeem Sion, that is, the Church, most perfectly from all evil, both of fault and of punishment, in the last resurrection, and this on account of the merit of penance and patience of Sion in this life.
For as of so many thousands of the Hebrews who came out of Egypt, on account of their murmuring, few, namely Josue and Caleb, entered the promised land, so also few from Babylon shall return into Judea. So Sanchez.
28. AND HE SHALL DESTROY (namely God, see Canon 17) the wicked, AND THE SINNERS TOGETHER: AND THEY THAT HAVE FORSAKEN THE LORD SHALL BE CONSUMED.—Here from the time of Christ the Prophet flies back to his own punishments and those of his people; connect these therefore with verse 24: “I will be revenged of my enemies.” Second, however, these also can be referred to the time of Christ, as if to say: God will redeem Sion, that is, the faithful and pious of Sion, who will believe and obey Christ; but the other sons of Sion according to the flesh, namely the Jews, who will not yield to Christ and obey, “he shall destroy” as wicked or sinners (for it is more to be wicked than to be a sinner), and therefore not so much sons as bastards, indeed enemies of Sion. See Canon 7. He shall destroy them, I say, partly in this life by Titus and Vespasian, partly in the judgment both particular and universal, condemning them to Gehenna: for then all “who have forsaken the Lord,” that is, God and Christ, “shall be consumed.”
29. THEY SHALL BE CONFOUNDED FOR THE IDOLS.—Perfidiously Castalio renders it “the saints,” in order to bring a charge against the invocation of Saints. “They shall be confounded, therefore, by idols,” that is, on account of idols (so “a” or “ab” is taken for “propter,” Jeremias 23, 9; Osee 7, 16); because namely they shall see that their idols, which they worshipped, and in which they hoped, can neither deliver themselves nor them from this disaster of God. These words properly belong to the time of the Babylonian captivity, not to the Roman at the time of Christ, because then the Jews did not worship idols; but at the end of the world under Antichrist they will again worship. Whence then again they shall be confounded by them, when their leader Antichrist with his followers shall be slain, and thrust down to Tartarus.
AND YOU SHALL BE ASHAMED OF THE GARDENS WHICH YOU HAVE CHOSEN,—in which you wantonly and shamelessly worshipped idols, especially the obscene Beelphegor or Priapus. See the groves consecrated to idols. It is an enallage of person: for he passes from the third person to the second, signifying that this disaster is not remote, but imminent, and will befall those present to whom he speaks. See Canon 16.
30. WHEN YOU SHALL BE AS AN OAK WITH THE LEAVES FALLING OFF,—which once flourishing, now in winter or old age shedding its leaves, withers, dries up, dies: so shall it be with you also: in gardens you sinned, like gardens you shall wither and be punished.
AND AS A GARDEN WITHOUT WATER,—which without moisture withers and parches, and produces nothing green, so you also shall waste away in body with famine and distresses: but in soul, destitute of the water of grace, you shall lead a life without the fruit of good works, not angelic, not human, but brutish, but diabolical, but infernal.
31. AND YOUR STRENGTH SHALL BE AS THE ASHES OF TOW (in Hebrew, as tow, namely kindled, which soon turns to ashes), AND YOUR WORK AS A SPARK: AND BOTH SHALL BE KINDLED TOGETHER, AND THERE SHALL BE NONE TO QUENCH IT.—“Strength” signifies both their cities, walls, arms, citadels; and rather the idols, in which they placed all their hope and strength; whence for chosen, others now read with other points chason, that is, strong. Hence Vatablus renders, the strongest (of your gods) shall be “as tow.” By “work” he understands the adornment, pomp and worship which they paid to idols; again the riches, estates, palaces of idols and demons gained by frauds, injustices and rapines, and consequently the frauds, injustices and rapines themselves, and other works of impiety, as if to say: All these you thought would be most strong and perpetual; but I by the destruction of Judea will destroy them and burn them like tow, which is consumed by a light flame; burn them, I say, both by the Babylonians, and rather by the fire of hell: for this will be properly inextinguishable, in which the works of the impious, and all their glory, riches and strength, will be burned up in the impious man himself. So St. Basil, whom St. Jerome and Haymo follow, who mingle here both burnings, the temporal and the eternal, the earthly and the gehennal. Whence also the Chaldee translates: “The impious shall be burned, and their wicked works.” Sanchez takes this otherwise: Strength, he says, is the walls and towers, the fire is sins, as if to say: The walls, which otherwise would laugh at their enemies, will now be tow: because, even if no enemy invaded them, your sins like enemies raging within would consume them, and reduce them to ashes, as fire consumes dry stubble: but this seems to be mystical.