Commentaria in Isaiam
Secondly and properly, as Attila, so Nabuchodonosor is here called “the overflowing scourge of God,” and one that swallows up all the nations neighbouring to the Jews.
“FOR WE HAVE PLACED OUR HOPE IN LIES.” The Prophet gives the cause of their presumed security, as if you said: The foundation of your security is nothing but a lying hope; which you have either in your idols, or in the too great mercy of God, or in your strength and wealth: and though you call it truth and security, I call it a lie and a deceit, as it really is. Add that these are the words of the mockers, who usurp the name and voice of the Prophets, as if they said: We have placed our hope in idols, etc., which you, O Prophets, call a lie. Finally Sanchez judges that the name of lie, added to idols among the Gentiles, by continual use did not sound ill, but passed as an honourable one into common nomenclature. So names became honourable among the Romans: Bruti, Porcii, Asinii, even if the etymology of the names signifies something unseemly. Conversely the Latin and Greek words demons and daimonia sound ill, even if the etymology was honourable, derived from knowledge. So also the words hostes and tyrants once signified strangers and princes, but now, from their abuse, they have an ill sound.
16. “THEREFORE THUS SAITH THE LORD.” The Prophet flies, as usual, to Christ, whom he opposes to the lie of the mockers, to teach that in Christ solid hope is placed, which they placed in lying idols: for God is wont to avenge the crimes of men in the new law not by punishing but by curing them with His clemency and pardoning through Christ. See Canon 46.
The sense is, as if to say: Therefore, that is, that I may overthrow your futile pact and lying confidence by a wiser and more solid counsel, indeed correct and amend it, for this reason I will mercifully send you, though unworthy, Christ, who shall build Sion, that is, the Church, and of whom He Himself shall be the corner stone, that is, the first and lowest foundation, as the Apostle has it, Ephesians 2:20; which solid stone will firmly join all its parts, and especially the two walls, that is, the two peoples opposed to each other, namely of the Jews and of the Gentiles. So St. Cyril, Theodoret and Augustine, on Psalm 94, indeed St. Peter, 1 Peter 2:6, and Paul to the Romans 9:33, and Christ Himself, Matthew 21:42. That is, Behold I lay in Sion a tried stone of the corner, of preciousness, of the foundation, that is, a corner stone, precious, foundational, most solid; for this stone, by reason of its solidity, he opposes to the reed, that is, the vain and lying hope which the Jews placed in their idols; hence he says, verse 18: “Your league with death shall be abolished, and your covenant with hell shall not stand”; because it is reedy, not founded on the solid stone, namely Christ and God.
There ought to be no doubt, says Forerius, that the stone here is Christ, as appears from the Gospel and from Paul and Peter. For this is the stone made the head of the corner, and no man can lay another foundation than that which is laid, etc. He calls Him a stone of trial, that is, one who, though tried, nevertheless keeps his hardness and firmness; hence below he is compared to a most hard stone, etc.; how examined and how proved and tempted in all things the Lord was, I think there is no man who is ignorant; a corner stone, because He joins two walls, for He made both one, breaking down the middle wall of partition, the enmities. Precious; for what can be compared with the God-Man? He calls Him foundational; for “of the foundation founded,” or “foundation of the foundation,” designates the lowest foundation, that is, that on which the whole building is raised, “HE THAT BELIEVETH, LET HIM NOT HASTEN,” namely wishing this stone of Sion here promised, namely Christ, to be shown to him at once; let him not say with the mockers: “Command, command again, a little there,” as if to say: We have waited for the outcome of the oracles, and see nothing followed; but let him wait patiently: for in its time I will most surely fulfil my promise, according to that of Habacuc 2:3: “If he make any stay, wait for him: because he that is to come, will come, and will not be slack.”
Note: the Septuagint, and from them St. Peter and Paul, Romans 10, for “let him not hasten” translate, “shall not be confounded,” as if to say: “let him not hasten,” that is, let him not be agitated: for he shall not be confounded, but shall obtain his hope. So Virgil says of the bees:
Within, in anxious haste, through the waxen camp they run about;
so that it is a metalepsis. So Leo Castrius.
Secondly, Sanchez says, “let him not hasten,” that is, let him not flee: for he shall not be confounded. For those who are confounded and put to shame are wont to withdraw in haste, to flee the eyes of men: hence haste is taken for shame and confusion. This also is a metalepsis, but drawn from another source.
Finally John Morinus, in the Preface to the Septuagint, thinks that the Septuagint, for yachish (that is, let him hasten), read yebosh (that is, let him be confounded).
17. “AND I WILL SET JUDGMENT IN WEIGHT, AND JUSTICE IN MEASURE.” The Prophet flies back from his Christ, and returns to his own times, and to what he said in verse 13, as if to say: I will judge those Jewish mockers rightly and accurately, as with just weight and measure, punishing them now by the Chaldeans, and at the time of Christ by the Romans and by eternal damnation. It is plain from what follows. The Septuagint, for “justice in measure,” read thy mercy in the scales, which St. Gregory Nazianzen, in his oration On Mercy, explains thus, as if to say: God’s mercy is shown to us according to the ratio and measure of the mercy which we have shown to the wretched: “For to nothing,” he says, “is God’s mercy more repaid than to mercy, by him who justly weighs and repays all.” So also St. Basil, on Psalm 123, thinks that by these words of Isaias is signified that to the merciful mercy will be imparted, according to the measure and ratio of each one’s merit, but judgment to those without mercy.
“AND HAIL SHALL OVERTHROW THE HOPE OF FALSEHOOD.” “Hail,” by catachresis, signifies the sudden and strong punishment of God, which He exercised through the Chaldeans, Romans and others, by which He overthrew the lying hopes of the Jews, which they placed in idols and in the kings of Egypt and others. The same is signified by the waters, which by their inundation overthrew the protection, that is, the wall, by which they thought themselves protected, which in verse 18 he clearly called “the overflowing scourge.”
19. “IN THE MORNING EARLY IT SHALL PASS THROUGH, IN THE DAY AND IN THE NIGHT,” as if to say: This hail, this scourge will quickly and seasonably, as at the first morning, seize you, and will last continuously whole days and nights. There is signified here therefore the swiftness and continuance of the scourge.
“VEXATION ALONE SHALL MAKE YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU HEAR,” as if to say: This calamity of the Chaldeans will make the Jews understand the oracles, and the threats which they hear from the Prophets; it will teach them to fear and worship God, not idols: for the love and worship of both cannot coexist, as follows. As an ass, therefore, is not moved by threats or promises, but by the stick, so also are these. So it was said of old of the Phrygians: “A Phrygian is not corrected except by blows.” For “vexation” the Hebrew is zevaah, which others translate, terror. For so hard boys are now and then forced to their duty by threats and terror. But our version is more apt and genuine. So in chapter 26, verse 9, he said: “When thou shalt do thy judgments upon the earth, the inhabitants of the world shall learn justice.” And Psalm 77:34: “When he slew them, then they sought him.” So also Plato in the Symposium: “The fool,” he says, “grows wise after a blow received.” Hence Agesilaus said of certain peoples of Asia: “If they enjoyed liberty, they would be bad; if they served, good.” Prudently St. Bernard, book 1, On Consideration, chapter 3: “It is a sign of a dulled heart,” he says, “not to feel one’s own continual vexation. Vexation gives understanding to the hearing, but if it be not excessive: for if it is, it gives not understanding but contempt. Finally the wicked man, when he has come into the depth of evils, despises.”