Thomas Aquinas Commentary Isaiah 1:21-31

"How is the faithful city become a harlot! she that was full of justice! righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers. Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water. Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves; every one loveth bribes, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them. Therefore saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies; and I will turn my hand upon thee, and thoroughly purge away thy dross, and will take away all thy tin; and I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called The city of righteousness, a faithful town. Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her converts with righteousness. But the destruction of transgressors and sinners shall be together, and they that forsake Jehovah shall be consumed. For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen. For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water. And the strong shall be as tow, and his work as a spark; and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them." — Isaiah 1:21-31 (ASV)

1. How is the faithful city, that was full of judgment, become a harlot? Here, the prophet shows their sin of turning away from justice toward their neighbor. In this regard, he does three things:

   1. He describes the fault.
   2. He threatens punishment, where it says, therefore says the Lord (Isaiah 1:24).
   3. He describes what follows the punishment, where it says, and I will restore (Isaiah 1:26).

   Regarding the first point, he denounces the sin of the people, the sin of the priests (where it says, your silver is turned into dross, Isaiah 1:22), and the sin of the princes (where it says, your princes are faithless, Isaiah 1:23).

   In the people, he denounces two sins, adding to their weight by comparing them to their former state. First, he denounces their venality by comparing it to their former fidelity, hence: how is the faithful city become a harlot? (Compare to Jeremiah 2:20: Under every green tree, and on every high hill you did prostitute yourself). Second, he denounces their cruelty by comparing it to their former justice and judgment, which is the execution of justice: until justice be turned into judgment (Psalms 94:15). Hence he says, but now murderers. As it is written, cursing, and lying, and killing, and theft, and adultery, have overflowed, and blood has touched blood (Hosea 4:2).

2. He denounces the sin of the priest in two matters.

   1. For corrupting the truth of doctrine. Hence, he says, your silver is turned into dross. Scripture says, the words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried by the fire, purged from the earth, refined seven times (Psalms 12:6). And elsewhere, The prophets prophesied falsehood (Jeremiah 5:31).
   2. For relaxing the severity of discipline, which is signified by wine, for this is the wine the Samaritan poured in (Luke 10:34). Hence, he says, your wine is mingled with water. And, woe to them that sew cushions under every elbow (Ezekiel 13:18).

3. Your princes are faithless. Here he denounces the sin of the princes.

   1. First, he shows that they are unfaithful in executing their office, because they do so for their own advantage and not that of the people. That anoint themselves with the best ointments, that drink wine in bowls (Amos 6:6). Woe to the shepherds of Israel, that feedPascunt. Vg.: pascebant. DR: “fed.” themselves: should not the flocks be fed by the shepherds? (Ezekiel 34:2). Because of this, he says they are faithless.
   2. Second, he shows they are transgressors for associating with evildoers: companions of thieves, defending them and pleading their causes. Like the jaws of highway robbers are the princes of the priestsPrincipes sacerdotum. Vg.: particeps sacerdotum. DR: “they conspire with the priests.” (Hosea 6:9). Son, walk not you with them (Proverbs 1:15).
   3. Third, he shows their corruption in accepting bribes, as stated below: woe to you that justify the wicked for gifts, and take away the justice of the just from him (Isaiah 5:23). Hence he says, they all love bribes that are received, and they run after rewards that are promised or hoped for.
   4. Fourth, he shows their injustice in spurning the poor, saying, they judge not for the fatherless. They have not judged the cause of the widow, they have not managed the cause of the fatherless (Jeremiah 5:28).

4. Therefore says the Lord. Here he threatens punishment, first for the superiors, and second for the subjects, where it says, and I will turn my hand to you (Isaiah 1:25).

   Concerning the first, he presents three things.

   1. The punisher’s powerful authority, saying, the Lord (if I be a master, where is my fear, says the Lord, Malachi 1:6); in the multitude of His ministers: the God of hosts (is there any numbering of his soldiers?Job 25:3); and in His might,Multitudine, but some editions have fortitudine. the mighty one (he is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who has resisted him, and has had peace?Job 9:4).
   2. He describes the punisher’s will: ah, that is, woe to them, I will comfort myself, because my comfort will be their punishment. As it says below, the day of vengeance is in my heart, the year of my retributionRetributionis. Vg.: redemptionis. DR: “redemption.” is come (Isaiah 63:4).
   3. He describes the harshness of the punishment, where it says, and I will be revenged of my enemies, as if to say, I will punish you like enemies. I will render vengeance to my enemies, and repay them that hate me (Deuteronomy 32:41).

5. And I will turn my hand to you. Here he threatens the punishment of the subjects.

   1. First, the preparation of the punisher is described, where it says, and I will turn my hand to you to punish, which I had held back, as if folded, while sparing you. The hand of the Lord has touched me (Job 19:21).
   2. Second, the completion of the punishment: I will boil away, by the fire of tribulation, unto purity, as long as there is something to be purged. You shall not go out from thence till you repay the last farthing (Matthew 5:26).
   3. Third, the extent of the punishments: I will take away all your tin, meaning I will punish you for every sin. As it says below, she has received of the hand of the Lord double for all her sins (Isaiah 40:2).

6. And I will restore your judges. Here he describes what follows the punishment.

   First, for the corrected, there is renewal; second, for the obstinate, there is destruction, where it says, and he shall destroy the wicked (Isaiah 1:28). For as Augustine says, by the same fire, gold is tested and chaff smokes.De civitate Dei 1.8.2 (PL 41, 21A; CCL 47, 8).

   Concerning the first point, he does three things:

   1. He promises renewal regarding the amendment of the superiors.
   2. He promises renewal regarding the restoration of their reputation, where it says, after this you shall be called.
   3. He promises renewal regarding the observance of justice, where it says, Zion shall be redeemed in judgment (Isaiah 1:27).

   Therefore, he says, I will restore your judges, referring to the secular princes to whom it belongs to judge the people, and your counselors, that is, the priests, to whom it belongs to reveal the counsel of God to the people. The lips of the priestsSacerdotum. Vg.: sacerdotis. shall keep knowledge, and they shall seek the law at his mouth: because he is the Angel of the Lord of hosts (Malachi 2:7). He will restore them as they were before, like Moses and Joshua, who pleased God. I will give you pastors according to my own heart, and they shall feed you with knowledge and doctrine (Jeremiah 3:15).

   You shall be called means you will recover your reputation, so that you are said to be as you had been before, the city of the just, that is, the city in which justice is observed. As it says below, you shall no more be called Forsaken: and your land shall no more be called Desolate: but you shall be called my pleasure in her (Isaiah 62:4).

   Zion shall be redeemed from oppressors in judgment, through the execution of justice; and they shall bring her back in justice, because judgment is the restoration of the equality in which justice consists. To judge your people with justice, and your poor with judgment (Psalms 72:2). A king shall reign and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth (Jeremiah 23:5).

7. And he shall destroyConteret. the wicked. Here he describes the destruction of the obstinate. Concerning this, he does three things:

   1. He proclaims their destruction.
   2. He describes the manner of their destruction, where it says, for they shall be confounded (Isaiah 1:29).
   3. He removes the hope of escape, where it says, and your strength shall be as the ashes of tow (Isaiah 1:31).

   Because the punishment is ordered according to the fault, he first touches on the fault in two ways. On the one hand, regarding their turning toward evil, he addresses the wickedness of idolatry; hence he says, the wicked. He also addresses the sin of pleasure and of lust; hence he says, sinners, because people are most prone to such things. Against these he ordains the punishment of destruction,Contritionis. in which the punishment is noted for the infliction: with a double destruction, destroy them (Jeremiah 17:18), as if for a double sin.

   On the other hand, regarding their turning away from God, he notes that they have forsaken the Lord. Against this he ordains the punishment of consumption, saying, they shall be consumed. In this he indicates the punishment of desertion, because that which is consumed goes into nothing, and as Gregory says, all things would tend toward nothing, unless the hand of the Lord preserved them.Moralia 16.37 (PL 75, 1143C). O Lord, the hope of Israel: all that forsake you shall be confounded: they that depart from you, shall be written in the earth: because they have forsaken the Lord, the vein of living waters (Jeremiah 17:13).

8. For they shall be confounded. Here he describes the manner of their destruction.

   1. First, regarding the confusion of sin.
   2. Second, regarding the removal of good, where it says, when you shall be (Isaiah 1:30).

   Concerning the first point, against idolatry, he ordains confusion, saying, they shall be confounded by the idols, that is, because of the idols. Let them be all confounded that adore graven things (Psalms 97:7). Against pleasure, he ordains shame, saying, you shall be ashamed of the gardens, that is, the places of pleasure, which you have chosen out of your lust. What fruit had you in those things of which you are now ashamed? (Romans 6:21).

   For confusion relates more to evil, while shame relates more to the fault itself. As Gregory says,Moralia 33.12 (PL 76, 688B–C). carnal sins carry a lesser fault but greater dishonor. The reason for this is that they involve faculties that are less honorable and more material, even though these faculties are innate, natural, and subject to passion.

9. When you shall be. Here he describes the removal of good.

   First, he describes the removal of that which pertains to protection and adornment, which is signified by the removal of leaves. Second, he describes the removal of that which pertains to fruit, where it says you will be as a garden that is barren without water. On the contrary, it is said of the just man: he shall be like a tree which is planted near the running waters (Psalms 1:3).

10. And your strength shall be. Here he removes their hope of escape, and he presents three things.

    1. He removes the support of their own strength; hence he says, your strength shall be as the ashes of tow, which are quickly consumed. The congregation of sinners is like tow heaped together .
    2. He removes the help of idols, saying: your work, namely, of idols, which were made by your hands, will be as a spark, which is of no importance. Where are their gods, in whom they trusted? (Deuteronomy 32:37). And nevertheless it is burned up; hence it follows, and both shall burn. As it says below, walk in the light of your fire (Isaiah 50:11).
    3. He removes the help of men: and there shall be none to quench it. The flame of the fire shall not be quenched: and every face shall be burned in it, from the south even to the north. And all flesh shall see, that I the Lord have kindled it, and it shall not be quenched (Ezekiel 20:47–48).