Thomas Aquinas Commentary Isaiah 13

The burden of Babylon. Here the prophet threatens the Babylonians, who had captured the two tribes. This is divided into two parts: in the first, he threatens the destruction of the enemy; in the second, he promises, from this, the comfort of the Jews: her time is near at hand (Isaiah 14).

The first of these is divided into two. First, the title of the threat and the rebuke is presented: the burden, that is, an oppressing misery. If this people, or the prophet, or the priest shall ask you, saying: What is the burden of the Lord? You shall say to them: You are the burden (Jeremiah 23:33). Second, the threat itself is presented: upon the dark mountain (Isaiah 13:2).

This threat is divided into three parts. In the first, he presents the gathering of a devastating army—namely, the Medes and Persians under Cyrus and Darius, who captured Babylon, as it says in Daniel 5:30–31. In the second, he shows the affliction of the punishment: howl (Isaiah 13:6). In the third, he shows the subsequent desolation of Babylon: and they shall be (Isaiah 13:14).

Regarding the first part, he presents three things. First, he calls the army together. Second, he describes the arrival of those who are called, where it says, the noise of a multitude (Isaiah 13:4). Third, the command to those who arrive is given: the Lord of hosts (Isaiah 13:4).

Regarding the first of these points, he does two things. First, he presents the summons to attack and besiege: lift up a sign, that is, a banner, upon the mountain of Babylon, dark from the smoke of its burning. Or, upon the mountain near the city, dark, hidden by clouds or its appearance darkened by its height. He calls them to cry out: exalt the voice, so that the enemy will assemble. To join the battle: lift up the hand, to fight. To capture the city: and let the rulers go into the gates. Upon the walls of Babylon set up the standard (Jeremiah 51:12).

Second, he describes the condition of those who are called, noting their suitability for the task: my sanctified ones, as if to say, “those whom I have sanctified to carry out this task.” He also notes their power: strong; and their cheerfulness: them that rejoice. The Lord has sanctified those he has calledVocatos suos. DR: “his guests.” (Zephaniah 1:7).

The voice of a multitude. Here he describes the arrival of those who are called, first, regarding the common people: the voice of a multitude; and second, regarding the great: the voice of the sound of kings. Their voice shall roar like the sea (Jeremiah 50:42); and later, the tumult of crowds shall come (Isaiah 17:12).

The Lord of hosts. Here he declares the command. First, he presents the divine command: the Lord has given charge. Second, he presents the divine help to carry out the command: from the end of heaven, as if to help; and the instruments of his wrath, that is, all kinds of weapons.

Howl. Here he describes the affliction of the punishment. Regarding this, he presents three things: first, the fear of those who will be punished; second, the affliction itself, behold, the day (Isaiah 13:9); and third, the ferocity of the punishers, behold I will stir up (Isaiah 13:17).

Their fear is expressed, first, in the groaning from their mouths: howl. Howl, woe, woe to the day: for the day is near, yea the day of the Lord is near: a cloudy day, it shall be the time of groaningGemituum. Vg.: gentium. DR: “the nations” (Ezekiel 30:2–3). Second, it is expressed in the cessation of work: therefore shall all hands be faint. The king of Babylon has heard the report of them, and his hands are grown feeble (Jeremiah 50:43). Third, it is expressed in the disturbance of the heart.

The heart is disturbed in three ways. In its inner state, it is disturbed regarding cheerfulness: and every heart of man shall melt; regarding magnanimity: and shall be broken, as if divided into small pieces; and regarding security, through the distress of fear: gripings. There were pains as of a woman in labor (Psalms 48:6).

The heart is also troubled by a lack of help: every one shall be amazed at his neighbor, as if, because of their amazement, they cannot offer help. Finally, it is troubled regarding the outward sign: their countenances shall be as faces burnt, either because of the paleness of fear, or literally, because they were killed with such a death. Their face is now made blacker than coals (Lamentations 4:8); the faces of them all are as the blackness of a kettle (Nahum 2:10).

Behold, the day. Here he describes the punishment of the afflicted. Regarding this, he presents three things. First is the magnitude of the punishment: full of indignation, regarding the removal of mercy; and of wrath, regarding the delight in punishment—according to the Philosopher, “the angry are saddened, but rejoice in punishing”;Nicomachean Ethics 3.8 (1117a5) or Rhetoric 1.11 (1370b30–32), as cited by St. Thomas, ST I-II.32.6, obj. 3. and fury, regarding impetuous vengeance, for fury is inflamed wrath, as Gregory says.Albert attributes this definition to Gregory, De cael. hier. 2.9 (B14, 51b); cf. Moral. 5.45 (PL 75, 725C). Later, the text says: his wrath burns, and is heavy to bear (Isaiah 30:27).

The magnitude is also expressed in the removal of comfort: for the stars of heaven, and their brightness shall not display their light. This can be taken literally, as all things seem dark to the afflicted. Or, the stars are the princes; the sun in his rising is the king; and the moon is the queen. The sun became black as sackcloth of hair (Revelation 6:12).

Second, he presents the equity of the punishment, ordaining it for the fault they committed against themselves: I will visit—that is, I will avenge—the evils of the world, meaning, of Babylon, for it was the reigning monarchy, or because of the multitude of people assembling there from all over. He also ordains it for the fault they committed against their subjects through the oppression of the wicked: and against the wicked; or the voiding of covenants: infidels; or through the vexation of the better sort: arrogancy, by which they presumed to subjugate everyone. As it says above: because the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud (Isaiah 2:12).

Third, he presents the moderation of the punishment. He sets out four things. First, the small number of defenders: more precious, that is, more rare, as in the word of God was precious (1 Samuel 3:1). And a man who can defend by power will be more rare than the finest of gold; indeed, a man who can defend by counsel will be more rare than red gold, which is the best. As it says above: they that remain of the trees of his forest shall be so few, that they shall easily be numbered (Isaiah 10:19).

Second, the commotion of the elements: for this I will trouble the heaven: and the earth shall be moved. In a literal sense, there could have been a storm in the air and an earthquake on the ground. Or, this is hyperbole for the magnitude of their evils: I beheld the earth, and lo it was void, and nothing: and the heavens, and there was no light in them (Jeremiah 4:23).

Third, the dispersion of those who flee—citizens and warriors as well as captives—like a doe, a swift animal: deliver yourself as a doe from the hand (Proverbs 6:5). My flocks were scattered upon the face of the earth (Ezekiel 34:6).

Fourth, the oppression of those who remain, which occurred in three ways. First, in the killing of men: every one that shall be found refers to citizens; every one that shall come to their aid refers to foreigners; and infants refers to children. With you I will break in pieces the old man and the child (Jeremiah 51:22). Second, in the pillaging of goods: their houses shall be pillaged. Our inheritance is turned to aliens: our houses to strangers (Lamentations 5:2). Third, in the violation of women: their wives shall be ravished. They humiliated the women in Zion (Lamentations 5:11).

Behold I will stir up the Medes against them. Here he describes the ferocity of the enemy, which is not appeased by tribute: who shall not seek silver; nor softened by mercy: but with their arrows they shall kill the children. This applies to the powerless: the sucklings; and to young children: their sons. Behold, I will bring upon her, and she shall be utterly destroyed (Jeremiah 51:64).

And that Babylon. Here he describes Babylon’s subsequent desolation. First, the destruction of the city: turned,Versa. that is, overturned,Subversa. like Sodom, about which Revelation 18:10 says: Alas! Alas! That great city, Babylon, that mighty city: for in one hour is your judgment come.

Second, its perpetual solitude: it shall no more be inhabited. Him that bends his bow shall not live there, and him that is armed with a coat of mail shall not go up (Jeremiah 51:3).Non habitabit qui tendet arcum suum, et non ascendet loricatus. Vg.: non tendat qui tendit arcum suum, et non ascendat loricatus. DR: “let not him that bendeth, bend his bow, and let not him go up that is armed with a coat of mail.”

Third, the horror of its solitude is shown by the flight of shepherds: neither shall the Arabian pitch his tents there, for they do not have fixed houses but wander through the desert; nor shall shepherds of sheep live there. It is also shown by the inhabitation of beasts and the dead: but wild beasts shall rest there, who love solitude. Dragons, which, according to some, are large winged serpents; according to others, large fish with wet scales; and according to others, cubit-long serpents that eat other serpents and therefore poison with their breath. Ostriches are animals that have wings but do not fly; indeed, they walk on their feet: the wing of the ostrich is like the wings of the heron (Job 39:13). The hairy ones are hairy animals, like foxes, wolves, and the like; or they are wild men, hairy and shaggy, who are said by some not to be true men but to have the shape of a man, or to be demons assuming a body in such a shape. Frequenting such deserted dwellings, they go about at night and disturb people in various ways. OwlsUlule. are birds the size of a raven, spattered with spots, so called because they have a voice like the howlingUlulantium. of wolves. Sirens, according to some, are crested and winged serpents, or sea creatures with the likeness of a woman, or birds that sing sweetly. They will be in the temples of pleasure, that is, in the places where the Babylonians would luxuriate. As it says later: and it shall be the habitation of dragons, and the pasture of ostriches, and demons and monsters and the hairy ones shall meet (Isaiah 34:13–14).

Note on the words, upon the dark mountain (Isaiah 13:2), that darkness is manifold. First, there is the darkness of ignorance: how has the Lord covered with obscurity the daughter of Zion in his wrath (Lamentations 2:1). Second, the darkness of guilt: darkness was under his feet (Psalms 18:9). Third, the darkness of present punishment: how is the gold become dim, the finest color is changed (Lamentations 4:1). Fourth, the darkness of future misery: bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the exterior darkness (Matthew 22:13), and Luke 16:26: between us and you, there is fixed a great chaos: so that they who would pass from hence to you cannot.