Thomas Aquinas Commentary Isaiah 2:1-3

"The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of Jehovah`s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many peoples shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem." — Isaiah 2:1-3 (ASV)

1. The word that. Here he begins to rebuke their fault of turning away from God. This is divided into three parts:

• First, he denounces them for the fault they were committing in the worship of idols.
• Second, for the fault they were committing in the oppression of others: for behold (Isaiah 3).
• Third, for the fault they were committing in the abuse of things: I will sing to my beloved (Isaiah 5).

The first of these is divided into two parts:

• A title.
• A treatise, which begins where it says, and in the last days (Isaiah 2:2).

He places this word at the beginning of the chapter because it is a prophecy especially about the Incarnate Word: for the Lord God will doFaciet. Vg.: facit. no wordNon faciet Dominus verbum. DR: “the Lord God doth nothing.” without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets (Amos 3:7).

2. And it shall be. Here he carries out his intention. This is divided into three parts:

• First, he promises the remedy of salvation, so that the weight of the following fault does not lead to despair.
• Second, he shows the guilt of the fault, where it says, for you have cast off your people (Isaiah 2:6).
• Third, he threatens the lash of punishment, where it says, therefore forgive them not (Isaiah 2:9).

Regarding the first point, three things are presented:

• First, the preparation for salvation.
• Second, the conversion of the Gentiles, where it says, and all nations shall flow unto it (Isaiah 2:2).
• Third, the calling of the Jews in the end, where it says, O house of Jacob, come (Isaiah 2:5).

3. Regarding the first of these—the preparation for salvation—three things are presented. First is the time of salvation; for this reason, he says, and it shall be. He connects this either to the preceding prophecy or to what he heard from the Lord, as Gregory saysIn Ez. I hom. 2 (PL 76, 796 A–B; CCL 142, 17). about the beginning of Ezekiel.

In the last days refers to the time of grace. It is called the last time because no other religious observance will succeed it: behold I am with you . . . even to the consummation of the world (Matthew 28:20); gather yourselves together, [sons of Israel,] that I may tell you the things that shall befall you in the last days (Genesis 49:1).

4. But it seems that this salvation through the Incarnation of the Son of God should have been prepared from the beginning of the human race, because the more quickly a disease is treated with medicine, the more easily it is cured.

To this, it should be said that medicine ought to be offered according to the condition of the disease. Since human sin occurred through pride, which scorned God's precepts, it was fitting that the remedy for attaining salvation was prepared through humility.

This was so that humanity might know the weakness of its own powers, for by neither the natural law nor the written law was anyone able to find help for themselves. Thus, the more they found no help in themselves, the more ardently and humbly they would seek the remedy.

5. Second, he presents the power of the Savior when he says, the mountain of the house of the Lord, on which the house of the Lord was founded: he set me upon a very high mountain (Ezekiel 40:2). Third, he presents the position of the Savior: on the top of mountains, that is, over greater princes, and it shall be exalted above the hills, that is, over lesser princes. As it says below: behold my servant shall understand, he shall be exalted, and extolled, and shall be exceeding high (Isaiah 52:13).

6. And all nations shall flow unto it. Here he presents the conversion of the Gentiles. Regarding this, he presents three things:

• First, the conversion itself.
• Second, the order of conversion, where it says, and many people shall go (Isaiah 2:3).
• Third, the promise of peace to the converted, where it says, and he shall judge the Gentiles (Isaiah 2:4).

Therefore, as to the first point, he says, and all nations, that is, people from all nations, shall flow. This phrasing indicates their great number and haste: I will bring them through the torrents of waters in a right way, and they shall not stumble in it (Jeremiah 31:9).

7. The order of conversion was that the Gentiles were converted through the call of those who were from the Jews. Therefore, regarding the second point, he presents three things:

• First, those who are calling.
• Second, the call itself, where it says, come.
• Third, the reason for this order, where it says, for the law shall come forth from Zion.

Therefore he says, many, not all, people, that is, from the Jews. This notes the small number of Jews who converted in comparison to the multitude of Gentiles. They shall go, by taking steps of faith, and say: we also believe. For which cause we speak also (2 Corinthians 4:13).

8. Come. Here he presents the call itself, and they are called to three things.

• First, to the eminence of faith. For this reason, he says, come, by consensus, and let us go up, through faith, to the mountain of the Lord, that is, to Christ, and to the house of the God of Jacob, that is, to the Church: arise, and let us go up to Zion to the Lord our God. For thus says the Lord: rejoice in the joy of Jacob (Jeremiah 31:6–7); an ascent to Mount Zion (Hebrews 12:22).
• Second, to teaching, when he says, he will teach us his ways, that is, the precepts by which one goes to Him: there you shall teach me, and I will give you a cup of spiced wine and new wine of my pomegranates (Song of Solomon 8:2).
• Third, to obedience: and we will walk, after Him, in the paths of His counsels: ask for the old paths, which is the good way, and walk in it (Jeremiah 6:16).

9. For the law shall come forth from Zion. Here he gives the reason for the order of the calling, saying, for the law shall come forth, spiritually understood, from Zion, not from Mount Sinai, and the word of the Lord, that is, the Gospel, from Jerusalem, for the contemplation of peace. For salvation is of the Jews (John 4:22), and as it says below: when they rush out fromEgrediuntur impetu a. Vg.: ingrediuntur impetu ad. DR: “they shall rush in unto.” Jacob, Israel shall blossom and bud (Isaiah 27:6).