Thomas Aquinas Commentary Isaiah 3:8-15

"For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen; because their tongue and their doings are against Jehovah, to provoke the eyes of his glory. The show of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have done evil unto themselves. Say ye of the righteous, that [it shall be] well [with him]; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! [it shall be] ill [with him]; for what his hands have done shall be done unto him. As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they that lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths. Jehovah standeth up to contend, and standeth to judge the peoples. Jehovah will enter into judgment with the elders of his people, and the princes thereof: It is ye that have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses: what mean ye that ye crush my people, and grind the face of the poor? saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts." — Isaiah 3:8-15 (ASV)

1. For Jerusalem is ruined. Here the author explains the reason for this renunciation.

   First, he presents the immediate cause: the punishment of universal ruin. Thus, the prophet says he will refuse, for—that is, because—Jerusalem is ruined (the city itself), and Judah (the province itself) has fallen from its integrity through punishment. As it says elsewhere: they have led away the strong ones thereof into captivity, they have destroyed the houses thereof, they have, brought it to ruin (Isaiah 23:13).

2. Second, he presents the underlying cause: their fault. This is divided into three parts:

   1. He emphasizes the gravity of the fault.
   2. He decrees the punishment for the fault, where it says, woe to their souls (Isaiah 3:9).
   3. He shows the justice of the Punisher, where it says, say to the just man (Isaiah 3:10).

   He emphasizes the gravity of their sin in three ways:

   1. From the type of their sin, because it is blasphemy against God. Therefore, it has fallen because their tongue is against the Lord. As it says elsewhere: upon whom have you jested? Upon whom have you opened your mouth wide, and put out your tongue? (Isaiah 57:4).
   2. From the novelty of their sin; so he says: their devices are against the Lord. Their own devices now have beset them about, they have been done before my face (Hosea 7:2).
   3. From the public nature of their sin, which is why he says: the show of their countenance—because by their expression they reveal their sin to others—has answered them, in punishment regarding their conduct. Concerning their praise of sin, he says: and they have proclaimed abroad their sin as Sodom, that is, they have praised it. You had a harlot’s forehead, you would not blush (Jeremiah 3:3).

3. This is explained differently in the Gloss: the show of their countenance, that is, the knowledge of their sins, which they will have in their intellect (because the senses are in the face), has answered them, who ask why they are punished.

   Alternatively, the show of their countenance, meaning the remorse of conscience, has answered them as a punishment. Mystically, this refers to the sin of those who saw Christ and did not wish to know him, because of which their conscience rebukes them, as the Gloss says. And because God’s justice does not allow such grave evils to go unpunished, therefore, woe to their souls, not only to their bodies, for evils have been rendered to them in the foreknowledge of God. Or, the past tense is used here for the future.

4. So that the punishment is not thought to include everyone, the justice of God in separating the good from the wicked is added. Concerning this, he does two things.

   1. First, he presents the reward for the good, saying, say to the just man that it is well; it will be well for him when the others are condemned, for he shall eat the fruit—that is, his reward—of his devices, as if taking the fruit of his good inventions. For just as the wicked are concerned with finding ways to sin, so the good are concerned with finding how they might please God: he that is without a wife is solicitous for the things that belong to the Lord: how he may please God (1 Corinthians 7:32); for you shall eat the labors of your hands: blessed are you (Psalms 128:2).
   2. Second, he presents the punishment for the wicked, saying, woe to the wicked unto evil—that is, for the evil that threatens them—the reward of his hands shall be given him. The sinner has been caught in the works of his own hands (Psalms 9:16).

5. As for my people. Here the oppression of the people is denounced, insofar as it is the sin of the one who oppresses them. This is divided into two parts:

   1. The sin of oppression is presented.
   2. The judgment of punishment is introduced, where it says, the Lord stands up to judge (Isaiah 3:13).

   Now, certain people were oppressing them in three ways.

   1. First, princes were oppressing them by plundering them through violence. Regarding this, he says, as for my people, their oppressors have stripped them of their goods: the people of the land have used oppression, and committed robbery: they afflicted the needy and poor (Ezekiel 22:29).
   2. Second, women were oppressing them by drawing them into sensual desire and even to idolatry, as is told about Solomon in 1 Kings 11. Regarding this, he says: their women have ruled over them. Give not the power of your soul to a woman, lest she enter upon your strength .

   3. Third, prophets were oppressing them by deceiving through the cunning of flattery. Regarding this, he says: O my people. It is as if God is saying: “I was accustomed to speaking to you through the prophets, but because they are deceitful, I will speak to you myself,” to maintain his credibility when one prophet is against another.

      The same deceive you, by promising security, and destroy, by offering an occasion of sin: thus says the Lord concerning the prophets that make my people err: that bite with their teeth, and preach peace (Micah 3:5); the prophets say to them: you shall not see the sword, and there shall be no famine among you, but he will give you true peace in this place (Jeremiah 14:13).

6. The Lord stands up to judge. Here the judgment for punishing the oppressors is introduced, and this is divided into two parts:

   1. The judgment against the oppressing princes is presented.
   2. The judgment against the women is presented, where it says, and the Lord said (Isaiah 3:16).

   The false prophets were deceiving the people to plunder them, and therefore they have the same judgment as the princes: they violated me among my people, for a handful of barley, and a piece of bread (Ezekiel 13:19).

   Concerning the first part, he does three things.

   1. First, the judge is introduced; so he says: the Lord stands up to judge. He shall judgeVg. adds inter. DR: “judge among.” many peoples (Micah 4:3); the judgment sat, and the books were opened (Daniel 7:10).
   2. Second, the case is introduced; so he says: the Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, namely, with the priests, and its princes, kings and leaders: behold I will judgeJudicabo. Vg.: judico. DR: “I judge.” between cattle and cattle, between rams and he goats (Ezekiel 34:17).Et inter arietem et hircum. Vg.: arietum et hircorum. DR: “of rams and of he-goats.”
   3. Third, the reason is given. First, the plaintiff’s accusation is introduced, when he says, you have devoured. They have eaten the flesh of my people (Micah 3:3). Second, the judge’s rebuke is presented, when he says: why do you consume my people, by afflicting them, and grind the faces of the poor, by weakening them with hunger? You that oppress the needy, and crush the poor (Amos 4:1). For God himself will be both plaintiff and judge.

7. It should be noted regarding verse 10 above, say to the just man that ... he shall eat the fruit, that the fruit of the just person is threefold:

   1. First, that which he returns, which is the fruit of his actions: you should bring forth fruit; and your fruit should remain (John 15:16); the fruit of his preaching: let us offer the sacrifice of praise always to God, that is to say, the fruit of lips confessing to his name (Hebrews 13:15); and the fruit of his confession.
   2. Second, that which he receives. This is the fruit of the forgiveness of sin, as it says elsewhere: the iniquity of the house of Jacob shall be forgiven: and this is all the fruit, that the sin thereof should be taken away (Isaiah 27:9); the fruit of participation in grace: but the fruit of the Spirit is, charity, joy (Galatians 5:22); and the fruit of the contemplation of wisdom: the purchasing thereof is better than the merchandise of silver, and her fruit than the chief and purest gold (Proverbs 3:14).
   3. Third, that which he seeks: in the delight of the Lord: his fruit was sweet to my palate (Song of Solomon 2:3); in the company of the heavenly choir: O mountains of Israel, shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel (Ezekiel 36:8); and in receiving the divine gift: your plants are a paradise of pomegranates with the fruits of the orchard (Song of Solomon 4:13).