Thomas Aquinas Commentary Isaiah 31:1-9

"Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses, and trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek Jehovah! Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words, but will arise against the house of the evil-doers, and against the help of them that work iniquity. Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit: and when Jehovah shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall stumble, and he that is helped shall fall, and they all shall be consumed together. For thus saith Jehovah unto me, As the lion and the young lion growling over his prey, if a multitude of shepherds be called forth against him, will not be dismayed at their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so will Jehovah of hosts come down to fight upon mount Zion, and upon the hill thereof. As birds hovering, so will Jehovah of hosts protect Jerusalem; he will protect and deliver [it], he will pass over and preserve [it]. Turn ye unto him from whom ye have deeply revolted, O children of Israel. For in that day they shall cast away every man his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin. And the Assyrian shall fall by the sword, not of man; and the sword, not of men, shall devour him; and he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall become subject to taskwork. And his rock shall pass away by reason of terror, and his princes shall be dismayed at the ensign, saith Jehovah, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem." — Isaiah 31:1-9 (ASV)

1. Woe to them that go down. In this part, he threatens both the Egyptians and the Jews at the same time. Regarding this, he does two things.

   First, he presents the threat.

   Second, he presents the consolation, where it says, for thus says the Lord to me (Isaiah 31:4).

   Concerning the first point, he presents two things.

   First, he presents their guilt, which stems from their trust in human help: trusting in horses. As the Psalm says, vain is the horse for safety: nor will he be saved by the abundance of his strength (Psalms 33:17). Their guilt also stems from their contempt for divine help: and have not trusted in the Holy One of Israel. This is contrary to what is said in Psalm 20:7: some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will hopeSperavimus. Vg.: invocabimus. DR: “call upon.” in the name of the Lord, our God.

2. Second, he threatens the punishment: but he.

   First, against their contempt for divine help, he presents God's wisdom and the firmness of His sentence: the wise one has brought evil, and has not removed his words. That is, He has not nullified what He threatened through the prophets: God is not a man, that he should lie, nor as the son of man, that he should be changed (Numbers 23:19). Then he adds the punishment: and he will rise up.

   Second, against their trust in human help, he presents their weakness: Egypt is man. As it is written, whereas you are a man, and not God, in the hand of them that slay you (Ezekiel 28:9–10). Then he adds the punishment: and the helper shall fall. As Job says, they that dwell in houses of clay, who have an earthly foundation (Job 4:19).

3. For thus says the Lord. Here he presents the consolation, promising deliverance by God from their enemies, from whom the Egyptians could not deliver them. Regarding this, he does three things.

   First, he presents the defense of the Jews using the image of a defending lion, saying: you and the Egyptians, in whom you trusted while despising me, will perish. For thus says the Lord, who alone saves, so shall the Lord of hosts come down to fight. This is as a defender against those who obstructed the building of the temple after the return from captivity, or against the Assyrians: and I will be to them as a lioness, as a leopard in the way of the Assyrians (Hosea 13:7).

   He also uses the image of a protecting bird: as birds. This is like what is said in the Gospel: how often would I have gathered together your children, as the hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing? (Matthew 23:37). And also: as the eagle enticing her young to fly, and hovering over them (Deuteronomy 32:11).

4. Second, he presents the destruction of their enemies, promising advice on how to merit this: return to me. As Proverbs says, the wicked man, when he is come into the depths of sins, shows contempt (Proverbs 18:3). And as Paul writes, as you have yielded your members to serve iniquity, unto iniquity: so now yield your members to serve cleanness,Munditiae. Vg.: justitiae. DR: “justice.” unto sanctification (Romans 6:19).

   He then presents the fulfillment of this counsel: in that day, mentioned above: in that day a man shall cast away his idols (Isaiah 2:20). And he presents the fruit of this, namely, the destruction itself, regarding the death of the slain: by the sword. As it is written, my sword shall devour flesh (Deuteronomy 32:42). This also regards the removal of the survivors in flight, fear, and servitude, for his young men shall be tributaries, afterwards, to the Babylonians.

5. Third, he presents the reinforcement of both points: the Lord has said it, whose fire is burning the Assyrians, as mentioned above: the light of Israel shall be as a fire, and the Holy One thereof as a flame (Isaiah 10:17).

   Alternatively, the fire is on the altar of incense, and his furnace is on the altar of holocausts: the fire on the altar shall always burn (Leviticus 6:12).

   Or, the fire is the fire of charity burning imperfectly in the Church militant, but a furnace burning perfectly in the Church triumphant.

6. Note also that charity is called a fire; see the collation preceding this chapter.