Thomas Aquinas Commentary Isaiah 32:1-20

"Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in justice. And a man shall be as a hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest, as streams of water in a dry place, as the shade of a great rock in a weary land. And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken. And the heart of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly. The fool shall be no more called noble, nor the churl said to be bountiful. For the fool will speak folly, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise profaneness, and to utter error against Jehovah, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail. And the instruments of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the meek with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right. But the noble deviseth noble things; and in noble things shall he continue. Rise up, ye women that are at ease, [and] hear my voice; ye careless daughters, give ear unto my speech. For days beyond a year shall ye be troubled, ye careless women; for the vintage shall fail, the ingathering shall not come. Tremble, ye women that are at ease; be troubled, ye careless ones; strip you, and make you bare, and gird [sackcloth] upon your loins. They shall smite upon the breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine. Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers; yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city. For the palace shall be forsaken; the populous city shall be deserted; the hill and the watch-tower shall be for dens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks; until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness become a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be esteemed as a forest. Then justice shall dwell in the wilderness; and righteousness shall abide in the fruitful field. And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence for ever. And my people shall abide in a peaceable habitation, and in safe dwellings, and in quiet resting-places. But it shall hail in the downfall of the forest; and the city shall be utterly laid low. Blessed are yet that sow beside all waters, that send forth the feet of the ox and the ass." — Isaiah 32:1-20 (ASV)

1. Behold, a king will reign in justice. This is the third part of the warning, in which the prophet describes their liberation from the enemies who were then threatening them.

   First, he foretells the liberation in the manner of a prophecy.

   Second, he recounts it in the manner of a history: and it came to pass (chapter 36).

   The first of these is divided into two parts:

   • In the first, he foretells the prosperity of the Jews.
   • In the second, the destruction of their enemies: Woe to you who plunder (chapter 33).

2. Concerning the first part, he does two things.

   First, he foretells the state of the liberated people, regarding:

   • The justice of the king: a king will reign, namely, Hezekiah. A king will reign, and will be wise (Jeremiah 23:5).
   • The prosperity of the people: and princes will rule with judgment.
   • Comfort in tribulation: and a man will be like a hiding place from the wind; and as it says above, there will be a tabernacle for a shade in the daytime from the heat (Isaiah 4:6).
   • Improvement in spiritual matters: the eyes of those who see, namely, the prophets, will not be dim, as they were before because of the sins of the king and the people, but will receive clear visions from the Lord. And the ears of their subjects will listen, fulfilling the Lord's commands given by the prophets. The heart of fools, who formerly erred by following idols, will understand. And the tongue of stammerers, the prophets who formerly spoke obscurely and enigmatically, will speak readily and plainly. Wisdom opened the mouth of the mute, and made the tongues of infants eloquent .
   • Their consequent freedom from tyrants: the fool will no longer be called prince, namely, Sennacherib, to whom they formerly paid tribute, as is clear in 2 Kings 18:14. I will deliver them out of the hand of the king of the Assyrians (Ezekiel 24). (Isaiah 38:6).

3. Second, he describes the manner of their liberation, beginning with: for the fool.

   First, he describes the affliction.

   Second, the liberation: until the Spirit is poured upon us (Isaiah 32:15).

   Concerning the affliction, he does two things:

   • First, he describes the enemy who persecutes them.
   • Second, the persecution itself: Rise up, you rich women (Isaiah 32:9).

   Concerning the enemy, he describes three things:

   1. The wickedness of the king himself, regarding the blasphemy of his mouth: the fool, namely, Sennacherib, will speak foolish things—blasphemous words, as seen below (Isaiah 37:17). The mouth of fools pours out folly (Proverbs 15:2).
   2. The duplicity of his heart: his heart will work iniquity, promising a good land to the people, while acting deceitfully toward the Lord by saying he had come by His command, as seen below (Isaiah 36:10). The thoughts of the just are counselsConsilia. Vg.: judicia. DR: “judgments.” (Proverbs 12:5).
   3. The cruelty of his actions: to leave the soul of the hungry empty, robbing them of the things by which they should have been nourished, contrary to what is said in Proverbs 25:21: if your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat.

4. Second, he describes the malice of his princes: the vessels, that is, the messengers and princes, of the deceitful one, namely, of Sennacherib. A prince who gladly listens to lying words has all his servants wicked (Proverbs 29:12). He also describes the execution of their malice: for he, namely, Rabshakeh, about whom see below (chapter 36), will craft (concinnabit), that is, compose, schemes—for cinnus is a kind of drink composed of different things—against the poor man, the Jew. Your mouth has abounded with evil, and your tongue has framed deceits (Psalms 50:19).

5. Third, he describes the prudence of Hezekiah in his reign: the prince, for Hezekiah commanded that no one should answer Sennacherib (2 Kings 18:36). As it says above: I will restore your judgesPrincipes. Vg.: iudices. DR: “judges.” as they were before (Isaiah 1:26).

6. Rich women. Here he describes the persecution inflicted on them regarding three things.

   First, regarding the loss of produce, he calls for attention: you women, who weep easily; you rich, who have reason to weep over the ruin of your possessions. Or, you women, that is, you weak Jews. Those who trust in their own strength, and glory in the multitude of their riches (Psalms 49:6). He then specifies the time: after many days and a year. For trouble is near, for there is no one to help me (Psalms 22:11). And he describes the loss of produce: the vintage is finished, destroyed; the gathering of crops will no longer come into our houses from the fields. The joy of the vintage is taken away (Jeremiah 48:33).

7. Second, regarding the devastation of the fields, he prescribes mourning: be stunned. I have put off the robe of peace . As it says above: and the Lord in that day will call to weeping (Isaiah 22:12). And he foretells the harm: upon the land... briers and thorns will come up over it (Isaiah 5:6).

8. Third, regarding the desolation of their cities and houses, he describes the desolation itself: how much more is there to weep for, namely, the rejoicing city, Jerusalem, whose lower part was handed over to the Assyrians. As it says above: a populous city, a joyous city (Isaiah 22:2). He describes the magnitude of the desolation regarding the houses, for they were reduced to perpetual darkness, as happens to ruined buildings: and darkness. They will grope inIn. Vg.: quasi in. DR: “as in.” the dark, and not in the light (Job 12:25). And regarding their fields: they will become a delight for wild donkeys, which live in vast wildernesses. A wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness (Jeremiah 2:24).

9. Until the Spirit is poured upon us. Here he describes their liberation.

   First, he describes the comfort of the Jews.

   Second, the destruction of their enemies: but hail (Isaiah 32:19).

   Third, the prophet’s congratulation: blessed are you who sow (Isaiah 32:20).

   Concerning the first point, he describes three things:

   1. Divine comfort: These things, I say, will happen when Sennacherib lays waste to the land, until the Spirit, divine comfort, is poured upon us. You will know that I am the Lord, for I will send spirit into you, and you will live (Ezekiel 37:5–6).

10. Second, he describes the manner and order of the comfort, regarding:

    • The fertility of the land: and the desert will be like Carmel, and Carmel will be counted as a forest. That is, your land, once a desert, will become as fertile as Carmel, so much so that Carmel’s own fertility will seem like a wasteland in comparison to your land. The same idea is found above (Isaiah 29:19).
    • The observance of justice: and judgment will dwell. As it says above: Zion will be redeemed with judgment (Isaiah 1:27).
    • The tranquility of peace: and the work, that is, the effect, of justice will be peace, and the service of justice, quietness, for it will be without the turmoil of conflicts and wars. As it says above: Lord, you will give us peace (Isaiah 26:12).

11. Third, he describes the pleasant enjoyment of divine comfort: and my people will dwell in the beauty of peace. But he who listens to me will rest without terror, and will enjoy abundance (Proverbs 1:33).

12. Hail, that is, the tribulation, in the downfall of the forest, meaning it will descend from the Lord upon your enemies. The city, Nineveh, will be humbled. As it says above: the lofty city he will lay low (Isaiah 26:5).

13. Blessed are you who sow. Here he shows the prophet’s congratulation: upon all waters, that is, in places made fertile by an abundance of water, letting the foot of the ox and the donkey range freely there. This does not mean at the same time, for this was forbidden: You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together (Deuteronomy 22:10). For you will eat the labor of your hands; you will be blessed, and it will be well with you (Psalms 128:2).

14. Note on the words, the work of justice will be peace, that the peace of the saints in heaven will be beautiful for three reasons:

    1. Because it will not be false .
    2. Because it will not be interrupted, as it says above: and of peace there will be no end (Isaiah 9:7).
    3. Because it will be complete: He makes peace in your borders (Psalms 147:14).

15. Note also that three things make the peace to come desirable:

    1. The strength of divine power: Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever. He who dwells in Jerusalem will not be moved forever (Psalms 125:1–2).
    2. The purity of one’s own conscience: You will walk confidently on your way, and your foot will not stumble (Proverbs 3:23).
    3. The removal of hostile wickedness: Take heart; I have overcome the world (John 16:33).

16. Note also on the words, blessed are you who sow upon all waters, that the teaching of the Lord is like water for five reasons:

    1. Because it is abundant: I, Wisdom, have poured out rivers .
    2. Because it cools: Like cold water to a thirsty soul (Proverbs 25:25).
    3. Because it makes things fruitful, as it says below: as the rain comes down from heaven, and does not return there, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and sprout, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth (Isaiah 55:10–11).
    4. Because it moves quickly: it will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life (John 4:14).
    5. Because it adapts itself to each individual: in the streets divide your waters (Proverbs 5:16).