Thomas Aquinas Commentary Isaiah 5

1. I will sing to my beloved. Here the prophet denounces the third sin of the two tribes—their abuse of things—using a metaphor. This section is divided into two parts.

   In the first, the metaphor is presented.

   In the second, it is explained: for the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel (Isaiah 5:7).

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

   First, he presents the title, saying, I will sing, meaning, “I will proclaim loudly and openly,” as it says later: lift up your voice with strength (Isaiah 40:9). He sings to my beloved, that is, to the people of the Jews, the song of my cousin, meaning the son of my uncle, concerning his vineyard—that is, what he did concerning his vineyard. Sometimes the prophets draw illustrations for their prophecies from such events, as is evident in Jeremiah 32:7 concerning the sale of a field: behold, Hanameel the son of Sellum your cousin shall come to you, saying: buy you my field, which is in Anathoth, for it is your right to buy it. So it may have literally happened that a cousin of the prophet had composed a similar song about his vineyard.

3. Alternatively, it may be understood differently: I will sing the song in the beloved,The form “dilecto” may be either dative (“to my beloved”) or ablative (“in my beloved” or “by my beloved”). namely, in God—that is, in the person of God, I will sing to his vineyard.

   Or another way: to the beloved, namely, to God, I will sing the song of my cousin, that is, concerning my cousin, namely the people of the Jews, for we descend from the same ancestors, concerning his vineyard, meaning, he who is my cousin is the vineyard of God the beloved.

   Or mystically, of my cousin, that is, of Christ, who is from the same people as I am, concerning his vineyard, meaning, he laments concerning his vineyard, which is the synagogue, that bore bitter fruits for him in his passion.

   Note that a song (canticle) is properly a song of exultation. Therefore, this is improperly called a song, since it is a song of mourning. David sang such a song concerning the death of Saul: The beauty of Israel is slain upon your high places: how are the mighty fallen? ... You mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you (2 Samuel 1:19, 21); sing a mournful song (Ezekiel 32:18).

4. Second, where it says, My beloved had a vineyard, he presents the song itself, which contains the metaphor. In it, three things are set forth:

   First, the recounting of the cause.

   Second, the questioning of the court: And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem (Isaiah 5:3).

   Third, the pronouncement of the sentence: And now I will show you what I will do to my vineyard (Isaiah 5:5).

   Concerning the first point, he presents two things: first, on the part of the one who laments, the diligence of his cultivation; second, on the part of the vineyard, the wickedness of its fruit: and I looked that it should bring forth grapes (Isaiah 5:4). The diligence of his cultivation is shown in three things: in the preparation of the location, in the choosing of branches, and in the costly construction.

5. The preparation of the location is shown in three ways.

   First, regarding the richness of the location, he says: a vineyard, of which it says in Psalm 79:8 (80:8): You have brought a vineyard out of Egypt: you have cast out the Gentiles, and planted it. This vineyard was made for my beloved, that is, for God, as a possession, or by God,As above, “dilecto” may be taken as dative or ablative. on a hill, that is, in a prominent location. This indicates the mountainous nature of the land, ideal for a good vineyard because it receives much sun. It was in a very fruitful hill, literally, a son of oil, meaning land so rich that it would produce an abundance of oil. This reflects a Hebrew idiom where someone is called the “son” of something they abound in, as is said in 1 Samuel 26:16: As the LORD lives, you are the sons of death. This designates the goodness of the land that was given to the Jews, of which Ezekiel 20:6 says: I lifted up my hand for them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that I had provided for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands.

   Second, the diligence of his preparation is presented with respect to the fortification of the location; hence he says, And he fenced it in: I will hedge up your way with thorns (Hosea 2:6). This signifies the guardianship of angels and good men.

   Third, regarding its purification: and gathered the stones thereof out, that is, he diligently collected them: you have cast out the Gentiles, and planted it (Psalms 79:8 (80:8)).

6. Regarding the choosing of branches, it is said: and planted it with the choicest vine, that is, from the choicest branches. Hence another translation has, Sorek vine, which is the noblest kind of vine. This signifies the goodness of their fathers: Yet I had planted you a noble vine, wholly a right seed (Jeremiah 2:21).

   Regarding the cost of the construction, which pertains to defense, he says: and built a tower in the midst of it. This shows royal dignity: you were made exceeding beautiful, and you did prosper into a kingdom (Ezekiel 16:13); the tower of David built for an armory (Song of Solomon 4:4). Or, according to others, it represents the temple. A tower is used for the preservation of fruit and for keeping watch.

   Regarding the gathering of fruit, he says: and also made a winepress therein: so shall your barns be filled with plenty, and your presses shall burst out with new wine (Proverbs 3:10). This signifies the altar of burnt offerings because of the outpouring of blood.

7. And he looked that it should bring forth grapes. Here the wickedness of the fruit is described. He says, and he looked, in accordance with the benefits given, that it should bring forth grapes—the fruit of good works—and it brought forth wild grapes (labruscas), so called because they grow on the lips (labiis) of the roads, namely on fences. This notes the bitterness of their vices: how then are you turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me? (Jeremiah 2:21); The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge (Micah 7:4).

8. And now, O you inhabitants. Here the questioning of the court is presented, and concerning this, he does two things.

   First, he appeals to the judges, saying: Therefore, because I did what I ought to have done, now, my case having been heard, judge, I pray you, between me and my vineyard: Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband (Hosea 2:2). In 2 Samuel 12, a similar judgment is sought by David of himself, as if of another man, upon the sin he committed concerning his adultery and the murder of Uriah the Hittite.

9. Second, he seeks judgment, and he asks two things.

   First, whether he had sinned from negligence; hence he says: What could have been done more to my vineyard, beyond what has been said? O my people, what have I done unto you? and wherein have I wearied you? testify against me (Micah 6:3).

   Second, whether he had sinned in the cultivation of the vineyard from excessive care. He says: Perhaps I seem to have done contrary to what was right in that I looked, while tending it well, that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes? It is as if to say: In this I seem rather to be excessive, that I have applied such cultivation to my vineyard. As it says later: O LORD, you have been favorable to the nation: are you glorified? (Isaiah 26:15); and: I have called you a transgressor from the wombVentre. Vg.: utero. for my name’s sake (Isaiah 48:8–9); At the noise of a great tumult he has kindled a fire in it, and the branches of it are broken (Jeremiah 11:16).

10. Note that in the words, my beloved had a vineyard (Isaiah 5:1), the vineyard is manifold.

    First is the vineyard of sinful desire: their vines are of the vineyard of Sodom, and of the suburbs of Gomorrah (Deuteronomy 32:32).

    • The first wine of this vineyard is the wine of wrath: their wine is the gall of dragons (Deuteronomy 32:33).
    • Second is the wine of lust: all nations have drunk of the wine . . . of her fornication (Revelation 18:3).
    • Third is the wine of improper joy: it turns every mind into security and cheerfulness .

11. Second is the vineyard of the faithful soul: our vineyard has flourished (Song of Solomon 2:15).

    • The first wine in this vineyard is the wine of penance: went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine (Luke 10:34).
    • Second is the wine of bodily purity: For what is his goodness, and what is his beauty, but the corn of the elect, and wine budding forth virgins? (Zechariah 9:17).
    • Third is the wine of spiritual joy: and wine that makes glad the heart of man (Psalms 103:15 (104:15)).

12. Third is the vineyard of the Church militant: The peaceable had a vineyard, in that which has people (Song of Solomon 8:11).

    • The first wine of this vineyard is the wine of the holy washing: and wine for a drink offering of the same measure (Numbers 15:5).
    • Second is the wine of fruitful preaching: Through the fruit of their corn, their wine, and oil, they are multiplied (Psalms 4:7 (4:8)).
    • Third is the wine of devout confession: your throat like the best wine (Song of Solomon 7:9).

13. Fourth is the vineyard of heaven: Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard (1 Kings 21:1).

    • The first wine of this vineyard is the wine of divine enjoyment: I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk (Song of Solomon 5:1).
    • Second is the wine of inner fullness: wine also in abundance and of the best was presented, as was worthy of a king’s magnificence (Esther 1:7).
    • Third is the wine of the fellowship of the saints’ joy: I will give you a cup of spiced wine (Song of Solomon 8:2).

14. And now I will show you. Here the sentence is pronounced.

    First, he calls for attention, saying: now, because you do not want to pronounce sentence, I myself will show you what I will do to my vineyard. As it says later: I have declared it to you from of old; before it came to pass I showed it you: lest you should say, My idol has done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, has commanded them. You have heard, see all this (Isaiah 48:5–6).

15. Second, he pronounces the just sentence: that he should take away from the ungrateful the benefits he has furnished, when he says, I will take away the hedge thereof.

    First, he takes away the benefit of protection, which is twofold. There is the protection of angels, and regarding this he says, I will take away the hedge thereof, that is, the help of the angels, by whom it was protected against enemies, and it shall be wasted by the Gentiles: Where there is no hedge, the possession shall be spoiled (Sirach 36:25 (36:27)). There is also the protection of leaders, and regarding this he says, I will break down the wall thereof, that is, the garrisons of the kingdom, of which it says above: and the loftiness of man shall be bowed down (Isaiah 2:17). And it shall be trodden down, that is, made worthless: You have broken down her hedges (Psalms 79:12 (80:12)).

16. Second, he takes away the benefit that pertains to the diligence of cultivation. Hence he says: And I will lay it waste, that is, I will leave it uncultivated like a desert. It shall not be pruned by the whip of admonition or correction when they sin, nor dug, so that occasions of evil might be taken away from them like weeds. But briers and thorns shall come up, that is, major and minor sins; or the briers of sins and the thorns of tribulations. As it says later: for upon all the land shall come up briers and thorns (Isaiah 7:24).

17. Third, he takes away the benefit of fertility, against which he sets a lack of rain. Hence he says: and I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it, literally. Or the clouds represent preachers,Cf. Augustine, Enarr. in Ps. 35.8, 56.17, 134.17; Conf. 13.15.18; Gregory, Moral. 17.26. as it says later: Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? (Isaiah 60:8); Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there has been no latter rain (Jeremiah 3:3).

18. For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts. Here he explains the metaphor.

    First, regarding the vineyard, he explains it by saying, for the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, meaning either all of Israel, or the ten tribes, which were called Israel after the separation of the kingdom because of their greater number (1 Kings 12; 2 Chronicles 10).

    Second, regarding the plantGermen. or branches, he says, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant, that is, the two tribes in which the worship of God was still observed: Though you, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend (Hosea 4:15). Or it is because the princes came from Judah: but Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him cameGerminati sunt. the chief ruler (1 Chronicles 5:2).

19. And he looked for judgment. Here he explains the trial of the vineyard, which consists in the fault and the punishment that follows. This is divided into three parts.

    In the first, the fault is set out in general.

    In the second, the punishment and the fault are described together in particular, where it says, Woe unto them that join house to house (Isaiah 5:8).

    In the third, the punishment is described in general, where it says, For all this his anger is not turned away (Isaiah 5:25).

    He denounces the general fault of their leaders, to whom it belongs to execute judgment, where he says: and he looked, in accordance with the benefits given, for judgment, meaning just judgment, but behold oppression, as an inequality of judgment: I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there (Ecclesiastes 3:16).

    Second, he denounces the fault of their subjects, to whom it belongs to adhere to the justice appointed to them by their leaders: for righteousness, which is measured by the precepts of the law, but behold a cry, the tumult of quarrelers, or the lamentation of the poor. As it says later: What ails you now, that you are wholly gone up to the housetops? You that are full of stirs, a tumultuous city, a joyous city (Isaiah 22:1–2).

20. Woe unto them that join house to house. Here he describes their particular fault in the abuse of things, going through it part by part. This is divided into two sections.

    In the first, he denounces them for the fault itself.

    In the second, he denounces them for their obstinacy in sinning, where it says, Woe unto them that draw iniquity (Isaiah 5:18).

    Concerning the first, he does two things: first, he denounces them for the abuse of possessions, which occurs through avarice; second, for the abuse of food, which occurs through gluttony, where it says, Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning (Isaiah 5:11).

21. Concerning the first, he sets out three things.

    First, their superfluous multiplication of possessions is denounced, where he says: Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place,Terminum. that is, up to the public road: The princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound:Terminum. therefore I will pour out my wrath upon them (Hosea 5:10); Woe unto him that builds his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that uses his neighbour's service without wages, and gives him not for his work. That says, I will build me a wide house and large chambers (Jeremiah 22:13–14); And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage (Micah 2:2).

22. Second, the interpretation of the judge is set out: that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth? This earth is broad and spacious and given as a possession to many: be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth (Genesis 1:28).

23. Third, the threat of punishment is set out, and concerning this, two things are presented.

    First is the authority and power of the one who punishes; hence he says: In my ears said the LORD of hosts, who is able to punish. These words, which I will speak to you, are still sounding in my ears, within. This notes the certainty of the words, as it says later: he wakens morning by morning, he wakens my ear to hear as the learned. The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious (Isaiah 50:4–5).

24. Second, the severity of the punishment is set out, where it says, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair.

    First, regarding the desertion of their houses, he says, Of a truth many houses, great and fair, shall be desolate, regarding their guardianship, and without inhabitant, regarding their abandonment. It is as if to say: unless this happens, my wrath will not rest. This is an aposiopesis, which is an abrupt breaking off of speech. He describes those things in which the riches of houses consist: namely, in multitude, and as to this, he says, many; in beauty, and as to this, he says, fair; and in size: great. And their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation (Zephaniah 1:13).

    Second, regarding the barrenness of the vineyard, he says: Yea, ten acres (a jugerum is 120 feet in length) of vineyard shall yield one bath. A bath is the same volume for liquids as an ephah is for dry goods.

    Third, regarding the loss of seed: and the seed of an homer shall yield an ephah, because you will harvest less than you sowed: When one came to an heap of twenty measures, there were but ten (Haggai 2:16). Other readings have cors, or ephahs, which is one-tenth of a cor: The ephah and the bath shall be of one measure, that the bath may contain the tenth part of a cor, and the ephah the tenth part of a cor (Ezekiel 45:11).

1. Woe to you that rise up early in the morning to follow drunkenness. Here he denounces their fault regarding the abuse of food.

   First, he denounces the fault.

   Second, he threatens punishment, where it says, therefore is my people led away captive (Isaiah 5:13).

   Concerning the first part, he does two things:

   First, he denounces gluttony according to its types.

   Second, he denounces it by its effect, where it says, and the work of the Lord you regard not (Isaiah 3:13).

2. Now, the types of gluttony are five, which are contained in the saying: hastily, sumptuously, too much, greedily, daintily.

   Therefore, he first addresses “hastily” when he says, woe to you that rise up early in the morning. As it is written, Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, and when the princes eat in the morning! (Ecclesiastes 10:16); and, When shall I awake and find wine again? (Proverbs 23:35).

   Regarding “greedily,” he says, to follow.

   Regarding “too much,” he says, and to drink until the evening. As it is written, Who has woe? Whose father has woe? Who has contentions? Who falls into pits? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Surely they that pass their time in wine, and study to drink off their cups (Proverbs 23:29–30). This is to be inflamed with wine, with lust, and with all the vices.

   Regarding “daintily,” he says, the harp and wine, sought out daintily,Studiose. with great eagerness,Studio. because they prepare for themselves pleasure in food.

   Regarding “sumptuously,” he says, in your feasts, in which there were great displays and choice foods. As it is written, You that eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the herd; you that sing to the sound of the psaltery: they have thought themselves to have instruments of music like David; that drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the best ointments (Amos 6:4–6).

3. The effect is thoughtlessness, and regarding this he says, and the work of the Lord you regard not, which you ought to do, nor the works of his hands, which he himself has done. As it is written, Wine is a luxurious thing, and drunkenness riotous (Proverbs 20:1).

4. Therefore is my people led away captive. Here he sets out the corresponding punishment.

   First, regarding the affection of the will, he says, therefore. Just as their knowledge was taken captive by drunkenness, so will they themselves be taken captive: My people have been silent, because they had no knowledge (Hosea 4:6).

5. It might seem, however, that ignorance does not deserve punishment, because it excuses a fault.

   To this, it must be said that ignorance can mean merely the negation of knowledge; in this sense, it deserves neither punishment nor pardon, like the ignorance of geometry among peasants. It can also mean the privation of knowledge, where one neglects the aptitude one ought to have in a subject. In this sense, it is evident that it is a vice not to know those things that someone is able and obligated to know.

6. Second, he sets out the punishment corresponding to the five types of gluttony. He sets out hunger and thirst, which correspond in their cause to “hastily,” for hunger is caused by someone excessively postponing the taking of food. It is as if he were saying: You used to eat too quickly, but you only postponed your future hunger.

   Next, he addresses the type of gluttony that is “greedily” by its general category, for hunger is the desire for food. For this reason, he says, and their nobles. He sets out thirst in opposition to the multitude of the common people, who were at least accustomed to quenching their thirst with water. But against the nobles, who abounded in provisions, he sets out hunger, though they are sometimes weighed down with thirst: It was better with them that were slain by the sword, than with them that died with hunger (Lamentations 4:9).

7. Second, against the type of gluttony that is “too much,” he sets out the insatiability of their captors. For this reason, he says, therefore has hell, that is, death or the devil, enlarged her soul, regarding affection, and opened her mouth, regarding the effect. He speaks in a human way, for hell does not have a soul: Hell and destruction are never filled (Proverbs 27:20). Or “hell” may refer to Nebuchadnezzar: Who has enlarged his desire like hell: and is himself like death, and he is never satisfied (Habakkuk 2:5).

8. Third, regarding the dainty preparation of food, which arises from a certain vanity, he sets out the punishment of humiliation, where it says, and shall go down. He shows that they are going to be humiliated in three ways.

   First, regarding their subjugation. For this reason, he says: their strong ones, referring to the powerful; and their high ones, referring to the rich and others prominent in wealth, who are prideful about it; and their glorious ones, referring to the noble and famous, shall go down, as if humiliated, into it, namely, into the hell of captivity. As it is written, And the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah. He also put out the eyes of Sedecias: and bound him with fetters, to be carried to Babylon (Jeremiah 39:6–7). And later in the same chapter: And Nabuzardan the general of the army carried away captive to Babylon the remnant of the people that remained in the city, and the fugitives that had gone over to him, and the rest of the people that remained (Jeremiah 39:9).

   Second, regarding the humbling of the captives: and man shall be brought down, being in captivity, referring to the high ones; and man shall be humbled, referring to the powerful; and the eyes of the lofty, referring to the glorious ones. As it is written, Neither shall you be quiet, even in those nations, nor shall there be any rest for the sole of your foot (Deuteronomy 28:65).

   Third, regarding the exaltation of God who punishes them: and the Lord of hosts shall be exalted. He who was first despised will appear high in just judgment. And the holy God, holy in himself, shall be sanctified, that is, he will appear holy. As it says above, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day (Isaiah 2:11).

9. Fourth, against the type of gluttony that is “sumptuously,” he sets out the devouring of their goods by their enemies: and the lambs shall feed, that is, your goods will be consumed by your enemies, according to their order, for the best are taken first, referring to animals. Regarding the products of the soil, strangers shall eat the deserts, that is, the fields you deserted, which have been turned into fruitfulness, meaning made more fertile. As it is written, The Lord shall bring you, and your king, whom you shall have appointed over you, into a nation which you and your fathers know not (Deuteronomy 28:36). And later in the same chapter: The stranger that lives with you in the land, shall rise up over you, and shall be higher (Deuteronomy 28:43).

   Mystically: the lambs, that is, the saints, shall feed, meaning they will be refreshed by the teaching of God the Father, according to their order, that is, according to their capacity. The strangers are the Gentiles. And deserts refers to what has been deserted by the Jews—namely, the Sacred Scriptures—which are turned into fruitfulness through spiritual understanding.

10. Woe to you that draw. Here he denounces the stubbornness of their sinning.

    First, he denounces their fault.

    Second, he threatens punishment, where it says, therefore as the tongue of the fire devours the stubble (Isaiah 5:24).

    Concerning the first part, he does two things:

    First, he denounces the fault in general.

    Second, he explains it in particular, where it says, that say (Isaiah 5:19).

    Therefore, he first says: woe to you that draw, that is, prolong, iniquity with cords of vanity, referring to the vain occasions by which a person is drawn to sin, as the fault is prolonged and increased. As it is written, His own iniquities catch the wicked, and he is fast bound with the ropes of his own sins (Proverbs 5:22). This is said regarding common sins. Regarding grave sins, however, he adds: and sin as with a cart rope, that is, the rope by which a cart is bound and drawn, which is larger than a cord. He designates the weight of the sin in the cart, as it says later: loose the bands of wickedness, undo the bundles that oppress (Isaiah 58:6).

11. That say. Here he shows in particular those vanities from which they drew sin upon themselves. He does this in three ways:

    1. Regarding their contempt for the judge;
    2. Regarding their excusing of sin, where it says, woe to you that call evil good (Isaiah 5:20);
    3. Regarding the presumption in their sinning, where it says, woe to you that are wise (Isaiah 5:21).

    And this is the threefold cord, which is not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12).

12. Their contempt for the judge's threat stems from two things.

    First, because of the delay of the sentence. For this reason, he says: let him make haste, and let his work of captivity, which you threaten, come quickly. As it is written, For because sentence is not speedily pronounced against the evil, the children of men commit evils without any fear (Ecclesiastes 8:11).

    Second, because of the judge's distance. For this reason, he says, let him come near, as if to say: He is in heaven and cannot see, but let Him come near. As it is written, For they have said: The Lord has forsaken the earth, and the Lord sees not (Ezekiel 9:9).

13. Note, regarding the words above, and sin as with a cart rope (Isaiah 5:18), that sin is first called a cord. This is because:

    1. It draws us to the pattern of sin: Immediately he follows her as an ox led to be a victim . . . and not knowing that he is drawn like a fool to bonds (Proverbs 7:22).
    2. It draws us to the habit of sinning: A wild ass accustomed to the wilderness in the desire of his heart, snuffed up the wind of his love (Jeremiah 2:24).
    3. It draws us to the destruction of eternal death: Deliver them that are led to death: and those that are drawn to death, forbear not to deliver (Proverbs 24:11).

14. Second, sin is called vanity. This is because it falls short:

    1. Of imitating divine truth: All men are vain, in whom there is not the knowledge of God .
    2. Of attaining the end we hope for: But to the sinner he has given vexation, and superfluous care, to heap up and to gather together, and to give it to him that has pleased God: but theseHaec. Vg.: hoc. DR: “this.” also are vanity, and a fruitless solicitude of the mind (Ecclesiastes 2:26).
    3. Of having any long-lasting duration: The son of man is not immortal, and they are delighted with the vanity of evil ; All those things are passed away like a shadow, and like a post that runs on .

15. Third, sin is called a bond. This is because it binds:

    1. The intellect, so that it cannot see: For while the wicked thought to be able to have dominion over the holy nation, they themselves being fettered with the bonds of darkness, and a long night, shut up in their houses, exiled, they pleased the eternal providence.Perpetuae providentiae placuerunt. Vg.: fugitivi perpetuae providentiae jacuerunt. DR: “lay there exiled from eternal providence.” And while they thought to lie hid in their obscure sins, they were scattered under a dark veil of forgetfulness .
    2. The hand, so that it cannot do good.
    3. The feet, so that they cannot advance.

    Regarding these last two, Matthew 22:13 says: Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the exterior darkness.

16. Fourth, sin is called a cart. This is because it oppresses:

    1. With the burden of servitude: And there you shall serve strange gods day and night, which shall not give you any rest (Jeremiah 16:13).
    2. With fear in the heart: For whereas wickedness is fearful, it bears witness of its condemnation .
    3. With uneasiness of conscience, as it says later: but the heart of the wicked is likeImpii autem cor quasi. Vg.: impii autem quasi. DR: “the wicked are like.” the raging sea, which cannot rest (Isaiah 57:20).

1. Woe to you that call evil good. Here he sets out the vanity related to excusing sin.

1. Regarding the effect: that call evil good. The evil of their hands they call good (Micah 7:3).
2. Regarding the intellect: that put darkness for light, truth for error. Men loved darkness rather than the light (John 3:19).
3. Regarding the affections: that put bitter for sweet, thinking the life of sin is sweet. And it was not enough for them to err about the knowledge of God, but while they lived in a great war of ignorance, they call so many and so great evils peace .

2. Woe to you that are wise. Here he sets out the third vanity, which is the presumption in their sinning, concerning three things.

1. Wisdom of heart, both in speculative matters (you that are wise, as in, be not wise in your own conceit, Proverbs 3:7) and in practical matters (prudent, as in, be not prudentDR: “wise.” in your own conceits, Romans 12:16).
2. The body’s power for sinning: you that are mighty to drink. They boast that they can drink much and become drunk, because of the custom of the land in which mixed wine is drunk. As it says elsewhere, let the islands keep silence before me, and the nations take new strength (Isaiah 41:1). They are glad when they have done evil, and rejoice in the most wicked things (Proverbs 2:14).
3. Authority: that justify. This means you claim to have such authority that you can justify the wicked at your will, so that whatever pleases you has the force of law. As it says elsewhere, woe to them that make wicked laws: and when they write, write injustice (Isaiah 10:1). Also, he that justifies the wicked, and he that condemns the just (Proverbs 17:15), and, if a man give not something into their mouth, they prepare war against him (Micah 3:5).

3. Therefore as the tongue of the fire devours. Here the prophet threatens punishment.

First, he presents the punishment of consumption using the metaphor of fire. The word therefore is used because you draw iniquity, planting a root for yourself in your sins. Just as the flame of fire consumes the stubble it touches, and the heat of the flame consumes what is at a distance, so will you be consumed. For example, persecution killed the captives and afflicted the others: without, the sword shall lay them waste, and terror within (Deuteronomy 32:25).

Thus, so shall their root be as ashes refers to the things in which they trusted, whether their ancestors or their relatives. And their bud shall go up as dust refers to their sons. This notes the powerful effect resulting from these causes: and all that do wickedly shall be stubble: and the day that comes shall set them on fire (Malachi 4:1).

4. Second, he lays out the process and order of the punishment.

1. He sets out the cause of punishment, especially regarding the first vanity. Thus he says, for they have cast away the law, having contempt for it in their hearts, and have blasphemed the word of the Holy One of Israel, mocking with their mouths. They obeyed not your voice, and they walked not in your law (Jeremiah 32:32).
2. The wrath of the one who punishes: therefore is the wrath of the Lord kindled. He speaks in a way that mirrors the process of wrath in humans. And the Lord was exceedingly angry (Psalms 106:40).
3. The infliction of the punishment: and he has stretched out his hand—the hand of his power to strike them, which he had kept folded while sparing them. And he will stretch out his hand upon the north, and will destroy Assyria: and he will make the beautiful city a wilderness (Zephaniah 2:13).
4. The effect of the punishment in the slaughter of people: the mountains were troubled. "The mountains" refers to the great and powerful, who were troubled because of their fear.

5. The Gloss states that this is said hyperbolically.

One might object that this implies the prophet is exaggerating beyond the truth.

To this, it should be said that while in some writings hyperbole is taken to mean simply going beyond the truth, in Holy Scripture it means going beyond the truth according to human opinion. It is as if to say: the trouble will be beyond what can be believed.

Alternatively, hyperbole is a figure of speech. In such language, one thing is said while another is understood. Therefore, there is no falsehood in the intended meaning, just as with a metaphor. It is as if to say: the trouble will be so great that the mountains, if such a thing were possible, would be troubled. The mountains were troubled with his strength (Psalms 46:3).

And, regarding the degradation of their bodies, their carcasses became as dung. They shall not be gathered, and they shall not be buried: they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth (Jeremiah 8:2). They shall die by the death of grievous illnesses: they shall not be lamented, and they shall not be buried, they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth (Jeremiah 16:4).

1. For after this his anger is not turned away. Here he presents the common and ultimate punishment regarding their captivity by the Romans. Concerning this, three things are described:

   1. The preparation of the army.
   2. The deployment of the army, where it says, and behold they shall come with speed swiftly (Isaiah 5:26).
   3. The infliction of the punishment, where it says, and they shall keep fast hold of it (Isaiah 5:29).

   Regarding the first point, three things are described.

   1. The indignation of the one who gathers the army together: for after this, as if to say: just as you add sins to sins, so he will add punishment to punishment, as it says later: no man shall spare his brother. And he shall turn to the right hand, and shall be hungry: and shall eat on the left hand, and shall not be filled (Isaiah 9:19–20).
   2. The raising of the standard, and he will lift up a sign, that is, a banner: set up the sign in Zion. Strengthen yourselves, stay not: for I bring evil from the north, and great destruction (Jeremiah 4:6).
   3. The calling together of the army, and will whistle, that is, he will blow upon, as it says later: and it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall whistle for the fly, that is in the uttermost parts of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. And they shall come, and shall all of them rest in the torrents of the valleys (Isaiah 7:18–19). And to frighten them more, he adds the foreignness of the people—regarding their religion, to the nations, so that they do not revere your holy things; regarding their language, afar off, so that they are not appeased by words; and regarding their customs, from the ends of the earth, so that they do not make an alliance with them.

2. Behold they shall come with speed swiftly. Here the deployment of the army is described.

   1. He shows that they are unhindered in their advance.
   2. That they are armed for battle: their arrows (Isaiah 5:28).
   3. That they are cruel in their punishment: their roaring (Isaiah 5:29).

   Regarding the first point, two things are described.

   1. Their swiftness: behold, for certainly, they are swift: our persecutors were swifter than the eagles of the air (Lamentations 4:19); for their horsemen shall come from afar, they shall fly as an eagle that makes haste to eat (Habakkuk 1:8); behold he shall come up as a cloud, and his chariots as a tempest: his horses are swifter than eagles (Jeremiah 4:13).

3. Second, the cause of their swiftness, by removing a threefold impediment:

   1. The one that might arise from physical weakness, against which he says: there is none that shall faint, who might have to stay behind, nor labor among them, who might arrive late, as it says later: but they that hope in the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall take wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31).
   2. Against the impediment that might arise from their own will, he says: they shall not slumber, out of laziness, meaning they would not advance lazily, nor sleep, to recover their strength: slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle soul shall suffer hunger (Proverbs 19:15).
   3. He removes the impediment that arises from material needs: neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed. He describes those things by which travelers are usually hindered from their journey, as if all these things will last longer than usual: I have brought you forty years through the desert: your garments are not worn out, neither are the shoes of your feet consumed with age (Deuteronomy 29:5).

4. Their arrows are sharp. Here he shows that they are armed for battle.

   1. Regarding the quality of their weapons, he describes the weapons that are customary in those lands: their arrows are sharp, which notes the quality of their arrows, and their bows are bent, which notes the readiness of their weapons, so they are not delayed by having to prepare: the sharp arrows of the mighty (Psalms 120:4).
   2. He describes their transport: the hoofs of their horses shall be like the flint, which does not break easily, and their wheels like the violence of a tempest, making a great noise because of their multitude and great speed: behold he shall come up as a cloud, and his chariots as a tempest (Jeremiah 4:13).

5. Their roaring. Here he shows that they are cruel in their punishment.

   1. Regarding their ferocity: roaring: they shall walk after the Lord, he shall roar as a lion: because he shall roar, and the children of the sea shall fear (Hosea 11:10).
   2. Regarding their rapacity: they shall roar like young lions: the young lions roaring after their prey (Psalms 104:21).
   3. Regarding their cruelty, they shall gnash their teeth, which is a characteristic of a boar: they gnashed upon me with their teeth (Psalms 35:16); the boar out of the wood has laid it waste: and a singular wild beast has devoured it (Psalms 80:13).

6. And take hold. Here the infliction of punishment is described, and finally, the despair of those being punished, where it says, we shall look (Isaiah 5:30).

   Regarding the first point, he describes three things.

   1. He threatens capture, take hold of the prey, as if to say: they will capture you like prey: the lion caught enough for his whelps, and killed for his lionesses: and he filled his holes with prey, and his den with rapine (Nahum 2:12).
   2. Secure detention: and they shall keep fast hold of it, so that you cannot escape through their carelessness, and there shall be none to deliver it, due to their lack of power: the Lord has delivered me into a hand, out of which I am not able to rise (Lamentations 1:14).
   3. Harsh domination, and they shall make a noise, with threats and terror: behold a people comes from the land of the north, and a great nation shall rise up from the ends of the earth. They shall lay hold on arrow and shield: they are cruel, and will have no mercy. Their voice shall roar like the sea (Jeremiah 6:22–23).

7. We shall look towards the land. Here he describes their despair.

   1. Regarding help from the earth: we shall look towards the land, everywhere, and behold darkness, because everyone persecutes them.
   2. Regarding help from heaven: and the light of divine hope is darkened with the mist thereof: I beheld the earth, and lo it was void, and nothing: and the heavens, and there was no light in them (Jeremiah 4:23). And the prophet includes himself among them out of compassion.