Thomas Aquinas Commentary Isaiah 5:20-25

"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink; that justify the wicked for a bribe, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! Therefore as the tongue of fire devoureth the stubble, and as the dry grass sinketh down in the flame, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust; because they have rejected the law of Jehovah of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. Therefore is the anger of Jehovah kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them; and the mountains tremble, and their dead bodies are as refuse in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still." — Isaiah 5:20-25 (ASV)

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).