Thomas Aquinas Commentary Isaiah 59

Behold, the hand of the Lord is not shortened. Here the prophet presents the preparation for receiving salvation on the part of the Savior himself.

First, he presents the necessity of salvation, and second, the preparation for it: and the Lord saw (Isaiah 59:15).

Regarding the necessity of salvation, he does two things. First, speaking in the person of the Lord, he demonstrates this necessity by showing the people's misery. Second, the people respond by recalling their misery: therefore is judgment far from us (Isaiah 59:9).

Regarding the first point—showing the people's misery—he again does two things. First, he shows the cause of their misery, and second, the misery itself: wasting and destruction (Isaiah 59:7).

Regarding the cause of their misery, he does two things.

First, he excludes a false cause, such as a lack of God’s power or his unwillingness to hear: neither is his ear heavy that it cannot hear. This relates to the earlier question: is my hand shortened? (Isaiah 50:2).

Second, he states the true cause: their own fault. He first addresses their fault in general: but your iniquities—referring to great sins—have divided you from God, just as a wall or clouds might be interposed. He continues with and your sins, referring to common sins. As it is written: He said: I will hide my face from them (Deuteronomy 32:20).

Then, he describes their fault in particular, beginning with the words, for your hands. He specifically addresses their sins against their neighbor, having already discussed their sins against God and their sins against themselves .

First, he addresses the injustice by which they oppressed others. Regarding their actions, he says, for your hands are defiled with blood—the blood of the innocent whom they killed—and your fingers with lesser injustices, or perhaps this refers to the diligence of their evil actions. This echoes the earlier passage: for your hands are full of blood (Isaiah 1:15).

Regarding their speech, he says, your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue utters iniquity, so that the ugliness of lying is added to the ugliness of injustice. This is the opposite of Job's claim: and you shall not find iniquity in my tongue (Job 6:30). Regarding their omission of justice, he says, there is none that judges, referring to the superiors to whom judgment belongs. As Jeremiah says, seek in the broad places thereof, if you can find a man that executes judgment (Jeremiah 5:1).

Second, he addresses the cunning by which they deceived others.

He first discusses the cunning itself. Insofar as they intended their own advantage by it, he says, but they trust in a mere nothing—that is, in vain counsels or in idols—and speak, expressing the vanity of their hearts with words. As Amos says, you that rejoice in a thing of naught (Amos 6:14). Insofar as they intended to oppress others by it, he says, they have conceived labor, meaning they have devised ways to labor at harming others, or to bring about labor for others. He continues, and brought forth iniquity, which refers to the completion of their work. This is like the Psalm: he has conceived sorrow, and brought forth iniquity (Psalms 7:15).

Second, he applies a metaphor to this cunning.

First, he presents the metaphor itself. Regarding their oppression of others, he says they have broken eggs of asps, meaning their counsels are full of poison, which they bring forth into public works. As it is written, their wine is the gall of dragons, and the venom of asps, which is incurable (Deuteronomy 32:33). Regarding their own supposed advantage, he says they have woven the webs, meaning their thoughts are useless for their own benefit. As Hosea says, for the calf of Samaria shall be turned to spiders’ webs (Hosea 8:6).

Next, he explains the effect of their cunning. Regarding the first part of the metaphor, he says, he that shall eat of their eggs—that is, anyone who shares in their deeds and counsels—will find that that which is nurtured, or carefully prepared over a long time, shall be hatched into a basilisk. This means it will kill even from a distance, as if flying. This relates to the earlier prophecy: out of the root of the serpent shall come forth a basilisk (Isaiah 14:29). Regarding the second part, he says, their webs shall not be for clothing. Just as spider webs cannot be used for clothing, so their counsels are of no use to them if they gain no advantage. This is similar to another passage: they shall be confounded that wrought in flax, combing and weaving fine linen (Isaiah 19:9).

Next, he explains the metaphor. First, regarding their actions, he says, their works are unprofitable in one sense, and the work of iniquity in another. This is similar to the earlier statement: their works shall not profit them (Isaiah 57:12).Opera eorum non proderunt eis. Vg.: opera tua non proderunt tibi. DR: “thy works shall not profit you.”

Second, regarding their thoughts, he says, their feet—that is, their affections—run to evil (Proverbs 1:16). And regarding their plans, he says, their thoughts are unprofitable, as in Micah: woe to you that devise that which is unprofitable (Micah 2:1).

Wasting. Here the prophet shows them their misery.

First, he presents the magnitude of their misery. Wasting refers to injury to things, and destruction to injury to persons. These are in their ways, meaning that wasting and destruction from their enemies threaten them because of their evil ways.

Second, he shows the fairness of their misery, namely, that they suffer the same kinds of things they do to others. They have abandoned the way of peace, by which they might have brought peace to others. There is no right judgment, and therefore, their paths—the things they devise—are become crooked. That is, their plans are turned back on them, because they themselves will suffer what they prepared for others. Every one that treads in their paths, following them, knows no peace, learning this through experience. This is like the Psalm: destruction and unhappiness in their ways; and the way of peace they have not known (Psalms 14:3).

Therefore is judgment far from us. Here the people confess their state.

First, they confess their misery resulting from the injustice of their oppressing enemies: judgment is far from us, because God does not deliver us from our adversaries. This is the opposite of what was said earlier: I have brought my justice near (Isaiah 46:13). They confess the distress of their tribulations, describing the obscurity of their suffering with the metaphor of darkness: we looked for light—for divine consolation—and behold, darkness, the darkness of tribulation. This echoes a previous passage: we shall look towards the land, and behold darkness of tribulation (Isaiah 5:30).

They also confess the difficulty of their deliberations: we have groped, as though not knowing what to do. This is like the question asked earlier: who is blind, but my servant? (Isaiah 42:19). Finally, they confess the harm from dangers: we have stumbled at noonday over things we should have been able to see clearly and avoid. We are in dark places, that is, in doubt. As Job says, they shall meet with darkness in the day (Job 5:14).

They also confess their misery regarding their sadness of heart: we shall roar all of us like bears, because of the cruelty they face, and mourn as mournful doves, because of their sinfulness. This is similar to Nahum: mourning as doves (Nahum 2:7). Regarding the absence of salvation, they say, we have looked for judgment for ourselves, but as Jeremiah says, we looked for peace and no good came (Jeremiah 8:15).

Second, they confess their fault.

First, they confess how their fault is manifest. Before God, they say, for our iniquities are multiplied before you, that is, in your sight, for all things are naked and open to his eyes (Hebrews 4:13). Before the people themselves, they say, and our sins have answered us in the form of punishments, and for our wicked doings are with us, because we do not make satisfaction or correct our ways. This is like the earlier passage: the show of their countenance has answered them (Isaiah 3:9).

Second, they confess the variety of their sins. Against God, they confess sinning in deed, lying in speech, and having turned away in omission. Against their neighbor, they confess speaking calumny and committing transgression against the law, for from the heart come forth evil thoughts (Matthew 15:19). Regarding their actions, they say, and judgment is turned away backward, meaning God’s saving judgment is withheld. They carried out their injustices in the street, in public. He that departed from evil, lay open to be a prey, for not only did they do wicked deeds, but they also plundered those who refused to join them. As Hosea says, there is no mercy (Hosea 4:1), and as Wisdom says, let us lie in wait for the just, because he is contrary to our doings .

And the Lord saw. Here the prophet presents the preparation for salvation on the part of the Savior.

First, he describes the manner of this preparation, speaking of God in human terms. He shows God’s compassion: and the Lord saw, with the eye of mercy, that there is no judgment—no one to bring salvation. And he saw that there is not a man to save the people, and he stood astonished, as if saddened or distressed. This is like the passage in Ezekiel: and I sought among them for a man (Ezekiel 22:30).

Next, he describes God taking up armor. And his own arm brought salvation to him, meaning His own power brought salvation, so that He would suffer no opposition, and so that the people would be brought to worship Him. His own justice supported him, so that His vengeance would be executed firmly. He put on justice as a breastplate, for just as a soldier is strengthened by armor, so God’s work is strengthened by justice and His intention to save. This is like the Psalm, his arm has wrought for him salvation (Psalms 98:1), and the book of Wisdom, he will put on justice as a breastplate .

Finally, he describes the execution of vengeance: God will repay to the islands—the various peoples—the like, meaning a just recompense for the wicked things they did to the Jews. As it is written, let all men dread and fear the God of Daniel (Daniel 6:26).

Second, he presents the minister of salvation or vengeance: when he shall come as a violent stream. This refers to the magnitude of God's power and strength, or it refers to Christ as the minister. This is like the Psalm: the stream of the river makes the city of God joyful (Psalms 46:4).

Note that on the words, your iniquities have divided between you and your God (Isaiah 59:2), sin divides in several ways:

1. From one’s neighbor through dissension: every kingdom divided against itself shall be brought to desolation (Luke 11:17).
2. From oneself, through contrary affections: their heart is divided: now they shall perish (Hosea 10:2).
3. From God, through aversion: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and have dug to themselves broken cisterns (Jeremiah 2:13).
4. From the kingdom, through disinheritance: he shall separate him (Luke 12:46).
5. From the assembly of the saints, through dissimilarity, as mentioned earlier: the Lord will divide and separate me from his people (Isaiah 56:3).

Note also that on the words, their paths are become crooked (Isaiah 59:8), there is a crookedness or bowing down associated with:

1. Guilt, as seen earlier: bow down, that we may go over (Isaiah 51:23).
2. Misery: I am become miserable, and am bowed down even to the end (Psalms 38:6).
3. Sadness: the soul that is sorrowful for the greatness of evil she has done, and goes bowed down .
4. Fraud: though he humble himself and go crouching, yet take good heed and beware of him .
5. Justice: God, whose wrath no man can resist, and under whom they stoop that bear up the world (Job 9:13).

Note also that on the words, as a violent stream (Isaiah 59:19), Christ is like a powerful stream for several reasons:

1. Because of the multitude of water: the river of God is filled with water (Psalms 65:9).
2. Because of the fervor of His love: a swift stream of fire issued forth from before him (Daniel 7:10).
3. Because of the swiftness of its course: the stream of the river makes the city of God joyful (Psalms 46:4).
4. Because of the height of its source: and he showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb (Revelation 22:1).