Thomas Aquinas Commentary Isaiah 65

They have sought me. Here the judge, God, gives the sentence of separation between the wicked and the good regarding the reception of the promised salvation. This is divided into two parts.

• In the first, He pronounces the sentence of separation.

• In the second, He determines the manner of execution: thus says the Lord (Isaiah 66).

Concerning the first part, He does two things. First, He promises a response, showing the opportunity for it: they have sought me that before asked not for me. This is as if to say: Until now, you Jews have not sought after Me, but after idols; because you now ask, I will respond.

Spiritually, this concerns the conversion of the Gentiles: I was found by them that did not seek me (Romans 10:20). He then presents the promise: I said: behold me, behold me, to a nation.Gentem. I will respond, that is, to the Jews, or I will be turned to the converted Gentiles,Gentes. as in, I to my beloved, and my beloved to me (Song of Solomon 6:2).

Second, He sentences separation: I have spread forth my hands. He sentences the separation of the wicked from the good for two reasons:

• First, because of sins of transgression.

• Second, because of sins of omission: and you, that have forsaken (Isaiah 65:11).

The first of these reasons is divided into two parts:

• In the first, He threatens punishment for the wicked.

• In the second, He promises rewards for the good: thus says the Lord (Isaiah 65:8).

Concerning the punishment for the wicked, He does two things:

• First, He condemns their fault of transgression.

• Second, He threatens punishment: these shall be smoke (Isaiah 65:5).

He condemns their fault based on three things.

• First, their ingratitude for His blessings: I have spread forth my hands, giving many benefits, all the day—the entire time since I took them to Myself. Spiritually, I have spread forth my hands refers to the cross. As it is written, every one walks (Jeremiah 16:12) in a way that is not good.

• Second, the continuity of their sinning: a people that continually provoke me to anger before my face. This is because all things are naked and open to his eyes (Hebrews 4:13), or because they placed idols in the temple: they have provoked me with that which was no god (Deuteronomy 32:21).

• Third, the variety and seriousness of their sins, which are detailed in four ways:

The four kinds of sin are as follows:

1. Regarding the worship of idols: that immolate, or sacrifice, to idols, in gardens, for they worshiped idols in places of pleasure, and upon bricks, that is, upon altars built from bricks so they could withstand the fire of the sacrifice. As it says above: they shall be confounded for their idols (Isaiah 1:29).

2. Regarding their enthusiasm for divination: that dwell in sepulchers, or tombs, so that they might receive answers from the dead. They sleep in the temples (delubris)—temples of idols so-called from diluendo (“washing”), because they thought all things were washed away there, or because of the fonts that were there for washing the victims and priests. They and sleep upon the hides of the sacrificed animals for the purpose of divination. As it says elsewhere: your templesDelubra. shall be destroyed (Ezekiel 6:6).

3. Regarding the uncleanness of their food: that eat swine’s flesh, and profane broth, made from pork. As it says below: they that did eat swine’s flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse (Isaiah 66:17).

4. Regarding their contempt for the righteous: that say, namely, to those who do not adore idols. As it is written, he is grievous unto us . Or, that say to God, as in Job: who sayDicunt. Vg.: dixerunt. DR: “have said.” to God: depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of your ways (Job 21:14).

These shall be smoke. Here He threatens punishment.

• First, He indicates the length of the punishment: smoke. That is, just as smoke is consumed by fire, so they will be burned by My anger: a fire is kindled in my wrath, and shall burn even to the lowest hell (Deuteronomy 32:22).

• Second, the certainty of the punishment: behold it is written. This means their sin is held firmly in memory, and their punishment is in His foreordination. I will not be silent, overlooking their sins. As it is written, the sin of Judah is written (Jeremiah 17:1), and as it says above: I have held my peace, always I have kept silence (Isaiah 42:14).

• Third, the great number of punishments, because they are for all the sins of their fathers: but I will render. As God says, I am a jealous God,Ego sum Deus zelotes. Vg.: ego sum Dominus Deus tuus fortis, zelotes. DR: “I am the Lord thy God, mighty, jealous.” visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children (Exodus 20:5). This is for those who have reproached me by worshiping idols in the high places. It is also for the sins of their youth: and I will measure back their first work. This is to say, I will make the punishment proportionate to the fault, as it says above: she has received of the hand of the Lord double (Isaiah 40:2).

Thus says the Lord. Here He promises rewards to the good.

• First, regarding their preservation from evils: as if a grain of a grape is found in a cluster, and one says, “Do not destroy it, for it is a blessing,” meaning it pleases God to reserve it for a blessing. So, for the sake of my servants, your fathers, I will act, that I may not destroy the whole people of the Jews. As it says above: it shall be as when one gathers clusters in the vintage (Isaiah 17:5).

• Second, regarding their advancement in good things, which includes:

  • The increase of their descendants: and I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob. As it says above: except the Lord of hosts had left us seed, we had been as Sodom (Isaiah 1:9).

  • The restoration of their fathers’ inheritance: and my elect shall inherit it. As it is written: they shall possess you for their inheritance: and you shall be their inheritance (Ezekiel 36:12).

  • The richness of their pastures: and the plains, and the valley of Achor, so called because they stoned Achan there (Joshua 7:24–26), will become a resting place for flocks. As it says elsewhere, I will give them the valley of Achor for an opening of hope (Hosea 2:15).Dabo eis vallem Achor ad aperiendam spem. Vg.: dabo ei vinitores ejus ex eodem loco, et vallem Achor, ad aperiendam spem. DR: “I will give her vinedressers out of the same place, and the valley of Achor for an opening of hope.”

And you, that have forsaken. Here He separates the wicked from the consolation of the good because of their sins of omission.

• First, He threatens punishment for the wicked.

• Second, He promises rewards for the good: because the former distresses are forgotten (Isaiah 65:16).

Concerning the first point, He does two things. First, He threatens them because they have abandoned God and points out their fault: and you, Jews, that set for fortune—a god of the Egyptians—a table. Here he alludes to a ritual in which this god was worshiped, for at the end of the year, a table was prepared for him, filled with all kinds of food. As it is written: they forsookDereliquerunt. Vg.: dereliquit. DR: “he forsook.” God who made them, and departed from God their savior (Deuteronomy 32:15). He then lays out the punishment: I will number you in the sword, as if to say that none will remain who will not be crushed: they shall fall by the sword, and by the famine (Jeremiah 44:12).

Second, He condemns them because they did not obey when they were called back. He points out their fault: because I called and you did not answer. As it says in Proverbs, I called, and you refused (Proverbs 1:24).

He then threatens the punishment of separation in three ways.

• First, in terms of physical satisfaction: therefore thus says the Lord God: behold my servants shall eat, and you shall be hungry. As the Psalm says, the rich have wanted, and have suffered hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not be deprived of any good (Psalms 34:10).

• Second, in terms of joy of the heart: behold my servants shall rejoice, and you shall be confounded. As it is written, repenting, and groaning for anguish of spirit .

• Third, in the difference in their name. First, He describes the kind of name the wicked will have: and you shall leave your name for an oath to my elect. This means the elect will confirm their words by saying, “If this is not so, may what happened to them happen to me.” As Jeremiah says, by the sword, and by the famine shall they die: and they shall be for an oath,Iusiurandum. DR: “execration.” and for a wonder, and for a curse, and for a reproach (Jeremiah 44:12). Next, He describes the kind of name the good will have: and call his servants by a new name, in which name—the name Jesus—he who blesses himself on the earth will be blessed in God, amen, that is, faithfully. As it says above: you shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name (Isaiah 62:2).

Because the former distresses are forgotten. Here He promises visible rewards.

First, in general, He promises the removal of evils: because the former distresses are forgotten. This is not because of a lack of knowledge, but because they have been replaced by good things. As it says above: you shall forget the shame of your youth (Isaiah 54:4). He also promises the restoration of good things: for behold I create new heavens, meaning new help from heaven, and a new earth, meaning new benefits from the earth. Alternatively, this refers to the day of judgment, when the world will be renewed for the glory of the saints: the former things are passed away (Revelation 21:4).

Second, He promises rewards in particular: for behold I create Jerusalem.

This is first described in terms of joy of heart: Jerusalem, meaning the earthly Jerusalem, but even more, the heavenly Jerusalem, will be a rejoicing. exultantem. This is stated with emphasis, so that all things are absorbed in joy. As it says above: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and mourning shall flee away (Isaiah 35:10).

Second, it is described in terms of long life: there shall no more be an infant of days there, nor an old man that shall not fill up his days, by dying before his time. Instead, the child shall die a hundred years old, meaning when he has reached such an age. And, if he is a sinner, although he will have lived to such an age, he will be subject to a curse. As it is written, Abraham died in a good old age (Genesis 25:8).

Spiritually, in the heavenly Jerusalem, all will fill up their days, for none will die. The child shall die a hundred years old means that he who lived to old age in a childish manner will die the eternal death. For, venerable old age is not that of long time, nor counted by the number of years .

Third, it is described in terms of prosperity, both regarding the security of their possessions: and they shall build, as in and they shall build houses (Ezekiel 28:26), and they shall plant vineyards (Amos 9:14). He assigns the reason: for as the days of a tree, meaning they will live a long time, just as the wood of a tree lasts a long time. The works of their hands shall grow old, meaning their works will remain in their use until old age. As the Psalm says, he shall be like a tree which is planted near the running waters (Psalms 1:3). It also regards the peace of their children: nor bring forth in trouble, as though bringing forth children into servitude to their enemies. As it is written, good things continuePerseverant. Vg.: permanent. with their seed .

Fourth, it is described in terms of the hearing of their prayers: and it shall come to pass, that before they call with their mouth, I will hear. As it says above: at the voice of your cry, as soon as he shall hear, he will answer you (Isaiah 30:19).

Fifth, it is described in terms of the tranquility of peace: the wolf and the lamb shall feed together. This means that those who were formerly tyrants and evildoers will live peacefully with others. The same imagery is used above in Isaiah 11:6.