Thomas Aquinas Commentary Isaiah 9:8-21

"The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel. And all the people shall know, [even] Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in pride and in stoutness of heart, The bricks are fallen, but we will build with hewn stone; the sycomores are cut down, but we will put cedars in their place. Therefore Jehovah will set up on high against him the adversaries of Rezin, and will stir up his enemies, the Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. Yet the people have not turned unto him that smote them, neither have they sought Jehovah of hosts. Therefore Jehovah will cut off from Israel head and tail, palm-branch and rush, in one day. The elder and the honorable man, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. For they that lead this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed. Therefore the Lord will not rejoice over their young men, neither will he have compassion on their fatherless and widows; for every one is profane and an evil-doer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. For wickedness burneth as the fire; it devoureth the briers and thorns; yea, it kindleth in the thickets of the forest, and they roll upward in a column of smoke. Through the wrath of Jehovah of hosts is the land burnt up; and the people are as the fuel of fire: no man spareth his brother. And one shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry; and he shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied: they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm: Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh; and they together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still." — Isaiah 9:8-21 (ASV)

1. The Lord sent a word into Jacob. Here, he describes the sequence of punishment according to its various types.

First, he recalls the fault.

Second, he describes the punishment: and the Lord shall set up (Isaiah 9:11).

He denounces their fault in two ways.

First, regarding the transgression of the divine precept. Thus, he says, The Lord sent a word into Jacob—that is, into Judah, or into the whole people, since the leaders were appointed from Judah: the scepter shall not be taken away from Judah, nor a ruler from his thigh (Genesis 49:10; compare to Judges 9; 1 Samuel 15). And it has lighted upon Israel, meaning it was frustrated in Israel—that is, in the ten tribes, who rejected the house of David (1 Kings 12:19–20). Or, it refers to the word of the law universally: if you play the harlot, O Israel, at least let not Judah offend (Hosea 4:15).

2. Second, regarding their excusing of the deed, since they said that they had done well, being blinded by pride—for a swelling of the mind is an obstacle to the truth,Gregory the Great, Moralia 23.17.31 (PL 76, 267C) as cited by St. Thomas, ST II-II.162.3, obj. 1. and therefore he says, and all the people of Ephraim—that is, the ten tribes—and the inhabitants of Samaria—referring to the princes of the people—shall know. This means they will come to their senses and recognize their fault in the punishment, for punishment opens the eyes that fault closes. That say in the pride and haughtiness of their heart, since in their hearts they supposed they were above others, and haughtiness, regarding the presumption of the great things they proposed. The bricks—that is, the weak kings of Judah—are fallen down, away from us, but we will build our kingdom with square stones—that is, with strong kings from among ourselves. They—namely, our enemies, like the Syrians—have cut down the sycamores—that is, the unfruitful kings of Judah. We will change them—that is, set up in their place—cedars—that is, lofty men from among ourselves, as mentioned previously: and make the son of Tabeel king in the midst thereof (Isaiah 7:6). On their pride, see below: woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim (Isaiah 28:1).

3. And the Lord shall set up. Here, he describes the various punishments corresponding to three things in which they trusted:

1. He threatens their reliance on alliances with neighbors.
2. He threatens their reliance on the people they thought they had: and the Lord shall destroy (Isaiah 9:14).
3. He threatens their reliance on the multitude of people: for wickedness is kindled (Isaiah 9:18).

Regarding the first point, he does two things:

1. The punishment is described.
2. The preparation for further punishment is described: for all this (Isaiah 9:12).

He threatens two things:

1. Future destruction: and the Lord shall set up the enemies of Rezin—that is, the Assyrians—in a crowd of war, concerning which, see 2 Kings 16:9.
2. The attack of persecution: The Lord will lead the Syrians, who were their friends, from the east, according to their land’s location, and the Philistines from the west, who attacked Judah. And they shall devour Israel—that is, destroy it—with their whole mouth, meaning with all their passion: their joy was like that of him that devours the poor man in secret (Habakkuk 3:14).

4. For all this his indignation is not turned away. Here, the preparation for the punishment is described, and second, the reason is given: and the people (Isaiah 9:13).

The preparation is located in God’s will: his indignation is not turned away. As it is written, but yet the Lord turned not away from the wrath of his great indignation, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah (2 Kings 23:26). It is also located in His power: his hand. He speaks in human terms, as seen previously: and I will turn my hand to you, and I will clean purge away your dross (Isaiah 1:25).

The reason for adding punishment upon punishment is the people’s incorrigibility. This is what he says: and the people are not returned to him who has struck them. As it is written, in vain have I struck your children, they have not received correction (Jeremiah 2:30).

5. The Lord shall destroy. Here, he threatens their trust in certain people.

First, the punishment is described; second, the preparation for further punishment: for all this (Isaiah 9:17).

These people seemed useful for two reasons:

• For defense, and he first threatens those.
• For provoking divine mercy, and he threatens these where it says, therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men (Isaiah 9:17).

Regarding the first group (those useful for defense), he does three things.

1. He describes their dignity and their fault. The fault is described with a metaphor: him that bends down refers to the prince, who acts against the uprightness of justice, and him that corrupts or holds back refers to the prophet: and they violated me among my people (Ezekiel 13:19).
2. He explains the metaphor: the aged, that teaches lies. As it is written, and her prophets have daubed them without tempering the mortar, seeing vain things, and divining lies unto them (Ezekiel 22:28).
3. He describes the punishment: and they that call this people blessed, shall cause them to err, and those who are led astray—that are called blessed—shall be thrown down. As stated previously: O my people, they that call you blessed, the same deceive you (Isaiah 3:12). And also, You shall fall today, and the prophet also shall fall with you (Hosea 4:5).

6. Therefore. Here, he threatens those who might seem useful for provoking mercy, whether because of the integrity of the flesh (their young, namely, virgins), their age (their orphans), or their weakness (widows).

First, the punishment is described: neither shall he have mercy. Second, the reason is given, which relates to hypocrisy in their works (for every one is a hypocrite), malice in their hearts (and wicked), and falsehood in their mouths (and every mouth has spoken folly). As it is written, the hope of the hypocrite shall perish (Job 8:13).

7. For all this: This is explained as above.

8. For wickedness is kindled. Here, against their trust in the size of the population, he threatens dissension, followed by the preparation for further punishment: after all these things (Isaiah 9:21).

Regarding the dissension, he does two things:

1. He uses the metaphor of fire.
2. He uses the metaphor of famine: and he shall turn to the right hand (Isaiah 9:20).

Concerning the metaphor of fire, he does two things:

1. He presents the metaphor.
2. He provides the explanation: by the wrath of the Lord (Isaiah 9:19).

9. He threatens the punishment of dissension using the metaphor of burning. Therefore, he first describes the efficient cause of the burning: for wickedness is kindled. It is as if to say: Your impiety is like a fire kindled to burn you up, as stated below: behold all you that kindle a fire, encompassed with flames, walk in the light of your fire (Isaiah 50:11).

Second, he describes the material cause: it shall devour the brier, which represents a vicious people, as stated previously: briers and thorns shall come up over it (Isaiah 5:6).

Next, he describes the burning itself: it shall kindle in the thicket of the forest, meaning in the woods where there are many trees, signifying the multitude of the people. Then he describes the effect: and it shall be wrapped up in the pride—that is, the height—of smoke. For just as smoke ascending from a fire envelops the tops of trees, so the tribulation of dissension darkens people’s vision: fire has devoured the beautiful places of the wilderness: and the flame has burnt all the trees of the country (Joel 1:19). This happens By the wrath of the Lord, which is like fire: his indignation is poured out like fire (Nahum 1:6). And the people shall be as fuel for the fire, as stated below: walk in the light of your fire (Isaiah 50:11). The phrase no man shall spare his brother explains the nature of this burning.

10. And he shall turn to the right hand. Here, he threatens the same punishment using the metaphor of famine.

First, he presents the metaphor. And he shall turn—as if his deeds are visible—to the right hand, which signifies friends, and shall be hungry to do still more evil. On the left hand signifies enemies, and the flesh of his own arm signifies kinsmen.

Second, he explains this metaphor in relation to kinsmen: Manasseh Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh, who were both sons of Joseph.

Third, he explains it in relation to enemies: they together shall be against Judah. As it is written, every brother will utterly supplant, and every friend will walk deceitfully (Jeremiah 9:4). And as stated previously: and the people shall rush one upon another, and every man against his neighbor (Isaiah 3:5).

11. After all these things his indignation is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. This is explained as above.