The reprobation of the Jews is foreshewn under the parable of a vineyard. A woe is pronounced against sinners: the army of God shall send against them.
Vnder the figure of a barren vineyard, is prophecied the reiection of the Iewes, 7. for their sinnes of auarice, 11. intemperance, & other wickednes, 18. one iniquitie drawing an other, 20. iudging good to be euil, and euil good. 25. for which the Gentiles of diuers nations shal afflict them.
1I will sing to my beloved the canticle of my cousin concerning his vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard on a hill in a fruitful place.Canterò al mio diletto la canzone di lui, che è mio parente, sopra la sua vigna. Il mio diletto ha una vigna in colle ubertoso.I wil sing to my beloued the canticle of my cosin concerning his vinyard. A vineyard was made to my beloued in horne the sonne of oile.Cantabo dilecto meo / canticum patruelis mei vineæ suæ. / Vinea facta est dilecto meo / in cornu filio olei. 2And he fenced it in, and picked the stones out of it, and planted it with the choicest vines, and built a tower in the midst thereof, and set up a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.E le fece sua siepe, e la sgombrò dalle pietre, e la pianto ai eletti vitigni, ed edificò in mezzo a lei una torre, e vi alzò uno strettoio, e aspettò, che facesse delle uve, e fece delle lambrusche.And he hedged it, and chose stones out of it, and planted it elect, and built a towre in the middes thereof, and set vp a presse therein: and looked that it should yeld grapes, and it yelded wilde grapes.Et sepivit eam, et lapides elegit ex illa, / et plantavit eam electam; / et ædificavit turrim in medio ejus, / et torcular exstruxit in ea; / et exspectavit ut faceret uvas, / et fecit labruscas. 3And now, O ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and ye men of Juda, judge between me and my vineyard.Or adunque voi abitatori di Gerusalemme, e voi uomini di Giuda, giudicate tra me, e la mia vigna.Now therfore ye inhabitants of Ierusalem, and men of Iuda, iudge betwen me and my vineyard.Nunc ergo, habitatores Jerusalem / et viri Juda, / judicate inter me / et vineam meam. 4What is there that I ought to do more to my vineyard, that I have not done to it? was it that I looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it hath brought forth wild grapes?Che è quello, ch'io far dovessi per la mia vigna, e fatto noll'abbia? Forse perchè ho aspettato, che facesse delle uve, ed ella ha fatto delle lambrusche?What is there that I ought to doe more to my vineyard, and haue not done to it? Whether that I looked, it should yeld grapes, and it hath yelded wilde grapes?Quid est quod debui ultra facere vineæ meæ, / et non feci ei ? / an quod exspectavi ut faceret uvas, / et fecit labruscas ?
5And now I will shew you what I will do to my vineyard. I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be wasted: I will break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down.Ed ora io vi spiegherò quel, che sono per fare alla mia vigna; toglierò via la sua siepe, ed ella sarà devastata; getterò a terra la sua macia, ed ella sarà conculcata.And now I wil shew you what I wil doe to my vineyard. I wil take away the hedge therof, and it shal be into spoile: I wil throw downe the wal thereof, and it shal be to be troden vpon.Et nunc ostendam vobis / quid ego faciam vineæ meæ: / auferam sepem ejus, / et erit in direptionem; / diruam maceriam ejus, / et erit in conculcationem. 6And I will make it desolate: it shall not be pruned, and it shall not be digged: but briers and thorns shall come up: and I will command the clouds to rain no rain upon it.E la renderò deserta, e non sarà potata, né sarchiata, e vi cresceranno sterpi, e spine, e comanderò alle nuvole, che non piovano stilla sopra di lei.And I wil lay it waist: it shal not be pruned, and it shal not be digged: and bryers and thornes shal ouergrowe it: and I wil command the cloudes that they rayne no shower vpon it.Et ponam eam desertam; / non putabitur et non fodietur: / et ascendent vepres et spinæ, / et nubibus mandabo / ne pluant super eam imbrem. 7For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel: and the man of Juda, his pleasant plant: and I looked that he should do judgment, and behold iniquity: and do justice, and behold a cry.Imperocché la vigna del Signore degli eserciti, ella è la casa d'Israele; se gli uomini di Giuda (sono) piantagione diletta di lui; ed aspettai, che facesse giudizio, ed eccoti l'iniquità, e (aspettai) la giustizia, ed ecco le strida.For the vineyarde of the Lord of hostes, is the house of Israel: and the man of Iuda, his delectable bud: & I looked that it should doe iudgement, and behold iniquitie: and iustice, and behold clamour.Vinea enim Domini exercituum / domus Israël est; / et vir Juda / germen ejus delectabile: / et exspectavi ut faceret judicium, / et ecce iniquitas; / et justitiam, et ecce clamor. 8Woe to you that join house to house and lay field to field, even to the end of the place: shall you alone dwell in the midst of the earth?Guai a voi, che aggiungete casa a casa, e podere a podere, finché luogo rimanga: abiterete forse voi soli in mezzo alla terra?Woe to you that ioyne house to house, and lay filde to filde, euen to the end of the place: why shal you alone dwel in the middes of the earth?Væ qui conjungitis domum ad domum, / et agrum agro copulatis / usque ad terminum loci ! / Numquid habitabitis vos soli / in medio terræ ?
9These things are in my ears, saith the Lord of hosts: Unless many great and fair houses shall become desolate, without an inhabitant.Queste cose io ascolto, dice il Signor degli eserciti: In verità molte case e grandi, e belle saran deserte, e senza abitatore.These thinges are in my eares, sayth the Lord of hostes: vnles manie great and fayre houses become desolate, without an inhabiter.In auribus meis sunt hæc, / dicit Dominus exercituum; / nisi domus multæ desertæ fuerint, / grandes et pulchræ, absque habitatore. 10For ten acres of vineyard shall yield one little measure, and thirty bushels of seed shall yield three bushels.Imperocché dieci jugeri di vigna renderanno un fiasco, e trenta moggia di sementa renderanno tre moggia.For ten acres of the vineyards shal yeld one litle flagon, and thirtie busheles of seede shal yeld three busheles.Decem enim jugera vinearum facient lagunculam unam, / et triginta modii sementis facient modios tres. 11Woe to you that rise up early in the morning to follow drunkenness, and to drink till the evening, to be inflamed with wine.Guai a voi, che vi alzate di buon mattino a ubbriacarvi, e a sbevazzare fino alla sera, onde andate a fuoco pel vino.Woe to you that rise vp earely to folow drunkennes, and to drinke euen vntil euening, that you may be inflamed with wine.Væ qui consurgitis mane / ad ebrietatem sectandam, / et potandum usque ad vesperam, / ut vino æstuetis ! 12The harp, and the lyre, and, the timbrel and the pipe, and wine are in your feasts: and the work of the Lord you regard not, nor do you consider the works of his hands.Cetra, e lira, e timpano, e tromba, e vino ne' vostri conviti; né all'opera di Dio date uno sguardo, né considerate le opere delle sue mani.Harpe, and viole, & timbrel, and shalme, and wine in your feastes: and the worke of our Lord you regard not, nor consider the workes of his handes.Cithara, et lyra, et tympanum, / et tibia, et vinum in conviviis vestris; / et opus Domini non respicitis, / nec opera manuum ejus consideratis. 13Therefore is my people led away captive, because they had not knowledge, and their nobles have perished with famine, and their multitude were dried up with thirst.Per questo il popol mio è stato condotto in ischiavitù, perchè non ha avuta intelligenza, e i suoi nobili sono morti di fame, e la sua moltitudine arse di sete.Therfore is my people led away captiue, because they had not knowlege, and their nobles died with famine, and the multitude thereof dried away with thirst.Propterea captivus ductus est populus meus, / quia non habuit scientiam, / et nobiles ejus interierunt fame, / et multitudo ejus siti exaruit.
14Therefore hath hell enlarged her soul, and opened her mouth without any bounds, and their strong ones, and their people, and their high and glorious ones shall go down into it.Per questo l'inferno ha dilatato il suo seno, ed ha aperta la bocca sua smisurata, e vi cadranno i loro campioni, e il popolo, e gli uomini eminenti, e gloriosi.Therfore hath hel dilated his soule, and opened his mouth without anie limite, and their strong ones, and their people, and their high and glorious ones shal descend into it.Propterea dilatavit infernus animam suam, / et aperuit os suum absque ullo termino; / et descendent fortes ejus, / et populus ejus, et sublimes gloriosique ejus, ad eum. 15And man shall be brought down, and man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be brought low.E sarà incurvato il plebeo, e il grande umiliato; e saran depressi gli occhi de' magnati.And man shal be bowed, and man shal be humbled, and the eies of the loftie shal be brought law.Et incurvabitur homo, et humiliabitur vir, / et oculi sublimium deprimentur. 16And the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and the holy God shall be sanctified in justice.E il Signore degli eserciti sarà esaltato nel (suo) giudizio, e il Dio santo sarà riconosciuto per santo nel far giustizia.And the Lord of hostes shal be exalted in iudgement, and the holie God shal be sanctified in iustice.Et exaltabitur Dominus exercituum in judicio; / et Deus sanctus sanctificabitur in justitia. 17And the lambs shall feed according to their order, and strangers shall eat the deserts turned into fruitfulness.E pascoleranno gli agnelli secondo il lor uso, e de' terreni deserti ridotti a fertilità viveranno gli stranieri.And the lambes shal feede according to their order, and strangers shal eate the deserts turned into frutefulnes.Et pascentur agni juxta ordinem suum, / et deserta in ubertatem versa advenæ comedent. 18Woe to you that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as the rope of a cart.Guai a voi, che tirate l'iniquità colle funi della vanità, e il peccato come il carro colla fune (si tira).Woe to you that draw iniquitie in cordes of vanitie, & sinne as the linke of a wayne.Væ qui trahitis iniquitatem / in funiculis vanitatis, / et quasi vinculum plaustri peccatum ! 19That say: Let him make haste, and let his work come quickly, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel come, that we may know it.I quali dite: Si affretti, e venga presto quel, ch'ei vuol fare, affinchè veggiamo; e si avvicini, e venga la risoluzione del Santo d'Israele, e l'intenderemo.Which say: let him make hast, & let his worke come quickly, that we may see it: & let the counsel of the holie one of Israel come, and we shal know it.qui dicitis: Festinet, / et cito veniat opus ejus, ut videamus; / et appropiet, et veniat / consilium sancti Israël, / et sciemus illud !
20Woe to you 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.Guai a voi, che dite il male bene, e il bene male, e date per buio la luce, e per luce le tenebre, e l'amaro date per dolce, e il dolce per amaro.Woe vnto you that cal euil good, and good euil: putting darknes light, and light darknes: putting bitter for swete, & swete for bitter.Væ qui dicitis malum bonum, / et bonum malum; / ponentes tenebras lucem, / et lucem tenebras; / ponentes amarum in dulce, / et dulce in amarum ! 21Woe to you that are wise in your own eyes, and prudent in your own conceits.Guai a voi, che siete saggi negli occhi vostri, e nel cospetto vostro prudenti.Woe to you that are wise in your owne eies, and prudent before yourselues.Væ qui sapientes estis in oculis vestris, / et coram vobismetipsis prudentes. 22Woe to you that are mighty to drink wine, and stout men at drunkenness.Guai a voi, che siete valorosi a ber vino, e uomini forti a mescere liquori inebrianti,Woe to you that are mightie to drinke wine, & stout men in drunkennes.Væ qui potentes estis ad bibendum vinum, / et viri fortes ad miscendam ebrietatem ! 23That justify the wicked for gifts, and take away the justice of the just from him.Voi, che per donativi assolvete l'empio, e il giusto spogliate di sua giustizia.Which iustifie the impious for giftes, and take away the iustice of the iust from them.qui justificatis impium pro muneribus, / et justitiam justi aufertis ab eo ! 24Therefore as the tongue of the fire devoureth the stubble, and the heat of the flame consumeth it: so shall their root be as ashes, and their bud shall go up as dust: for they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, and have blasphemed the word of the Holy One of Israel.Per questo come la lingua del fuoco divora le stoppie, e il calor della fiamma le abbrucia, così la loro radice sarà quasi favilla, e il loro fiore spergerassi qual polvere. Imperocché han rigettata la legge del Signore degli eserciti, ed han bestemmiata la parola del Santo d'Israele.For this, euen as the tongue of fire deuoureth stuble, and the heate of the flame burneth it vp: so shal their roote be as isles, and their bud shal rise vp as dust, for they haue cast away the law of the Lord of hostes, and haue blasphemed the word of the holie one of Israel.Propter hoc, sicut devorat stipulam lingua ignis, / et calor flammæ exurit, / sic radix eorum quasi favilla erit, / et germen eorum ut pulvis ascendet; / abjecerunt enim legem Domini exercituum, / et eloquium sancti Israël blasphemaverunt.
25Therefore is the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people, and he hath stretched out his hand upon them, and struck them: and the mountains were troubled, and their carcasses became as dung in the midst of the streets. For after this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.Per questo il furor del Signore si è acceso contro il suo popolo, e ha stesa sopra di lui la sua mano, e lo ha percosso; e i monti ne son restati commossi, e i loro cadaveri qual fango giacciono in mezzo alle piazze. Né per tutto questo il furore di lui si è acquietato, ma è estesa tuttora la mano di lui.Therfore is the furie of our Lord wrath against his people, and he hath stretched out his hand vpon them, and striken them: and the mountaines were trubled, and their carcasses were made as dung in the middes of the streates. In al these thinges his furie is not turned away, but yet is his hand stretched forth.Ideo iratus est furor Domini in populum suum, / et extendit manum suam super eum, et percussit eum: / et conturbati sunt montes, / et facta sunt morticina eorum quasi stercus in medio platearum. / In his omnibus non est adversus furor ejus, / sed adhuc manus ejus extenta. 26And he will lift up a sign to the nations afar off, and will whistle to them from the ends of the earth: and behold they shall come with speed swiftly.E alzerà bandiera alle nazioni di lontano, e col fischio chiamerà lui dall'estremità della terra, ed ecco, che egli sollecito verrà con fretta.And he shal lift vp a signe in the nations a farre, and shal whistle to him of the ends of the earth: and behold he shal come in hast spedely.Et elevabit signum in nationibus procul, / et sibilabit ad eum de finibus terræ: / et ecce festinus velociter veniet. 27There is none that shall faint, nor labour among them: they shall not slumber nor sleep, neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken.Non è tra di loro chi sia stanco, od infermo, né sonnacchioso, né dormiglione, non deporrà (mai) il cingolo de' suoi fianchi, né scioglierà le corregge delle sue scarpe.There is none that faynteth, nor that laboreth in them, he wil not slumber, nor sleepe, neither shal the girdle of his reines be loosed, neither shal the latchet of his shoe be broken.Non est deficiens neque laborans in eo; / non dormitabit, neque dormiet; / neque solvetur cingulum renum ejus, / nec rumpetur corrigia calceamenti ejus. 28Their arrows are sharp, and all their bows are bent. The hoofs of their horses shall be like the flint, and their wheels like the violence of a tempest.Le saette di lui aguzze, e tesi tutti i suoi archi. Gli zoccoli de' suoi cavalli sono qual selce, e la ruote impetuose come bufera.His arrowes sharpe, and al his bowes bent. The hoofes of his horses as the flint, & his wheeles as the violence of a tempest.Sagittæ ejus acutæ, et omnes arcus ejus extenti. / Ungulæ equorum ejus ut silex, / et rotæ ejus quasi impetus tempestatis.
29Their roaring like that of a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea they shall roar, and take hold of the prey, and they shall keep fast hold of it, and there shall be none to deliver it.Ei rugge come lione, ruggirà come un branco di giovani leoni, e fremerà, e darà di piglio alla preda, e la terrà stretta, né sarà chi gliela strappi.His roaring as a lions, he shal roare as lions whelpes: and he wil gnash, and hold the praye, and claspe it, and there shal be none to plucke it away.Rugitus ejus ut leonis; / rugiet ut catuli leonum: / et frendet, et tenebit prædam, / et amplexabitur, et non erit qui eruat. 30And they shall make a noise against them that day, like the roaring of the sea; we shall look towards the land, and behold darkness of tribulation, and the light is darkened with the mist thereof.E il romore di lui sarà per essi in quel giorno come fiotto di mare: guarderemo la terra, ed ecco tenebre di tribolazione, di cui la caligine oscura la luce.And it shal sound vpon him in that day, as the sound of the sea: we shal looke towards the earth, and behold darkenes of tribulation, and the light is darkened in the mist therof.Et sonabit super eum in die illa sicut sonitus maris: / aspiciemus in terram, / et ecce tenebræ tribulationis, / et lux obtenebrata est in caligine ejus.
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Menochius
My cousin. So the prophet calls Christ, as being of his family and kindred, by descending from the house of David. (Challoner) (Menochius)
Calmet
Hebrew and Septuagint, "beloved." Dod may also mean a near relation. (Calmet)
Worthington
Isaias being of the same tribe, sets before us the lamentations of Christ over Jerusalem, Luke 19:41. (Worthington)
Calmet
The Hebrews had canticles of sorrow, as well as of joy. The prophet thus endeavours to impress more deeply on the minds of the people what he had been saying. The master of the vineyard is God himself, ver. 7. (Calmet)
Challoner
Hill. Literally, in the horn, the son of oil. (Challoner)
The best vines grew among olive and fig trees. (Doubdan 21.)
Haydock
Septuagint, "in a horn, (mountain) in a fat soil." (Haydock)
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Stones. They burn and starve in different seasons, Colossians 12:3.
Haydock
Choicest. Hebrew sorek. (Haydock)
There was a famous valley of this name, Judges 16:4. The angels guarded the vineyard, in which Abraham, Moses, etc., were found.
Menochius
Tower. To keep the wine, etc., Matthew 21:33. It denotes the temple, (Calmet) Scriptures, etc. (Menochius)
Wild. Sour, Deuteronomy 32:32.
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Judge. God condescends to have his conduct scrutinized, Isaias 41:1.
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Was it. "Why has it produced wild grapes, while I looked?" etc.
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Calmet
Down. By the Chaldeans, and after the death of Christ. (Calmet)
Worthington
When God withdraws his aid, man is unable to stand. Yet he falls by his own fault, which God only permits. (Worthington)
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Calmet
It. During the whole of the captivity, the land might keep its sabbaths, Leviticus 26:34. (Calmet)
Menochius
The people shall be deprived of saving doctrine. (Menochius)
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Menochius
The preceding parable is explained. (Menochius)
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Haydock
Even. Septuagint, "to take from your neighbour: shall," etc. (Haydock)
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Things. Unjust practices.
Calmet
Inhabitant. What will your avarice avail, (Haydock) since you must abandon all? (Calmet)
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Measure. Hebrew, "both."
Thirty. Hebrew, "a chomer shall yield an epha."
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Haydock
To follow. Hebrew, "for shecar," (Calmet) palm wine, (Theodoret) or any inebriating liquor. (St. Jerome in Isaias 28.) Our version is conformable to Aquila and Symmachus. (Haydock)
Numbers 6:3., and Ecclesiastes 10:16.
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Calmet
Work. Chastisement, ver. 19., and Isaias 28:21. (Calmet)
Worthington
They are admonished to observe the festivals of the Lord, and not to indulge in riotousness. (Worthington)
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G.[Calmet?]
Hell. Or the grave, which never says enough, Proverbs 30:15. Isaias alludes to what should happen under Nabuchodonosor, as if it were past. (G.[Calmet?])
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Haydock
Justice. All will be taught to adore him. (Haydock)
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Haydock
Strangers. Ammonites, etc., (Calmet) shall occupy part of the land. (Haydock)
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Menochius
Cart. Fatiguing themselves with iniquity, (Wisdom 5:7.; Calmet) and delaying your conversion. (St. Isidore) (Menochius)
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It. The Jews were often guilty of the like insolence, Jeremias 17:15.
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Conceits. Blind guides, Matthew 15:14.
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Aristophanes
Drink. Hebrew, "mix shecar." People generally mixed wine and water. They also strove who could drink most, and the Greeks had a feast for this purpose, (Calmet) which they styled Choas, for the measure which was to be swallowed down. (Aristophanes, Acharn. act. 4:4. and 5. ultra)
Plut.[Plutarch?] in Artax
Cyrus the younger boasted to the Greek ambassadors, that "he could drink and bear more wine than his brother." (Plut.[Plutarch?] in Artax.)
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Haydock
Justice. Declaring the righteous guilty, ver. 20. (Haydock)
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Calmet
Still. After the ruin of Jerusalem, the people were led away. (Calmet)
Worthington
Grievous sins must be severely punished, as was that of the murderers of Christ. (Worthington)
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Calmet
Off. Like a king, leading all his subjects to battle. (Calmet)
St. Cyprian
Whistle. He alludes to the custom of leading forth bees by music, Isaias 7:18. (St. Cyprian)
Earth. The Chaldeans, (chap. 41:9., and Jeremias 6:22.) and not the Romans, as some would suppose.
Swiftly. Like an eagle, Daniel 7:4., and Jeremias 48:40.
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Broken. They shall march incessantly, Ezechiel 26:7., and 30:11.
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Hoofs. They were hardened, but not shod. (Xenophon) (Amos 6:13.)
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Lion. Nabuchodonosor is compared to one, ver. 26., and Jeremias 4:7.
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Calmet
Mist. Denoting calamity. Hebrew, "ruin." Septuagint, "indigence." (Calmet)
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My cousin.... So the prophet calls Christ, as being of his family and kindred, by descending from the house of David. Ibid. On a hill, etc.... Literally, in the horn, the son of oil.
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Isaie of the tribe of Iuda here prophecieth the doleful songue which Christ vttered weeping ouer Ierusalem, fore seeing & foretelling their destruction. Luc. 19. v. 41.
Concordance Mat. 21.
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Al this sheweth that God only subtracting his protection, no man nor people is able to stand; of whose ruine God is not the auctor, but only permitteth that they fal into sinnes, and so into other miseries.
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An admonition to celebrate festiual dayes with holy religious exercises, and not to folow drunkennes nor other wicked or vaine thinges.
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Concordance Rom. 12.
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Greuous sinnes must be greuously punished. Such as was the sinne of the Ievves persecuting Christ.
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Aphrahat † AD 346 Aphrahat: Select Demonstrations 5.22
22. For Isaiah first set men of Judah as judges over them,
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) 4.15
… , Unto the ‘end concerning the hidden things of the Son, a Psalm of David;’ and in the forty-fourth, ‘Unto the end, concerning the things that shall be changed to the Sons of Korah for understanding, a song about the Well-beloved;’ and in Isaiah, ‘I will sing to my Well-beloved a song of my Well-beloved touching my vineyard. My Well-beloved hath a vineyard
St Basil the Great † AD 379 The Hexæmeron 5.6
… He invites us to produce fruits in abundance, for fear lest our sterility should condemn us to the fire. He constantly compares our souls to vines. “My well beloved,” says He, “hath a vineyard in a very fruitfull hill,”
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 13.29
… Are these thy offerings, O Vine, unto thy Master? Rightly did the Prophet Esaias aforetime bewail you, saying, My well-beloved had a vineyard in a hill in a fruitful place; and (not to recite the whole) I waited , he says, that it should bring forth grapes ; I thirsted that it should give wine; but it brought forth thorns
St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 16.12
… I not become the vine of the beloved, which after being planted and entrenched, and made sure with a fence and tower and every means which was possible, when it ran wild and bore thorns, was consequently despised, and had its tower broken down and its fence taken away, and was not pruned nor digged, but was devoured and laid waste and trodden down by all!
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 44
… but He discourses unto all, fulfilling His part, although foreknowing the results; that it may be in His power to say, “What ought I to have done, that I have not done?” And the prophets speak of the people as of a vine; “For my beloved,” it is said, “had a vineyard;”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Philippians 6
… I will also command the clouds, that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of the Lord of Sabaoth is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah His pleasant plant. I looked that it should do judgment, but it did iniquity, and a cry instead of righteousness.” (
Rufinus of Aquileia † AD 411 A Commentary on the Apostles' Creed 21
… what the Gospel relates next, “Pilate hearing that He was from Galilee, sent Him to Herod, who was king in Israel at that time.” And rightly does the Prophet add the name “Jarim,” which means “a wild-vine, for Herod was not of the house of Israel, nor of that Israelitish vine which the Lord had brought out of Egypt, and “planted in a very fruitful hill,”
Pope St Leo I the Great † AD 461 Sermons 55
And then, having now tasted the vinegar, the produce of that vineyard which had degenerated in spite of its Divine Planter, and had turned to the sourness of a foreign vine
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Tertullian † AD 220 An Answer to the Jews 13
… For “the Lord of Sabaoth hath taken away , among the Jews from Jerusalem,” among the other things named, “the wise architect” too, who builds the church, God’s temple, and the holy city, and the house of the Lord. For thenceforth God’s grace desisted (from working) among them. And “the clouds were commanded not to rain a shower upon the vineyard of Sorek,”
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 4.29
… Justly also does He upbraid them for “not even of themselves judging what is right.” Of old does He command by Zechariah, “Execute the judgment of truth and peace;” by Jeremiah, “Execute judgment and righteousness;” by Isaiah, “Judge the fatherless, plead for the widow,” charging it as a fault upon the vine of Sorech,
Aphrahat † AD 346 Aphrahat: Select Demonstrations 5.21
… And the Son of Man came to free them and gather them together, but they did not receive Him. For He came to obtain fruit from them, and they did not give it to Him. For their vines were of the vine of Sodom and of the stock of Gomorrha, a vineyard in which thorns grew, and which bore wild grapes .
Aphrahat † AD 346 Aphrahat: Select Demonstrations 21.3
… and on the vine of Sodom and planting of Gomorrha to eat bitter grapes and gather clusters of gall; and to eat the eggs of the basilisk and to clothe themselves with spiders’ webs, to be used with wild grapes of the vineyard ,
St Hilary of Poitiers † AD 367 Homilies on the Psalms 1
… Now in all other passages where God’s Word teaches some lesson from the fruits of trees, it mentions them as making fruit rather than as yielding fruit, as when it says: A good tree cannot make evil fruits , and when in Isaiah the complaint about the vine is: I looked that it should make grapes, and it made thorns
St Ephrem the Syrian † AD 373 Ephraim Syrus: Nineteen Hymns on the Nativity of Christ in the Flesh 3
… and it came, that from it might flow plenty upon our hunger. This day is that forerunning Cluster, in which the cup of salvation was concealed! This day is the first-born feast, which, being born the first, overcomes all feasts. In the winter which strips the fruit of the branches off from the barren vine, Fruit sprang up
St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 21.14
… yea, let me plead for the innocence of my dear fatherland, for the wickedness was not due to the land that bore them, but to the men who undertook it. For holy indeed is that land, and everywhere noted for its piety, but these men are unworthy of the Church which bore them, and ye have heard of a briar growing in a vine;
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 10
… For (it is said) “If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin.” ( John xv. 22 .) But if thou hast often drunk and received [nourishment], wherefore hast thou brought forth other things instead of fruits? For (it is said) “I waited that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth thorns.” (
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 80.7
… When cast forth, He did more perfectly possess the place whence He was cast forth. For thus He threatens her through Isaiah, “I will throw down her enclosure.” Wherefore? “For I looked that she should bring forth grapes, but she brought forth thorns.”
5:3
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 47.11
11. And what they who belonged to the God of Abraham? “For the mighty gods of the earth are greatly lifted up.” They who were gods, the people of God, the vineyard of God, whereof it is said, “Judge betwixt Me and My vineyard,”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 81.12
“Hear, O My people, and I will speak, and will bear witness unto thee”( ver. 8 ). For it is not to a strange people, not to a people that belongs not to the press: “Judge ye,” He saith, “between Me and My vineyard.”
5:4
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 12
… That is, the Jews being on the point of ruin, and of being given over to extreme punishment; lest any from their wickedness should calumniate His providence, He saith, “What ought I to have done to this vineyard, that I have not done?”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 37
… Yea, He still keeps to the same point, the showing that John is acting in harmony with Himself, although the results were opposite; as indeed with respect to his inquiry also. And He implies that there was nothing that ought to have been done for their salvation, and was omitted; which thing the prophet
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 44
… so He Himself too makes no distinction of rich and poor, of wise and unwise, of slothful or diligent, of brave or cowardly; but He discourses unto all, fulfilling His part, although foreknowing the results; that it may be in His power to say, “What ought I to have done, that I have not done?”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 65
Now the Prophet Isaiah saith, that He blames the vineyard, but here He accuses in particular the rulers of the people. And there indeed He saith, “What ought I to have done to my vineyard, that I did not;”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the Romans 12
… And this is no small point, with a view to getting free from wickedness. Now if they did not get free, this has nothing to do with the Law; which framed everything with a view to this end, but the accusation lies wholly against their spirit, which was perverse beyond all supposition.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on First Corinthians 2
… Hath He not wrought sins? Hath He not threatened hell? Hath He not promised the kingdom? Doth He not every day make His sun to rise? Are not the things which He hath enjoined so simple and easy, that many transcend His commandments in the greatness of their self-denial? “What was there to do unto the vineyard and I have not done it?” (
Rufinus of Aquileia † AD 411 A Commentary on the Apostles' Creed 22
… “Go forth and see, ye daughters of Jerusalem, the crown wherewith His mother hath crowned Him.” Moreover, of the thorns another Prophet makes mention: “I looked that she should bring forth grapes, and she brought forth thorns, and instead of righteousness a cry.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 80.1
… But when He says, “I am the true vine,” it is to distinguish Himself, doubtless, from that [vine] to which the words are addressed: “How art thou turned into sourness, as a strange vine?” For how could that be a true vine which was expected to bring forth grapes and brought forth thorns?
5:5
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 4.27
… for the sake of private advantage joining house to house, so as to deprive their neighbour of his own; cajoling the people, loving gifts, pursuing rewards, robbing the poor of the rights of judgment, that they might have the widow for a prey and the fatherless for a spoil.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 11
… Nay, not to this point only will your penalty reach, but your punishment will proceed further. “For now,” saith he, “the axe is laid unto the root of the trees.” There is nothing more terrible than this turn of his discourse. For it is no longer “a flying sickle,” nor “the taking down of a hedge,” nor “the treading under foot of the vineyard;”
5:6
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 3.17.3
… thus indicating that they should no longer have the Holy Spirit from God, as saith Esaias, “I will also command the clouds, that they rain no rain upon it,”
Tertullian † AD 220 An Answer to the Jews 13
… for it “had borne thorns ”—whereof that house of Israel had wrought a crown for Christ—and not “ righteousness , but a clamour ,”—the clamour whereby it had extorted His surrender to the cross.
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 3.23
… and “the clouds were commanded to rain no rain upon the vineyard” of Sorech; to withhold, that is, the graces of heaven, that they shed no blessing upon “the house of Israel,” which had but produced “the thorns” wherewith it had crowned the Lord, and “instead of righteousness, the cry” wherewith it had hurried Him away to the cross.
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 13.29
… and (not to recite the whole) I waited , he says, that it should bring forth grapes ; I thirsted that it should give wine; but it brought forth thorns ; for thou seest the crown, wherewith I am adorned. What then shall I now decree? I will command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 On the Holy Spirit 1.pref.8
8. Nor is it strange that they should suffer the drought of unbelief, whom the Lord deprived of the fertilising of the shower of prophecy, saying: “I will command My clouds that they rain not upon that vineyard.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 10
… and the teaching [of the Gospel] he calls “rain”: and what he said above, “when for the time ye ought to be teachers” ( c. v. 12 ), this he says here also. Indeed in many places the Scripture calls the teaching “rain.” For (it says) “I will command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it” (
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount 1.23
… for it is this very thing which the wicked bewail in that book which is called the Wisdom of Solomon, “And the sun rose not upon us:” and that spiritual rain does not water any except the good; for the wicked were meant by the vineyard of which it is said, “I will also command my clouds that they rain no rain upon it.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 39.2
… and Christ hath been removed unto the Gentiles, the mountain into the sea. For how should not the tree wither away which is planted in that vineyard, of which it was said, “I will command my clouds that they rain no rain upon it”?
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 46.9
… For these clouds watered the earth, of which it was said, “The Most High gave His Voice, and the earth was moved.” For it is of those clouds that He threateneth a certain barren vineyard, whence the mountains were carried into the heart of the sea; “I will command,” saith He, “the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 77.18
… 17 ). Thence that sound of waters, thence the troubling of the abysses, because “the clouds have uttered a voice.” What clouds? The preachers of the word of truth. What clouds? Those concerning which God doth menace a certain vineyard, which instead of grape had brought forth thorns and He saith, “I will command My clouds, that they rain no rain upon it.”
5:7
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 4.29
… Justly also does He upbraid them for “not even of themselves judging what is right.” Of old does He command by Zechariah, “Execute the judgment of truth and peace;” by Jeremiah, “Execute judgment and righteousness;” by Isaiah, “Judge the fatherless, plead for the widow,” charging it as a fault upon the vine of Sorech,
St Dionysius of Alexandria † AD 265 Containing Various Sections of the Works 4.5
… For among the Greeks, they who are wise are said to be makers of their books. The apostle also says, “a doer ( scil . maker) of the law.” Moreover, of matters of the heart, of which kind are virtue and vice, men are called doers ( scil . makers); after which manner God said, “I expected that it should make judgment, but it made iniquity.”
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 De Sententia Dionysii. (Defence of Dionysius.) 20
… For among the Greeks, philosophers are called “makers” of their own discourses. And the Apostle speaks of a “doer” ( ποιητής ) “of the law” ( Rom. ii. 13 ), for men are called “doers” of inward qualities, such as virtue and vice; as God said, “I looked for one to do justice, but he did wickedness ”’ (
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 City of God 16.2
… For the apostle testifies that there are some who preach Christ from no pure motives; “but,” says he, “whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.” For it is Christ Himself who planted the vine of which the prophet says, “The vine of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel;”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Enchiridion 80
… and thus, as it is written, “The wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth.” Iniquity of this kind is in Scripture called a cry . You have an instance in the prophet Isaiah, in the case of the evil vineyard: “He looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Harmony of the Gospels 2.25
… when, further, it is considered that so many nations are comprehended in that city, of which it is written, “Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God;” and also that God’s ancient people, though dwelling in so many cities, have yet been spoken of as one house, the house of Israel,
5:8
Origen † AD 254 Origen Against Celsus 2.76
… For in the writings of the law and the prophets God makes use of threats and revilings, when He employs language of not less severity than that found in the Gospel, such as the following expressions of Isaiah: “Woe unto them that join house to house, and lay field to field;”
St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews 3.62
… “He who holdeth back the corn is cursed among the people; but blessing is on the head of him that communicateth it.” Also in Isaiah: “Woe unto them who join house to house, and lay field to field, that they may take away something from their neighbour. Will ye dwell alone upon the earth?”
St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 16.18
18. One of us has oppressed the poor, and wrested from him his portion of land, and wrongly encroached upon his landmark by fraud or violence, and joined house to house, and field to field, to rob his neighbour of something, and been eager to have no neighbour, so as to dwell alone on the earth.
St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 45
… How much more ascetic is the Gospel than the Law! Thou shalt not forswear thyself is the Law; but you are not to swear at all, either a greater or a lesser oath, for an oath is the parent of perjury . Thou shalt not join house to house, nor field to field, oppressing the poor ;
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. John 64
… With Isaiah let us wail bitterly, and say, “Woe, they that add house to house, that lay field to field, that they may take somewhat from their neighbor; will ye dwell alone upon the earth? Great houses and fair, and there shall be no inhabitants in them.” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. John 72
… For the future let us leave them. Hear what the Prophet saith of certain foolish ones, “Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.” ( Isa. xxii. 31 .) But in the present case we cannot even say this, so “many” gather round themselves what belongs to all. So chiding them also, the Prophet said, “Will ye dwell alone upon the earth?” (
Sulpicius Severus † AD 420 The Doubtful Letters of Sulpitius Severus 1.5
… I spared my enemies who desired to slay me, that these people might approve of my mercifulness, as worthy of being imitated.” After him, Isaiah, who was worthy of the Spirit of God, will not be silent; but will say: “I, Lord, whilst thou wast speaking through my mouth, gave this warning,—‘Woe to those
Pope St Gregory I the Great † AD 604 The Book of Pastoral Rule 3.20
… When they desire to enlarge greatly the spaces of their habitation, let them hear what is written, Woe unto you that join house to house and lay field to field, even till there be no place left. What, will ye dwell alone in the midst of the earth (
5:10
St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 16.17
… Such is the wealth of the ungodly, such the harvest of the careless sower; as the ancient curse runs, to look for much, and bring in little, to sow and not reap, to plant and not press, ten acres of vineyard to yield one bath:
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Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 5.18
… “Ye gave wine to my holy ones to drink.” This prohibition from drink was given also to the high priest Aaron and his sons, “when they went into the holy place.” The command, to “sing to the Lord with psalms and hymns,” comes suitably from him who knew that those who “drank wine with drums and psalteries” were blamed by God.
Origen † AD 254 Origen Against Celsus 2.76
… “Woe unto them that join house to house, and lay field to field;” and, “Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning that they may follow strong drink;”
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Festal and Personal Letters of Athanasius 20
… but being inflamed with wickedness, they are wholly set on fire by pleasures, as saith the Proverb, ‘All day long he desires evil desires.’ But the Prophet cries against them, saying, ‘Wo unto those who rise up early, and follow strong drink; who continue until the evening, for wine inflameth them
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 13
… which Ezekiel also signified when he said, “But this was the iniquity of Sodom, that she waxed wanton in pride and in fullness of bread, and in abundance of luxury.” Thus the Jews also per petrated the greatest wickedness, being driven upon transgression by their drunkenness and delicacy.
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St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 2.22.2
… but He still “makes His sun to rise upon the good and upon the evil, and sends rain upon the just and unjust.” And the righteous suffer persecution, are afflicted, and are slain, while sinners are possessed of abundance, and “drink with the sound of the harp and psaltery, but do not regard the works of the Lord.”
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 4.2.5
5. Of such persons, too, the Spirit has spoken by Esaias: “They drink wine with [the accompaniment of] harps, and tablets, and psalteries, and flutes; but they regard not the works of God, neither do they consider the work of His hands.”
Tertullian † AD 220 The Chaplet, or De Corona 9
… and after eating and drinking, uncrowned, they rose up to play. Neither would the account of the rejoicing nor the exposure of the luxury have been silent touching the honour or dishonour of the crown. Thus too Isaiah, as he says, “With timbrels, and psalteries, and flutes they drink wine,”
Origen † AD 254 Origen Against Celsus 7.31
… Accordingly, God in Isaiah complains of men, that “they regard not the works of the Lord, nor consider the operation of His hands.”
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Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 4.15
… “Hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth, and down to it shall descend the illustrious, and the great, and the rich (this shall be Christ’s ‘woe to the rich’); and man shall be humbled,” even he that exalts himself with riches; “and the mighty man shall be dishonoured,” even he who is mighty from his wealth.
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St Justin Martyr † AD 165 Dialogue with Trypho 17
… who say, Let his speed come near; and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel come, that we may know it. Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put light for darkness, and darkness for light; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!’
St Justin Martyr † AD 165 Dialogue with Trypho 133
… And the Lord of Sabaoth was very angry, and laid His hands upon them, and smote them; and He was provoked against the mountains, and their carcases were in the midst like dung on the road. And for all this they have not repented, but their hand is still high.’
Tertullian † AD 220 On Repentance 11
… and shall we be tardy in offering to the offended Lord a self-chastisement in food and raiment, which Gentiles lay upon themselves when they have offended no one at all? Such are they of whom Scripture makes mention: “Woe to them who bind their own sins as it were with a long rope.”
Tertullian † AD 220 On the Veiling of Virgins 14
… For it is emulation, not religion, which impels them. Sometimes it is that god— their belly —himself; because the brotherhood readily undertakes the maintenance of virgins . But, moreover, it is not merely that they are ruined, but they draw after them “a long rope of sins.”
Origen † AD 254 Origen Against Celsus 2.76
… “Woe unto them that join house to house, and lay field to field;” and, “Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning that they may follow strong drink;” and, “Woe unto them that draw their sins after them as with a long rope;”
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on Matthew 12.14
… and again in these the virtuous man is loosed, and has received an indemnity for the sins which he committed before his virtue. But, as the man, who has not the cords of sins nor iniquities compared to a “long rope or to the strap of the yoke of a heifer,”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Colossians 2
… when they spoke not of such matters only, but also of war and captivity. ( Jer. xxi. 11; xxvii. 12 , &c) And Zedekiah was rebuked by Jeremiah, and was not ashamed. Therefore the Prophets said, “Woe unto them that say, Let God hasten with speed His work, that we may see it, and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel come, that we may know it.” (
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 On the Holy Trinity 11.6
… but the entanglement of depraved and distorted wills is a bond by which he will be bound who thus acts, so as to be cast into outer darkness. Blessed therefore are they who in act and character sing the song of the steps [degrees]; and woe to those that draw sin, as it were a long rope.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 10.5
… He who was to be scourged by them first scourged them), that He gave us a certain sign, in that He made a scourge of small cords, and with it lashed the unruly, who were making merchandise of God’s temple. For indeed every man twists for himself a rope by his sins: “Woe to them who draw sins as a long rope?”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 119.8
… For this word peccatorum is not from peccata, “sins;” but from peccatores, “sinners.” Therefore when they threaten evils, with which to alarm the righteous, that they may not suffer for the law of God, they, so to speak, entangle them with bands, with a strong and tough cord of their own. For “they draw iniquity like a long rope,”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 140.8
… And what have they done? “And have stretched out cords as traps.” What cords? The word is well known in holy Scripture, and elsewhere we find what “cords” signify. For “each one is holden with the cords of his sins,” saith Scripture. And Esaias saith openly, “Woe to them that draw sin like a long rope.”
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St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 11
… For inasmuch as they continually disbelieved the prophets, and used to say, “Where is the day of the Lord:” and “let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel come, that we may know it,”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on First Thessalonians 9
… —which the Prophets also said, “Woe unto them that say, Let him make speed, let God hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel come, that we may know it!” (
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St Justin Martyr † AD 165 The First Apology 49
… And that it was foreknown that these infamous things should be uttered against those who confessed Christ, and that those who slandered Him, and said that it was well to preserve the ancient customs, should be miserable, hear what was briefly said by Isaiah; it is this: “Woe unto them that call sweet bitter, and bitter sweet.”
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 1.25.4
4. So unbridled is their madness, that they declare they have in their power all things which are irreligious and impious, and are at liberty to practise them; for they maintain that things are evil or good, simply in virtue of human opinion.
Tertullian † AD 220 On the Flesh of Christ 24
For when Isaiah hurls denunciation against our very heretics, especially in his “Woe to them that call evil good, and put darkness for light,”
Tertullian † AD 220 Scorpiace 1
… Nor is the draught bitter. If the utterances of the Lord are sweeter than honey and the honeycombs, the juices are from that source. If the promise of God flows with milk and honey, the ingredients which go to make that draught have the smack of this. “But woe to them who turn sweet into bitter, and light into darkness.”
Origen † AD 254 Origen Against Celsus 2.76
… “Woe unto them that join house to house, and lay field to field;” and, “Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning that they may follow strong drink;” and, “Woe unto them that draw their sins after them as with a long rope;” and, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil;”
Origen † AD 254 Origen Against Celsus 6.67
… he wishes, on the contrary, to transport us from light into darkness, making the darkness light and the light darkness, and exposing himself to the woe well described by the prophet Isaiah in the following manner: “Woe unto them that put darkness for light, and light for darkness.”
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Defence of His Flight. (Apologia de Fuga.) 23
… to the words of the Lord, or to their fabrications? Whose conduct ought we to imitate, that of the Saints, or that of those whose example these men have adopted? But since it is likely they cannot determine this question (for, as Esaias said, their minds and their consciences are blinded, and they think ‘bitter to be sweet,’ and ‘light darkness
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Arian Persecution Under Constantine 1
… suffered, all jealousy has ceased, and let us henceforward receive Arius and his fellows;’ adding, in order to frighten their hearers, ‘because the Emperor has commanded it.’ Moreover, they were not ashamed to add, ‘for these men profess orthodox opinions;’ not fearing that which is written, ‘Woe unto them that call bitter sweet, that put darkness for light
St Gregory of Nyssa † AD 395 Answer to Eunomius' Second Book 1
… But Holy Scripture is so far from sanctioning such confusion, that we may clearly hear the voice of prophecy lamenting it. “Woe unto him,” says Isaiah, “that calls darkness light, and light darkness, that calls bitter sweet, and sweet bitter
St Jerome † AD 420 Jerome's Apology for Himself Against the Books of Rufinus 3.18
… Yet you dare, in order to deal a blow at me, to say “I do not accuse, or change, my masters.” If that were true it would in my opinion throw a grave suspicion on your Christian standing. As for myself, you have no right to charge me with condemning my former teachers: but I stand in awe of those words of Isaiah:
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 62
… hold fast that which is good.” Those, however, who are led by some perversity in their dispositions to conceive for him too much fondness or too much aversion seem to me to lie under the curse of the Prophet:—“Woe unto them that call evil good and good evil; that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 84.2
… yet of these the former has mutilated Christ’s incarnate humanity, while the latter is the most open champion of the Arian impiety. “Woe,” says Isaiah, “unto them that call evil good and good evil; that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.”
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 85.4
… The fact is that I repudiate merely his objectionable dogmas. For I know that one curse hangs over those who call evil good and over those who call good evil, over those who put bitter for sweet, and over those who put sweet for bitter.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Enchiridion 13
… And although this, when stated, seems to be a contradiction, yet the strictness of reasoning leaves us no escape from the conclusion. We must, however, beware of incurring the prophetic condemnation: “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.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Enchiridion 19
… for the patience of the believer will turn even these to a good use, as when, for example, taking a bad man for a good, he receives injury from him. But one who believes a bad man to be good, and yet suffers no injury, is nothing the worse for being deceived, nor does he fall under the prophetic denunciation: “Woe to those who call evil good!”
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St Barnabas † AD 61 The Epistle of Barnabas 4
… Do not, by retiring apart, live a solitary life, as if you were already [fully] justified; but coming together in one place, make common inquiry concerning what tends to your general welfare. For the Scripture saith, “Woe to them who are wise to themselves, and prudent in their own sight!”
St Justin Martyr † AD 165 Dialogue with Trypho 39
… The words are these: ‘He ascended up on high; He led captivity captive; He gave gifts to men.’ Accordingly, we who have received gifts from Christ, who has ascended up on high, prove from the words of prophecy that you, ‘the wise in yourselves, and the men of understanding in your own eyes,’
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 5.14
… “The Lord hear thee in the day of tribulation.” “Bless, and curse not,” (says your apostle.) But what better teacher of this will you find than Him who created all things, and blessed them? “Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.” For against such a disposition Isaiah pronounces a woe.
St Gregory of Nyssa † AD 395 Against Eunomius 2.11
What, moreover, is the high estate of the Almighty in which Eunomius affirms that the Son has no share? Let those, then, who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Commentary on Galatians 1
… For to give one’s suffrage for one’s self, and to admit no man to share one’s counsel, is a sign of folly. It is said, “Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him;” ( Prov. xxvi. 12 .) and, “Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!” (
St Jerome † AD 420 Against the Pelagians 2
… they which call thee happy cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.” Who is the greatest subverter of the people of God—he who, relying on the power of free choice, despises the help of the Creator, and is satisfied with following his own will, or he who dreads to be judged by the details of the Lord’s commandments? To men of this sort, God
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Origen † AD 254 Origen Against Celsus 2.76
… “Woe unto them that join house to house, and lay field to field;” and, “Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning that they may follow strong drink;” and, “Woe unto them that draw their sins after them as with a long rope;” and, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil;” and, “Woe unto those of you who are mighty to drink wine;”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the Romans 22
“Be not wise in your own conceits.” This is, do not think that you can do for yourselves. Because the Scripture saith in another place besides, “Woe to them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight.” (
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St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews 1.22
… and they shall declare my glory to the nations.” Also in the same: “And in all these things they are not converted; therefore He shall lift up a standard to the nations which are afar, and He will draw them from the end of the earth.”
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St Ignatius of Antioch † AD 108 Epistle to the Smyrnæans: Shorter and Longer Versions 1
… that He was truly born of a virgin, was baptized by John, in order that all righteousness might be fulfilled by Him; and was truly, under Pontius Pilate and Herod the tetrarch, nailed [to the cross] for us in His flesh. Of this fruit we are by His divinely-blessed passion, that He might set up a standard
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 4.14
… For thus does He say, by Isaiah, concerning those whom He was about to call from the ends of the earth—that is, the Gentiles: “Behold, they shall come swiftly with speed:”
St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews 1.23
… the Lord shall slay you. But to those who serve me a new name shall be named, which shall be blessed in the earth.” Also in the same place: “Therefore shall He lift up an ensign to the nations which are afar off, and He will draw them from the end of the earth; and, behold, they shall come swiftly with lightness; they shall not hunger nor thirst.”
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1. I WILL SING (in Hebrew אשירה ascira, that is, I will lead the singing, I will go before as a teacher and cantor; thus Forerius) TO MY BELOVED A SONG OF MY KINSMAN CONCERNING HIS VINEYARD. — By kinsman, or, as Vatablus translates it, uncle, Forerius understands the uncle of Isaiah, namely King Amaziah, or his brother, who had this saying often on his lips, so that when he wished to signify that someone had lost oil and labor in some matter, he would say: My friend had a vineyard in a fertile place, etc., he expected it to produce grapes, and it produced wild grapes, as if Isaiah were saying: I will sing to my beloved this song about his vineyard, which my uncle is accustomed to sing about his friend's vineyard, and which has now become a proverb. But this sense seems rather cold and Jewish: wherefore St. Jerome and others throughout interpret by kinsman Christ. For which note first: In Hebrew it is dod. The same is "kinsman and beloved." Whence Vatablus translates, I will sing to my beloved a song of my kinsman concerning his vineyard; for "beloved" in Hebrew is ידיד jedid; whence Solomon was called by God Jedidia, that is, beloved of the Lord, or lovable to the Lord, II Kings XII, 25. For "kinsman," or, as Vatablus translates it, "uncle," is דוד dod. Therefore these two names are almost the same, and descend from the same root. Whence Isaiah says, cap. XL, 6: "All flesh is grass, and all the glory thereof as the flower of the field." Hence also Euripides in Plutarch says that it lasts only one day, and is immediately extinguished. Note secondly: In the manner of Hebrew, the antecedent is here placed in place of the relative. For he calls Christ, whom he called beloved, presently calls kinsman; he therefore says: "I will sing to my beloved a song of my kinsman;" for what we would say: I will sing to my beloved a song of the same, namely of my beloved, who is also my kinsman. The sense therefore is, as if to say, I am pleased to sing, nay to lead the singing, to my beloved, and kinsman, or relation, whom I love uniquely, namely to Christ, a song of Christ himself, which namely she herself will sing to his vineyard, that is to the Jewish people, saying, Matt. XXI: "A certain householder planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about." THE VINEYARD OF MY BELOVED WAS MADE IN THE HORN OF THE SON OF OIL. — Note: The Synagogue and Judaea is called horn: first, because horn is a symbol of power and strength, and consequently of royal power and magnificence, which God had given to David, Solomon and the Jews; secondly, because Judaea is situated in a horn, that is in a high place: whence Pagninus for "in the horn," translates, on a hill: for horn is a lofty and mountainous place; because horn is sharp, and occupies the highest part of an animal, namely the head. Thus Vatablus, Arias and Sanchez. For vineyards ought to be planted on a mountain facing the South, but closed off toward the North; for "Bacchus loves hills, the North wind and the cold of the forest," etc.; thirdly, because Judaea has the appearance of a horn in its situation, says Forerius, just as the situation of the Low Countries has the appearance of a lion: whence it is called the Belgian lion. Whence the Syriac version has, the vineyard was to my beloved in the corner of a place, or region; or as the Arabic, in the extremity of the earth. Allegorically, the vineyard, that is the Church, was made to Christ in the horn of the son of oil, that is in an inheritance and kingdom both powerful and fertile and merciful alike; for oil is the symbol of both. For Christ, who was to us the son of oil, that is supremely merciful, wished the Church also to be the son, or rather the daughter of oil, so that namely the government of the Church would be benign, smooth and gracious like oil, whereas the government of the Synagogue was threatening and terrible. For this reason a little before the nativity of Christ, in the Transtiberine region of Rome, from a tavern, a fountain of oil (which was like the horn of the son of oil) willed to spring forth, which flowed for an entire day without interruption: so that he might portend Christ about to be born, who, as soon as he set foot on earth, would at the same time show forth the right foot of mercy, and would open the fountain of his clemency and mercy, from which all kinds of benefits would continually flow into the Church. The witnesses of this fountain are Eusebius in the Chronicle, Orosius, lib. VI, cap. XIX, and others. The place is now converted into a church of the Blessed Virgin, in which the very place of the fountain of oil was shown to me, to which these ancient verses are inscribed within: Hence the oil flowed, when Christ shone forth from the Virgin; Here too is granted whatever is asked for the remission of sins. For it was once in that place the seat of the Penitentiary. Hence the Chaldean, imitating Symmachus, translates thus: I will now tell my beloved what my dearest one has done for his vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard on a hill, in a fertile place. St. Basil notes that it is a most ancient tradition that Adam, excluded from the most pleasant paradise, in order to lighten his sorrow, occupied Judaea, the most fertile of all lands; whence the Pentapolis, which was part of it, is called "the Paradise of God," Genesis cap. XIII, vers. 10. Hence also the common tradition of the Fathers is that the skull of Adam was buried on Mount Calvary where Christ was crucified, and from this the name Calvary was derived. Allegorically St. Basil: Judaea, he says, has a horn, that is, defensive arms against enemies, namely the cross of Christ; hence Habakkuk says, cap. III, 4: "Horns in his hands." Note secondly: This horn is called the son of oil, that is, anointed with oil, fertile in oil, abounding in and full of oil: thus is said the son of iniquity, that is, full of iniquity, most wicked. Or rather the son of oil, that is, fat, that is, fertile, as if born from oil. Whence the Septuagint and the Chaldean render, in a horn in a fertile place, as if to say, This vineyard was planted in a lofty place, on a mountain not sterile but fertile, whose soil is blessed and rich, and gives abundant produce. Again the horn signifies strength: oil, abundance, as if to say, I God have exalted Israel and Judaea to a powerful and strong kingdom, and at the same time fertile: for it flows with honey and milk; so that it appears to be the horn of Amalthea. Thus St. Jerome. Whence Symmachus renders, in a horn in the midst of olives; the Arabic and Syriac, a cultivated and fertile vineyard. Some therefore think Judaea is called the son of oil on account of the abundance of olives, as I have said. R. Joseph thinks it is so called on account of the king and priest, who were in it, and were anointed with oil. Whence Zach. IV, it is said: "These are the two sons of oil, who stand by the Lord of the whole earth," where by sons of oil is understood the prince and priest, that is Zerubbabel and Jesus son of Josedech. Again H. Pintus holds that Jerusalem is called a fertile and oiled mountain, because there Christ taught, and from there went forth the Gospel, by which the world was made fertile, which before was dry and lean. Secondly, Sanchez: Oil, he says, because it softens, soothes, cherishes, and tickles the senses, is taken for delights, indulgence and blandishments, Psalm CXL, 5; Proverb. V, 3, as if to say, The Jewish people was to God, and through God was strong like a horn, and at the same time was to him a son of oil, that is a son of love and delights, to whom namely God showed his abundant liberality, and poured forth not only necessities for sustenance and life, but also pleasures and delights. Mystically, H. Pintus: Judaea, he says, is called the son of oil; because just as oil in a lamp is the matter of fire and splendor, so the Hebrews provided to many nations a clear light of the knowledge of God.
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2. HE FENCED IT, AND GATHERED OUT THE STONES THEREOF, etc. — For stones are wont to be gathered and removed from stony ground, so that vines may be planted in it. Christ used this parable almost word for word, Matt. XXI, as Isaiah had foretold, verse 1. Both Isaiah, as he himself explains, verse 7, and Christ understand by the vineyard the Church, or the Synagogue, as also the Psalmist, Psalm LXXIX, 9: "Thou hast brought a vineyard, saith he, out of Egypt; thou hast cast out the nations" from Chanaan, and there "thou hast planted it." The hedge, the winepress, the tower, the removal of stones, etc., signify in general that God cultivated the Church in all things, and provided for it with all necessaries. Particularly and distinctly, however, the hedge was, first, the wall of Jerusalem, saith St. Jerome; second, and more aptly, the hedge was the law and precepts, which were given as a hedge to the people, to fortify them and keep them in duty and piety. Thus the Author of the Imperfect Work, Theophylactus and Euthymius in Matt. XXI, and Irenaeus, lib. IV, cap. LXX. Again, third, the hedge was the custody of God and the Angels, say St. Ambrose, Jerome and Origen, who in homil. 19 on John thus saith: "The custody of God was the hedge of the vineyard, the tower the temple, the winepress the place of libations." This is what Zacharias saith, cap. II: "Jerusalem shall be inhabited without walls," that is, the Synagogue and Church; for "I will be unto it, saith the Lord, a wall of fire round about." Thus it is said in Isaiah XXVI, 1: "Our city of strength is Sion, salvation shall be set therein for walls and bulwarks." Again Psalm XXXIII, 8: "The Angel of the Lord shall encamp round about them that fear him: and shall deliver them." Finally Zach. IX: "I will encamp, saith he, about my house with them that march and return:" where in Hebrew it is חניתי chaniti, that is, "I will encamp about my house with the soldier passing by," namely through Angels. Fourth, H. Pintus understands by the hedge holy men, who are as a wall to the people before God, by whose removal the people are trampled upon, as when Lot departed, Sodom was consumed; when the Hebrews departed Egypt perished. The "winepress" moreover is the altar, at which the blood of victims was pressed out, say Origen, St. Jerome, Bede, Euthymius, Theophylactus in Matt. XXI. Mystically, the winepress is the cross of Christ, by whose press are squeezed martyrs, virgins, and all followers of Christ: whence the wine of joy is expressed. Wherefore, third, more aptly by the tower you may understand the doctors and pastors and watchers of the people, or the temple of Jerusalem, and the worship and religion of God, as the Chaldean here, Origen, St. Jerome, Bede, Euthymius, Theophylactus above explain: for from the temple as from a tower and citadel God was aid and refuge to the laboring people. The "stones" which he took away from the vineyard are idols, sins: and all impediments to divine worship and religion. The "tower" may be understood, first, as royal dignity; second, as Holy Scripture, saith H. Pintus: for to it as to a tower and citadel we ought to flee in our temptations and perils, and as from a tower we behold distant things, so from the law and Prophets they beheld Christ about to come after so many ages. Note: In vineyards towers are wont to be erected, both that the vine-dressers may betake themselves to them, and that grapes and vineyard implements may be safely kept there, and especially for watch, that namely in them as in watchtowers the keepers may keep watch, and look round about lest any thieves or beasts invade and ravage the vineyard. Such towers I have seen in wine-bearing places, as near Rome and in Germany, especially near Würzburg: for there vineyards abound; so much so that grave men, nay princes, have assured me there, that in the city of Würzburg there is more wine than water. Whence there I beheld huge wine casks, each of which held more than a hundred wine vessels, or amphorae, and had doors, through which the vine-dressers entered into the casks (just as Diogenes into his) to prepare and cleanse them. AND HE PLANTED IT WITH THE CHOICEST VINE. — For the choicest vine in Hebrew is שורק sorec: which the Hebrews say is a kind of the best vine, which has no, that is few and small, grapes: perhaps it was called sorec from the region Sorec, abounding in noble vines; where Samson saw and loved Dalila, Judg. XVI, 4. Thus Sanchez. Such an excellent vineyard of God was the Synagogue in the time of the Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, who were most holy, and rendered to God grapes and fruits of holy works. HE MADE WILD GRAPES. — Note that wild grape is here put for the fruit of the wild grape; for wild grape is a wild vine, whose flower, according to Dioscorides, book V, chapter V, is called oenanthe, that is to say the flower of wine or of the vine: therefore wild grape is unripe, sour and worthless grape. Whence the Septuagint for wild grapes translates thorns; Symmachus, ἀτελῆ, that is imperfect, that is unripe. For it is, says Pliny, book XVI, chapter XXVII, a wild vine, which he himself calls mad, which luxuriates in a threefold production, but evanescent: for in it at the same time some ripen, others swell, others flower; but nothing is ripe and useful: for they display fruit rather than offer it. In Hebrew it is באושים beuscim, that is stinking: whence Aquila translates, σαπρίας, that is rotten; for, as Cassius Dionysius relates from Varro: "There are certain vines which putrefy the fruit recently produced, before the clusters are nourished and ripen." Now the sense is, as if to say, My beloved, namely God the Father, and his Son and heir Jesus Christ, expected from the vineyard thus cultivated by him sweet grapes and pleasant and delightful to his palate; but behold he found unpleasant and bitter ones, which cause him trouble and nausea: namely from the Jewish people he expected the joyful and sweet wine of virtues, of faith and of good works: but that people rendered to him sour wine and vinegar of infidelity, of injustice (as verse 7 says), of pride, of lust, etc., and offered to him that very vinegar instead of true wine on the cross to Christ the Lord: for St. Chrysostom teaches that the Prophet's gaze is directed to this point specifically, homily 2 On the Cross and the Robber; and the Fathers throughout refer these things to the Passion of Christ. Tropologically, he produces stinking grapes who turns his mind and effort from the faith and piety which he ought to show to God to false and foolish thoughts, says Sanchez, concerning which Ecclesiastes XI, 32: "As the bowels of the stinking eruct, etc., so also the heart of the proud." Again, luxuriating but imperfect and unripe grapes are Religious and others who begin the way of virtue with great fervor; but soon they wither, and do not complete what they have begun. Likewise those who from levity and inconstancy now embrace this kind of life, virtue and study, now that, and while they attempt all things they fall away from all, and, as Sanchez says, in that produce nothing so much through labor as through manifold play that the Lord might pluck and take: for nothing so impedes progress in the spiritual way as this inconstancy; and the frequent change of counsels and studies.
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3. Now therefore, etc., men of Judah, judge. — God here permits himself from his humanity to be judged by the people, so that he himself may justify God in a cause so evident, and compel himself by his own testimony and sword to cut his own throat. 4. WHAT IS IT THAT I OUGHT TO DO MORE, etc., OR WHAT DID I EXPECT? — It is a grave reproach, as if to say, Did I omit the duty of the vinedresser? what did I neglect in cultivating the vineyard? what ought I to have done to it that I did not do? Did I sin in this, that I expected grapes? Is this the fault, this my sin, namely the long expectation of fruits, and my excessive longsuffering? Did this make the grapes wild? Long delay and time ripens grapes: did my delay alone therefore make them unripe? Thus God. On the contrary, man can truly say, and ought to say: "What ought I to have done for my Lord that I have done? who am I, what am I, what evil have I not done?" says St. Augustine; for a holy man ought to account himself an unprofitable servant to God. In a similar way God complains through Jeremiah, chapter II, verse 21: "I planted thee a chosen vineyard, all true seed: how then art thou turned into a bitter, strange vine?" Note: In Hebrew there is an elegant paronomasia: I expected משפט mispat, that is judgment; and behold משפח mispach, that is iniquity: I expected צדקה tsedaka, that is justice, and behold צעקה tseaka, that is cry, as if to say, I expected equity, and behold iniquity; justice, and behold injustice: I expected the dispensation of justice, and behold dissipation.
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8. WOE TO YOU THAT JOIN HOUSE TO HOUSE, etc., EVEN TO THE END OF THE PLACE! — to the end of the place, namely of a field or city, as if to say, Woe to you covetous ones, who wish to occupy all things by fair means and foul, who join fields to fields, houses to houses, until you possess the whole space of the city or region which you have set as the limit to your covetousness or ambition! Here he explains in detail the bitterness of these wild grapes, namely of iniquity and cry; whence in this verse he censures the pride and avarice of the Jews, especially the wealthy and powerful; but in verse 11, their drunkenness; and in verse 18, he touches upon their obstinacy.
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5. I will take away its hedge, — as if to say, I will strip the Jewish people of law equally and of my protection, and of the custody of Angels, so that it may be laid waste by the Romans, and I will transfer it to the Gentiles. Whence Josephus, book VII of the War, chapter XII, says that shortly before the destruction of Jerusalem, the very heavy gate of the temple opened of its own accord, and a voice was heard (of Angels) in the temple: "Let us depart hence." Such is also that of the Angels or soldiers, Jeremiah LI, 9: "We would have healed Babylon, and she is not healed: let us forsake her."
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6. IT SHALL NOT BE PRUNED, AND IT SHALL NOT BE DUG. — For a luxuriant vineyard is accustomed to be pruned and cut, likewise dug, or uncovered at the roots, that is, the earth which was at its roots is dug out, so that those roots may draw in air and heavenly moisture; which all experts in agriculture teach is necessary for the fertility of vines and trees. Whence St. Ambrose, book III of the Hexameron, chapter XII: "He dug around," he says, "the vineyard, when he freed it from the mass of earthly cares." Again, the earth near the vine is accustomed to be dug, just as a field is dug, so that seed from the dug and loosened earth may draw greater and better nourishment. Whence Forerius translates it, it shall not be hoed, or it shall not be heaped up: for עדר adar in the passive conjugation means to be gathered, collected and congregated into one, for example, a heap, as is done around vines, to which earth is drawn with a hoe; just as also happens in plowing in the furrows of fields. For the vineyard requires perpetual and varied and continuous cultivation: whence the Italians rightly say: "The vineyard is fearful." The sense is, as if to say, God will abandon this vineyard of his, he will not cut back, nor restrain the luxuriant malice of his people: again, he will not dig into their heart, will not touch it, will not strike it with compunction, will not cultivate it; but will allow it to be filled, hidden and suffocated with the thorns and briars of sins. This is a great punishment, when the sinner is abandoned by God, and is allowed with impunity to follow his lusts and wallow in concupiscences. For, as St. Gregory says, homily 12 on Ezekiel: "He who turns away from God, and prospers, becomes so much nearer to perdition, as he is found to be estranged from the zeal of discipline." Tropologically, the soul must be pruned and cultivated both by the precepts of God and by adversities, says St. Basil here. I WILL COMMAND THE CLOUDS THAT THEY RAIN NOT UPON IT. — Rain, which is denied to the vineyard rejected by God, that is, the Synagogue, is heavenly doctrine: whence both words are derived from the same root among the Hebrews. For from אנה, that is, he sent forth, let down, brought forth, is derived מורה more, that is, teacher sending forth his doctrine; and יורה iore, that is, rain sent down from heaven; and תורה thora, that is, law, or doctrine poured into the ears and mind of the disciple by the teacher. Whence the Apostles and apostolic men are called clouds: because through these God pours this heavenly rain into the Church, Isaiah LX, 8: "Who are these that fly as clouds?" and Joel II, 23: "Because he hath given you a teacher of justice, and he will cause the rain to come down upon you, the early rain and the latter rain." Thus St. Jerome. The sense therefore is, as if to say, I God will forbid the Apostles and their followers to water the Jews with the rain of holy doctrine and the Gospel, but will drench the Gentiles with it. Thus St. Jerome, Cyril and Basil himself.
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7. THE VINEYARD OF THE LORD OF HOSTS IS THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL. — Here he explains the song and parable of the vineyard, as if to say, This vineyard is the people of Israel. AND THE MAN OF JUDA, HIS PLEASANT PLANT. — The Septuagint, his beloved plant; the Chaldean, the planting of his joy; others, his delightful plant, as if to say, The tribe of Juda (under which also Benjamin, which adhered to Juda in the schism of Jeroboam, understand), in this vineyard of all Israel is a plant, or vine, which pleased God uniquely, and was his delight. The "his" refers not to the vineyard, but to the Lord of Hosts, who preceded. The reason was, because Juda retained the faith of God, his worship and his temple; and because from Juda was to be born Christ, who is the desire of the eternal hills. I LOOKED THAT HE SHOULD BRING FORTH GRAPES, AND HE BROUGHT FORTH WILD GRAPES; AND I LOOKED FOR JUDGMENT, AND BEHOLD INIQUITY; FOR JUSTICE, AND BEHOLD A CRY. — As if to say, From this vineyard so elaborated by me I expected grapes, namely judgment and justice; but it produced wild grapes, namely iniquity and a cry. He calls judgment justice, or that which is just: yet our Prado distinguishes these: Judgment, he says, signifies judicial power, insofar as it punishes the guilty: justice signifies the same, insofar as it absolves and vindicates the innocent, as if to say, I expected judgment from the Jews; "and behold iniquity," because they absolve the guilty: and justice, "and behold a cry," because they condemn the innocent, who therefore cry out and wail on account of this injury. But by the cry, as being opposed to justice, you may more aptly understand the cry of those very unjust, angry and violent ones, such as is wont to be that of robbers, when with force and clamorous threats and voices they strike down travelers, so as to plunder or slay them. Again, with this word Isaiah properly refers to the cry of the Jews against Christ: "Crucify, crucify." Thus St. Jerome and Cyril. In a similar way Jeremiah says, chapter XII, verse 8: "My inheritance is become to me as a lion in the wood: it hath cried out against me, therefore have I hated it." Otherwise Sanchez: The cry, he says, is every sin, which cries out in the ears of God, and stirs him up, so that he may awake to vengeance; and especially those four enormous ones, which are therefore called sins crying to heaven, namely first, the oppression of the poor, widows and orphans; second, voluntary murder and parricide; third, the wages of laborers defrauded; fourth, the sin of Sodom.
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Here therefore he rebukes ambition and greed, as the principle of injury and violence, which, in order that it may stand out above others, despoils others, and sustains its own pomp and status from the plunder of others: as Nero did, who made all Rome serve his pleasures or his ambition, as Martial says. For greed is insatiable, and therefore it is the mother and origin of all evils, as the Apostle testifies: and accordingly both Christ and Isaiah threaten eternal woe of damnation to the rich and greedy: this therefore is the first wild vine. SHALL YOU ALONE DWELL IN THE MIDST OF THE EARTH? — that is to say, So great is your greed, that you seem to wish to occupy alone, indeed to dwell in the whole earth, and to be kings of the entire world. For "in the midst of the earth" is the same as "in the whole earth," so that the whole earth is as it were one house of yours, in the midst of which you reside, just as a king resides in the midst of his kingdom, commanding and ruling all around. Thus Nero built in Rome so vast a palace (we still see today its enormous walls and structures), that it occupied a great part of the city; whence they made sport of him and it with this verse: Rome shall become a house: migrate, Quirites, to Veii, if this house does not also seize Veii. What are you doing, O unhappy miser? Does not a space of three cubits of earth alone await you? Is not a small stone sufficient to cover your wretched body? Why therefore do you so ardently seek so many estates and riches, and covet and accumulate impediments to eternal beatitude? Truly the Poet said: "One world does not suffice for the youth from Pella (Alexander the Great): he will be content with a sarcophagus." Namely, "yesterday the whole world could not contain Alexander: today, when dead, earth of six feet will contain and bury him." St. Bernard, epistle 51 to Henry, Archbishop of Sens, applies this sentence of Isaiah to avaricious Ecclesiastics, who accumulate benefices and dignities: "O, he says, infinite ambition always, and insatiable greed! When someone has been made in any Church a Dean, Provost, Archdeacon, etc., not content with one in one place, he strives to acquire for himself several, indeed as many honors as he can, both in one and in many. But shall he be satisfied thus? Made a Bishop, he desires to be an Archbishop. Having perhaps obtained this, again dreaming I know not what higher, he determines by laborious journeys and costly familiarities to frequent the Roman palace. Woe to you who join house to house!" etc. Most excellently St. Ambrose, in the book On Naboth and Ahab, chapter I, volume I: "How long, he says, O rich, do you extend your mad desires? Shall you alone dwell upon the earth? Why do you cast out your partner in nature, and claim possession for yourselves? The earth was founded in common for all rich and poor alike; why do you rich arrogate to yourselves alone a special right? Nature does not know the rich, which bears all as poor. She brought forth naked into the light, needy of food, clothing, drink: naked the earth receives those whom she brought forth, she does not know how to enclose the boundaries of possessions within a tomb. A narrow plot of earth equally abounds for the poor and the rich; and the earth which did not contain the affection of the living, now contains the whole rich man." And chapter III: "Bird associates with bird, beast is joined to beast, fish to fish: nor do they count it a loss, but a commerce of living, when they seek much company, and desire a certain protection in the solace of more frequent society. You alone, O man, exclude your partner: you enclose wild beasts, you build dwellings for beasts, you destroy those of men." And chapter VI: "The rich the Gentiles call the ruler of the underworld, the arbiter of death. They call him rich and wealthy, because the rich man knows how to bring nothing but death, to whom belongs the kingdom of the dead, to whom the seat of hell belongs. For what is the rich man but a certain insatiable gulf of riches? an insatiable hunger for gold? the more he has drawn in, the more he burns with desire." And chapter XII: "For every one who abounds judges himself poorer, because he thinks himself lacking in whatever others possess. He needs the whole world, whose desires the world cannot contain; but for him who is faithful, the whole world is riches." Moreover even the pagan Seneca, epistle 90: Once, he says, according to Virgil, in the first Georgic: No farmers subdued the fields, Nor was it permitted even to mark or divide the plain with a boundary: they sought in common, and the earth itself bore all things more freely, with no one asking. But now, he says, "greed has rushed in upon things excellently established; and while it desires to seduce something and turn it to its own use, it has made all things alien; and things being reduced to narrowness, it has brought in poverty, and by coveting much it has lost all. Though you join field to field, no extension of boundaries will bring us back to where we departed: we shall have much, we had the universe."
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9. In mine ears are these things, — that is to say, I hear your clamorous disputes, frauds, robberies, oppressions of the poor, and in turn their lamentations and cries; nor do I turn deaf ears to them, but open ones; so that they may stir up my vengeance, and it may leap forth upon you in fury. UNLESS MANY HOUSES SHALL BE DESOLATE. — "Unless" among the Hebrews is a word of execratory oath, in which by aposiopesis one must understand: "Otherwise may I not be God or truthful;" just as the Latins say: "May I perish unless I do this;" but the Hebrews, for the sake of euphemism, as if for good omen, pass over in silence that imprecation, which is so great and so dreadful, that not even the one swearing dares to express it out of reverence for the divine Majesty, that is to say, I swear by my divinity and truthfulness, that the houses and fields of yours, which you have accumulated so eagerly and greedily without measure and limit, I will cut down and reduce to desolation and barrenness, so that from ten acres of vineyards you will gather so few grapes, that from them you will be able to press out only one jug of wine, and from a plentiful sowing of thirty measures you will scarcely gather three measures, that is, the tenth part of the seed, in the harvest: this is the fitting reward of avarice, namely sterility and poverty, which undoubtedly befell the Jews, especially in wars, siege and destruction by the Romans. Morally, learn here how vain and pernicious are riches and possessions, if anyone heaps them up greedily and fixes his hope and heart upon them. The ancients teach the same thing. First, David, Psalm XLVIII, from verse 7 to the end: "Be not afraid, he says, when a man shall be made rich; for when he shall die, he shall take nothing away: nor shall his glory descend with him;" and Psalm LXI, 10 and 11: "But surely in vain are the sons of men deceitful in the balances, that by fraud they may deceive. Hope not in iniquity, and covet not robberies; if riches abound, set not your heart upon them." Secondly, Solomon, Ecclesiastes V, 9, 10, 14: "He that loveth money shall not be satisfied with money; and this therefore is vanity. Where there are great riches, there are also many to eat them. And what doth it profit the owner, but that he seeth the riches with his eyes. As he came forth naked from his mother's womb, so shall he return, and shall carry nothing away with him of his labour;" and Wisdom V: "What hath pride profited us? or what advantage hath the boasting of riches brought us? All those things are passed away like a shadow," etc. Thirdly, Christ, Matthew chapter VI, verse 19 and following: "Lay not up to yourselves treasures on earth, where the rust and moth consume, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up to yourselves treasures in heaven, etc. No man can serve two masters, God and mammon." The same, Matthew XIX, 24: "It is easier, he says, for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven." See also the story of the rich man and Lazarus, Luke XVI. Fourthly, St. Paul, I Timothy VI, 6 and following: "Now godliness is great gain, to such as are content with necessity. For we brought nothing into this world, and certainly we can carry nothing out. But having food, and wherewith to be covered, with these let us be content. For they that will become rich, fall into temptation, and into the snare of the devil, etc. For the love of money is the root of all evils;" and verse 17: "Charge the rich of this world not to be high-minded, nor to trust in the uncertainty of riches, but in the living God," etc. Fifthly, St. James, chapter I, verse 9: "Let the brother of low condition glory in his exaltation; and the rich in his humiliation, because as the flower of the grass shall he pass away," etc.; and chapter V, verse 1: "Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl in your miseries, which shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. You have heaped up treasure for yourselves in the last days," etc. Sixthly, St. Cyprian, On the Discipline and Habit of Virgins: "Let them know, he says, first, that she is rich who is rich toward God. Earthly things, and received in the world, and remaining here with the world, ought to be so despised as the world itself is despised, whose pomps and delights we have already then renounced, when we came to God by a better passage." And further: "Let the poor feel you to be rich, lend your patrimony to God, feed Christ, prepare for yourself heavenly possessions. A great patrimony is a temptation, unless it be spent for good uses: for the richer anyone is, the more he ought to redeem rather than increase his sins." The same elsewhere: "Why, he says, do we think of tomorrow, and seek to live long in the world, we who ask that the kingdom of God come speedily?" Seventh, St. Basil, sermon On Riches: "The nature of riches, he says, is fleeting, passing more swiftly than a torrent those who possess them; and one is accustomed to pass by another: you are merely their steward." Eighth, St. Gregory Nazianzen, oration 16, calls the riches of the impious a pledge of calamity, teachers of vices, idols, instruments of perdition: he calls the desire for these riches a most foul and deadly thing. The same: "Would that, he says, riches perish, unless they come to the aid of the poor! For what is the use of storing up much for thieves and robbers and changes of time, which transfer it to others?" Ninth, St. John Chrysostom in Anthony's Melissa, sermon 131 On the Rich: "The poor man, he says, does not so much desire necessities as the rich man desires superfluities: nor again does the poor man have so great a power or faculty for practicing wickedness as the rich man; the life of the rich is dangerous and unmanageable in its changes: they have nothing from these riches except constant cares, anxieties, angers, disturbances; for the rich man does not fill many bellies, the poor man only one; but one here and one there: yet this one without fear and anxiety; that one trembling and fearing adversities." St. John Chrysostom wrote homilies on avarice, beneficence, charity, love, riches, almsgiving, mercy; from which gather these axioms: "Riches are not a sin, but it is a sin not to distribute them to the poor and to use them badly. They are not a monument of glory, but of avarice; they are heavy chains and cruel tyrants to those who use them badly; they are also savage beasts, helpers of corruption, enemies of continence, foes of temperance, hidden plunderers of virtues, like wild beasts and fugitive slaves; they have never made good morals; they are hidden like beasts shut up; they conceal vipers and scorpions; they have many waves and disturbances; they are a reproach to those who have them; they are not with him who possesses them; they suffocate the mind; they are dangerous and deadly to their masters; while they are shut up, they roar more fiercely than lions and disturb everything; they make men mad, cast them into temptations, bring forth insults to God; they are the parents of all absurdity, they are unstable, fleeting, deceptive, murderous, shameful. Riches are not a good, but our will is; they are wild beasts; if we restrain ourselves, they flee; if we scatter them, they remain: scatter therefore, that they may remain; do not hide and bury them, lest they flee. Then at last they are ours, when they are given to the poor. They are good, to which sin is not joined. Those who spend riches badly are worse than the avaricious. The greatest riches are not to need riches. The desire for riches is the citadel and metropolis of all vices; it does not allow good works to be done; it is a tyrant spread throughout the whole world; it is the offspring of Satan; whoever gathers them places his hope with sin on earth; they puff up and bestow the power of harming. Riches receive the torments of hell; they should not be left to sons, so that they leave virtue themselves; those who die in riches are to be wept for, because they procured for themselves no consolation from riches." Tenth, St. Augustine, sermon 13 On the Words of the Lord: "What kind, he says, are riches, on account of which you fear your slave lest he kill you, take them away and flee? If they were true riches, they would provide you security; those therefore are true riches which, when we have them, we cannot lose." And sermon 33: "Love, he says, of temporal things is the source of spiritual punishments." The same, book I On the City of God, chapter X: "Paulinus, he says, Bishop of Nola, from being a very wealthy rich man became by choice very poor, when he was held by the Barbarians, he prayed: Lord, do not torture me on account of gold and silver; for you know where all my possessions are." Eleventh, St. Ambrose, book VIII on Luke: "Riches, he says, are as impediments to the wicked, so are they aids to virtue for the good." The same, treatise On Nebuchadnezzar: "Nature does not know the rich, which generates all poor and brings them forth naked into the light... and receives them naked in the tomb." The same in the Hexameron: "There is, he says, no distinction between the corpses of the dead, except that the bodies of the rich swollen with luxury stink more heavily." Twelfth, St. Jerome, epistle 69: "Every, he says, rich man is either wicked or the heir of the wicked." The same in Matthew VI: "He who is a slave of riches guards them as a slave; but he who has cast off the yoke of slavery distributes them as a master." The same to Paulinus: "Crates, he says, the Theban, very wealthy, when he went to Athens to pursue philosophy, threw away a great weight of gold, nor did he think he could possess both virtue and riches at the same time: we, laden with gold, follow poor Christ," etc. So also Diogenes. "Nobility, he says, glory, riches, malice are veils." Thirteenth, St. Gregory, homily 15 on Luke chapter VIII: "True riches alone," he says, "are those which make us rich in virtues. If therefore, brethren, you desire to be rich, love true riches: if you seek the summit of true honor, strive toward the heavenly kingdom: if you love the glory of dignities, hasten to be enrolled in that supernal court of Angels." The same, book XVIII of the Morals, chapter IX: "The rich man," he says, "when he shall sleep, shall take nothing with him; he carries away his possessions with him when he dies, who has bestowed them on the petitioner; for all earthly things, which we lose by keeping, we preserve by giving away; and our patrimony retained is lost, remains when distributed; for we cannot long endure with our possessions: because we either abandon them, or they abandon us while living, as it were, by perishing. We must therefore act so that things absolutely perishable we compel to pass into imperishable reward." See what follows, where he compares riches to sleep, after which rich and proud men are driven by the devil into the fires of torments. Fourteenth, St. Bernard, On Conversion to Clerics, chapter XII: "The love of riches," he says, "torments the soul with longer and greater desire than it refreshes by its use, inasmuch as their acquisition is found to be full of labor, their possession of fear, their loss of pain." Why therefore do you covet those things which loved defile, possessed burden, lost torture? And chapter XIV: "Fool, this night they will demand your soul from you; and the things you have prepared, whose shall they be?" The same, sermon 4 On the Advent: "Sons of Adam, avaricious race, what have you to do with earthly riches, which are neither true nor yours? gold and silver are truly red and white earth, which the error of men alone makes, or rather esteems precious. Finally, if they are yours, take them with you." And in the book On Consideration: "Gold, silver, etc., are neither good nor evil: the good use of these is good, the abuse evil, the anxiety worse, the gain most shameful." Finally, the wisest of mortal kings, Solomon, makes this vow to God: "Give me neither beggary nor riches; give me only what is necessary for my food." And he adds the reason: "Lest perhaps being satisfied I should be drawn to deny, and say: Who is the Lord? or being compelled by poverty I should steal, and perjure the name of my God," Proverbs XXX, 8. There had been brought to the Emperor Sigismund from Hungary forty thousand gold coins, and when at the approach of night he anxiously pondered into what use he should convert them, he quickly summons through his chamberlains all his counselors and military commanders to him: "Behold," he says, "these most cruel enemies and executioners" (showing the coins) "have robbed me of sleep; take them and divide them among yourselves, so that I may be permitted to sleep peacefully." The money having been distributed among them, when the men departed from the council, he said: "Now that torturer departs from me, who has scourged me; now I shall rest more securely." Aeneas Sylvius relates this, book IV of the Commentary on Alphonsus. The poet Anacreon, when he had received five talents of gold from the king, could not sleep at night, for anxious thought and care tormented him, in what matter he should spend it, and lest thieves should steal it: wherefore at dawn he returns to the king and returns the gold, saying that he preferred to be poor with peace than wealthy with anxiety.
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11. WOE TO YOU WHO RISE UP IN THE MORNING TO FOLLOW DRUNKENNESS. — The second is this wild grape of the vineyard, that is of the Jews, namely drunkenness, and that unseasonable, to wit in the morning. For, as the Apostle says, I Thessalonians V: "Those who are drunk are drunk in the night." THAT YOU MAY BE INFLAMED WITH WINE. — The Seventy translate: wine indeed will kindle or burn them, namely both by the flames and vapours of spirits, and by the flames and burning of affections. For as St. Basil explains this passage, in his homily On Drunkenness: "The heat of wine poured into the body becomes a burning of the fiery bonds of the enemy; for it depresses reason and mind, and stirs up pleasures and other evil affections of the soul, like a swarm of bees. What chariot of unbroken horses is so precipitously borne, throwing off its master? What ship so deprived of a helmsman, so tossed and shaken by waves, that it is not safer than a drunkard?" And further down: "Drunkenness is a voluntary demon, brought into souls through pleasure, the mother of malice, the enemy of virtue." I shall say more about drunkenness at Daniel, chapter V, 2. Moreover see concerning it St. Chrysostom, homily 71 to the People, and St. Ambrose, book On Elijah and Fasting, chapter XV. Hence the Greek Poets called wine "Bacchus fire-born," both because near Vesuvius and Aetna, mountains most noted for fires, excellent and burning, as it were fiery wine is born; and because it kindles the fires of quarrels, lusts and all crimes, so that it appears as it were fiery and born from fire. Alexander the Great obscured all his virtues by wine-drinking: for inflamed by it he killed his friends. If he had listened to Androcides the wise man, he would have been the greatest of kings. For he himself wrote to Alexander: "When you drink wine, O king, remember that you drink the blood of the earth. Hemlock is poison to man, hemlock is wine." Secondly, it will kindle, because wine, which they drank immoderately, will be a torch and naphtha of the fire of Gehenna, by which they will someday be consumed. Pythagoras truly said, "First luxury enters cities, then satiety, then insult, finally destruction." Wherefore Bacchus himself fixed three bowls for the banquet, of which the third he said was of Jupiter the Saviour. Hear him speaking thus in Eubulus: I mix only three bowls for the wise; One of health, the second of love, the third of pleasure; Those who know how to drink go home after draining it. For the fourth is no longer my bowl, But of insult. Like this one, Clamour. This is followed by the fury of carousing. Thus the seventh has wounds, the eighth the forum, The ninth the stomach. But the tenth is of madness.
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12. HARP. — Note: Both the Hebrews and Gentiles as well as Christians formerly employed music at banquets to cheer the guests, as I said at Ephesians V, 19. AND YOU REGARD NOT THE WORKS OF THE LORD. — "The work of the Lord" is twofold. First of creation, as if to say: You given over to drunkenness do not regard the heaven, the earth, and the things created in them, so that from them you might know and praise God the Creator. For this reason God gave man an exalted countenance before beasts, which look prone to the earth, so that he might gaze upon heaven and its Ruler, love and worship Him, as if to say: You cast down that exalted spirit to food and drunkenness, so that like beasts, which go forth in the morning to pasture and devour all day long, you drink from morning to evening, and have no time to spend on contemplating the works of God. Rightly Claudian, book III On the Rape: What profit is it that the mind has been drawn to the pole, that the head has been raised on high, if like beasts they wander through pathless ways? The works therefore of God are creatures, which lead us to the Creator, as streams to the fountain. Whence Trismegistus said, "the world is a mirror of invisible things." And Anaxagoras said "he was born to see the sun," and from so admirable a star to contemplate its admirable Maker. "For the heavens declare the glory of God." And "The invisible things of God from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made; his eternal power also and divinity," Romans I. But especially does "the work of the Lord" call the provident and beneficent governance of God, by which both animals and men, especially the Jews in Chanaan, he fed yearly with harvest and fruits, as it were by a new work of creation each year; which therefore he wished to be recalled at table, so that from them they might know God the giver and give him thanks: "When thou hast eaten," he says, "and art full, thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the excellent land which he hath given thee," Deuteronomy VIII, 10. But the Jews here, cast down to food and belly and forgetful of God, abused his creatures against God's will for their own gluttony and excess. Whence, inculcating and explaining, he adds: "And the works of his hands you consider not." Secondly, "the work of God" is the work of redemption through Christ, of which Habakkuk III, 2, according to the Septuagint: "I considered thy works, and was afraid," as if to say: You, O Jews! O drunkards! do not consider the mystery of the redemption of Christ, the blood poured out for you, Christ suffering on the cross, thirsting, given vinegar and gall to drink. The former sense is more genuine. Thirdly, not badly do Forerius and Sanchez understand "this work of God," not past, nor present, but future, namely the vengeance of God impending upon them. For thus "work" is taken, verse 19, as if to say: You indulge in the harp, the timbrel and wine; and do not consider how great a destruction the angry God has in store for you.
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13. THEREFORE MY PEOPLE ARE LED AWAY CAPTIVE. — Note that here and in what follows, the past tense is used for the future on account of the certainty of prophecy; for those things which he predicts are as certain to come to pass as if they had already happened: "are led away," therefore, that is, shall be led away; "have perished," that is, shall perish; "has withered," that is, shall wither; "has enlarged," that is, shall enlarge; "has opened," that is, shall open. See Canon XIII. BECAUSE THEY HAD NO KNOWLEDGE. — Because serving their belly, they did not regard the work of the Lord, of which verse 12 speaks, as if they knew not that they were created for heavenly and eternal, not for carnal and perishable food. Whence the Septuagint translates it, because they themselves knew not the Lord who fed and nourished them, but cast into food they enslaved themselves to their own gluttony; nor did they acknowledge God their creator and so munificent a giver. AND HIS NOBLES HAVE PERISHED WITH HUNGER. — So great was the famine in Jerusalem besieged by Titus, that mothers cooked and ate their sons, as Josephus testifies. In Hebrew they have, and the glory of his men of hunger, that is, the men of his glory, that is, the glorious, men of hunger, as if to say: Those whom glory once celebrated, famine now makes celebrated.
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14. THEREFORE HELL HAS ENLARGED ITS SOUL, — that is, its bosom and capacity; or "its soul," that is, itself (see Canon XIX), as if to say: For this reason hell has enlarged itself immensely, so that it might absorb countless multitudes. It is a hyperbole and personification, by which hell is given a soul, a mouth, greed and voraciousness for devouring: just as a hungry and gluttonous man sitting at a sumptuous table enlarges his throat and the gape of his mouth: so by the Poets Orcus is called rapacious and voracious, and to the three-throated Cerberus are given gaping mouths, and Solomon, Proverbs XXX, 16, calls hell insatiable, for Hell opens its hollow throat insatiably. Secondly, Sanchez: "Hell has enlarged its soul," that is, its mouth: for the soul, that is, the spirit or breath, is enlarged, when the mouth is opened most widely, so that the latter hemistich is an explanation of the former in the Hebrew manner, as if to say: The greedy, the powerful and the rapacious gape after the wealth of the poor without end or limit, and devour them, as if they were hell, and "the graves of the poor," says St. Ambrose. The greedy therefore deservedly and fittingly have another hell prepared for them, which likewise with open mouth always gapes, and enlarges itself immensely, and devours them most greedily. They wish to be insatiable beasts: therefore I shall open to them the insatiable hell's (as if of a most voracious beast) belly and throat, and deliver them to it as food. Thirdly, the same Sanchez understands by hell the common grave of the Jews, which was in the valley of Cedron, in that part which is called Gehenna or Topheth, as is clear from IV Kings chapter XXIII, 6, as if to say: So great shall be the slaughter of the nobles of the Jews as well as of the common people, so great a multitude of corpses, that that common grave of the Jews, namely Gehenna, shall not be able to contain it, but must enlarge itself most widely: thus also Jeremiah, chapter VII, verse 31, predicts that the Jews shall be buried in Topheth, because they sacrificed their infants there to the idol Moloch. But the two former senses are more genuine. Tropologically, this is easily adapted with St. Jerome to sinners, who have no knowledge of God, as if they were born for their belly, not for God: these are foolish, because bound by the cords of their sins, they are dragged captive to gaping hell, and since their number is great, hell enlarges its mouth and soul without limit to absorb them.
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15. AND MAN SHALL BE BOWED DOWN, AND THE MAN SHALL BE HUMBLED. — Haymo notes that when man is joined with man, by man the common people are signified, by the man the nobles and chief men, as if to say: All alike, both nobles and ignoble, without distinction shall be punished and humbled, and shall descend into hell: and thus God the just avenger shall be praised by all, "and shall be exalted in this his judgment" and just vengeance; and "shall be sanctified," that is, shall be declared holy, and shall be celebrated by all as holy, "in this his justice."
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17. AND THE LAMBS SHALL FEED ACCORDING TO THEIR ORDER, AND THE DESERTS TURNED INTO ABUNDANCE THE STRANGERS SHALL EAT, — that is to say, "Lambs," that is the poor and meek formerly oppressed by the more powerful, now that these have been slain or captured, shall feed abundantly. For Nabuzardan left of the poor of the land vine-dressers and husbandmen, IV Kings XXV: and the possessions deserted by their masters, now bearing a fertile harvest, shall come into the hands of strangers, namely the Chaldeans, or the Romans. Thus Sanchez. Secondly, St. Thomas thus expounds it: "The lambs shall feed," that is shall be eaten by your enemies, "according to their order," because the better ones shall be eaten first. But feed here is the same as shall eat, not shall be eaten, as is evident from the Hebrew רעה raa. But thirdly note: For according to their order, in Hebrew it is כדברם kedaberam, which St. Jerome, Micah cap. II, vers. 12, translates, in the midst of folds; Pagninus and Vatablus, according to their custom. Now by lambs and strangers, he understands the just and innocent from among the Gentiles, reborn in Christ through baptism, whom St. Peter calls "newborn babes;"; but deserts he calls the pastures of the Church, namely the pastures of faith, of the Gospel, of the Sacraments, and of the heavenly charisms promised to Abraham and his descendants the Jews, all of which the Jews themselves abandoned, and the Gentiles occupied, that is to say: When the Jews, having no knowledge of God and Christ, slain by Titus shall descend into hell, then Christian Gentiles as strangers, and as new lambs, shall feed in the most abundant pastures of spiritual Jerusalem and Sion, that is of the Church, and shall enjoy those magnificent promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, from which the Jews have been cut off on account of their impiety. Otherwise the Septuagint translates it, namely, The plundered shall feed as bulls, and the deserts of those who are captive, the lambs shall eat. Which Sanchez thus explains, as if to say: Those mighty plunderers of the poor, who plundered, that is who are to be plundered by enemies, as bulls and destined to be slain, shall feed, and shall be as if fattened, while they grow fat on the wealth of others, so that when fattened they may be slaughtered: just as beasts destined for slaughter, the more they are fattened, the nearer they are to slaughter. And "lambs," that is the poor, vexed by them with violence and insult, shall use their, nay their own, possessions, as if restored to them by postliminium. Otherwise the Septuagint is explained by H. Pintus: "Christians," he says, "who in innocence are lambs, in fortitude of spirit are bulls, especially Martyrs, who as bulls in circuses and theaters were harassed by tyrants even unto martyrdom; as here in Rome in the amphitheater St. Ignatius and very many thousands of Martyrs were harassed by beasts and slain." Otherwise also from the Hebrew Forerius translates it thus: the lambs shall feed according to their order, and droughts or swords shall devour the marrow of the ruminants, that is to say: The poor plundered by the powerful shall become rich; the powerful however, fattened and gross, shall be devoured by the sword and famine; and then shall appear both in the poor and in their oppressors, the just judgment of God, to whom he shall render to these just punishment, to those just reward.
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18. WOE TO YOU THAT DRAW INIQUITY WITH CORDS OF VANITY! — This is the third wild grape of obstinacy, or impenitence, as if to say: Woe to you in whom ambition, greed, drunkenness, lust, etc., have become deeply rooted, and by which you are bound as if by ropes, and have hardened your skin, so that, strengthened by long duration and habit, you cannot extricate yourselves from them! Just as oxen accustomed to the yoke continually draw the wagon, so the ambitious, the greedy, the drunken, etc., continually draw a long rope and the wagon of sins; for in order to obtain what they have set before themselves in their ambition or greed, they accumulate sins from one to another, and these for the sake of empty and most vain things, as St. Basil beautifully shows. Note here: He calls sin vanity, "because for those committing sin it is easily woven, and is so empty in itself and futile, like the webs of spiders; but when we wish to escape from it, we are bound by the most solid chains," says St. Jerome. Just as therefore the spider draws long threads from its own entrails and weaves a useless web, by which, once thickened, it entangles itself as if by a rope and net: so the sinner disembowels himself in vain labors and cares, and in these expends and exhausts his strength, spirit, vigor and blood, so as to satisfy his pleasure; and finally entangles himself in them so that he appears as if bound by a snare and ropes, as the Wise Man says, Prov. V, 22. Sins therefore are ropes, first, because they are made from threads, that is, from things and pleasures most vain and light; secondly, because they are twisted, like ropes; thirdly, because they are strong, like ropes; fourthly, because they are connected and entangled with one another, like ropes. Samson represented this, who, yielding to his Delilah and revealing to her his secret, namely that his strength was in his hair, was shorn by her and thereby weakened and unwarlike, bound by the Philistines with ropes and blinded. For what is Delilah but concupiscence? What are the Philistines but the impulses of the soul? When therefore a man gives himself over to concupiscence, immediately the devil, the world and the flesh pluck out the eyes of his soul and bind him with the chains of sins. If the sinner wishes to be freed from these chains, let him be contrite and confess, and let him hear the priest saying: "I absolve you from all your sins," as Christ commands, John XX, 23. Secondly, St. Cyril and Sanchez by "iniquity" and sin metonymically understand the punishment and torment of sin, as if to say: Woe to sinners, because they drag after themselves the punishment of their sins, like wagon-ropes, by which, like oxen, they are bound so that they cannot break them! Thus it is said in Lam. I, 14: "The yoke of my iniquities hath watched over me; they are folded together in his hand, and laid upon my neck." This sense is fitting and connected with the former; for punishment is the inseparable companion of guilt: hence sinners are bound by the same ropes of guilt and of punishment. AND AS IT WERE THE ROPE OF A WAGON SIN. — Just as a wagon is drawn by oxen by a rope or strap, so you draw sin, which like a wagon laden and most heavy sinks the soul into hell. Similar is Psalm XXVII, 5, and Zach. V, verse 7, where there is a beautiful emblem and hieroglyphic of iniquity, which is proposed like a woman enclosed in an amphora, and cannot escape, because the mouth of the amphora is closed by a talent of lead: captive therefore it is dragged to Babylon. Hence the Chaldean here translates: woe to those who begin sins gradually and increase them so that they grow and become strong like a wagon-rope! The Syriac: woe to those who drag out their sins like a long rope, and like the rope of a chariot their sin! The Arabic of Antioch: woe to those who multiply their sins and prolong them (or continue and extend them at length), like a long rope, and revolve their sins in a circle, as a wheel goes round! The Arabic of Alexandria: woe to those whom their sins follow like a long rope, and iniquities like the passage of chariots. Tropologically, three kinds of men are here reproved: first, those who strive to cover one sin by another of a different kind: for example, there is a wicked Religious, he has sinned; he denies the sin, a lie is added; he rejects correction, contumacy comes; he is sought for prison, he flees, behold apostasy; he is excommunicated, he becomes a Minister of the Calvinists; behold heresy. Thus St. Augustine, tract. 10 in John. Secondly, those who, in order to accomplish one great thing which they have set before themselves, first employ many other things as means; as he who has proposed to become rich lies, slanders, practices usury, steals: he who thinks to corrupt a virgin adorns himself excessively, employs music, banquets, dances, sends little letters, procuresses and go-betweens, often even descends to magic. Thus St. Basil. Third, those who, as St. Gregory says, in book XXXIII of the Morals, chapter XII, by increase prolong guilt, that is, they augment it by continuation and extension of the same sin, for example drunkenness, lust, usury, etc.; for by habit a disposition is formed, and it is, as it were, turned into nature. For just as a twig can easily be pulled out; but if it is allowed to grow, it becomes a vast and sturdy tree, which can scarcely be cut down with an axe: so also sin and its concupiscence at first is like a thread; but if it is indulged, it grows thick like a strap or rope. Thus Basil. Rightly therefore the Poet: Resist beginnings: medicine is prepared too late, When evils have grown strong through long delays. Thus Delrio, adage 693. How powerful these bonds of evil habit were, namely concubinage, in St. Augustine before his conversion, he himself teaches, book VIII of the Confessions, chapter V: "I sighed," he says, "bound not by iron of another, but by my iron will. My will held me captive, and from it he had made a chain for me, and bound me fast. For from a perverted will lust was made, and when lust is served, habit was made; and when habit is not resisted, necessity was made. By these, as it were, by certain links joined to themselves (whence I called it a chain), hard servitude held me bound." See the words of Jeremiah, chapter XIII, 22. Just as therefore an ox or horse, when first it is put to the chariot and tied, leaps, kicks back, and tries to shake off the yoke, and to remain free: but when it has submitted to the yoke, and has become accustomed to it, it willingly submits to it, indeed from habit it goes to it, as soon as it is released from the manger, even if in that very thing it must sweat and groan: so man at first shrinks from the burden of sin; but when he has become accustomed to it, he willingly submits to it, and as it were laughing in his pain and groaning, he hastens to it from habit. Hear the same St. Augustine, in Psalm CXXX: "Most rightly," he says, "is it called a rope of sinners; for just as a rope is twisted for torture, and straight threads are not added, but twisted ones: depravity connected to itself is drawn out at length, and does not think to cut what it has woven badly; but to add, to draw out at length, to extend, so that it may have at the end wherewith to bind his hands and feet, and cast him into outer darkness." The same in Psalm LI, citing this passage of Isaiah: "Woe," he says, "to those who draw their sin like a long rope! what is it other than, woe to those whose hands connect iniquity? but you do not wish now to break your bonds, because you do not feel your bonds; indeed they delight you, and are a pleasure to you; you will feel it in the end when it shall be said: Bind his hands and feet," etc. The same again elsewhere: "In the manner," he says, "of a rope, which from many tiny threads grows into much (into something great), sins are always, as it were, drawn along by a long rope, so that namely they may grow strong into a thick rope of a wagon:" by which namely sinners are firmly bound to the wagon of punishments and torments, so that when the chariot rushes headlong into perpetual damnation, they are dragged along, not otherwise than beasts of burden tied fast. Often indeed in avenging vices cruelty is practiced, and is thought to be justice; and immoderate anger of zealous justice is believed to be merit; similarly the outpouring of mercy; stinginess, frugality; stubbornness, constancy is reckoned. Such are, says Blessed Maximus, sermon On Evils, flatterers, who call a buffoon gracious; one speaking obscenities, civil; an angry man, vigorous; a stingy man, prudent; a spendthrift, generous. Such praisers indeed pray well for them with their mouth, but curse them with their heart: for by this praise they bring every curse upon their life; indeed they make them liable to eternal damnation, approving the very vices.
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19. Who say: Let him make haste, and let his work come quickly, that we may see it. — This is the voice of Jews mocking the words of the Prophet; for they say: Let the wrath, punishment, and captivity of God come, which you, O Isaiah, and you Prophets, threaten, and constantly thunder at us, as if inevitable, and sanctioned by God's eternal decree, and imposed upon our necks, as if to say: You cast these things about in vain, your threats are empty, we are not moved by them; we are sufficiently equipped and armed against them, and against all enemies; let Titus come, he will experience our strength, he will see how fortified and impregnable Jerusalem is. Thus the impious, indeed the atheists, think God to be idle, and not to care for human affairs: just as Epicurus established the supreme happiness of God in this, that he was free from all business. Hence they say: "Let him make haste, and let it come quickly;" because from the delay they conclude that God's threats are vain, which he does not execute immediately. Thus St. Peter, II Epistle III, 4, introduces the impious speaking, from the time the world was created, all things flow in the same manner and course, and therefore in vain after so many centuries is the day of divine judgment awaited.
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20. WOE TO YOU WHO CALL EVIL GOOD, AND GOOD EVIL! — Aquila translates: Woe to you who say to evil: You are good; and to good: You are evil! Behold, to this point comes the rope of sinners, of which verse 18 speaks, so that finally they say evil is good, and excuse their crimes, and say they are virtues; and they have learned this from their father the devil, concerning whom St. Gregory, homily 8 on that passage of Psalm C: In the morning I slew all the sinners of the earth: "Our enemy," he says, "conceals himself with distinct art, so that he feigns our faults to be virtues; so that from this each one, as it were, expects rewards, from which he is worthy to undergo eternal torments."
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21. WOE TO YOU WHO ARE WISE IN YOUR OWN EYES, — who govern yourselves by human and political counsel, not by the law and will of God, not by divine prudence and counsel; who attribute more to your judgment than to the Prophets, while you call good evil, and evil good! See St. Basil, Question 207.
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22. WOE TO YOU WHO ARE MIGHTY TO DRINK WINE (Woe to you gluttons, who are unfit, weak, inept and dull for all things! you are strong and wise only in wine), AND MEN STRONG TO MIX DRUNKENNESS. — In Hebrew, to mix, that is to pour out, strong drink, that is wine, beer, and whatever can intoxicate. Whence the ancient Greeks aptly translate strong drink, word for word, as μέθισμα, as well as the Latins as intoxication. For the ancients when sober are accustomed to mix wine with water; hence to mix signifies to serve, or to pour out. Thus Wisdom mixed wine, Proverbs IX, 2, as if to say: You are strong and vigorous not against enemies, but for draining cups: you are giants not for waging war, but for drinking. Secondly and properly, you are strong at mixing strong drink, that is various liquors and intoxicating drinks: for example, you mix various strong wines, which by themselves and on account of this mixture strike the brain more, disturb and intoxicate it. Similar is Psalm LXXIV, 9; Isaiah XXIX, 14. And this properly is Hebrew מסך mesech, whence the Latin misceo.
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24. THEREFORE, AS THE TONGUE OF FIRE DEVOURS THE STUBBLE, — that is the flame of fire, which has the appearance of a tongue: for it is red, and tends to sharpness; whence it is said to lick with a tongue, as if to say: The Romans will burn this vineyard luxuriating in vices and running wild, like dry stubble, so that scarcely any trace of it remains. One can see this today in the old city of Jerusalem, whose ruins scarcely exist: for Jerusalem which is now visited is a new city. SO THEIR ROOT SHALL BE AS ASHES, AND THEIR BLOSSOM SHALL GO UP AS DUST, — as if to say: Thus the whole plant, or tree with its root, and blossom and shoots, that is the whole people of the Jews with their families and lineages will perish with utter destruction, will vanish and go up in smoke. It is a hyperbole.
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25. THE MOUNTAINS WERE TROUBLED. — So horrible will be the destruction of the Jews by Titus, that even the mountains will seem to be troubled and amazed; and, if they were endowed with sense, they would in fact be troubled and tremble. It is a hyperbole. See Canon XXXII. Arias Montanus understands by "mountains" leaders and princes. AND THEIR CARCASSES BECAME AS DUNG, — as if to say: Their corpses rotted and stank like dung. Thus tropologically the brother of St. Bernard called a well-dressed woman "dung wrapped up," as is found in book I of his Life, chapter VI. For what is a beautiful body, except a sack of dung, a whitewashed sepulcher, a sheath and food of worms? YET HIS HAND IS STRETCHED OUT, — because God continues to punish the Jews day by day with exile and blindness; and, as Daniel says, chapter IX, verse 27: "Even to the end shall desolation persevere."
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26. And he will lift up an ensign, — as if to say: God himself, like a leader of war, will sound the trumpet, he himself will go before, he himself will cause a military standard to be raised among the nations afar off, so that he may call forth the Gauls, Spaniards, and other peoples to the Roman army, so that it may come hastily against the Jews: he will do, I say, these things in that manner and way which I have said in Canon LVI. The Jews, Lyra and Sanchez understand all these things of the destruction by the Chaldeans: but from what has been said it is clear that it concerns Titus and the Romans. AND HE SHALL HISS (as if to say, with the least sign, as if with a hiss he will call forth) TO HIM, — namely the army of the Romans, and Titus against the Jews. He alludes, says Cyril, to the hiss of beekeepers, who lead bees forth to flowers and pasture, and bring them back with a hiss. Whence chapter VII, verse 18: "He shall hiss," he says, "to the bee, which is in the land of Assur." Again he alludes to naval commanders: at their hiss the sailors are ready to carry out orders; as is seen in triremes. Finally, he alludes to shepherds, who in the spring are accustomed to lead flocks forth from folds to pastures with a hiss: that voice of the shepherd they hear, and obey it and follow, John X.
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27. THERE IS NONE FAILING, NOR LABORING IN HIM. — It is a vivid description, by which he graphically depicts the strength, swiftness, eagerness, fortitude and ferocity of the Roman army against the Jews.
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28. The hoofs of his horses are like flint, — because Judaea is rocky, and therefore not suited to cavalry excursion; hence he attributes to the hoofs of the Roman horses hardness like flint.
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30. And it shall sound, — with a great sound and with violent assault Titus shall rush upon him with the Romans, namely upon the people of the Jews.
Machine translation from the Latin, not reviewed.
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1. Hic arguit ergo peccatum duarum tribuum, quod committebant in abusu rerum sub quadam metaphora; et dividitur in duas partes. In prima ponitur metaphora; in secunda exponitur: Vinea enim Domini exercituum domus Israel est. Circa primum duo facit. Primo ponit titulum, dicens, Cantabo, idest, alte et aperte pronuntiabo: infra 40: «Exalta in fortitudine vocem tuam: » dilecto meo, idest populo Judaeorum, canticum patruelis mei, idest filii patrui, vineae suae, idest quod fecit de vinea sua. Aliquando enim prophetae ex istis rebus gestis assumunt similitudines ad suas prophetias, sicut patet Jer. 52, de venditione agri. «Ecce Hananael filius Sellum patruelis tuus venit ad te dicens: Eme tu agrum meum qui est in Anathoth, tibi enim competit ex propinquitate ut emas.» Ita etiam potuit contingere quod ad litteram aliquis patruelis suus composuerit simile carmen de vinea sua. Vel aliter. Cantabo canticum dilecto, scilicet Deo, idest opera ipsius ad vineam suam. Vel dilecto, scilicet Deo, canticum patruelis, idest de patruelo meo, scilicet populo Judaeorum, quia ex eisdem parentibus descendimus, vineae suae, idest quia patruelis est vinea dilecti Dei. Vel mystice, patruelis, idest Christi, qui ex eadem gente est meum, vineae suae, idest qui conqueritur de vinea sua idest synagoga; quae sibi amaros fructus in passione attulit. Et nota, quod canticum proprie exultationis est. Unde hic improprie canticum dicitur, cum sit moeroris. Tale canticum cantavit David de morte Saulis. 2 Reg. 1: «Inclyti tui, Israel, super montes tuos interfecti sunt.» Quomodo ceciderunt fortes Israel? ... Montes Gelboe, nec ros nec pluvia veniant super vos.» Ezech. 52: «Cane carmen lugubre.» Secundo ibi, Vinea facta est dilecto meo in cornu filio olei, ponit ipsum canticum, quod continet metaphoram: in quo tria ponuntur. Primo causa recitatio; secundo judicii interrogatio, ibi, Nunc ergo habitatores Jerusalem; tertio sententiae prolatio, ibi, Nunc ostendam vobis quid ego faciam vineae meae. Circa primum duo ponit. Primo ex parte conquerentis diligentiam cultus; secundo ex parte vineae malitiam fructus, ibi, Et expectavi ut faceret uvas, et fecit labruscas. Diligentia autem cultus ostenditur ex tribus. In locis praeparatione, in palmatum electione, Et plantavit; et in sumptuosa aedificatione, ibi, Et aedificavit turrim in medio ejus. Praeparatio loci primo describitur tripliciter. Primo quantum ad loci pinguedinem: unde dicit: Vinea, de qua Ps. 79: «Vineam de Aegypto transtulistis, ejecisti gentes, et plantasti eam: » facta est dilecto meo, idest Deo acquisitive, vel a Deo, in cornu, idest in loco eminenti, in quo notatur montuositas terrae ad constitutionem bonae vineae, propter hoc quod respicitur a sole, filio olei, idest adeo pingui quod sufficeret ad multitudinem olei. Proprietias hebraici sermonis est ut quilibet illius rei dicatur esse filius in quo abundat, sicut dicitur 1 Reg. 26: «Vivit Dominus, quod filii mortis estis.» Et in hoc designatur bonitas terrae, quia fuit Judaeis data; de qua Ezech. 20: «Levavi manum meam pro eis, ut educerem eos de terra Aegypti in terram quam provideram eis fluentem lacte et melle, quae est egregia inter omnes terras.»
• nes terras. • Secundo ponitur praeparationis diligentia quantum ad loci mutationem: unde dicit, Sepivit eam. Oseae 2: • Sepiam viam tuam spinis: in quo significatur custodia Angelorum, et bonorum virorum.
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Tertio quantum ad purgationem: Lapides elegit, idest diligenter collegit, ex ea. Psalm. 79: • Ejecisti gentes, et plantasti eam. • Quantum ad electionem palmitum dicitur: Et plantavit eam electam, idest ex electis palmitibus: unde alia translatio habet, Vinea soreth, quod est nobis lissimum genus vitis, in quo significatur bonitatis patrum. Jer. 2: • Ego te plantavi vineam electam, • omne semen verum. • Quantum ad sumptum aedificii, quod pertinet ad defensionem, dicit: Aedificavit in medio ejus turrim; in quo denotatur regia dignitas. Ezech. 16: • Decora facta es vehementer nimis, et profecisti in regnum. • Can. 4: • Turris David aedificata est cum propugnaculis. • Vel templum, secundum alios. Usus turris est ad conservationem fructus, et prospeciendum ad custodiam. Quantum ad fructus collectionem dicit: Torcular extruxit in ea. Prover. 9: • Implebuntur horrea tua saturitate, et vino torcularia redundabunt; in quo notatur altare hocalcustorum per effusionem sanguinis. Et expectavit ut faceret. Hic ponitur malitia fructus: unde dicit: Et expectavit, secundum ordinem beneficiorum, ut faceret uvas, fructum bonorum operum, et fecit labruscas, idest uvas sylvestres, ab hoc dictas, quia in labiis viarum nascentur, scilicet sepibus: in quo amaritudo vitiorum notatur.
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Jer. 2: • Quomodo conversa es mihi in pravum vinea aliena? • Mich. 7: • Qui optimus est in eis, quasi paliurus; et qui rectus, quasi spina de sepe. • Nunc ergo habitatores Jerusalem, et viri Juda, judicate inter me et vineam meam. Hic ponitur interrogatio judicii: et circa hoc duo facit. Primo interpellat judices, dicens: Ergo quia feci quod debui, nunc, audita ratione mea, judicate inter me et vineam meam. Oseae 2: • Judicate mater vestram, judicate: quoniam non ipsa uxor mea, et ego non vir ejus. • Simile judicium quaerebatur a David de se quasi de alio 2 Reg. 12, super peccato commisso ab eo, circa scilicet adulterium et homicidium Uriae Hethaei. Secundo quaerit judicium; et duobus quaerit. Primo utrum pecaverit ex negligentia; unde dicit: Quid ultra, super dicta, facere debui? Michaeae 6: • Popule meus, • quid feci tibi, aut quid molestus fui tibi?
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Responde mihi. • Secundo utrum pecaverit in cultura vineae ex superflua cura: unde dicit: An forte videor fecisse contra debitum quod expectavi, bene colendo, ut faceret uvas, et fecit labruscas? quasi dicat: In hoc videor potius superfluus quod vineae meae tantum culturam adhibui. Infra 26: Domine, indulsisti genti. Numquid glorificatus es? Et 48: Transgressorem ex ventre vocavi te propter nomen meum. Jer. 11: • Ad vocem loquelae, grandis exarsit ignis in ea, et combusta sunt fructa ejus. •
Nota super illo verbo, Vinea facta est dilerto, quod est vinea multiplex. Primo carnalis concupiscentiae. Deuteron. 32: • De vinea Sodomorum • vinum corum, et de suburbanis Gomorrhae. • Et hujus est primo vinum irae. Deuter. 52: • Fel
draconum vinum eorum, et venenum aspidum insanabile. • Secundo luxuriae. Apoc. 18: • De vino fornicationis ejus biberunt omnes gentes. • Tertio ineptae laetitiae. 3: Esdrae 5: • Omнем mentem vertit in securitatem et jucunditatem. • Secundo est vinea fidelis animae. Cant. 2: • Vinea floruit. • Hujus vineae est vinum primo poenitentiae. Luc. 10: • Appropians alligavit vulnera ejus, fundens vinum et oleum. • Secundo corporalis munditiae. Zach. 9: • Quid enim bonum ejus est, et quid pulchrum ejus, nisi frumentum electorum, et vinum germinans virgines? • Tertio spiritualis laetitiae. Psalm. 105: • Vinum laetificat cor hominis. • Tertia est vinea militantis Ecclesiae. Can. ult.: • Vinea fuit pacifico in ea quae habet populos. • Et hujus vineae et vinum primo sacrae ablutionis. Num. 15: • Et vinum ad liba fundenda ejusdem mensae. • Secundo fructuosae praedicationis. Psal. 4: • A fructu frumenti, vini et olei multiplicati sunt. • Tertio devotae confessionis. Can. 7: • Guttur tuum sicut vinum optimum. Quarto est vinea caelestis patriae. 5 Reg. 21: • Vinea erat Naboth Jezraelitae. • Et hujus vineae est vinum primo divinae fruitionis. Cant. 5: • Comedi favum cum melle meo, bibi vinum meum cum lacte meo. • Secundo interioris repletionis. Esther 1: • Vinum quoque, ut magnificentia regia dignum erat, abundans et praecipuum ponebatur. • Tertio sanctorum congratulationis. Cant. ult.: • Dabo tibi poculum ex vino condito. •
Et nunc ostendam vobis quid ego faciam vineae meae. Hic proferitur sententia: et primo excitat attentionem vel audientiam, dicens: Nunc, ex quo vultis sententiam proferre, ego ostendam vobis quid ego faciam vineae meae. Infra 48: Praedixi tibi ex tunc, antequam venirent, indicavi tibi; ne forte diceres: Idola mea fecerunt hoc, et sculptilia mea et conflabilia mandaverunt ista. Quae audisti vide omnia. Secundo profitet justam sententiam, ut ingratis auferat beneficium exhibitum, cum dicit, Auferam sapem ejus. Et primo auferit beneficium quod pertinet ad custodiam, quae est duplex. Angelorum: et quantum ad hoc dicit, Auferam sapem ejus, idest auxilia Angelorum, quibus contra hostes protegebantur, et erit in direptionem, gentibus.
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Eccl. 36: • Ubi non est sepes, ibi diripietur possessio. • Est etiam custodia praelatorum; et quantum ad hoc dicit, Diruam maceriam ejus, idest praesidia regni, de quibus supra 2: • Et incurvabitur omnis sublimitas hominum: • et erit in conculcationem, idest vilis facta. Psal. 79: • Destruxisti maceriam ejus. • Secundo auferit beneficium, quod pertinet ad cultum diligentiam: unde dicit: Et ponam eam desertam; idest, relinquam eam incultam sicut desertum. Non putabitur, admonitionis aut correctionis vomere, quando peccat, et non fodietur, ut auferantur ab eis occasiones-mali, sicut malae herbae; et ascendet super eam vegres et spinae, idest majora et minora peccata: vel vegres peccatorum, spinae tribulationum. Infra 7: Vegres enim et spinae erunt in universa terra.
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Tertio autem beneficium fertilitatis, contra quod ponit defectum pluviae: unde dicit: Et nubibus mandabo ne pluant: ad litteram, vel nubes praedicatores. Infra 60: Qui sunt isti qui ut nubes volant, et quasi columbae ad fenestras suas? Jer. 5: « Quamobrem prohibetiae sunt stellae pluviarum, » et serotinus imber non fuit. » Vinea enim Domini exercituum domus Israel est. Hic exponit metapthoram: et primo quantum ad vineam; secundo quantum ad vineae causam, ibi, Expectavi ut faceret judicium. Circa primum exponit vineam dicens, Vinea enim mea domus Israel est; vel iota, vel quantum ad decem tribus, quae dictae sunt Israel post separationem Regni propter multitudinem. Secundo quantum ad germen vel palmites, Viri Juda, idest duae tribus in quibus adhuc observabatur cultus Dei.
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Oseae 4: « Si fornicaris tu, Israel, non delinquat saltem Juda. » Vel quia ex ipsa Principes. 1 Paral. 5: « Porro « Judas qui erat fortissimus inter suos fratres, de « stirpe ejus Principes germinati sunt. » Expectavi ut faceret judicium. Hic exponit vineae causam, quae consistit in culpa, et poenam quae consequitur culpam: unde dividitur in partes tres. In prima ponitur culpa in generali; in secunda poena et culpa simul in speciali, ibi, Vae qui conjungitis domum ad domum, et agrum agro copulatis: in tertia, poena in generali, ibi, In his omnibus non non est aversus furor ejus; sed adhuc manus ejus extenta. Culpa in generali arguit quantum ad praclatos, quorum est facere judicium, in hoc quod dicit: Expectavi, secundum ordinem beneficiorum, ut faceret judicium, juste judicando; et ecce iniquitas, quasi inaequalitas judicii. Eccl. 5: « Vi- « di sub sole in loco judicii impietatem, et in « loco justitiae iniquitatem. » Secundo quantum ad subditos, quorum est tenere justitiam sibi praefixam a praclatis: Et justitiam, quae est per comparationem ad praecepta legis; et ecce clamor, tumultus rixantium, vel concussionis pauperum. Infra 22: « Quidnam tibi quoque est quia ascendent et tu omnis in tecta clamoris plena, urbs « frequens, civitas exultans? » Vae qui conjungitis domum domui. Hic ponit culpam eorum in abusu rerum in speciali, sequendo eas per partes. Et dividitur in duas partes. In prima arguit eos quantum ad ipsam culpam; in secunda quantum ad peccandi pertinaciam, ibi, Vae qui trahitis iniquitatem in funiculis vanitatis. Circa primum duo facit. Primo arguit eos quantum ad abusum possessionum, qui fit per avaritiam; in secunda quantum ad abusum ciborum, qui fit per gulam, ibi, Vae qui consurgitis mane ad ebrietatem sectandam. Circa primum tria ponuntur.
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Primo arguitur superflua possessionum multiplicatio: unde dicit: Vae qui conjungitis domum domui, et agrum agro copulatis, usque ad terminum loci; scilicet usque ad viam publicam. Oseae 5: « Facti sunt principes » pes Juda quasi assumentes terminum super eos. » Jerem. 22: « Vae qui aedificat domum suam in « injustitia, et coenacula sua non in judicio. Ami- « cum suum opprimet frustra, et mercedem ejus « non reddet ei. Qui dicit. Aedificabo mili domum « latam, et coenacula spatiosa. » Mich. 2: « Et « concupierunt agros, et violenter tulerrunt, et do- « mos rapuerunt, et calumniabantur virum et « domum ejus, virum et hereditatem ejus. » Secundo ponitur judicis interpellatio, Num-
quid habitabitis vos soli in medio terrae? quaella est et spatiosa, et data multis in possessionem. Gen. 1: « Crescite, et multiplicamini, et replete » terram. » Tertio ponitur poenae comminatio: et circa hoc duo ponuntur.
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Primo punientis auctoritas vel potestas: unde dicit: In auribus meis sunt haec verba, dicit Dominus exercituum, qui potest punire: quae dicam vobis, adhuc sunt sonantia in auribus meis, interioribus; in quo notatur verborum certitudo. Infra 50: Mane erigit mihi aurem, et audiam quasi magistrum. Dominus Deus aperuit mihi aurem: ego autem non contradico. Secundo ponitur poenae severitas, ibi, Nisi domus fuerint desertae, quantum ad custodiam, et absque habitatorz, quantum ad solitudinem domorum; quasi diceret: Non quiescet ira mea. Et est apopsiosis, quod est defectus orationis. Et ponit ea in quibus consistunt divitiae domorum: scilicet in multitudine: et quantum ad hoc dicit, Multae: in pulchritudine: et quantum ad hoc dicit, Pulchrae. in magnitudine, Grandes.
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Sophonia 1: « Et « erit fortitudo eorum in direptionem, et domus « eorum in desertum. » Secundo quantum ad sterilitatem vinearum dicit: Decem jugera vinearum ( juger habet in longitudine 120 pedes ) faciet lagunculam unam. Alia littera habet. Batum, quod est ejusdem capacitatis in liquidis, sicut ephi in aridis. Tertio quantum ad amissionem seminum: Et triginta modii sementis facient modios tres, quia minus colligetis quam seminastis. Aggaei 2: « Cum acce-leretis ad acervum modiorum vi- « ginti, et fierent decem. » Alii habent corum, vel ephi, quod est decima pars cori. Ezech. 43: « Ephi et batus erunt aequalia, et unius mensurae erunt, ut capiat decimam partem cori bautus, « et decimam partem cori ephi. »
2. Hic arguit eorum culpam quantum ad abusum ciborum: et primo arguit culpam; secundo comminatur poenam, ibi, Propterea captivus ductus est populus meus. Circa primum duo facit. Primo arguit in gulam quantum ad suas species; secundo quantum ad effectum, ibi, Et opus Domini non respicitis. Species autem gulæ sunt quae in hoc versu continentur: Praepropere, laute, nimis, ardenter, studiöse. Dicit ergo primo: Vae qui consurgitis mane, quantum ad praepropere. Eccle. 10: « Vae tibi, terra, cujus rex est puer, cujus « Principes mane comedunt. » Prov. 25: « Quan- « do evigilabo; et rursus vina reperiam? » Quantum ad ardenter dicit, Ad ebrietatem secundam.
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Quantum ad nimis dicit, Et potandum usque ad vesperam. Proverb. 25: « Cui vae, cujus patri vae, cui « rixae, cui foveae, cui fine causa vulnera, cui « suffossio oculorum? Nonne his qui commonrant in vino, et student calicibus epotandis? » Ut vino aestuetis, ad luxuriam, et ad omnia vitia. Quantum ad studiöse, dicit, Cithara et vinum, studiöse quaesitum: quia cum magno studio praeparant sibi delectationes in cibis. Quantum ad laute dicit, In conviviis, in quibus fiunt magni apparatus et electa cibaria. Amos 6: « Qui comeditis « agnum de grege, et vitulos de medio armenti; « qui canitis ad vocem psalterii: sicut David pu- « taverunt se habere vasa cantici, bibentes in « phialis vinum, et optimo unguento delibuti. »
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Effectus autem est inconsideratio: et quantum ad hoc dicit: Et opus Domini non respicitis, quod facere debetis; nec opera, quae ipse fecit. Proverb. 20: «Luxuriosa res vinum, et tumultuosa ebrietas.» Prophetica captivus ductus est populus meus. Hic ponit poenam respondentem; et primo quantum ad affectum voluntatis: unde dicit, Prophetica, sicut scientia eorum est captiva per ebrietatem, ita ipse captivabitur.
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Oseae 4: «Conticuit populus meus, eo quod non habuerint scientiam.» Sed videtur quod ignorantia non mereatur poenam, quia excusat culpam.
Et dicendum, quod ignorantia potest dicere tantum negationem scientiae; et sic nec poenam nec veniam meretur; sicut ignorantia geometriae in rusticis. Potest etiam dicere privationem scientiae, ita quod derelinquat debitam aptitudinem in subjecto; et sic constat quod nescire illa quae quis potest et tenetur scire, vitiosum est.
Secundo ponit poenam contra species gulæ; et sic ponit famem et sitim, quæ respondent ei quod est præpropteræ quantum ad causam: quia fames causatur ex hoc quod aliquis tardat nimis sumere cibum; ac si diceret: Vos nimis cito comedebatis; sed tantum tardabatis quod esuriretis. Iterum respondet illi speciei quæ est ardenter quantum ad genus suum: est enim fames desiderium cibi: unde dicit: Nobiles ejus, qui abundant in cibariis, interierunt in fame, et multitudo ejus siti exaruit. Et ponit sitim contra multitudinem vulgi, quæ ad minus aqua sitim extinguerе consuevit. Contra nobiles autem, qui abundant in cibariis, quandoque siti gravati, ponit famem. Thren. 4: «Melius fuit occisis gladio quam interfectis fame.»
Secundo contra aliam speciem quæ est nimis, ponit insatiabilitatem captivantium, inde captivitatem. Prophetica infernus dilatavit, idest mors vel diabolus, animam suam, quantum ad affectum, aperuit os, quantum ad effectum. Et loquitur more humano, quia infernus non habet animam. Proverb. 27: «Infernus et perditio nunquam replentur.» Vel infernus dicitur Nabuchodonosor.
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Habac. 2: «Qui dilatavit quasi infernus animam suam, et ipse quasi mors, et non adimpletur.» Tertio quantum ad studiosam ciborum præparationem, quæ contingit ex quadam elatione, ponit poenam humiliationis, ibi, Et descendent. Et ostendit eos humilhandos quantum ad tria. Primo quantum ad captivationem: unde dicit: Descendent, quasi humiliati, ad eum, scilicet infernum captivatis, fortes ejus, quantum ad potentes, et sublimes ejus, quantum ad divites, et aliis bonis eminentes, de quibus superbiunt, gloriosique, quantum ad nobiles et famosos. Jerem. 39: «Et omnes nobiles Juda occidunt rex Babylonis.
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Oculos quoque Sedeciae eruit, et vinxit eum in compedibus, ut duceretur in Babylonem.» Et infra eodem: «Et reliquias populi quæ remanserunt in civitate, et perfugas qui transfigerant ad eum, et superfluos vulgi qui remanserant transtulit Nabuzardan magister militum in Babylonem.» Secundo quantum ad captivorum depressionem: Et incureabit homo, in captivate existens, quantum ad sublimes, et humiliabitur vir, quantum ad potentes, et oculi sublimium, quantum ad gloriosos.
Deuter. 28: «In gentibus quoque illis non quiesces; non erit requies vestigio pedis tui.» Tertio quantum ad pœnientis Dei exaltationem.
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Et exaltabitur: altus apparebit qui prius despiciebatur in judicio, et Deus sanctus in se, sanctificabitur, idest sanctus apparebit. Supra 2, Exaltabitur autem solus Dominus in illa die.
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Quarto contra speciem quæ est laute, ponit devastationem bonorum ab hostibus: Et agni pascentur, idest comedentur ab hostibus vestris juxta ordinem suum, quia meliores prius quantum ad animalia; et quantum ad terræ nascentia, deserta, idest agros vestros avobis desertos, in ubertatem versa, idest factos magnis fertilis, advenæ comedent. Deut. 28: «Adducet te Dominus, et regem tuum quem constituisti super te, in gentem quam ignoras tu et patres tui.» Infra codem: «Advena qui versatur tecum in terra, ascendet super te, eritque sublimior.» Mystice: agni, idest sancti, doctrina Dei Patris reficientur juxta ordinem idest capacitatem suam; advenæ, gentes; et deserta a Judæis, sacras scilicet Scripturas, versa in ubertatem, spiritualis intelligentiæ. Væ qui trahitis iniquitatem in funiculis vanitatis. Hic arguit peccandi pertinaciam: et primo arguit culpam: secundo comminatur poenam, ibi, Propter hoc sicut devorans stipulam lingua ignis et calor flammæ exurit; sic radix eorum quasi favilla erit. Circa hoc duo facit. Primo arguit in generali; secundo explicat in speciali, ibi, Qui dicitis: Festinet, et cito veniat opus ejus. Dicit ergo primo: Væ qui trahitis, idest protrahitis iniquitatem in funiculis, idest vanis occasionibus; quibus ad peccata homo trahitur, dum per augmentum culpa protelatur.
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Proverb. 5: «Iniquitates suæ capiunt impiun, et funibus peccatorum suorum constringitur.» Et hoc dicitur quantum ad communia peccata; quantum autem ad gravia subdit: Et quasi vinculum plaustri peccatum, idest quo ligatur et trahitur plaustum, quod majus est. Et designat gravitatem peccati in plaustro. Infra 58: «Dissolve colligationes impietatis, solve fasciculos depriméntes.» Qui dicitis. Hic ostendit istas vanitates in speciali, ex quibus peccatum trahébant super se; et hoc quantum ad tria. Primo quantum ad contemptum judicii; secundo quantum ad excusationem peccati, ibi, Væ qui dicitis m’lum bonum, et bonum malum; tertio quantum ad præsumptionem peccandi, ibi, Væ qui sapientes estis in oculis vestris. Et hic est funiculus triplex, qui difficile rumpitur: Eccle. 4.
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Contemnebant autem judicis comminationem propter duo; scilicet propter sententiae dilationem: unde dicit: Festinet, et cito veniat opus captivitatis, quod comminaminí. Eccle. 8: «Etenim quia non profertur cito contra malos sententia, absque timore ullo filii hominum perperant mala.» Secundo propter judicis elongationem: unde dicit, Appropiet: quasi diceret: Ipse est in cælo, et non potest videre; sed fiat prope. Ezech. 9: «Dixerunt enim: Reliquit Dominus terram, et Dominus non videt.»
Nota super illo verbo, Et quasi vinculum plaustri peccatum, quod peccatum dicitur primo funiculus; et hoc quia trahit primo ad peccati exemplum. Prov. 7: «Statim eam sequitur, quasi bos ductus ad victimam, et ignorat quod ad vincula stultus trahatur.» Secundo ad peccandi usum. Jer. 2: « Onager assuetus in solitudine, in desiderio animae suae attraxit ventum ( scilicet ) amoris. » Tertio ad aeternae mortis interitum. Prover. 24: « Erue eos qui ducuntur ad mortem, et qui trahuntur ad interitum liberare ne cesses. » Secundo peccatum dicitur vanitas; et hoc quia deficit primo ab imitatione divinae veritatis. Sap. 13: « Vani sunt omnes homines in quibus non subest scientia Dei. » Secundo a consecutione operati finis. Eccl. 2: « Peccatori autem dedit afflictionem et curam superfluam; ut addat et congreget, et tradat ei qui placuit Deo. Sed haec vanitas, et cassa solicitududo mentis. » Tertio a longa duratione temporis. Eccli. 17: « Non est immortalis filius hominis, et in vanitatem malitiae place- runt. » Sap. 5: « Transierunt omnia illa tamquam umbra, et tamquam nuntius percurrers » Tertio peccatum dicitur vinculum: et hoc quia necit primo intellectum ne videat. Sapient. 17: « Dum enim persuasum habent iniqui posse domi- nari nationi sanctae, vinculis tenebrarum et longae noctis compediti, inclusi sub tectis, fugitivi perpetuae providentiae placeuerunt. Et dum putant se latere in obscuris peccatis, tenebroso oblivionis velamento dispersa sunt. » Secundo manum, ne bona faciant. Tertio pedes, ne proficiant. De his duobus Matth. 22: « Ligatis pedibus ejus et manibus, mittite eum in tenebras exteriores. » Quarto peccatum dicitur plaustum; et hoc quia opprimit primo servitutis onere. Jer. 16: « Et servietis ibi diis alienis die ac nocte, qui non dabunt vobis requiem. » Secundo cordis timore. Sap. 17: « Cum sit enim timida nequitia, data est in omnium condemnationem. » Tertio conscientiae inquietudine. Infra 37: Impium autem cor quasi mare fervens, quod quiescere non potest.
3.
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Hic ponitur vanitas quantum ad excusationem peccati; et primo quantum ad effectum, Malum bonum: Michaeae 7: « Malum manuum suarum dicunt bonum; » secundo quantum ad intellectum, Lucem tenebras, veritatem errorem: Joan. 3: « Dilexerunt homines magis tenebras quam lucem; » tertio quantum ad effectum, Amaram in dulce, vitam peccati dulcem existimantes.
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Sap. 14: « Et non suffecerat errasse eos circa Dei scientiam, sed in magno viventes inscientiae bello: tot et tam magna mala pacem appellarent. » Vae qui sapientes istis. Hic ponitur tertia vanitas quantum ad praesumptionem peccandi, quae est de tribus. Primo de sapientia cordis, et in speculativis, Qui sapientes: Prov. 5: « Ne sis sapiens apud te- metipsun: » et in practicis, Prudentes.
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Rom. 12: « Nolite esse prudentes apud vosmetipsos. » Secundo quantum ad poenam cordis, quantum ad peccandum: Qui potentes estis ad bibendum: jactant se, quod possunt multum bibere, et inebriari, propter consuetudinem terrae in qua bibitur vinum mixtum. Infra 41: Ad me insulae, et gentes fortitudinem mutant. Prov. 2: « Laetantur cum male fecerint, et exultant in rebus pessimis. » Tertio quantum ad auctoritatem, Qui justificatis, idest dicitis vos tantae auctoritatis quod pro libito vestro potestis justificare impium, ut quod vobis placuit, legis habeat vigorem. Infra 10: Vae qui condunt leges iniquas, et scribentes injustitias scripserunt.
Prov. 17: « Et qui justificat impium, et qui condemnat justum. » Michaeae 3: « Et si quis non dederit in ore eorum quippiam, sanctificant super eum praelium. » Propter hoc sicut devorat stipulam lingua ignis, et calor flammae exurit; sic radix eorum quasi favilla erit. Hic cominator poenam. Et primo poenam consumptiosis sub metaphora ignis, propter hoc quia iniquitatem trahitis ponentes vobis radicem in peccatis. Sicut flamma ignis exurit stipulam quam attingit, et calor flammae exurit illam quae distat: persecutio enim captos occidit, et alios afflixit: Deut. 52: « Foris vastabit eos gladius, et intus pavor: sic radix eorum quasi favilla, quantum ad ea in quibus confidebant, vel patres, vel cognati, et germen eorum, idest filii, ut pulvis ascendet; in quo notatur fortitudo ex causis illis proveniens.
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Mal. ult.: « Et erunt omnes superbi et omnes facientes impietatem stipula, et inflammabit eos. » Secundo ponit poenae processum et ordinem; et primo ponit poenae causam: unde dicit: Abjecerunt enim legem, corde contemnentes, et eloquium Sancti Israel blasphemaverunt, me irridentes. Jer. 52: « Non obedierunt voci tuae, et in lege tua non ambulaverunt. » Secundo punientis iram; ideo iratus est: ad modum processus irae in hominibus loquitur. Psal. 105: « Iratus est Dominus furore. » Tertio poenae inflictionem: Et extendit manum suae potentiae ad percutiendum, quam plicatam parcendo teneurat.
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Soph. 2: « Et extendet manum suam super aquilonem, et perdet Assur, et ponet speciosam in solitudinem. » Quarto, poenae effectum in interiectione majorem: Conturbati sunt montes, idest majores prae timore. Glossa: dicit quod loquitur hyperbolice.
Sed contra. Ergo excessit veritatem Prophetarum. Et dicendum. Quod in aliquibus Scripturis sumitur per excessum veritatis simpliciter, in sacra Scriptura pro excessu veritatis secundum opinionem hominum; quasi dicit: Conturbatio erit ultra quam credi possit. Vel aliter, Hyperbole est quidam tropus, et in tropicis locutionibus aliud dicitur, et aliud intelligitur. Unde non est falsitas quantum ad sensum quem intendit facere, sicut etiam in metaphora; quasi dicit: Ita magna erit conturbatio, quod montes, si esset possibile, conturbabuntur. Psalm. 43: « Conturbati sunt montes in fortitudine ejus. » Et quantum ad vilitatem corporum, Facta sunt morticina. Jer. 8: « Non colligentur nec sepelientur; in sterquilinium super faciem terrae erunt. » Idem 16: « Mortibus agrotationum morientur, et non plangentur, et non sepelientur; in sterquilinium super faciem terrae erunt. »
4. Hic ponit poenam communem, et ultimam, quantum ad captivitatem per Romanos: et circa hoc tria ponuntur. Primo exercitus praeparatio; secundo exercitus dispositio, ibi, Et ecce festinus veloci- tor reniet; tertio poenae inflictio, ibi, Et tenebit praedam et amplexabitur; et non erit qui eruat. Circa primum tria ponuntur. Primo congregantis indignatio, In omnibus his; quasi dicit: Sicut vos peccatis peccata additis, ita ipse poenis poenas adjungent. Infra 9: Vir fratri suo non parect, et declinabit ad dexteram, et esuriet; et conedet ad sinistram, et non salvabitur. Secundo vexilli erectio, Et levabit signum, idest vexillum. Jer. 4: « Levate signum in Sion, confortamini, et nolite stare: quia malum ego ad adduco ab aquilone, et contritionem magnam. » Tertio exercitus convocatio, Et sibilabit, idest inspirabit. Infra 7. Et erit in die illa sibilabit Dominus muscae quae est in extremo fluminum Aegypti, et api quae est in terra Assur; et venient, et requiescent omnes in torrentibus vallum. Et ad hoc quod magis terreat, ponit gentis extraneitatem et quantum ad cultum, In nationibus, ut sancta vestra non reverantur; et quantum ad linguam, Procul, ne verbis placeantur; et quantum ad mores, De finibus terrae, ne ab eis foederentur.
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Ecce festinus velociter veniet. Hic ponitur exercitus dispositio: et primo ostendit eos expeditos ad veniendum; secundo armatos ad pugnandum, ibi, Sagittae ejus; tertio crudelis ad puniendum, ibi, Rugitus ejus ut leonis. Circa primum duo ponuntur. Primo ipsorum velocitas: Ecce, pro, certo, festinus. Thren. 4: « Velociores fuerunt persecutores nostri aquilis caeli. » Habac. 1: « Equites namque ejus de longe venient: volabant quasi aquila festinans ad comedendum. » Jer. 4: « Ecce quasi nubes ascendent, et quasi tempestas currus ejus: velocires aquilis equi illius. » Secundo velocitatis causa secundum remotionem triplicis impedimenti quod posset contingere.
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Ex naturae infirmitate; contra quod dicit: Et non est deficiens, quia oporteat remanere, nec laborans in eo, quia oporteat tarde venire. Infra 40: Qui autem sperant in Domino mutabunt fortitudinem; assumment pennas sicut aquilae; current, et non laborabunt; ambulabunt, et non deficient. Secundo illud quod posset esse ex voluntate. Dicit: Non dormitabit, per pigritiam, scilicet ut pigre vadat, neque dormiet, ut non resipiscat. Prov. 19: « Pigredo immitit soporem, et anima dissoluta esuriet. » Tertio removet impedimentum ex rerum necessitate: Nec solvetur cingulum. Et ponit ea quibus viatores solent impediri ab itinere: quae omnia plus solito durabunt. Deut. 29: « Adduxi vos quadraginta annis per desertum: non sunt attrita vestimenta vestra, nec calceamenta pedum vestrorum vetustate consumpta sunt. » Sagittae ejus acutae. Hic ostendit eos armatos esse ad pugnandum: et primo quantum ad bonitatem armorum;
et ponit ea quae in illis terris sunt consueta. Sagittae acutae, in quo notatur bonitas sagittarum; arcus extenti, in quo praeparatio armorum, ne in praeparando impediatur.
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Psal. 119: « Sagittae potentis acutae. » Secundo ponit vectigalia: Ungulae equorum ejus ut silex, qui non frangitur de facili, et rotæ ejus quasi impetus tempestatis, propter multitudinem et velocitatem magnam sonum facientes. Jer. 4: « Ecce quasi nubes ascendent, et quasi tempestas currus ejus. » Rugitus ejus. Hic ostendit eos crudelis ad puniendum: et primo quantum ad animositatem, Rugitus. Oseae 11: « Post Dominum ambulabunt, quasi leo rugiet: quia ipse rugiet, et formidabunt filii maris. » Secundo quantum ad rapacitatem: Rugiet ut catuli leonum. Ps. 105: « Catuli leonum rugientes ut rapiant. » Tertio quantum ad crudelitatem, Et frendet, quod est apri. Ps. 54: « Frenduerunt super me dentibus suis. » Ps. 79: « Exterminavit eam aper de sylva, et singularis ferus depastus est eam. » Et tenebit. Hic ponitur poenae inflictio, et demum punitorum desperatio, ibi, Aspiciemus in terram; et ecce tenebrae tribulationis. Circa primum ponit tria.
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Primo comminator captionem, Tenebit praedam; quasi dicat: Sicut praedam capiet vos. Nahum 2: « Leo cepit sufficienter catulis suis, et necavit leaenis suis, et implevit praeda speluncas suas, et cubile suum rapina. » Secundo solicitam detentionem: Et amplexabitur, ne exeatis per eorum incuriam; et non erit qui eruat, per eorum impotentiam. Threnorum 1: « Dedit me Deus in manu, de qua non potero surgere. » Tertio rigidam damnationem, Et sonabit, comminationibus et terroribus. Jer. 6: « Ecce populus veniet de terra aquilonis, et gens consurgit a finibus terrae; sagittam et scutum arripiet: crudelis est, et non miserebitur; vox ejus quasi mare sonabit. » Aspiciemus in terram.
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Hic ponit eorum desperationem: et primo quantum ad auxilium de terra: Aspiciemus in terram, undique, et ecce tenebrae, quia omnes eos persequебантur; secundo quantum ad auxilium de caelo: Et lux, divinae spei, obtenebrata est in caligine ejus. Jer. 4: « Aspexi terram, et ecce vacua erat et nihil; et caelos, et non erat lux in eis. » Et connumerat se propheta in eis per compassionem.
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v. 1 « Cantabo dilecto meo canticum patruelis mei vineae suae »; — hebr. cantabo dilecto meo (vel de dileclo meo) canticum dilecti de vinea eius; prooemium satis aenigmaticum est; sed eius obscuritas consulto quaesita videtur, quo magis attentio provocetur. Verba quidem per se niliil aliud dicere videntur nisi proferri ac decantari carmen in honorem dilecti alicuius amici, quodipse de vinea suacantaverit (cf. Calm.) vel saltem cantare possit, narrari igitur de vinea rem quae amico conüigerit. Sed cum iam v. 3 media in parabola non aliquis amicus vatis loquatur, verum rem agi inter Deum et populum satis distincte innuatur, idque demum v. 6 « et mandabo nubibus » et v. 7 sine ulla controversia clarissime.statuatur, ad totius parabolae unitatem, concinnitatem immo etiam dignitatem pertinere vi letur, utstatim ab initio vates hanc Dei causam et querelam ob oculos habuisse censeatur eamque ipsis illis verbis innuisse credatur. Quare dilectus erit ipse qui vineam plantavit et vineae possessor est i. e. ipse Dominus; canticum simulest eius canticum, quia id refert quod ipse Dominus de hac sua vinea et, cogitavit et. statuit. Propheta autem, utpote os Domini eiusque interpres et in fam:liare Dei consilium admissus, id proponit quod a Deo accepit et audivit, Dei verba ad populum perfert; quare canticum Domini canit; studia autem Dei eiusque opera annuntians simul laudem Dei et gloriam egregie praedicat et notam facit; unde optime dicit : cantabo dilecto moo i. e. in eius laudem, pro eius gloria aliis manifestanda, ad praeconia Domini palam annuntianda. Christi qui est patruelis meus, hoe est, ex eadem mecum gente generatus ». Etiam S. Chrys. et S. Thom. populum Israel interpretantur dilectum ; sed cum Statim sequatur : « vinea faela est dile:to mao » et vinei sit domus Israel, baec explieatio neq.iit admitti : neque concedi potest vocem dilecti semel ad Deum et semel ad populum referri, quis omnis con-innitatis ratio tali usu arbitrario destrueretar. Vocem hebr. 731 S. Ilier. hoe loco secutus Aquilam (qui xxod2eAgov interpretatus est) exposuit patruelem ; alias, uti in Cant., etiam dilectum vertit. Cum in altero membro hebr. 5 certe significet, de qua re carmen instituatur, scil. de vinea eius, aliqui etiam iu priore membro explicandum esse censent. de dilecto meo cantabo (cf. Kn. Naeg.). Sed dubito, num ratio haec ex seeundo membro deproinpta iam statim valeat de priore. Est enim magis obvium ut in exordio sententiae particula illa in sua nolione communissima relinquatur, quam sane statim ei quivis attribuit simulac audierit cantabo ; in altero. utique ipsa re et argumento notio magis generalis et usitata ad certam quandam rationem significationis restringitur; id autem in priore membro non perse inuotescit. Alii exponunt : cautabo Dei personam suscipiens (Mald.), nomine et iussu Dei (Drechsl.). Etiam latinum vineae suae. csse explicandum de vinea, iam statuunt S. Thom. Mald. Su etc. Proponitur quam exquisita cura et sollicitudine vinca illa fuerit plantata et culta, quae tamen contra exspectationem egregie fefellit omnem exspectationem : « vine facta, est dilecto meo tn cornu filio olei;
Accusationem in antecedentibus propositam propheta auget ostendens . quanta a Deo beneficia acceperint et quantam ingratitudinem ac perversitatem rependerint. Uti ergo vaticiniis antecedentibus praesentem rerum israeliticarum conditionem vates castigavit ex consilio divino tempore future adimplendo, ita nunc eam perstringit ex beneficiis olim collatis. Unde conficitur populum israeliticum maximae reprehensioni esse obnoxium, sive rerum gestarum historia spectatur, sive consilium Dei de futuro tempore consideratur. Beneficia igitur recolens accepta iisque varia peccatorum genera opponens latius exsequitur vates, quod ab initio indicaverat : filios enutrivi et exaltavi, ipsi autem spreverunt me (4,2; cf. S. Chrys. Rup.) et mosaica pene verba usurpat : haeccine reddis Domino popule stulte et insipiens (Deut. 32, 6)? Parabola ipsa vineae ad rem illustrandam aptissima est. Est enim utpote a re notissima petita ad omnium sensum et intell:gentiam ac-: commodata, et cum iam carmine mosaico haec ad populum Dei accommodatio etrerumisraeliticarum illustratio omnibus effecta sit familiaris, non sine emphasi ea ad animos commovendos ut:tur propheta. Quare alii quoque prophetae mosaicam hane parabolam in medium afferunt (cf. Os. 10, t. Ier. 2, 21. Ez. 15, 2) eamque demum ipse Christus usu et explicatione sacravit (Matth. 21, 33). Utitur vates prooemio ad sermonem parabolicum accommodato, quo audientium animi attenti reddantur; profitetur vates se referre carmen a dilecto secum communicato vel quod dilectus eius amicus canere solebat
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v. 2 et sepivit eam et lapides elegit ex illa et plantavit eam electam et. aedificavit turrim 1n medio eius el torcular exstruxit inea et exspectavit ut. faceret uvas etfezit labruscas » ; — vinea plantata est in loco vitibus quam maxime opportuno; in cornu i. e. in colle, ut ita vinea solis calori et radiis sit exposita; iste collis erat filius olei i. e. pinguedinis, locus scil. pinguis et uber, talis scil. humus quae uvis gignendis fuerit quam aptissima. Ad haec naturae commoda accessit industria possessoris : fundum diligenter sepivil, macerie circumdedit, ut animalium nocivorum incursus vel etiam hominum inimicorum iniurias arceret, ne quod damnum plantationi infeevetur, al quod v. g. cf. Cant. 2, 15 : « capite noois vulpes parvulas quae demoliuntur vineas ; vinea nostra [loru t ». Fundum ita munitum et tutum etiam bene ad rem praeparavit :- abstulit lapides atque ex humo extraxit, ne scil. radices vitis impedirentur et implicarentur. Humo fertili et bene praeparatae commisit oplimum vitis genus ; plantavit vineam Sorec (ita vertit S. Ilier.) i. e. eam consevit vite saleciissima, generosa (cf. Malv.); « aiunt enim Hebraei Sorec g»nus esse vitis optimae quod uberes fructus faciat atque perpetuos » (S. Ilier.); nomen ab uvis rubris seu caeruleis et nigricantibus dici volunt (cf. Ges. Thes. p. 1342). Porro ut vineae securitati ac defensioni prospiceretur, turrim aedificavit pro custode vineae rebusque in vineae cultura necessariis. Atque tanta cum certitudine uberes sibi promittebat fructus, ut etiam (hebr.) torcular ibi excideret vel excavaret ad uvas caleandas et exprimendas. Sane aderat, cur optime speraret de vinea. Sed eheu, res aliter omnino cecidit; « cumque ex tam diligenti studio assiduoque labore uvas spectaret maturas et dulces, acerbas invenit et foetentes quae fellis instar essent et stomachum moverent ad nauseam » (Sanct.). "Hebr. pu LXX transtulerunt 2oxiuóv msotí0mzx et eos secutus S. Hier. sepivil; ita etiam aliqui ex rabbinis, quos vide apud Ros. ; at vocem ex cognatis dialectis iam communiter explieant fodere, rastro fodere et subigere: cf. Ges. Ros. Malv. Rohl. Naeg. Nei. Del., quam notionem iam Syrus ob oculos habuit, dum laboravit vel coluit eam vertit. — Verbum po dicit lapidare, lapidibus obruere ; formam in piel h. lI. plerique explicant cum S. Hier. lapides removere, agrum erossare (ut Persius loquitur in satyr. 6, 52; cf. Sanct. Bauer) ; LXX. vere intellexerunt Japidibus communire, habent enim £yz»Xzesx haneque notionem sequendam esse docent For. Doederlein, Koppe, uti eandem iam Syrus quoque amplexus est. Sed ex 62, 10 apparet, retinendam esse omnino versionem communiter acceptam : lapidibus vacuum fecit. Notat S. Hier. : « et plantavit eam vineam Sorec, quam solus Symmachus electam interpretatus est, non verbum e verbo, nt mihi videtur, exprimens, sed sensum qui tenetur in verbo. Denique Sorec a quibusdam »3»Xzxpxo; interpretatur, quod nos in puleherrimos fruetus vertere possumus... prolabruscis quas nos vertimus, in hebr. Scriptum est busim (QW? N2), quod Aquila interpretatus est. oxxoíx; i. e. fructus pes- simos; Symmachus &x25, hoc est, imperfectos, LXX et Theodotio spinas ». Tot ac tanta cum frustra essent impensa, non sine indignatione omnes coram appellat, ut iudicium ferant
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v. 3 « unc ergo, habitatores lerusalem et viri Iuda, iudicate inter me et vineam | meam !
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v. 4 quid est quod. debui ultra, facere vineae meae et non. feci ei? an quod exspectavi ut faceret uvas et fecit labruscas » ? — cum iam supra 3, 14 populus vineae sit comparatus (« vos depasti estis vineam meam »), sensus parabolae de vinea tanto cum studio culta sed fructus reddente pessimos (cf. 1, 2; 2, 6 seq.) latere non potest. Et si quos fugisset, iam sollemnis haec appellatio et attestatio, qua omnes regni iudaici incolae advocantur ad iudicium ferendum, non agi rem privatam, verum Dominum acerbe conqueri de populo ingrato manifesto declarat. Ea autem accusatio tanto maioris est ponderis, quia ita fertur, ut ipsa sana ratione duce rei se ipsos criminis insimulare et convincere debeant. « Magna iuris copia, cum ipsos reos constituit iulices' inter ea quae ipse et inter ea quae illi fecerant » (S. Chrys.); nam « non alia ratione melius causae aequitas ostendi potest, quam si actor ipsi reo sententiam ferendi potestatem faciat » (Men.). lta egisse monent Nathan ad David quem per parabolam interrogat, « ut dum dealio iudicat, de se promat sententiam » (S. Hier. sim. S. Basil. aliique). Vim interrogationis late expendit.S. Cyr.: « prodeant qui inter vos sunt sapientes, iudicent inter me vineae dominum et ipsas vites. Quid igitur boni illis defuit, ut inutiles fierent? Si enim rerum ad usum necessariarum quidpiam a me qui plantaveram forte praetermissum fuerit, causae nihil dicam nec poenas exigam. Cum vero rebus eam utilibus plenam nulliusque rei indigam fecerim, spinas iamen popererit, quae tandem a iudice feretur sententia? num inerlem, num desidiosum agricolam dicet? an potius illos aceusabit... » ? In hebr. ultimum membrum effertur simpliciter : cur ezxspectavi... et fecit labruscas? Eodem modo ergo intelligendum an quod ezspectavi i. e. an quid est quod exspectavi? quid ergo causae habuit, ut meam exspectationem falleret (Mald. Malv. sa, For. Calm.)? Parumper alio modo verba concipit S. Hier.: « nisi forte in hoc erravi, quod pro labore meo exspectavi, ut uvas faceret, non labruscas, quas inculta ac deserta vinea afferre consuevit » ; sensus : an forte in hoec peecavi quod de vinea tam bene culta bene speravi? quem Lap, Men. etc. etiam sequuntur, emphasin habet, sed ab hebr. recedit. « lllis tacentibus sibi ipse respondet » (S. Ilier.), quam orationis formam admiratione non carere S. Cyr. sentit :
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v. 5 « et nunc ostendam vobis quid ego faciam vineae meae : auferam sepem eius et. erit in direptionem ; diruam maceriam eius et. erit in. conculcationem ;
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v. 6 et ponam eam desertam ; non putabitur et non f odietur et ascendent vepres et spinae, et nubibus mandabo, ne pluant super eam imbrem » ; — arbitri illi vocati tacent culpae conscientia pressi; Dominus cum gravi indignatione sententiam fert (quae in hebr. cum quadam emphasi v. S infinitivis absolute positis declaratur) : primo munimenta aufert ; quo facto vastationi et direptioni. patebit , sepem ex vepribus, maceriam i. e. murum ex lapidibus, qua duplici defensione vinea protegebatur, removet ; tum erit, depraedationi et ita conculcationi. Dein nulla iam cura ei impendetur ; nulla cura vitibus, nulla humo ; ita per se silvescet et quod inaledictionis signum et indicium est (Gen. 3, 18), spinas solum et tribulos proferet ; veram ne silvescere quidem ei licebit cum luxuria quadam et copia; quare imbribus prohibitis etiam silvae desertique fecunditas ei denegatur. Qui nubibus praeceptadat, Dominus est; quare quae sit parabola tam ex his, tum ex aliis iam patet; patet enim v. g. ex iudicio de vinea instituto, ex accusatione contra eam prolata, ex fractibus qui optimo semine sparso enati sunt, demum ex poenarum genere et modo in vineam pronuntiato. Quae omnia satis ostendunt, agi de populo Israel, de vinea quam ex Aegypto transtulit Dominus (Ps. 19, 9) sed quae facta est de vinea Sodomorum et de suburbanis Gomorrhae, uva eorum uva fellis et,botri amarissimi (Deut. 32, 32). Post talem praeparationem parabolam de se iam satis lucidam et ab omnibas intellectam denuo verbis propriis explicare nihil aliud est quam repetitis ictibus animos ingratorum pulsare et contumaces et obduratos confasione et, repreheusione onerare ; v. "| « vinea enim Domini exercihuum domus Israel est et vir Iuda germen eius delectabile, et. exspectavi ul. faceret iudicium et ecce iniquitas, et iustitiam et ecce clamor »! — enim explicationis particula est : omnia quae dicta sunt et in parabola proposita opere vel completa sunt vel complebuntur in domo Israel i. e. in. toto populo, in familia ab Israel vel lacob propagata ; haec quippe familia i. e. totus populus vinea est Domini (cf. S. Chrys. Theod. Sanct. Osor. Mald. Lap. Troch.), sed in hac gente peculiari cura et dilectione amplexus est et insignivit, virum Iuda, cui propterea nomen indit plantationis deliciarum, in qua suas quasi delicias constituit, quae ipsi erat. in deiciis (cf. Lap.). luda enim, ut S. Chrys. rem declarat, « plus obtinuit. quam ceterae tribus, eratque illic e vicino situm templum et reliquus cultas, atque illa tribus magis quam ceterae omnes florebat ad regiamque magis accedens potentior erat » ; Iudae enim insignius prae ceteris vaticinium iam a patriarcha Iacob. datum (Gen. 49, 10), ex Iuda Deus elegit sibi principes, in Iuda collocavit thronum aeternum (cf. 2 Reg. 7, 14. 1 Par. 28, 4), ex Iuda demum Messias erat oriturus, filius David. Hisce igitur in Israel et Iuda impensis Dominus exspectavit (hebr.) iustitiae studium ; adest in hebr. « elegans structura sonusque verborum » (S. Ilier.), duplex scil. paronomasia quae neque graecis verbis neque latinis exprimi potest (Mald. Mar. Calm.) . Audiamus S. Hier.: « volumus latinis insinuare auribus quod ab Hebraeis did;e' mus : iudicium apud eos appellatur mespAat (2922), iniquitas sive dissipatio, ut interpretatus est Aquila, »nesphaa (new); rursum iustitia dieitur. s«daca (np37), clamor autem appellatur saaca (np73) ; una itaque vel add:ta litera vel mutata sic. verborum simil:tudinem temperavit, ut pro mesphat mesphaa. et pro. sadaca poneret $aaca ». Cernitur scil. pro iure et iudicio effusio sanguinis — ita alii vacem hebr. explicant; cf. Ges. Ros. Doederlein, Drechsl. Kn. Naeg. Bred. Troch. — vel direptio et rapina (Del.)? vel generatim | &vopiz (LXX, Roh. Net.), et pro iustitiae administratione et recta rerum gubernatione non auditur nisi clamor oppressorum, quibus iustitia et ius denegatur impietate, avaritia, crudelitate iudicum et principum (cf. Mar. For. Malv. Tir. Lap.). Alii. clamorem latius accipientes vel de furore et impetu peccatorum explicant vel speciatim de illis sceleribus quae ad coelum clamare dicuntur (cf. Euseb. Sanct. Lap. Calm. secundum ea quae Gen. 4, 10 ; 18, 21; 19, 13 habentur) ; sed cum clamor opponatur tare holocautomatum intelligunt (Euseb. S. Hier. Ephr. Theod. Darh. Herw. Men.) ; « sicut enim ad torcular omnes uvae comportantur atque caleantur, ut ex eis exprimatur vinum, sic altare omnis populi suscipit fructus et immolatas hostias devorat » (S. Hier.). Haec omnia suo modo ad unamquamque animam applicari rite posse, iam bene docet S. Hier. : « cuncta quae dicuntur de vinea possunt et ad animae humanae referri statam, quae a Deo plantata in bonum non uvas attulerit sed labruscas et postea sit tradita bestiis conculeanda, nec divinum imbrem susceperit doctrinarum, quia praeterita dona contempserit ». Quid minae v. 6 prolatae sibi velint, in sequenti parte capitis enucleatius declarabitur. Ultimum innui synagogae excidium et derelictionem verba ipsa suadent (cf. S. Hier. Cyr.). Censet S. Basil. has minas non esse rei certo eventurae denuntiationem sed proferri veluti comminationem eius qui a peccato avocare velit, simili modo, quo Deus apud Ieremiam testetur, se repente loqui mala adversus gentem ; sed si conversi fuerint, etiam se mala illa minime esse inflicturum (fer. 18, 6-10). Id eo sensu verum est, quia Deus, ut adnotat S. Hier., ideo truculenta quaedam et aspera comminatur, ut conversi ad poenitentiam imminentia tormenta devitent. Et sane priusquam mala inferat et puniat, minatur Deus se esse puniturum, ea mente, ut conversi ad poenitentiam ab imminentibus perieulis liberentur (cf. Pint.). Poena quam minatur sincera conversione difterri potest, uti ex Ier. 26, 19 elucet; sed si scelera priora instaurata fuerint, etiam minae priores instaurantur. Igitur in hisce quoque norma quaedam generalis Dei proponitur quae ab omni temporum conditione libera et absoluta valet et demum effectu suo certo certius potietur, quamvis per quot gradus et veluti intervalla ad terminum sit provehenda, in ipsa dictione prophetica minime contineatur.
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v. 8 « Vae qui coniuagitis domum ad. domum et agrun agro copulatis usque ad terminum. loci ! numquid. habitabitis vos soli in. medio terrae » ? — bene describitur insatiabilis habendi ac possidendi cupido; domos, agros ii soli cupiunt habere ; possessiones oppressione aliorum et rapinis (v. 7) augent, extendunt, donec locus non supersit (cf. hebr.), donec totum spatium totamque regionem occupaverint et collocati silis vos Is. 5; 8-10. 109 soli in medio terrae (hebr.). Lege vero mosaica etanno iubilaeo instituto cautum erat ne qua familia perpetuo sua hereditate spoliata in pauperiem redigeretur (Lev. 25, 93 seq.); sed illi qui. vineam Domini depascuntur (3, 14) ceteris exspoliatis omnia ad se rapere conantur, quamvis « maledictus qui transfert terminos proximi sui » (Deut. 27, 17). Qualis autem maledictio obventura sit, annuntiatur modo sceleri congruo : peccarunt domorum agrorumque cupiditate et rapina, iisdem punientur
In subsequentibus quae ad antecedentia arcte adnectuntur exponitur, quae sint labruscae a vinea prolatae vel quae sit, iniquitas (v. 1) ; recensentur sex ordines sceleratorum totidem vae distincti et hisce intermixta affertur vastationis et depraedationis descriptio quae vineae est praedicta (v. 6). Initium fit a sacra auri fame, quae facile omne iniustitiae genus sibi adiungit; est enim « radix omnium malorum cupiditas » (1 Tim. 6, 10) ; quod vitium quantum in eos dominatum sit, iam ex 3, 14. 43 elucet et ex similibus Michaeae querelis (2, 2; 3, 9) colligitur :
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v. 9 « in auribus meis sunt haec : dicit Dominus exercituum : nisi domus multae desertae fuerint, grandes et pulchrae absque habitatore!
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v. 40 decem enim iugera vinearum facient lagunculam unam et triginta modii sementis facient modios tres » ; — hebr. in auribus meis (dicit) Dominus exercituum i. e. mihi revelavit, me audiente clare minas illas et iuramentum protulit. Eodem modo verba latina concipi debent; scribit praeterea S. Hier. : « in auribus meis sunt haec Domini exercituum, id est : verba quae locutus est Dominus adhuc resonant in auribus meis » ; et ita rite explicant Haim. Mald. Malv. Schegg, Rohl. Net. Del. Naeg. praeeunte iam Chald. : « dixit propheta : in auribus meis accepi nuntium, si quidem decretum est hoc a facie Domini exercituum ». Alii scelera illa ad aures Domini pervenisse, eorum quasi clamorem aures Domini tetigisse explicant; ita verba concipiunt LXX, S. Ephr. Sanct. Pint. Mar. Lap. Men. Calm.; sed ex vextu hebr. prior explicatio sola colligitur. Iureiurando igitur (nis?) Dominus suam obstringit fidem fore, ut domorum multitudo corruat, ut variis calamitatibus tam pauci relinquantur homines, ut ipsa grandia palatia non inveniant habitatorem vel potius fore, ut domus et palatia ruinis ac vastitate concidant. Ruent autem etiam ex eo quia terram maledicto sterilitatis a Deo percussam incolae derelinquere ac fagere coguntur. Ita in v. 10 *» quia; iugum vel iugerum agri illud spatium agri vocatur quod uno boum iugo per unum diem arari potest. Decem igitur talia spatia vitibus consita non afferent nisi unum bath (hebr.), quae mensura (docente Flavio Iosepho, Ant. 8. 2, 9) sextarios romanos septuaginta duos capiebat vel secundum rabbinos tantum, quantum 432 uvis contineripotest; dein semen tantum quantum chomer capit, dabit unum epha i. e. decimam sementis partem pro messe habebunt (ex hebr.)!; epha eadem mensura est pro aridis atque bath pro liquidis ; chomer autem decem epha capiebat. Divitiae pariunt voluptates; « homo quidam erat dives et epulabatur quoti lie splendide » (Luc. 16, 19). Uale apte ad divitias iniustitiis congestas (v. 8) adiungitur vae in epulones et ebrios
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v. 11 « vae qui consurgit's mane al ebrietatem seclandam et potandum us jue ad vesperam, ut vino anstuefis » ! — hebr. vae, mane surgentes siceram prosequun'ur, commorant^s (vel tempus protra^entes) usqu? ad crepusculum, quos vinum inflammat; mane jam incipiunt, id quod eorum est qui in omnem luxam diffluunt; cf. Eecl. 10, 16. Act. 2, 15. 1 Thess. 5, 1; et in noctem usque potationes et comessationes protrahunt. Sicera est, ut S. llier. dicit, hebraeo sermone omnis potio inebrians sive illa quae frumento conficitur, sive pomorum succo aut cum favi decoquuntur in dulcem et barbaram potionem, aut palmarum fructus exprimuntur in liquorem coctisqua frugibus aia pinguior coloratur. Ita praecipue dici potum qui ex palmiscon'icitur S. CAr js. et Th»od. asserunt. Praeterea vinum largiter bibunt ; omni ergo potationum genere sese ingurgitant; « vinum incendit eos ; excitat quippe in visceribus larg'ter bibentis plane quoddam incendium » (S. Cyr.). Calore vini iam ad omnem luxuriam accenduntur; « luxuriae seet voluptatibus tradiderunt, non solum in vescendo et biben lo, s21 in aurium quo qa2oblectitione et in dive'sis musicae artis generibus » (S. fier.) ; unde
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v. 12 « cithara et lyra et tympanum et Libia et viaum in conviviis vestris et opus Domini non respicitis nec opera manum eius consid?ratis »! — notat losephus (Ant. 1, 19, 3) xw5ex» (citharim) decem habuisse chordas et plectro percuti solitum, nabloa vero duodecim et tangi consuevisse digitis (cf. For.) ; tympanum, pleramque a malieribus saltatricib is pulsatum, orbe ligneo consta5»at membrana obdaeto et crepitaculis aeneis instructo (cf. Ges. Thes. p.1316). Cum igitur et animos et sensus omnes habeant voluptatibus immersos et obcaecatos, ad opus Domin!, ad omne id quo Deus in rab is israeliticis iam fecit, ad ea quae factarus est et quae iam per prophetas annuntiat, et calamitatibus portendit, verbo ad divina iu licia et conxilia mniiim2 atten lint; ea et si ver»is prophetarum annuntiantur caeci et surdi minime coas;d»rant. Opus ig tur Di omnia illa intelliguntur, quae Deus in historia populi gessit, quae man lavit, per prophetas declaravit et pro faturis quoque temporibus annuntiavit (cf. S. Cyr. For. Sanct. Malv. Tir. Troch.) ; cf. v. 19; 10, 12; 92, 11. Aciem mentis obiusam habent sua culpa, ita ut signa temporum et indicia quibus futura iudicia iam praeparantur non agnoscant neque illis moniti ad meliorem frugem revertantur. Talia v. g. in libeis historicis indicantur ipso loquendi modo : « in diebus illis coepit Dominus mittere in Iuda Rasin regem Syriae et Phacee filium Romeliae » (4 Reg. 13, 37; cf. 16, 6. 2 Par. 98, 9 etc.). Quare extremis tandem suppliciis iuremerito castigabuntur
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v. 43 « propterea captivus ducts est populus meus quia non habuit scientiam, et nobiles eius interi^runt fam? et. multitudo eius siti exaruit » ; — condigna, sceleribus rependitur poena ; luctus et captivitatis miseria pro vesana laetitia ; fames et sitis pro ingurgitatione, temulentia, conviviis lascivis. In hebr. et-gloria eius (nobilitas, proceres) viri ! famis et turba eius arida (erit) siti. Cum, ut proverbium habet, regis ad exemplum totus componatur orbis, in procerum sceleribus etiam vitia multitudinis describuntur; et sane si daces et doctores caeci sunt et vesani, quid sperandum erit de iis qui ducuntur et docentur? Quare v. 43 propterea apte adiungitur; et generatim excidii causa in principes re:icitur ; cf. Mich. 3, 12. Ier. 23, 1. Ez. 34, 2; peribunt propter incogilantiam, quia ab inscitia et stupore in illam intemperantiam et altioris consilii inconsiderantiam et o»livionem abducti sunt (Sanct.). Denuo ratio excidii affertur. Alii absque scientia expiicant inopinato, insperato (cf. apud Malv. For. Ges. Drechsl. Del. Naeg. Bred. Rohl. Net.) ; at prior acceptio magis est em;hatica et gravior, commendatur versu praecedenti et ipsa re, quia abductio in exsilium subito vel inopinato iis accidisse diei nequit; erat enim non solum diu et saepe a prophetis praedicta, sed era, eiusmodi abdictio in more posita et apud Assyrios et Chaldaeos ; unde clade facta iam non inexspectato accidit; insuper cum populi abductio per partes et per temporum intervalla fieret, insperato totius populi abductionem evenisse nequit apte affirmari. Ipsa demum praepositio y2 (ad verbum : ex non-scientia) ex, propter huic explicationi favet. Ab lacuntur erg», « eo quoil non cognoveris tempus visitationis tuae » (Luc. 19, 44. Troch.); ita LXX quoque &ix «3 v5, elaivas abvoíg v» Küpiov. Tandem morte et interitu cuncta esse absumenda vates minatur
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v. 14 « propterea dilatavit infernus animam suam et aperuit os suum absque ullo termino, et descend»nt fortes eius et. populus eius et sublimes gloriosique eius ad eum » ; — etiam magis emphatice in hebr. e£. descendet gloria eius et tumultus eius et strepitus eius et exsultans inea (cf. For. Mald. Malv. Mar.). Scheol ingenti cupiditate et aviditate inexhausta omnem illorum pompam et splendorem mox devorare dicitur ; « personae forma minas intentat, ut maiore cam emphasi loquatur ingentique timore auditorum animos percellat » (S. Chrys.); describit enim, ut ruinae magnitudinem ad oculos demonstret, quomodo « infernus praelargo et inexplebili ore hiantibusque faucibus absorbens eos thesaurisque spolians sit quodammodo exsultaturus » (S. Cyr.). llli itaque, ut. Tir. notat, dilatant os suum al cibum et potum absorbendum, sed infernus quoque rictum suum dilatabit ad eos absorbendos. Verum si superbia humana prostrata est omnisque fastus depressus et exstinctus, tunc gloriosus et maiestate plenus apparebit Dominus ; id post ruinam vehementer inculcat vates gravissima hac versuum repetilione
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v. 48 « et incurvabitur homo et humiliabitur vir et oculi sublimium deprimentur,
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v. 46 et exaltabitur Dominus exercituum. in tudicio et Deus sanctus sanctificabitur in iustitia » ;, — hic scil. demum erit finis et scopus iudiciorum divinorum : illucescet gloria Dei eiusque sanctitas quae tanta scelerum nube quasi obscurari et abscondi videbatur, novo splendore hominibus innotescet, cognoscetur etenim ex iustitia quam exercebit erga impios (Mald. Malv. Mar. Tir.) eiusque testes iustum iudicem laudibus elferent (TAeod.). Ita fiet id quod cantico seraphim annuntiatur : plena est omnis terra gloria eius (6, 3; cf. Ier. 9, 23. 24). « Duo ponit bona et illos tumore ablato meliores eva-. suros et Deum admirationi fore apud omnes » (S. Chrys.). Iudicio autem in homines exercito populoque vel in exsilium abducto vel morte interempto (v. 13. 14) ipsa regio divinae huius castigationis testimonium feret et agri campique quos avari et iniusti rapuerant (v. 8), iam alienigenarum commodis servient. Ita apte ad occusationem et iudicii denuntiationem vates hanc concludit partem
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v. 171 « et pascentur agni iwxta ordinem suum et deserta in ubertatem versa advenae comedent » ; — ubi antea urbeset palatia et hominum turba exsistebant iam ruinae sunt et solitudo et amplissima gregum pascua, quae in alienorum utilitatem cedunt. Bene adnotat S. Hier. : « id ipsum aliis verbis dicitur de quo supra legimus (1, 1) : regionem vestram in conspectu vestro alient devorant et deserta est atque subversa a populis externis ». Hebr. verte et pascentur ogni sicut «n suo campo et vastatas terras pinguium alieni comedent. vel errabundi ; i. e. qui fixas certasque sedes non occupant sed nomadum more-per regionem peregrinantur ; pingues divites sunt et. fastuosi illi, de quibus antea v. 8. 14. Atque revera terra ludaeorum iam dudum exstincta gloria vetere alienis cessit Troch.), vel de Christianis, qui sint agni Christi ; advenas intelligunt gentes ad fidem conversas, quae illis potiantur bonis a quibus Iudaei exeiderint (cf. Pint, Sasb. Men.) ; qua imagine simul, ut vult Mald., futura inter gentes pax adumbratur. Cum LXX in ultimo membro habeant &ovec, non Q'à3 sed D'"73 legisse vel 2*5 videntur (cf. Gen. 38, 17. Iud. 6, 19; 43, 45, 19), quam lectionem aliqui recentiores (Ewald, Kn. Russ, Dred.) amplectuntur. Etiam in priore membro LXX differunt, de quibus iam S. Hier. dicit: « nescio quid volentes LXX transtulerunt pascentur direpti quasi tauri, pro agnis tauros intelligentes et rursum pro adveuis interpretantes agnos ». Ipsa LXX verba a graecis interpretibus varie accipiuntur ; breviter ea expedit S. Chrys. : « relictorum paucitatem his subindicat et ingentem regionis solitudinem »; S. Cyr. ea refert ad vastitionem a. Romanis et gentibus finitimis inferendam ; « qui enim olim, inquit, direptioni eorum faeile patebant, quia Deus opem ferebat, hi regionem eorum depascent ceu tauri, 1d est feroces, magnanimi et qui invictam ad resistendum vim afferent ». Aliter Theod. ; direptos intelligit eos qui'in Dominum credentes ab àdyersariis dozmatum evangelicorum spoliati bonis sint quique post hostium interitum cum tauris secure pascentibus comparentur, eosdem autem agnos quoque vocari ; aliter explicat S. Basil. etc. Unde non est a vero alienum quod iam de hoc v. For. conqueritur, tantam esse varietatem quot sint inferpretes. Nihilominus ipse nova versione illam varietatem augere non dubitavit : « et pascentur agni iuxta verbum ipsorum et gladii medullata ruminantia devorabunt, vel etiam siccitates medullatorum (tnedullatorum exsanguia cadavera) advenae comedent ».
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v. 18 « Vae qui trahitis iniquitatem in. funiculis vanitatis et quasi vinculum. plaustri peccatum » | — hebr. vae trahentibus iniquitatem (vel attrahentibus) in funibus mendacii et quasi in. fune plaustri peccatum vel etiam et quasi rudens earrucarius est peccatum i. e. peccatum ingravescit, fit quasi densum, robustum sicut rudens carrucarius. Ii describuntur qui magno studio suis mendaciis et illusionibus iniquitatem augent; se ipsos quasi alligant perversitati eamque ut molem grandem trahunt vel stu pheticis, se ipsos decipiunt, culpam augent, poenam et ultionem Dei provocant, accelerant, et ita arctioribus in dies vínculis atque firmioribus ad peccatum adstringuntur. Nam, ut notat S. Basil. : « nobis ipsi ium eum peccamus, vineula confiecimus et funiculos quibus vineimur; quippe iuxia multitudinem vel magnitudinem peccatorum vel maiora vel minora animabus nostris lora nectimus ». In eadem imagine simul alii expressam cernunt curam, pertinaciam, perseverantiam peccandi (cf. S. Chrys. Basil. Thom. Mald. Malv. Vat. Calm.). Funiculos vanitatis hoc significat, inquit S. Hier. , quod facientibus peccatam facile texitur et tam inane et facile est, ut aranearum fila texuntur, sed cum inde voluerimus exire, solidissimis vinculis nectimur (sim. Sasb.). Alii non peccatum, verum peccatorum poenas atque supplicia h. l. designari volunt. Explicant enim : vae vobis qui damnationem vestram adversum vos ipsos trahitis et magna vi nitimini, ut ad vos accedat, velut qui plaustrum onustum funibus trahunt ; trahitis autem perditionem vestram funibus temeritatis i. e. vestra temeritate, audacia, protervia; ità For. ; sim. iam S. Cyr. Chrys. Procop. Sanct., cuius explicationis m»minerunt Malv. Lap. Men. Tir. et quam aliqui recentiores adoptarunt v. g. Ges. Kn. Dred. Verum quidem est vocibus illis quibus peccatum et iniquitas designatur, saepius id quoque appellari quod intime cum peccato connexum est ab eoque separari nequit, scil. poenam et suppliciam (cf. Gen. 19, 15. Os. 10, 13. Zaeh. 14, 19). At nostro loco non est, cur a primaria notione recedamus ; vates enim in singulis membris hisce quibus vae denuntiat, peccata et scelera proxime recenset; poenas quae sint secuturae, postea adiungit. Accedit quod hoc loco statim v. 19 explicatur, qua ratione trahant iniquitatem ; blasphemiis et illusionibus indulgent. Ergo veri nominis peccata vates h. 1l. intellexit. í Quot et quantis loris innodentur peccatis, iam declaratur
Tertium vae in eos devolvitur qui verbis Dei et prophetis illudunt et minas ab eis prolatas in irrisionem vertunt. Apte adiunguntur isti epulonibus v. 11 quibus vae alterum erat denuntiatum; nam inter epulas et pocula lingaas compotantium facilius solvi in dicteria et illusiones rerum sacrarum atque in iis licentius evagari heu nimis notum est. Praeterea cogita quantopere istis helluonibus censor assiduus et castigator morum, qualem esse prophetam oportebat, molestus fuerit. Eorum perversitatem vates prius per metaphoram v. 18, dein v. 19 propriis verbis declarat, similiter uti 4, 6. 7. 22. 23. 25. 26. Unde
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v. 19 «qui dicitis : festinet et cito veniat opus eius, ut videamus, et appropiet et veniat consilium Sancti Israel et sciemus illud »! —minas Dei non solum contemnunt, verum iis illuadant ; «cupimus tandem videre quale futurum sit hoc consilium quod tanta praemeditatione indiget, in quo per tot annos Dominus deliberare videtur» (Men.); scire est re et fac-- tis experiri. Nominant Sanctum Israel, quia Isaias hoc Dei nomine praeprimis utitur (de qua re postea ad 6, 3). Blasphemia ostendit iam per longiustempus prophetam munere esse functum et opus Dei i. e. iudicium divinum (cf. v. 12) iam repetitis vicibus esse denuntiatum. Sed quia Dominus longanimis spatium concedit poenitentiae et poenas infligere differt, hac ipsa patientia abutuntur secundum duritiem suam et impoenitens cor sibi thesaurizantes iram, digni scil. patres eorum quos eodem titulo S. Paulus increpat (Rom.2, 4. 5). Eandem animorum perversitatem et blasphemandi audaciam carpit Am. 5, 18. Ier. 11, 15. Ez. 11, 3; et infra denuo ipse Isaias 98, 9 seq. « Vertebant igitur oraculorum íoniirua in carmen ; nimis aut insolenter aut stupide dicebant festinet. . . . » (Sanet.). Tali impietati et petulantiae intime cognatum est eorum studium, qui ita sceleribus imbuti sunt, ut omni veri honestique sensu abiecto atque coneuleato ipsum crimen laudibus exornent et vitia quasi virtutes commendent ; evaserunt scil. ut S. Cyr. dicit, nummularii improbi, turpiora in pretio habentes, notantes vero ut adulterinum citra discrimen id quod praestabilius est et ad suam ipsorum salutem utilissimum ;
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v. 90 « vae qui dicitis malum: bonum et bonum malum, ponentes tenebras lucem et lucem tenebras, ponentes amarwn in. dulce et dulce in ama- Tum »! — bonum describitur ut lux et dulce, quatenus et intellectum illuminat et affectam vel voluntatem beat ; malum e contra tenebras offundit et miserra et amaritudine replet. Inde lex Domini quasi lux saepe describitur et quaecumque bona sunt et sancta, cum a Deo, luce increata,. refulgeant, eodem nomine honorantur. Quid sit bonum ei honestum et quales fructus et effectus afferat, duplici illa comparatione breviter declaratur. Ea simul innuitur, quantae sit perversitatis notiones honesti verique subvertere vel nobili nomine turpia scelera obtegere. Nota tritum illud ex affectu corrupto ipsam corrumpi doctrinam ; vitam enim profligatam ita student cohonestare, ut ea quae a vate tamquam errore et scelere plena traducuntur, scientiae et virtuti affinia venditare conentur. Nil novi sub sole! ubi corruptio morum invaluit, non desunt qui illam fucatis doctrinis defendant atque speciosis rationibus commendent. Sed quam vana sit ac futilis talis peccatorum excusatio (S. Thom.), declaratur a simili ; quid enim prodest tenebras appellare lucem ? num propterea cessant esse tenebrae vel omnium hominum iudicia in conwarium mutantur ? Quam parum igitur quis ordinem rerum et effectus immutare potest, tam parum illi falsa doctrina et mendaciis iuvantur. — Axioma a propheta enuntiatum est amplissimum. Alii id speciatim applicant ad iudices iniustos; alii ad pseudoprophetas, qui ita loqui solent, ut hominibus placet audire; « etsi dulcia sint verba pseudoprophetarum, sed nihil illis amarius, qui per gratiam verborum minas in rem et opera vertunt » (S. Chrys.). Interpretatus est Aq. : vae qui dicit malo : bonus es, et bono : malus es ; id quod S. Hier. significantius vocat. At sensus generalis (LXX «3 movrpov) praeferendus est. Isti, uüi patet, iam. nullam ferunt prophetae admonitionem. In eadem obstinatione concluduntur ii qui propria existimatione inflati a nullo se doceri patiuntur. Unde
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v. 21 « vae qui sapientes estis in. oculis vestris et coram. vobismetipsis prudentes »! — vere enim sapiens exquirit consilia, diffidit prudentiae propriae;: « ne sis sapiens apud temetipsum — neinnitaris prudentiae tuae » (Prov. 3, 5. 1). Qai tali fastu tument, institutionis propheticae impatientes negotia publica et. privata nonex norma divina per prophetas legem que declarata administrari volunt, sed arbiwatu proprio et humanae prudentiae imperio et ductu. lis v. g. et sapientiae et utilitatis maximae esse videbatur foedera inire eum extraneis, apparatum bellicum comparare (cf. 2, 8) ; sed rempublicam fuleiri ope divina, file, observatione mandatorum Dei, sincera pietate omnemque spem in uno Deo collocari prae humanis subsidiis, immo his repudiatis, talia utique ridebant ii qui prudentes erant coram facie sua (hebr.). Quam maxime igitur aberant ab institutione legis qua docibiles Deo erant efficiendi. Ultimum vae in principes denuntiatur et iudices qui cum virtutem et iustitiam fulcire ac tueri debuerint, sua intemperantia et iniustitia fundamenta reipublieae subruunt;
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v. 22 « vae qui potentes estis ad. bibendum vinum et viri forles ad. miscendam ebrietatem !
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v. 93 qui iustificatis impium pro muneribus et. iustitiam. iusti. aufertis ab eo » ! — cum ironia dicit : validi sunt et potentes, sed ad potandum vinum; seduli sunt et prudentes atque solertes et robusti, heroes sunt, sed ad miscendam siceram (hebr.) i. e. ad vina variis aromatibus condienda, quibus reddantur suaviora. Cum hac temulentia intime nexum est iustitiam habere venalem. Qui non valet pecunia et muneribus ius suum ab istis iudicibus redimere, causa cadet.' Ad haec ergo recidit inter alia cura viduarum et pupillorum, quam toties tamque graviter Deus in lege iniunxerat! Principum iudiceumque peccata quibus reipublicae status suffoditur, merito ultimo loco ponuntur in hac scelerum enumeratione ; illis enim uti perversitatis ita damni quam plurimum inest. Hi ergo sunt fructus quos germen. delectabile Domino attulit (v. 1), haec opera praeclara quibus edocti lege divina et continuis prophetarum institutionibus admoniti operam navarunt ! Avaritia, voluptas, irrisio sermonum propheticorum cum blasphemia coniuncta, perversio boni rectique et laus mali, superbia, apud iudices iustitia venalis, hi sunt sex veluti gradus quibus ad imam iniquitatem penetratur. Quam late igitur per omnes ordines serpsit impietas ! Quare, uti v. 13, statim subditur poena condigna.
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v. 24 « Propter hoc sicut devorat stipulam lingua ignis et calor flammae exurit, sic radix eorum quasi favilla erit et germen eorum ut. pulvis ascendet; abiecerunt enim legem Domini exercituum et eloquium Sancti Israel. blasphemaverunt » ; — non sine emphasi repetitis vicibus propter hoc inculcari (v. 13. 14) monet Procop. i. e. « propter ea quae dicta sunt, non casu aliquo vel naturae necessitate vel fato, sed ob ea quae ipsi admiserunt facinora ». Ignis imagine et celeritas ultionis et facilitas sumendi supplicii et extrema punitorum pernicies exhibetur (S. Chrys.). Hebr. in secundo membro intellige : et sicut foenum flamma consumitur (collabitur, evanescit). Radix et germen, hebr. /los eorum i. e. infima et summa funditus peribunt, uti in arbore omnis revirescendi spes aufertur, si non solum truncus, verum etiam radix igne absumitur (cf. 1, 30; 6, 13). Stipulas in agris relictas igne absumere solebant ; unde facile fluit comparatio instituta, quae insuper ad parabolam propositam de vinea bene consonat. Legis contemptum a maiestate legislatoris illustrat et auget vates ; est Domimus exercituum, coeli terraeque Dominator, cui ad ultionem capiendam praesto sunt cuncta agmina coelestia et terrestria ; est Sanctus Israel qui ut ipse est sanctus, ab omni defectu quam maxime alienus, omne peccatum odio infinito prosequens, ita sanctitatem suam relucentem in populo electo cernere vult, quem in finem tot ei concessit subsidia in lege et in prophetis. Huic vero Dei voluntati non modo non obsequuntur, sel etiam ad id audaciae progressi sunt, ut blasphemias in eum iactent (cf. v. 19). Cum igitur tot punitionis infligendae tituli praesto sint Domino, merito pergit s. vates
Tales igitur et tam atroces labruscas cum vinea attulerit, iam Dominus ostendit quid ei facturus sit ; in v. 24 imaginem excidii, in v. 25. excidium ipsum proponit ;
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v. 23 « ideo iratus est furor Domini in populum suum el extendit manum suam super eum et. percussit ewm et. conturbati sunt montes et facta. sunt morlicinia eorum quasi stercus in medio platearum.» ! — accensus est furor Domini (hebr.) ; olim Deus manu extenta et brachio forti populum suum ex Aegypto liberaverat, hostes percusserat ; iam eandem potentiam quam olim ad beneficia praestanda exhibuerat (cf. Ex. 3, 20; 1, 9; 15, 12 etc.), exseret ad populum ingratum percutiendum. Et percussio adeo est vehemens, ut montes quoque ictu contremiscant; est, ut S. Hier. ait, hyperbolice dictum. Sed in tali commotione adumbratam cerne iudicis maiestatem, quem apparentem creaturae tremore ac timore sentiant (cf. Ps. 95, 9 ; 96, 4. 5; 91, "1. Is. 483, 13; 24, 19; 29, 6. Mich. 14, 3. Hab. 3, 3) ; et merito quidem talis hypotyposis ! adhibetur, quia simul cum homine etiam creatura affligitur iudicio divino. Ut morticinia eorum declarant, ea Dei percussio in clade ingenti consistet. Bellicum apparatum magno studio sibi comparant (cf. 2, 8), bellis et cladibus prosternentur. Talis est agendi et puniendi ratio apud Deum. Atque revera clades ingentes attulerunt varia bella ; ita syriaco-ephraimiticum : « occidit Phacee de Iuda centum viginti millia in uno die » 2 Par. 28, 6 ; postea assyriacae et chaldaicae invasiones (cf. Ier. 9, 21; 16, 4; 34, 20). Hoc loco aptissime prior illa clades intelligitur. Verum una hac percussione et strage iudicium Dei non estabsolatum ; aliae sequentur eaeque maiores ; quare « 2n his omnibus non est aversus furor eius, sed adhuc manus eius extenta » ; — cum enim punitio inflicta convenientem emendationis fructum non attulerit, ad alteram et tertiam progreditur iudex. Extrema igitur ruina non statim imminet, sed per gradus quosdam praeparatur. lllam tamen certo minatur manus adhuc extenta i. e. parata ad iudicium irae infligendum, « vexillo sublato accersens hostes et iudicia exsequens » (Malv.), quia « licet crudeliter vastati, fame et siti pressi bellique calamitatibus impliciti fuerint miselli; tamen in hac aversione a Deo perstiterünt nec ab ira liberi immunesque fuerunt » (S. Cyr.). Iam a v. 26 haec ruina extrema describitur, quae v. 24 erat annuntiata. Cum parabola proposita (5, 1 seq.) universam synagogae historiam complectatur eiusque ruinam et a Deo abiectionem adumbret, etiam non mirum est hoc loco describi impetum hostilem omnia funditus evertentem et exhiberi demum tenebras nulla lucis et salutis spe proposita. — Deus ipse milites suos conscriptos evocat, qui insigni robore et fortitudine praestant et pugnandi cupiditate ardent; optimis armis instructi sunt ; ingenti terrore omnia replent. Id iam ad formidinem facit, quod gentes ignotae, a longinquo, a finibus terrae evocantur
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v. 26 « et elevabit signum in nationibus procul et sibilabit ad. eum de finibus terrae et ecce festinus velociter veniet » ; — cf. Deut. 28, 49 : « adducet Dominus super te gentem de longinquo et de extremis terrae finibus » ; minae iam sunt a Moyse editae. Quam prompte et alacriter feroces illae gentes nutui Dei obsequuntur; quam facile illarum turmas ingentes Deus adducit ! sibilo enim illos accersit !, uti « apiarii sibilo apes excitant, eas ex alveariis ad flores et herbaseducunt, ex agris reducunt, domique ut immorentur efficiunt » (S. Cyr.) ; cf. 1, 8. lllusores ridebant : festinet et cito veniat opus eius (v. 19) ; respondet vates : ecce festinus velociter veniet (cf. Sanct.). renum eius nec rumpetur corrigia calceamenti eius » ; — venit quidem a longinquo, ab extremis terrae, at minime fatigatur; nemo est lassus, nemo in ingressu titubat vel vacillat vel offendit; maxima omnes pergunt alacritate et quasi inexhausta fortitudine, ita ut ab omni cessatione vel remissione sint alienissimi, morae vel quietis impatientes. Ipsa quoque vestimenta invictam fortitudinem prae se ferunt. Quod, ut monet S. Ephr., Deus olim suo populo praestitisse dicitur (Deut. 29, 3), id roboris iam hostibus largiri videtur ; non enim cingulum militare, cui gladium insertum gerunt, solvitur, et ne corrigia quidem ocrearum rumpitur; - qua re simul indefessus militum vigor atque strenuitas declaratur ; semper enim diu noctuque loricati sunt.neque balteum dissolvent sed accineti et parati semper praesto sunt. Hisce accedunt arma optima et bellicus apparatus longe praestantissimus
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v. 28 « sagittae eius acutae et omnes arcus eius extenti ; ungulae equorum eius ut silex et rotae eius quasi impetus tempestatis » ; — descriptio est ad terrorem incutiendum facta ; quare hostes irruunt arcus iam paratos et tensos (calcatos) gestantes. Cum veteres equis soleas ferreas inducere non solerent, quam maxime opus erat ungulis solido ac duro cornu instructis (cf. 42Jxéxc- $e; xo; apud Homerum), ut Chald. habet : ungulae equorum eius ut saxum reputantur; ergo cursu non atterentur, in ipsa regione $copulosa et viarum asperitate horrida firmi incedunt; ne ergo Iudaei nimis regioni montanae fidant ! Currus quoque solidi ac praestantes ; « rotae curruum illius quasi vehementes turbines cum ingenti fremitu discurrent et quacumque tulerint impetum, omnia pervertent:» (Osor.). Iam quanta ferocitate hostis irruat et quam stragem sit editurus, audi
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v. 99 « rugitus eius ut leonis, rugiet ut catuli leonum et frendet et tenebit praedam et amplezxabitur et non erit qui eruat » ; — ingenti clamore bellico sublato terrorem augent aggressuri, sicut leo rugitu animalia perterrefacit ; leo cum fremitu in praedam irruit eamque arctissime comprehensam sic continet, ut nemo illam ex faucibus eripiat, « sic hostis in tuam perniciem anhelans ita rugiet, ut suo te fremitu concutiat ; ita tenebit lacerabitque, ut nullus te ex illius unguibus expediat » (Sanct.). Cladem illam extremam alia vates depingit imagine
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V. 90 « et sonabit super eum $n. die illa sicut sonitus maris ; aspiciemus in terram et. ecce tenebrae tribulationis et luz obtenebrata est in caligine eius »; — quasi maris inundatio qua omnia fluctibus obvoluta abripiuntur, hostes terram obtegent et ruinam invehent ; nulla salutis spes — nihil nisi tenebrae miseriarum. Apta paraphrasi Sanct. rem declarat : « veniet contra Ierusalem hostis infensus cum sonitu horribili ex armorum strepitu, buccinarum clangore et barbarae vocis horrisono ululatu, non secus atque si mare saeviens cum ingenti fragore vastos devolvat atque frementes fluctus in obiectas rupes. Tunc autem nullus erit locus, unde nobis spes ulla salutis aut praesidii appareat. Aspiciemus enim in terram, o viri Iuda, et illam undique tribulationum caligo cireumfundet neque e coelo quidquam erit, quod sperare possumus praeter tenebras ». Ita scil. ruina illa erit, quae vineae infideli obtinget (v. 6). Synagoga post tot beneficia frustra collata abiicitur. Quanta sit oppositio inter salutem et perditione, inter ruinam et resurrectionem, comparatione instituta huius loci cum 4, 3. 6 insigni ratione ostenditur. Ultima v. 30 pars varie in hebr. accipitur. Adest Waxiosy. D'ETWZ, quam vocem ab. zy stillare (Deut. 32, 2; 33, 28) derivanles explicant vel de coelis, unde stüllatur, vel pressius de nubibus pluviam stillantibus (cf. Mald. For. Malv. Vat. et ita recentiores quoque Ges. Ros. Drechsl. Kn. Bred. Del. Naeg. Rohi.); plerique iungunt lux oblenebrata est in coelo eius scil. terrae, in ea coeli parte quae terram illam circumtegit, vel nubibus eius scil. super terram illam expansis. Alii tamen verba aliter nectunt : ecce tenebrae, tribulatio et luv, obtenebrescit in coelis eius ; id quod explanant de vicissitudine quadam qua tribulatio ventura salutis spe excipiatur, donec plena ruina ingruat ; sed sententia profertur nimis abrupta, neque simile est 21, 12, uti ex interpretatione patebit; quibus aecedit quod hoc loco iam versamur in descriptione ruinae extremae, in qua eiusmodi vicissitudo: iam non exspeclatur. Alii etiam longius ab usitata vocabulorum adeo frequentium significatione recedentes vertunt ; ecce tenebrae, grando et fulgur, obtenebrescit in coelis eius (Drechsl.). Si in altero membro ante *3N repeteretur 5, magna quadam coneinnitate exsurgeret sententia : aspicient ad terram et ecce tenebrae angustiarum ; ad lueem (ad solem, coelum), obtenebreseit nubibus eius ; atque hane sententiam lextu quoque mas. enuntiari Hitz. censet; verum ea interpretatio audacior videtur. Locum hune praeclaris dicendi luminibus illustrari, iam notarunt veteres interpretes. Ita Sanct. : « describit exercitum quem Dominus contra populum quondam suum armavit et duxit, atque ita describit eleganter, ut in eo genere non meminerim me aliquid legisse significantius aut illustrius. Apparatus autem ille castrensis accomodatus est ad superanda atque evertenda illa quibus ab omni hostili machinamento et arte tutos se futuros existimabant Iudaei. Quia regio petrosa erat neque ideo apta equestri excursioni, equorum ungulis instar silicis duritiem et vim quandam indomitam attribuit. Cetera elegantissime militum ardorem studiumque pugnandi demonstrant, ita ut a belli molestiis nihil temporis aut otio aut quieti concedant ». Fuerunt qui versus hos 25-30 ex hoc loco expungi et in alium. loeum (v. 25 ante 9, 8 et v. 26-30 post 10, 4) transferri vellent (Ewald, Diest.). Mirantur nimirum post v. 24 et ruinam completam ibi descriptam alia adhue addi; offenduntur versu illo qui postmodum quoque recurrit in his omnibus non est aversus furor eius. At immerito. Nam in v. 94 ruinam exhiberi breviter et summatim, quae postea suis gradibus accuratius declaretur, modo apud Isaiam. frequenter obvio plane congruit, immo cum v. 94 ruina expressa sit potius metaphorice, propriis verbis fieri eius denuntiationem fere exspectamus ob morein quem alias apud vatem nostrum observatum cernimus (cf. 4, 5-7. 99. 93). Neque omitti debet, cum in parabola vineae destructio adeo per singulas fere partes delineata proponatur, vix fieri posse ut in vaticinio de ipsa re eventus ille verbis adeo paucis absolvatur. Ad quod adde, eoncinnitate quae a v. 8 et deinceps adsit omnino vetari ne post v. 2£ orationi finis imponatur. Nam post primum vae in primum peceatorum genus poena daobus versibus (9. 10) propónitur; postalterum vae poena quinque versibus (13-17) comprehenditur ; quis tali gradatione attenta post quztfuor vae in varia peccatorum genera pronuntiata poenam uno solum concludi versu sibi persuaserit ? Uti textus tra- ditus habet eui veteres versiones et interpretes omnes suffragium ferunt, tres illae partes (8-10; 11-17 ; 18-30) apta inter se concinnitate et gradatione iunguntur. Negue obstat quod sententia illa in his omnibus... etiam infra occurrit, Nam altera quoque et elevabit signum... et sibilabit saepius legitur (cf. 7, 18 ; 11, 12 cf. 13, 9. 5) et hoc loco apte ponitur, ut indicetur ruinam illam non uno quasi ictu iri devolutum, sed iterato Deum calamitates esse immissurum. — Bred. eandem versuum dispositionem sequitur, sed ita ut a v. 23 non novum oraculum incipiatur, sed oraculum de vinea continuetur '. Ita quidem partes | illae uno in loco exhibentur quae eodem versu : in omnibus his.. distinguuntur ; nihilominus talis transpositio non est probabilis. Ea enim facta sequitur post 9, 1 i. e. post vaticinium messianicum statim oraculum quod absolute incipiat vae Assur. In ordine autem recepto antea bene et efficaciter exponitur, quid populus peecaverit et per quos demum gradus ad invasionem Assyriorum res sit perducta. Vide nexum rerum ad 9, 8 et 10, 5 expositum. Praeterea quomodo hic iam mentio iuiiciatur (9, 11) Rasin non intelligitur; utique Bred. textum mutat. Sed num recte ? Dein iudicium solet ex Israel in Iudam transire, uti 8, 1. 8; hic vero statuitur ex Iuda progredi in Israel ! Vide ad 9, 12. nemur, prophetam cum integrum librum certo ordine componeret, id quod fere versus finem vitae eius factum esse probabile erit, etiam orationibus illis unam vel alteram addidisse. Ita sunt qui 3, 19 « mulieres dominatae sunt eis » (ef. 3, 4) ex tempore Achaz repeti debere censeant. [d quidem non erit necessarium, quia feminarum prava indoles non eo tantum tempore, verum sub omni rege in perniciem multorum vergere poterat. Sed si quis contendat, talia a propheta fuisse tum demum proposita, eum orationes scripto conciperet librumque in suum redigeret ordinem, non erit de hac re multum disceptandum. Aliis quoque videtur oraculum illud de monte Doinini propter rem Ier. 26, 18 narratam pertinere ad tempus Ezechiae ; unde similiter hoe loco esse insertum volunt a pro— pheta eum librum suum ordinaret, non autem editum tempore loatham ; — sed haec ratio rem non evincit, cum ler. 26, 18 solum statuatur oraculumi etiam tempore Ezechiae esse pronuntiatum, minime autem colligi possit nedum debeat prima vice eo tempore esse promulgatum (cf. supra ad 9, 9). Cum indoles harum orationum generalis adeo emineat, impletio earum quaerenda est non in particularibus quibusdam eventibus qui statim tempore Isaiae acciderint, sed in maiore eventuum serie qua demum omnia sublimia et excelsa in Iuda deiecta sint et via praeparata saluti messianicae. Propheta enim non id agit hoc loco, ut determinatos eventus vaticinetur proxime futuros vel res omnino particulares efferat, sed normam enuntiat generalem divinam qua Dominus üsurus sit in populum rebellem et qua theocratiam sit restituturus ; via et modus delineatur iudiciorum Dei, finis describitur ad quem illa tendunt; qui vero futuri sint singuli casus, qui gradus iudiciorum, quae singulorum conditiones ac series, hoc loco non attingitur. Unde ex hoc iam eapite frustra laborasse censeo Dr. Neteler qui singulis oraculis quos eventus singulos assignet inquirit. Ita v. g., ad 2, 18 censet praedictionem ingredere in petram etc. impletam esse saltem. probabiliter, cum Theglathphalasar-Phulexpeditionem bellicam susciperet in Damascum, Philisthaeam et in regionem Iordanis orientalem. Sed cam ea expeditio non adversus Iudaeam dirigeretur, vix probabile erit tum temporis praecipitem illam fugam in Iudaea evenisse. Quae 2, 12 seq. praedicuntur, variis bellis regis Sargon contra Israel esse impleta ; 2, 20. 21 autem in exsilio babylonico eventu compleri ; 3, 1 seq. partim ea delineari quae tempore tertiae expeditionis regis Sennacherib contigerint, plene autem rerum iudaicarum omnium dissolutionem tum demum factam esse, cum iusti in Iuda etIerusalem abiecta omni spe humana Messiae nomen dederint ; similiter 3, 16-4, 1 adumbratione quadam compleri rege Ezechia cum multi in captivitatem abducti sint, plenam vero vastationem illatum esse per Romanos urbe saneta destructa et populo exciso, ita ut solae mulieres relinqui viderentur. — Sed praeplacet ratione quadam generali illustrari normam illam : Sion in iudicio redimetur (cf. 1, 2T). Anc. — Illustri specie Dei maiestas et gloria offertur menti Isaiae ; chori seraphim maxima reverentia Dei thronum cingunt laudes Dei concinentes etgloriae eius manifestationem annuntiantes, cuius sublimitatis documentum in ipsa templi commotione et caligine sacra exhibetur (6, 1-4). Tali visione obiecta vates sacro quodam horrore obstupescit suam indignitatem et peccatorum maculas profitens; quo facto unius seraph ministerio expiatur (6, 53-1). Expiatione facta Dei percipit invitationem ad munus prophetale suscipiendum, cui ultro sese offert. Muneris obeundi ratio et effectus ei panditur : obeaecatio populi eiusque obduratio; cuius aliud remedium non superesse Dominus edicit nisi iteratam populi terraeque vastationem et destructionem, in qua tamen semen sanctum sit salvandum (6, 8-13). Inter inteepretes controvertitur, sitne haec visio ad munus propheticum inauguratio prima an muneris iam antea accepti nova quaedam confirmatio vel ad certam quoddam officium subeundum institutio. Quare in ipsa huius visionis consideratione id inter alia ob oculos haberi oportebit, ad quid ipsum per se argumentum sua quasi sponte et natura tendat.
5:8
Isaias (HEB. JĒŠA-JĀH[Ā] "SALVATION [IS] YAHWEH", SEPTUAGINT 'HESAIAU)
… From Amos (v.) and from him come the most impressive figurations of transgressions against justice: the rich man who commits oppression to the harm of the common people and enriches himself at their expense (Is. 5:8, 14-15; etc.); unjust sentences in cases brought before magistrates; oppression of the
5:9
… 1; 3, 1; Mic. 1, 1; 3, 5; 6, 1; Nah. 1, 12; Zeph. 1, 1; Hag. 1, 1; 2, 1, 11, 21; Zech. 1, 1; 7, 1 ff.) what he has written; reports visions, revelations or supernatural dreams (Num. 12, 6 ff.; Is. 6, 20; Jer. 1, 11-16; Ezek. 4, 1-5, 4; Jer. 4, 20 ff.; Is. 5, 9; 22, 14; Ezek. 9, 1; Jer. 20, 7-12; 23, 28; Mic. 3, 8; Is. 6, 6-9; Jer. 1, 17-19; Ezek. 3, 8-9). The hagiographer or biblical writer is therefore the intermediary through whom God …
5:14
… And as then "within its bounds" the human creature had been unable to raise itself, so now. Hell has dilated its jaws (Is. 5:14) and sent its satellites into the world; so that, even if one takes the step "which never yet left any person alive" and escapes from the wood, he is not thereby able to climb to the …
Is. 14, 9; Ez. 31, 15. Others prefer to give the root ἐδ'ῶ the meaning popascit, which would indicate an insatiable abyss that devours men, or even a place of interrogation, as it were the dwelling of the spirits that were consulted (cf. Prov. 27, 20; 30, 16; Is. 5, 14; Ps. 6, 6; 89, 49).
This world of the dead is in the subterranean cavity, opposed to the height of heaven (Job 11:8); into this depth (Ps. 48:15; 62:12; Is. 5:14; Ecclus. 17:19) one
5:23
To justify sometimes means to declare just an individual; for example, Prov. 17:15: "Qui iustificat impium et qui condemnat iustum, abominabilis est uterque apud Deum"; Mt. 12:37: "Ex verbis tuis iustificaberis et ex verbis tuis condemnaberis"; in these texts, as in others (for example, Is. 5:23), the so-called forensic sense is evident: to declare someone innocent without however being the cause of his uprightness.
5:24
… Among the prophets the t. (usually in the singular) is moral and spiritual "teaching" (Am. 2, 4); "the t. of our God" encompasses the norms of morality in which true service of God consists (Is. 1, 10; 5, 24; 8, 16, 20; 30, 9). The prophet is called môrah ("teacher"), of the same root as t. (Is. 9, 14; 30, 20). In Jer. 6, 19; 9, 13; etc., t. designates both the preaching of the prophets …
5:26
… From this fusion arose the Assyrian people, warlike, cruel, the terror of the ancient East (cf. Is. 5:26-29).
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · Vulgata Clementina · original Douay-Rheims (Douay 1609-10), transcription by EEBO-TCP (CC0) · La Sacra Bibbia, tradotta dalla Volgata da Antonio Martini (1769-1781) (LaParola (laparola.net), Martini OSIS text, Public domain (LaParola's electronic edition marks it 'Dominio pubblico')). Public domain.