A Short Abridgment on Isaiah

The book of the twelve Prophets is one; and what physicians are wont to do in sicknesses and in those wounded in the body, this the Prophets, as spiritual physicians, were wont to do in the wounds of the soul and its various sins. In the twelve Prophets, one who, like a sick man, refused to be cured of his fault, is described as coming even unto death; and afterward it is related that through Christ, who is the true physician, he was healed after death. What therefore the twelve Prophets do part by part, and nonetheless themselves briefly indicate, keeping the same order, this the Greater Prophets were wont to do at greater length. Now Ezra, whose name means "helper," and Zerobabel, whose name means "this prince in Babylon," and Jesus, which in our tongue sounds "Saviour," went before the Lord in a figure; so that what the other Prophets could not cure by their medicinal books, these should cure, and should bring back the people after the captivity. (Chap. I.) The vision of Isaiah.

It is called a vision for this reason, that the Prophets know things to come, and behold with spiritual eyes the coming of the Saviour: whence among the ancients the Prophets were also called Seers. The son of Amos. Many think that Amos, who is the third of the twelve Prophets, was the father of Isaiah, but they err greatly: for they are written among the Hebrews with different letters; the one through sade, the other through sin. Which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. Isaiah is sent especially to the two tribes, Judah and Benjamin; and to Jerusalem: that is, to the metropolis-city of the two tribes. In the days of Ozias, Joatham, Achaz, Ezechias, kings of Judah. Under all these, then, who reigned in Judah, his prophecy was extended: even in the book itself we shall find under which king each vision was uttered.

This according to the History; but according to tropology it must be understood that whatever is said against Samaria and the ten tribes, this is said against heresies: but whatever is said against Jerusalem, this is said against the Church. This is the first understanding of the tropology: the second is another: the soul that has erred, and falling from justice has become subject to vices, is called Ephraim, is called Samaria; for it is said to have made golden calves for itself, and this is referred to the ten tribes. Whoever still perseveres in his purpose, and has not broken out into open madness, denying what is said, and nonetheless remains subject to vices, is rebuked by the Prophet as Judah, in whom there is true confession of God, and as Jerusalem, which indeed seems to have peace, that he may withdraw himself from hidden crimes, lest captivity come upon him also.

Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord has spoken. For it is written in the Canticle of Deuteronomy, at that time when Moses, as it were a cloud of the Lord, spoke: Attend, O heaven, and I will speak, and let the earth hear the words of my mouth: let my speech be awaited like the rain, and let my words descend like the dew: and he had given the law of God under these witnesses, namely heaven and earth; that is, all the creatures which are included in heaven and earth: for from a part the whole is indicated (synechdochically): what is held in the parts is meant, because all are included, as we have said. Heaven and earth. Because the people transgressed the law of God, he calls again the same witnesses under whom the law was given; so that, since the people scorned to hear, all the creatures may hear.

Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth. According to the history, what he says is this: Since the human race has scorned me, and among all the creatures and elements that I have made, this alone is a rebellious race, which resists my will; therefore let even the creatures that are thought irrational hear, that the more rational may be the more condemned. For the Lord has spoken. I have nourished and exalted sons: he did not say "I have begotten sons," as they have in the common interpretation; for it would have been superfluous to say "I have begotten sons," since certainly every son is begotten. Therefore in saying "sons," he indicated that they were already begotten.

Now he makes an increase, because everyone who begets, also nourishes: therefore I both begot and nourished: and I was not content only to have nourished, as though, after the manner of animals and birds, I should leave them to their own passion, and abandon them to their own labor; but those whom I had nourished as little ones, I also made great and grown, that to whom I had given life, I might now also give glory. But they have despised me. For such great benefits, the return was contempt. The ox has known his owner, and the ass his master's crib. Man, who is rational, is compared to irrational beasts and cattle, so that, since they have felt benefits, and even the sense of brutes does not fail to know him whose benefits it feels, the human race alone may be condemned, which has despised God. The ox, who labors, who bows his neck to the yoke, and gives much more from his labor than he himself receives from his master, nevertheless understands his owner.

The ass also understands his master's crib, the benefits, and more gladly sees the place where he is accustomed to receive food. Israel has not known: it is understood, "me": my people has not understood: it is understood, neither owner nor master: and at the same time consider how great a force these examples have. Although the ox receives food from his master, and the ass knows his crib, yet they render much more by their labor to their masters than they themselves receive from their masters: but I, though I have no benefit from men, except this only, if they themselves whom I love be saved: though I have bestowed so much on them, and received nothing, for all my benefits they have returned only contempt. Since therefore I have suffered so much, and have lost the Son whom I had nourished, whom I had exalted, I do the only thing I can do: I will mourn the lost and dead one whom, while sick, I could not heal.

Woe to the sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a wicked seed, wicked children. They have changed their names: woe to the sinful nation, which was once called my nation: a people laden; for they are weighed down with grievous sins: a wicked seed; not my seed, according to what is said elsewhere, "And in thy seed shall all nations be blessed": wicked children, by no means my children; for as soon as we begin to sin, together with the condition of sin we also lose the name of sons. They have forsaken the Lord, as one following in each of their ways.

These are individual senses: though they have done all things, though they have committed every kind of wickedness, yet I did not abandon them, but waited, that they might sometime return to me: but they, though I stood and stretched out my hands for their repentance, forsook me: and it is not enough for them that they have forsaken (behold the increase of sins), but they have also blasphemed the Holy One of Israel, they are estranged, turned backward: that is, they have begun to be what they were before, before they were called by my name. For what shall I strike you any more, that you add still to transgression? Punishment is inflicted by the Lord, as by a true physician, so that through cauteries and biting powder health may follow.

Therefore what he says is this: I have applied many plasters, I have wished to heal you with various medicines, I find no kind of remedy, since your sickness daily increases: not only, he says, are you not healed of your former vices, but even while my treatment is unwinding your former sins, you add new wounds. For what shall I strike you any more? These are as it were the words of one in doubt: that is, in what shall I heal you? For since the blow of the Lord strikes in order to amend, he chastises in order to heal: He says, "For what shall I strike?" that is, as it were, "What plaster shall I apply to you?" adding transgression: since daily you join new sins to old ones. Now that which we said a little before, that the Prophets are spiritual physicians, and heal, as it were, the whole race of diseases, is now shown by a most manifest example: for see what the Scripture says.

The whole head is sick, and the whole heart mourning; from the sole of the foot even to the crown there is no soundness in it; wound, and bruise, and swelling sore. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart mourning. I frequently admonish that we should consider each word in the Prophets; for this reason indeed, according to the history, no usefulness appears to the unlearned, because they do not understand what is said. If someone is sick, or oppressed in body by a most difficult disease, but has a more cheerful soul, the weakness of the body is sustained by the cheerfulness of the mind. Again, if someone has mourning and sorrow of heart, and various tribulations, but a robust body, the health of the body sustains the weakness of the soul: but when both the body is in sickness and the soul in sorrow, no remedies can help. This, therefore, is what is meant by the medicinal saying, the whole head is sick.

And the whole heart mourning: and consider at the same time, that he has compared the principal part of the body, that is the head, to the principal part of the soul, that is the heart: in the head are all the senses; when the other members are cut off, the soul can still live; but when the head is cut off, all life is taken away: and he did not say, "the whole head cut off"; for it would have been superfluous to describe the other members, and the diseases of the remaining limbs, if he had said "cut off." He says "sick," then, so that it may have a place in the description of the other members as well. From the sole of the foot to the crown there is no soundness in it. All Israel is sick; not even a single holy man can be found, as it were a member in the body, that might seem sound.

For if there were something in the whole body that was sound, from the health of that one part even the rest would seem to draw healing. Wound, and bruise, and swelling sore: wound, recent sins; bruise, ancient crimes; swelling sore, an unripe and old offense, as it were bearing pus. It has not been bound up, nor healed with medicine, nor softened with oil. Not that God has not done this; for he has done all things, and the Prophets would have been sent in vain, if they had not done these things: but because health did not follow, in a certain sense the things that were done seem not to have been done. According to tropology. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: that is, both you who seem holy, and you who are sinners, hear alike. I have nourished and exalted sons, but they have despised me.

I, God, have deigned to have men as sons; I have nourished them, and magnified them, so as to call them friends instead of servants: but they have despised me; this, through their sins, and certainly though they have felt no harshness from me. And he wisely said "despised": no one despises, except one whose goodness is excessive: therefore, interpreting both his clemency and my gentleness as weakness, they have despised him whom they ought to have feared and loved: and he sets forth the example which we mentioned above, of the ox and the ass.

Now we interpret all this in the Scriptures concerning those who through their sins have departed from the Lord, that they are much worse than brute animals: for those animals, not having so great benefits from their masters and owners, nonetheless do not depart from their master: for the ox, when it has been beaten, and the ass, when its master has been angry with it, does not perceive the blows, but only remembers the benefits; and when it sees its master it plays, and shows the gladness of its mind by whatever gestures it can: but Israel, that is, the soul that sees God, has refused to know me.