John Chrysostom, On Isaiah

introduces a correction? It is a custom of God, even when He threatens, to deny salvation, so as to increase fear and not to end the discourse there, but so as to suggest good hopes and in this way again to lead them back to repentance. And one might see this happening everywhere. However, in the case of the Ninevites, He has done this not through words, but through deeds. For in His words, promising nothing good, but leaving the punishment to lie naked upon the threat, when all the barbarians showed what was in their power, He quickly dissolved His anger. So also in the psalm again David; for I anticipated by saying that this is altogether similar throughout to the introduction; and just as this one says, "Wash yourselves, be clean," after the threats; so also that one, after saying, "I will reprove you and set your iniquities before your face," added, "A sacrifice of praise will glorify me, and there is the way by which I will show them the salvation of my God;" meaning by praise the doxology through works and the knowledge of Him. But so that, upon hearing, "Wash yourselves, be clean," they might not think of the customary purifications, He added, "Take away the evils from your souls from before my eyes, cease from your evils." He showed the ease of virtue and the freedom of their will, that it was in them to change. "Learn to do good." Thus, from much wickedness they had cast out even the knowledge of virtue. Thus also the prophet David says: "Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord." For this is superior to all knowledge and requires greater diligence, inasmuch as it also has more hindrances: the tyranny of nature, and the indolence of choice, and the plots of demons, and the multitude of affairs. So indeed also Baruch: "This is our God; no other shall be accounted of in comparison with him; he has found out all the way of knowledge." "Seek judgment." That is, to vindicate the wronged, which requires much labor and a sober soul. Therefore He also said, "Seek." For there are many things that obscure what is just: both bribery and ignorance and power and shame and fear and respect of persons; and great vigilance is needed. "Deliver the wronged." This is more than the former; for it demands not to decree what is just, but also to bring it to completion. "Judge the orphan and justify the widow." God is greatly concerned that no one suffer evil, but more so when, along with suffering evil, some are also clothed in another misfortune. For widowhood and orphanhood are in themselves unbearable; but when they are also abused by others, the shipwreck is double. "And come, and let us reason together, says the Lord." It must be observed that everywhere in the prophets God seeks nothing so much as to defend the wronged. Thus, for instance, also elsewhere, as in Micah, when the Jews say, "Shall I give my firstborn for my impiety, the fruit of my womb for the sin of my soul," He added, saying, "It has been told to you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord seeks from you, but to do judgment and to love mercy and to be ready to walk behind the Lord your God." And again the prophet David said, "I will sing of mercy and judgment to you, O Lord." "And come now." Having first armed them with justifications, then He draws them to the judgment seat, and having taught them how they might strip off the accusations, then He demands an accounting, so that He might not take them naked of a defense and condemn them. "And let us be judged." "Let us go to law," He says. He who judges becomes an advocate and a physician. Then showing that even if we do great works, we still need His love for mankind to be delivered from sins, He says, "Though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them white as snow;" taking qualities diametrically opposed and promising to change them Himself to the opposite. "Though they be as crimson, I will make them white as wool." Great is the power of the protection of widows, if indeed it not only delivers from wickedness a soul so defiled as to have received a fast dye of evil, but also makes it so brilliant. And if you are willing and

διόρθωσιν εἰσάγει; Ἔθος τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ ἡνίκα ἂν ἀπειλῇ, ἀπαγορεύειν τὴν σωτηρίαν, ὥστε αὐξῆσαι τὸν φόβον καὶ μὴ ἐνταῦθα καταλύειν τὸν λόγον, ὥστε χρηστὰς ὑποτεῖναι τὰς ἐλπίδας καὶ ταύτῃ πάλιν εἰς μετάνοιαν ἐπανάγειν. Καὶ τοῦτο πανταχοῦ γινόμενον ἴδοι τις ἄν. Ἐπὶ μέντοι τῶν Νινευϊτῶν οὐ διὰ ῥημάτων, ἀλλὰ διὰ πραγμάτων αὐτὸ πεποίηκεν. Ἐν γὰρ τοῖς λόγοις οὐδὲν χρηστὸν ὑποσχόμενος, ἀλλὰ γυμνὴν ἐπὶ τῆς ἀπειλῆς κεῖσθαι τὴν τιμωρίαν ἀφείς, ἐπειδὴ τὰ παρ' ἑαυτῶν ἐπεδείξαντο πάντες οἱ βάρβαροι, ταχέως ἔλυσε τὴν ὀργήν. Οὕτω καὶ ἐν τῷ ψαλμῷ πάλιν ὁ ∆αυΐδ· ἔφθην γὰρ εἰπών, ὅτι ὅλως δι' ὅλου τῷ προοιμίῳ τοῦτο προσέοικεν· καὶ ὥσπερ οὗτός φησι· Λούσασθε, καθαροὶ γίνεσθε, μετὰ τὰς ἀπειλάς· οὕτω καὶ ἐκεῖνος μετὰ τὸ εἰπεῖν· Ἐλέγξω σε καὶ παραστήσω κατὰ πρόσωπόν σου τὰς ἀνομίας σου, ἐπήγαγε· Θυσία αἰνέσεως δοξάσει με καὶ ἐκεῖ ὁδός, ᾗ δείξω αὐτοῖς τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ μου· αἴνεσιν λέγων τὴν διὰ τῶν ἔργων δοξολογίαν καὶ τὴν ἐπίγνωσιν τὴν εἰς αὐτόν. Ἵνα δέ, Λούσασθε, καθαροὶ γίνεσθε, ἀκούσαντες, μὴ τοὺς εἰωθότας νομίσωσι καθαρμούς, ἐπήγαγεν· Ἀφέλετε τὰς πονηρίας ἀπὸ τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν μου, παύσασθε ἀπὸ τῶν πονηριῶν ὑμῶν. Τὸ τῆς ἀρετῆς εὔκολον ἔδειξε καὶ τὴν τῆς ἐξουσίας ἐλευθερίαν, ὅτι ἐν αὐτοῖς ἦν τὸ μεταβαλέσθαι. Μάθετε καλὸν ποιεῖν. Οὕτως ὑπὸ τῆς πολλῆς πονηρίας καὶ τὴν ἐπιστήμην τῆς ἀρετῆς ἦσαν ἐκβεβληκότες. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ προφήτης ∆αυΐδ φησι· ∆εῦτε, τέκνα, ἀκούσατέ μου· φόβον Κυρίου διδάξω ὑμᾶς. Πασῶν γὰρ ἐπιστημῶν αὕτη ἀνωτέρα καὶ πλείονος δεομένη σπουδῆς, ὅσῳ καὶ πλείονα ἔχει τὰ διακωλύοντα, φύσεως τυραννίδα καὶ προαιρέσεως ῥᾳθυμίαν καὶ δαιμόνων ἐπιβουλὰς καὶ πραγμάτων ὄχλον. Οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ Βαρούχ· Οὗτος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν· οὐ λογισθήσεται ἕτερος πρὸς αὐτόν· ἐξεῦρε πᾶσαν ὁδὸν ἐπιστήμης. Ἐκζητήσατε κρίσιν. Τουτέστιν, τὸ ἐκδικεῖν τοὺς ἀδικουμένους, ὅπερ πολλοῦ πόνου δεῖται καὶ νηφούσης ψυχῆς. ∆ιὸ καὶ Ἐκζητήσατε εἶπε. Πολλὰ γάρ ἐστι τὰ συσκιάζοντα τὸ δίκαιον, καὶ δωροδοκία καὶ ἄγνοια καὶ δυναστεία καὶ αἰδὼς καὶ φόβος καὶ θεραπεία προσώπων· καὶ δεῖ πολλῆς τῆς ἀγρυπνίας. Ῥύσασθε ἀδικούμενον. Τοῦτο πλέον τοῦ προτέρου· οὐ γὰρ ἀπαιτεῖ τὸ ψηφίζεσθαι τὰ δίκαια, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ εἰς πέρας ἄγειν. Κρίνατε ὀρφανὸν καὶ δικαιώσατε χήραν. Πολὺς τῷ Θεῷ λόγος τοῦ μηδένα πάσχειν κακῶς, πλείων δέ, ὅταν μετὰ τοῦ πάσχειν κακῶς καὶ ἑτέρᾳ τινὲς ὦσιν ἐνδεδυμένοι συμφορᾷ. Ἡ γὰρ χηρεία καὶ ὀρφανία καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὸ ἀφόρητον· ὅταν δὲ καὶ παρ' ἑτέρων ἐπηρεάζωνται, διπλοῦν τὸ ναυάγιον. Καὶ δεῦτε καὶ διαλεχθῶμεν, λέγει Κύριος. Παρατηρητέον ὅτι πανταχοῦ τῶν προφητῶν οὐδὲν οὕτως ὁ Θεὸς ἐπιζητεῖ, ὡς τὸ τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις ἐπαμύνειν. Οὕτω γοῦν καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ, ὡς ἐν τῷ Μιχαίᾳ λεγόντων τῶν Ἰουδαίων· Εἰ δώσω πρωτότοκά μου ὑπὲρ ἀσεβείας μου, καρπὸν κοιλίας μου ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτίας ψυχῆς μου, ἐπήγαγε λέγων· Ἀπηγγέλη σοι, ἄνθρωπε, τί καλὸν καὶ τί Κύριος ἐκζητεῖ παρὰ σοῦ, ἀλλ' ἢ τοῦ ποιεῖν κρίμα καὶ ἀγαπᾷν ἔλεον καὶ ἕτοιμον εἶναι τοῦ πορεύεσθαί σε ὀπίσω Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ σου. Καὶ πάλιν ὁ προφήτης ∆αυῒδ ἔλεγεν· Ἔλεον καὶ κρίσιν ᾄσομαί σοι, Κύριε. Καὶ δεῦτε δή. Πρότερον τοῖς δικαιώμασιν ὁπλίσας, τότε ἐπὶ τὸ δικαστήριον ἕλκει καὶ διδάξας ὅπως ἂν ἀποδύσαιντο τὰ ἐγκλήματα, τότε ἀπαιτεῖ τὰς εὐθύνας, ἵνα μὴ γυμνοὺς αὐτοὺς τῆς ἀπολογίας λαβὼν κατακρίνῃ. Καὶ διελεγχθῶμεν. ∆ικασώμεθα, φησίν. Ὁ δικαζόμενος συνήγορος γίνεται καὶ ἰατρός. Εἶτα δεικνύς, ὅτι κἂν μεγάλα ἐργασώμεθα, ἔτι τῆς αὐτοῦ δεόμεθα φιλανθρωφίας εἰς τὸ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀπαλλαγῆναι, φησίν· Ἐὰν ὦσιν ὑμῶν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ὡς φοινικοῦν, ὡς χιόνα λευκανῶ· τὰς ἐκ διαμέτρου ποιότητας ἐναντίας λαβὼν καὶ ὑποσχόμενος πρὸς τὸ ἐναντίον μεταστήσειν αὐτός. Ἐὰν δὲ ὦσιν ὡς κόκκινον, ὡς ἔριον λευκανῶ. Πολλὴ τῆς τῶν χηρῶν προστασίας ἡ δύναμις, εἴ γε τὴν οὕτω καταρρυπωθεῖσαν ψυχήν, ὡς καὶ αὐτοβαφὴν δέξασθαι πονηρίας, μὴ μόνον ἀπαλλάττει τῆς κακίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ λαμπρὰν οὕτως ἐργάζοιτο. Καὶ ἐὰν θέλητε καὶ