John Chrysostom, On Isaiah

from the experience of the events, the great shame of those who serve idols will be scattered. For those things they themselves wanted, about which they were zealous, he says. And they will be ashamed of their carved images, which they themselves made. He sets out the accusation in the order of a narrative. For it was sufficient, he says, even before the outcome of the wounds, that the very manner of such idol-making should put them to shame. For what is more shameful than to make a god for oneself? And they will be ashamed of their gardens, which they desired. For they not only worshiped wooden images, but also served trees in gardens. For they shall be as a terebinth that has cast its leaves. That is, either the idols or those themselves who inhabit the city. He introduced the image of this tree, both because the plant is especially native and plentiful among them, and because it flourishes and blooms exceedingly when it is in its prime, and shows extreme ugliness when it sheds its leaves. And as a garden that has no water. And the second image is clearer than the first and confirms the statement made about the first. For nothing is more delightful than a flourishing garden, nor more unpleasant than one laid waste, both of which happened to that metropolis. For it was always better and more brilliant, adorned with countless ornaments; and it has become more worthless and shameful than all things, having suddenly lost such a wealth of good order. And their strength shall be as the stalk of tow. The former images were used for what is unpleasant, but this one for what is weak; but all are exceedingly vivid and have much clarity and significance. As the stalk of tow, that is, weak. And their works as a spark of fire. Here he shows that the evils were from home, and that they themselves begot the captivity and kindled the furnace. For just as falling sparks kindle a fire, so the sins of these people, when gathered together, kindled the wrath of God. And the lawless and the sinners shall be burned together, and there shall be none to quench it. Again he forbids salvation for the same reason again, not that they should despair, but that by receiving at least this vigorous fear, they might shake off their great indifference. And he hints at something else here, the invincibility of his power, and that when he punishes and takes vengeance, no one will be able to resist and put an end to the terrible things.

2. CHAPTER II

2.1 The word that came to Isaiah the son of Amoz. From this it is clear that they did not

speak all the prophecies at once, but being inspired at different times they delivered certain sections, which, being put together later, made one whole book. Therefore he also begins in this way. But this will be clear and plain to us not only from this, but also from the way he goes on to indicate the times, now saying: In the year that Nathan came to Azotus; and now saying: And it came to pass in the year that king Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up. For the prophecies were not composed all at once like the Epistles of Paul and the Gospels, but, as I said before, at different times. Whence also he begins his discourse from another beginning. And not for this reason only, but also because the subject about which he is about to discourse is very much disconnected from the preceding and is more sublime. For he discourses to us about the calling of the gentiles, and the renown of the preaching, and the knowledge extended everywhere in the inhabited world, and the peace that will overtake the earth. But if, when he is about to touch upon such doctrines, he mentions Judea and Jerusalem, it is nothing strange. For what was said was a prophecy, for the time being overshadowed by the designation of names. Since also

τῶν πραγμάτων τῆς πείρας πολλὴ κατασκεδασθήσεται τῶν τὰ εἴδωλα θεραπευόντων ἡ αἰσχύνη. Ἐφ' οἷς αὐτοὶ ἐβούλοντο, περὶ ἃ ἐσπουδάκεισαν, φησί. Καὶ αἰσχυνθήσονται ἐπὶ τοῖς γλυπτοῖς αὐτῶν, ἐφ' οἷς αὐτοὶ ἐποίησαν. Ἐν τάξει διηγήσεως τὴν κατηγορίαν τίθησιν. Ἤρκει γάρ, φησί, καὶ πρὸ τῆς τῶν τραυμάτων ἐκβάσεως, καὶ αὐτὸς τῆς τοιαύτης εἰδωλοποιίας ὁ τρόπος αὐτοὺς καταισχῦναι. Τί γὰρ αἰσχρότερον τοῦ θεόν τινα ἑαυτῷ ποιεῖν; Καὶ αἰσχυνθήσονται ἐπὶ τοῖς κήποις αὐτῶν, ἐφ' οἷς ἐπεθύ μησαν. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ ξόανα προσεκύνουν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ δένδρα ἐν κήποις ἐθεράπευον. Ἔσονται γὰρ ὡς τερέβινθος ἀποβεβληκυῖα αὐτῆς τὰ φύλλα. Ἤτοι τὰ εἴδωλα ἢ αὐτοὶ οἱ τὴν πόλιν οἰκοῦντες. Τὴν δὲ εἰκόνα τοῦ δένδρου τούτου παρήγαγε, διά τε τὸ ἐγχώριον εἶναι μάλιστα τὸ φυτὸν καὶ πολὺ παρ' αὐτοῖς καὶ διὰ τὸ σφόδρα ἀνθεῖν καὶ τεθηλέναι, ἡνίκα ἂν ἀκμάζῃ, καὶ ἐσχάτην ἀμορφίαν ἐνδείκνυσθαι, ἐπειδὰν ἀποβάλλῃ τὰ φύλλα. Καὶ ὡς παράδεισος ὕδωρ μὴ ἔχων. Καὶ ἡ δευτέρα εἰκὼν τῆς προτέρας σαφεστέρα καὶ πιστουμένη τὸν ἐπὶ τῇ προτέρᾳ λόγον εἰρημένον. Οὔτε γὰρ παραδείσου θάλλοντος τερπνότερον οὔτε ἐρημωθέντος ἀτερπέστερον, ἅπερ ἀμφότερα γέγονεν ἐπὶ τῆς μητροπόλεως ἐκείνης. Πάντοτε γὰρ ἦν ἀμείνων καὶ λαμπροτέρα, μυρίοις καλλωπιζομένη κόσμοις· καὶ πάντων εὐτελεστέρα γέγονε καὶ αἰσχροτέρα, τοσοῦτον ἀθρόον εὐκοσμίας ἀποβαλοῦσα πλοῦτον. Καὶ ἔσται ἡ ἰσχὺς αὐτῶν ὡς καλάμη στυππείου. Αἱ πρότεραι μὲν εἰκόνες εἰς τὸ ἀτερπὲς παρελήφθησαν, αὕτη δὲ εἰς τὸ ἀσθενές· πᾶσαι δὲ σφόδρα ἐναργεῖς καὶ πολὺ τὸ σαφὲς καὶ ἐμφαντικὸν ἔχουσαι. Ὡς καλάμη στυππείου, τουτέστιν, ἀσθενεῖς. Καὶ αἱ ἐργασίαι αὐτῶν ὡς σπινθὴρ πυρός. Ἐνταῦθα δείκνυσιν ὅτι οἴκοθεν τὰ κακὰ καὶ αὐτοὶ τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν ἔτεκον καὶ τὴν κάμινον ἀνῆψαν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ σπινθῆρες ἐμπίπτοντες πῦρ ἀνεγείρουσιν, οὕτω τὰ ἁμαρτήματα τούτων συναχθέντα τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ὀργὴν ἀνῆψεν. Καὶ κατακαυθήσονται οἱ ἄνομοι καὶ οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἅμα, καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὁ σβέσων. Πάλιν ἀπαγορεύει τὴν σωτηρίαν διὰ τὴν αὐτὴν πάλιν αἰτίαν οὐχ ἵνα ἀπογνῶσιν, ἀλλ' ἵνα ταύτῃ γοῦν ἀκμάζοντα τὸν φόβον δεξάμενοι, τὴν πολλὴν ἀποτινάξωνται ῥᾳθυμίαν. Καὶ ἕτερον δέ τι ἐνταῦθα αἰνίττεται, τὸ ἄμαχον αὐτοῦ τῆς δυνάμεως, καὶ ὅτι κολάζοντος αὐτοῦ καὶ τιμωρουμένου, οὐδεὶς ἀντιστῆναι καὶ καταλῦσαι δυνήσεται τὰ δεινά.

2.τ ΚΕΦΑΛ. Βʹ

2.1 Ὁ λόγος ὁ γενόμενος πρὸς Ἡσαΐαν υἱὸν Ἀμώς. Ἐντεῦθεν δῆλον ὡς οὐ

πάσας ὑφ' ἓν τὰς προφητείας εἰρήκασιν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ διαφόρους ἐμπνεόμενοι καιροὺς περικοπάς τινας ἀπήγγελλον, αἳ συντεθεῖσαι ὕστερον ὑφ' ἓν ὁλόκληρον βιβλίον ἐποίησαν. ∆ιὸ καὶ οὕτως ἄρχεται. Οὐκ ἐντεῦθεν δὲ μόνον τοῦτο δῆλον ἔσται καὶ σαφὲς ἡμῖν, ἀλλ' ἐξ ὧν προϊὼν καὶ τοὺς καιροὺς ἐπισημαίνεται, νῦν μὲν λέγων· Τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ, οὗ εἰσῆλθε Νάθαν εἰς Ἄζωτον· νῦν δὲ λέγων· Καὶ ἐγένετο τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ, οὗ ἀπέθανεν Ὀζίας ὁ βασιλεύς, εἶδον τὸν Κύριον καθήμενον ἐπὶ θρόνου ὑψηλοῦ καὶ ἐπῃρμένου. Οὐ γὰρ ὥσπερ αἱ Ἐπιστολαὶ αἱ Παύλου καὶ τὰ Εὐαγγέλια ὑφ' ἓν συνετέθησαν, οὕτω δὴ καὶ αἱ προφητεῖαι, ἀλλ' ὅπερ ἔφθην εἰπών, ἐν διαφόροις καιροῖς. Ὅθεν καὶ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ἑτέρας ἄρχεται τοῦ λόγου. Καὶ οὐ διὰ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὸ τὴν ὑπόθεσιν, περὶ ἧς μέλλει διαλέγεσθαι, σφόδρα ἀπηρτῆσθαι τῶν προειρημένων καὶ ὑψηλοτέραν εἶναι. Περὶ γὰρ τῆς τῶν ἐθνῶν κλήσεως καὶ τῆς τοῦ κηρύγματος περιφανείας καὶ τῆς πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐκταθείσης γνώσεως καὶ τῆς καταληψομένης τὴν γῆν εἰρήνης ἡμῖν διαλέγεται. Εἰ δὲ μέλλων τοιούτων ἅπτεσθαι δογμάτων, Ἰουδαίας μέμνηται καὶ Ἱερουσαλήμ, ξένον οὐδέν. Προφητεία γὰρ ἦν τὸ λεγόμενον, συνεσκιασμένη τέως τῇ τῶν ὀνομάτων προσηγορίᾳ. Ἐπεὶ καὶ