John Chrysostom, On Isaiah

saying, that there should no longer be revolts after a short time. For he did not say, there will be no war at all, but what? Nation shall not lift up sword against nation; and he added the freedom of the peoples, saying, They shall not learn war any more; therefore we do not know how to make war except for a few soldiers appointed for this purpose. And now, O house of Jacob, come and let us walk in the light of the Lord. For he has abandoned his people, the house of Jacob. Having completed the prophecy concerning the Church, he transitions again to the history, as if following the subsequent words. For such is the custom of the prophets, to obscure the prophecy not only by the unclarity of what has been said, but also by the form of the sequence. Therefore, he does not make his discourse complete, but as if drawing out a single chain, he thus transitions again to the admonition of the Jews, and says: And now, O house of Jacob, come and let us walk in the light of the Lord; that is, by his commandments, by his law; For the commandment of the law is a lamp and a light and life and reproof and instruction; and David again says: The commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes; and: Your law is a lamp to my feet and a light to my paths. And one might see the law so called everywhere. Thus also Paul says: And you are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those in darkness, an instructor of the foolish. For the rays of the sun do not so guide the eyes of our body, as the commandments of the law illuminate the eyes of the soul.

2.6 The prophet, therefore, showing that even before the retribution and before the reward, the commandments provide us the reward in the very act of fulfilling them, called them a light. For just as an eye profits in the very act of being enlightened, so also a soul reaps the greatest fruits in the very act of obeying the law, being cleansed and freed from evil and ascending to virtue itself; so then, on the contrary, the transgressors, even before the punishment, pay the penalty in the very act of transgressing, being in a more wretched state than those who sit in darkness, full of fear and trembling and an evil conscience, and in the middle of midday fearing and trembling at everyone, those who are aware, and those who are not aware of anything. For he has abandoned his people, the house of Jacob; that is, he has permitted, he has abandoned, he has overlooked, he has stripped them of his providence. Then, having frightened them, he also states the cause, so that they might correct what has been done. What then is the cause? Because their land was filled with omens, like that of the foreigners. For before he was accusing them of retail trading and avarice and contempt for widows; but here also of wicked doctrines, and remnants of impiety, gradually dragging them down to the error of demons. Then, coming upon them, he did not say that they simply practice augury, but that Their land was filled. With great exaggeration their wickedness increased again, he says. Just as above he said: A people, not simply sinful, but: Full of sins, so also here: Was filled. Then again, intensifying the reproach, he added: As from the beginning. From the beginning, when? When they had not known God, when they had not received the law, when they had not had experience of his beneficence, when they lived with the Gentiles, which was a matter of utmost condemnation, to be in no better a state now, after so much providence and care, than those who had enjoyed none of these things. And he did not stop there, but, striking them with amazement again, he added: Like that of the foreigners; making the accusation more severe by the comparison of the person. Which Paul also is accustomed to do continually; as when he says: But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope; and again: that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in the passion of lust. And he was not satisfied with this, but added, saying: just as the rest of the Gentiles who do not know God. For this saying especially is wont to sting and

εἰπών, τὸ μηκέτι τὰς δι' ὀλίγου γίγνεσθαι ἐπαναστάσεις. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, οὐκ ἔσται πόλεμος παντελῶς, ἀλλὰ τί; Οὐ μὴ ἄρῃ ἔθνος ἐπ' ἔθνος μάχαιραν· καὶ τὴν τῶν δήμων ἐλευθερίαν προστέθεικεν εἰπών, Οὐ μὴ μάθωσιν ἔτι πολεμεῖν, οὔκουν ἴσμεν πολεμεῖν πλὴν ὀλίγων τῶν εἰς τοῦτο ἀποτεταγμένων στρατιωτῶν. Καὶ νῦν σύ, ὁ οἶκος τοῦ Ἰακώβ, δεῦτε καὶ πορευθῶμεν τῷ φωτὶ Κυρίου. Ἀνῆκε γὰρ τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Ἰακώβ. Ἀπαρτίσας τὴν περὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίαςπροφητείαν, πάλιν ἐπὶ τὴν ἱστορίαν μεταβαίνει, ὡς δὴ τῶν ἀκολούθων ἐχόμενος ῥημάτων. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ ἔθος τοῖς προφήταις, μὴ τῇ τῶν εἰρημένων ἀσαφείᾳ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ σχήματι τῆς ἀκολουθίας συσκιάζειν τὴν προφητείαν. ∆ιόπερ οὐδὲ ἀπηρτισμένον ποιεῖ τὸν λόγον ἀλλὰ ὡς μίαν τινὰ ἕλκων σειράν, οὕτω πρὸς τὴν τῶν Ἰουδαίων νουθεσίαν μεταβαίνει πάλιν, καί φησι· Καὶ νῦν σύ, ὁ οἶκος τοῦ Ἰακώβ, δεῦτε καὶ πορευθῶμεν τῷ φωτὶ Κυρίου· τουτέστι, ταῖς ἐντολαῖς αὐτοῦ, τῷ νόμῳ αὐτοῦ· Λύχνος γὰρ ἐντολὴ νόμου καὶ φῶς καὶ ζωὴ καὶ ἔλεγχος καὶ παιδεία· καὶ ὁ ∆αυῒδ πάλιν φησίν· Ἡ ἐντολὴ Κυρίου τηλαυγής, φωτίζουσα ὀφθαλμούς· καί· Λύχνος τοῖς ποσί μου ὁ νόμος σου καὶ φῶς ταῖς τρίβοις μου. Καὶ πανταχοῦ οὕτω τὸν νόμον καλούμενον κατίδοι τις ἄν. Οὕτω καὶ Παῦλός φησι· Πέποιθάς τε σεαυτὸν ὁδηγὸν εἶναι τυφλῶν, φῶς τῶν ἐν σκότει, παιδευτὴν ἀφρόνων. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτως αἱ τοῦ ἡλίου ἀκτῖνες χειραγωγοῦσιν ἡμῶν τοῦ σώματος τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς, ὡς αἱ τοῦ νόμου ἐντολαὶ καταυγάζουσι τὰ τῆς ψυχῆς ὄμματα.

2.6 ∆εικνὺς τοίνυν ὁ προφήτης, ὅτι καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἀντιδόσεως καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἀμοιβῆς, ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ πληροῦσθαι τὴν ἀμοιβὴν παρέχουσιν ἡμῖν αἱ ἐντολαί, φῶς αὐτὰς ἐκάλεσεν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὀφθαλμὸς ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ φωτίζεσθαι κερδαίνει, οὕτω καὶ ψυχὴ ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ πείθεσθαι τῷ νόμῳ τὰ μέγιστα καρποῦται, ἐκκαθαιρομένη καὶ κακίας ἀπαλλαττομένη καὶ πρὸς αὐτὴν ἀναβᾶσα τὴν ἀρετήν· ὥσπερ οὖν τοὐναντίον οἱ παραβαίνοντες καὶ πρὸ τῆς κολάσεως ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ παραβαίνειν δίκην διδόασι, τῶν ἐν σκότει καθημένων ἀθλιώτερον διακείμενοι, φόβου καὶ τρόμου καὶ πονηροῦ γέμοντες συνειδότος καὶ ἐν μεσημβρίᾳ μέσῃ δεδοικότες καὶ τρέμοντες ἅπαντας, τοὺς συνειδότας, τοὺς οὐδὲν συνειδότας. Ἀνῆκε γὰρ τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Ἰακώβ· τουτέστιν, εἴασεν, ἀφῆκεν, παρεῖδεν, τῆς αὐτοῦ προνοίας ἐγύμνωσεν. Εἶτα φοβήσας, λέγει καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν, ὥστε αὐτοὺς διορθῶσαι τὰ γεγενημένα. Τίς οὖν ἐστιν ἡ αἰτία; Ὅτι ἐνεπλήσθη ἡ χώρα αὐτῶν κλῃδονισμῶν, ὡς ἡ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων. Ἔμπροσθεν μὲν γὰρ καπηλείαν αὐτοῖς καὶ φιλαργυρίαν καὶ τὴν τῶν χηρῶν ὑπεροψίαν ἐνεκάλει· ἐνταῦθα δὲ καὶ δογμάτων πονηρῶν, καὶ ἀσεβείας λείψανα, κατὰ μικρὸν αὐτοὺς ὑποσύροντα πρὸς τὴν τῶν δαιμόνων πλάνην. Εἶτα καθικνούμενος αὐτῶν, οὐκ εἶπεν ὅτι κλῃδονίζονται ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ' ὅτι Ἐνεπλήσθη ἡ χώρα αὐτῶν. Μετὰ πολλῆς ὑπερβολῆς ἡ κακία αὐτῶν πάλιν ηὔξετο, φησίν. Ὥσπερ ἀνωτέρω ἔλεγε· Λαός, οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἁμαρτωλός, ἀλλά· Πλήρης ἁμαρτιῶν, οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα· Ἐνεπλήσθη. Εἶτα πάλιν ἐπιτείνων τὸ ὄνειδος προσέθηκεν· Ὡς τὸ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς. Ἀπ' ἀρχῆς, πότε; Ὅτε Θεὸν οὐκἐγνώκεισαν, ὅτε νόμον οὐκ εἰλήφεισαν, ὅτε τῆς εὐεργεσίας αὐτοῦ πεῖραν εἰληφότες οὐκ ἦσαν, ὅτε μετὰ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἔζων, ὅπερ ἐσχάτης καταγνώσεως ἦν, μηδὲν ἄμεινον διακεῖσθαι νῦν, μετὰ τὴν τοσαύτην πρόνοιάν τε καὶ ἐπιμέλειαν, τῶν μηδενὸς τούτων ἀπολελαυκότων. Καὶ οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα ἔστη, ἀλλὰ καταπλήττων αὐτοὺς πάλιν προστέθεικεν· Ὡς ἡ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων· τῇ συγκρίσει τοῦ προσώπου τὴν κατηγορίαν χαλεπωτέραν ποιῶν. Ὃ καὶ Παῦλος εἴωθεν ἐργάζεσθαι συνεχῶς· ὡς ὅταν λέγῃ· Περὶ δὲ τῶν κεκοιμημένων οὐ θέλω ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν, ἀδελφοί, ἵνα μὴ λυπῆσθε, ὡς καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ οἱ μὴ ἔχοντες ἐλπίδα· καὶ πάλιν· Εἰδέναι ἕκαστον τὸ ἑαυτοῦ σκεῦος κτᾶσθαι ἐν ἁγιασμῷ καὶ τιμῇ, μὴ ἐν πάθει ἐπιθυμίας. Καὶ οὐκ ἠρκέσθη τούτῳ, ἀλλὰ προστέθεικε λέγων· Καθὼς καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ἔθνη τὰ μὴ εἰδότα τὸν Θεόν. Μάλιστα γὰρ οὗτος ὁ λόγος δάκνειν εἴωθε καὶ