Chapter XXVIII.—Of the Predicted Rejection of Idols.

43. It cannot be questioned that what was predicted at sundry times by His prophets is now being realized,—namely, the announcement that He would disclaim His impious people (not, indeed, the people as a whole, because even of the Israelites many have believed in Christ; for His apostles themselves belonged to that nation), and would humble every proud and injurious person, so that He should Himself alone be exalted, that is to say, alone be manifested to men as lofty and mighty; until idols should be cast away by those who believe, and be concealed by those who believe not; when the earth is broken by His fear, that is to say, when the men of earth are subdued by fear, to wit, by fearing His law, or the law of those who, being at once believers in His name and rulers among the nations, shall interdict such sacrilegious practices.

44. For these things, which I have thus briefly stated in the way of introduction, and with a view to their readier apprehension, are thus expressed by the prophet: And now, O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord. For He has disclaimed His people the house of Israel, because the country was replenished, as from the beginning, with their soothsayings as with those of strangers, and many strange children were born to them. For their country was replenished with silver and gold, neither was there any numbering of their treasures; their land also is full of horses, neither was there any numbering of their chariots: their land also is full of the abominations of the works of their own hands, and they have worshipped that which their own fingers have made. And the mean man124    Homo. has bowed himself, and the great man125    Vir. has humbled himself; and I will not forgive it them. And now enter ye into the rocks, and hide yourselves in the earth from before the fear of the Lord, and from the majesty of His power, when He arises to crush the earth: for the eyes of the Lord are lofty, and man is low; and the haughtiness of men shall be humbled, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon every one that is injurious and proud, and upon every one that is lifted up and humbled,126    The text gives humiliatum; but elatum seems to be required, corresponding with the LXX μετέωρον. and they shall be brought low; and upon every cedar of Lebanon of the high ones and the lifted up,127    Reading cedrum Libani excelsorum et elatorum, which is given by the mss., and is accordant with the LXX. ὑψηλῶν και μετεῶρων. Some editions give cedrum Libani excelsam et elatam = Every high and elevated cedar of Lebanon. and upon every tree of the Lebanon of Bashan,128    The LXX. here has και ἐπι πᾶν δενδρον βαλάνου Βασάν = And upon every tree of the acorn of Bashan. For the βαλάνου Augustin adopts Libani, as if he read in the Greek Λιβανου. and upon every mountain, and upon every high hill,129    The fifteenth verse of our version is wholly omitted. and upon every ship of the sea, and upon every spectacle of the beauty of ships. And the contumely of men shall be humbled and shall fall, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day;130    [Ver. 18, though very relevant, is omitted: “And the idols shalt utterly pass away.”—R.] and all things made by hands they shall hide in dens, and in holes of the rocks, and in caves of the earth, from before the fear of the Lord, and from the majesty of His power, when He arises to crush the earth: for in that day a man shall cast away the abominations of gold and silver, the vain and evil things which they made for worship, in order to go into the clefts of the solid rock, and into the holes of the rocks, from before the fear of the Lord, and from the majesty of His power, when He arises to break the earth in pieces.131    Isa. ii. 5–21. [The variations from the Hebrew are quite numerous; compare the English versions.— R.]

CAPUT XXVIII. Praedicta idolorum rejectio.

43. Nempe jam completur quod per prophetam identidem canitur, quod remissurus esset impiam plebem suam (non quidem totam, quia multi et ex Israelitis crediderunt in Christum; nam inde erant et Apostoli ejus), et humiliaturus omnem superbum atque injuriosum, ut ipse solus exaltaretur, id est, solus altus et potens hominibus manifestaretur: donec projicerentur a credentibus idola, et a non credentibus absconderentur; cum ejus timore terra confringitur, id est, terreni homines timore franguntur, timendo legem vel ipsius, vel eorum qui credentes in eum, gentibusque regnantes, talia sacrilegia prohiberent.

44. Haec enim, quae ut facilius intelligerentur, breviter praelocutus sum, propheta sic dicit: Et nunc tu, domus Jacob, venite, et ambulemus in luce Domini. Remisit enim plebem suam domum Israel; quoniam repleta est, sicut ab initio, regio eorum auguriis, sicut alienigenarum; et filii multi alienigenae nati sunt illis. Repleta est enim regio eorum argento et auro, nec erat numerus thesaurorum illorum. Et repleta est terra equis, nec erat numerus curruum illorum. Et repleta est terra abominationibus operum manuum ipsorum, et adoraverunt ea quae fecerunt digiti eorum. Et inclinavit se homo, et humiliavit se vir, et non remittam illis. Et nunc intrate in petras, et abscondite vos in terra a facie timoris Domini, et a majestate Virtutis ejus, cum surrexerit confringere terram. Oculi enim Domini excelsi, homo autem humilis; et humiliabitur altitudo hominum, et exaltabitur Dominus solus in illa die. Dies enim Domini sabaoth supra omnem injuriosum et superbum, et supra omnem altum et humiliatum , qui humiliabuntur; et supra omnem cedrum Libani excelsorum et elatorum, et supra omnem arborem Libani Basan, et super omnem montem, et super omnem collem altum, et super omnem navem maris, et super omne spectaculum navium decoris. Et humiliabitur, et cadet contumelia hominum 1063 et exaltabitur Dominus solus in illa die. Et manibus fabricata omnia abscondent in speluncis, et in scissuris petrarum, et in cavernis terrae a facie timoris Domini, et a majestate Virtutis ejus, cum exsurrexerit confringere terram. Illa enim die projiciet homo abominationes aureas et argenteas, quae fecerunt ut adorarent supervacanea et noxia; ut intrent in foramina solidae petrae, et in scissuras petrarum, a facie timoris Domini, et a majestate Virtutis ejus, cum exsurrexerit comminuere terram (Isai. II, 5-21).