Глава 10

1. “Woe to those who make unjust laws and write cruel judgments” (Isa. 10:1). Other translators say: “Woe to those who carefully search for reasons.” Why is he repeating this? Only because their atrocities were numerous and frequent, which was the cause of illness. Scripture everywhere calls atrocities diseases: “under the tongue is its torment and destruction” (Ps. 9:28). And truly, atrocities serve as diseases; not only do they not bear good fruit, but in the extreme they bring the fruit of destruction. 2. “To remove the poor from justice and to steal the rights of the weak of my people, to make widows their prey and rob the orphans” (Isa. 10:2). Don't you see that the prophet considers those who are not offended, but those who are offended, pitiful? The more he shows the grievances of the poor, the more he multiplies the punishments of the rich. Everyone constantly complains about them, and yet this is done all the time. It is not surprising that the Jews are punished, since they are completely devoted to earthly things, but we, who have become sober and wise, are not allowed to be guilty of the same kind of crime. Lead "widows... and orphans" as prey for My people. Behold, another great refuge! Those who were not tormented by orphanhood, widowhood or any other evil were not allowed to oppress others. Me, he says, you should be afraid, and because of the fear of Me, you should be meek and sober. 3. “And what will you do on the day of visitation, when destruction comes from afar?” (Isa. 10:3). Why does he say: “from afar”? To turn them to repentance and to show that God threatens punishment and it is determined by heaven. “Who will you turn to for help? And where will you leave your wealth? Other translators say: “you won’t fall into bonds.” Since you have turned out to be cruel and inhumane towards your neighbors, I will send strangers against you, and you will find neither consolation nor salvation. This is completely fair. You did not feel sorry for the orphans, and no one will feel sorry for you. Who brought you into such misery? 4. “And where will you leave your wealth?” (in ts.sl.: “where will you leave your glory”) (Is. 10:3). Who, he says, can preserve your glory? “Without Me they will bend among the prisoners and fall among the slain” (Isa. 10:4). Do you see how evil exposes itself? “Woe,” he says, “to those who write wickedness,” because they write their own wickedness. You, he says, have discovered a cruel spirit, and I, he says, will bring upon you and reveal punishments and blows, and will not end with this: “For all this, His anger will not be turned away, and His hand is still stretched out.” 5. “O Assyrian, the rod of My wrath! and the scourge in his hand is My indignation!” (Isa. 10:5). Now the prophet turns the threat to the warring forces, and predicts what happened during the reign of Hezekiah, when 185,000 people fell in one day (see 2 Kings 19:35). You ask: why did this happen? God's providence regarding the people convinced them more than prophetic predictions. The prophets admonished the Jews even when they remained enemies of the laws in force among them. Do you see that those (Assyrians) themselves represent a reason (for punishment)? The question is, however, why did He punish them when the rod of His wrath was in their hands? To understand this prophecy about the Assyrians, listen to what (Rapsaks) says: “And if you say to me: “In the Lord our God we trust,” is it the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah abolished, and said to Judah and Jerusalem: “Before this altar alone shall you worship in Jerusalem?” (2 Kings 18:22); “The Lord said to me: ‘Go to this land and destroy it.’” (2 Kings 18:25). Thus, as it turns out, they (the Assyrians) knew about all this before: Rapsaks, they say, was one of them. Do you see why he predicted this earlier? Then, so that they (the Jews), seeing the city besieged by a huge army, would not lose heart. Therefore, God says that the Assyrians, although they received power from Him, did not want to know the One who gave them this power. Not knowing that victory over other nations was granted by God was great ignorance; attributing the victory over the Jews to one’s own power, and not to God, was a sign of the greatest madness. As in the time of Moses, so now: I, he says, have given the rod of wrath in your hand, so that you will not strike My people, but foreigners. 6. But since the people were lawless, he says, “I will send them against a wicked people and against the people of my wrath, I will give them command to plunder by robbery and take spoils and trample them down like dirt in the streets” (Is. 10:6). Although all this was enough to show that those nations were lawless, nevertheless, he says, I commanded them to produce such prey. 7. “But he does not think so, nor does his heart think so” (Is. 10:7), but he pondered how to be the bravest of all in reality. “It will be in his heart to ruin and destroy many nations.” Although he considered himself capable of achieving this, he should be afraid of human fickleness. Look how evil it is not to know the extent of self-respect. 8–9. “For he will say: “Are not all kings my princes? Is not Chalne the same as Carchemish? Isn't Hamath the same as Arpad? Isn’t Samaria the same as Damascus?” (Isa. 10:8–9). It is recalled that he (the Assyrian king) was punished by God in order to show the greatest power of God: use the past to think about the future. Holding back your courage, will you not now understand the power of the power of God? He spoke in this way in order to show the power of God: the one who, like a strong rain or a rushing stream, has flooded many countries, divided nations, devastated fields, God will imprison him in a small, despised city, as if he did not exist. 10. “For my hand has taken possession of the kingdoms of idols, in which there are more idols than in Jerusalem and Samaria” (Is. 10:10). Look, this is beyond human nature. Oh man! You say: no one could stop me. The more you talk about these horrors, the more you show the power of God. 11. “Shall I not do the same to Jerusalem and her graven images as I did to Samaria and her idols?” (Isa. 10:11). Do you see the weakness of idols? Do you see that his pride concerns not only people, but that he also mocks the gods, since he says: neither the multitude of people, nor even the power of the gods could turn me away from what I began? If you start, it is clear that you are weak; and if there is ever anyone who will hinder you, then it is clear that He is stronger than men and gods. 12. “And it shall come to pass, when the Lord has completed all His work on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, that He will say: I will consider the success of the haughty heart of the king of Assyria and the vanity of his high-lifted eyes” (Isaiah 10:12). What does the word “make” mean? Aquila says: “he will immediately cut off,” and Symmachus: “will be cut off.” He allows fear and flight to many, since this will also serve to demonstrate the greatness of miracles. But when the Assyrian leader increases his anger and is no longer able to say anything else, then God will prevent him. What God does, He does not do it for show, but for the benefit of the Jews and barbarians, just as Paul says: “When your obedience is fulfilled” (2 Cor. 10:6). 13–14. “He says: “By the strength of my hand and by my wisdom I did this, because I am wise: I move the borders of nations, and plunder their treasures, and cast them down from their thrones like a giant; and my hand has seized the wealth of the nations like nests; and as they take away the eggs left in them, so I took the whole earth, and no one moved a wing, or opened a mouth, or squeaked." (Is. 10:13-14). See the great pride, which, although it did not lift the mind to the greatness of God, was sufficient for shame and punishment. “Who,” he said, “is your God before me?” God (for now) abandoned and left this proud brave man so that he would better know the power of God. He could have sent fire from the sky and burned the army, sent animals or various executions to them, but he did not want to. He allowed them to besiege the city, was silent, so that they transgressed the limit and so that King Hezekiah performed his prayer, and then revealed his anger, performing a great deed. But, by the grace of God, I will get to this place, and now I will explain what the words mean: “when the Lord has completed everything” (Is. 10:12). For example, just as an astonishing artist does not enter the square in front of the audience at an inconvenient moment, but only after he sees them all assembled, each sitting in order and in his place, then he comes forward to show the power of his art, so God: when everyone sat on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, as if for a spectacle, then, he says, “I will look at the success of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and at the vanity”, since, in comparison with this, there is no other worse mind. Thus, it is completely proven that no one can be more unhappy than the proud: and how can someone be proud who is unable to understand what is clear even to children? And he did not say: “I will visit the man,” but “I will look at the success of the arrogant heart.” He did not take a king from among (them), but allowed him to correct himself due to the disasters that befell others; and since he did not reform, but, having returned home, worshiped the gods and began to indulge in incorrigible vices, God took him from among the living (cf. Isa. 37:38) so that with the punishment He subjected him to, he would admonish others. Thus, he showed not the change of things, but only the end. He also wanted to show us something else, namely, the salvation of those being saved, and to tell us about the death of the proud man. “I,” he says, “with the strength of my hand and my wisdom, I did this so that there would be no kings anywhere and no princes would be found. And I am rearranging the borders of the nations, and my hand has seized the wealth of the nations like nests.” Do you see how long the cruel mind extends its pride? How does he discover pride with threats? Do you see how much evil is born from pride? “And no one moved a wing, or opened his mouth, or squeaked.” Reveals his complete pride to show what kind of person God defeated. It is not good for those who follow virtue to boast and speak great things about themselves, since the proud suffer punishment from God, as happened to the Pharisee: if one word and one guilt could turn someone away (from God) and destroy him, how much more is this possible in relation to other boasters? And if boasting is not permissible for those who practice virtue, how much more is it forbidden for those who deviate from virtue? 15. “Is the ax greater than the one who cuts with it? Is the saw proud of the one who moves it? (Isa. 10:15). Look with whom the heretics compare the Son of God. With what Holy Scripture compares the Assyrians. Just as an ax does not cut by itself, so you cannot do anything by yourself; and just as the saw does not pull itself, so you will not do anything by yourself. And not so, that is, after this I will no longer need you. “It’s as if the rod is rebelling against the one who lifts it.” Since I was the one who exalted you, I will never subsequently exalt you. 16. “Therefore the Lord, the Lord of hosts, will send stunting on his fat ones, and among his famous will kindle a flame like the flame of fire” (Isa. 10:16), since misfortune was accompanied by dishonor. The greater the threats, the greater the glory of Israel when the fire was kindled among the enemies. 17. “The Light of Israel will be a fire, and his Holy One a flame” (Isaiah 10:17). The prophet denotes their destruction: the wrath (of God) devoured the enemy army like fire. 18–19. “Which will burn and devour its thorns and thistles in one day, and destroy its glorious forest and its garden, from soul to body; and he will be like a stunted dying man. And the remnant of the trees of the forest will be so few in number that a child will be able to take an inventory” (Isaiah 10:17–19). They will flee as if from fire, and it will be easy to count them. And they will no longer resort to you: saying this, the prophet shows that they (the Jews) once resorted to him (the Assyrian king), who led the Jews into slavery and for their sake also the inhabitants of Samaria, since due to the siege of some, disasters happened to others. 20–21. “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and them that escape from the house of Jacob, will no longer trust in him that smote them, but will put their trust in the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, wholeheartedly” (Isa. 10:20). Do you see what the misfortune led to? “The remnant will turn, even the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God” (Isa. 10:21). Why only these and not all? Everyone had to turn to goodness. You see that miracles were created for the sake of everyone, but only benefited them alone. 22–23. “For even though your people, O Israel, were as many as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be converted; destruction is determined by abundant righteousness; for the LORD, the Lord of hosts, will bring about a certain destruction upon all the earth” (Isa. 10:22–23). And so the prophet turns to prophecy. Since the Jews always hoped for numbers, saying that God would not destroy such a multitude of people, he extorts this hope: I, he says, will not attach importance to numbers. And another prophet also says: “And the number of the children of Israel will be like the sand of the sea” (Hos. 1:10). What is the use of a crowd if the actions themselves are useless? Not everyone had to be unbelievers, but since few believed, few received salvation. “Destruction is determined by abounding righteousness”: long-suffering, forbearance and mercy will no longer last. But, it seems to me, the expression: “the Lord, the Lord of hosts, will carry out a certain destruction throughout the whole earth,” indicates decisions in the future life. See how prophecies, past and unfulfilled, are mixed with miracles. Since it is said that the few who remain will be saved, do not tell me how out of such a multitude the few are saved. One way or another, he says, I will not spare you, but I will destroy everyone, even those who remain. You see how He cares that they trust in God, and not in the multitude, as in another place He says: “Should I not have compassion... for a great city, in which there are more than one hundred and twenty thousand people” (John 4:11). By saying this, God seemed to console the prophet, but regardless of this, He spared the city for the sake of exemplary repentance: after all, if He had taken into account the large number, He would have had to spare it before repentance. But if before repentance He did not take into account the multitude, then, of course, He did not take it into account after repentance, which is why it is said: “And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way” (John 3:10), and in another place: “The more they multiply, the more they sin against Me” (Hos. 4:7). Do you see that multitudes do not appease, but rather irritate God, since the more people there are, the more evil? One wicked person can often be saved, but many can never be saved anywhere, since everyone suffers from the same disease. And now, in our times, they will say, would God really destroy such a multitude? Of course, since He despises multitudes. Don't you see that only one and his house escaped the flood unharmed, three only escaped the fiery wrath that visited the Sodomites, and only two escaped in the wilderness? Better, he says, one who does the will of God than 10,000 lawless people, and rightly so: what would you rather like to find - 10,000 wooden or tin coins, or one precious pearl? Do not say that she is only one, but know that she alone is more precious than those many, since the price is not in the multitude, but in the price is the multitude. That is why it is said about the few good people: “those of whom the whole world was not worthy” (Heb. 11:38). 24. “Therefore thus says the Lord, the Lord of hosts: My people who dwell in Zion! don't be afraid of Assur. He will smite you with a rod and lift up his reed against you, like Egypt” (Is. 10:24), i.e. easily and philanthropically I will subject you to punishment and disasters for the sake of love. This is a sign of God's truth that he does not reveal how the Egyptians, on whom you have relied many times, helped you. 25–26. “A little more, a very little, and My indignation will pass away, and My wrath will turn to destroy them” (Isaiah 10:25). Aquila and others add: “The Lord of hosts (will raise up) torment, according to the plague of Midian, in the place of torment, in the strong place that he opened”; and others: “to Zion, which He has revealed.” “And the Lord of hosts will lift up a scourge against him, as during the defeat of Midian at the rock of Oreb, or as he stretched out a rod on the sea, and will lift it up, as against Egypt” (Isaiah 10:26). Aquila says: “His rod is on the sea”; and Symmachus: “His rod for the way of Egypt.” This example confirms the present prophecy: just as once with 300 people, without labor or weapons, He destroyed everyone, so now. “Or as he stretched out a rod on the sea, and raised it up, as against Egypt,” i.e. they will pass by you and rush to Egypt; Therefore, when you see them, do not be afraid. 27. “And it shall come to pass in that day: his burden shall be taken away from thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck; and the yoke will be broken because of the fat” (Isa. 10:27). Aquila and Symmachus say: the burden is his. They will not be so defeated that, having made a new recruitment, they will again go to war against you, but, as a result of a serious defeat, they will be completely exterminated; That’s why he says: “The burden will be lifted from your shoulders.” 28. “He goes to Aiath” (Is. 10:28); others call it "Avat". "Migron passes". And 70 interpreters and others: “in Macron”, the Hebrew text: “in Matton”. 29–31. “He stores his supplies in Mikhmas. The gorges pass; in Geva they spend the night; The frame shakes; Gibeah Saulova ran away. Howl with your voice, daughter of Galima; let Lais hear you, poor Anathoth! Madmena has fled, the inhabitants of Gevim are in a hurry to leave” (Is. 10:28–31). Do you see that Scripture even lists individually the camps in which the Assyrian army was supposed to be located? But, although it is not far from you, do not be afraid, since it goes where it goes, will take from there what it wants and return, and will not cause you any harm. 33. “He will remain in Nova for another day; threatens with his hand Mount Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, will tear off the branches of the trees with terrible power, and the tall ones will be cut down, the tall ones will be thrown to the ground. And he will smite the thicket of the forest with iron, and Lebanon will fall before the Almighty” (Isa. 10:32–34). Don't you see how much consolation and joy there is when God Himself does something? You might be interested in: