Глава 2

1–3. The exaltation of the mountain of the Lord. 4–5. Change in the pagan world. 6–8. The vices of contemporary Judaism to the prophet. 9–16. God's judgment on the Jews. 17–22. Destruction of idols and idolaters. Isa.2:1. The word that was in the vision to Isaiah the son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In the last days there will be happy times for Jerusalem. Mount Zion, the seat of the true God, will rise above the whole world and all nations will travel here to find instructions on how to live here. The first consequence of the spread of the true teaching throughout the world will be the cessation of wars and even military weapons will be converted into useful tools for agriculture. This speech, continuing through chapter 3, was delivered by the prophet Isaiah, probably during the reign of Jotham. The following circumstances indicated in this speech may serve as grounds for such an assumption: a) The kingdom of Judah possesses great wealth (Is. 2:7), so that the Jews have no shortage of either gold or silver; b) it conducts large maritime trade (Isa. 2:16); c) large buildings are erected (Is.2:15); d) there is a large army (Is. 2:7). All this could only take place during the reign of Jotham (or in the last years of Uzziah), when the Jews were again restored to almost the same prosperity that they enjoyed in the days of David and Solomon (see 2 Chron. 26 et seq.). After Jotham, the situation in the state of Judah changed dramatically for the worse. Isa.2:2. And it will come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the top of the mountains and will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will flow to it. In recent days, more precisely since Heb. at the end of times. Since the entire history of the Jewish people, according to the teachings of the prophets, led to the Messiah and His kingdom, then the last days or the end of times in Isaiah, like other prophets (cf. Dan. 10:14), is called the era of the Messiah, without distinguishing the moments included in it. “The mountain of the house of the Lord” is the mountain on which stood the house or, more correctly, the church of the Lord. This is Mount Moriah. But there is no doubt that the Church of Christ is mysteriously depicted by the appearance of this mountain, because only such a “mountain,” completely free from the unconditional and not always reasonable restrictions of the Law of Moses, could attract the sympathy of all humanity, which could not come to terms with many of the provisions of the Jewish ritual law. The Church of Christ is a true refuge for all people and nothing on earth can compare with it in terms of its beneficial influence on the life of mankind, which the prophet clearly indicates when he says that the mountain of the Lord’s house will be placed above all mountains and hills, that is, above all human institutions aimed at prosperity. Isa.2:3. And many nations will go and say: Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, and He will teach us His ways, and we will walk in His paths; For out of Zion will come the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. The nations now walk in their own ways (Acts 14:16), live according to their own whims, but at that time they will feel the desire to walk in the paths that the true God will show them, that is, to act according to the laws of God. Their direction in this new life will be given by the law that will come out of Zion, that is, the gospel teaching, which actually began to spread from Jerusalem (Acts 1:8; Rom.15:16) to other cities and countries of the world. Blessed Theodoret sees in this a direct prophecy about the conversion of the pagan world to Christianity. Isa.2:4. And He will judge the nations, and rebuke many nations; And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. "And He will judge." Judgment was in ancient times the prerogative of royal power (1 Samuel 8:6). Consequently, the Lord will be recognized as the king of all nations and His authority will be recognized everywhere. "And he will reprove many nations." God, as the King of all nations, will show them the wrongness of their way of life; however, not all nations will undergo the same reproof and, of course, the associated punishment. “It is necessary,” says Blessed Jerome, “to establish differences between peoples; not all unbelievers will be condemned with the same sentence, but according to the difference in merit they will suffer different things.” “The swords will be reforged.” In these last days, thanks to the spread of the true teaching throughout the entire earth, the strife and wars that so oppressed the lives of ancient humanity will end between nations. In ancient times, the egoism of individuals and the egoism of the state were extremely strong, which prompted one state to expand its possessions at the expense of another. Meanwhile, the new law of the Almighty changes the very essence of the souls of people, who as a result become disposed even to self-sacrifice. It is clear that with such a renewal of humanity, the previous means for self-defense and for attack will not be needed, and swords will be converted into plowshares or, more precisely, hoes, which are used to loosen the soil when planting vines, and spears will be converted into sickles, used for pruning these vines. The Prophet is speaking here, although about the last times of the world, but partly his prophecy has already been fulfilled and is being fulfilled in those attempts that have been and continue to be made by the best representatives of Christian humanity, who have proposed and are offering various peaceful means for resolving international difficulties (arbitration, etc.). Regarding the wars that Christian states are sometimes forced to wage, a view has been established among Christians that these wars represent a sad necessity in the present, far from perfect, moral state of humanity. Isa.2:5. O house of Jacob! Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord. In view of such an appeal of all nations to the light of true religion, the prophet also calls on the house of Jacob, that is, the Jews descended from Jacob, to walk in the light of the Lord, that is, to live as the law of the Most High teaches. Isaiah 2:6–22. Unfortunately, the Jews seem to the prophet incapable of fulfilling his sincere desire. They strayed into the darkness of paganism and all kinds of vices. Fortune telling and worship of idols are already firmly rooted in Judea. But for this, Judea-Israel must experience the weight of God’s judgment before the pagans. The Prophet here vividly depicts the humiliation of the Jews, who were proud of their external successes, and the humiliation of those idols in whose strength they trusted. Isa.2:6. But You have rejected Your people, the house of Jacob, because they have adopted many things from the east: their sorcerers are like those of the Philistines, and they have fellowship with the sons of strangers. The Prophet announces to the Jews that the Almighty has already rejected them for their infatuation with foreign customs. They borrowed a lot from the east (mikkedem) or, more correctly, it seems, from fortune telling, from magic (mikedam, according to the corrected text by Gubigan). Their magicians are as skilled as those in the land of the Philistines, which was famous for its oracles (2 Kings 1:2). Jews had contact with foreigners in trade, politics and marriage. Isa.2:7. And his land was filled with silver and gold, and his treasures were without number; and the land was filled with his horses, and his chariots were without number; The passion for the external splendor of the state was condemned in advance by Moses. And the prophet Isaiah here denounces the Jews for the fact that they are ready to do anything for money, without denying the very right to enrichment (cf. Hos. 2:8). Isa.2:8. and his land was filled with idols: they worship the work of their hands, what their fingers have made. "Idols" in Hebrew. clilim, i.e. nonentity. This word is probably a derogatory name related to the name of the true God. Isa.2:9. And the man bowed down, and the man humbled himself, and You will not forgive them. The prophet, of course, considers “humiliation” for a person to fall into paganism with its vices. Isa.2:10. Go to the rock and hide yourself in the earth from the fear of the Lord and from the glory of His greatness. The rocks in Palestine or the actual caves located in the rocks have always served as a place of refuge for the Jews in case of attack by enemies (Judges 6:2; 1 Samuel 13:6). The prophets Moses and Elijah also hid in rocks before the manifestation of the glory of God (Exodus 33:22; 1 Kings 19:13). “The fear of the Lord” is not only before the invasion of enemy hordes that the Lord will send against his people, but also the fear of Himself acting as the Judge of Existence. Isa.2:11. The proud views of man will droop, and the lofty things of mankind will be humbled; and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. “In that day” is an expression similar to the expression in the last days (Is. 2:2), but still points to times closer to the prophet, as can be seen from the context of the speech. Isa.2:12. For the day of the Lord of hosts is coming on everything that is proud and arrogant and on everything that is exalted, and it will be brought low, “The Day of the Lord of Hosts” is the day of God’s terrible judgment (cf. Joel.1:15; Joel.2 et seq.). For the name Lord of Hosts, see chap. 1 tbsp. 9. Isa.2:13. and against all the cedars of Lebanon, high and exalted, and against all the oaks of Bashan, Isa.2:14. and on all the high mountains, and on all the towering hills, Isa.2:15. and on every high tower, and on every strong wall, Isa.2:16. and on all the ships of Tarshish, and on all their desirable ornaments. "Cedars" on the mountains of Lebanon used to grow in abundance. Their evergreen outfit and umbrella-like branches appear very beautiful and majestic. The “oaks” in Vasan (Trans-Jordan region) were distinguished by their strength. “Towers” ​​were built to monitor the approach of enemy troops by kings Uzziah and Jotham; They also built the walls of Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 26:9; 2 Chronicles 27:3). “Ships of Tarshish” are large sea vessels that could be used to travel to Tarshish (a Phoenician colony in Spain) and to other distant countries (1 Kings 9:26–28). “Decoration” of ships - expensive things that were delivered on ships to Palestine (1 Kings 10:22). Uzziah, as is known (2 Kings 14:22), took possession of the Elanite harbor of the Red Sea, which was then again lost to the Jews under Ahaz (2 Kings 16:6). Isa.2:17. And human greatness will fall, and human loftiness will be humbled; and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day, Isa.2:18. and the idols will completely disappear. Isa.2:19. And people will enter into the clefts of the rocks and into the pits of the earth for the fear of the Lord and for the glory of His majesty, when He arises to crush the earth. Isa.2:20. On that day man will throw to the moles and bats his silver idols and his gold idols, which he has made for himself to worship, Isa.2:21. to enter into the clefts of the rocks and into the clefts of the mountains for the fear of the Lord and for the glory of His majesty, when He arises to crush the earth. The Jews will stop hoping for the help of their idols and will abandon them, or hide them in dark holes where unclean moles and bats live (cf. Am.4:3). Isa.2:22. Stop relying on a man whose breath is in his nostrils, for what does he mean? The Jews have no hope in strong people who can quickly lose their life (or breath) as soon as the Lord decides to take this life away from them. According to biblical scholars ch. 2–4 belong to the early years of Isaiah's ministry because they reflect the character of that time. The second chapter is a complete and independent prophetic speech (it should begin with article 28 of the 1st chapter). The state of things depicted from the 6th Art. Chapter 2 corresponds perfectly to the prosperous time of Uzziah’s last years, and most interpreters attribute this speech to the year 740 (the year of the death of King Uzziah). Art. 2–5, which contain a prophecy about the exaltation of the mountain of the Lord, cut like a wedge into the prophecy about the disasters awaiting Judea (chapter 1, v. 28 and 2, v. 6 et seq.) and therefore Condamin places these verses after art. 22nd, so that he gets the usual structure of prophetic speech: a picture of the crimes of the Jewish people, a threat of punishment, descriptions of the day of God's judgment and, finally, messianic promises. Since the words of the prophecy ch. 2 tbsp. 2–4 are repeated in the book. the prophet Micah (Micah 4:1–5) almost to the point of identity, then some interpreters recognize here the fact of borrowing a prophecy by one prophet from another. At the same time, some recognize the real author of the prophecy as Micah, others as Isaiah, while others consider both prophets to have been borrowed from someone unknown. Finally, some suggest that this prophecy was inserted into both the book of Isaiah and the book of Micah by someone after the Babylonian captivity, because the idea of ​​​​converting peoples to the true faith is of later origin. Of our interpreters, Grigoriev (in the essay: The Messiah and His Kingdom according to the image of the book of Isaiah - Orthodox Conversation. 1902. Appendix p. 10) expresses the opinion that both prophets were in the present case completely independent, having received the same revelation. This opinion forces us to make a strange assumption that the Holy Spirit spoke in the same words and expressions to the prophets, who in this case are some kind of recording instruments - no more... Of all the above-mentioned opinions, the most probable assumption seems to be that both prophets repeated in their speeches the prediction of one of the prophets who preceded them, who enjoyed special respect among the Jewish people. Verses of the poem, chapter 2. placed in this way by Condamin. Ch. 2 v. 10–19 – 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2 Verses 1–3 of the 2nd chapter are read as a proverb for the feast of the Ascension of the Lord, of course, because what is said here about the glory of the mountain of the Lord also applies to the glorification of that mountain from which the Lord ascended into heaven. You might be interested in: