Isaiah 23
Commentary from 8 fathers
To whom are the dwellers in the island become like, the merchants of Phoenice, passing over the sea
τίνι ὅμοιοι γεγόνασιν οἱ ἐνοικοῦντες ἐν τῇ νήσῳ μετάβολοι Φοινίκης διαπερῶντες τὴν θάλασσαν
Комꙋ̀ подо́бни бы́ша живꙋ́щїи во ѻ҆́стровѣ, кꙋпцы̀ фі́нїчестїи, преходѧ́щїи мо́ре;
Still, it was when humanity was in this state that the Word—the Son—came to seek and to find that which was lost. Even before he came, he tried to restrain us from such foolishness, crying out, “Don’t be like the horse and the mule which have no understanding and whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle.” And because his own people were careless and acted as the wicked did, Isaiah, praying in the Spirit said, “You are to me like merchants of Phoenicia.”
Letter 2.3
2–3Second, he sets out their stupor: be silent, adding three things in which they gloried, namely, in the fortification of their position: you that dwell in the island; in the abundance of their merchandise: trade, that is, in which they trade; have filled you, with riches; in abundance of grain: the seed of the river Nile, that is, her harvest, and revenue, namely of Tyre, for much wheat came to them from Egypt, and therefore she is become the mart of the nations: say to Tyre that dwells at the entry of the sea, being the mart of the people for many islands (Ezek 27:3).
Commentary on Isaiah
in great waters, a generation of merchants? as when the harvest is gathered in, [so are] these traders with the nations.
ἐν ὕδατι πολλῷ, σπέρμα μεταβόλων; ὡς ἀμητοῦ εἰσφερομένου οἱ μετάβολοι τῶν ἐθνῶν.
Въ водѣ̀ мно́зѣ сѣ́мѧ кꙋпе́ческо, а҆́ки жа́твѣ вноси́мѣй кꙋпцы̀ ꙗ҆зы́честїи.
(Vers. 3.) Those crossing the sea fill you, in many waters, with the seed of the Nile, and the harvest of its river. Tyre rejoices in trade, and is the market of the whole world, and the present times prove it, as described by Ezekiel in his lengthy discourse. That merchants cross the seas in transporting goods is not doubted by anyone; nor does the city itself have such great wealth from the land of its region, which is very narrow, and is pressed by the borders of Galilee and Damascus, as it has from the transportation of ships. The entire Nile and the fertility of Egypt are poured out nearby Tyre. Regarding the Nile, which we read as Sior among the Hebrews, it was interpreted by the Septuagint and Theodotion as meaning turbid, and therefore signifies the waters of the Nile. As Jeremiah testifies, what do you have to do with the waters of Geon, and Egypt, that you drink from turbid waters (Jeremiah II, 18): for which in Hebrew it is called Sior, that is, turbid.
Commentary on Isaiah
Be ashamed, O Sidon: the sea has said, yea, the strength of the sea has said, I have not travailed, nor brought forth, nor have I brought up young men, nor reared virgins.
αἰσχύνθητι, Σιδών, εἶπεν ἡ θάλασσα. ἡ δὲ ἰσχὺς τῆς θαλάσσης εἶπεν· οὐκ ὤδινον οὐδὲ ἔτεκον οὐδὲ ἐξέθρεψα νεανίσκους οὐδὲ ὕψωσα παρθένους.
Оу҆срами́сѧ, сїдѡ́не, речѐ мо́ре. Крѣ́пость же морска́ѧ речѐ: не болѣ́хъ, ни породи́хъ, ни вскорми́хъ ю҆́ношъ, нижѐ вознесо́хъ дѣви́цъ.
If all our acts and deeds depend on the fates acquired at our birth and not on principles of morality, why are laws established and statutes promulgated by which punishment is meted out to the wicked and security bestowed on the innocent?… Why does the farmer toil and not rather wait until it is time to convey into his storehouses the produce for which he has not labored, relying on the prerogatives of his birth? If he was destined by birth to be endowed with wealth without the expenditure of labor, he should undoubtedly wait until the earth brings forth fruit spontaneously without seed. If such were the case, he should not sink his ploughshare into the earth or put his hands on the curved scythe or undergo the expense of harvesting the grapes. Rather, the wine would without effort flow plenteously into his stock of jars. Without effort, too, he would let the wild olive berry exude its oil without the labor of grafting upon the trunk of the olive tree. In the same way a merchant who travels over the wide seas would not be in dread of the perils that threaten his own life, for it is within his power, because of a certain destiny allotted to him at birth, to come without labor into a wealth of treasure.But this is far from the accepted opinion. As a matter of fact, the farmer cleaves the earth “with deep-driven plough”; “stripped he ploughs, stripped he sows”; stripped in the glowing “heat he thrashes on the floor the parched ears.” The merchant, impatient when the east winds are blowing, ploughs the sea often when the course is unsafe. Insolent and rash men such as these are condemned by the prophet, who says, “Be ashamed, O Sidon, the sea speaks.” That is to say, if dangers do not move you, then shame can check and modesty confound you. “Be ashamed, O Sidon,” in which there is no place for virtue, no care for safety, no young men exercised in arms and ready to fight in defense of their country. They are anxiously and entirely preoccupied with gain and the benefits derived from commerce.
The Six Days of Creation 4.4.19
Therefore, after being so often ploughed by returning merchants, “Be ashamed, O Sidon, has said the sea.” This is the voice of the fatigued element, as it were, saying, “Be ashamed, Sidon”; that is: Merchant, you accuse my waves although you yourself are more restless than they. Blush indeed for shame since you are not disturbed by peril. More modest are the winds than your desires. They have their rests; never do your cravings for gain take holiday. Even when the weather is quiet, never are your ships quiet. The water is churned under the oar when it is at rest from the blast. “I have not been in labor,” it says, “nor have I reared, nor have I nourished up young men.” Why do they disquiet me whom I do not know, whom I do not acknowledge?
On Elijah and Fasting 19.71
4–5(Verse 4-5) Blush, Sidon, said the sea; but the strength of the sea says, I have not given birth, nor have I brought forth, nor have I nourished young men, nor have I exalted virgins. But when it is heard in Egypt, sorrow will seize them over Tyre. The sea of this age, in which small creatures dwell with large ones, and the dragon which God created to mock it, seeing the hunters of Christ, who hunt from every mountain and hill, captured those who had been previously captured by demons, speaks to the opposing strength of the hunters, which is interpreted as Sidon, and says to it: Blush, Sidon; for I have not given birth, nor have I brought forth, nor have I nourished young men captured by you, nor have I exalted virgins, whose foolishness is condemned in the Gospel (Matthew 25). For by my travail, and travail, and nourishing, and the raising of virgins, is the travail of the Apostles of Christ abolished; of whom one spoke: My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you (Gal. IV, 19). And: I have given you milk to drink, not meat (I Cor. III, 2). And again: But I would have you to be without solicitude. He that is without a wife is solicitous for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please God. But he that is with a wife is solicitous for the things of the world, how he may please his wife: and he is divided (I Cor. VII, 32-34). Also: Woman is saved by bearing children, if she continue in faith, and love, and sanctification, with sobriety (I Tim. II, 15). When Egypt shall hear this, which is called in Hebrew Mesraim, which is interpreted as pressing out, that is, afflicting, and oppressing, she shall be disturbed, understanding that she herself shall suffer the same things that Tyre endured. And when it is referred to all vices, it can be understood in the diversity of heresies, when one captivates through heresy, another trembles, and in the confusion of one, another feels that it must be captured. However, as it is said about Sodom: For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day; and it is inferred: Nevertheless, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you: thus we learn about Tyre and Sidon from the Savior saying: Nevertheless, it will be lighter for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for that city (Matthew 11:21 ff.). Now the Canaanite woman, who understood that her daughter, that is, her soul, was being severely vexed by a most fierce demon, is said to have come out from the borders of Tyre and Sidon. For she could not encounter the Savior otherwise, unless she had left the borders of Tyre and Sidon.
Commentary on Isaiah
(Verse 4.) Blush, O Sidon: for the sea speaks as the strength of the sea, saying: I have not given birth, and I have not borne, and I have not nourished the youth, nor have I led the maidens to growth. I have said before that the colony of the Sidonians is Tyre. Therefore, listen, mother, all the seas together cry out against your daughter, and in a way, emit a voice that they cannot naturally speak: I have gathered riches in vain: for no reason did I bring wealth from the whole world into Tyre: she, once rich, once luxurious, and once rejoicing in the multitude of peoples in which a crowd of mortals were born, a crowd of children, the trials of youth, whose streets were filled with the games of maidens, infants, youths, and girls: now she has been reduced to desolation. However, the practice of personifying mute objects is a common ritual.
Commentary on Isaiah
To convince you of this, return again to the sea, and observe its depths, its extent, its division into bays, its shores, its port, the islands in its midst, the kinds of fishes in it and their species, shapes, variety and fondness for the shore.…Since journeying by land is fraught with difficulty and the satisfaction of all our needs on such journeys is not only difficult but impossible, the surface of the sea is there to take vessels, small and large, and to provide much necessary cargo for those in short supply. A single frigate can be seen taking as much as many thousand beasts. To ease the burden for seafarers the Creator made islands as ports in which they could call, rest, buy their needs and then set sail again for their destination. “Be ashamed” then “at this multitude of blessings, said the sea.” For the words of the prophet apply more to you than to Sidon. For Sidon, ignoring the Creator, divided the divinity into many gods, mutilated the monotheistic form of worship and extended it to nonexistent deities, not indeed denying providence but ascribing it also to these false gods. For it would not offer sacrifice to these false gods unless it had fully persuaded itself that they provide assistance and avert disaster. But you who have been delivered from the error of polytheism and agree that all visible things are created; you, who adore their Creator, banish him from his creatures, set him completely outside his creation, assert that such an ordered universe is without a pilot and is borne about aimlessly like a ship without ballast. Be ashamed, then, at the blessings received from the sea, from the earth, from the air, from the sun and the sky that affords a roof over our heads. Respect the tribute you receive from creation.
On Divine Providence 2:18, 20
Sidon is brought to shame, as it were, by the voice of the sea, when the life of one who is fortified and supposedly steadfast is reprobated in comparison with the lives of those who are worldly and are being tossed about in this world. For often there are those who, returning to the Lord after their sins of the flesh, evince themselves the more zealous in doing good works, as they realize they were worthy of condemnation for their deeds. And often certain people who persevere in preserving the integrity of the flesh, on perceiving that they have less to deplore, think to themselves that the innocence of their lives is sufficient and do not arouse themselves by zealously striving to be fervent in spirit.
Pastoral Care, Part 3, Chapter 28
Divine Providence has compassed us about and cut off all excuse. All openings to people’s equivocating arts are in every way closed. A Gentile, one without the law, is brought forward to confound the iniquity of those that are under the law; which is well and summarily shown by the prophet, when he says, “Be ashamed, O Sidon, says the sea.” For in Sidon we have a figure of the steadfastness of those settled upon the foundation of the law, and in the sea of the life of the Gentiles. Accordingly, “Be ashamed, O Sidon, says the sea,” because the life of those under the law is convicted by the life of Gentiles, and the conduct of people in a state of religion is put to confusion by the conduct of those living in the world, so long as the first do not, even under vows, observe what they hear enjoined in precepts. The latter by their manner of life keep those ways so that they are not in any wise bound by legal enactments.
Morals on the Book of Job, Preface to Book 1, Section 5
Third, he sets out the confusion of their neighbors. And first, of the Sidonians, whose colony Tyre was: the sea, that is, traders of the sea, speaks: be you ashamed, O Sidon, for you did not defend Tyre; for my strength, that is, Tyre, is saying: I have not been in labor, that is: it profited me not to have been in labor, for I was captured. Or otherwise: the sea, that is, the strength of the sea, that is, the traders who were strong on the sea, speaks: be you ashamed, O Sidon, saying: I have not been in labor, in the defense of Tyre. Or otherwise: Sidon speaks: O Sea, even the strength of the sea, that is, Tyre, be ashamed, you, Tyre, saying what follows. Or Sidon saying: while you may have been born from me, O Tyre, you were captured thus as if I had not labored with you, below: I will proceed to cause an admiration (Isa 29:14).
Commentary on Isaiah
Moreover when it shall be heard in Egypt, sorrow shall seize them for Tyre.
ὅταν δὲ ἀκουστὸν γένηται Αἰγύπτῳ, λήψεται αὐτοὺς ὀδύνη περὶ Τύρου.
Є҆гда́ же слы́шано бꙋ́детъ во є҆гѵ́птѣ, прїи́метъ ѧ҆̀ болѣ́знь ѡ҆ тѵ́рѣ.
(Verse 5) When it is heard in Egypt, they will grieve when they hear about Tyre. This is clear, that after the Egyptians hear about the most powerful and neighboring nation being destroyed by a long siege, they will also know that their own destruction is approaching.
Commentary on Isaiah
Second, of the Egyptians: when it shall be heard in Egypt: behold I do a thing in Israel: and whosoever shall hear it, both his ears shall tingle (1 Sam 3:11).
Commentary on Isaiah
Depart ye to Carthage; howl, ye that dwell in this island.
ἀπέλθατε εἰς Καρχηδόνα, ὀλολύξατε, οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν τῇ νήσῳ ταύτῃ.
И҆ди́те въ кархидо́нъ, пла́читесѧ, живꙋ́щїи во ѻ҆́стровѣ се́мъ.
6–7(Verse 6, 7.) Go to Carthage: howl, you who dwell in this island. Is this not your insult from the beginning before it was handed over? They will lead it far on foot to wander. That which follows: They will lead it far on foot to wander, is added from Hebrew, and is prenoted by an asterisk, that is, by illuminating stars. O Tyrians who dwell in narrowness and reside on the island, who are exposed on all sides to the waves of trials, depart from it, and go to Carthage, that is, to Tharsis, and hasten to true joy, mourning for ancient sins, and for the old insult, which either you yourselves inflicted on others, or suffered from them. But I give this command for a reason: because you see your city Tyre about to be moved from its original seats and purpose, when they have humbled their necks to the Gospel of the Savior, after having cast away their old error. So that those who previously dwelled in narrowness may withdraw farther and become strangers and inhabitants of the teaching of the Lord, the Savior.
Commentary on Isaiah
(Verse 6.) Cross over, O sea! Cry out, you who dwell on the island! Once again, they have carried Carthage across the sea and to Tharsis, seventy ships. We read in the histories of the Assyrians that the besieged Tyrians, seeing no hope of escape, fled to Carthage, either to other islands of the Ionian and Aegean seas. Hence it is said in Ezekiel: No wages were given to him, nor to his army from Tyre (Ezek. 29); because all the wealth of the city has been transferred, and all its nobles have abandoned it empty.
Commentary on Isaiah
Pass over the seas. Here he foretells the flight of the fearful, as to those who, when Nabuchodonosor was attacking the city, fled into Egypt with their ships. And first, he exhorts them to flight, second, to constancy or haste of flight: pass your land (Isa 23:10). Concerning the first, he does three things. First, the flight of the fearful: pass over, you who flee, howl, you who remain, above: the branches thereof are left, they are gone over the sea (Isa 16:8).
Commentary on Isaiah
Was not this your pride from the beginning, before she was given up?
οὐχ αὕτη ἦν ὑμῶν ἡ ὕβρις ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς πρὶν ἢ παραδοθῆναι αὐτήν;
Не сїе́ ли бѣ̀ велича́нїе ва́мъ и҆спе́рва, пре́жде не́же пре́данꙋ бы́ти є҆мꙋ̀;
(Verse 7) Is this not yours, which boasted in its ancient days? Tyre, pride, has been rebuked because it boasted in its ancient state and did not look to God. Instead, it remembered the names of its ancestors, thinking itself eternal.
He led her two hundred feet away for a pilgrimage. He says this to those who remained in the city, and the captives were led to Babylon.
Commentary on Isaiah
Second, the ignominy of those who remain: is this not; and concerning this, he does two things. First, he foretells their ignominy, recalling first their former glory: is not this yours, namely, your city? Her feet shall carry her afar off, as to those taken captive: my delicate ones have walked rough ways (Bar 4:26).
Commentary on Isaiah
Who has devised this counsel against Tyre Is she inferior? or has she no strength? her merchants were the glorious princes of the earth.
τίς ταῦτα ἐβούλευσεν ἐπὶ Τύρον; μὴ ἥσσων ἐστὶν ἢ οὐκ ἰσχύει; οἱ ἔμποροι αὐτῆς ἔνδοξοι, ἄρχοντες τῆς γῆς.
Кто̀ сїѧ̑ совѣща̀ на тѵ́ра; є҆да̀ хꙋ́ждшїй є҆́сть, и҆лѝ не крѣ́пкїй є҆́сть; кꙋпцы̀ є҆гѡ̀ сла́внїи кнѧ̑зи землѝ.
8–9(Vers. 8, 9.) Who has conceived these things against Tyre? Is it not the smaller one, or does it not prevail? Its merchants are the princes of Canaan, the famous ones of the land. The Lord of hosts has conceived to dissolve every insult of the proud, and to dishonor everything that is famous on the earth. The word of Canaan is added from the edition of Theodotion, for which Aquila translated merchants. Therefore, the Holy Spirit asks, or rather confirms by asking, that the Lord has conceived these things against the princes of Tyre, whose entire effort is to seek wealth through commerce. And as we read in the Gospel (Matt. XIII), the merchants of pearls, who having sold everything, desire to buy one pearl, and are certainly to be called illustrious merchants not of the earth, but of heaven: so, on the other hand, the merchants of Tyre, that is, of tribulation and distress, are to be called illustrious of the earth, because whatever they do, concerns the earth: and the princes of Canaan, which is interpreted as fluctuating and unsettled. For they do not establish their feet upon a rock, nor can it be said of them: A rock is a refuge for hedgehogs (Ps. XXXIX; CIII, 18), or hares; but rather they endure what the just man almost suffered: But my feet were almost moved; my steps had well nigh slipped (Ps. LXXII, 2). Therefore, the Lord of hosts has conceived this plan, in order to dissolve the wicked bonds of business, or rather to dissipate the compacted injustice through which all those who are subject to Tyre are insolent. And what he has done is not to dishonor everything that is glorious on earth; the Lord is not the author of dishonor, but rather what is ignominious is shown to be ignominious in and of itself. Indeed, we read this also about the priests in Leviticus: 'He has been contaminated by contamination' (Lev. XXI). No doubt, the priest is contaminated not by his own doing, but in order to show that he has been contaminated, who previously seemed to be clean to many.
Commentary on Isaiah
(Verse 8.) Who ever thought about this regarding Tyre, once crowned? Again, read Ezekiel (Ezek. XXVII), and you will learn of the great glory of Tyre from the lamentation of its prince. He calls it crowned because just as a king raises his head adorned with a diadem among a great multitude of people, so Tyre, shining and rich in wealth, adorned with gold and gems, silk and purple, was considered a queen among all nations.
Whose merchants were the principal ones, and his attendants were distinguished in the land. We marvel at the envoy of Pyrrhus who once said of the city of Rome, I have seen a city of kings. Behold, long before those times, the merchants and attendants of Tyre, the principal and distinguished ones, are described in such a way as to demonstrate the greatness of wealth, since a Tyrian merchant could be called a king in the words of another.
Commentary on Isaiah
Third, wonder, setting out first the question of the wonderer: who knew this one crowned, as though queen of other cities; whose merchants were princes, because of their excessive luxuries: how are you fallen, that dwell in the sea, renowned city that was strong in the sea, with your inhabitants? (Ezek 26:17).
Commentary on Isaiah
The Lord of hosts has purposed to bring down all the pride of the glorious ones, and to disgrace every glorious thing on the earth.
Κύριος σαβαὼθ ἐβουλεύσατο παραλῦσαι πᾶσαν τὴν ὕβριν τῶν ἐνδόξων καὶ ἀτιμάσαι πᾶν ἔνδοξον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.
Гдⷭ҇ь саваѡ́ѳъ совѣща̀ разсы́пати всѧ́кꙋю горды́ню сла́вныхъ и҆ ѡ҆безче́стити всѧ́кое сла́вное на землѝ.
(Verse 9.) The Lord of hosts has thought of this, to take away the pride of all glory: and to bring into contempt all the glorious ones of the earth. For as he had said above: Who hath thought the former Tyre, crowned by the ancients, that such a thing should be done? Now he himself speaks: Not of the fates, as foolish men imagine, are these threads spun: not by the turning of fortune's wheel, but by the judgment of God and his own will, is all this accomplished, who resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble (James 4): and it warns the arrogant of their condition, that they may learn his power through misery, whose mercy they refused to feel through benefits.
Commentary on Isaiah
And he adds the response: the Lord of hosts has designed it, to pull down the pride of all glory: scatter the proud in your indignation, and behold every arrogant man, and humble him (Job 40:6).
Commentary on Isaiah
Till thy land; for ships no more come out of Carthage.
ἐργάζου τὴν γῆν σου, καὶ γὰρ πλοῖα οὐκέτι ἔρχεται ἐκ Καρχηδόνος.
Дѣ́лай зе́млю твою̀, и҆́бо корабли̑ ктомꙋ̀ не прїи́дꙋтъ ѿ кархидо́на.
10–11(Vers. 10, 11.) Work your land: for the ships do not come from Carthage at all, and your hand does not prevail, which provokes the kings in the sea. There is much disagreement among other interpreters, and the Septuagint edition diverges from the Hebrew itself in this place, but let us continue with the proposed argument. Above, he had said: Go to Carthage, howl you who dwell on the island. Now he speaks the opposite, because the ships no longer come from Carthage, work your land. For it is beneficial for Tyre that foreign ships perish, so that its people are forced to work their own land. As it is said in Proverbs: 'Whoever works his own land will have plenty of bread' (Prov. 21:11), so that he may live off the produce of his work without the uncertainty of shipwrecks and the danger of drowning, but instead with the fruits of his labor. Concerning this, it is sung in the Psalms to the righteous: 'You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands' (Ps. 128:2). It is written in Hosea that the ways of a prostitute are hedged with thorns by the Lord, so that she cannot pursue her lovers, and thus, compelled by this necessity, she may return to her original husband. And as we frequently observe in the affairs of the world, many who could not perceive the Lord through prosperity and the abundance of all things, came to understand through poverty, and turned to the works of justice, after the happiness of this world failed to prevail over the work of their hands, which formerly provoked kings in the sea, or disturbed them, as Symmachus puts it; whose heart is in the hand of God. And would that we too, despising the commerce of this sea, cultivate our own land, and not wait for the ships of Carthage, or the ships of Tyre, which used to go to Carthage, lest we be subjected to the power of the dragon who rules over the sea! But let us set a firm footing on the earth, rather hastening towards the heavens, let us work our own land, here sowing, there harvesting. Let our hand, which was previously engaged in the affairs of the world, and even capable of altering the state of kings, that is, the saints, according to its power and success, become weak in matters of the sea, so that it may be strong in the work of its own land.
Commentary on Isaiah
(Verse 10) Go through your land like a river, O daughter of the sea; you have no more restraint. Just as a river, or as the Hebrew more significantly has it, a stream, for this is called Jabbok, is easily crossed on foot, so you, O daughter of the sea, whether because you are an island or because it is written about you: 'The sea has spoken, the strength of the sea, I have not travailed, nor given birth.' And what he adds, 'you have no more restraint', Symmachus clearly teaches us the meaning: you will no longer be able to resist, that is, you will not have strength, nor will you gird your loins for battle, so that you may oppose your adversaries.
Commentary on Isaiah
Pass your land. Here he exhorts them to flee quickly. And first, he sets out the exhortation: pass your land as a river, which is crossed quickly by boat: furnish yourself to go into exile, you daughter inhabitant of Egypt (Jer 46:19). Second, he assigns the reason on their own part: you have a girdle, that is, strength, no more: behold I have made you small among the nations (Obad 1:2). Otherwise, on the part of God: he stretched out his hand over the sea, above: the Lord shall lay waste the tongue of the sea of Egypt (Isa 11:15).
Commentary on Isaiah
And thy hand prevails no more by sea, which troubled kings: the Lord of hosts has given a command concerning Chanaan, to destroy the strength thereof.
ἡ δὲ χείρ σου οὐκέτι ἰσχύει κατὰ θάλασσαν, ἡ παροξύνουσα βασιλεῖς· Κύριος σαβαὼθ ἐνετείλατο περὶ Χαναὰν ἀπολέσαι αὐτῆς τὴν ἰσχύν.
И҆ рꙋка̀ твоѧ̀ ктомꙋ̀ не ᲂу҆крѣпѣ́етъ по мо́рю, разгнѣвлѧ́ющаѧ царе́й. Гдⷭ҇ь саваѡ́ѳъ заповѣ́да ѡ҆ ханаа́нѣ, є҆́же погꙋби́ти крѣ́пость є҆гѡ̀.
(Verse 11.) He stretched out his hand over the sea, he troubled the kingdoms. Who stretched out his hand? Without a doubt, based on the context of the words themselves, it is God, about whom he said above: the Lord of hosts has planned this, to take away the pride of all glory. He therefore stretched out his hand over all the seas, signifying the world and its inhabitants, and troubled all the nations, among which, even you, Tyre, were troubled, whether it be over the sea, on which you are specifically situated.
Commentary on Isaiah
The Lord has given a charge. Here he threatens destruction. And first, the scourge of persecution; second, he foretells the mourning of compassion: howl (Isa 23:14); third, he designates the time of destruction: and it shall come to pass in that day (Isa 23:15). Concerning the first, he does three things. First, setting out divine indignation, the precept: the Lord has given a charge, to Nabuchodonosor, against Chanaan, in which Tyre is located: the Lord said to me: go up to this land, and destroy it (2 Kgs 18:25).
Commentary on Isaiah
And [men] shall say, Ye shall no longer at all continue to insult and injure the daughter of Sidon: and if thou depart to the Citians, neither there shalt thou have rest.
καὶ ἐροῦσιν· οὐκέτι οὐ μὴ προσθῆτε τοῦ ὑβρίζειν καὶ ἀδικεῖν τὴν θυγατέρα Σιδῶνος· καὶ ἐὰν ἀπέλθῃς εἰς Κιτιεῖς, οὐδὲ ἐκεῖ ἀνάπαυσις ἔσται σοι·
И҆ рекꙋ́тъ: ктомꙋ̀ не приложи́те ᲂу҆корѧ́ти и҆ ѡ҆би́дѣти дще́рь сїдѡ́ню: и҆ а҆́ще ѿи́деши ко китїи́ѡмъ, нижѐ та́мѡ бꙋ́детъ тебѣ̀ поко́й:
(Verse 12) The Lord commanded against Canaan, to crush its strong ones. He showed that there is a sea, upon which the Lord stretched out his hand, saying: He commanded against Canaan. For Tyre was founded in the land of Canaan. Read the Scriptures, especially the Gospel (Mark 7), where the Syrophoenician woman, interceding for her daughter, comes out of the land of Canaan, which is called the Canaanite woman. And at the same time, because he had said: He stretched out his hand, lest you believe that the Lord was working with his limbs and physical function, he added that it was commanded, that it was done by God's order.
Commentary on Isaiah
(Verse 12) The Lord of hosts commanded to destroy its strength from Canaan, and they will say: 'You shall not add to do harm and injustice to the virgin daughter of Sidon. Tyre and Sidon are in the land of Canaan, and as we have shown above, presenting the testimony of the Gospel in which it is read that a Canaanite woman or a Syrophoenician went out from the borders of Tyre and Sidon and met the Lord and Savior. But every soul that is placed in the waves of the world and is carried about by every wind of doctrine is to be called Canaan, which is interpreted as fluctuation or commotion.' Therefore, it is beneficial for Tyre and its distress for the Canaanite to perish, so that it may be said to its inhabitants that they are no longer able to do harm, and to oppress the virgin daughter of Sidon through wickedness. Whoever is captured by the devil in the various disturbances of vices and is handed over to the insults of ignominy, in order to pollute the body with pleasures and filth, that person is the son or daughter of Sidon. And it should be known that 'sabaoth' is not found in Hebrew, and, on the contrary, 'virgo' is added from Hebrew.
Commentary on Isaiah
And the intended end: and he said: you shall glory no more, O virgin daughter of Sidon, who sustain calumny, accused of pride: let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, and let not the rich man glory in his riches (Jer 9:23); and he excludes any remedy: arise and sail over to Cethim, there also you shall have no rest: neither shall you be quiet, even in those nations, nor shall there be any rest for the sole of your foot (Deut 28:65).
Commentary on Isaiah
And [if thou depart] to the land of the Chaldeans, this also is laid waste by the Assyrians, for her wall is fallen.
καὶ εἰς γῆν Χαλδαίων, καὶ αὕτη ἠρήμωται ἀπὸ τῶν ᾿Ασσυρίων, οὐδὲ ἐκεῖ σοι ἀνάπαυσις ἔσται, ὅτι ὁ τοῖχος αὐτῆς πέπτωκεν.
и҆ въ зе́млю халде́йскꙋ, но и҆ та̀ ѡ҆пꙋстѣ́ла ѿ а҆ссѷрі́анъ, ꙗ҆́кѡ стѣна̀ є҆ѧ̀ паде́сѧ.
13–14(Verse 13, 14.) Behold the land of the Chaldeans, such a people has never existed: Assyria laid it waste, they led away its strong men, they dug up its houses, they reduced it to ruins. Wail, O ships of the sea, for your strength is destroyed. For as it was said before: His feet will travel a great distance in exile; and again, Cross over your land like a river, and the people of Tyre will be doubly afflicted, those who fled and crossed over to Cyprus, and those who remained in the city. About those who had fled, he says above: Rising up, cross over to Cethim, there also there will be no rest for you. About those who remained and were led into captivity, he says: Behold, the inhabitants of the land of the Chaldeans, whose power no other people had before, and which was founded by the Assyrians, they have led mighty men of Tyre. They not only dug up the walls, but also all the dwellings of the city, and turned it into ruins. Therefore, because some have fled and others have been captured, howl, O ships, whether of the sea or of Carthage; for your trade and colony have been destroyed. At the same time, consider how he praised the Chaldeans. He did not say that such a people will no longer exist: for indeed, the kingdom of the Romans is more powerful and harsher; but, there was not one before. He who denied the previous things, has conceded the following things.
Commentary on Isaiah
(Verse 13) And he said: You shall no longer boast, enduring slander, O virgin daughter of Sidon, rising up to Cythim, crossing over: there also you will find no rest. God, who has determined to bring down the pride of all glory, who has commanded against Canaan, to crush its warriors, he himself says, By no means shall you boast any longer, and trust in your own power. O virgin daughter of Sidon, that is, the colony of the Sidonians, you will indeed flee by ships to the islands of the West, or to Cyprus, and the other lands of Macedonia and Greece, but even there, when God opposes you, you will not find rest. Furthermore, he is always wandering and a stranger in the world, and in uncertain places, always in distress and constantly in sorrow.
Commentary on Isaiah
(Verse 13) If you go to the Citians, there will be no rest for you there; and if you go to the land of the Chaldeans, it has also been devastated by the Assyrians. Siim founded it, they established its fortifications, they raised its tower: its wall has fallen. And what follows in Theodotion's edition is added under asterisks: Siim founded it, they established its fortifications, they raised its tower, and without asterisks it is joined: its wall has fallen. The Cilicians are interpreted as a completed or perfect wound: the Chaldeans in this place, as if breasts: the Assyrians, accusing. We could not find the etymology ourselves, and the other interpreters translated it by the very name used in Hebrew. Therefore, it is said to Tyre that, although it seeks to go to the Cilicians and avoid the distress of its own wound, it cannot find perfect rest even there. And if it desires to go to the Chaldeans and enjoy their abundance and the abundance of all things, it will also find them deserted, with the Assyrians accusing their sterility, just as the Apostle handed over the sinners of Satan (1 Tim. 1), so that they may learn not to blaspheme: those who are handed over to the destruction of the flesh, so that the spirit may be saved. However, the Chaldeans laid the foundations of which I understand to be the most wicked demons, who raised up strongholds and the most proud towers of the city of Chaldea against the knowledge of the Lord. But all their building collapsed into ruins; for, its wall fell. For unless the Lord builds the house, in vain do those who build it labor. (Ps. CXXVI, 1). Often we see in the world certain individuals pass from one purpose to another. For example, those who have had a bad experience in the military can transition to business. And again, lawyers of warriors take up weapons. They change their profession in order to change their misfortune; and nevertheless, by the will of God, everything happens contrary to those who strive for everything to go well: so that through poverty and miseries they are forced to have confidence not in themselves, but in their Creator.
Commentary on Isaiah
Second, he sets out the strength of the enemy: behold the land of the Chaldeans, there was not such a people, before them; the Assyrians, or Nabuchodonosor, founded it: is not this Babylon, which I have built? (Dan 4:27).
Third, he sets out the destruction as to the subjugation of men: they have led away the strong ones thereof into captivity, above: their strong ones, and their people, and their high and glorious ones shall go down into it (Isa 5:14); as to the destruction of houses: they have destroyed the houses, above: it shall be as a ruinous heap of stones (Isa 17:1).
Commentary on Isaiah
Howl, ye ships of Carthage: for your strong hold is destroyed.
ὀλολύξατε, πλοῖα Καρχηδόνος, ὅτι ἀπόλωλε τὸ ὀχύρωμα ὑμῶν.
Пла́читесѧ, корабли̑ кархидо́нстїи, ꙗ҆́кѡ поги́бе тверды́нѧ ва́ша.
“Howl,” he says—he repeats it—“O you ships of Carthage, for your strength is laid waste. And it shall come to pass in that day, Tyre shall be abandoned;” and below, “but after seventy years, Tyre shall be as the song of a harlot.” Behold what words the prophet employs, and how he does not avoid the baseness of words of this kind. We ourselves sometimes avoid them, not because our tongue is more chaste than theirs, but our authority inferior. For very great is the force of words in the vivid exposition of such things, so that they who do not blush at their sins blush at least at the names of their sins. “Tyre shall be,” he says, “as the song of a harlot.” Beware, lest, when someone sees those dances being performed, and unseemly words being sung, he says, “Behold, Tyre has become the song of a harlot.”
On Elijah and Fasting 20.73-74
Furthermore, the Hebrews claim that Tarshish generally represents the sea, as in the psalms: “With a violent wind, you will destroy the ships of Tarshish,” that is, the sea, and in Isaiah: “Wail, ships of Tarshish.” I recall speaking about this several years ago in a letter to Marcella. The prophet, therefore, was not seeking to flee to a specific place, but he was hastening to continue toward wherever it was the sea would take him. Indeed, a terrified fugitive is rightly more interested in seizing the first opportunity to sail than he is in selecting a place of refuge. This also we are able to say: he who thought that “God is known in Judea” only and that “his name is great in Israel” only, once he felt him in the waves of the sea, confessed and said, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord of heaven who made the sea and the dry land.” But if he made the sea and the dry land, how can you who abandoned the dry land think it possible to avoid the Creator of the sea in the midst of the sea? At the same time, the salvation and conversion of the sailors taught him that the great multitude at Nineveh could also be saved by confessing like he did.We are able to say of our Lord and Savior that he left his native homeland, assumed flesh and, in a manner of speaking, fled from heaven and came to Tarshish. That is, [he came] to the sea of this world, about which it is said elsewhere: “This is the sea, great and vast, where there are creatures without number and animals both small and large. Ships navigate there with the dragon whom you formed to play in it.”
Commentary on Jonah, Chapter 1, Verse 3a
(Verse 14.) Howl, O ships of Carthage: for your strength is gone. The ships of Carthage, that is to say Tharsis, are commanded to howl: for they have not perished, as mentioned above, or will not come; but their strength has perished. Tharsis, according to another interpretation, is translated into our language as completion of six, or joy. However, we read that this world was made in six days, which according to ecclesiastical traditions will be consummated afterwards. Therefore, all the good things of this world, and the toil of all mortals, are compared to the uncertain course of ships, because they will soon perish and all the strength of sailors will be dissolved. Hence, it is written in Solomon: The wise man ascends to strong cities and destroys their fortifications (Prov. XXI, 22). Whatever is composed of heretics, worldly wisdom, and the art of opposing doctrines, the ecclesiastical man destroys and teaches that they should be subject to his teachings.
Commentary on Isaiah
Howl. Here he sets out the mourning (Ezek 27:14).
Commentary on Isaiah
And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] Tyre shall be left seventy years, as the time of a king, as the time of a man: and it shall come to pass after seventy years, [that] Tyre shall be as the song of a harlot.
καὶ ἔσται ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ καταλειφθήσεται Τύρος ἔτη ἑβδομήκοντα ὡς χρόνος βασιλέως, ὡς χρόνος ἀνθρώπου· καὶ ἔσται μετὰ ἑβδομήκοντα ἔτη, ἔσται Τύρος ὡς ᾆσμα πόρνης.
И҆ бꙋ́детъ въ то́й де́нь, ѡ҆ста́вленъ бꙋ́детъ тѵ́ръ се́дмьдесѧтъ лѣ́тъ, ꙗ҆́коже вре́мѧ (є҆ди́нагѡ) царѧ̀, ꙗ҆́кѡ вре́мѧ человѣ́ческо: и҆ по седми́десѧтихъ лѣ́тѣхъ бꙋ́детъ тѵ́ръ ꙗ҆́кѡ пѣ́снь блꙋдни́цы.
This Tyre also lay waste seventy years like Jerusalem, which sat in desolation seventy years.
Demonstration 5:9
15–18(Verse 15 and following) And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years, Tyre shall sing as a harlot. Take a harp, go about the city, O harlot that has been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that you may be remembered. After seventy years, the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall return to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth. And his merchandise shall be holy unto the Lord: it shall not be gathered nor laid up; for his merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing. This that is spoken of: a memorial before the Lord: and upon the face of the earth. And as the time of a man's life, which is not contained in the Hebrew, but is added in the Greek. And Tyre, after the seventy years of her captivity, shall return, and shall play the harlot with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth. And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord: it shall not be treasured nor laid up, for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing. The divine discourse exhorts Sidon and Tyre to repentance, and promises that his labors and rewards are to be sanctified by the Lord. Who does not have hope for salvation from sins, if indeed he has sung well, and all the strings of virtues, which were once slackened, are to be composed into praises of the Lord? We read in the forty-fourth psalm, which specifically pertains to the union of the bridegroom and the bride, that is, to God the Savior and the sacraments of the Church, it is said among other things: The daughters of Tyre will offer you gifts, the rich among the people will seek your favor (Ps. XLIV, 13). And the bridegroom himself speaks again to the Tyrian bride: Listen, daughter, and see, and incline your ear; and forget your people and your father's house, for the king desires your beauty. (Ibid. 11, 12). Hence, in the description of her beauty, it is said: The queen stands at your right hand, in a golden robe, adorned with various ornaments (Ibid., 10). And again: All the glory of the king's daughter is within (Ibid., 14). But if the king desires the beauty of penitent Tyre, and having the ornaments of various virtues, how much more will his reward and business be not in Tyre, where he does not dwell, but among those who live in the sight of the Lord! After they have repented, they will hear from the Lord and Savior: 'Eat, my friends, and drink, and be intoxicated, my beloved' (Song of Solomon 5:1). What it means to eat and drink, and be satisfied with the gathering of all virtues, the faithful reader understands. The temple was desolate for seventy years, as Jeremiah (Chapter 29), Daniel (Chapter 9), and Zechariah (Chapter 7) teach. And in Ezekiel (Chapter 16) we read about Sodom being restored to its former state, and about Egypt receiving its former abundance after the desolation and dryness of the land and the seven rivers. The number seventy signifies complete and perfect repentance, either in the span of seven days or in the completion of seven decades, so that just as Tyre, when the time of repentance is fulfilled, may return to its former state. Concerning this, I believe that the prostitute is referred to in the mystical language of Solomon's Proverbs: Do not look at the worst woman; for honey drips from the lips of the harlot, who fattens your throat for a short time, and afterwards you will find it bitter as gall (Prov. V, 2-4). For she peers through the window of her house onto the streets (Matth. VII): for the way that leads to death is wide and spacious, and she dares not tempt the wise, for she only lures the foolish, and she walks beside the corners, having lost the straight line: she talks to him in darkness and in gloom, and under the guise of pleasures she leads him like a victim to death. If she has been converted and has sung well, and has completed the time of perfect penance of years, she will eat and drink, and will be satisfied. Let Novatian hear, and let him be silent.
Commentary on Isaiah
(Verse 15.) And it shall come to pass on that day, Tyre, you shall be forgotten for seventy years, like the days of one king. From this point until the end of this prophecy, favorable tidings are announced for Tyre, that it shall repent, that it shall be rebuilt again, but that its destruction shall remain for only seventy years, the same number of years that the temple of God was desolate. Tyre shall imitate the time of its ruins, just as it had mocked the ruins of others. However, many believe that the seventy years of one king refer to the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, during which the kingdom of the Assyrian people persisted in Jerusalem. Others generally claim that someone who has had a long reign cannot exceed seventy years.
Commentary on Isaiah
And it shall come to pass. Here he designates the time: seventy years, according to the days of one king, who rarely even lives so long, below: the Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me (Isa 49:14).
But after seventy years. Here he promises liberation. And first, he sets out the song of the liberated, setting out the time of singing: after seventy years; as the song of a harlot, who, cast aside by a man, throws herself about and moves the hearts of others to mercy through songs in which she remembers her former dignity.
Commentary on Isaiah
Take a harp, go about, O city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; play well on the harp, sing many [songs], that thou mayest be remembered.
λαβὲ κιθάραν, ῥέμβευσον, πόλις πόρνη ἐπιλελησμένη· καλῶς κιθάρισον, πολλὰ ᾆσον, ἵνα σου μνεία γένηται.
Возмѝ гꙋ́сли, ѡ҆быдѝ гра́дъ, блꙋдни́ца забве́наѧ, до́брѣ погꙋдѝ, мно́гѡ воспо́й, да па́мѧть твоѧ̀ бꙋ́детъ.
(Verse 16.) After seventy years, Tyre will be like the song of a prostitute. Take up the lyre, go around the city, forgotten prostitute, sing well, sing often, so that there will be a memory of you. Because you have prostituted yourself with many nations, and you have been left desolate, naked, and filthy with the filth of captivity, your former lovers have despised you. Now take up the lyre, sing songs of lamentation, go around the city, weep for your former brothel, and wash away the traces of your ancient error with tears, so that you may provoke the mercy of God in yourself.
Commentary on Isaiah
And he sets out the song as to the instrument: take a harp; as to the place: about the city; as to the manner: sing well; as to the number, sing many a song. He also sets out the fruit: that you mayst be remembered: it is commonly said: if a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and marry another man, shall he return to her any more? (Jer 3:1).
Note on the words, take a harp (Isa 23:16), that the harp signifies an upright life: first, as the mortification of the flesh, because of the material of the strings: I will sing to you with the harp, you Holy One of Israel (Ps 70[71]:22); second, as to the connection of the virtues, because of the harmony of the song, above: my bowels shall sound like a harp for Moab (Isa 16:11); third, as to the sweetness of good works, because of the joy of the listener: they take the timbrel, and the harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ (Job 21:12).
Note also on the words, go about the city (Isa 23:16), that man ought to go about the city: first, of his own conscience, by reflecting on his sins: the mourners shall go round about in the street before the silver cord be broken (Eccl 12:5–6); second, of the Church militant, by imitating the example of the just: surround Zion, and encompass her (Ps 47:13[48:12]); third, of our heavenly homeland, by considering the reward of the saints: I will rise, and will go about the city (Song 3:2).
Note also on the words, sing well (Isa 23:16), that man ought to sing well: first, cheerfully: to our God be joyful praise (Ps 146[147]:1); second, attentively: I will sing with the spirit, I will sing also with the understanding (1 Cor 14:15); third, devoutly: and the people offered victims, and praises with a devout mind (2 Chr 29:31).
Note also on the words, sing many a song (Isa 23:16), that we ought to sing many songs: first, because of his greatness: glorify the Lord as much as ever you can, for he will yet far exceed, and his magnificence is wonderful (Sir 43:32[30]); second, because of the multitude of inward goods, make melody, rejoice and sing (Ps 97[98]:4); third, because of the abundance of our sins: seven times a day I have given praise to you . . . Lord God, destroy me not (Ps 118[119]:164).
Commentary on Isaiah
And it shall come to pass after the seventy years, [that] God will visit Tyre, and she shall be again restored to her primitive state, and she shall be a mart for all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth.
καὶ ἔσται μετὰ τὰ ἑβδομήκοντα ἔτη, ἐπισκοπὴν ποιήσει ὁ Θεὸς Τύρου, καὶ πάλιν ἀποκατασταθήσεται εἰς τὸ ἀρχαῖον· καὶ ἔσται ἐμπόριον πάσαις ταῖς βασιλείας τῆς οἰκουμένης.
И҆ бꙋ́детъ по седми́десѧтихъ лѣ́тѣхъ, присѣще́нїе сотвори́тъ бг҃ъ тѵ́рꙋ, и҆ па́ки возста́витсѧ на пре́жднее и҆ бꙋ́детъ то́ржище всѣ̑мъ ца́рствамъ вселе́нныѧ на лицы̀ землѝ.
Now we see that Tyre was inhabited and was opulent after it had “wandered seventy years,” and after it had received the reward of its prostitutions.
Demonstration 21:6
(Verse 17) And it will be, after seventy years, the Lord will visit Tyre, and He will restore it to its merchandise, and again it will commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the earth on the face of the earth. All these things are indicated by the consonant letters of the Greeks and the Phoenicians, that after seventy years, it was restored and returned to its former power, and it became a market for all nations, which I think are called fornications, just as one who commits fornication enters a brothel and gives a fee for immorality: in the same way, the instigator, coming together from the whole world, will fill the beauty of the city like that of a harlot.
Commentary on Isaiah
Second, he promises the benefit of a liberator: and it shall come to pass after seventy years; that the Lord will visit Tyre, and will bring her back again to her traffic: and she shall commit fornication again, that is, she shall trade: I will glorify them (Jer 30:19).
On the contrary: Ezekiel 27:36 says of Tyre, you are brought to nothing, and you shall never be any more; the Gloss there says, that is, in memory, which is the life of one man, which is seventy years; the days of our years in them are threescore and ten years (Ps 89[90]:10).
Commentary on Isaiah
And her trade and her gain shall be holiness to the Lord: it shall not be gathered for them, but for those that dwell before the Lord, [even] all her trade, to eat and drink and be filled, and for a covenant [and] a memorial before the Lord.
καὶ ἔσται αὐτῆς ἡ ἐμπορία καὶ ὁ μισθὸς ἅγιον Κυρίῳ· οὐκ αὐτοῖς συναχθήσεται, ἀλλὰ τοῖς κατοικοῦσιν ἔναντι Κυρίου πᾶσα ἡ ἐμπορία αὐτῆς φαγεῖν καὶ πιεῖν καὶ ἐμπλησθῆναι εἰς συμβολὴν μνημόσυνον ἔναντι Κυρίου.
И҆ бꙋ́детъ є҆гѡ̀ кꙋ́плѧ и҆ мзда̀ ст҃о гдⷭ҇еви, не и҆̀мъ со́брано бꙋ́детъ, но живꙋ́щымъ пред̾ гдⷭ҇емъ, всѧ̀ кꙋ́плѧ є҆гѡ̀, ꙗ҆́сти и҆ пи́ти и҆ напо́лнитисѧ, и҆ въ сы́тость, на па́мѧть пред̾ гдⷭ҇емъ.
To seek out the exact form of the reading, I gave my attention to the translation of Aquila, which says, “And it will happen that its commerce and wages are consecrated to the Lord.” Thus the Hebrew has, precisely, “commerce and wages” without the articles, not, according to the Septuagint, “the commerce and the wages,” by which it appears to mean all the commerce and all the wages. According to Aquila, “Its commerce and wages are consecrated to the Lord.” Not its whole commerce or its whole wages, but a part of the commerce and a part of the wages are consecrated to the Lord. And this is what has been fulfilled in our day. For the church of God is established in the city of Tyre, as indeed in the rest of the nations, and many of the wages in it and what is stored up for business are offered to the church and consecrated to the Lord. The things that people bring, they offer in piety, not for themselves in order to enjoy the gifts offered to God but “for those who dwell before the Lord.” (Namely, [these gifts are] for those who serve at the altar, “for the Lord had enjoined that those who preach the gospel should live by the gospel” and “those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings.”)
Commentary on Isaiah 152:23-153:2
(Verse 18) And his business shall be holy to the Lord, and his wages shall be set apart for the Lord; they shall not be stored up or hoarded away. For those who dwell before the Lord, his business shall be to eat in plenty and be clothed until old age. These things, according to history, we have not yet discovered if they have been fulfilled, unless it is to be thought that after the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the restoration of Tyre, the two cities were friendly with each other and frequently sent gifts to the temple of God in Tyre. Just as we read in Ezra (Esdras 13:16) that he drove away the Tyrians who were selling fish on the Sabbath and did not allow them to enter the city, and it should be estimated from this example about other business dealings as well. The Jews delay their empty prayers for the future, stating that these will be fulfilled after the Antichrist in a thousand years. It is not surprising if they fabricate such things, as they have rejected the truth of Christ and are preparing to receive the Antichrist, the instrument of the devil. Even Christians who fall into Judaizing contend that these words refer to a thousand years of blessedness. However, I, in understanding the vision of Babylon as a type of its destruction, interpret it as the time of its fulfillment, and in Egypt, with its idols destroyed and the altar of the Lord erected, I refer it to the time of Christ. Likewise, in the vision of Moab, I recognize the throne of the Savior placed on his land, and in all the other visions of Damascus, I have no doubt that they are sacraments of our times. Thus, in the vision of Tyre, which is the most extreme, I interpret it as the time of Christian felicity: that after it is built and regains its former state, all merchants return to their ancient customs, entering its harbor, and their goods and labor are dedicated to the Lord. Let us consider the churches built in Tyre, let us think about the wealth of all, which is not stored up or hoarded, but given to those who live before the Lord, who, as altar servants, share with the altar (1 Corinthians 9). However, the Tyrians serve not for wealth, nor to accumulate the wealth of priests, but to provide for the necessary sustenance: so that, according to the Apostle, having food and clothing, we may be content with these (1 Timothy 6). And note that it did not say negotiations and goods of Tyre sanctified to be given to the Lord to those who dwell in Jerusalem as the Jews think, but to those who are before the Lord, who serve Him. For the Lord established it so that those who preach the Gospel should live from the Gospel (I Cor. IX). But to serve the Lord and to dwell before Him is not a matter of place, but of merit. Thus far we have discussed the visions of Isaiah, or the burdens that he imposed on certain nations, as you have commanded, and as we have been able to, following the historical interpretation, focusing only on the footsteps of Hebrew truth. The following things pertain to all nations, and generally to the completion of the whole world. About these things, neither did you ask me to write, nor was it a waste of time for me to dictate unasked and barely written about sought-after things.
Commentary on Isaiah
Third, he sets out the fruit of liberation: and her merchandise and her hire shall be, below: for brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver (Isa 60:17).
Commentary on Isaiah
THE WORD CONCERNING TYRE. Howl, ye ships of Carthage; for she has perished, and [men] no longer arrive from the land of the Citians: she is led captive.
Τὸ ὅραμα Τύρου.
Видѣ́нїе на тѵ́ра. Пла́читесѧ, корабли̑ кархидо́нстїи, ꙗ҆́кѡ поги́бе, и҆ ктомꙋ̀ не и҆́дꙋтъ ѿ землѝ китїе́йскїѧ, ѿведе́сѧ плѣне́нъ.