OT § 154

"Behold, my servant shall be wise," that is, shall be illustrious; these words certainly concern our Lord. Indeed, he was called a servant by his Father, because, in the first place, he was sent by his Father in order to fulfill his will in procuring salvation for all humankind, and in the second place, because he assumed the aspect of a servant. "He shall be exalted and lifted up, and he shall be very high" through his virtues and miracles.

(Verse 13.) Behold, my servant shall understand, he shall be exalted and extolled, and shall be very high. LXX: Behold, my servant shall understand, and he shall be exalted, and shall be very glorious. So that there may be no ambiguity for readers, it is clear who will say: I, who spoke, am here; and the holy arm of the Lord, which has been revealed to all nations, God the Almighty Father clearly teaches: Behold my servant or my son whom I have sent, about whom we have spoken of his difference before. But he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2). Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name. As it is written in the psalm: I will bless the Lord who gives me understanding (Psalm 16:7); and concerning him, David sings: Who made the heavens with understanding (Psalm 135:5). He Himself is indeed wisdom and understanding, who progressed in wisdom and understanding as if a child in age and wisdom: of whom Peter also speaks: God of our fathers has glorified His Son Jesus, whom you indeed handed over and denied in the presence of Pilate who was willing to release Him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One (Acts 3:13-14), of whom we have also shown above: I am a witness, says the Lord, and the chosen child upon whom many will marvel when they perceive His signs (Isaiah 43:10).

Behold my servant shall understand. Here he foretells the liberation of the gentiles from slavery to sin, carried out by the Son of God.

And first, he describes the liberator as to eminence of grace: my servant shall understand, as to the fullness of wisdom; servant, Christ, according to the human nature he assumed: taking the form of a servant (Phil 2:7); a wise servant is acceptable to the king (Prov 14:35); and: he that understands shall possess governments (Prov 1:5). He shall be exalted, as to the operation of his powers: be you exalted, O Lord, in your own strength (Ps 20:14[21:13]); and lifted up, as to his ascension: for your magnificence is elevated above the heavens (Ps 8:2[1]); he that descended is the same also that ascended (Eph 4:10); and shall be exceeding high, sitting at the right hand of the Father, above: the bud of the Lord shall be in magnificence and glory, and the fruit of the earth shall be high (Isa 4:2).

(Verse 14.) As many were astonished at him; so his appearance was marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men. LXX: Just as many were astonished at you, so your appearance will be marvelous among people, and your glory among the children of men. And from this will be a greater miracle, that his appearance will be inglorious among men: not because it signifies ugliness of form, but because he came in humility and poverty. Though he was rich, he became poor for us; and to those who believe, he said: Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart (Matt. XI, 29); of whom Clement, an apostolic man who governed the Church of Rome after Peter, writes to the Corinthians: The Lord Jesus Christ, the scepter of God, did not come in the boasting of pride, though he could do all things, but in humility. As soon as he was struck by the officer of the priest, he answered, If I have spoken wrongly, give evidence of the wrong; but if well, why do you strike me? having twelve legions of angels who would obey his command.

"Even as many will be astounded at you, so your appearance will be without glory from people." For what could be equal to this insolence? Even the sea, on seeing his face, gave it reverence. Even the sun, when it beheld him on the cross, turned away his rays. Yet on his face they did spit, and struck it with the palms of their hands, and some on the head; giving full swing in every way to their own madness.

Similarly the Father addressed the Son, "Even as many will be astounded at you, so your appearance will be without glory from people." For though, as David has it, he is timely in beauty even above the children of human beings, yet this is in that allegorical state of spiritual grace, when he girds himself with the sword of the Word, which is in truth his very own form and comeliness and glory.

And as to the ignominy of his passion: for as many have been astonished at you, by your example, miracles and teachings: and all the multitudes were amazed (Matt 12:23) at his teaching and the miracles which he did, so shall his visage be inglorious, in suffering, and his form, his appearance or beauty: I am a worm, and no man: the reproach of men, and the outcast of the people (Ps 21:7[22:6]).

The Word, joined to human flesh, came forth from the virgin womb and has now strode forth like a giant and has run his course, and his exit was from the highest heaven and his return to the height of heaven. Now he has been exalted and honored, and many nations now marvel at him, and the kings stop their mouths because they have passed the cruelest laws against Christians. For, indeed, they were not told about him. Now they see, and though they did not hear, now they understand.

"Kings shall shut their mouths because of him." He means that they will be troubled, after examining [his miracles]. Or, he alludes to what happened at the time of the crucifixion; the sun became obscure, and everybody stood up, being struck by stupefaction.

For they had the Lord as trailblazer who gathered them, the God of Israel to make one flock from the whole earth, to fulfill what the Lord said in the Gospel to his Father, "Grant that just as I and you are one, so they also may be one in us," as they in one mind and one opinion, rebutting vices and leaving behind disagreements among them, would grasp one unique virtue. For they do not run after vices and disputes, since here it only speaks about their virtues in which there is neither too much nor too little, but all is moderate.

(Verse 15.) He shall sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider. LXX: So many nations will be amazed at him, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For they will see what was not proclaimed to them, and they will understand what they had not heard. He shall sprinkle many nations, purifying them with his own blood and consecrating them in the baptism of God's service. Kings themselves will hold their mouths in check, and rulers of the world whose wisdom has been overthrown by the preaching of the cross; and those who had no Law and Prophets, and to whom he had not been proclaimed, will see and understand. Of whom the Savior also speaks: Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed (John 20:29). In comparison to them, the hardness of the Jews is reproved, who, seeing and hearing, have fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy in themselves, saying: 'You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear' (Isaiah 6:9-10).

And we have not in vain believed in Him, and have not been led astray by those who taught us such doctrines; but this has come to pass through the wonderful foreknowledge of God, in order that we, through the calling of the new and eternal covenant, that is, of Christ, might be found more intelligent and God-fearing than yourselves, who are considered to be lovers of God and men of understanding, but are not. Isaiah, filled with admiration of this, said: "And kings shall shut their mouths: for those to whom no announcement has been made in regard to Him shall see; and those who heard not shall understand. Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?"

And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God, That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God. For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed, Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation: But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand. [Isaiah 52:15]

For not all believed, but those who did believe admired to the highest point the mystery of piety. "And kings shall keep their mouths shut." At the manifest demonstration of God's power, those who formerly persecuted him and had dared to blaspheme will restrain their tongues from slander. Then he adds in a clearer vein: "For they to whom no report was brought concerning him shall see; and they who have not heard shall consider." For those who did not receive the prophetic predictions, but who served idols, will see, thanks to the heralds of truth, the might of him who was proclaimed to them, and they will know his power. After the predictions concerning the Gentiles, he also prophesies the incredulity of the Jews.

Second, he foretells liberation as to the remission of sins: he shall sprinkle, with the sprinkling of his blood (1 Pet 1:2), and the water of baptism: having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with clean water (Heb 10:22); as to the veneration of him: kings shall shut their mouth at him, silent, to listen, not presuming to discuss his secrets: the princes ceased to speak (Job 29:9); and as to the knowledge of truth: for they to whom, namely, the gentiles, it was not told of him, by the prophets, have seen, in their hearts, and they that heard not, him preaching in person, below: behold me, to nations that did not know me and that did not call upon my name (Isa 65:1).

Due to their exceedingly great wickedness, they would not believe in him, as the Lord shows in these words, "Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" And afterward, "Hearing you shall hear and shall not understand; and seeing you shall see and shall not perceive, for the heart of this people has become desensitized." Therefore, knowledge was taken from them, because when they saw, they overlooked, and when they heard, they heard nothing at all.

Are we correct in understanding God's right hand to be the one of whom Isaiah says, "And the arm of the Lord, to whom has it been revealed"? That, you see, is the only Son, whom the Father did not spare "but handed him over for us all." And thus he stretched out his right hand on the cross, and the earth devoured the godless, when they thought of themselves as victorious and of him as despicable in defeat.

If we should understand "hand" as power, the power of the Father and the Son is one; but if we should understand "hand" as it was said through the prophet, "And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" the hand of the Father is the Son himself.

For just as it is your arm through which you work, so his Word was called the arm of God, because through the Word he constructed the world. For why does a person, in order to construct something, stretch out his arm except to directly execute his will?

Look and see that he alone is Father and his arm is the Son, and there are not two but one, a person and his arm. Not understanding or noticing how the words of one thing are transferred to other things on account of some similarity in everyday speech concerning visible and well-known things, how much more when ineffable things are spoken in some way, which are said in such a way to be impossible [in another way]? For a person calls another person "his arm" through whom he does whatever he does. And if he is taken away, he mourns and says, "I have lost my arm." And to the one who took him away, he says, "You have taken my arm away." We can thus understand how it can be said that the Son is the arm of the Father through which the Father works all things. Failing to understand this, we remain in the shadows of error, just like those of whom it was said, "To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"

The first thing, then, is that a man possess Scripture, not like a Jew who is content with the rind. For instance, a certain Jew was reading one day this passage from Isaias: "Who would believe what we have heard?" He was reading it literally and was quite unable to relate it to anything nor to make any sense of it, and therefore he cast the book on the ground, begging loudly that God confound Isaias, because it seemed to him that what he said could not stand.

God truly put his arm around the prodigal son when he clothed his Son in human flesh. Then he exclaimed and said to all, "Take my yoke on you." Whoever accepts the yoke of Christ is embraced as with the arm of a father and is known to be reconciled with God.

For Christ is of those who are humble-minded, and not of those who exalt themselves over His flock. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Sceptre of the majesty of God, did not come in the pomp of pride or arrogance, although He might have done so, but in a lowly condition, as the Holy Spirit had declared regarding Him. For He says, "Lord, who has believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? We have declared [our message] in His presence: He is, as it were, a child, and like a root in thirsty ground; He has no form nor glory, yea, we saw Him, and He had no form nor comeliness; but His form was without eminence, yea, deficient in comparison with the [ordinary] form of men. He is a man exposed to stripes and suffering, and acquainted with the endurance of grief: for His countenance was turned away; He was despised, and not esteemed. He bears our iniquities, and is in sorrow for our sakes; yet we supposed that [on His own account] He was exposed to labour, and stripes, and affliction. But He was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we were healed. All we, like sheep, have gone astray; [every] man has wandered in his own way; and the Lord has delivered Him up for our sins, while He in the midst of His sufferings opens not His mouth. He was brought as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before her shearer is dumb, so He opens not His mouth. In His humiliation His judgment was taken away; who shall declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth. For the transgressions of my people was He brought down to death. And I will give the wicked for His sepulchre, and the rich for His death, because He did no iniquity, neither was guile found in His mouth. And the Lord is pleased to purify him by stripes. If you make an offering for sin, your soul shall see a long-lived seed. And the Lord is pleased to relieve Him of the affliction of His soul, to show Him light, and to form Him with understanding, to justify the Just One who ministers well to many; and He Himself shall carry their sins. On this account He shall inherit many, and shall divide the spoil of the strong; because His soul was delivered to death, and He was reckoned among the transgressors, and He bare the sins of many, and for their sins was He delivered." [Isaiah 53:1-12] And again He says, "I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All that see me have derided me; they have spoken with their lips; they have wagged their head, [saying] He hoped in God, let Him deliver Him, let Him save Him, since He delights in Him." [Psalm 22:6-8] You see, beloved, what is the example which has been given us; for if the Lord thus humbled Himself, what shall we do who have through Him come under the yoke of His grace?

May your right hand with which you fashioned the world bring light to the world. "To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" May your right hand with which you formed humanity take on a human body and save human persons.

(Chapter 53, verses 1 and following) Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground: he has no form or comeliness; and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and we hid, as it were, our faces from him; he was despised, and we did not esteem him. Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. LXX: But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. A man in distress, and knowing how to bear infirmity, because his face is turned away, despised and not esteemed. He carries our sins, and grieves for us, and we have reckoned him to be in pain, and in affliction. After the words of the Father, by which he had announced to the world that his son would come; and before the scandal of the cross, about which he was going to say: His appearance will be inglorious, and his form unlike that of other men, he had foretold the glory of the resurrection: He will be exalted and lifted up, and will be greatly exalted: so that, by the humility of the cross, he might anticipate the glory of the resurrection. The choir of prophets responded that they had fulfilled their duty, and had proclaimed to all the power and strength of his arm, as much as they could. But concerning what he says: Who has believed our report, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? he signifies the rarity of those who believe among the Jews. And what follows: It shall spring up as a root before him; for which the LXX translated, We have announced it as a little one before him: for root, Symmachus interpreted as a branch, in order to show that the man who proceeded from the virgin womb was assumed. Of whom he infers: As a root from a thirsty land. For the thirsty one, the Eagle was interpreted as a sign, in order to demonstrate the privilege of virginity, that he was created from the earth without any human seed. This is the one about whom we read above: A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots (Isaiah 11:1), in order to signify his birth and ascent into the world. But he did not have appearance or glory; his form was ignoble and lacking compared to the sons of men, or as it is said in Hebrew, despised and the last of men, as it is said in the Psalms: Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one, in your glory and majesty (Psalm 45:4). What is easily solved. He was despised and ignoble when he hung on the cross, and became a curse for us, bearing our sins. And he said to the Father: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46). But he was famous and beautiful in appearance, when the earth trembled at his passion, rocks were split, and with the sun fleeing, the elements feared eternal night. Of whom the bride also says in the Song of Songs: My beloved is white and ruddy, chosen from thousands (Song of Solomon 5:10). Candidus, in the fullness and purity of virtues, ruddy in passion, about which we will read later: Who is this that comes from Edom, his garments yellowish; chosen from thousands for resurrection; so that the one who was the firstborn of all creation might be the firstborn from the dead. And he brings forth this: a man in sorrow and knowing how to bear weakness, a man of sorrows, and knowing weakness, a true human body, and a true soul, who, knowing how to bear weaknesses, overcame them all by divinity. And his hidden and despised appearance, so that the divine power might be concealed in a human body. Regarding which it has been said above: You are a hidden God, and we did not know. He truly carried our weaknesses and sins, and he grieves for us, not just in appearance, that is, to seem so, as the ancient and new heresies suspect; but he truly was crucified. He truly suffered, saying in the Gospel: My soul is sorrowful even unto death (Matthew 26:38). And: Now is my soul troubled (John XII, 27). And we thought him to be unclean, or in pain, as the Seventy translated, for which Aquila and Symmachus translated as a leper, Theodotion, as scourged. Which in other words is understood as leprosy in Hebrew idiom, according to what is written in the Psalms: And the scourge shall not come near your tent (Ps. XC, 10). And the sense is: We thought him to be struck by God for his sins, who was humiliated for us and crucified with thieves. Regarding what Symmachus translated as Ἐν ἁφῇ ὄντα, which means 'in lepra'; Aquila rendered it as ἁφημένον, meaning 'leprosum': many, not understanding, think it was left out, and others read καθήμενον, meaning 'sitting'. At the beginning of the chapter, where it is said according to the Septuagint: 'Lord, who has believed our report?': and the arm of the Lord, to whom it is revealed (Rom. X), which testimony the apostle Paul also uses in Romans, explaining about the passion of the Lord: 'Lord' is not in the Hebrew, but for the understanding of the person to whom it is said, it was added.

Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them. But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? [Isaiah 53:1] Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him. Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? [Isaiah 53:1] So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Now he would most certainly have said "your arm" if he had not wished us to understand that the Father is Lord and the Son also is Lord.

Who has believed. Here he begins to set out the remedies against the aforesaid impediments.

And first, against their sin, he promises the passion of Christ;

second, against their lowering, he promises exaltation: give praise, O you barren (ch. 54);

third, against their poverty, he promises free enjoyment of goods: all you that thirst (ch. 55).

Concerning the first, he does two things.

First, he shows the height of the mystery, for the report of it is not easily believed: who has believed our report, of these things about Christ which we have heard from you: we have heard a rumor (Obad 1:1); O Lord, I have heard your hearing, and was afraid (Hab 3:2); nor is it easily seen: and to whom is the arm of the Lord, that is, the Son of God, the power of God, revealed: and have you an arm like God? (Job 40:4).

Note on the words, to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? (Isa 53:1), that Christ is an arm:

first, for scourging demons: with the arm of your strength you have scattered your enemies (Ps 88:11[89:10]);

second, for supporting the weak, above: he shall take up the lambs with his arm (Isa 40:11);

third, for defending the faithful: with his holy arm he will defend them (Wis 5:17).

For it is incredible that God, the Son of God, should be spoken of and preached as having suffered these things. For this reason they are foretold by the prophets, lest any doubt should spring up in those who are about to believe.

Therefore, Christ is both the great mountain and the small mountain: truly great because He is the great Lord and His power is great; small because it is written: You have made him a little lower than the angels. Wherefore also Isaiah says: We beheld Him, and He had no form nor comeliness. Nevertheless, He became less from great and greater from less. Less from great, because, when He was in the form of God, He emptied Himself and took the form of a servant; greater from less, because Daniel says: And the stone which was cut out of the mountain, became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

And that the Lord Himself was uncomely in aspect, the Spirit testifies by Esaias: "And we saw Him, and He had no form nor comeliness but His form was mean, inferior to men." Yet who was more admirable than the Lord? But it was not the beauty of the flesh visible to the eye, but the true beauty of both soul and body, which He exhibited, which in the former is beneficence; in the latter-that is, the flesh-immortality.

What therefore does the prophet say in these words?… For he confesses what we also have announced, that is, we have foretold unceasingly that he will come in due season. But perhaps someone shall say in response, "What then if God who is the Word should come down from heaven, covered in divine glory and resplendent in unapproachable light, and appear to those on earth as one who cannot be looked at because of his ineffable glory?" Indeed, when he visited the earth in the form of fire on Mount Sinai it was dark and gloomy, and storms and fire burst from on high along with smoke, and there were many other things that so completely terrified [the Israelites] that his appearance was unbearable to those who saw it. In fact, it was so unbearable that the Israelites called for a mediator, saying to Moses, "Speak to us, and do not let God speak lest we die." So, as Isaiah says, it is no wonder that the one who shall appear should be hard to look at. Why then do the prophets say that unbelief is without excuse and rebellion is unjustifiable when there is no form or glory to his appearance? For he was not, it says, in a form or glory that befits the divine. For he emptied himself, taking on the likeness of humanity, and being found in the appearance of a man he humbled himself. And we say this not merely from hearing the reports, but we have gazed with our own eyes on the one proclaimed. For human things are in every way small, cheap and worthless compared with the divine, supreme, eminent and illustrious beauty of that nature that is above all things. For it is said in the Psalms, "You are the most beautiful among the sons of men." And our text here adds, "more rejected than all people," speaking of his appearance, as if to say that there are to be seen among people of distinction some which are distinguished by their fine radiant appearance … but Emmanuel was not among them, reduced instead to someone who was despised and lowly. This message is true, for he did not come from the holy virgin mother in opulence, but through all that is lowly and humble so as to raise up the humble and to bless those who seem worthless. And anyway, what need does God, who is Lord and king of the universe, have of human splendor?

For he whom you now treat with contempt was once above you. He who is now man was once the uncompounded. What he was he continued to be; what he was not he took to himself. In the beginning he was uncaused; for what is the cause of God? But afterwards for a cause he was born. And that cause was that you might be saved, who insult him and despise his godhead, because of this, that he took on him your denser nature, having converse with flesh by means of mind. While his inferior nature, the humanity, became God, because it was united to God and became one person because the higher nature prevailed, [this happened] in order that I too might be made God so far as he is made man. He was born—but he had been begotten. He was born of a woman—but she was a virgin. The first is human, the second divine. In his human nature he had no father, but also in his divine nature [he had] no mother. Both these belong to godhead. He dwelled in the womb—but he was recognized by the prophet [John the Baptist], himself still in the womb, leaping before the Word, for whose sake he came into being. He was wrapped in swaddling clothes—but he took off the swathing bands of the grave by his rising again. He was laid in a manger—but he was glorified by angels, and proclaimed by a star and worshiped by the magi. Why are you offended by what is presented to your sight, because you will not look at what is presented to your mind? He was driven into exile into Egypt—but he drove away the Egyptian idols. He had no form or comeliness in the eyes of the Jews—but to David he is fairer than the children of humankind. And on the mountain he was bright as the lightning and became more luminous than the sun, initiating us into the mystery of the future.

For this reason [it is, said], "Who shall declare His generation?" since "He is a man, and who shall recognise Him?" But he to whom the Father which is in heaven has revealed Him, knows Him, so that he understands that He who "was not born either by the will of the flesh, or by the will of man," is the Son of man, this is Christ, the Son of the living God. For I have shown from the Scriptures, that no one of the sons of Adam is as to everything, and absolutely, called God, or named Lord. But that He is Himself in His own right, beyond all men who ever lived, God, and Lord, and King Eternal, and the Incarnate Word, proclaimed by all the prophets, the apostles, and by the Spirit Himself, may be seen by all who have attained to even a small portion of the truth. Now, the Scriptures would not have testified these things of Him, if, like others, He had been a mere man. But that He had, beyond all others, in Himself that pre-eminent birth which is from the Most High Father, and also experienced that pre-eminent generation which is from the Virgin, the divine Scriptures do in both respects testify of Him: also, that He was a man without comeliness, and liable to suffering; that He sat upon the foal of an ass; that He received for drink, vinegar and gall; that He was despised among the people, and humbled Himself even to death and that He is the holy Lord, the Wonderful, the Counsellor, the Beautiful in appearance, and the Mighty God, coming on the clouds as the Judge of all men;—all these things did the Scriptures prophesy of Him.

Therefore, beloved, have in your mind God's providence (which from the beginning until now is dispensed with foreknowledge) as some excellent medicine for weakened eyes, and keep its recollection with you at all times. Ponder, consider, and be taught by these things, that you may learn to hold the remembrance of the greatness of God's honour in your soul, and thus find life eternal for your soul in Jesus Christ our Lord, Who is become "the Mediator between God and men," as being the Uniter in His two natures. The orders of the angels cannot approach the glory that surrounds the throne of His majesty, yet He has appeared in the world for our sake in a mean and humble form, as [Isaiah] said: "We beheld Him, that He had no form nor beauty." It is He that, being invisible to all created nature, put on a body and fulfilled the economy for the salvation and life of all the nations that were cleansed by Him, and to Him be glory and dominion unto the ages of ages. Amen.

"For he grew up before him like a child," like a child dear to his Father, he says, because he will be dear to God. But "like a root out of the ground," which is deprived of water, he will also be deprived of life at the moment of the passion. In fact, God wanted these evil things to befall him. Others have seen these words as referring to the apostles who, like candid and young children, believed in him and did not refrain from knowing him, as the scribes and the Pharisees did. According to Qatraya, this points to the fact that Simeon had already blessed him in the temple before God when he was yet an unborn child. Or this: The Son offered our nature before God, like a child, and made it pleasing before God.

For not by any means in working wonders only was he wonderful, but even when merely showing himself, he was full of great grace. To declare this, the prophet said, "Fair in beauty beyond the children of humankind." When Isaiah says, "He had no form nor comeliness," he is comparing the [embodied Son] with the glory of his godhead, which surpasses all utterance and description. Or he is speaking of what took place at his passion, the dishonor that he underwent at the season of the cross and the mean estate that throughout his life he exemplified in all respects.

There are, indeed, admitted to be recorded some statements respecting the body of Jesus having been "ill-favored"; not, however, "ignoble," as has been stated, nor is there any certain evidence that he was "little."

Second, he describes the order of the deed.

And first, he sets out a similitude as to his exaltation: and he shall rise up, in being born from the womb of his mother, in rising from the dead, in ascending from the earth into heaven, and into the faith of the gentiles; as a tender plant, which increases in height and is multiplied in width, above: and there shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall rise up out of his root (Isa 11:1). And as to his humanity: and as a root out of a thirsty ground, that is, out of ground without moisture, which seems unbecoming because of its dryness; thus he also arose from his mother without the moisture of man: I am the root and stock of David (Rev 22:16).

Second, he sets out the explanation of the similitude: there is no;

and first, as to his humiliation;

second, as to his exaltation: he was taken away from distress (Isa 53:8).

Concerning the first, he does two things:

first, he describes the humility of Christ;

second, his meekness in humiliation: he was offered (Isa 53:7).

Concerning the first, he does three things:

first, he describes the office of his humility;

second, the contempt of him in humiliation: and his look was as it were hidden (Isa 53:3);

third, the fruit of his humiliation: but he was wounded (Isa 53:5).

Concerning the first, he does two things.

First, his humility is shown as to the hiding of his majesty: there is no form in him, as to abundance of interior goods; nor comeliness, as to abundance of exterior goods: for form properly concerns beauty as to symmetry of members, but comeliness concerns beauty as to harmony of color and other surrounding things. Indeed, he had form, for you are beautiful in form above the sons of men (Ps 44:3[45:2]); but it lay hidden because of the infirmity he assumed; he had comeliness, for strength and beauty are his clothing (Prov 31:25), but it lay hidden because of the poverty he observed; thus Song of Songs 2:14: let your voice sound in my ears: for your voice is sweet, and your face comely. And therefore, we who were then unbelieving and afterward were converted, in whose person he speaks, have seen him, bodily, and there was no magnificent sightliness, according to what is said that, the form of Priam is worthy of rule.

Also on the words, tender plant (Isa 53:2), that Christ is a rod:

first, for striking: a star shall rise out of Jacob and a rod shall spring up from Israel: and shall strike the chiefs of Moab (Num 24:17);

second, for supporting: your rod and your staff, they have comforted me (Ps 22[23]:4);

third, for setting right: the rod of thine uprightness (Ps 44:7[45:6]).

Also on the words, root out of a thirsty ground, that Christ is a root,

first, because he is hidden: to whom has the root of wisdom been revealed? (Sir 1:6);

second, because he supplies nourishment: he shall be as a tree that spreads out its roots towards moisture (Jer 17:8);

third, because he supports the entire tree: you bear not the root (Rom 11:18).

Nor is even his death passed over in silence: on the contrary, it is referred to in the divine Scriptures, even exceedingly clearly.… He suffers it not for his own sake but for the immortality and salvation of all, and the counsels of the Jews against him and the indignities offered him at their hands.… O marvel at the loving-kindness of the Word, that for our sakes he is dishonored, that we may be brought to honor.

Christ's deformity is what gives form to you. If he had been unwilling to be deformed, you would never have got back the form you lost. So he hung on the cross, deformed; but his deformity was our beauty.

A man sees the slaughter of bodies, he grieves greatly. He therefore who sees the slaughter of souls, how can he restrain himself from tears? I know the infirmities of others: I ought to suffer with them. Isaiah: "We have seen him, a man of sorrows and knowing infirmity." There is no spirit of the knowledge of God in that member when it sees a member of its head wounded and does not grieve with it. David grieved over the death of Absalom, who nevertheless had persecuted him. There is therefore the grief of compunction for oneself, and the grief of compassion for one's neighbors.

One of the holy Evangelists said that when our Lord's time of suffering drew near, he began to weep and grew sad. Yet by nature he was the only-begotten Word of the Father, being immune from sufferings and grief and the like. Nevertheless, he accommodated himself to our nature and showed himself empty of all [his divine qualities] in the face of the anxiety of the threatening onslaught of his trials. Through all these trials he declared himself to be similar to us, so that he emerges not (as some are fond of saying) as a shadow or specter seen on the earth but as a real human being.

Doubtless there is an older and better hero-worship than this. But the old hero was a being who, like Achilles, was more human than humanity itself. Nietzsche's Superman is cold and friendless. Achilles is so foolishly fond of his friend that he slaughters armies in the agony of his bereavement. Mr. Shaw's sad Caesar says in his desolate pride, "He who has never hoped can never despair." The Man-God of old answers from his awful hill, "Was ever sorrow like unto my sorrow?" A great man is not a man so strong that he feels less than other men; he is a man so strong that he feels more. And when Nietszche says, "A new commandment I give to you, 'be hard,'" he is really saying, "A new commandment I give to you, 'be dead.'" Sensibility is the definition of life.

Second, his humility is shown as to the exposing of his infirmity: that we should be desirous of him, expecting with desire that he should come as a great redeemer: behold the desired of all nations shall come (Hag 2:8). Both great in dignity, against which, we saw him despised, inglorious, and the most abject of men, because he suffered the most shameful kind of death: let us condemn him to a most shameful death (Wis 2:20); I am the most foolish of men (Prov 30:20). And great in prosperity, against which, we found him a man of sorrows, as though poor and full of sorrows: O all you that pass by the way, attend, and see if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow (Lam 1:12). Great also in power, against which, we found him acquainted with infirmity, through experience: for although he was crucified through weakness, yet he lives by the power of God (2 Cor 15:4).

And his look was as it were hidden. Here he shows the contempt of him in his humiliation.

And first, as to his majesty hidden in the removal of honor: as it were hidden, his majesty hidden under the infirmity of flesh; whereupon we esteemed him not, not devoting to him the honor that was due him, above: verily you are a hidden God (Isa 45:15).

Note on the words, the most abject of men (Isa 53:3), that Christ was the most abject:

first, because of the bitterness of his sorrow: O all you that pass by the way, attend, and see if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow (Lam 1:12);

second, because of the shamefulness of his death: let us condemn him to a most shameful death (Wis 2:20);

third, because of the greatness of the charge imposed upon him: I am the most foolish of men, and the wisdom of men is not with me (Prov 30:2).

Note also on the words, a man of sorrows (Isa 53:3), that Christ was full of sorrows:

first, because of the necessity of disease, above: from the sole of the foot unto the top of the head, there is no soundness therein (Isa 1:6);

second, because of his pouring out of graces: and of his fullness we all have received: and grace for grace (John 1:16);

third, because of our obligation: for to this end Christ died (2 Cor 5).

[To bishops.] For as yours is the burden, so you receive as your fruit the supply of food and other necessities. For you imitate Christ the Lord; and as he "bore the sins of us all on the tree" at his crucifixion, the innocent for those who deserved punishment, so also you ought to bear the sins of the people your own. For concerning our Savior it is said in Isaiah, "He bears our sins and is afflicted for us." … For do not you imagine that the office of a bishop is an easy or light burden.

"But not what I will, but what you will, Father," It is not as if the Father's will was one thing and the Son's another. [Christ is referring to] the utterance of our weaknesses, however faithful, which our Head transformed into himself, when also he bore our sins.

We did not reckon him to be much or wonder who he was then. He was, however, the Savior of our souls, the healer and purifier of all sin. Therefore it continues, "He bore our sins … though we reckoned him struck down by God and humiliated," as Aquila has it.… We like babes had this opinion of him while he suffered these things for us, so as to save us from all disgrace … he was wounded and became a curse for us … he became a peace offering … who was through all his life a sin offering in word and deed.

"He was made flesh" seems to be equivalent to that in which it is said that he was made sin or a curse for us, not that the Lord was transmuted into either of these—for how could he? But because by taking them on him he "took away our iniquities and bore our infirmities."

Therefore, when it is said that he was "troubled in spirit," that "he was sorrowful in soul," that "he was wounded in body," he places before us designations of susceptibilities proper to our constitution, in order to show that he was made man in the world and had his conversation with [people], yet without sin.

How could one say that the body of the Lord [Christ] is void of soul and understanding? For perturbation and grief and distress are not the properties either of a flesh void of a soul or of a soul void of understanding; nor are they the sign of the nature of immutable divinity or the index of a mere phantasm; nor do they mark the defect of human moral weakness. But the Word exhibited in himself the exercise of the affections and susceptibilities proper to us, having endued himself with our passibility, even as it is written, that "he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows." For perturbation and grief and distress are disorders of soul; and toil, and sleep and the body's liability to wounding are infirmities of the flesh.

Let him be understood now not as the Word of God and wisdom but as servant and boy.… And here there will be the greater miracle that his appearance will be inglorious among people, not in that it means a foulness of form but that he came in lowliness and poverty.… "He will wash many nations," cleansing them with his blood and consecrating for service in the baptism of God.…He did not have beauty or glory. His form was base and lacking before [humanity], or as the Hebrew has it, despised and least among people.… How then can it be said in the psalms, "Gird your side with your sword, O most powerful, with your beauty and fairness"? This puzzle can be easily solved. He was despised and base when he hung on the cross and was made for us a curse and carried out sins and said to the Father, "God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" But he was glorious and fair in appearance when, at his passion, the earth trembled, rocks were split and the elements were terrified at the sun's fleeing and the eternal night.

And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever. And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them. When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. [Isaiah 53:4]

Now the Greeks are accustomed to use for "carry" a word that also signifies "to take away." … Whatever were the cures that Jesus effected, he is mine.

And next he teaches the forms of dishonor and shame, "A man being in sorrow." He points out the nature that received the suffering, for his body was nailed to the cross, but his divinity made the passion its own. "And he was familiar with sickness." This was said about his humanity. For to be courageous and philosophical touches not divine but human nature. "For his face was turned away. It was not valued or appreciated." The three translators render it this way, "And like a hiding of the face from him, he was made nothing and not appreciated." That is, he hid the divine energy and chose suffering and did not seek vengeance on others. For as he was on the cross he said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." This teaches us the reasons for the passion: "He bore our sicknesses and suffered for us." Symmachus translated, "Indeed, he personally has taken on our sicknesses and endured our pains." We deserved death for those sins we had committed, and having received this penalty, he received death on our behalf.

Second, as to his exposed infirmity, he sets out the sign of his infirmity: truly, as true man, he has borne, suffered, our infirmities, infirmities, such as hunger and thirst, and carried our sorrows, of sense, in suffering and sadness; or, our infirmities, our sins, he has taken from us; or in our place, he has suffered punishments: he bore our sins in his body upon the tree (1 Pet 2:24). And he sets out the contempt: and we have thought him as it were a leper, unclean and a sinner, and therefore, struck by God, for his sins, as to the punishments he suffered, and afflicted, as to the ignominies he endured: for your manifold wickedness and your infinite iniquities (Job 22:5); they abhor me (Job 30:10).

Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. [Isaiah 53:5] For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

It did not say, "He remedied our infirmities," lest, as being external to the body and only healing it, as he has always done, he should leave people subject still to death. Rather, he carries our infirmities, and he himself bears our sins, that it might be shown that he has become human for us, and that the body that in him bore them was his own body.

Alone did he assume the penalties of our wicked deeds, not when we were half dead but even when already altogether foul and stinking in tombs and graves.

Kish, who is called harsh, signifies not only his elect, but also the Redeemer himself. For no one was harsher toward himself than he. For the prophet, indicating the severity of this harshness, says: "Truly he himself bore our infirmities, and he himself carried our sorrows" (Isa. 53:4). For to die is not to suffer for mortals, who are subject to the suffering of a condemned nature. He therefore was exceedingly harsh toward himself, who had nothing in himself by which he might suffer; but in order to free us by suffering, he graciously assumed that by which he might be harsh toward himself and be able to suffer.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. LXX: But he was wounded for our sins, and he was weakened for our iniquities. He was wounded for our iniquities, saying in the psalm: They have dug my hands and my feet (Ps. XXI, 18), so that with his wound he might heal our wounds, and he was crushed, or afflicted because of our sins, so that he became a curse for us, to deliver us from the curse. For every man who hangs on a tree is cursed (Deut. XXI, Galat. III). Therefore, our discipline of peace is upon him. For what we should have endured for our own sins, He suffered for us, making peace through the blood of His cross, whether those on earth or those in heaven. For He Himself is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of partition, abolishing in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that He might create in Himself one new man, making peace. From which it is clear, that just as the bruised and lacerated body bears signs of injury in bruises and discoloration: so too the soul truly suffered for us, lest it be believed in Christ partly as truth and partly as falsehood (Rom. III).

But he was wounded. Here he sets out the fruit of his humiliation or of his passion.

And first, he assigns the moving reason: but he was, not as we thought, but wounded, by thorns, nails, and lance, for our iniquities, taking them away, he was bruised, by scourges and blows. Or he was wounded, as to where the previous verse says: he was struck; he was bruised, as to where it says: afflicted: the breath of our mouth, Christ the Lord, is taken in our sins (Lam 4:20).

Second, he shows the consequent usefulness in the reconciliation of peace: the chastisement of our peace, that is, he endured the chastisement of correction for us, and through this peace we have access to God: for if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son (Rom 5:10); and in the restoration of broken health: by his bruises, which he had from the scourges, we are healed: by whose stripes you were healed (1 Pet 2:24); who forgives all your iniquities: who heals all your diseases (Ps 102[103]:3).

Isaiah says [about Christ], "The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all," that is, to correct our iniquities and set them right. For that reason, he alone is able to forgive our sins, he who has been appointed by the Father of all as our educator, for he alone is able to separate obedience from disobedience.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. All, as it is said, have gone astray like sheep, and we are in need of God's mercy, saying in the psalm: I have strayed like a lost sheep (Ps. CXVIII, 176); which in the parable of the Good Shepherd in the Gospel was carried on his concerned shoulders (Matth. XV). But the following verse shows who these sheep are. Man has wandered in his way; or rather, each one has turned aside in his own way, in order to follow his own error, abandoning the right path, and thinking differently about the Crucified. However, the Lord placed on him the iniquity of all of us, or he handed him over for our sins; so that what we could not bear on account of our weakness, he would bear for us, who was offered, because he himself willed it.

He bore the sum of human evils and every form of transgression, as well as their recompense and punishment. And as if he were our debtor, the only-begotten Word of God, coming into the world alongside us, fulfilled every law and all righteousness and did not stumble over sin but received it willingly so as to change our punishment into peace and harmony. For undergoing temptation he carried our rebukes and punishments, and by faith we make our own his sufferings, and dying together with him we are saved by grace. He was not delivered by force but as an act of obedience.

The offenses of all were not equal, and there was not only one way of being impious; for the idols of the Egyptians and those of the Phoenicians were not the same, those of the Greeks were different, and those of the Scythians were something else. Nevertheless, although the forms of error were different, we had all in a common manner abandoned the true God, and by this we resembled sheep who have gone astray and are exposed to the wolves.

Third, he shows the imminent necessity on our part, for all are sick, and thus all need a physician, and no one else can offer a sufficient remedy: for there is no distinction of Jew and Greek, for all have sinned and do need (Rom 3:22–23) penance; all we like sheep have gone astray: for you were as sheep without a shepherd (1 Pet 2:25).

And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. [Isaiah 53:7-8] And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.

For this is the price of our liberty, as Peter says, ye were redeemed with the precious Blood, not indeed of a lamb, but of Him Who came as a lamb, in meekness and humility, and redeemed the whole world with the one offering of His Body, as He himself says, I was brought as a lamb to the slaughter. Wherefore John also says, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

[Christ] kept silent while he was concealed, because "in humility his judgment was taken away." He kept silent while he was concealed, because he was thought to be only human. But as God he will come openly; and as our God, he will not keep silent. So what about you? You were saying, "I want him to come."

Because he has come hidden, our God, that is, Christ, will come manifest. "And he will not keep silence." What does it mean, "will not keep silence"? Because he had first kept silence. When did he keep silence? He was judged in order that there might be fulfilled that which the prophet had also predicted: "As a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb before his shearer, without voice, so he opened not his mouth." Therefore, if he were unwilling to suffer, he would not suffer. If he did not suffer, his blood would not be poured forth. If his blood would not be poured forth, the world would not be redeemed.

The Ethiopian eunuch who met Philip (Acts 8:27–38) was reading Isaiah 53. He did not know whether in that passage the prophet was talking about himself or about someone else. Philip, in answering his question, 'preached unto him Jesus'. The answer, in fact, was 'Isaiah is speaking of Jesus'. We need have no doubt that Philip's authority for this interpretation was Our Lord. (Our ancestors would have thought that Isaiah consciously foresaw the sufferings of Christ as people see the future in the sort of dreams recorded by Mr Dunne. Modern scholars would say, that on the conscious level, he was referring to Israel itself, the whole nation personified. I do not see that it matters which view we take.)

Though he was guilty of not even a slight sin, for no serpent could make a mark on this rock, he was condemned. He suffered with patience the insults, blows, crown of thorns, scarlet robe, and the other mockeries enumerated in the Gospel. Although guiltless, he endured it in order that filled with patience he might come to the cross "as a sheep for sacrifice." Although he could have returned the injury to his adversaries, he bore it all with kindness.

He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer, so was he dumb. The Ethiopian eunuch on reading this passage asked Philip to interpret it to him, and he at once explained that it was spoken by the Prophet with reference to the Lord Christ.

For the spiritually dead and unholy Caiaphas asked him, "I put you under oath to the living God to tell us if you are the Chist, the Son of God." And he answered him right away, saying, "From now on you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven." And then Pilate asked him whether he was king of Israel, and Christ replied, "You say so." Pilate was complacent with the madness of the Jews and had Jesus beaten, and he ordered his soldiers to put him between two thieves in his suffering of death on the cross. So what the prophet said was true: "Because of his affliction he did not open his mouth." But he suffered a myriad of afflictions from the time of his arrest onwards, suffered insolence and spitting and the beatings of mindless underlings and other things beside these that could be wickedly arranged, before he was brought to Pilate.

He prays, but he hears prayer. He weeps, but he causes tears to cease. He asks where Lazarus was laid, for he was man; but he raises Lazarus, for he was God. He is sold, and very cheap, for it is only for thirty pieces of silver, but he redeems the world, and that at a great price, for the price was his own blood. As a sheep he is led to the slaughter, but he is the shepherd of Israel, and now of the whole world also. As a lamb he is silent, yet he is the Word and is proclaimed by the voice of one crying in the wilderness. He is bruised and wounded, but he heals every disease and every infirmity. He is lifted up and nailed to the tree, but by the tree of life he restores us, yes, he saves even the robber crucified with him. … He dies, but he gives life, and by his death, he destroys death. He is buried, but he rises again; he goes down into hell, but he brings up the souls; he ascends to heaven and shall come again to judge the living and the dead.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. For He endured the cross not out of necessity, but out of His own will, saying in the Gospel: 'The cup which My Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?' (John XVIII, 11). And to Peter, who was scandalized by the name of the cross because he did not know the mystery and was trembling with human fear, He said: 'Get behind me, Satan, you are a stumbling block to me; for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men' (Matthew XVI, 23). Otherwise, if He had not been willingly offered, He who could indicate and foretell the traitor and was speaking to the Apostles, 'You will all fall away because of Me this night,' could have caused those who were sent to him to turn away, but he boldly came to meet them and offered Himself saying, 'Whom do you seek?' (John XVIII, 4, 6). Those who immediately fell backward; for they could not bear the voice of the present God. And beautifully he added: And he did not open his mouth. When Pilate said to him: Don't you speak to me? he refused to answer. Or according to the Septuagint: He did not open his mouth in affliction. Or according to Symmachus and Theodotion, he did not open his mouth when he heard.

Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. This testimony is about the Ethiopian eunuch, who was riding in a chariot of Queen Candace while reading the book of Acts (Chapter 8 and following). He did not understand what he was reading, but with the help of Philip, he came to understand the passion and the name of the Savior. He was immediately baptized in the blood of the Lamb that he had been reading about and deserved to be called a man. The apostle was then sent to preach to the Ethiopian people. Just as Jesus was offered to Pontius Pilate, because he himself wanted it, and did not respond when asked to climb the Cross for our sake, he was led like a sheep to slaughter and remained silent like a lamb before the shearer. Indeed, our Passover lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed (I Cor. 5), whom John the Baptist pointed out, saying: Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). He is also often mentioned as the slain lamb in the Apocalypse of the Evangelist John (Apocalypse 5). He speaks of Himself in Jeremiah (Jeremiah 11). But I, like an innocent lamb, being led to the victim, did not know. For when He did not know sin, He became sin for us (II Cor. 5). And just as a lamb, when led to the slaughter, does not resist, so He suffered willingly to destroy him who had the power of death (Heb. 2), humbling Himself unto death, even the death of the cross (Phil. 2). This is the lamb, in whose type the lamb was sacrificed, whose blood, when smeared on the doorposts, drove away the destroyer from the Egyptians (Exod. 22); who not only redeemed us with His own blood, but also covered us with His wool, so that, shivering in disbelief, He might warm us with His garment, and we might hear the Apostle speaking to us: As many as have been baptized in Christ, have put on Christ (Gal. 3:27). And in another place: Put on the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. XIII, 14).

When this one came from heaven to earth for the sake of the one who suffers, and had clothed himself with that very one through the womb of a virgin, and having come forth as man, he accepted the sufferings of the sufferer through his body which was capable of suffering. And he destroyed those human sufferings by his spirit which was incapable of dying. He killed death which had put man to death.

For this one, who was led away as a lamb, and who was sacrificed as a sheep, by himself delivered us from servitude to the world as from the land of Egypt, and released us from bondage to the devil as from the hand of Pharaoh, and sealed our souls by his own spirit and the members of our bodies by his own blood.

This is the one who covered death with shame and who plunged the devil into mourning as Moses did Pharaoh. This is the one who smote lawlessness and deprived injustice of its offspring, as Moses deprived Egypt. This is the one who delivered us from slavery into freedom, from darkness into light, from death into life, from tyranny into an eternal kingdom, and who made us a new priesthood, and a special people forever.

This one is the passover of our salvation. This is the one who patiently endured many things in many people: This is the one who was murdered in Abel, and bound as a sacrifice in Isaac, and exiled in Jacob, and sold in Joseph, and exposed in Moses, and sacrificed in the lamb, and hunted down in David, and dishonored in the prophets.

This is the one who became human in a virgin, who was hanged on the tree, who was buried in the earth, who was resurrected from among the dead, and who raised mankind up out of the grave below to the heights of heaven.

This is the lamb that was slain. This is the lamb that was silent. This is the one who was born of Mary, that beautiful ewe-lamb. This is the one who was taken from the flock, and was dragged to sacrifice, and was killed in the evening, and was buried at night; the one who was not broken while on the tree, who did not see dissolution while in the earth, who rose up from the dead, and who raised up mankind from the grave below.

And hearken unto the prophet who also proclaimed our Lord with his simple teaching, and who likened Him unto a lamb and a sheep, the most innocent of all animals: "Like a lamb was He led to the slaughter, and like a sheep before the shearer He was silent." The lion and the wolf and bear are crafty, together with the other wild beasts, because craftiness was mingled with their evil nature when they were made; but sheep and lambs and ewes are simple and innocent in their ways and movements, and to them was our Lord likened, and by their name are believers called. Our Lord did not liken Himself unto a lion, which bringeth suffering and death, and He did not call His flocks by the names of wild animals, which by the nature in which they were created are cunning in respect of evil things, but He was called "lamb" and "sheep", and being meek like unto them He was led to suffering and to death, for "like a sheep before his shearer He was silent", and thus He in His humility opened not His mouth. And we may be sure that the word of the prophecy is true in fact, for when they took Him, He was quiet; and when they judged Him, He was silent; and when they smote Him, He complained not; and when they condemned Him, He disputed not their judgment; and when they bound Him, He moved not; and when they smote Him on His cheeks, He murmured not; and when He was stripped of His garments as a sheep at its shearing, He cried not out; and when they gave Him gall and vinegar, He cursed them not; and when they fastened Him to the wood, He raged not at them; and when Simon wished to throw off the simpleness of the sheep, and took a sword to avenge the insult of his Master, He rebuked him, and commanded him to carry it in its sheath, saying, "Put back thy sword into its place", for I have no need of thy help. The doctor and teacher of all wisdom stood before the judge, and He refrained and answered not a word. He kept the command of simplicity that He might confirm the prophecy, "He was led as a lamb to the slaughter." They led Him as One who was speechless, and they took Him round about from one place to another, and they drove Him from place to place, and they dragged Him from one judge to another. He stood before Annas and was silent, and until he adjured Him He spake not; He was questioned by Pilate and was silent, and until He heard from him the words, "Art thou the king of the Jews?" which made known to Him that he suspected Him of being a rebel against Caesar, He answered them not a word. They carried Him to Herod, who wishing to see and hear from Him great things asked Him questions temptingly; and there also He stood silent and spake not, and He returned no answer to His questioner. He was esteemed a contemptible man who knew nothing, and a fool who had no answer to give. The Jews and priests thought this because they wished it; but He forsook not the simpleness of a lamb, and the law of simplicity He left not.

It was fitting for him to heal like by like and to recall the other wandering sheep by becoming a sheep himself. He became a sheep, without being changed into one, or without being altered or without quitting his own essence.… For, according to Isaiah, he was sheared as well as slaughtered. For he endured death in his humanity. But as God he remained alive and impassible and gave the fleece of his body to the shearers.

He was offered. Here he shows his meekness in suffering.

And first, he sets out the meekness itself,

and first, as to his voluntary offering of himself: he was offered, to God the Father as a victim for us, because it was his own will: I will freely sacrifice to you (Ps 53:8[54:6]);

second, as to his patient suffering: and he opened not his mouth, as if contradicting and contending; also before Herod he responded nothing (Luke 23:9): from the mouth of the Most High (Lam 3:38).

Second, he sets out a similitude: as a sheep to the slaughter, because he was slaughtered without resistance, and as a lamb, because he suffered injury without contradiction: I was as a meek lamb, that is carried to be a victim (Jer 11:19).

"Who shall declare his generation?" His subsistence no nature that is begotten can investigate, even as the Father can be investigated by none. For the nature of rational beings cannot receive the knowledge of his divine generation by the Father.

For he it is who proceeded from a virgin and appeared as man on the earth and whose generation after the flesh cannot be declared. For there is none who can tell his father after the flesh, his body not being of a man but of a virgin alone. Thus, no one can declare the corporeal generation of the Savior from a man in the same way as one can draw up a genealogy of David and Moses and of all the patriarchs.

The Son of God, who is also the Son of man, our Lord Jesus Christ, born of the Father without mother, created every single day; born of his mother without father, he consecrated this particular day [Christmas Day]; invisible in his divine birth, visible in his human one, in each of them wonderful. Thus it is difficult to judge about which of the two the prophet is more likely to have prophesied, "Who shall tell the tale of his begetting?"—whether of that one in which, never not born, he has the Father co-eternal with himself; or of this one in which, born at a particular time, he had already made the mother of whom he would be made; whether of that one where he was always born, since he always was. Who, after all, will tell the tale of how light was born from light, and they were both one light; how God was born from God, and the number of gods did not increase?

If you think this to be referred to the human generation by which he was born of a virgin, look into yourself and ask your soul whether the prophet would dare to declare the divine generation if words failed him for the human one.

To sum up, Christ was born both of a Father and of a mother; both without a father and without a mother; of a Father as God, of a mother as man; without a mother as God, without a Father as man.… "Who will recount his begetting," whether that one without time or this one without seed; that one without beginning or this one without precedent; that one which never was not, or this one which never was before or after that one which has no end, or this one which has its beginning in its end?

This sheep is equally called shepherd and says "I am the good Shepherd." By his manhood he is sheep; by his divine loving-kindness he is shepherd.

Those who do not understand the manner of begetting may mislead you when they say, "Who can speak of the birth of the Lord?" First, "who" or still more "no one" does indeed seem to signify men. Only the Holy Spirit can grasp or explain this manner of begetting. That is why we ourselves with the permission of God the Father and of Jesus Christ our Lord have set it forth. Certainly it is not a hopeless enterprise, but we have described it as by a miracle. Next, supposing that the manner of begetting is unknown, we speak of substance when we say that the Father and Son are of the same essence (homoousios).

He was taken away by distress and judgment. Who can describe his generation? For he was cut off from the land of the living; because of the transgression of my people he was struck down. LXX: In his humility his judgment was taken away. Who will declare his generation, for his life is taken from the earth? He was led away to death because of the iniquities of my people. And what follows: He was taken away from distress and judgment; or as the Septuagint translated, in his humility his judgment was taken away, it signifies that he, having conquered, ascended from tribulation and judgment to the Father; or that the judge of all will not find truth in judgment; but that he was condemned without any fault, through the sedition of the Jews and the voice of Pilate. Therefore, the Prophet marvels that God has delivered himself to the passion of all. About what Paul is speaking: For if they had believed, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Cor. 2:8). It follows: Who will declare His generation? This is understood in two ways: either it is to be understood about His divinity, that the mysteries of His divine birth are impossible to know; about which He Himself speaks in the Proverbs: Before all the hills He brought me forth (Prov. 8:25); according to what we read elsewhere: For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor? (Rom. 11:34)? That is, no man; or about the birth of the Virgin, which can hardly be explained. Finally, when it was said to Mary by the Angel: You shall conceive and bear a son, she responded: How shall this be, since I do not know man? To which the Angel again said: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you (Luke 1:31, 34, 35), so that the mysteries of this birth may be attributed either to the Angel or to the Evangelist alone. Whose narrator is very rare, according to that: Who is wise, and will understand these things: prudent, and will know them? (Hosea XIV, 10) But if a wise reader responds in silent thought: And how is it written: No one knows the Son except the Father: and no one knows the Father except the Son, and to whom the Son wills to reveal? And he who knows the Father and the Son, surely he can explain the mystery of their generation. Let him hear that knowing something and speaking it are different, because often we cannot explain with words what we conceive in the mind. Therefore, the mystery of the divine nativity in the body can be known by the saints through faith more than it can be expressed in words. Otherwise, even the Apostle, who was caught up to the third heaven and into paradise, heard words that human language cannot utter (2 Corinthians 12). But the Spirit intercedes for us with ineffable groanings. Therefore, the life of the one whose generation can be narrated by no one or by few has been taken away from the earth, so that he would live not on earth, but in heaven. Whether he was cut off from the land of the living, in order to fulfill what was written in the Apocalypse of John: I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore (Rev. 1:17-18); so that after the life he lived on earth, dead to the world, he would live in eternity. And the statement is connected, He struck them for the wickedness of my people; or, according to the Septuagint, he was led to death because of the iniquities of my people, has a twofold meaning. For either he struck down persecutors and wicked people of his own people with his death, or on account of the greatness of the sins of the people, whom he always held as his own, he was led to death in order to call them back to life by his death.

The birth of our Lord and Savior, whether that of his divinity from the Father or that of his flesh from his mother, surpasses the power of human eloquence. As a result, the saying ("Who will recount his generation?") may rightly be referred to either.

He was taken away from distress. The humility of his passion having been set out, here he begins to set out the glory of his exaltation, which is the reward of his passion, as it says in Philippians 2:9: for which cause, God also has exalted him.

And first, as to his escape from dangers;

second, as to vengeance against his enemies: and he shall give the ungodly (Isa 53:9);

third, as to the justification of men: if he shall lay down (Isa 53:10);

fourth, as to his victory over the rebellious: therefore will I distribute to him (Isa 53:12).

Concerning the first, he does two things.

First, he sets out the reward: he was taken away, in the resurrection, from the distress, of his passion, and from the unjust judgment, by which he was judged by others: the just is delivered out of distress (Prov 11:8).

Second, he sets out his merit, setting out the worthiness of the sufferer, so that the merit of the passion is measured from the condition of the person: his generation, his eternal generation which was from a father without a mother, or his generation in time, which was from a mother without a father, who shall declare, as if to say: no one by natural reason, though somewhat by divine inspiration: who saw him, and shall declare him? (Sir 43:35). And he sets out the suffering inflicted on him: because he is cut off, through death by the Jews, out of the land of the living, out of this life: come, let us put wood on his bread, and cut him off from the land of the living (Jer 11:19). And he sets out the acceptance of this suffering on the part of God the Father: for the wickedness of my people have I struck him, that is, allowed him to be struck: Christ also died once for our sins (1 Pet 3:18).

Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth [Isaiah 53:9]: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

David alone of the prophets prophesied with an instrument, called by the Greeks the "psaltery." … But this psaltery has the source of its musical numbers above, in order that we, too, may practice seeking things above and not suffer ourselves to be borne down by the pleasure of melody to the passions of the flesh. And I think that this truth, too, was signified deeply and clearly to us in a prophetic way in the construction of the instrument, namely, that those who have souls well ordered and trained have the way ready to things above. And again, an instrument having the source of its melodious sound in its upper parts may be taken as like the body of Christ and his saints—the only instrument that maintains rectitude; "for he did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth." This is indeed an instrument, harmonious, melodious, well-ordered, that took in no human discord and did nothing out of measure but maintained in all things, as it were, harmony toward the Father; for, as he says, "he that is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth; he that comes from heaven testifies of what he has seen and heard."

He will be given the wicked as a burial place, and the wealthy as his tomb, because he did no violence, nor was deceit found in his mouth. LXX: I will give the wicked for his burial, and the rich for his death. He did not commit iniquity, nor was deceit found in his mouth. He gave the impious for his burial; and the rich for his death. Whether the worst for his burial; and the rich for his death: signifying both peoples, that the multitude of the Gentiles may be shown in the wicked and the worst, who did not have knowledge of God before (Rom. IX); the Jewish people may be shown in the rich, whose people had the Testament and the Legislation and the Prophets. Therefore for this reason the Lord suffered and was buried, so that he might gather for himself a Church from both peoples. Or should this be said, that God delivered the Scribes and Pharisees, as well as the Sadducees, priests and pontiffs, who ruled over the people before the Lord's passion and were filled with excessive wealth, to the Romans after the Lord's passion, and subjected them to eternal servitude. He, for the sake of whose burial and death, the wicked and the rich were handed over, did not commit iniquity, nor was deceit found in his mouth. That which can be understood about no man at all, that he has not sinned in deed or in speech, the Scripture says: There is no one who is clean from filth, not even if his life is only for one day. And, we have all strayed like sheep, each one has turned aside in his own way (Job 25): except for him, who carried our sins and grieves for us, and was wounded for our iniquities, and was afflicted for our crimes, by whose bruise we are healed. In this, indeed, you were called because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His footsteps. He committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth. When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten (I Peter 2:21-23).

In reality, the people were subject to another curse, which says, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all that is written in the book of the law." To this curse, I say, people were subject, for no person had continued in or was a keeper of the whole law. But Christ exchanged this curse for the other, "Cursed is every one that hangs on a tree." … It was necessary for him who is about to relieve us from a curse to be himself free of it. But he received another instead of ours. Therefore Christ took on himself just such curse and thereby relieved us from the curse. It was like an innocent person deciding to die for another sentenced to death, and so rescuing him from punishment. For Christ took on him not the curse of transgression but the other curse, in order to remove that of others. For "he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth."

Then to show that the court was corrupt and the sentence unjust, he went on to say, "In his humiliation his legal trial was taken away," that is, no one judged justly in his case.

And is not one ashamed to say that God is not crafty or deceitful? Concerning him, however, in respect of the flesh, it might be reasonable [to say it].

If you wish to look at the mind behind his appearance, you will find it to be an ocean of compassion for humanity residing there. For he saved them, the most foul people who gloried in their wealth and those condemned to death from their deeds, as they trusted and received the death of the Savior which was a ransom for them, offering them, in place of the tomb and death, eternal life and incorruptible everlasting life.This verse shows the unrighteous rage of the devil when he unleashed himself on our Savior. For although there was no sin found in his being according to the flesh, but that flesh remained sinless, the devil as if [Christ] were a sinner killed him and in so doing manifested the totality of his wickedness. But for this very reason came salvation for those who had fallen into sin. Receiving the sufferings due to us, [Christ] made them his own and so from a standpoint of faith it is said that he became a curse for us himself. And it is said that they make gifts not with sacrifices but with feeling and repentance, and thus they receive a spiritual healing as they trade not only their present life. Once the only Son of God made our salvation his own prize when he took a body and endured sufferings on our behalf. And his Father rightly said that he took away [Christ's] pain as our healing and purifying, that our illumination was shown to be his light just as we grow into the knowledge of God and understanding with our behavior changed for the better and converted in the intelligence of God. Since the only-begotten Son of God acted in every way according to the paternal command and filled every thought with obedience, it was characteristic of him that the Savior should wrap a towel around himself and fill the basin with water and be of service in every way.

And he shall give the ungodly. Here he sets out his vindication against his persecutors.

And first, he sets out their reward: and he shall give the ungodly, the Jews into the hands of the Romans, for his burial, because they had him guarded in the tomb: the wicked is delivered up for the just (Prov 21:18).

Second, he sets out his merit as to the innocence of his life: because he has done no iniquity, as to sins of deed, neither was there deceit in his mouth, as to sins of word: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth (1 Pet 2:22). And as to the obedience of his death: and the Lord, the Father, was pleased, and he was obedient to the Father unto death: becoming obedient unto death (Phil 2:8); the weakness of God is stronger than men (1 Cor 1:25).

And the Lord was pleased to crush him in infirmity. LXX: And the Lord desires to cleanse him from his wound. However, the Lord wanted to cleanse him from the wound that he had received from the soldier's spear. Whether to crush him in weakness and wound: of whom he himself said: Because whom you struck, they persecuted (Ps. 68:27). And through Zacharias God speaks: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered (Zech. 13:7). Therefore, it was not of necessity that he suffered, but of the will of the Father and his own, to whom he himself said: Father, I have wanted to do your will (Ps. 39:9). Of whom also we read above: He was offered, because he himself wanted.

(Verse 10, 11) If he shall offer his soul for sin, he shall see a long-lived seed, and the will of the Lord shall be prosperous in his hand. Because his soul hath laboured, he shall see and be filled: by his knowledge shall this My just servant justify many, and he shall bear their iniquities. LXX: If you shall give for sin, your soul shall see a long-lived seed: and the Lord will take away the evil of his anguish, to shew him light, and give him understanding. Justify the righteous servant for many: and he shall bear their iniquities. According to the Hebrew sense here: If he shall offer his soul for sin, he shall see a long-lived seed, which he hath sowed in good ground. Of whom it is written in the Gospel: He that soweth, went forth to sow; and again: The kingdom of heaven is likened to a man that sowed good seed in his field (Matthew XIII, 3). And the will of the Lord will be directed in his hand, so that whatever the Father desired will be fulfilled by his virtues, saying to the Father: I have kept those whom you gave me in your name. I have guarded them, and none of them perished except the son of perdition. (John 17:12). But the seed will see eternity, and the will of the Father will be directed in his hand: because his soul has labored for a long time, finding no rest among the Jews, and saying in the Gospel: Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests: but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. (Matthew 8:10). And in this same place the Prophet says: I have labored and endured (Isaiah 1:14). Therefore, since he has labored, he will see the Churches rise in the whole world, and he will be filled with their faith. Finally, when he sat down hungry and thirsty at the well of Jacob (John 4), in the middle of the day with the sun shining, he did not want to use the food that had been bought, because he was already satisfied with the faith of the Samaritans and those who were coming out of the city of Shechem to see him. According to this meaning, he said among the eight beatitudes: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5:6). In his knowledge, that is, in doctrine, he himself, the righteous one who did not sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth: and the servant of the Father, who took on the form of a servant and served the will of the Lord, will justify many believers from the whole world. And he himself will bear their iniquities, which they themselves could not bear, and by the weight of which they were oppressed. According to the Septuagint, it is said: O you, for whose sins the Son of God was led to death, who are most wicked and rich in evil, you were given for burial and for his death, if you are willing to repent and offer a pleasing sacrifice to God for your sins, your contrite spirit will see the seed of long time, the Lord Savior himself. It is said in the eighty-eighth psalm: His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before me. And again: I will establish his seed forever, and his throne as the days of heaven. This, in other words, refers to the Virgin in Gabriel's message: Behold, you shall conceive in your womb and bear a son, who shall be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end (Luke 1:31-32). For the Lord indeed desires to take away the soul from grief, who said: 'My soul is sorrowful even unto death' (Matt. XXVI, 38), so that the insult of the cross may be tempered by the glory of the resurrection. And to show him light, so that he may see all illumined through himself. And to shape the understanding, it is understood that the spirit of wisdom and understanding will descend upon him. And to justify the just, who has served others well; for he did not come to be served, but to serve (Matt. XX), at the feet of Peter (John XIII), washing away the sins of all the Apostles. He who appeared in flesh, was justified in spirit. About whom even Judas the betrayer confesses: I have sinned, betraying innocent blood (Matthew 27:4). And Pilate's wife: Have nothing to do with that righteous man; for I have suffered much in a dream today because of him. And it should be noted that he was not justified in order to become just, as if he were wicked. But the just one is justified, not to begin to be what he was not; but that what he was might be evident to all. This righteous man suffered for the unjust, so that he might offer us all to God. Of whom it is said to the Jews: And you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you (Acts III, 14). And he carried their sins, he himself, as a physician, carries the illnesses of the sick, but the healthy do not need him (Luke V).

"His soul will see his offspring grow." On the day after his suffering, the spiritual conception of that indescribable, indwelling birth came. The divine power was vindicated in accordance with the promises to Abraham in the undoing of death-bearing sin and the access to redemption. And where the [LXX] text has "And the Lord wills to alleviate his soul from its suffering," Symmachus renders, "And the will of the Lord prospered in his hand." And this fits the Savior well. He gave light to himself so that others would be illuminated through his being just, but he also gave understanding. For the spirit of wisdom and understanding was resting on him to give others understanding and "to justify those worthy of being justified." Others interpret in this way: the Lord wills to turn the sorrow on the cross to gladness through revealing himself to those who had once been deceived in darkness who were now being transformed into light. For as Paul said, "We who were once darkness are now light in the Lord" and "recreated in understanding," as though being changed from glory into glory.…God is said to have made one new humanity from two peoples, that is, to have made a transformation. For the Only Begotten considered our salvation to be his own reward. By taking a body, he thus suffered on our behalf. And so, it was necessary for the Father to make the "alleviation of suffering"—which is said about Christ—our healing and to make his light our illumination, exchanging what we had for something better as we were recreated in the understanding of God. For Christ did not come to be served but, as he said himself, to serve the working out of the plan of our salvation in his incarnation.

Having thus proclaimed in advance the iniquity of the people, he addresses to them an exhortation to repent—for he saw in advance those among them who, after these events, would have the faith. Of this number was the divine Paul; of this number were the three thousand men and the many thousands—and he says, "If you can give an offering for sin, your soul shall see a long-lived offspring." If you acknowledge your impiety, and if you request salvation, you will obtain life eternal; for this is what he has called "long-lived."

If he shall lay down. Here he sets out that, through him, the justification of men was completed.

And first, he sets out the reward for the sorrow of his death: if he shall lay down his life, of his own will: I lay down my life (John 10:17), he shall see a long-lived seed, until the end of the world, sons for him reborn out of the power of his death: unless the grain of wheat falling into the ground die, itself remains alone. But if it die it brings forth much fruit (John 12:24–25); and the will of the Lord shall be directed, fulfilled, in his hand, in his work: this is the will of God, your sanctification (1 Thess 4:3).

If the Lord of heaven and earth underwent all his sufferings for us, how then do you make a difficulty to minister to such as are in want, who ought to imitate him who underwent servitude, and want, and stripes and the cross for us? We ought therefore also to serve the brethren, in imitation of Christ. For says he, "He who will be great among you, let him be your minister; and he who will be first among you, let him be your servant." For so did he really, and not in word only, fulfill the prediction of "serving many faithfully."

He has bought us with his own blood. He endured the cross, despising its shame, so that he might win our salvation. Therefore bow your necks to his yoke. For your soul will see the fruitful seed, that is, you will be sharers in those being kept for eternal life, that is, the saints who have been enriched with the hope of eternal life. For there was no idea of the resurrection of the dead among the Greeks, and the mystery until now was not set forth. They all but said that the breath in your no nostrils is smoke that is burning. All the ashes will disappear, and the spirit like a weak person will be dissolved.

[David] predicted that Christ would rise again. "You will not leave my soul in hell, nor will you allow your holy one to see corruption." Isaiah expressed the same thing in a different way. For he said, "The Lord wishes to cleanse him from his wounds, to show him light, to justify the righteous one who served many well."Isaiah established that the slaying of Christ was a ransom for humanity's sins when he said, "He has borne the sins of many." And he will free humankind from demons, for as Isaiah said, "He will divide the spoils of the strong." And the same prophet spoke out clearly that Christ did this through his death when he said, "Because his soul was delivered up to death." That Christ would be put in charge over the whole world he revealed by these words of his, "He shall inherit many."

However, I will show [Marcion] the death and burial and resurrection of Christ all indicated in a single sentence of Isaiah, who says, "His sepulchre was removed from the midst of them." Now there could have been no sepulchre without death and no removal of sepulchre except by resurrection.… "He shall divide the spoil of many, because he poured out his soul to death." For here is set forth the cause of this favor to him, even that it was to recompense him for his death.

And the reward for the labor of his teaching: because his soul has labored, in preaching and discoursing, he shall see, the gentiles converted to him, and be filled, as though having what he intended: I have meat to eat which you know not (John 4:32).

Second, he sets out his merit as to the exercise of preaching: by his knowledge, that is, his teaching: justified freely by faith (Rom 5:1); Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life (John 6:69); and as to the torment of death: he shall bear their iniquities, that is, the punishments for their iniquities, above: I have made you, and I will bear (Isa 46:4).

Three men were crucified in the same place, the Lord in the middle, because "he was reckoned among the wicked." They placed the two robbers on either side, but they were not crucified for the same reason. They were flanking Christ as he hung there, but they were far removed from him in reality. They were crucified by their crimes, he by ours.

Christ suffered a most universal passion, a most bitter passion, a most ignominious passion, a death-dealing passion, yet one that was life-giving.

He suffered also a most ignominious passion, both on account of the gibbet of the cross, which was the punishment of the worst criminals, and on account of the company of the wicked, namely the thieves, with whom He was reckoned.

Because the swelling of pride sometimes rises inwardly from presumption, and sometimes outwardly from ostentation and the praise of others: therefore, to remedy all pride, Christ suffered both kinds of ignominy, both in himself as the one suffering and in the company he had in his passion.

Concerning the robbers who were crucified with him it is written, "And he was numbered with the transgressors." Both of them were before this transgressors, but one was so no longer. For the one was a transgressor to the end, stubborn against salvation; who, though his hands were fastened, struck with blasphemy by his tongue. When the Jews passing by wagged their head, mocking the crucified and fulfilling what was written, "When they looked on me, they shook their head," he also reviled with them. But the other rebuked the reviler; and it was to him the end of life and the beginning of restoration, the surrender of his soul a first share in salvation.

"Therefore I will divide him a portion among the many," among the many who will eat his body and will drink his blood. "And he shall divide the spoil with the strong" … he calls "the strong" the holy apostles, among whom he divided the nations to be ruled, which he had taken away the power of the devil.

If you are a Simon of Cyrene, take up the cross and follow. If you are crucified with him as a robber, acknowledge God as a penitent robber. If even he was numbered among the transgressors for you and your sin, do you become law-abiding for his sake. Worship him who was hanged for you, even if you yourself are hanging; make some gain even from your wickedness; purchase salvation by your death; enter with Jesus into paradise, so that you may learn from what you have fallen.

(Verse 12.) Therefore I will divide him among the many, and he will share the spoils of the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors. Yet he himself bore the sin of many and interceded for the transgressors. LXX: Therefore he shall receive many as his portion, and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty, because his soul was poured out to death and he was numbered with the wicked. He himself bore the sins of many and was delivered up for their iniquities. Christ endured many sufferings so that he might attain great rewards. For, he said, he suffered and accomplished all that the previous word described, and he himself bore the iniquities of many: therefore I will divide to him many, so that for the part of the Lord Jacob, and his inheritance rope of Israel, they may believe in him coming from the East and West, and may recline in the kingdom of God with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Matth. VIII): when that which is written is fulfilled: Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession (Ps. II, 8). Concerning which and in this same Prophet it is read: There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise up to reign over the Gentiles, in him the Gentiles shall hope (Isaiah 11:10). But these many previously were held captive by the strong; and under the appearance of an ass and a colt, they had many masters, to whom the Apostles said: The Lord has need of them (Matthew 21:3). Those who were strong before Christ assumed a human body, and strong overcame him, would plunder his house. Therefore, he delivered and distributed the spoils of the strong Apostles to his own, so that Peter, James, and John became the leaders of the circumcised people, and Paul and Barnabas were sent to the Gentiles, not separated in spirit but in different places, and stood on different fronts under one Lord, so that they might raise a triumph to the victorious army on both sides, for the Savior. From this, those who truly say that there was a disagreement and contention between Peter and Paul regarding the dispensation (Acts 15), in order to satisfy the blasphemous Porphyry: and they assert that the ceremonies of the old Law must be observed in the Church of Christ, by the believing offspring of Israel, and that they should expect Jerusalem to be golden for a thousand years, in order to sacrifice victims and to be circumcised, to sit on the Sabbath, to sleep, to be satiated, to be intoxicated, and to rise to play, a play that offends God. We said this because of what is now being prophesied: And he shall divide the spoils of the strong (Is. LIII, 12). According to what is written in another place: When he divided the heavenly kings in it. And again: The beloved king of hosts, and of beauty, shall divide the spoils (Ps. LXVII, 13). Finally, regarding the Apostle Paul, who was from the tribe of Benjamin, according to the Hebrew it is said: Benjamin, a ravenous wolf: in the morning he shall devour, and in the evening he shall divide the spoils (Gen. XLIX, 27). Of which we have already spoken: They shall rejoice in your presence, as those who rejoice in the harvest, and as those who divide the spoils (Isaiah IX, 3), dividing the churches of Christ for themselves in the whole world. Therefore, he will receive many nations, who came to preach remission to the captives and led captive captivity before, from the devil and demons, and gave it as a gift to men and believers, because he delivered his soul to death, and was reckoned with the wicked or unjust (I Cor. IX). For if the Apostle became as one without law to those who were without law (although he was not without law toward God, but was within the law of Christ), why then was Christ considered to be with the unjust, so that he might redeem the unjust from sin, and become all things to all people, so as to save everyone? For he carried our sins in his body (1 Peter 2), affixing them to the wood of the cross, in order to erase the handwriting that we had made for the devil and his angels, written by the deeds of our soul, that is, by our actions. About which Paul the apostle speaks: And you, when you were dead in sins, and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he has quickened together with him, forgiving you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it (Eph. I, 2; Coloss. II, 14, 15). But the lawless men with whom he is counted, Mark the Evangelist understands to be the robbers, writing: And they crucified with him two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. And the scripture was fulfilled which says: 'And he was reckoned among the transgressors' (Mark 15:27). This can also be understood at a deeper level, as the Lord himself says: 'I am reckoned among those who go down to the pit; I have become like a man who has no strength, forsaken among the dead' (Psalm 88:4). Indeed, he was reckoned among sinners and transgressors, in order to descend to hell; and in many places in the scriptures, hell is referred to as a pit, and he would free the prisoners from the prison. He was handed over for our sins and was raised for our justification (Rom. IV). Such was His great mercy that He prayed for His transgressors, and even for His persecutors, on the cross, saying: Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing (Luke XXIII, 34).

Hear, at least, what God says to the Jews, "As my child Isaiah walked, naked and barefoot, so shall the children of Israel walk into captivity naked and barefoot." He wishes, therefore, to remind you by your appearance that the devil held sway over you, and he brings you to the recollection of how lowly born you were before regeneration. Hence, you stand not only naked and unshod, but you even stand with upturned hands to confess God's future sovereignty to which you draw near. You are all the spoils and booty of war. Isaiah mentioned these spoils long ago, before our release from troubles, when he prophesied as follows, "He shall divide the spoils of the strong."

And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing. Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end. [Isaiah 53:12] And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.

And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross. And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull. And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not. And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS. And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors. [Isaiah 53:12] And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, Save thyself, and come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save. Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.

For "he is justified." Either we have been made just, or he is admitted to be just by those who attacked him and enslaved him, to reveal the full injustice of their judgment at that time.… "Yet he bore the sins of many." … For taking them to himself [Christ] then took off the cloak of our sin. And in this way "he justified many," that is, the nations. For there was previously one nation, Israel, whereas those from the nations came in many shapes, whom, making his own, he calls his inheritance, saying, "The Lord said to me, You are my Son, today I have begotten you. Ask from me, and I will give you the nations as an inheritance, and the ends of the earth will be your possession."

The inheritance of the Son is all those who believe in him. They are rightly called the spoil of the devil. This occurred when the only Son in his wonderful dispensation made everyone to participate in the knowledge of the Son and the Father. They were released from error and from the tyranny of the devil, whom they previously thought to be too strong. They are rightly said to have been made an inheritance, those who became a part of him when the devil was plundered.

Therefore will I distribute. Here he sets out his victory over his enemies.

And first, he sets out the subjection of the enemies: therefore will I distribute to him, as if to say: I will give him his part, very many, who will believe in him; and the spoils of the strong, that is, those held captive by demons, he shall divide, among his disciples, setting different disciples over different nations: he shall carry off the treasure of every desirable vessel (Hos 13:15); the king of powers is of the beloved, of the beloved; and the beauty of the house shall divide spoils (Ps 67:13[68:12]).

Second, he sets out the reason for their subjection as to his death: because he has delivered his soul unto death; and as to the kind of death he endured: and was reputed with the wicked: and there were crucified with him two malefactors (Luke 23:32); I am counted among them that go down to the pit (Ps 87:5[88:4]).

Third, the salvation of those made subject to him: for he does not subject them to himself like a tyrant to abuse them, but to save them: and he has borne, taken away, the sins of many, efficaciously, although sufficiently of all, and has prayed for the transgressors: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34).

Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. [Isaiah 54:1] Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

After the birth of the Savior and the sequence of life and miracles, the passion of the cross and the glory of resurrection, when laying down his life he saw his progeny lengthened and as righteous he justified many by his knowledge and divided the spoils of the strong and prayed for transgressors, giving a place for penance; the text then switches to the calling of the nations and describes in plain words those who would believe in him.

(Chapter 54, Verse 1) Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and cry aloud, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of her who is married, says the Lord. LXX: Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and cry aloud, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of her who has a husband. For the Lord has spoken. Symmachus interpreted this passage as follows: Rejoice, O barren one who did not give birth. Rejoice in exultation, and neigh, you who have not given birth: For more are the children of the desolate than of her who has a husband. Theodotius and Aquila agree with him in most points. After the birth of the Savior, and the order of life and virtues, the passion of the cross, and the glory of the resurrection, when he laid down his life, he saw an everlasting seed, and in his knowledge he himself justified the just, and divided spoils of the mighty, and prayed for transgressors, giving them a place for repentance, he passed on to the calling of the Gentiles, and describes with full words those who will believe in him. The Apostle Paul refers to this place under the names of Sarah and Isaac, in reference to the Church (Galatians IV, 27 et seq.), stating that the former people from Mount Sinai and Hagar serve with their children; but the following book says: Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than those of the one who has a husband. And immediately after: But we, brothers, are children of the promise, like Isaac. But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. But what does the Scripture say? Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman. Now we, brothers, are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman. It is by this freedom that Christ has set us free (Galatians 4:27-31). Therefore, if the vessel of election, citing the testimony of Isaiah which we now have in our hands, refers to the sons of the promise and the Church gathered from the Gentiles or from both peoples, which had been deserted and left behind by the Jews, and which had not had God as its husband, nor received the Law or the Prophets, we are compelled by reason itself to follow the footsteps of our predecessor and declare it deserted, as we read above (Chapter XXXVI): Rejoice, deserted one, and similar things. It is written in Jeremiah, from the perspective of God: The one who gave birth to seven has become empty, her soul has failed. The sun has set for her even in the middle of the day (Jeremiah 15:9). And in the book of Samuel: The barren woman has given birth to seven, but she who had many sons has become weak (1 Samuel 2:5). And in the Psalms: He makes the barren woman dwell in a house, a joyful mother of children (Psalm 113:9). The synagogue is said to have given birth to seven sons, representing the mystery of the week and the Sabbath, to which the previous people were bound. Whether for seven, more should be understood according to the ambiguity of the Hebrew language, by which both the Sabbath and many [days] are signified. About this, more has been said in the book of Hebrew Questions, which we wrote on Genesis. Therefore, as long as she had God as her husband, she produced many sons by God's divine Word and was joined to the Law. But when she received a bill of divorce and refused to answer her calling husband, and heard: You are the daughter of your mother who abandoned your husband (Ezek. 16:15). And again: You have not called me as your Lord, nor as the father and prince of your virginity (Jeremiah 3:4); therefore in this same Prophet it is lamented: How has the faithful city become a harlot, Zion full of judgment; in which righteousness used to dwell, but now there are robbers (Isaiah 1:21). But it should also be noted that when it says: More are the children of the desolate than of her who has a husband, the synagogue is not completely excluded from giving birth; but the multitude of Gentiles is preferred to her. And she herself, in the Apostles and through the Apostles, first gave birth to the people from the Jews. Therefore, the two leaders of the Apostles divided the two groups of believers in Christ, the Circumcision and the Gentiles, in order to first build up Jerusalem, which had been deserted and impoverished by both peoples. And the Hebrew word for joy, 'hinnitum,' signifies the greatness of joy, in the likeness of a neighing horse to victory. More is written about this in the Book of Job (Job 39). The Jews and our Judaizers refer this place and the rest that follows to Jerusalem, which they say will be restored in the kingdom of a thousand years, and that it will be the same as it had before, and afterwards it will cease to have a husband, and will have many more children after being divorced than she had with her husband. Clearly, a comparison is made between two women: one who had a husband and was abandoned, and one who was always without a husband. And it is not surprising about the Jews, whose eyes and ears are closed, if they do not see the open truth. As for the Christians, I do not know what to say, who, as the Apostle says, interpret things allegorically and refer to the two Testaments, the old and the new, with Sarah and Hagar as examples. They give themselves over to the desires of the earth for a thousand years.

Who is this who before was "barren" and "desolate"? Clearly it is the church of the Gentiles, which was before deprived of the knowledge of God. Who is "she who has the husband"? Plainly the synagogue. Yet the barren woman surpassed her in the number of her children, for the other embraces one nation, but the children of the church have filled the country of the Greeks and of the barbarians, the earth and the sea, the whole habitable world.

For all the Gentiles were "desolate" of the true God, serving the works of their hands; but the Jews and Samaritans, having the word of God delivered to them by the prophets, and always expecting the Christ, did not recognise Him when He came, except some few, of whom the Spirit of prophecy by Isaiah had predicted that they should be saved.

The church, then, is that sterile city which, because of the bad condition of the waters before the coming of Christ (that is to say, because of the sacrilege of the Gentile peoples), was unable to conceive children for God in its sterility. But when Christ came, taking on a human body like a clay vessel, he cleansed the bad condition of the waters; that is to say, he cut off the sacrileges of the peoples, and immediately the church, which used to be sterile, began to be fruitful.

So when he was not a desert or a land made dry to Israel, he was, with respect to what is particular, a desert and land made dry to the pagan nations. But when he turned away from Israel and became to that Israel like a desert and land made dry, then grace was poured forth on the pagan nations, and Jesus Christ became now to us not a desert but abundance, and not a land made dry but one that bears fruit.

And through these prophecies, the God of the universe declares that in his overflowing love for human beings he is not only "Lord" and "Father" but that he also calls himself "husband" and "groom." This prophecy teaches that the woman who was deserted produced more children than the one who had a husband.

976. Give praise, O you barren. Here against the dejection of their affairs, he promises the remedy of exaltation.

And first, he promises multitude as a remedy against their fewness in number;

second, restoration of honor against their confusion: fear not (Isa 54:4);

third, prosperity against their former adversity: O poor little one (Isa 54:11).

977. Concerning the first, he does three things.

First, he foretells a multitude of children, declaring the praise of thanksgiving: O you barren, Jerusalem, that bear not, because you are forsaken and desolate, give praise, to God for the benefits granted to you; the joy of those who give praise: sing forth praise, for a song is an exultation of the mind burst forth into voice; and the greatness of their joy: whinny, in the manner of a horse, from greatness of joy, not being able to form speech to express it: rejoice in joy, Jacob, and neigh before the head of the Gentiles (Jer 31:7); to our God be joyful and comely praise (Ps 146[147]:1). And he promises a multitude of children: for many are the children of the desolate, more than of her that has a husband; as if to say, though you may be desolate, your children shall be multiplied more than the children of cities which have men to beget them: so that the barren has borne many: and she that had many children is weakened (1 Sam 2:5).

983. Note on the words, give praise, O you barren (Isa 54:1), that there is

first, the barrenness of perverse action: for the congregation of the hypocrite is barren (Job 15:34);

second, of holy contemplation: Rachel was barren (Gen 29:31);

third, of temporal tribulation, above: the children of your barrenness shall still say in your ears (Isa 49:20).