Commentary on Isaiah, Commentary on Isaiah · Chapter 1 · Verse 4
Verſ. 4. Ah, ſinfull nation*Or, ſinfull woman., a people laden with iniquitie, a ſeede of the wicked, corrupt children: They hauehave forſaken the Lord: they hauehave*Or, they hauehave deſpiſed. prouoked the holy one of Iſrael to anger: they are gone backward.
AH.] Although he had reproued their fault ſharpely enough, yet notwithſtanding the more to amplifie it, he yet further addes this exclamatiō: by which he ſhewes his deteſtation againſt ſo horrible and foule an ingratitude. Some thinke this particle Ah, is put here in ſigne of lamenting. Saint Ierome hath interpreted it, Woe: but me thinks it ſhould more fitly agree to an exclamation, ariſing partly from aſtoniſhment, and partly from ſorrow. For wee are wont to burſt into outcries, when ſo vnwotthie a thing is committed, that words cannot expreſſe it; or rather when words anſwerable to the greatnes of the griefe failes vsus. In ſtead of ſinfull nation as we hauehave tranſlated it, the Greeks hauehave turned ſinfull woman, the vulgar tranſlation alſo bearing the ſame. But the Hebrew word ſignifies thoſe who are giuen ouer to wickednes, and it is not to be doubted, but the Prophet here accuſeth them of their deſperate malice.
A people laden] &c. We muſt note the force of the ſimilitude; for hee not onelyonly meanes that they were plunged in their iniquities, as in a deepe mirie pit; but alſo reprocheth them that they ſinned not ſo much of ignorance or infirmitie (as the weak often do) but that they followed on and continued in their rebellion of ſet purpoſe. As if he ſhould hauehave ſaid, They are giuen vp to all iniuſtice, and hauehave wholly ſold ouer themſelues to commit euill. Where he addes, Seede of the wicked; it is as much, as miſchieuous ſeede. Some expounding it more wittily, ſay, that they declared themſelues vnworthie to hold any place among the children ef Abraham: becauſe they were become baſtards, and degenerate. As in other places they are called a ſeede of Canaan; yea they are reproched with the name of vncircumciſed; euen as though they had bin begottten of prophane or a ſtrange people. But it is an vſuall manner of ſpeech among ye Hebrews; which the Greekes alſo obſerued in their ſpeech, when they ſay, ſonnes of the good, for good children.
Corrupt children.] It is word for word, corrupting: and therefore the expoſitors ſupplie, Themſelues, or, their waies. But me thinks baſtard, or degenerate agrees better. For his meaning is that they are ſo depraued, that they reſemble their fathers nothing at all. Moreouer, hee adornes his nation here with foure titles, which are not very ſeemely: And Such indeed as were farre remote from the good conceit which they had of themſelues. But thus muſt hypocrites bee dealt withall, to awaken them: and the more they ſooth vp themſelues in caſting off the feare of God, ſo much the more muſt they bee thundred againſt. For a milder and a more gentle doctrine would not hauehave preuailed with ſuch a kind of people any thing at all: neither would a ſlight manner of reprofe hauehave mooued them. The falſe perſwaſion therefore of their righteouſnes and wiſedome was to be plucked away from them; for therewith they masked and diſguiſed themſelues, and often made their bragges thereof in vaine.
For they hauehave forſaken the Lord.] Now hee addes the reaſon why hee hath ſo ſharpely and bitterly reprooued them: namely, leſt they ſhould complaine as they were wont to doe; that they were too ſeuerely dealt withall. Firſt then he vpbraids them with that, which is the fountaine of all euils: to wit, they had forſoken the Lord. For euen as it is the chiefe perfection of righteouſneſſe to cleaue vntounto God, as Moſes teacheth; What doth the Lord thy God require of thee but that thou cleaue vntounto him?Deut. 10.12 ſo is it the greateſt miſerie wee can plunge our ſelues into, when wee hauehave forſaken him. Now the Prophets meaning is, to let the Iewes ſee, that they were not onelyonly guiltie of one fault: but to ſhew them that they were become Apoſtats altogether. No doubt, but that which followes ſerues for an amplification; whether we reade, To prouoke, or, to diſpoſe; yet I rather reſt in the latter. For it was too groſſe an ingratitude to make light account of him who had adopted them for his owne, from the reſt of all nations. And for this cauſe he calles himſelfe the holy one of Iſrael, becauſe in giuing himſelfe vntounto them he had thereby adorned them with his holines. For this name is ſo attributed vntounto him eueryevery where, in regard of the effect. From how barbarous a pride then did the deſpiſing of ſo great an honour proceed? If any had rather retaine the word prouoke; the ſenſe will be, that they had reiected the Lord: euen as if they meant to prouoke him to anger of ſet purpoſe. Whence we may ſee how deteſtable their Apoſtaſie was.
They are gone backward.] The ſenſe is that when the Lord did ſet a certaine way and forme before them how hee would hauehave them to carrie themſelues, they on the contrarie were carried away with their luſts: and yet he confirmes the former ſentence; to wit, that they had giuen the bridle ſo farre to their ſhameleſſe malepertnes, that they were altogether reuolted from God: yea, and that wittingly and willingly, by erring from that marke vntounto which they ought to hauehave bent their courſe all their life long.