In the previous chapter he described the power of the kingdom of Christ, now he threatens the Jews, who would not accept Christ, with desolation. Therefore this text is a historical text for the Jews, but also a prophetic text for our times, against the godless persecutors of the word and the servants of the word. But it was a very foolish preaching among the Jews, so often the prophets threatened the desolation of the people of God. For thus they boasted: We have the promises that this kingdom and this priesthood, which is instituted and ordered by God, will remain; God does not lie; and as those in Jeremiah [Cap. 18, 18.] say: "The priests cannot err in the law." And ours boast a like thing of their Church nowadays: the little ship of Peter may waver, but it cannot sink. But we see how these threats have come to pass among the Jews. Therefore, our people should be warned by this example that they should not be presumptuous about the title of the church. It is true that the church will remain; but in the subordinate (minore) they deceive themselves, that they say they are the church, and therefore are presumptuous. Further, he describes the future desolation by some stages, and certainly predicts that famine and sedition would occur, both of which things brought Jerusalem to the highest misery at that time when it was besieged by the Romans, as Josephus reports.
V. 1-4. Childish ones shall rule over them.
2 Notice the way God destroys great kingdoms. For he takes away the heads in religion, and the wise men in the worldly government, and lets
ignorant people remain, who have no experience. For he calls boys (pueros), not who are boys in age, but in intellect.
V. 5. and the people will drudge (Et corruet).
3. so it is better translated: Exactores erunt in populo, vir in virum etc. [which has given Vulgate by: Et irruet )]. [which the Vulgate has given by: Et irruet1 )]. As if he wanted to say: The more powerful one will be, the more right he will be.
The younger will be proud against the old.
4 This indicates the turmoil. For when Jerusalem was besieged by the Romans, there were three captains in the city who were fiercely hostile to one another, and they were more severely oppressed by the sedition of their own citizens than by the siege of the enemy.
V. 6. 7. Then one will seize his brother from his father's house.
(5) This is how it is with riots: when the best people are out of the way, everyone wants to have a leader. Furthermore, Isaiah indicates such a need that even if someone were to be found who would be skilled to lead others, he would still not be able to be brought by force to accept a magisterial office for fear of the riot.
You have clothes.
6. the choice is not made on the basis of prudence, justice and worthiness, but on the basis of
1) irruet put by us according to the Vulgate, while the editions offer: Lorruet.
42 is. xxn, so-52. interpretations on the prophets. W. vi, vL-vv. 43
only in terms of violence and forces, that one puts all respectability out of sight. This is a beautiful picture of turmoil.
V. 8. for Jerusalem is falling away.
That is, I do not have so much ability in me that I could control such great evil.
Because her tongue 2c.
This is the sin by which Christ is denied and rejected. "The tongue" is the teaching of the Pharisees; "the doing" is hypocrisy and the sin of stiff-neckedness, that they would not believe the many miracles performed, but with hardened necks resisted the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, the "deeds" that the prophet condemns are the very best works in which they boasted of their holiness against faith.
That they resist the eyes of his majesty.
9 This indicates that they sin against the Holy Spirit out of malice, not ignorance, which is as much as "resisting the eyes of His majesty. This sin can no longer go unpunished. It also presses our Germany today. For the adversaries condemn our doctrine, which they themselves confess does not violate any article of faith. They condemn priestly marriages, which they profess are not forbidden by divine law. They condemn to the point of absurdity both forms of Holy Communion, which they must confess that God Himself commanded and instituted. They stubbornly defend the mass, which they confess has been used for many ungodly abuses. Therefore, punishment can no longer be withheld from us, for there is no hope of repentance for this sin. For it is the sin against the Holy Spirit, with which one resists the recognized truth.
V. 9. Her nature she has no secret. 1)
10. the knowledge of the face is taken here passively, that is, their recognized face; that is, they confess they can see their
Sin does not excuse. But he indicates that they sin out of wickedness; just as I see in the Gospel. For although the Pharisees are convinced by the word and the miracles, they do not yield. But because a part of our princes and bishops also sin so manifestly, we can also prophesy against them that they will perish.
V. 10. 11. Tell the righteous that they have it good.
11. He now comforts the godly; as Psalm 2:12: "His wrath will soon burn. But good to them that trust in him." Thus Abraham, Lot, and other saints were preserved, as were the apostles and the rest of the Jews when Jerusalem was besieged. For the Lord knows how to save the righteous.
V. 12. 13. My people, your comforters deceive you.
12. he adds this against those who comforted the people against these threats of the prophet, saying: "nothing will come of all these things; you are God's people"; as they said with the prophet Micah [Cap. 2, 6]: "such tears do not befall us; we will not be disgraced like this 2c. Therefore he saith [v. 13], It shall surely come to pass, "The LORD standeth there, he will judge"; as it is written in the 7th Psalm, v. 13, "He hath bent his bow, he hath aimed."
V. 14. He comes with the elders of his people and with his princes.
13 This is with the apostles. Because they see that the word is despised by the synagogue, they leave it and go to the Gentiles, leaving the Jews to be destroyed by the Gentiles.
For you have spoiled the vineyard.
14. you do not cease from corrupting and seducing. Therefore, the punishment will no longer be far from you.
V. 16. Therefore the daughters of Zion are proud.
15 Now he also threatens the women, as before the men. But he punishes them for the
Security and impenitence, that they said, We are daughters of Abraham, we will suffer nothing of all that you threaten.
V. 17. Thus the LORD will make the crown of the head of the daughter of Zion bald.
16 By this image he indicates that they would lose the temporal government and the priesthood. For these were the highest gifts in this people. The revelation of the disgrace can be taken in the same way as Ezek. 16, 37.ff "of the desolation of the kingdom; or that the Lord will then reveal the wickedness and godlessness of the Jews to the whole world.
V. 25. Your men will fall by the sword.
17 Namely, those by whose protection you hope to be safe.
V. 26. And their gates will mourn.
This is poetically spoken. As if he wanted to say: Erit ubique plurima mortis imago
[everywhere will be the image of death and in many guises], as the poet says.
Cap. 4, 1. that seven women will take hold of one man at that time.
That is, there will be such a great shortage of men, because so many of them remained in the war, that the women will offer themselves to the men of their own free will. But this revenge of God on the "Jew" is still going on today. Let us therefore learn from this passage that we should not be hopeful of God's gifts, whether spiritual or physical, but use them with thanksgiving, to the praise of Him who bestowed them on us unworthy ones. For God can suffer nothing less than presumption and arrogance. He wants to give superfluously, but in such a way that we may humble ourselves and serve Him; not be secure, as the Jews were then and the papists are now; the latter because they had the name of the Church, but the latter because they had the name of the people of God.
1) Virg. Aen., lib II, v. 369: Luctus, ubique pavor, et plurima mortis imago.