“In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. his: or, the skirts thereof”
Died. Either a natural (Calmet) or a civil death, by means of the leprosy. (Chaldean) (Tostat. 7.) — This and the former chapters relate to the commencement of Joathan’s reign, whether before or after the death of Ozias. (Calmet) — Many think that this was the first prediction of Isaias. (Origen) (St. Jerome, ad Dam.) — I saw. By a prophetic vision, as if I had been present at the dedication of the temple, 3 Kings viii. 10. (Calmet) — Lord. Not the Father, as some have asserted, but the Son, John xii. 40. (St. Jerome, ad Dam.) (Calmet) — Neither Moses nor any other saw the substance of God; but only a shadow. Yet Manasses hence took a pretext to have Isaias slain. (Origen) (St. Jerome, Trad.) (Paralipomenon) (Worthington)
“Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.”
The two Seraphims “burning.” They are supposed to constitute the highest order of angels, Numbers xxi. 6. — His. God’s or their own face. Hebrew and Septuagint are ambiguous. Out of respect, (Calmet) they looked not at the divine majesty. (Menochius)
“And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. one: Heb. this cried to this the whole: Heb. his glory is the fulness of the whole earth”
Glory. By no means of the Incarnation. The unity and Trinity are insinuated. (St. Jerome; St. Gregory, Mor. xxix. 16.)
“And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. door: Heb. thresholds”
Of him. Septuagint, “them,” (Haydock) the Seraphim signifying that the veil was removed by the death of Christ, (Theodoret) or that the people should be led into captivity, as a Jew explained it to St. Jerome.
“Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. undone: Heb. cut off”
Peace. It is proper for sinners to do so, Ecclesiasticus xv. 9. The prophet was grieved that he was unworthy to join in the acclamation of the Seraphim, and had reason to fear death, Genesis xvi. 13., and Exodus xxxiii. 20. He finds himself less able to speak than before, like Moses, Exodus iv. 10., and vi. 12.
“Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: having: Heb. and in his hand a live coal”
Coal. “Carbuncle,” (Septuagint) the word of God, (St. Basil) spirit of prophecy, (St. Jerome, 142. ad Dam., &c.)
“And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. laid: Heb. caused it to touch”
Sin. Impediment in speech. All defects were attributed to some sin, (John ix. 2.) as Job’s friends maintained.
“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. Here: Heb. behold me”
For us. Hence arises a proof of the plurality of persons. (Calmet) — Send me. Thus Isaias was an evangelical and apostolical prophet. (St. Jerome) (Worthington)
“Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.”
Blind. The prophets are said to do what they denounce. (St. Thomas Aquinas, 1. q. xxiv. 3.) (Sanctius) — Septuagint, “heavy or gross is the heart,” &c. The authors of the New Testament quote it thus less harshly. — Them. Is God unwilling to heal? Why then does he send his prophet? (Calmet) — He intimates that all the graces offered would be rendered useless by the hardened Jews. (St. Isidore. Pelus 2. ep. 270.) — Hebrew may be, “surely they will not see,” &c. (Calmet)
“Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, utterly: Heb. desolate with desolation”
Desolate. By means of Nabuchodonosor, (St. Chrysostom) and the Romans, (Eusebius, &c.) or even till the end of the world, their obstinacy will continue.
“And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.”
Earth. After the captivity, the people shall be more docile. But this was more fully verified by the preaching of the gospel.
“But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof. and it: or, when it is returned, and hath been broused substance: or, stock, or, stem”
Tithing. The land shall produce its fruits, and people shall bring their tithes, Ezechiel xx. 40. There shall be some left; (chap. i. 9., and iv. 3.; Calmet) though only a tenth part will embrace Christianity. (St. Basil) — Made. Septuagint, “ravaged.” They shall be exposed to many persecutions under Epiphanes, and few shall escape the arms of the Romans, (Calmet) those particularly (Haydock) who shall be a holy seed. (Calmet) — The apostles were of Jewish extraction, (Haydock) and spread the gospel throughout the world. (Menochius)