“I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name.”
Me. God answers the preceding prayer, and announces the rejection of the synagogue, alluding to the armies which prevailed in the days of the Machabees. — Not. St. Paul explains this of the conversion of the Gentiles, Romans x. 20. (Calmet) — It cannot regard the Jews, who are spoken of in the next verse. (Worthington)
“A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick; upon: Heb. upon bricks”
Gardens, to the impure Venus and Adonis. — Bricks, to the Manes. (Calmet) —
“Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels; broth: or, pieces”
Idols: to have dreams, (Strabo xvi.) and commit impurities. — Broth of swine’s flesh, which was prohibited, Leviticus xi. 7.
“Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day. nose: or, anger”
Unclean. Thus acted the hypocritical Pharisees. — Smoke. A just punishment of those who had sought the smoke of human applause.
“Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom,”
Bosom: good measure, Luke vi. 38. Rewards and punishments will be eternal.
“Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the LORD, which have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom.”
Hills. Some offered sacrifices to God, others to idols; both unlawfully. (Calmet)
“Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants' sakes, that I may not destroy them all.”
Whole. The good grain is preserved amid the general corruption. (Haydock) — A few of the Jews were chosen to believe in Christ.
“And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.”
Mountains of Judea, (Deuteronomy iii. 25.) which the captives shall recover, as a figure of those who shall embrace the Christian faith.
“And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me.”
Plains. Hebrew Sharon, in the land of Basan. — Achor, near Jericho, called after Achan, (Calmet) who perhaps was more correctly styled Achor, Josue vii. 26., and Osee ii. 15. (Haydock)
“But ye are they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop , and that furnish the drink offering unto that number. troop: or, Gad number: or, Meni, a pagan god”
Fortune. Hebrew, “Gad,” the sun, Genesis xxx. 11. — Upon it. Symmachus, “without me.” Septuagint, “to fortune.” Hebrew, “to Meni,” the moon, or Queen of heaven, Jeremias vii. 18., and xliv. 17. (Calmet)
“Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not.”
Chosen. Free-will is clearly expressed, as rewards are, ver. 13. (Worthington)
“Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed:”
Servants; Christians, (Calmet) particularly the elect. (Haydock) — When the Romans approached Jerusalem, the Christians retired to Pella, and had plenty. (Houbigant)
“And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord GOD shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name:”
Execration. They can wish to be preserved from nothing worse. — Name. The faithful shall be no longer called Jews. (Calmet) — They shall be hated, while the name of Christian shall point out God’s servants. (Worthington)
“That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.”
Amen, or “of truth.” False gods shall be neglected. They shall not swear by them, as formerly, Sophonias i. 5. — Christ usually adopted the asseveration, Amen, Amen, to enforce his truths. (Haydock)
“For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. come: Heb. come upon the heart”
New earth, in eternity, (Clarius) or here indeed, (2 Peter iii. 3., &c.; Houbigant) having purified the former by the general conflagration, which many assert will take place at the end of 6,000 years. (St. Jerome; St. Augustine, &c.) At the return of the captives, the country flourished again under the Machabees; (ver. 18.; Grotius) or rather the gospel changes the face of the earth, chap. lxvi. 22. (Calmet) (Forerius) — After the resurrection the qualities, and not the substance, of the world, will be changed. (Worthington)
“There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.”
Fill up. To die soon was deemed a misfortune, Psalm liv. 24., and Exodus xx. 12. Virtue is the measure of the Christian’s life, and God will reward those who labour even late, Matthew xx. 13. — Accursed. This age will not be spared. Both just and wicked shall be immortal in eternity. (Theodoret)
“They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. shall long: Heb. shall make them continue long, or, shall wear out”
A tree. Septuagint, “of the tree of life,” Jeremias xviii. 8. (Calmet) — Continuance. Hebrew, “My elect shall long enjoy the works,” &c. (Haydock) — They shall not build for others to enjoy.
“They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.”
In. Hebrew, “for trouble.” Chaldean, “death.” Septuagint, “malediction.” The children shall not be cut off; and baptism shall secure their salvation.
“The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.”
Straw. People of the most perverse tempers shall become mild by the influence of the gospel, and shall dwell together in perfect concord. (Calmet) — Food, according to the sentence, Genesis iii. 14. (Menochius) — The devil’s power is abridged, chap. xi. 6. (Calmet) — The proudest Gentiles are converted, and adopt the mild manners of Christians, in fasting and mortification. (Worthington)