And it is called the city of sanctuary, for qodeŠ means that quality on which the city was founded. Or it is called the city of the holy one, because of the knowledge of God, or it is called the holy city because, of all the world’s cities, it alone accepted the law. Hence, after the resurrection of the Savior the bodies of many dead people appeared in the holy city,^[1] which because of blasphemy and the hands laid on the Lord could not until then have been holy.

He calls the lower city Jerusalem, and the city on high Zion, but both together are one city. This is why he promises restoration to both; and, since foreign nations crossed through it without fear when its inhabitants had been taken captive, he is promising deliverance from these foreigners. . . . It is due to their sins that they have been sold, but it is by the benevolence of God that they have obtained deliverance.

He calls the holy city the church. It is sanctified not by the prescribed cultic system, for the law never perfected anyone, but it is made in the likeness of Christ and participates in his divine nature, according to the communication of the Holy Spirit, in whom we are sealed for the day of redemption, with all vileness washed and removed. . . . We have been justified by faith in him, who reinforces us in all safety and shelters us in his love from every fierce attack of the devil and wild surges of enemy opposition. And so he teaches us when he says to Zion or Jerusalem, that is, the church of the living God.

The creation, then, after being restored to a better and more fitting state, remains, rejoicing and exulting over the children of God at the resurrection. For their sake the creation now groans and travails, waiting itself also for our redemption from the corruption of the body, that, when we have risen and shaken off the mortality of the flesh,^[1] according to that which is written, shake off the dust, and arise and sit down, O Jerusalem, and have been set free from sin, it also shall be freed from corruption and be subject no longer to vanity but to righteousness.

You shall be redeemed without money. For it is not because of merits but because of grace and the faith of Christ that we have been reconciled to God. It speaks about those souls who have lost the whiteness of their former way of life and are told, along with the apostles, to shake off the dust that has stuck to their feet.

No one is sufficient to redeem himself, unless he comes who turns away the captivity of the people, not with ransoms or with gifts, as it is written in Isaiah, but in his own blood.

Let us all flee to Christ. Against sin let us appeal to God, the giver of freedom. Let us request to have ourselves put up for sale that we may be re-deemed by his blood. For the Lord says, You were sold for nothing, and without money you shall be redeemed. That is, without payment, without your payment, because by mine. The Lord says this, for he gave the payment himself, not silver but his own blood. For we had remained both slaves and in need.

For without a doubt he will not deserve to be adorned with the garment of incorruption (concerning which the apostle commanded, Put on the Lord Jesus Christ;^[1] and again: Clothed in the breastplate of righeousness and love;^[2] and about which the Lord himself said to Jerusalem through the prophet: Rise up, rise up, Jerusalem, put on the garments of your glory) who has been overcome by slumbering idleness and boredom and who has chosen to be clothed not by the effort of his own toil but in the rags of laziness, which he has cut off from the complete fullness of the Scriptures and from their body and which he refits into a disgraceful covering to hide his slothfulness rather than into a garment of glory and beauty.

His question is a matter of style meant to show the strangeness of the happening: Did you not go to Egypt? he says. Why then have you come back from there? Thus says the Lord, because my people was taken for nothing, you wonder and howl. You are struck with amazement, he says, in deploring the captivity, because, despite the title of my people that you carry, you have suffered these misfortunes. Well, do not wonder, but consider how on account of you my name is continually blasphemed among the Gentiles.^[1] The fact that you are justifiably undergoing these misfortunes is not so insupportable as the fact that I am blasphemed because of you and that the Gentiles think my weakness is the cause of the bad fortune that you have endured.

Therefore, brothers, let us repent immediately. Let us be clear-headed regarding the good, for we are filled with great stupidity and weakness. Let us wipe off from ourselves our former sins and be saved, repenting from the very souls of our being. And let us not seek to please people. 2

There is indeed a blasphemy that we must avoid completely, namely, that any of us should give a pagan any cause for blasphemy by deceit or injury or insult or some other matter justifying complaint in which the Name is deservedly blamed, so that the Lord is deservedly angry. But if the words because of you my name is blasphemed cover every blasphemy, then we are all lost, since the whole culture assails the Name, for no fault of ours, with its wicked outcries. . . . Our name is blessed when we are cursed for keeping our discipline.

For he said, I found nothing here among them, as was made clear in the earlier passage, Why did I come, and there was no one? Why did I call, and there was none to hear?^[1] However, earlier they were violently led away as captives, first by the Egyptians and then by the Assyrians, and were given over on account of their sins. But now they have been taken away for nothing, as a gazelle caught in a net,^[2] by hunters of souls who trap them with nets of wickedness.

The name of God is in its nature holy, whether we say so or not; but since it is sometimes profaned among sinners, according to the words, Through you my name is continually blasphemed among the Gentiles, we pray that in us God’s name may be hallowed; not that it comes to be holy from our being holy but because it becomes holy in us, when we are made holy and do things worthy of holiness.

Moreover, according to the anagogical sense, we can say that the people of God go down into the Egypt of this age, when they are lovers of pleasures more than of God and do not hear that prophetic voice, Woe to you who descend to Egypt for help.^[1] Whoever is softened with vices and lives in a place of lakes and rivers but does not have the dryness of chastity will be violently handed over to the Assyrians, and they will master him and try and convict him of sin.

He stretched out his hands to an unbelieving and contradicting people. To save his own people, the Lord spoke directly without an envoy.^[1] I myself who spoke, I am here,^[2] and I was made manifest to those who sought me not, I appear to those who asked me not.^[3]

[Christ] was not speaking as a teacher but as the Lord. He was not speaking in reference to a greater authority, but he was teaching that which was his very own. Particularly, he was speaking in this manner because he who had spoken by the prophets was speaking now in person. It is I who have foretold it, Here I am!

How are beautiful are the feet of those who announce good things! Since Isaiah perceived the beautiful and opportune preaching of the apostles who follow the One who said, I am the way,^[1] he praises the feet that proceed over the intelligible way, which is Christ Jesus, and go in to God through the door.^[2] Those whose feet are beautiful announce Jesus as good tidings.

Here [Isaiah] says very particularly that it is the feet of those who publish the good news of Christ that are beautiful. For how could they not be beautiful, which in so small, so short a time have run over the whole earth and filled every place with the holy teaching about the Savior of the world?

When they of whom it was foretold, How beautiful on the mountains are the feet, . . . announce this gospel of peace, then each one begins to be a son of peace when he obeys and believes this gospel, and, justified by faith, begins to have peace with God. However, according to the predestination of God he already was a child of peace. For it is not said, He on whom your peace shall have rested, he will become a child of peace. If a child of peace is there, your peace will rest on him.^[1]

But you, O elect people,^[1] set in the firmament of the world, who have forsaken everything that you may follow the Lord, follow him now and confound the mighty! Follow him, O beautiful feet, and shine in the firmament, that the heavens may declare his glory, dividing the light of the perfect ones—though not yet so perfect as the angels—from the darkness of the little ones, who are nevertheless not utterly despised.

We appropriately regard shoe as the gospel preaching, for just as the shoe’s protection wards off troublesome thorns and other injuries from our feet, so the authority of the gospel protects our most glorious way of life, which is often compared with advancing on foot. So fulfilled by such kind help and with the Lord’s protection we can pass through the world without suffering gashes.

Christ brought peace to all things in heaven and earth through the blood of his cross.^[1] He said to the apostles, My peace I give to you, my peace I leave to you,^[2] and he announced good things to us, not that which is called indifference by philosophers, but things which are truly good, which the Father gives to those seeking him—that is all the graces of the Holy Spirit. . . .

Paul, following the sense of the Hebrew truth in the epistle to the Romans puts it, How beautiful are the feet of those proclaiming good news, proclaiming peace,^[3] meaning the apostles whose feet the Lord washed, that they are clean and fair for preaching and to run through the world, quickly filling the globe with the doctrine of Christ. Following the Septuagint and the ambiguity of the Greek word, hōra means either time or beauty. . . . If beauty is meant, then we might refer to what is said in the psalm, Beautiful in appearance before the sons of men^[4]—for what is more beautiful than for the form of a servant to become the form of God and to sit and reign with Christ in heaven?

Zion and Jerusalem, that here have the good news told them, the apostle knew to be heavenly, when he said, But the Jerusalem that is above (that is, our mother) is free,^[1] and, You have drawn near to Mount Zion and the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of angels.^[2] Zion might also mean the church established by Christ in every part of the world, and Jerusalem the godly citizenship (politeuma) that, once established long ago among the ancient Jews alone, was driven out to the wilderness by their impiety and then again was restored far better than before through the coming of our Savior. Therefore, the prophecy says, Let the waste places of Jerusalem break forth into joy together, for the Lord has pitied it and saved Jerusalem.

Nor would you be wrong in calling Zion the soul of every holy and godly person, so far as it is lifted up above this life, having its citizenry in heaven and seeing things far beyond the world. For it means a watchtower. And insofar as such a person remains calm and free from passion, you could call him Jerusalem—for Jerusalem means vision of peace.

Israel was destroyed in the war with the Romans,^[1] so that very few survived to remain, and the holy city was deserted. But its desert places^[2] will rejoice, so it says. For the houses were mournful and filled with dejection for not having inhabitants. But they rejoice as if they have many living there. From the historical sense we can draw something that the spiritual senses can grasp. The church from the nations—that is, those believers from the nations who are called Zion and even Jerusalem—were few in the early days and the holy city of God, the church, was truly like a desert.

The God of the universe will show his power, he says, to all the nations—for he gives to his power the name arm—and all people will know the Provider of salvation.

It says, you who carry the vessels of the Lord be separated and depart from their midst, says the Lord. Separate yourself from earthly deeds; separate yourself from the desire of the world. . . . Moreover, we say to be set apart not from places but from deeds, not from regions but from ways of life.

What else does touching anything unclean mean, anyway, but consenting to sins? And what else does going out from there mean, but doing what is involved in rebuking the bad, to the extent that this can be done, taking account of each person’s status and position, without damage to peace? It has displeased you that someone sinned; you have taken care not to touch an unclean thing. You have challenged, rebuked, warned, even administered, if the matter called for it, a suitable penalty that does no violence to unity; you have gone out from there. . . .

When Scripture thunders at us that we must withdraw from the wicked, we are only being required to understand that we must withdraw in our hearts. Otherwise we may commit a greater evil by separating too simply the good from the bad. This is what the Donatists have done. . . .

To understand what he said, I pay attention to what he did. . . . What he said was Depart. . . . What I am asking is, did he depart physically from such people? I find that he did not. So he must have understood his own words differently. Because, of course, he himself would be the first to do what he commanded. . . . God, after all, could not blame him for his own sins, because he did not commit any; or for other people’s, because he did not approve of them; or for indifference or neglect, because he did not keep quiet; or for pride, because he remained steadily in the unity of God’s people.

Who is there among those destined to be born and die who will not at some point have to leave his country and suffer the loss of his estate? But by no means let Christ be forsaken. The loss of salvation and an eternal home is a much greater threat. See how the Holy Spirit cries to the prophet, Leave. Depart. Get out of here. Do not touch any unclean thing. Get out of the middle of such things and be separate, you who bear the vessels of the Lord. And yet, those who are the vessels of the Lord and the temple of God do not go out from the middle of all this and leave so that they wouldn’t have to be compelled to touch the unclean things or be polluted and corrupted with deadly food. In another place, a voice is heard from heaven, warning them ahead of time what servants of God should be doing. It says, Come out of her,^[1] my people, so that you do not become partakers of her sins and so that you do not receive her plagues.^[2] The one who goes out and leaves does not become a partaker of the guilt. But whoever is found as a companion in her crimes will be wounded with the plagues. Therefore, the Lord commanded us in persecution to leave and to flee. He not only taught that this should be done; he did it himself. For just as the crown is given by the condescension of God and cannot be received unless the hour comes for accepting it, so those who remain in Christ but leave for a while do not deny their faith but instead bide their time. One who has fallen, however, after refusing to leave, remains only to deny his crown.

When the Romans were on the point of making a campaign against Jerusalem, all those who had accepted the message exiled themselves in other cities, for they had learned of the misfortunes that would strike Jerusalem. Thus, it is the Lord in person who commanded them to do this: But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near,^[1] and again: Then, let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let him who is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house.^[2] Therefore, because they knew these events in advance, they went out and escaped the misfortunes of the siege of the city, while the Savior in person guided them, directed their steps toward the Gentiles and assembled the church derived from the Gentiles. Since we also have learned of these events, let us, therefore, flee disbelief; let us persevere in the faith; let us guard the commandments of God and let us proceed on the right path, with the Lord Jesus to guide our way.

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.

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,^[1] 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.

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.

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.

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,^[1] 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. ^[2] THAT WHICH THEY HAVE NOT BEEN PREVIOUSLY TOLD. ISHO‘DAD OF MERV: 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. ^[1]

We, indeed, have not believed in him in vain, nor have we been led astray by our teachers, but by wonderful divine providence it has been brought about that we, through the calling of the new and eternal testament (namely, Christ), should be found more understanding and more religious than you, who are reputed to be, but in reality are not, intelligent [people] and lovers of God. Isaiah, in amazement at this, said, And kings shall shut their mouth; for they to whom it was not told of him, shall see; and they that heard not, shall understand. Lord, who has heard our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?^[1]

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.