You will also ask: "Are we to recognize what we read in Isaiah and Ezekiel as manifestations that they saw through the ideas corresponding to them, or as theology, which through the divination of the Spirit proclaimed to us the attributes of the Godhead?"

Some say that they prophesied in a frenzy, so that the human mind was eclipsed by the Spirit. But it is contrary to the promise of God's inspiration to make him amazed, so that, when he is filled with Divine instructions, he departs from his proper reason, and when he benefits others, he himself does not receive any benefit from his own words. And in general, is it in any way consistent with reason that the Spirit of wisdom should make man like one devoid of reason, and that the Spirit of knowledge should destroy his rationality? But light does not produce blindness, but, on the contrary, excites the power of sight given by nature. And the Spirit does not produce delusions in souls, but on the contrary, arouses the mind, cleansed of sinful defilements, to the contemplation of the thought. Therefore it is not improbable that the evil power, plotting against human nature, should bring the mind into unity, but it is impious to say that the same effect is produced by the presence of the Spirit of God. Moreover, if the saints are wise, then how could they not comprehend what they prophesied? For it is said: "The most wise man shall understand from his own mouth, but in his mouth he beareth understanding" (cf. Proverbs 16:23). If, on the grounds that "Isaac was terrified" when his son came (cf. Gen. 27:33), and that David spoke "in his frenzy" (cf. Psalm 115:2), they invent in the saints an eclipse of the mind, then let them know that amazement is also called, as for example: "The heavens are terrified, and the earth trembles" (cf. Jeremiah 2:12).

But even on the basis of general concepts, it is necessary to agree that contradictory expressions about God cannot be understood literally. Thus, for example, according to the generally accepted understanding, it must be recognized that God's nature is good, does not participate in anger and is just. Therefore, if the Scriptures say that God is angry, or grieving, or repenting, or giving someone an answer that is not according to his worth, then it is necessary to consider the purpose of the utterance and carefully consider how the true meaning can be restored, and not to pervert respectable thoughts about God. Thus, let us not encounter stumbling blocks in the Scriptures, benefiting for ourselves from places that are intelligible and not suffering harm from obscure places.

And if anyone accuses the Divine Scripture of not teaching these things and not producing that which can be of benefit, then let him consider the whole order of human affairs, not only spiritual, but lower and worldly. Then he will see that the all-providential Power has granted the dumb comfortable means of life, ready-made food, a native covering — clothes made of hair and feathers; but having brought man into the world naked, in place of everything she gave him a mind, by which industrial arts were invented, such as house-building, weaving, agriculture, blacksmithing, and the soul makes up for what is lacking for the body with the presence of the mind. And just as in this case our Creator did not deign to envy us, just as in the case of the dumb, all the comforts of life should be born with us, but arranged it so that the lack of what is necessary should lead to the exercise of reason, so in the Scriptures He deliberately allowed obscurity to the benefit of the mind, in order to stimulate its activity. And, in the first place, it is necessary that the mind occupied with this should be distracted from the worst, and in addition to this, for some reason, what is acquired with difficulty binds more to itself, and after a long time what is produced becomes more durable, and what is easily acquired is not desirable to enjoy, because what is at hand is neglected, and the possessor does not consider it worthy of any protection. For this reason, dreams by their nature are not clear and reciprocal, they require a great deal of insight, and the hidden meaning of dreams has a close affinity with the expression in Scripture under the cover of dark sayings. That is why Joseph and Daniel recognized dreams with the help of the prophetic gift, because the power of human comprehension is not sufficient to grasp the truth.

Of course, purity in life is necessary in order that even for success in moral virtue what is hidden in the Scriptures may be discernible. But, in addition to the purity of life, it is also necessary to study the Scriptures for a long time, so that the importance and mystery of God's word may be imprinted in the soul through unceasing teaching.

And after that he did not remain constantly in an active life, but often returned to a contemplative life. For this reason all the people fell into Egyptian idolatry, while this holy man was conversing with God on the mountain. Such was Elijah: he ran away from people's rumors and loved to dwell in the wilderness. Therefore, if the saints, with all the constancy of the dominion in their souls, labored in the search for the truth, is it not foolish to desire to enjoy the fruits of innumerable labors without any effort? For behold, after so many solitudes, silences, and labors, Elijah was vouchsafed to see God!

The content of this book is self-evident and understandable. Since the Prophet lived in a time when vices multiplied, he describes the greatness of the evils that await the Jews, and shows the cause of God's wrath in order to bring them to repentance. The prophecy begins with the words "against Judah" (Isaiah 1:1). For, in the words of Peter, "the time has come to begin judgment from the house of God" (1 Pet. 4:17), because those who are closest to us naturally grieve most when they sin against us. And in Ezekiel the Lord, commanding to punish those who have sinned, says: "Begin ye from My sanctified" (Ezekiel 9:6). Wherefore Isaiah also began with the land chosen by God, and with the city in which the sanctuary was, announcing to them the calamities that awaited them. Secondly, he speaks of Babylon, then of the land of Moab, then of Damascus, fifthly, of Egypt, then of the wilderness, then of Idumea, then of the wilderness of Zion, then of Tyre, and then of the quadrupeds. This is followed by the events that took place in the fortieth year of Hezekiah's reign. After this there are prophecies which have no inscription and proclaim the calamities of Jerusalem and Judea, the fate of those who are in the diaspora, their return after the execution of judgment, the prophecies about Christ, scattered in every prophecy, because something mysterious is connected with every historical story.

Commentary on Chapter 1

(1) "A vision when Isaiah the son of Amoz saw, when he saw Judah and Jerusalem, into the kingdom of Uzziah, and Jetham, and Ahaz, and Hezekiah, who was the kingdom of Judah."

Of our sensory organs, sight has the clearest idea of what is felt. And it is impossible to know the terrible by hearing as sight knows, and the desired is not perceived by any faculty as sight. For this reason, the contemplation of the true, in its clarity and certainty, is called vision. And for this reason the Prophet is called seer and seer. For we learn from Amos what Amaziah said: "Behold, come, and go to the land of Judah, and there shalt thou prophesy" (cf. Amos 7:12). In the books of Kings, Samuel is called the seer. For it is said: "The prophet is called by the people who see before them" (cf. 1 Samuel 9:9). Since they foresaw the future, they were called "in the past," and since they saw the counsels of God, they were also called seers. Therefore our task is to take care of the mind, so that it, having been perfected through appropriate exercises, may become clairvoyant; but to be illumined by the Spirit to the understanding of His mysteries is a gift of God.

The prophet first called it "vision," and then added a verbal explanation, wishing to show that he had received it by hearing, but was announcing the meaning of the word imprinted in his mind. For we need words to express our thoughts, and God, touching in those who are worthy of their souls the most sovereign, imprints in them a vision of His own purpose.

Why was the name of the father added by the Prophet? To show that his prophetic gift is a paternal heritage.

"And when I saw Judea." What does this repetition mean? The prophet expresses the commonality of the vision with the first word, and with the second word he means the peculiarity, that is, what kind of vision is it, what is it and how is it different?

Thus, the words were visible, that is, contemplated by the mind, and it was they that the Prophet saw, according to what is said in the Book of Exodus: "And all men beheld the voice" (Exodus 20:18). Other prophets began their prophecies in a similar way. "The Vision of Avdiah. This saith the Lord God of Idumea: I have heard a hearing from the Lord, a tidings in the tongues of the ambassador" (Obed. 1:1). And in Nahum: "Prophecy" (entrustment, commission), "about Nineveh; the book of the vision of Nahum the son of Elkeseite" (Nahum 1:1). And in Habakkuk: "Vision" (το λημμα), "Habakkuk saw the prophet" (Hab. 1:1). Malachi also used the word "commission" without adding the word "vision": "Prophecy" (το λημμα) "the word of the Lord against Israel by the hand of His angel" (Mal. 1:1). And it seems that the Prophets, by the word "commission" (το λημμα), express what they did not have of themselves, but received the power of prophecy, so that the word "commission" can be equivalent to the word "gift of God." Some of the prophets claim that there are books of vision, while others say that they have heard words from God. For it is said, "The word of the Lord came to Hosea the son of Beiriah, in the days of Uzziah, and of Jotham, and of Ahaz, and of Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. The beginning of the word of the Lord to Hosea" (Hos. 1:1-2). And in Amos: "The words of Amoz, which were in Kariathiarim from Thecuah, which was seen of Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel, before the two years of cowardice" (cf. Amos 1:1). Here the order is changed against Isaiah. There a vision is set up in advance and the words "Hear, O heaven" (Isaiah 1:2) are added, and here the proposed words were followed by a vision. For it is said, "The words of Amos," and not the vision of Amos; "words", not "as I heard", but "as I saw". And Micah says: "And the word of the Lord came to Micah Morasphitine, in the days of Jotham and Ahaz and Hezekiah the kings of Judah, of whom Samaria and Jerusalem came" (cf. Micah 1:1). And "the word of the Lord came to Joel the son of Bethuel" (Joel 1:1). "And the word of the Lord came to Jonah" (Jonah 1:1). And "the word of the Lord, when it came to Zephaniah the son of Hushaiah, the son of Gedaliah, Amoriah, Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amun, king of Judah" (Zeph. 1:1). Haggai, on the other hand, expresses both the meaning of time and the acceptance of the word in a special way. For it is said: "In the second year, in the time of Darius, kings, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to pass by the hand of Haggai the prophet" (Haggai 1:1). But it seems to me that the expression "by hand" used here is equivalent to the word "commission" (το λημμα) written in others. And in Zechariah: "In the last month, of the second year, in the time of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah Barachiah, the son of Addob, the prophet" (Zech. 1:1).