"Into the kingdom of Uzziah, and of Jotham, and of Ahaz, and of Hezekiah." The remark about time was necessary so that everyone could see how much time was predicted and how long it took to be fulfilled, and to understand that with the increase of infirmity, God's care also abounded. Almost most of the prophets converged in time. Hosea was in the days of Uzziah, and in the days of Jeroboam; Micah — in the days of Jotham and Ahaz; Zephaniah in the days of Josiah the son of Amon. Of the other prophets, some wrote prophecies without indicating the time, others designated the reigns of the barbarians, as more famous at that time for their power. Haggai and Zechariah, Obadiah and Nahum, Habakkuk, Jonah and Malachi did not mention time. And many of the prophets did not mention the fathers either. And perhaps those who descended from famous fathers could thereby attract more attention, because they have more confidence in famous people. And those who came from noble parents kept silent about them. However, the father of Isaiah is not the same Amos who is among the twelve lesser prophets, for the pronunciation of the names is not the same, and the signification of them is not the same. One is pronounced with a thick breath, and the other with a subtle aspiration. Likewise, the meanings are different: the name of the father of Isaiah and the quality of this word mean firmness, strength and strength, and the name of the Prophet expresses a cruel word.

It seems that before Isaiah's prophecy there was a prophecy of Hosea, according to what is said: "The beginning of the word of the Lord to Hosea" (Hos. 1:2). It must also be known that the same Uzziah was also called Azariah. In the First Book of Chronicles he is called Uzziah, and in the Second Book of Kings he is called Azariah, though the son of the same father and the same mother, for his mother was Caliah, and his father was Amaziah, and the reign was the same, fifty-two years. In the time of Uzziah, Isaiah, Hosea, and Amos prophesied. But since "the beginning of the word of the Lord was to Hosea," was he not the first to prophesy? And since Amos prophesied "before two years of cowardice," was it not before the vision of Isaiah, in which it says: "And he took up the door" (Isaiah 6:4)?

(2) "Hear, O heaven, and inspire, O earth, as the Lord has spoken."

Since the prophecy was of an evil generation and did not find listeners among people, the Prophet speaks to heaven and earth. In the presence of these witnesses the law was also given, as Moses says: "I testify unto you this day in heaven and earth" (Deuteronomy 4:26), and again: "Hearken, O heaven, and I will cry out, and let the earth hear the words of my mouth" (Deuteronomy 32:1). And it was proper that those who were used as witnesses, when the law was given, should also be called as witnesses when they were convicted of breaking the law. For it is said: "Gather together to me your tribesmen and your elders, and judges and guides, that I may speak in their ears, and bear witness to them in heaven and earth" (cf. Deuteronomy 31:28). It is noteworthy that Isaiah's speech is in the opposite order to the song of Moses. For it says: "Hearken, O heaven," or according to other publications: "Inspire, O heaven, and let the earth hear"; and here: "Hear, O heaven, and inspire the earth." When the people reason loftily and do not depart from God, then the Prophet calls upon heaven as something near, and asks him to put words in his ears — such is the meaning of the word "inspire." When the people became far from heaven, the Prophet said to heaven as to something far away: "Hear, heaven." The same should be understood about the earth. For this reason Moses, because of the success of the people, as it were, having heaven close to him, says: "Hearken," or, like other interpreters, "Inspire heaven." But Isaiah, since the people were in sin and reasoned about earthly things, commands the earth, as it is near it, to receive the word in its ears, for this is the word "to inspire." Or, through the change of names, those who dwell in heaven are called heaven, as we call those who dwell in the city and the earth all who dwell in it; in this case, from the words of the Prophet, we will not derive a reason to consider heaven and earth animate. In the same way, heaven is called the throne of God, because the Heavenly Powers have the knowledge of God firmly planted in them. In the same way, the earth is called a footstool, because the people who live on it are hardly able to contain within themselves the lower knowledge of God. That is why it is said: "A man who understands the throne of feeling" (Proverbs 12:23); but the throne of dishonor is the woman who hates righteousness. As a sensitive and wise man is the throne of feeling, so he who understands the highest in the story of God is the throne of God.

"As the Lord has spoken." It is terrible to be inattentive to the words of God.

"Sons born and exalted, but they have rejected Me."

What philanthropy! The Lord enters into judgment in order to prove His rights and render what He deserves. "Sons begotten and exalted." Man is composed of soul and body; the flesh is taken from the earth, but the soul is heavenly. Thus, since man has an affinity with both, God convicts sin in that which is most characteristic of man. "Sons begotten and exalted." Birth is twofold. One is education according to God, accomplished by works and the acceptance of dogmas: thus, Paul gives birth by the gospel, is sick with the fallen, and transforms them, recreating them into godliness. Another birth is an entry into life, as, for example: "This is the book of Genesis in heaven and earth" (Gen. 2:4). For this reason God points out to them both births and reproaches them that those who were brought from insignificance into existence and created in the image of God (for this means "to beget" and "to exalt") did not thank Him as the Creator and did not become like Him as the Father, but, turning to the worst, they rejected God, and made the devil their father. "For everyone who commits sin is born of the devil" (cf. 1 John 3:8). And the Lord says to the wicked: "Ye are the devil of your father" (John 8:44). Great is the guilt of being a son, receiving a bodily birth and being ungrateful to the one who begat him, but he is worthy of unbearable hatred who is so exalted that he has become a partaker of the heavenly things, and yet does not abide in love for the benefactor.

(3) "The ox that has acquired the manger is known, and the ass sits down of his master's manger; But Israel is not known to Me, and My people are not confused."

He who rejects God is compared to an ox and an ass, because "in honor he has no understanding, be joined to senseless beasts, and be likened unto them" (Psalm 48:13). And such are those who live not according to reason, but through passion and foolishness who are drawn into a life like beasts. The prophet took for the likeness of domestic and well-known animals, in order to shame us, which are more senseless than them, and do not show even such benevolence to their Creator as we ourselves see from the dumb. For the ox given to us as a co-worker in agriculture discerns the voice of the feeder and knows the one who usually brings him food. The donkey finds its way to its usual resting places by itself. Therefore, if the dumb have such a habit for those who take care of them, then to what extent does the rational nature require love for God? Note also that the ox is ascribed greater intelligence than the donkey. For the one is "known" to the "acquired" himself, and the other is only a "manger." And by this the word shows that the donkey is a voracious animal, knowing only the place of pleasure, while the ox has some knowledge even of good and useful things. Therefore, since these animals are not similar to each other, in Deuteronomy it is forbidden to "cry the young man and the donkey together" (cf. Deuteronomy 22:10), that is, you should not combine the zealous and industrious in your soul with the voluptuous and passionate. For God does not "care for wills, but for our sake He will be written" (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:9-10). But in another place, the ox and the donkey are again connected. For "blessed is he who sows by all water, where the ox and the ass trample down" (cf. Isaiah 32:20), that is, blessed is he who by an instructive word arouses in the soul diligence and heals its voluptuousness. For just as an ass is an animal of burden, so the lustful power of the soul is burdened with the weight of sin.

"The ox that has acquired is known; But Israel is not known to me," their Creator. And the "ass" recognized "his master's manger," but Israel did not understand Me. There are many mangers, yet the donkey does not err in his master's manger. But God is one, and the ungrateful people wander after gods who do not exist. "I am not in my mind" — Me, proclaimed by the heavens, indicated by the earth and the sea, revealed by the sun, moon, stars, and all creation. In fact, Israel is represented by the image of the ox, and the common people are represented by the image of the donkey. For what a difference there is between an ox and an ass, the same difference between Israel, which means "seeing God," and the so-called common people.

(4) "Alas, sinful tongue, men full of sins, evil seed, sons of iniquity."

The words "tongue" and "people" are used together in many places of Scripture. For example: "In many tongues is glory to the king, but in the poverty of men is the crush of the mighty" (Proverbs 14:28). And again: "Are the tongues wavering, and people learning in vain?" (Psalm 2:1). But now those who began by becoming a sinful tongue, after the increase of wickedness, have become men full of iniquity. And those who began by becoming the seed of evil came to become lawless sons. For just as progress in virtue increases from the lesser to the greater, so the spread of vice, beginning with the insignificant, reaches the incurable. Between the seed and the sons there is a close connection in the very nature of things. For, having arisen from seed, they become sons not only in bodily birth, but also in spiritual growth, when those who have received instruction from the seeds of teaching reach the point of becoming like teachers, and therefore are called sons, or sons of the kingdom, if, having received the salvific seeds, they are perfected in accordance with them, or sons of hell, if, as a result of evil instruction, they prepare themselves for destruction. But great is the accusation of calling a whole tongue sinful, so that there is no man in it who would do good, to call people full of sins, so that they commit all kinds of iniquity, even the opposite vices are revealed in them, as it is said: "full of all unrighteousness" (Rom. 1:29), and again: "the sins of the Amorites" (Gen. 15:16) are filled, and as the Saviour said: "And ye shall fulfill the measure of your fathers" (Matt. 23:32).

"Evil seed." The tares sown by the enemy man among the pure wheat, having come to full age, have become the son of lawlessness, who is the son of perdition and the son of hell. For this reason, those are recognized as worthy of tears who, instead of being sons of the Highest, have become lawless sons and, instead of remaining in the divine birth, have become "evil seed." And in addition to this, deceit turned into a habit is destructive for those who have it in themselves initially. For deceit is extremely inconsistent with itself.

"Forsake the Lord and provoke yourselves" (Slav. — anger) "of the Holy One of Israel."