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56:1 [Haec dicit Dominus : Custodite judicium, et facite justitiam, quia juxta est salus mea ut veniat, et justitia mea ut reveletur.
*H Thus saith the Lord: Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my justice to be revealed.


Ver. 1. Judgment, the right resolution to do God's will, which justice executes. C. xxxii. W. — My justice. Sept. "mercy." Christ is at hand. Prepare for your deliverance, by keeping the commandments.

* Footnote * Wisdom 1 : 1 Love justice, you that are the judges of the earth. Think of the Lord in goodness, and seek him in simplicity of heart:
* Footnote * Matthew 23 : 23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you tithe mint and anise and cummin and have left the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and faith. These things you ought to have done and not to leave those undone.
56:2 Beatus vir qui facit hoc, et filius hominis qui apprehendet istud, custodiens sabbatum ne polluat illud, custodiens manus suas ne faciat omne malum.
*H Blessed is the man that doth this, and the son of man that shall lay hold on this: that keepeth the sabbath from profaning it, that keepeth his hands from doing any evil.


Ver. 2. Sabbath. All the Jewish festivals, (C.) as well as those of the Christian Church, (H.) and the whole law. W.

56:3 Et non dicat filius advenae qui adhaeret Domino, dicens : Separatione dividet me Dominus a populo suo ; et non dicat eunuchus : Ecce ego lignum aridum.
*H And let not the son of the stranger, that adhereth to the Lord, speak, saying: The Lord will divide and separate me from his people. And let not the eunuch say: Behold I am a dry tree.


Ver. 3. People. The Jews would not admit all nations to their communion. Deut. xxxiii. 1. A little before Christ's coming, they began to make more proselytes; (Mat. xxiii. 15.) and the sacred books being translated, came to the knowledge of the Gentiles, who were thus induced by degrees to embrace the true faith. The road to heaven was always open for those who kept the commandments, (v. 6. C.) though they might not receive circumcision. H. — Christ has removed the wall of separation, (Eph. ii. 14. C.) and established one fold for all. Jo. x. H.

56:4 Quia haec dicit Dominus eunuchis : Qui custodierint sabbata mea, et elegerint quae ego volui, et tenuerint foedus meum,
*H For thus saith the Lord to the eunuchs, They that shall keep my sabbaths, and shall choose the things that please me, and shall hold fast my covenant:


Ver. 4. Eunuchs. It was ignominious to have no children among the Jews, as the propagation of the true religion depended much on their numbers. But now, since the Church is gathered from all nations, virginity is preferable to marriage, and those who keep the sabbath, or all the commandments, and choose this state freely, will receive greater glory than the other sons and daughters of God. Against this plain meaning, P. Martyr (de Cœlib.) asserts that God prefers eunuchs only before those who transgress the law. But he gives them a place better than his other sons, &c.! Prot. (Bib. 1603) understand that eunuchs shall be called after (or according to) God's people, and be of the same religion, which implies no preference at all. They add, therefore, yea, under Christ the dignity of the faithful shall be greater than the Jews were at that time; as if the comparison were between God's servants before and after Christ, and not between eunuchs and such as have children. How much better is it for us to follow the holy Fathers, who hence commend those who make a vow of perpetual chastity? They shall possess an excellent dignity among the angels. S. Bas. virg. — The rewards of continency are great, eximia. S. Cyr. Alex. hic. — "In the eternal mansion they are preferred before children." S. Greg. past. iii. 29. &c. W. — Such spiritual eunuchs, as S. John the evangelist, are meant. "He hath chosen what the Lord would, that he should offer more than was commanded...He who is an eunuch, and performs all that is prescribed, shall have...the best place, so that he shall be a tower, and occupy the rank of a priest, and instead of children of the flesh, shall have many spiritual children." S. Jer. H. — The law excluded eunuchs from the Church. Deut. xxiii. 1. But under the gospel, they may enter heaven. Mat. xix. and 1 Cor. vii. 32. &c. Daniel (i. 3.) and his companions were eunuchs, yet in high estimation; and virtuous eunuchs are commended. Wisd. iii. 13. C. — Choose. Observing the commandments and counsels, like religious men. M. — Those who choose to do more than is commanded, will have a greater reward. W.

56:5 dabo eis in domo mea et in muris meis locum, et nomen melius a filiis et filiabus : nomen sempiternum dabo eis, quod non peribit.
I will give to them in my house, and within my walls, a place, and a name better than sons and daughters: I will give them an everlasting name which shall never perish.
56:6 Et filios advenae, qui adhaerent Domino, ut colant eum, et diligant nomen ejus, ut sint ei in servos ; omnem custodientem sabbatum ne polluat illud, et tenentem foedus meum ;
And the children of the stranger that adhere to the Lord, to worship him, and to love his name, to be his servants: every one that keepeth the sabbath from profaning it, and that holdeth fast my covenant:
56:7 adducam eos in montem sanctum meum, et laetificabo eos in domo orationis meae ; holocausta eorum et victimae eorum placebunt mihi super altari meo, quia domus mea domus orationis vocabitur cunctis populis.
*H I will bring them into my holy mount, and will make them joyful in my house of prayer: their holocausts, and their victims shall please me upon my altar: for my house shall be called the house of prayer, for all nations.


Ver. 7. Prayer. So the temple is justly styled. H. — This shall be open to all nations. After the captivity, the Jews condescended to let the Gentiles have a court, and they even suffered some princes to go into the court of the priests. 2 Mac. iii. 33. Physcon wished to penetrate into the inner sanctuary, (3 Mac. Eccli. l.) which could not be granted.

* Footnote * Jeremias 7 : 11 Is this house then, in which my name hath been called upon, in your eyes become a den of robbers? I, I am he: I have seen it, saith the Lord.
* Footnote * Matthew 21 : 13 And he saith to them: It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves.
* Footnote * Mark 11 : 17 And he taught, saying to them: Is it not written: My house shall be called the house of prayer to all nations, but you have made it a den of thieves.
* Footnote * Luke 19 : 46 Saying to them: It is written: My house is the house of prayer. But you have made it a den of thieves.
56:8 Ait Dominus Deus, qui congregat dispersos Israel : Adhuc congregabo ad eum congregatos ejus.]
The Lord God, who gathereth the scattered of Israel, saith: I will still gather unto him his congregation.
* Footnote * John 11 : 52 And not only for the nation, but to gather together in one the children of God that were dispersed.
56:9 [Omnes bestiae agri, venite ad devorandum, universae bestiae saltus.
*H All ye beasts of the field come to devour, all ye beasts of the forest.


Ver. 9. Beasts. Here a fresh discourse begins to C. lxi. The Chaldees and Romans are invited to punish God's people for their sins, committed before the captivity. Zac. xiv. 2. C. — The prophet foresees the negligence of some pastors, and denounces their rigorous chastisement. W.

56:10 Speculatores ejus caeci omnes ; nescierunt universi : canes muti non valentes latrare, videntes vana, dormientes, et amantes somnia.
*H His watchmen are all blind, they are all ignorant: dumb dogs not able to bark, seeing vain things, sleeping and loving dreams.


Ver. 10. Watchmen. Priests and prophets. C. — We know (H.) only Jeremias who continued firm. Lam. ii. 14. In the days of Christ, the corruption was not diminished. C.

* Footnote * Ezechiel 3 : 17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman to the house of Israel: and thou shalt hear the word out of my mouth, and shalt tell it them from me.
* Footnote * Ezechiel 33 : 2 Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say to them: When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man, one of their meanest, and make him a watchman over them:
* Footnote * Ezechiel 6 : 7 And the slain shall fall in the midst of you: and you shall know that I am the Lord.
56:11 Et canes imprudentissimi nescierunt saturitatem ; ipsi pastores ignoraverunt intelligentiam : omnes in viam suam declinaverunt ; unusquisque ad avaritiam suam, a summo usque ad novissimum.
*H And most impudent dogs, they never had enough: the shepherds themselves knew no understanding: all have turned aside into their own way, every one after his own gain, from the first even to the last.


Ver. 11. Last. The scribes devour the houses of widows, making long prayers. Mat. xxiii. 14. They are blind. Mat. xv. 14. H.

* Footnote * Jeremias 6 : 13 For from the least of them even to the greatest, all are given to covetousness: and from the prophet even to the priest, all are guilty of deceit.
* Footnote * Jeremias 8 : 10 Therefore will I give their women to strangers, their fields to others for an inheritance: because from the least even to the greatest all follow covetousness: from the prophet even to the priest all deal deceitfully.
56:12 Venite, sumamus vinum, et impleamur ebrietate ; et erit sicut hodie, sic et cras, et multo amplius.]
Come, let us take wine, and be filled with drunkenness: and it shall be as to day, so also to morrow, and much more.
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