English · KJV

Clement of Alexandria

Ante-Nicene · to AD 325 · 904 passages across 53 books

Commentary

461–480 of 904
Isaiah 1:3

The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

For how shall we not regard it fearful, if one who knows God shall not recognize the Lord? While the ox and the donkey, stupid and foolish animals, will know one who feeds them, Israel is found to be more irrational than these? And having, by Jeremiah, complained against the people on many grounds, God adds, “They have forsaken me, says the Lord.”
Isaiah 1:4 · 2 passages

Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.

Correction is a public rebuke of sin. [God] uses it in a manner that is particularly necessary for our instruction because of the weak faith of so many. For example, he says through Isaiah, “You have forsaken the Lord, you have provoked the holy one of Israel.”
Excoriation is the most vigorous expression of disapproval. God employed excoriation as a remedy when he said through Isaiah, “Ah, sinful nation, a people full of sins, an evil seed, lawless children.”
Isaiah 4:2-4

In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.

The greatest cleansing is the spiritual washing that washes away the filth of the soul. The inspired word speaks of such a washing: “The Lord shall wash away the filth of the sons and daughters of Israel and shall wash away the blood from their midst.” This refers to the blood of immortality as well as the killing of the prophets. He means by this purification, seen from the added phrase, “by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning.” The washing of the body, however, is physical and is accomplished only by water. In fact, it can even be done in fields far away from the baths.
Isaiah 29:14

Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.

It is of … those … who practice idle discourse that God’s Scriptures say superbly: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the cleverness of the clever.”
Isaiah 29:15

Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?

He forgets the words of the Educator: “Every man that passes beyond his own bed, who says in his soul: Who sees me? Darkness compasses me about, and the walls cover me, and no man sees my sins: whom do I fear? The Most High will not remember.” Such a person is most wretched, for he fears only the human observation and thinks to hide from God. “He does not know,” Scripture continues, “that the eyes of the Most High Lord are far brighter than the sun, beholding all the ways of men and looking into the most hidden parts.” Another time, the Educator gives warning through Isaiah: “Woe to you who made your counsel in secret and say: Who sees us?” A light that can be seen by the senses may pass unnoticed, but that which illumines the mind cannot be ignored.
Isaiah 30:1

Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:

Reprimand is disapproval expressed in correction or strongly worded blame. The Educator resorts to this method of training when he says through Isaiah, “Woe to you, apostate children, says the Lord, that you would take counsel and not of me, and make treaties and not of my Spirit.” He flavors each pronouncement in turn with the tart spice of fear to whet the appetite of his people for salvation and make them more aware of it, just as wool to be dyed is usually steeped first in an astringent to prepare it to preserve the dye.
Isaiah 32:20

Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass.

The prophet says, “Blessed is he that sows into all waters, whose ox and donkey tread,” [that is] the people, from the law and from the Gentiles, gathered into one faith.
Isaiah 40:11

He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

And that He also calls us lambs, the Spirit by the mouth of Isaiah is an unimpeachable witness: "He will feed His flock like a shepherd, He will gather the lambs with His arm,"—using the figurative appellation of lambs, which are still more tender than sheep, to express simplicity.
Isaiah 42:7

To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

“The opened eyes of the blind” means [Christ] provided clear knowledge of the Father through the Son.
Isaiah 42:10

Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.

Well, in as much as the Word was from the first, He was and is the divine source of all things; but in as much as He has now assumed the name Christ, consecrated of old, and worthy of power, he has been called by me the New Song. This Word, then, the Christ, the cause of both our being at first (for He was in God) and of our well-being, this very Word has now appeared as man, He alone being both, both God and man-the Author of all blessings to us; by whom we, being taught to live well, are sent on our way to life eternal. This is the New Song, the manifestation of the Word that was in the beginning, and before the beginning. The Saviour, who existed before, has in recent days appeared.
Isaiah 43:2

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

“Even if we cross over, they shall not slip, says the Lord.” We shall not slip into corruption, we who are crossing over into incorruption, because he himself will support us. For so he himself has said and so he has willed.
Isaiah 43:19-20

Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

The Word says, “Look, I am doing something new, which no eye has seen, no ear heard, no human heart felt.” These are to be seen, heard and grasped by a new eye, a new hearing and a new heart when the Lord’s disciples speak, listen and act in the Spirit.
Isaiah 43:26

Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.

And it is ours to flee to God. And let us endeavor after this ceaselessly and energetically. For he says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” And prayer and confession with humility are voluntary acts. Therefore it is enjoined, “First tell your sins, that you may be justified.” What afterwards we shall obtain, and what we shall be, it is not for us to judge.
Isaiah 50:9

Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.

There is a person who runs down birth, describing it as subject to decay and death, who forces things and suggests that the Savior was speaking about having children in saying that we should not store treasure on earth, where it grows rusty and moth-eaten. And [this person] is not ashamed to set alongside these the prophet’s words: “You shall all grow old like clothes, and the moth will feed on you.” We do not contradict Scripture. Our bodies are subject to decay and are naturally unstable. Perhaps he might be prophesying decay to his audience because they were sinners. The Savior was not speaking about having children. He was encouraging sharing of resources in those who wanted only to amass vast amounts of wealth rather than offer help to those in need.
Isaiah 53:2

For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

And that the Lord Himself was uncomely in aspect, the Spirit testifies by Esaias: "And we saw Him, and He had no form nor comeliness but His form was mean, inferior to men." Yet who was more admirable than the Lord? But it was not the beauty of the flesh visible to the eye, but the true beauty of both soul and body, which He exhibited, which in the former is beneficence; in the latter-that is, the flesh-immortality.
Isaiah 53:6

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah says [about Christ], “The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all,” that is, to correct our iniquities and set them right. For that reason, he alone is able to forgive our sins, he who has been appointed by the Father of all as our educator, for he alone is able to separate obedience from disobedience.
Isaiah 58:7-8

Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

And we shall find many examples also in other places,-as, for instance, respecting prayer: "Good works are an acceptable prayer to the Lord," says the Scripture. And the manner of prayer is described. "If thou seest," it is said, "the naked, cover him; and thou shalt not overlook those who belong to thy seed. Then shall thy light spring forth early, and thy healing shall spring up quickly; and thy righteousness shall go before thee, and the glory of God shall encompass thee." What, then, is the fruit of such prayer? "Then shall thou call, and God will hear thee; whilst thou art yet speaking, He will say, I am here."
Isaiah 66:1

Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

He has not even built a house for himself! He has nothing to do with space. Even if it is written that “the heaven is his throne,” he is not contained as the words suggest.
Isaiah 66:13

As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

A mother draws her children near her; we seek our mother, the church. Whatever is weak and young has an appeal and sweetness and lovableness of its own, just because in its weakness it does stand in need of assistance. But God does not withhold assistance from such an age of life. Just as the male and female parent regard their young tenderly—whether it be horses their colts, or cows their calves, or lions their cubs, or deer their fawn or men and women their children—so, too, does the Father of all draw near to those who seek his aid, giving them a new birth and making them his own adopted children. He recognizes them as his little ones, he loves only them, and he comes to the aid of such as these and defends them. That is why he calls them his children.

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