Cyril of Alexandria — Commentary on Scripture

A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompence to his enemies.

For it was the Lord’s voice that said, “rendering recompense to his enemies,” ordering and exhorting those who destroy to spare none of those captured, savagely attacking the enemies and not only simply with the wrath of warriors but also with the will of the Sovereign. For this was only the means of their captivity and suffering.

Isaiah 66:7-9

Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.

Again Isaiah teaches that Jerusalem will not be destroyed root, branch and all. For when he foretold the complete captivity of Jerusalem, he mentioned those chosen to survive. For a not insignificant number will be saved, obviously through faith in Christ—and he wants to make this clear. But the Jews were enraged with him and killed the prince of life. But when he rose again, trampling on death, he returned to his God and Father in heaven. In the meantime, the divine apostles proclaimed him to all, and they called even those who had been enraged with him to repentance and to salvation through faith and the forgiveness of sins through baptism.

Isaiah 66:10-12

Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her:

This struggle is the correction of noble good deeds in them. For their sweat is profitable, and they have youth-like endurance in order to gain not an earthly possession but rather so that they become filled with graces from God and are satisfied in every desire. To these he makes this promise, “Like infants at the breast you will be filled by the breasts of consolation.” Since Isaiah has previously compared the figure of a woman with the new Zion, he remains in this way of speaking and compares this comfort with that of the breasts and milk of the Holy Spirit. For in the Song of Songs it says, “Your breasts are better than wine.” … And Scripture calls Christ “glory,” for the psalmist says about him, “to prepare glory in our land.” This entrance is the mystery of the economy in the flesh. Being God by nature, he became man through his incarnation and in such manner came into the world. Those feed on the precise message of faith concerning him, and they learn in what way the glory, that is, Christ came into the world. And directly connected to this, the divine prophet speaks of his cl…

This struggle is the correction of noble good deeds in them. For their sweat is profitable, and they have youth-like endurance in order to gain not an earthly possession but rather so that they become filled with graces from God and are satisfied in every desire. To these he makes this promise, “Like infants at the breast you will be filled by the breasts of consolation.” Since Isaiah has previously compared the figure of a woman with the new Zion, he remains in this way of speaking and compares this comfort with that of the breasts and milk of the Holy Spirit. For in the Song of Songs it says, “Your breasts are better than wine.” … And Scripture calls Christ “glory,” for the psalmist says about him, “to prepare glory in our land.” This entrance is the mystery of the economy in the flesh. Being God by nature, he became man through his incarnation and in such manner came into the world. Those feed on the precise message of faith concerning him, and they learn in what way the glory, that is, Christ came into the world. And directly connected to this, the divine prophet speaks of his clear appearance in the flesh, taking on Christ’s voice as he says, “I will descend on them as a river of peace, and as a spring I will wash over the glory of the nations.”

Isaiah 66:16

For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.

“For he will come like fire.” … For he will descend from heaven in the glory of God the Father and with the angels. This is his chariot, as it is praised in the Psalms: “The chariot of the Lord is ten thousand in dimensions with thousands of those rejoicing.” For he will come to give judgment in anger and to cast them off with a flame of fire. For “casting off” means rejection, just as he says to those who are dead in their sins, “Depart from me, you evildoers.”

Isaiah 66:18-21

For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.

Christ makes here in these words something like a summary of the whole message and of the whole prophecy, and in short compass in summary form he announces the things from start to finish and the power of his economy in the flesh. He mentions the calling of the nations, the election of the holy apostles, and that he will be worshiped by the whole wide world. For the former law gathered one people only, that is, those from Israel, and called to those only speaking that language. But our Lord Jesus Christ did not grant the power of his economy in the flesh only to those from Israel by blood but to every nation and language.…For like something consecrated to God, the host of the nations are given over to God’s glory, released from all charges through faith and washed from all filth through holy baptism, like a guest’s gift, as if given out of the apostolic fervor for God. On that account they rejoice, naming him their joy and crown. For that the return of the nations to God happens in an extremely comfortable fashion and without sweat and struggle is clearly declared in parabolic fashio…

Christ makes here in these words something like a summary of the whole message and of the whole prophecy, and in short compass in summary form he announces the things from start to finish and the power of his economy in the flesh. He mentions the calling of the nations, the election of the holy apostles, and that he will be worshiped by the whole wide world. For the former law gathered one people only, that is, those from Israel, and called to those only speaking that language. But our Lord Jesus Christ did not grant the power of his economy in the flesh only to those from Israel by blood but to every nation and language.…For like something consecrated to God, the host of the nations are given over to God’s glory, released from all charges through faith and washed from all filth through holy baptism, like a guest’s gift, as if given out of the apostolic fervor for God. On that account they rejoice, naming him their joy and crown. For that the return of the nations to God happens in an extremely comfortable fashion and without sweat and struggle is clearly declared in parabolic fashion when he speaks for our instruction, saying that “they will be led with horses, chariots, now with illuminations, now with shade.… And I will take from them priests and Levites.” From whom? This is not yet so clear, meaning either those sent to call them out from the nations or from those who were thus called out. For the divine disciples served through Christ as priests. But many were called to the priesthood, and many are still called who are of Greek stock, once God has changed them into the newness of life and knowledge.

Isaiah 66:22-24

For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.

This is the immovable hope that Christ promises in all goodness to those who love him and who acknowledged his epiphany. As it says, “When I remake the heaven and the earth, I will allow them to remain, and no passing of time will destroy them.” So your seed and your name will stand before me. For we are the new heaven and the new earth and his promised things, just as they are written about. For the hope of the saints will stand forever and endures, as Paul confirms. …These misfortunes piled on the Jews are meant to be the things we say happened to them at the hands of the Romans, when the temple was destroyed and all were subjected to cruel slaughter. For suffering such things they became a spectacle for all, but their suffering was not prolonged indefinitely. Yet this is what perhaps is meant when it says, “Their worm will not die nor the fire go out.” Some, however, want to refer these words concerning them to the time of the end of the age.… In any case, Christ will deliver us from all such things, through whom and with whom may glory be to God the Father and the Holy Spirit for…

This is the immovable hope that Christ promises in all goodness to those who love him and who acknowledged his epiphany. As it says, “When I remake the heaven and the earth, I will allow them to remain, and no passing of time will destroy them.” So your seed and your name will stand before me. For we are the new heaven and the new earth and his promised things, just as they are written about. For the hope of the saints will stand forever and endures, as Paul confirms. …These misfortunes piled on the Jews are meant to be the things we say happened to them at the hands of the Romans, when the temple was destroyed and all were subjected to cruel slaughter. For suffering such things they became a spectacle for all, but their suffering was not prolonged indefinitely. Yet this is what perhaps is meant when it says, “Their worm will not die nor the fire go out.” Some, however, want to refer these words concerning them to the time of the end of the age.… In any case, Christ will deliver us from all such things, through whom and with whom may glory be to God the Father and the Holy Spirit forever.

James 1:6

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

The doubter is really full of pride. For if you have not believed that God will hear your request, you have not acted in such a way as to avoid being condemned already by the one who tests everything. The doubter has become double-minded even without wanting to be. It is therefore necessary to condemn a plague as dreadful as this.

James 2:20

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Just as faith without works is dead, so the reverse is also true. Therefore let integrity in faith shine forth along with the glories of upright living.

James 2:21

Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

On the one hand, the blessed James says that Abraham was justified by works when he bound Isaac his son on the altar, but on the other hand Paul says that he was justified by faith, which appears to be contradictory. However, this is to be understood as meaning that Abraham believed before he had Isaac and that Isaac was given to him as a reward for his faith. Likewise, when he bound Isaac to the altar, he did not merely do the work which was required of him, but he did it with the faith that in Isaac his seed would be as numberless as the stars of heaven, believing that God could raise him from the dead.

James 2:22

Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

He has sacrificed the spiritual victim and announced that the laws of nature have been overcome. He has opened up the heart of his unquenchable love for humanity and shown that nothing on earth can compare with the love of God.

James 2:24

Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

The person who in faith honors the God and ruler of all has righteousness as his reward.

James 3:2

For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

The effective proof of a sound mind and perfect thought is to have nothing faulty on our tongue and to keep our mouths closed when necessary. For it is better to be guided by worthy speech, which is able to know and to express the fullness of all praise. For the most useful talent is to be able to speak wisdom when talking about how to live well. Foolish talk should be foreign to the saints.

James 4:11

Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

Every wicked act dulls the sense of our thoughts and gives birth to arrogance. For although it is necessary for each one to examine himself and behave according to God’s will, many people do not do this but prefer to mind the business of others. If they happen to see others suffering, it seems that they forget their own weaknesses and set about criticizing them and slandering them. They condemn them, not knowing that they suffer from the same things as the people they have criticized, and in so doing they condemn themselves. The wise Paul writes exactly the same thing: “If you judge another in something, you condemn yourself, for the one who judges does the same things.”

James 4:13

Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:

Some people go on endless journeys for the sake of business and the profits which they can make thereby, enduring even sea travel for their sake. Some fight in order to get some advantage over others by increasing their power. Still others fatten their purses by cheating and by extortion, bringing down fire and brimstone on their heads.

James 5:7

Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

If God delays the punishment of sinners, waiting for them to repent, it is not because his character has changed, so that now he loves sin. Rather he is giving them time to repent.

James 5:12

But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.

Let the witness of our life be stronger than an oath, and if some shameless person dares to ask an oath from you, let your yes be yes and your no be no, instead of swearing an oath. James forbids us to swear by heaven or by earth for this reason, that we should not give the creation more value than it has by deifying it. For those who swear, swear by something greater than themselves, as the apostle says.

Jeremiah 2:12

Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD.

Here too let the prophet Jeremiah say of the race of Israel, “Who will grant for my head to be waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I may weep for this people day and night?” “For what lamentation can suffice for those who fell into the pit of destruction because of their wicked conduct to Christ, and for guilt so great, that not with words only did they grieve him, and mock him with blasphemous cries, but even laid sinful hands upon him and prepared the snare of death for him?… “The heavens themselves were astonished, and shuddered very greatly,” says the Lord. For the Lord of earth and heaven, the Creator and Maker of all, the King of kings and Lord of Lords, he who is of such surpassing greatness in glory and majesty, the foundation of everything, and that in which all things exist and abide—for all things exist in him—he who is the breath of all the holy spirits in heaven is scorned like one of us and patiently endures beatings.

Jeremiah 2:26

As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets,

Against those who, in the greatness of their wickedness, have scorned God’s goodness and rejected the Savior, there is decreed wrath and misery.… For those who are in their sins are full of shame. For so it is somewhere said of the Israelites, who violated the law of Moses: Like the shame of a thief when he is caught, so will the children of Israel be ashamed. But those who are in Christ by faith, escaping from the pollutions of sin, are certainly not full of shame but also have that boldness that becomes those who are free.

Jeremiah 2:35 · 2 passages

Yet thou sayest, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Behold, I will plead with thee, because thou sayest, I have not sinned.

It makes God angry for us to imagine that we are free from all impurity. He is even found saying to one of those who led polluted lives, Behold, I have a suit with you because you say I have not sinned, in that you have acted very contemptuously in repeating your ways. For the repetition of the way to sins is for us, when we are overtaken by offenses, to refuse to believe that we are guilty of the defilement that arises from them.

For God readily accepts and has mercy on those who do not forget their offenses but fall down before him and ask of him forgiveness. But he is severe, and very justly so, on the hardhearted and the proud, and on one who in his great ignorance acquits himself of blame. For God said to one thus disposed, Behold, I have a suit against you, because you say, I have not sinned. For who can boast that he has a pure heart? Or who can have confidence that he is undefiled by sins? The road then to salvation, and which delivers those who earnestly walk on it from the wrath of God, is the confession of offenses, and to say in our prayers to him who purifies the wicked, Forgive us our sins.