Verecundus of Junca — Commentary on Scripture

And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.

The word rival [aemulare] has a threefold meaning. First, it means to emulate [imitari], as in “Seek after the greater gifts.” We also read, “It is good that you always be emulated for the good.” Second, it is to envy [invidere], even one’s enemy, as was said through Samuel to Saul: “God has taken the kingdom from you and has given it to your rival [aemulo].” Peninnah, moreover, who played the role of the synagogue, was envied by Hannah because Hannah had not begotten a child in her barrenness. “Hannah’s rival [aemula] afflicted and agitated her severely.” The term rival here indicates enmity or envy. But “agitated” signifies “oppressed” [obprimebat], a metaphorical expression drawn from the act of choking on a piece of meat that one has suddenly regurgitated. Third, aemulare means “to anger,” as was demonstrated when the apostle said, “Shall we be angered [aemulamur] by the Lord? Are we stronger than he?” In other words, it means to provoke a temper.

1 Samuel 31:3

And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.

“I will inebriate my arrows with blood, and my sword will devour flesh.” These are the spiritual arrows of the Lord with which he strikes the heart of the human race and drains our spiritual blood. For just as Christ himself is called an arrow, chosen by the hand of the Father, so also his apostles are named arrows metaphorically, whom his powerful bow dispersed throughout the entire breadth of the world. Perhaps Jonathan shot the same arrows as a sign that David should flee from the hand of his cruel king. And Saul was struck by these very arrows, that such an obviously worthless king would be deprived of the Israelite kingdom. These are the arrows that drink the blood of our infidelity and carnal sins, for which reason it is said concerning them: “They will eat the sins of my people.”

Isaiah 10:14

And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.

“My hand found the strength of the people like a nest. And like abandoned eggs are collected, so I gathered all the earth. No one moved a wing, or opened a mouth, or chirped.” “You sent your Spirit and the sea covered them; they descended to the depths like lead in the mighty water.” When the Spirit of the Lord was sent, the Egyptians were immersed in the waters of the sea. Although we desire to see ourselves there in the word of the Lord, which is also fulfilled in us, we would do better to apply this passage to the Gentiles, who were filled with the knowledge of the truth when they received the Spirit of God. To this the prophet bore witness: “All the earth is filled with the knowledge of the Lord, like the waters covering the sea.”“They descended to the depths like lead in the mighty water.” The “depths” are to be understood as carnal living, which tosses them to and fro on waves of sin. It drowns their self-absorbed souls and sends them to the bottom. Gossip, jealousy, depravity, cruelty and envy are the waves of worldly vice.

Isaiah 14:4

That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!

Because the Lord Jesus would destroy their staff, that is, their power to oppress, Isaiah said, “How has the oppressor ceased and the tax ended? Was his oppressor’s staff destroyed?” It befits Christians to be cautious, therefore, and it is right for the people of the Lord to be observant, lest oppressors who had once been repelled by divine grace should rouse themselves again to demand the kind of taxes which are paid with spiritual delinquency.

Isaiah 14:21

Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.

God’s warning is twofold, one directed toward the submissive and the other toward obstinate minds. As was said about the submissive: “I will punish their crimes with a rod and their sins with a whip, but I will not remove my mercy from them or deceive them in my truth.” But the wrath of God’s rebuke upon obstinate sinners is unbearable, as Isaiah testifies: “The descendants of the evil will never be named. Prepare their sons to be killed for the iniquity of their fathers. They will not rise, or inherit the earth or fill the face of the world with children. ‘And I will rise against them,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘and I will destroy the name of Babylon and its seed and offspring,’ said the Lord.”

Isaiah 15:3

In their streets they shall gird themselves with sackcloth: on the tops of their houses, and in their streets, every one shall howl, weeping abundantly.

Indeed, it is not inappropriate that the author of the abyss, the devil, should be identified with the abyss, as he is also called death, being the head of death: “Where, O death, is your sting?” And the voice of death or the abyss groans with pain, since he sees that the power to prey upon the people he possessed from the beginning is being taken away. But if, perchance, you have little faith in my own words, we can produce the testimony of Isaiah: “Shall the prey be taken from the strong, or will the captive be rescued from the mighty? But thus says the Lord: ‘The captives will indeed be taken away from the strong, and what was stolen by the mighty will be rescued.’ ” For no one denies that the mighty cry in protest and suffer as a result of losing their spoils, except those who think that the devil is of lesser malice or that he is altogether uninvolved. But persons with such opinions are inept and deceived. Turn instead to the teachers of truth, whose knowledge I can only introduce to you, that it might be yours, reader, to explore within more attentively. Jeremiah uses Moab as a…

Indeed, it is not inappropriate that the author of the abyss, the devil, should be identified with the abyss, as he is also called death, being the head of death: “Where, O death, is your sting?” And the voice of death or the abyss groans with pain, since he sees that the power to prey upon the people he possessed from the beginning is being taken away. But if, perchance, you have little faith in my own words, we can produce the testimony of Isaiah: “Shall the prey be taken from the strong, or will the captive be rescued from the mighty? But thus says the Lord: ‘The captives will indeed be taken away from the strong, and what was stolen by the mighty will be rescued.’ ” For no one denies that the mighty cry in protest and suffer as a result of losing their spoils, except those who think that the devil is of lesser malice or that he is altogether uninvolved. But persons with such opinions are inept and deceived. Turn instead to the teachers of truth, whose knowledge I can only introduce to you, that it might be yours, reader, to explore within more attentively. Jeremiah uses Moab as a figure for the prince of the world in describing his devastation and groaning: “There is lamentation in all the dwellings of Moab and in its streets, for I have shattered Moab like a useless vessel, said the Lord.” Isaiah also bears witness to the coming destruction: “Moreover, Moab’s army wails; its soul groans for itself,” and again: “Everyone wails upon its roofs and in its streets.” In this way, they suffer that they were despoiled of the people. Daily they groan over their plundering. Consequently, they do not cease to attack us also, in the hopes that they can recapture something of what was taken from them.

Isaiah 26:1

In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.

When Hezekiah, the king of Judah and son of Ahaz, was gravely ill and had learned of his coming death by the prophecy of Isaiah, he turned his face to the wall and wept bitterly. Immediately the Lord in his mercy not only averted the destruction of imminent death but also added fifteen years to the man’s life. Then, at last, Hezekiah sang this song. Hezekiah, a holy man who reigned at that time over all of Israel, displayed the Lord’s form: clearly he had every movement of body, soul and mind in subjection to himself, and he accepted the consequences of his infirmity and weakness. He knew without doubt through the prophetic message that the end of his life was approaching. For the longer we seem to live, the more indubitably is our future death foreknown to us. And if we turn our face to the wall when struck by the fear of death, that is, if we direct the vision of our hearts to the Savior, who is here represented by the wall because he is elsewhere called “a wall,” we will be saved, inasmuch as he saves the faithful who dwell within him from a great many attacks. “In the city of our…

When Hezekiah, the king of Judah and son of Ahaz, was gravely ill and had learned of his coming death by the prophecy of Isaiah, he turned his face to the wall and wept bitterly. Immediately the Lord in his mercy not only averted the destruction of imminent death but also added fifteen years to the man’s life. Then, at last, Hezekiah sang this song. Hezekiah, a holy man who reigned at that time over all of Israel, displayed the Lord’s form: clearly he had every movement of body, soul and mind in subjection to himself, and he accepted the consequences of his infirmity and weakness. He knew without doubt through the prophetic message that the end of his life was approaching. For the longer we seem to live, the more indubitably is our future death foreknown to us. And if we turn our face to the wall when struck by the fear of death, that is, if we direct the vision of our hearts to the Savior, who is here represented by the wall because he is elsewhere called “a wall,” we will be saved, inasmuch as he saves the faithful who dwell within him from a great many attacks. “In the city of our strength,” says Isaiah, “is the Savior established as a wall and a fortress.” Behold, the Savior is said to be a wall.

Isaiah 28:14-15

Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.

“He has become my help and my protector unto salvation.” They are said to be helpers who grant us their cooperation through specific acts. Protectors, however, are those who defend us with their power. Protection can take a variety of forms. For some, God is a protection, but deception becomes a protection for others, who lie about themselves, as Isaiah said: “We have established deception as our hope, and we are protected by lies.”

Isaiah 33:14

The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?

“He looked upon them, and the nations shook and the mountains quickly scattered.” The sight of the Lord shattered what was hardened and melted what was tightly compact, so that the truth expressed by Isaiah might be evident, for God is a living fire who advances to purify, not to kill: “Who among you can dwell with the devouring fire, or who among you can walk with eternal flames?” Whomever he looks upon, therefore, and touches with his warmth, he melts on the spot. Consequently, when he will later look upon the nations with mercy and judge them to be most worthy of redemption through his Christ, immediately their hardness will be shattered.