Isaiah 24:2

Translation
King James Version
And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.
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KJV (with Strong's)
And it shall be, as with the people H5971, so with the priest H3548; as with the servant H5650, so with his master H113; as with the maid H8198, so with her mistress H1404; as with the buyer H7069, so with the seller H4376; as with the lender H3867, so with the borrower H3867; as with the taker of usury H5383, so H834 with the giver of usury H5378 to him.
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Complete Jewish Bible
cohen and commoner, slave and master, maid and mistress, buyer and seller, lender and borrower, creditor and debtor.
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Berean Standard Bible
people and priest alike, servant and master, maid and mistress, buyer and seller, lender and borrower, creditor and debtor.
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American Standard Version
And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the creditor, so with the debtor; as with the taker of interest, so with the giver of interest to him.
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World English Bible Messianic
It will be as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the creditor, so with the debtor; as with the taker of interest, so with the giver of interest.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
And there shalbe like people, like Priest, and like seruaunt, like master, like maide, like mistresse, like bier, like seller, like lender, like borower, like giuer, like taker to vsurie.
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Young's Literal Translation
And it hath been--as a people so a priest, As the servant so his master, As the maid-servant so her mistress, As the buyer so the seller, As the lender so the borrower, As the usurer so he who is lifting it on himself.
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See also
Hosea 4:9Lamentations 5:12Lamentations 5:14Ezekiel 7:12Ezekiel 7:13Leviticus 25:36Leviticus 25:37
In the KJVVerse 18,098 of 31,102

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SUMMARY

Isaiah 24:2 presents a stark and comprehensive prophetic declaration of God's impending, universal judgment upon the earth, a pivotal element within the "Little Apocalypse" section of Isaiah. Through a series of six distinct social and economic pairings—ranging from the common populace to the revered priest, the humble servant to the powerful master, the domestic maid to her mistress, the active buyer to the seller, the financially engaged lender to the borrower, and the exploitative usurer to their victim—the verse emphatically underscores that no individual, irrespective of their societal standing, economic influence, or religious role, will be exempt from the pervasive desolation wrought by divine wrath. It powerfully conveys the principle that widespread transgression against God's covenant will result in an indiscriminate leveling of all human distinctions under the weight of His righteous and impartial justice.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Isaiah 24:2 is an integral component of what biblical scholars frequently refer to as Isaiah's "Little Apocalypse" (chapters 24-27), a distinct prophetic unit nestled within the broader book of Isaiah. This chapter immediately follows a series of oracles detailing specific judgments against various nations (chapters 13-23) and transitions into a more expansive, cosmic declaration of judgment upon the entire earth. Verse 2 functions as an elaboration on the foundational declaration in Isaiah 24:1 that the Lord will "make the earth empty, and make it waste," by precisely delineating the universal scope of this impending desolation. It masterfully employs a series of antithetical parallels to illustrate that the coming catastrophe will utterly obliterate all established social hierarchies and economic advantages, thereby setting the stage for the vivid and graphic descriptions of global devastation that unfold in subsequent verses, particularly Isaiah 24:3-6.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: The prophetic ministry of Isaiah spans a tumultuous period in ancient Near Eastern history, marked by the rising dominance of the Assyrian and later Babylonian empires. This era was characterized by significant political instability, widespread moral decay, and rampant idolatry not only in Judah but also among surrounding nations. While much of Isaiah's prophecy addresses specific historical events or national judgments, Isaiah 24 transcends these immediate concerns to portray a judgment of cosmic and eschatological proportions, reflecting a heightened prophetic vision of God's ultimate sovereignty over all creation. Culturally, ancient Israelite society was rigidly stratified, with clearly defined roles for various social groups, including priests, masters, servants, and distinct economic actors. The practice of "usury" (lending money at interest) was a particularly sensitive issue within Israelite law, frequently condemned, especially when it exploited the vulnerable or impoverished members of the community, as explicitly detailed in Mosaic laws such as Exodus 22:25 and Leviticus 25:36-37. The inclusion of usurers in the judgment highlights a specific economic injustice that would not escape divine reckoning.
  • Key Themes: The paramount theme articulated in Isaiah 24:2 is the universality and impartiality of God's judgment. This verse powerfully asserts that divine justice is utterly unswayed by human status, power, or material wealth. It vividly portrays a social leveling, where deeply entrenched hierarchies are comprehensively dismantled under the overwhelming force of God's righteous wrath. This theme is inextricably linked to the broader motif of consequences for covenant breaking, as Isaiah 24:5 explicitly declares that the earth's defilement is a direct result of its inhabitants transgressing God's laws and violating the everlasting covenant. Furthermore, the verse implicitly emphasizes the theme of divine sovereignty, demonstrating God's absolute control over every facet of human society and His inherent capacity to enact comprehensive and transformative change, ultimately bringing all things to account before His throne.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • People (Hebrew, ʻam', H5971): This term (H5971) broadly refers to "a people as a congregated unit," often specifically denoting a tribe like Israel, but here used in a general sense to encompass the common populace or masses. Its deliberate pairing with "priest" underscores that the impending judgment will not spare even the most numerous or ordinary members of society, nor will it be confined to specific, limited groups.
  • Priest (Hebrew, kôhên', H3548): The term (H3548) denotes "one officiating," specifically a priest, or even a chief ruler. Its inclusion alongside "people" is profoundly significant, as priests occupied a sacred and highly privileged position within Israelite society, serving as mediators between God and humanity. The fact that they, too, will face the identical judgment as the common person powerfully highlights the absolute impartiality of God's wrath, indicating that religious office or sacred status offers no special immunity or protection.
  • Lender (Hebrew, lâvâh', H3867): This root (H3867) fundamentally means "to twine" or "to unite," but by extension and implication, it refers to the act of borrowing or (causatively) lending money. The verse employs its participial forms to denote both the "lender" and the "borrower." Its presence in this comprehensive list underscores the critical economic dimension of the universal judgment, implying that even those who wield financial power through lending, or those who are bound by financial obligations as borrowers, will be equally and inescapably affected. The leveling of these distinct economic roles powerfully suggests the complete and utter disruption of the entire societal and financial system.

Verse Breakdown

  • "And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest;": This opening clause immediately establishes the pervasive theme of universal and indiscriminate judgment. It unequivocally declares that both the common person and the religiously privileged will suffer the same fate, signaling that no social status, religious office, or spiritual standing will offer protection or exemption from the coming desolation.
  • "as with the servant, so with his master;": This pairing further expands upon the theme of social leveling. The traditional and deeply ingrained hierarchy of master and servant will be utterly abolished in the face of this judgment, indicating that distinctions of power and subservience become utterly meaningless and irrelevant.
  • "as with the maid, so with her mistress;": Echoing the previous clause, this parallel specifically addresses the female social hierarchy, reinforcing the overarching idea that neither gender nor domestic status, however elevated or humble, will provide any means of escape from the impending, comprehensive desolation.
  • "as with the buyer, so with the seller;": This clause shifts the focus to economic roles and transactions. In a functioning society, buyers and sellers are distinct yet interdependent entities. Here, their shared, inescapable fate signifies the complete collapse of commerce, trade, and the economic system itself, rendering all transactions null and void.
  • "as with the lender, so with the borrower;": This continues the economic theme, highlighting that both those who extend credit and those who are indebted will be equally and profoundly affected. This implies a complete and utter breakdown of all financial relationships, obligations, and the very fabric of the monetary system.
  • "as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.": This final pairing specifically addresses the practice of usury, or lending at exorbitant and often exploitative interest, a practice frequently condemned in Israelite law due to its inherent injustice. The fact that both the one who charges usury and the one who pays it will face the same judgment underscores the comprehensive and morally impartial nature of God's justice, which levels even those engaged in morally questionable economic practices with their victims, bringing an end to both the system and its participants.

Literary Devices

Isaiah 24:2 is exceptionally rich in literary devices, primarily employing Parallelism and Merism to convey its profound message of universal and inescapable judgment. The verse is meticulously structured as a series of antithetical parallels, utilizing the repetitive and insistent phrase "as with... so with..." (Hebrew: כְּ... כֵּן...) to powerfully emphasize the inescapable and comprehensive nature of the divine reckoning. This deliberate Anaphora creates a rhythmic, almost relentless tone, reinforcing with each successive pair the undeniable truth that every single segment of society will be touched by this judgment. The carefully chosen pairs—people/priest, servant/master, maid/mistress, buyer/seller, lender/borrower, taker of usury/giver of usury—collectively constitute a sophisticated form of Merism. By listing these diverse and often opposing social and economic roles, the prophet effectively communicates that everyone without exception, from the highest echelons of power to the lowest strata of vulnerability, will be subject to God's impartial judgment. The cumulative and powerful effect of these interwoven literary devices is to underscore the absolute totality, impartiality, and inevitability of the coming divine reckoning.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Isaiah 24:2 profoundly articulates the theological truth of God's absolute impartiality in judgment, particularly when confronted with widespread sin, rebellion, and covenant-breaking. It unequivocally reveals that human distinctions of status, power, wealth, or privilege hold absolutely no sway before the divine court. The radical leveling effect described in the verse serves as a stark and sobering reminder that all humanity, without exception, stands equally accountable before a holy and righteous God. This foundational principle of divine impartiality is a cornerstone of biblical theology, emphasizing that God's justice is not discriminatory but is applied universally, based solely on righteousness and transgression, rather than on any fleeting human social standing or achievement.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Isaiah 24:2 serves as a timeless and profoundly sobering reminder of humanity's universal accountability before God. In a contemporary world often consumed by the pursuit of social hierarchies, the accumulation of economic advantages, and the relentless quest for power, this verse strips away all such fleeting illusions, declaring with divine authority that in the face of ultimate judgment, all human distinctions crumble into dust. It calls us to a profound and necessary humility, compelling us to recognize that our status, wealth, influence, or even religious office offer no impenetrable shield from the inevitable consequences of sin or from the inexorable march of God's ultimate justice. This sobering truth should motivate us not to cling desperately to fleeting earthly advantages, but rather to earnestly seek righteousness, cultivate justice, and live in unwavering accordance with God's eternal will, knowing that true and lasting security resides solely in Him. Furthermore, the verse implicitly challenges us to engage in critical self-reflection regarding social and economic injustices prevalent within our own societies, particularly exploitative practices like usury that prey upon the vulnerable. It powerfully reminds us that God's justice ultimately levels the playing field, holding both the oppressor and the oppressed accountable, but also bringing a definitive end to the systemic structures that perpetuate such inequities. This profound insight should inspire us, as followers of Christ, to actively pursue justice, champion equity, and extend compassion in all our relationships and within all societal structures, thereby reflecting the very character of a God who demonstrably shows no partiality.

Questions for Reflection

  • How does the universal nature of God's judgment, as vividly depicted in this verse, challenge my deeply ingrained assumptions about privilege or immunity based on my social standing, economic status, or personal achievements?
  • What specific social or economic injustices in my immediate community or the broader global context today might be implicitly condemned or brought to an end by the radical leveling effect described in Isaiah 24:2?
  • If all human distinctions are ultimately rendered meaningless and irrelevant before God's final judgment, what should I genuinely prioritize in my life to ensure that I am living in profound alignment with His eternal purposes and righteous character?

FAQ

Does Isaiah 24:2 imply that God punishes everyone equally, regardless of their individual sin or righteousness?

Answer: Isaiah 24:2 primarily emphasizes the universal scope of God's judgment, meaning that no one is exempt from accountability based on their social, economic, or religious status. It powerfully highlights that judgment will affect all segments of society indiscriminately, leveling all human distinctions. However, it does not necessarily imply that the intensity or nature of the punishment will be identical for every individual. Other scriptures clarify that God's judgment is inherently righteous and just, often proportionate to the deeds committed by each person, as clearly articulated in passages like Romans 2:6, where it states that God "will repay each person according to what they have done." The fundamental message conveyed in Isaiah 24:2 is that no one escapes the divine reckoning by virtue of their earthly position or perceived privilege.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Isaiah 24:2, with its stark and uncompromising depiction of universal judgment and the leveling of all human distinctions, finds its profound and ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in several interconnected ways. Firstly, the full weight of the ultimate judgment that levels all humanity is perfectly and redemptively borne by Christ on the cross. He, the sinless Lamb of God, became sin for us, experiencing the entirety of divine wrath so that all who believe in Him might be spared from that very judgment (see 2 Corinthians 5:21 and Romans 8:3). Secondly, in Christ, the great social leveling anticipated by Isaiah is also profoundly realized, not in judgment, but in the glorious sphere of salvation and grace. The gospel unequivocally declares that in Him, there is "neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). All human-made hierarchies, distinctions, and privileges, which offer no protection in the day of judgment, are similarly rendered utterly irrelevant and meaningless in the economy of God's grace. Rich and poor, powerful and weak, religious leader and common person—all stand equally in desperate need of Christ's atoning work and are equally offered salvation through faith alone. Thus, the leveling described in Isaiah 24:2, which speaks of an impending judgment, powerfully foreshadows the radical equality, unity, and new humanity established by Christ, where all are brought to the same level of grace and redemption. Ultimately, the final judgment, of which Isaiah 24:2 provides a chilling foretaste, will be executed by Christ Himself, who has been divinely appointed as judge of both the living and the dead (Acts 10:42).

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Commentary on Isaiah 24 verses 1–12

It is a very dark and melancholy scene that this prophecy presents to our view; turn our eyes which way we will, every thing looks dismal. The threatened desolations are here described in a great variety of expressions to the same purport, and all aggravating.

I. The earth is stripped of all its ornaments and looks as if it were taken off its basis; it is made empty and waste (Isa 24:1), as if it were reduced to its first chaos, Tohu and Bohu, nothing but confusion and emptiness again (Gen 1:2), without form and void. It is true earth sometimes signifies the land, and so the same word eretz is here translated (Isa 24:3): The land shall be utterly emptied and utterly spoiled; but I see not why it should not there, as well as Isa 24:1, be translated the earth; for most commonly, if not always, where it signifies some one particular land it has something joined to it, or at least not far from it, which does so appropriate it; as the land (or earth) of Egypt, or Canaan, or this land, or ours, or yours, or the like. It might indeed refer to some particular country, and an ambiguous word might be used to warrant such an application; for it is good to apply to ourselves, and our own hands, what the scripture says in general of the vanity and vexation of spirit that attend all things here below; but it should seem designed to speak what often happens to many countries, and will do while the world stands, and what may, we know not how soon, happen to our own, and what is the general character of all earthly things: they are empty of all solid comfort and satisfaction; a little thing makes them waste. We often see numerous families, and plentiful estates, utterly emptied and utterly spoiled, by one judgment or other, or perhaps only by a gradual and insensible decay. Sin has turned the earth upside down; the earth has become quite a different thing to man from what it was when God made it to be his habitation. Sin has also scattered abroad the inhabitants thereof. The rebellion at Babel was the occasion of the dispersion there. How many ways are there in which the inhabitants both of towns and of private houses are scattered abroad, so that near relations and old neighbours know nothing of one another! To the same purport is Isa 24:4. The earth mourns, and fades away; it disappoints those that placed their happiness in it and raised their expectations high from it, and proves not what they promised themselves it would be. The whole world languishes and fades away, as hastening towards a dissolution. It is, at the best, like a flower, which withers in the hands of those that please themselves too much with it, and lay it in their bosoms. And, as the earth itself grows old, so those that dwell therein are desolate; men carry crazy sickly bodies along with them, are often solitary, and confined by affliction, Isa 24:6. When the earth languishes, and is not so fruitful as it used to be, then those that dwell therein, that make it their home, and rest, and portion, are desolate; whereas those that by faith dwell in God can rejoice in him even when the fir-tree does not blossom. If we look abroad, and see in how many places pestilences and burning fevers rage, and what multitudes are swept away by them in a little time, so that sometimes the living scarcely suffice to bury the dead, perhaps we shall understand what the prophet means when he says, The inhabitants of the earth are burned, or consumed, some by one disease, others by another, and there are but few men left, in comparison. Note, The world we live in is a world of disappointment, a vale of tears, and a dying world; and the children of men in it are but of few days, and full of trouble.

II. It is God that brings all these calamities upon the earth. The Lord that made the earth, and made it fruitful and beautiful, for the service and comfort of man, now makes it empty and waste (Isa 24:1), for its Creator is and will be its Judge; he has an incontestable right to pass sentence upon it and an irresistible power to execute that sentence. It is the Lord that has spoken this word, and he will do the work (Isa 24:3); it is his curse that has devoured the earth (Isa 24:6), the general curse which sin brought upon the ground for man's sake (Gen 3:17), and all the particular curses which families and countries bring upon themselves by their enormous wickedness. See the power of God's curse, how it makes all empty and lays all waste; those whom he curses are cursed indeed.

III. Persons of all ranks and conditions shall share in these calamities (Isa 24:2): It shall be as with the people, so with the priest, etc. This is true of many of the common calamities of human life; all are subject to the same diseases of body, sorrows of mind, afflictions in relations, and the like. There is one event to those of very different stations; time and chance happen to them all. It is in a special manner true of the destroying judgments which God sometimes brings upon sinful nations; when he pleases he can make them universal, so that none shall escape them or be exempt from them; whether men have little or much, they shall lose it all. Those of the meaner rank smart first by famine; but those of the higher rank go first into captivity, while the poor of the land are left. It shall be all alike, 1. With high and low: As with the people, so with the priest, or prince. The dignity of magistrates and ministers, and the respect and reverence due to both, shall not secure them. The faces of elders are not honoured, Lam 5:12. The priests had been as corrupt and wicked as the people; and, if their character served not to restrain them from sin, how can they expect it should serve to secure them from judgments? In both it is like people, like priest, Hos 4:8, Hos 4:9. 2. With bond and free: As with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress. They have all corrupted their way, and therefore will all be made miserable when the earth is made waste. 3. With rich and poor. Those that have money before-hand, that are purchasing, and letting out money to interest, will fare no better than those that are so impoverished that they are forced to sell their estates and take up money at interest. There are judgments short of the great day of judgment in which rich and poor meet together. Let not those that are advanced in the world set their inferiors at too great a distance, because they know not how soon they may be set upon a level with them. The rich man's wealth is his strong city in his own conceit; but it does not always prove so.

IV. It is sin that brings these calamities upon the earth. The earth is made empty, and fades away, because it is defiled under the inhabitants thereof (Isa 24:5); it is polluted by the sins of men, and therefore it is made desolate by the judgments of God. Such is the filthy nature of sin that it defiles the earth itself under the sinful inhabitants thereof, and it is rendered unpleasant in the eyes of God and good men. See Lev 18:25, Lev 18:27, Lev 18:28. Blood, in particular, defiles the land, Num 35:33. The earth never spues out its inhabitants till they have first defiled it by their sins. Why, what have they done? 1. They have transgressed the laws of their creation, not answered the ends of it. The bonds of the law of nature have been broken by them, and they have cast from them the cords of their obligations to the God of nature. 2. They have changed the ordinances of revealed religion, those of them that have had the benefit of that. They have neglected the ordinances (so some read it), and have made no conscience of observing them. They have passed over the laws, in the commission of sin, and have passed by the ordinance, in the omission of duty. 3. Herein they have broken the everlasting covenant, which is a perpetual bond and will be to those that keep it a perpetual blessing. It is God's wonderful condescension that he is pleased to deal with men in a covenant-way, to do them good, and thereby oblige them to do him service. Even those that had no benefit by God's covenant with Abraham had benefit by his covenant with Noah and his sons, which is called an everlasting covenant, his covenant with day and night; but they observe not the precepts of the sons of Noah, they acknowledge not God's goodness in the day and night, nor study to make him any grateful returns, and so break the everlasting covenant and defeat the gracious designs and intentions of it.

V. These judgments shall humble men's pride and mar their mirth. When the earth is made empty, 1. It is a great mortification to men's pride (Isa 24:4): The haughty people of the earth do languish; for they have lost that which supported their pride, and for which they magnified themselves. As for those that have held their heads highest, God can make them hang the head. 2. It is a great damp to men's jollity. This is enlarged upon much (Isa 24:7-9): All the merry-hearted do sigh. Such is the nature of carnal mirth, it is but as the crackling of thorns under a pot, Ecc 7:6. Great laughters commonly end in a sigh. Those that make the world their chief joy cannot rejoice ever more. When God sends his judgments into the earth he designs thereby to make those serious that were wholly addicted to their pleasures. Let your laughter be turned into mourning. When the earth is emptied the noise of those that rejoice in it ends. Carnal joy is a noisy thing; but the noise of it will soon be at an end, and the end of it is heaviness. Two things are made use of to excite and express vain mirth, and the jovial crew is here deprived of both: - (1.) Drinking: The new wine mourns; it has grown sour for want of drinking; for, how proper soever it may be for the heavy heart (Pro 31:6), it does not relish to them as it does to the merry-hearted. The vine languishes, and gives little hopes of a vintage, and therefore the merry-hearted do sigh; for they know no other gladness than that of their corn, and wine, and oil increasing (Psa 4:7), and, if you destroy their vines and their fig-trees, you make all their mirth to cease, Hos 2:11, Hos 2:12. They shall not now drink wine with a song and with huzzas, as they used to, but rather drink it with a sigh; nay, Strong drink shall be bitter to those that drink it, because they cannot but mingle their tears with it; or, through sickness, they have lost the relish of it. God has many ways to embitter wine and strong drink to those that love them and have the highest gust of them: distemper of body, anguish of mind, the ruin of the estate or country, will make the strong drink bitter and all the delights of sense tasteless and insipid. (2.) Music: The mirth of tabrets ceases, and the joy of the harp, which used to be at their feasts, Isa 5:12. The captives in Babylon hang their harps on the willow trees. In short, All joy is darkened; there is not a pleasant look to be seen, nor has any one power to force a smile; all the mirth of the land is gone (Isa 24:11); and, if it was that mirth which Solomon calls madness, there is no great loss of it.

VI. The cities will in a particular manner feel from these desolations of the country (Isa 24:10): The city of confusion is broken, is broken down (so we read it); it lies exposed to invading powers, not only by the breaking down of its walls, but by the confusion that the inhabitants are in. Every house is shut up, perhaps by reason of the plague, which has burned or consumed the inhabitants, so that there are few men left, Isa 24:6. Houses infected are usually shut up that no man may come in. Or they are shut up because they are deserted and uninhabited. There is a crying for wine, that is, for the spoiling of the vintage, so that there is likely to be no wine. In the city, in Jerusalem itself, that had been so much frequented, there shall be left nothing but desolation; grass shall grow in the streets, and the gate is smitten with destruction (Isa 24:12); all that used to pass and repass through the gate are smitten, and all the strength of the city is cut off. How soon can God make a city of order a city of confusion, and then it will soon be a city of desolation!

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–12. Public domain.
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Gregory of NazianzusAD 390
IN DEFENSE OF HIS FLIGHT, ORATION 2:82
Nor indeed is there any distinction between the state of the people and that of the priesthood: but it seems to me to be a simple fulfillment of the ancient curse, “As with the people, so with the priest.” Nor again are the great and eminent men affected otherwise than the majority; no, they are openly at war with the priest, and the piety of the people is an aid to their powers of persuasion. And indeed, provided that it is on behalf of the faith and of the highest and most important questions, let the people be thus disposed, and I do not blame them. To say the truth, I go so far as to praise and congratulate the people.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Isaiah
(Chapter 24 - Verses 1 and following) Behold, the Lord will lay waste the earth, and make it desolate, and afflict its face, and scatter its inhabitants. And it shall be as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the debtor. The earth shall be utterly laid waste and utterly plundered, for the Lord has spoken this word. After the special punishment of certain nations, namely Judaea, Babylon, the Philistines, Moab, Damascus, Israel, Egypt, the desert of the sea, Idumaea, and Arabia, the valley of vision, and finally Tyre, of which we have said what we could in their explanation; now the prophetic discourse describes what the whole world will suffer in its consummation, and it prophesies not individually about each nation, but universally about all. And first, it describes the torments that the wicked will suffer, and how, according to the Gospel and the Apostle, heaven and earth will pass away, and the figure of this world (Matthew 24; 1 Corinthians 7), and sinners will be led into hell (Psalm 30), as it is written: They shall go to the ends of the earth, they shall be delivered into the hands of the sword, they shall be the parts for foxes (Psalm 62:10). Then, because of the diversity of merits, there are many mansions with the Father, it is said how the saints are caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and will always be with Him (John 14; 1 Thess. 4). For the wasted world, seventy corrupt orbs were interpreted; and for its afflicted face, that is, the earth, the same ones were moved, and He will reveal His face; so that the dead may come forth from their tombs: whether He exposes it, so that all His works may be brought forth publicly, and its inhabitants may be scattered in different places, designated for rewards or punishments. Then there will be no distinction between noble and commoner, priest and layperson, slave and master, maid and mistress, rich and poor, lender and borrower, buyer and seller. For all will stand equally before the judgment seat of Christ, and there will be no partiality with God. (Romans 14; Colossians 3). About this, Job speaks in almost the same words: There, the small and the great are together, and the slave is not afraid of his master. (Job 3, 19). And the Savior testifies in the Gospel, to whom all judgment is entrusted, in full discourse. Therefore, the earth will be dispersed, and all earthly works will be reduced to nothing, so that the image of the earthly may be abolished, and the image of the heavenly may remain. For the first man is from the earth, earthly, and the second is from heaven, heavenly. Just as we have borne the image of the earthly, let us also bear the image of the heavenly (I Cor. XV, 47-49). The same Apostle says: Flesh and blood will not inherit the kingdom of God. It is not that the nature of bodies perishes according to the heretics, but rather that corruptibility will put on incorruption, and mortality will put on immortality. And all these things will happen, because what is to come, the Lord has spoken through the prophets.
Gregory the DialogistAD 604
FORTY GOSPEL HOMILIES 19
We are put as guards in the vineyards, but we do not cultivate our own. When we are involved with external affairs, we neglect to watch over our own activities. I think that God suffers greater outrage from no one, dearly beloved, than from priests. Those he has placed to reprove others he sees giving an example of wickedness in their own lives. We who ought to have restrained sin, ourselves commit it. More seriously, priests who ought to give of their own possessions frequently plunder the goods of others. If they see others living humbly and chastely, they often make fun of them. Consider what will become of the flocks when wolves become shepherds! They undertake to guard the flock and are not afraid to waylay the Lord’s flock.We do not seek to gain souls; we devote ourselves daily to our own pursuits, we attend to earthly matters, we strive for human praise with all our will. From being set over others we have greater freedom to do anything we like, and so we turn the ministry we have received into an occasion for display. We abandon God’s cause, and we devote ourselves to earthly business; we accept a place of holiness and involve ourselves in earthly deeds. What is written in Hosea is truly fulfilled in us: “And so it will be, like people, like priest.”
Gregory the DialogistAD 604
Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 17
What is written has surely been fulfilled in us: And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest. For the priest does not differ from the people when by no merit of his own does he transcend the common conduct.
Gregory the DialogistAD 604
PASTORAL CARE 2:7
And this indeed is what the Lord, in the wrath of just retribution, menaced through the prophet, saying, “And there shall be like people, like priest.” For the priest is as the people, when one who bears a spiritual office acts as do others who are still under judgment with regard to their carnal pursuits.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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