Isaiah 3:9

Translation
King James Version
¶ The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.
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KJV (with Strong's)
The shew H1971 of their countenance H6440 doth witness against them H6030; and they declare H5046 their sin H2403 as Sodom H5467, they hide H3582 it not. Woe H188 unto their soul H5315! for they have rewarded H1580 evil H7451 unto themselves.
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Complete Jewish Bible
Their very look witnesses against them! They parade their sin, like S'dom; they don't even try to hide it - all the worse for them! - they bring evil on themselves.
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Berean Standard Bible
The expression on their faces testifies against them, and like Sodom they flaunt their sin; they do not conceal it. Woe to them, for they have brought disaster upon themselves.
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American Standard Version
The show of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have done evil unto themselves.
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World English Bible Messianic
The look of their faces testify against them. They parade their sin like Sodom. They don’t hide it. Woe to their soul! For they have brought disaster upon themselves.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
The triall of their countenance testifieth against them, yea, they declare their sinnes as Sodom, they hide them not. Wo be vnto their soules: for they haue rewarded euil vnto themselues.
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Young's Literal Translation
The appearance of their faces witnessed against them, And their sin, as Sodom, they declared, They have not hidden! Woe to their soul, For they have done to themselves evil.
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See also
Genesis 13:13Jeremiah 6:15Genesis 18:20Genesis 18:21Romans 6:23Ezekiel 23:16Jeremiah 44:16
In the KJVVerse 17,717 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Isaiah 3:9 delivers a profound and searing indictment against the people of Judah and Jerusalem, revealing their deep moral decay and overt spiritual rebellion. The verse powerfully depicts a society so entrenched in sin that their very demeanor and public conduct betray their wickedness, openly declaring their transgressions without any semblance of shame, much like the infamous city of Sodom. This brazen and unrepentant defiance elicits a prophetic declaration of "woe," underscoring the inherent self-destructive nature of their choices, as their evil deeds inevitably bring deserved retribution upon themselves.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Isaiah 3:9 is intricately woven into a broader prophetic oracle that spans Isaiah chapters 2 through 5. This section meticulously details God's impending judgment upon Judah and Jerusalem, primarily due to their pervasive sin and societal corruption. Chapter 3 specifically elucidates the breakdown of social order and moral fabric, stemming from incompetent and corrupt leadership. The preceding verses, Isaiah 3:1-8, describe the removal of stable leadership, leading to widespread chaos, the oppression of the vulnerable, and the rise of the unqualified. Verse 9 functions as a pivotal theological justification for this divine judgment, emphasizing the blatant, unashamed, and public nature of the people's sin. Their open defiance against God's moral law has reached a critical point, setting the stage for the subsequent descriptions of the devastating consequences, including the desolation of the land and the suffering of its inhabitants.

  • Historical & Cultural Context: The prophet Isaiah ministered in Judah during the tumultuous 8th century BCE, under the reigns of Kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. This era was characterized by significant geopolitical instability, notably the escalating threat of the Assyrian Empire, alongside profound internal moral and spiritual decline. While Judah occasionally experienced periods of material prosperity, this often fostered spiritual complacency, social injustice, and a departure from covenant faithfulness. The verse's stark comparison to "Sodom" (H5467, Çᵉdôm) is exceptionally potent, drawing upon a well-known historical and cultural reference from Genesis 19. Sodom served as the quintessential archetype of overt, egregious, and unrepentant sin, culminating in catastrophic divine judgment. By equating Judah's sin to that of Sodom, Isaiah dramatically highlights the extreme nature of their depravity and ominously foreshadows a similar, devastating divine response. The societal norms, which should have upheld justice and righteousness according to the Mosaic Law, had been severely corrupted, leading to the oppression of the poor, judicial perversion, and a general disregard for God's covenant commands.

  • Key Themes: This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes that permeate Isaiah's prophetic message. Firstly, it vividly portrays the theme of open and unashamed sin, where the people's actions, and even their outward appearance ("the shew of their countenance"), serve as undeniable evidence of their guilt. This brazenness indicates a profound absence of shame, remorse, or a reverent fear of the Lord, standing in stark contrast to the humility expected of God's covenant people. Secondly, the verse underscores the theme of self-inflicted consequences or retributive justice. The phrase "they have rewarded evil unto themselves" emphasizes that their sin is not merely an offense against God but is inherently self-destructive, leading directly to their own downfall and misery. This aligns with the universal biblical principle that sin carries its own destructive "wages," as articulated in passages like Romans 6:23. Thirdly, it reinforces the foundational theme of divine judgment as a righteous and necessary response to persistent, unrepentant rebellion. The solemn pronouncement "Woe unto their soul!" serves as a grave declaration of the severe judgment awaiting those who persist in such overt defiance of God's moral order, a judgment that is meticulously detailed throughout Isaiah's prophecies.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • shew (Hebrew, hakkârâh', H1971): From the root nâkar, meaning to recognize or discern. This term refers to the outward appearance, expression, or demeanor. In this context, it implies that the very look on their faces, their bearing, or their public conduct serves as undeniable evidence of their inner corruption and guilt. Their sin is so pervasive that it is visibly manifest, leaving no room for denial or concealment, effectively acting as a self-indictment.
  • sin (Hebrew, chaṭṭâʼâh', H2403): This word encompasses an offense, habitual sinfulness, its penalty, or even a sin offering. Here, it denotes their moral transgression and rebellion against God's law. The use of this term highlights the nature of their actions as a direct violation of divine standards, leading to guilt and deserving of punishment. The fact that they "declare" it openly signifies a deep-seated spiritual sickness where the awareness of wrongdoing has been lost or willfully suppressed, indicating a hardened heart.
  • rewarded (Hebrew, gâmal', H1580): A primitive root meaning to treat a person (well or ill), to benefit or requite. It carries the sense of recompense or retribution. When applied to "evil," it signifies that their actions are bringing back upon themselves the very harm or destruction they have sown. This is not arbitrary punishment from God, but the natural and just consequence of their own choices, an inherent principle of divine justice where the wicked bring about their own undoing and suffer the consequences of their own deeds.

Verse Breakdown

  • "The shew of their countenance doth witness against them;": This clause vividly conveys that the people's outward appearance, their facial expressions, or their general demeanor visibly testifies to their inner depravity and guilt. Their sin is not hidden or discreet; it is so deeply ingrained and unashamed that it is evident to all observers, serving as an undeniable, self-incriminating witness against them.
  • "and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide [it] not.": This powerfully emphasizes the brazenness, audacity, and utter lack of shame with which they commit and display their transgressions. Their sin is not merely unconfessed but openly proclaimed and flaunted, paralleling the notorious and overt wickedness of Sodom, which was characterized by public, unrepentant immorality and defiance of divine law.
  • "Woe unto their soul!": This is a solemn prophetic lament and a grave declaration of impending judgment. The term "Woe" (H188, ʼôwy) signifies profound sorrow, impending calamity, and divine condemnation. It is a pronouncement of the severe suffering and destruction that awaits them as a direct and inevitable consequence of their unrepentant sin. The term "soul" (H5315, nephesh) here refers to their very being, their life, or their person, indicating a comprehensive and devastating judgment affecting their entire existence.
  • "for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.": This concluding clause provides the explicit reason for the pronounced "woe." It asserts the immutable principle of self-inflicted harm or divine retribution. Their wicked actions are not merely offenses against God but are inherently self-destructive, leading directly to their own ruin and misery. They are, in essence, reaping the bitter harvest of the evil they have sown, bringing about their own deserved punishment by their own choices.

Literary Devices

Isaiah 3:9 employs several potent literary devices to convey its urgent message of judgment and moral decay. The opening phrase, "The shew of their countenance doth witness against them," utilizes personification, attributing the human action of "witnessing" to an inanimate "countenance," thereby emphasizing the undeniable and self-incriminating nature of their outward appearance. This also contains an element of metonymy, where the "countenance" stands for the entire person and their public conduct, reflecting their inner state. The most striking device is the simile found in "they declare their sin as Sodom," which draws a direct and damning comparison to a city synonymous with egregious, overt, and unrepentant wickedness. This comparison immediately evokes powerful images of catastrophic divine judgment, underscoring the severity of Judah's transgression. The exclamation "Woe unto their soul!" serves as a powerful prophetic interjection or lament, a declaration of impending doom that carries significant emotional and theological weight, reinforcing the gravity of God's displeasure. Finally, the concluding statement, "they have rewarded evil unto themselves," contains a grim irony, as their persistent pursuit of evil ultimately brings about their own destruction, turning their perceived "gain" into devastating and self-inflicted loss.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Isaiah 3:9 profoundly illustrates the timeless biblical principle that unrepentant sin, particularly when openly flaunted and embraced, inevitably leads to divine judgment and self-inflicted destruction. It underscores God's unwavering moral standard and His absolute justice in holding humanity accountable for their choices. The brazenness of Judah's sin, mirrored by the notorious example of Sodom, reveals a deep spiritual sickness where the conscience is seared, and the reverent fear of God is conspicuously absent. This verse serves as a stark reminder that sin is not merely an external act but a profound reflection of an internal rebellion against the Creator, a rebellion that ultimately brings about its own devastating consequences. It highlights the inherent self-destructive nature of evil, emphasizing that God's judgment is not arbitrary but a just and righteous response to human choices that defy His holy character and commands.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Isaiah 3:9 serves as a timeless and convicting mirror for all generations, urging us to deeply examine our own hearts and lives before a holy God. It challenges us to honestly consider whether our outward demeanor, our public actions, and even our private thoughts truly align with God's righteousness, or if they, like ancient Judah, openly betray a hidden or even unashamed sinfulness. The sobering comparison to Sodom compels us to confront any areas where we might be desensitized to sin's gravity or, worse, openly defiant of God's clear moral law. This verse powerfully reminds us that sin is not a victimless crime; it carries inherent, self-destructive consequences that lead to spiritual and often physical "woe." True wisdom lies in recognizing the destructive path of unrepentant sin and turning decisively towards God in humility and genuine repentance, seeking His boundless forgiveness and transformative grace. It calls us to cultivate a life of profound integrity, where our inner convictions are consistently matched by our outward conduct, and where we strive to honor God in all things, thereby avoiding the self-inflicted sorrow and judgment that inevitably accompany rebellion against His loving authority.

Questions for Reflection

  • In what ways might my "countenance" or outward demeanor be "witnessing" for or against my true spiritual state before God and others?
  • Am I, like ancient Judah, becoming desensitized to certain sins, perhaps even openly displaying them or tolerating them without shame?
  • How have I, in my own life, "rewarded evil unto myself" by pursuing choices contrary to God's revealed will and wisdom?
  • What specific steps can I take to cultivate a deeper sense of conviction about sin and a more profound commitment to living a life of integrity and holiness before God and others?

FAQ

What does "The shew of their countenance doth witness against them" mean?

Answer: This phrase means that the people's outward appearance, including their facial expressions, their bearing, or their general demeanor, visibly betrayed their inner moral corruption and guilt. Their sin was so pervasive and unashamed that it was plainly evident to anyone observing them, serving as a clear and undeniable testimony against their character. It suggests a profound lack of remorse or an open defiance that manifested itself physically, making their guilt undeniably apparent.

Why is their sin compared to Sodom?

Answer: The comparison to Sodom is extremely significant because Sodom was an ancient city famously destroyed by God due to its extreme, overt, and unrepentant wickedness, as vividly described in Genesis 18-19. By drawing this direct parallel, Isaiah emphasizes the severity and brazenness of Judah's sin. It implies that their transgressions were not only grievous but also openly displayed and unashamed, mirroring Sodom's notorious depravity and signaling that a similar, devastating divine judgment was imminent for Judah.

What does "they have rewarded evil unto themselves" imply?

Answer: This phrase highlights the profound biblical principle of inherent consequences for sin and divine retribution. It means that the people's wicked actions were not just offenses against God, but they were also inherently self-destructive. By persistently choosing evil, they were, in effect, bringing harm, suffering, and divine judgment upon themselves. It underscores the biblical truth that sin carries its own "wages" (Romans 6:23), and that those who persist in wickedness ultimately reap the bitter harvest of their own choices, leading to their own undoing and misery.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Isaiah 3:9, with its stark portrayal of unashamed sin and self-inflicted woe, finds its ultimate fulfillment and profound resolution in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. While Judah's "countenance" bore witness to their pervasive sin and rebellion, Jesus's countenance, though marred by suffering and rejection (Isaiah 53:2-3), bore the witness of our sin. He, the sinless Lamb of God (John 1:29), became sin for us, enduring the "woe" and the full weight of divine judgment that was rightfully due to humanity's rebellion. The judgment declared upon Judah, "Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves," was a terrifying foreshadowing of the ultimate judgment against sin, which Christ fully absorbed and exhausted on the cross. He did not reward evil unto Himself; rather, in His perfect obedience and selfless love, He allowed the evil of the world to be rewarded upon Him, so that we, through faith, might receive the reward of righteousness and eternal life (2 Corinthians 5:21). Through His atoning sacrifice, Jesus takes away the sin that we openly declare or desperately try to hide, offering not only forgiveness but also the miraculous transformation of a seared conscience into one made new and cleansed by the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 10:22). The shame, self-destruction, and ultimate condemnation inherent in sin are overcome by His glorious grace, allowing believers to live lives that, by God's Spirit, reflect His glory rather than declare their own sin, as we eagerly await His glorious return to judge the living and the dead, bringing final justice to all unrepentant evil (Revelation 20:11-15).

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Commentary on Isaiah 3 verses 9–15

Here God proceeds in his controversy with his people. Observe,

I. The ground of his controversy. It was for sin that God contended with them; if they vex themselves, let them look a little further and they will see that they must thank themselves: Woe unto their souls! For they have rewarded evil unto themselves. Alas for their souls! (so it may be read, in a way of lamentation), for they have procured evil to themselves, Isa 3:9. Note, The condition of sinners is woeful and very deplorable. Note, also, It is the soul that is damaged and endangered by sin. Sinners may prosper in their outward estates, and yet at the same time there may be a woe to their souls. Note, further, Whatever evils befals sinners it is of their own procuring, Jer 2:19. That which is here charged upon then is, 1. That the shame which should have restrained them from their sins was quite thrown off and they had grown impudent, Isa 3:9. This hardens men against repentance, and ripens them for ruin, as much as anything: The show of their countenance doth witness against them that their minds are vain, and lewd, and malicious; their eyes declare plainly that they cannot cease from sin, Pe2 2:14. One may look them in the face and guess at the desperate wickedness that there is in their hearts: They declare their sin as Sodom, so impetuous, so imperious, are their lusts, and so impatient of the least check, and so perfectly are all the remaining sparks of virtue extinguished in them. The Sodomites declared their sin, not only by the exceeding greatness of it (Gen 13:13), so that it cried to heaven (Gen 18:20), but by their shameless owning of that which was most shameful (Gen 19:5); and thus Judah and Jerusalem did: they were so far from hiding it that they gloried in it, in the bold attempts they made upon virtue, and the victory they gained over their own convictions. They had a whore's forehead (Jer 3:3) and could not blush, Jer 6:15. Note, Those that have grown impudent in sin are ripe for ruin. Those that are past shame (we say) are past grace, and then past hope. 2. That their guides, who should direct them in the right way, put them out of the way (Isa 3:12): "Those who lead thee (the princes, priests, and prophets) mislead thee; they cause thee to err." Either they preached to them that which was false and corrupt, or, if they preached that which was true and good, they contradicted it by their practices, and the people would soon follow a bad example than a good exhortation. Thus they destroyed the ways of their paths, pulling down with one hand what they built up with the other. Que te beatificant - Those that call thee blessed cause thee to err; so some read it. Their priests applauded them, as if nothing were amiss among them, cried Peace, peace, to them, as if they were in no danger; and thus they caused them to go on in their errors. 3. That their judges, who should have patronized and protected the oppressed, were themselves the greatest oppressors, Isa 3:14, Isa 3:15. The elders of the people, and the princes, who had learning and could not but know better things, who had great estates and were not under the temptation of necessity to encroach upon those about them, and who were men of honour and should have scorned to do a base thing, yet they have eaten up the vineyard. God's vineyard, which they were appointed to be the dressers and keepers of, they burnt (so the word signifies); they did as ill by it as its worst enemies could do, Psa 80:16. Or the vineyards of the poor they wrested out of their possession, as Jezebel did Naboth's, or devoured the fruits of them, fed their lusts with that which should have been the necessary food of indigent families; the spoil of the poor was hoarded up in their houses; when God came to search for stolen goods there he found it, and it was a witness against them. It was to be had, and they might have made restitution, but would not. God reasons with these great men (Isa 3:15): "What mean you, that you beat my people into pieces? What cause have you for it? What good does it do you?" Or, "What hurt have they done you? Do you think you had power given you for such a purpose as this?" Note, There is nothing more unaccountable, and yet nothing which must more certainly be accounted for, than the injuries and abuses that are done to God's people by their persecutors and oppressors. "You grind the faces of the poor; you put them to as much pain and terror as if they were ground in a mill, and as certainly reduce them to dust by one act of oppression after another." Or, "Their faces are bruised and crushed with the blows you have given them; you have not only ruined their estates, but have given them personal abuses." Our Lord Jesus was smitten on the face, Mat 26:67.

II. The management of this controversy. 1. God himself is the prosecutor (Isa 3:13): The Lord stands up to plead, or he sets himself to debate the matter, and he stands to judge the people, to judge for those that were oppressed and abused; and he will enter into judgment with the princes, Isa 3:14. Note, The greatest of men cannot exempt or secure themselves from the scrutiny and sentence of God's judgment, nor demur to the jurisdiction of the court of heaven. 2. The indictment is proved by the notorious evidence of the fact: "Look upon the oppressors, and the show of their countenance witnesses against them (Isa 3:9); look upon the oppressed, and you see how their faces are battered and abused," Isa 3:15. 3. The controversy is already begun in the change of the ministry. To punish those that had abused their power to bad purposes God sets those over them that had not sense to use their power to any good purposes: Children are their oppressors, and women rule over them (Isa 3:12), men that have as weak judgments and strong passions as women and children: this was their sin, that their rulers were such, and it became a judgment upon them.

III. The distinction that shall be made between particular persons, in the prosecution of this controversy (Isa 3:10, Isa 3:11): Say to the righteous, It shall be well with thee. Woe to the wicked; it shall be ill with him. He had said (Isa 3:9), they have rewarded evil to themselves, in proof of which he here shows that God will render to every man according to his works. Had they been righteous, it would have been well with them; but, if it be ill with them, it is because they are wicked and will be so. Thus God stated the matter to Cain, to convince him that he had no reason to be angry, Gen 4:7. Or it may be taken thus: God is threatening national judgments, which will ruin the public interests. Now, 1. Some good people might fear that they should be involved in that ruin, and therefore God bids the prophets comfort them against those fears: "Whatever becomes of the unrighteous nation, let the righteous man know that he shall not be lost in the crowd of sinners; the Judge of all the earth will not slay the righteous with the wicked (Gen 18:25); no, assure him, in God's name, that it shall be well with him. The property of the trouble shall be altered to him, and he shall be hidden in the day of the Lord's anger. He shall have divine supports and comforts, which shall abound as afflictions abound, and so it shall be well with him." When the whole stay of bread is taken away, yet in the day of famine the righteous shall be satisfied; they shall eat the fruit of their doings - they shall have the testimony of their consciences for them that they kept themselves pure from the common iniquity, and therefore the common calamity is not the same thing to them that it is to others; they brought no fuel to the flame, and therefore are not themselves fuel for it. 2. Some wicked people might hope that they should escape that ruin, and therefore God bids the prophets shake their vain hopes: "Woe to the wicked; it shall be ill with him, Isa 3:11. To him the judgments shall have sting, and there shall be wormwood and gall in the affliction and misery." There is a woe to wicked people, and, though they may think to shelter themselves from public judgments, yet it shall be ill with them; it will grow worse and worse with them if they repent not, and the worst of all will be at last; for the reward of their hands shall be given them, in the day when every man shall receive according to the things done in the body.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 9–15. Public domain.
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Justin MartyrAD 165
Dialogue with Trypho, Chapter CXXXVI
The climax of your sin is that you hate the righteous one whom you killed, as well as those who by his grace are godly, righteous and loving. It is for this reason that the Lord said, “Woe to their soul, because they have taken evil counsel against themselves, saying, ‘Let us take away the just one, for he is distasteful to us.’ ” Although you did not offer a sacrifice to Baal, like your ancestors, and did not offer cakes in groves and on hills to the heavenly army, you did not accept the Lord’s Christ. Whoever does not know Christ does not know the will of God. Whoever rejects and hates him obviously rejects and hates the one who sent him. Whoever does not have faith in him does not believe the words of the prophets who preached his good news and proclaimed him to all people.
Eusebius of CaesareaAD 339
PROOF OF THE GOSPEL 2:3
Immediately following, the prophet himself explains why he called them rulers of Sodom and people of Gomorrah: “Your hands are full of blood.” Again a little later he says, “They have proclaimed their sin as Sodom and made it manifest. Woe to their souls, because they have taken evil counsel with themselves, saying, ‘We will bind the just one, for he is a burden to us.’ ” Since he overtly speaks of blood and a plot against a just man, there is nothing else this could be than the plot against our Savior Jesus Christ.
Athanasius of AlexandriaAD 373
Letter 11.5
Those who look upon their dispersion and the desolation of their city may not aptly say, “Woe to them, for they have imagined an evil imagination, saying against their own soul, let us bind the righteous man, because he is not pleasing to us.” It is so true, for when they erred concerning the Scriptures, they did not know that “the one who digs a pit for his neighbor falls in it; and a serpent will bite the one who destroys a hedge.”
Cyril of JerusalemAD 386
Catechetical Lecture 13:12
They bound Jesus and led him to the meeting place of the high priest. Can you recognize that this was already written? Isaiah says, “Woe to their souls because they have taken evil counsel against themselves, saying, ‘Let us bind the just one, for he is troublesome to us.’ ” Woe to their souls indeed! Let us see why. Isaiah was sawn in two, but afterwards the people were restored. Jeremiah was thrown into the dungeon, but the Jews had their wound healed. In these instances the sin was against a man, and therefore less. However, when they sinned not against a man but against God become human, then woe to their souls!
Ambrose of MilanAD 397
On the Blessings of the Patriarchs 3.13
It is the tribes, then, that are meant by the names of the patriarchs. From the tribe of Simeon come the scribes, from that of Levi the chief priests, who brought their wickedness to completion and filled up the entire measure of their fathers’ ungodliness in the passion of the Lord. They took counsel against the Lord Jesus, to kill him, even as Isaiah says, “Alas for their souls! Because they have devised an evil counsel against themselves, saying. ‘Let us bind the just one, for he is profitless to us.’ ” They killed the prophets and apostles who announced the coming of the Lord of salvation and preached his glorious passion and resurrection. Thereafter, in their greed and out of their desire for earthly wickedness, they fled from sharing in the divine, from chastity of body and moderation of spirit, contempt for money and profit in grace.
Tyrannius RufinusAD 411
COMMENTARY ON THE APOSTLES’ CREED 20
For he [Jesus] had done so many good works among them. He had given sight to the blind, feet to the lame, the power of walking to the palsied, life also to the dead; for all these good works they paid him death as his price, appraised at thirty pieces of silver. It is related also in the Gospels that he was bound. This also the word of prophecy had foretold by Isaiah, saying, “Woe to their soul, who have devised a most evil device against themselves, saying, ‘Let us bind the just one, seeing that he is unprofitable to us.’ ”
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Isaiah
(Verses 8, 9.) For Jerusalem has fallen, and Judah has collapsed: because their tongue and their inventions are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of His majesty. The recognition of their faces testifies against them, and they declare their sin like Sodom, and do not hide it. The Prophet speaks of this, not as many suppose, that he who was the chosen leader spoke. And he says that for this reason no one wants to rule over a sinful people, because both Judah and Jerusalem, and the city, and the province of Judaea, or the tribe of Judah have fallen together. And they gave reasons for their impiety, because they blasphemed against the Lord and said: 'Take him away, take him away, crucify him, for we have no king but Caesar' (John 19:15, 16): and with the fury of their tongue, they provoked the most merciful Lord to bitterness. The recognition of their faces will answer to them: that is, they have received their sins, or as the Septuagint translated: the confusion of their faces opposed them: that is, they always had their own sins before their eyes. And just as the Sodomites, sinning with all freedom and not having any shame in their wickedness, said to Lot: 'Bring out the men so that we may have relations with them' (Gen. XIX, 5); so too these, proclaiming openly, have preached their own sin and have had no shame in blaspheming. For the second plank after shipwreck is consolation in miseries, to hide their own impiety. Hence they are called the rulers of the Sodomites, because they had Sodomite sins.
Gregory the DialogistAD 604
PASTORAL CARE 3:31
Again, they are to be admonished that if they are not afraid of being wicked; they should at least be ashamed of being seen for what they are. Often a sin that is concealed is avoided, because a mind that is ashamed to be taken for what it does not fear to be in fact is sometimes ashamed to be in fact what it avoids appearing to be. On the other hand, when a person is shamelessly and notoriously wicked, then, the more freely he commits every kind of evil, the more he thinks it lawful, and in imagining it lawful, he is thereby without doubt immersed in it all the more. Therefore, it is written, “They have proclaimed abroad their sin as Sodom, and they have not hid it.” For if Sodom had concealed its sin, it would still have sinned, but in fear. But it had completely lost the curb of fear, in that it did not seek even darkness in its sinning. Therefore, it is said again, “The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is multiplied.” For sin in words is sin in act, but sin that is cried out is sin committed with deliberation.
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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