Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
This chapter is the victory song of Jesus Christ, the Victor and Savior. The Prophet had said at the end of the preceding chapter that God would level all rough paths for the spread of the Gospel, just as He had dried up the Red Sea for the Israelites leaving Egypt. Now, just as those freed from Egyptian bondage sang a song of thanksgiving (Exodus 15), so also those freed from the spiritual bondage of sin and the devil through Christ will sing this song of praise.
In this victory song, therefore, first, he recounts the change of fortune for the better, verse 1. Second, he identifies the Savior as the author of this joy, verse 2. Third, he shows the abundance of this salvation, verse 3. Fourth, he exhorts all to praise and give thanks to God, verses 4-6.
Vulgate Text: Isaiah 12:1-6
1. And you shall say in that day: I will give thanks to You, O Lord, for You were angry with me: Your wrath is turned away, and You have comforted me. 2. Behold, God is my Savior: I will deal confidently, and will not fear: because the Lord is my strength and my praise, and He has become my salvation. 3. You shall draw waters with joy from the fountains of the Savior. 4. And you shall say in that day: Give praise to the Lord, and call upon His name: make His works known among the peoples: remember that His name is high. 5. Sing to the Lord, for He has done great things: show this forth in all the earth. 6. Rejoice and praise, O habitation of Zion: for great is He that is in the midst of you, the Holy One of Israel.
Verse 1: And You Shall Say in That Day
AND YOU SHALL SAY (O people converted and redeemed by Christ) IN THAT DAY -- when you will see all things fulfilled in you, which I here predicted concerning Christ and His salvation:
I WILL GIVE THANKS (I will praise and give thanks) TO YOU, O LORD! -- because, though You were angry with me on account of my sins, through the death of Your Son Christ Your wrath was turned into clemency and grace, by which, pardoning my sins, You comforted me.
Note: So great is this gift of God, that a Christian, rejoicing in this peace of conscience and hope of eternal salvation, should continually give thanks to God and sing songs of praise.
Thus St. Francis, having received a revelation of his predestination and salvation, by which he knew with certainty that he possessed and would possess this gift of God, for two whole years could do nothing but weep for joy, so that his companions thought he was out of his mind.
Moreover, there are various degrees and modes of praising God: the first is by celebrating Him with words and hymns, for example, by repeating often throughout the day: "Blessed be God. Praise the Lord. Thanks be to God. Glory to God in the highest." The second is by acknowledging one's own nothingness and God's infinite greatness: "I am the abyss of nothingness, ignorance, sins, and miseries." And that you may ardently desire, in life and death, in joyful and sorrowful times, in time and eternity, to praise, glorify, and magnify God forever.
Verse 2: Behold, God Is My Savior
Thus Moses sings, Exodus 15: "This is my God, and I will glorify Him." The word "behold" signifies a wonderful salvation in desperate circumstances, and that eternal salvation has come to us when we had utterly despaired of it.
I SHALL NOT FEAR -- because I am no longer conscious of anything against myself, nor do I grow pale at any fault: "For there is no condemnation (nothing condemnable) for those who are in Christ Jesus," Romans 8:1.
MY STRENGTH. -- I have received from Jesus all my strength, by which I cast off the yoke of the devil, and by which henceforth I will overcome his enticements, provocations, and temptations.
Verse 3: You Shall Draw Waters with Joy
3. YOU SHALL DRAW WATERS WITH JOY FROM THE FOUNTAINS OF THE SAVIOR. -- By this verse he signifies that salvation has come to things as it were desperate, and indeed abundant and manifold, and to be attributed to his Savior, the Messiah.
The fountains of the Savior are, first, His grace and the sacraments, especially Baptism and the Eucharist; second, His doctrine, preaching, and the Sacred Scriptures; third, the merits of His passion and death, from which all spiritual goods flow to us as from an inexhaustible fountain.
Verses 4-6: Give Praise to the Lord
4-6. GIVE PRAISE TO THE LORD, AND CALL UPON HIS NAME. -- What he previously said of himself, he now desires and commands of others, namely that the tongues and hearts of all should praise God, and make Him known among all the nations.
MAKE HIS WORKS KNOWN AMONG THE PEOPLES. -- This is fulfilled by the preaching of the Gospel throughout the world, and by the witness of the martyrs and missionaries who have carried the name of Christ to every land.
SING TO THE LORD, FOR HE HAS DONE GREAT THINGS. -- Namely, the incarnation, the redemption, the founding of the Church, the conversion of the nations, and innumerable miracles.
SHOW THIS FORTH IN ALL THE EARTH. -- The song of praise is not to be confined to one nation or one temple, but must resound throughout the whole earth -- for the salvation accomplished by Christ is universal.
6. REJOICE AND PRAISE, O HABITATION OF ZION: FOR GREAT IS HE THAT IS IN THE MIDST OF YOU, THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL. -- The "habitation of Zion" is the Church, in whose midst Christ dwells through His Spirit, His sacraments, and especially the Eucharist. He is called "the Holy One of Israel" because He is the source and author of all holiness, and He sanctifies those who believe in Him.
Note: This entire chapter is a brief but magnificent canticle, worthy to be placed alongside the canticle of Moses in Exodus 15, the canticle of Deborah in Judges 5, and the Magnificat of the Blessed Virgin in Luke 1. It is the fitting conclusion to the great messianic prophecy that began in chapter 7 with the promise of Emmanuel and has now reached its climax in the vision of universal salvation and the song of the redeemed.