Commentary upon the Prophecy of Isaiah

BY this it sufficiently appears,¹ that Isaiah spake not in the former verse of the punishments which the people sustained: For he prosecutes the very same discourse with the former: and shows that the people had no cause to complain of the rigour of their chastisements, seeing they had so grossly offended and provoked the Lord. He confirms his former speech then: namely, that truth was fallen, justice had no more place: and here he amplifies the same further, in adding that he which refrained himself from evil, made himself a pray. The most of the expositors among the Hebrews read this part of the ⟨p. 608⟩verse with a breath, thus; Truth is fallen, and was made a pray, in refraining it self from evil. But I see no reason why they have accepted of this sense. Saint Jeromes ²exposition (which I also have followed) is much better, and more agreeable. This phrase of speech is very frequent in Scriptures, as we see in Job 1.1. of whom it is said, that he was an upright and just man, fearing God, and eschewing evil. Solomon also saith, Prou. 14.16. That a fool rageth; but the wise man feareth; and departeth from evil. Well, the Prophets meaning is, that all honest courses were so hated and abhorred, that the small remnant of the faithful could not live in safety. As if he should say, Whosoever mean in these times to have society with men, must of necessity be as wicked as they: according to the old proverb;³ He must howl amongst wolves: but he that will refrain from evil, shall be devoured of the wolves like a poor sheep. Truly he here expresseth the height of impiety:⁴ for he shows that truth was so fallen, that no honest man durst converse amongst them. Why so? Because whosoever refrained himself from evil, did by and by fall into the jaws of Lions.

BY this it sufficiently appeares,