Homilies on Isaiah — Homily 9 (Isaiah 6:8–10 with 7:11 — defective, no closing doxology)
Latin source: Origen's Greek homilies on Isaiah, surviving only in Jerome's Latin translation (c. 380/381), from the reading text of W. A. Baehrens (ed.), Origenes Werke VIII (GCS 33, Leipzig, 1925), pp. 242–289. This English translation is released into the public domain.On what is written: "and I heard the voice of the Lord saying: whom shall I send, and who will go to this people?" And passing over a little he arrives at the place where it is written: "ask for yourself a sign from the Lord your God, in the deep or in the height".
"And I heard the voice of the Lord saying: whom shall I send, and who will go to this people? And I said: behold, here I am; send me. And he said: go and say to this people: with hearing you shall hear and you shall not understand" and the rest. Concerning this discourse of the prophet Isaiah which has now been read, let us pray to God that he may grant us grace and that we may be able to expound things worthy of the prophetic spirit. "And I heard the voice of the Lord saying: whom shall I send?" After the prophet's "lips" had been cleansed, being prepared he took up the ministry of God and says: "behold, here I am, send me". But that he might be the more prepared for this, he remembered the voice of Moses. For Moses too, using the same words: "send me", was made "ruler of the people" and judge and was called "the servant of God". Now I heard a certain Hebrew expounding this passage and saying that the prophet indeed willingly and readily took up the prophecy to the people, not knowing what he would have to say to them; but then, hearing the sad things that had to be announced to the people—that is: "with hearing you shall hear and you shall not understand" and the rest—in what follows he becomes more reluctant; and when the voice of God says to him: "cry out", he answers him and says: "what shall I cry?". But I think these things are prophesied concerning the Savior, because it was to come to pass that "hearing they should not hear and seeing they should not see". Moreover, what is said will become plainer if we consider a little the passage: "perceiving you shall look and you shall not see". It is of this kind. The Jews indeed at that time "saw" the blind receiving their sight, but the reason of the sight they did not know; they "heard" the "parables" which the Savior "unfolded to his disciples in secret", but they themselves "did not hear", not knowing the things that were said; on account of this, bearing witness against them, he said: "he who has ears to hear, let him hear!". For they were not deprived of these "ears", so that they "should not hear", but their inner "ears" were dulled for hearing. On account of this he preaches to them and through the prophet foretells the things to come, saying: "with hearing you shall hear and you shall not understand, and perceiving you shall look and you shall not see. For the heart of this people has been made fat". Let us examine what this means, which is said: "for the heart of this people has been made fat". Everyone who is occupied in the cares of the present life has "a heart made fat"; for those who dwell among worldly things the "heart is made fat" no otherwise than as if they were being choked by thorns. For this reason the "heart" grows fat and cannot receive the notions of the more subtle spirit. Let us therefore flee from such cares, so that our heart, made thin, may become acceptable to God. Let us flee earthly business; for these are the things by which the "heart is made fat". On account of this the discourse of Moses was subtle (as is written of him in Exodus), because he said that whoever, on account of such subtlety, shall be "pure in heart, they shall see God". For by such eyes God is seen. There are three things that are said: "for the heart of this people has been made fat" and "with their ears they have heard heavily" and "they have closed their eyes". But the things said in this passage can also be understood otherwise, more plainly. For many people think, when they look upon the creatures and contemplate this world, that they see them. And why do I speak of people? Behold, the birds and the four-footed beasts see the sun and the moon and the whole heaven together with the choir of stars, but they do not understand their reasons; only the just and holy, comprehending them through the reason of the wisdom of God, look upon them. Therefore in the eighth Psalm David says: "for I shall see your heavens, the works of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have founded". For does the prophet not now "see the heaven and the moon"? But this, that he says: "I shall see", if we consider it, we shall be able to understand.