THEOSISJerome of Stridon
The Lord God proclaims a lament over your sinful actions, woe to you. You have erected a place of immorality for yourself and have established a defiled dwelling in every public space. At the entrance of every street, you display a symbol of your shameful acts, degrading your beauty as you expose yourself to every passerby, increasing your acts of unfaithfulness. You have engaged in immorality with the sons of Egypt, your neighbors, driven by lust, and have compounded your unfaithfulness to incite My wrath.
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It is noted that woe is repeated as a significant expression of distress, yet in some translations, this repetition is omitted. The term used to describe your dwelling of immorality conveys not just a house but implies a disreputable space that satisfies debased desires. Instead of merely a sordid place in squares, translations convey a lofty elevated status, where signs of fornication are meant for all to see from afar, ensuring that those seeking such vice do not have to search for it.
The metaphor of a woman who indulges in unfaithfulness illustrates the way Jerusalem strayed from God, merging with idolatry. Instead of only hiding her sins, she brazenly constructed a house of scandal on every street corner, beckoning those who walked by. The enticing nature of her actions not only defiled her own beauty through disgraceful acts but also drew in her neighbors, the Egyptians, for their lustful pursuits.
Jerusalem’s idolatry reflects an imitation of the Egyptians, invoking wrath due to her unholy alliances. The Holy Scripture speaks a twofold warning: woe, woe to you, as stated in Revelation, goes out to those who dwell on the earth. The sinner, unlike the believer who acknowledges their temporary residence in this world, constructs a place of immorality, showing little regard for the depths of depravity they embrace.
She builds high places in public squares, fully aware of the wide path that leads to destruction. Her invitation to the simple-minded youth is brazen, taking place in full view, inviting them to indulge at the cost of their spiritual beauty endowed by the Creator. All her expressions embody wickedness, as she aligns herself with the immoral practices of the Egyptians, whose boasting amplifies her own transgressions.
In doing so, she stirs divine anger. The Egyptians, depicted as possessing great flesh, represent abominations leading to sin. Conversely, the righteous are characterized by diminished flesh, perfected through virtue, thus transforming their identity from flesh to spirit, as noted in the Psalms. The struggle against fleshly desires is underlined, with the acknowledgment that the earthly form cannot inherit divine life.
The message remains clear: while earthly existence permits folly, there is an eternal promise for those who remain faithful. The exhortation calls believers to rise above worldly temptations, for they are identified not by flesh, but by the Spirit of God. Ultimately, righteousness leads to the revelation of salvation, a promise witnessed by all flesh.