Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Ver. 18. Come now, let us reason together.] In the Greek Church, at the beginning of divine service, the deacon cried out, Sacra sacris, Holy souls to holy service. a God will not treat with this people till purified, till resolved upon better practices; as when he is content, by a wonderful condescension, to make them even as judges in their own cause. The Vulgate rendereth it, but not so well, Et venite et arguite me see Isa 5:3 Jeremiah 2:9 Mic 6:1-3
Though your sin be of scarlet.] Blood red, as Isa 1:15 and of a double dye; sins in grain, enormia et horrenda, such as ye may well think will never wash out. b
They shall be white as snow,] i.e., You shall be fully freed of the guilt and filth of your most heinous offences by the blood of my Son: sc., Not your peccadilloes only shall be remitted, but your many and mighty sins, quae coccini, quae vermiculi instar sunt. But what meant that mad philosopher, Anaxagoras, to affirm that snow was black? c "Purge me with hyssop" (wash me by the blood of sprinkling from the sting and stink of sin), "and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." Psa 51:7 d Cleaner I shall be than the picked glass, whiter than the driven snow. The law, saith one, e is like a glass wherein we see our spots; but the gospel is like the laver Exo 38:8 which was made of the women's looking glasses, whereby they might both see their faces and also wash out their spots; for it was both a glass to look in, and a laver to wash in, and this typified Christ. see 1Jn 1:7 Rev 1:1
Though they be red like crimson.] Which is, say the Rabbis, of a deeper colour than the former.
They shall be as wool.] Which naturally is exceeding white in those countries. Psa 147:16 Scultetus noteth that God here promiseth not only pardoning, but purging grace also.
a Chrysos., Basil., Liturg.
b Alludit ad habitum meretricum. - A Lap.
c Cicer., lib. iv. Acad. Quest.
d Galen., lib. ii. De virt. simp. remediorum.
e Ainsw. in loc.