THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
Samaria will face destruction due to its rebellion against the Lord; their strength will fail them, their children will suffer, and the unborn will be scattered. The esteemed prophet, having fully delivered the message concerning Christ and revealed the mystery of redemption for all, grieves for the misfortunes of those who have turned away from righteousness. He weeps for the people of Samaria, noting that, although they had the opportunity to receive abundant mercy, they instead chose to embrace the impending wrath, stubbornly opposing God's will and commands, embodying the very essence of opposition to Him.
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Consequently, they will become victims of merciless assaults, suffering actions of cruelty against families; even infants will meet untimely deaths, as those yet to draw breath will be denied life, with enemies' swords preventing their arrival into the world. It is truly disastrous to defy God, as demonstrated by the evident consequences.
Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have grown weary in your sins. Bring words with you and turn to the Lord your God; call upon Him. Let it be that you receive not injustice but instead the blessings of goodness, that we may yield the fruits of our lips. Assyria cannot save us; we will not rely on horses or claim the works of our hands as our gods. We are impressed by the skill of the prophet and the eloquence of his message, as it is truly worthy of a saint and brimming with profound mystery. Initially, he foretells the future salvation through Christ, proclaiming that in due time death will be conquered, the grip of hell will be undone, and that no form of solace or approval exists beyond God's knowledge.
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Subsequently, he advises that they must reflect upon and pursue what is essential for their salvation, striving to attain a sound mind—not through drunkenness with wine, but through indulgence in worldly pleasures and demonic enticements. Hence, to prevent them from falling into complacency, lulled by the promises of grace and compassion, he wisely reminds them of their trials, declaring that Samaria will fall because it opposed its God. He adds words designed to instill fear and sorrow in the listeners: the young shall be crushed; mothers and their unborn shall perish before they give birth to a full child. Thus, having first alarmed them with dreadful predictions, he then directs their hearts toward a message of repentance, compellingly urging them to return to God. With the declaration, "Thou art weary in thy unrighteousnesses," he underscores that as they abandon injustice, their weaknesses will dissipate, and with the removal of various sins, their troubles will also lift. The pathway to God is straightforward, for he explains that sinners will be favored not by offering material wealth, gold, or silver vessels, nor by sacrificing cattle and sheep to please the Lord, but rather by presenting heartfelt words of praise to Him. Therefore, "bring words with you, call upon God, so that you do not encounter injustice but rather receive blessings," meaning that they should not be punished for their wrongdoings but enriched through the giving of goodness. They must promise to bring forth verbal offerings of gratitude and confession, as these are the true fruits of the tongue. Yet he cautions them to firmly declare that they will no longer utter, "our gods are the works of our hands." Such statements were indicative of their waywardness, which led to their downfall as they served idols and, in dishonor to the ever-saving God, sought help from human means. When the Egyptians attacked, they turned to Assyria, and when the Assyrians advanced against Samaria, they hired skilled Egyptian cavalry with money. Thus, they received the clear admonishment of God: "Woe unto them that go down into Egypt for help, trusting in horses and chariots" (Isaiah 31:1). They were justly mocked for attempting to rely on "an Egyptian man, and not God, a horse of flesh" (Isaiah 31:3), as described in Scripture. They are promised that they will fall away from idol worship and cease to place their trust in humanity (Ezek. 18:30). This serves as a correction for past transgressions and a call to the compassion of the Creator, who, through the prophet, declares, "By conversion ye shall be converted from your iniquities, O house of Israel, and your iniquities shall not be unto you for a torment" (Ezek. 18:30).