And in that day I will make a covenant with them, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of the air, and with the creeping things of the earth: and I will destroy the bow, and the sword, and war out of the land: and I will make them sleep secure.
וְהָיָ֤ה בַיּוֹם־הַהוּא֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה תִּקְרְאִ֖י אִישִׁ֑י וְלֹֽא־תִקְרְאִי־לִ֥י ע֖וֹד בַּעְלִֽי׃
4 Church Fathers comment on this verse
In a manner similar to those who unite with immoral partners, God united His being with the unfaithful nature of humanity. The prophets of old likened this to the ungratefulness of the synagogue towards its divine Bridegroom. However, the Church, having been liberated from its sinful tendencies, chose to remain steadfastly embraced by her Savior.
I will establish a covenant today with the creatures of the field, the birds in the sky, and the crawling things on the earth. I will put an end to the bow, the sword, and warfare across the land. Previously, it was declared, "I will ruin her grapes and her figs," indicating that these were the rewards given to Him by His unfaithful followers. He also said, "I will eliminate the wild animals of the land, as well as the birds of the air and the creeping creatures of the earth." This statement can be understood as a metaphor for the adversaries that rampaged through Judah, namely the Persians, Medes, and Babylonians, and other foes who resembled wild beasts due to their ferocity and were likened to birds for their swift aggression.
They were also compared to reptiles due to their cruelty and wickedness.
During the time when Israel was besieged in the cities of Samaria, they devastated all that lay in the fields and committed many atrocities. However, He declares that when I erase the very names of the idols from the earth, I will establish a covenant of peace with the wild and untamed nations. The afflictions brought by foes and conflicts shall be no more, and they will live free of fear. "I will shatter the weapon and the sword," and indeed, we can see this fulfilled. When the illustrious Roman leaders gained dominion over all nations, as God had providentially granted them this power, the Persians became preoccupied solely with their own affairs, and the assaults from other barbaric nations upon various lands and cities ceased. This truth is echoed by the prophet Isaiah, who said, "They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore" (Isaiah 2:4). United under one authority, they turned to productive endeavors, swapping their weapons of war for farming tools.
Thus, He promises peace, and the fears that once plagued them will come to an end, for God will bring about tranquility and bless those who love Him with the gifts of peace. It is necessary to acknowledge that in the past, when we were lost and regarded as children of wrath, malevolent forces, akin to predatory beasts or fierce birds and treacherous dragons, overwhelmed us. Yet, upon coming to know the true God through Christ, and having our sins washed away by faith and love, we received salvation and the "authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy" (Luke 10:19). We have trampled on the asp and the basilisk, and subdued the lion and the serpent, for Christ protects and shields His own with unmatched strength, imparting His peace to our hearts: "My peace I give unto you; my peace I leave with you" (John 14:27).
I will establish a promise for them on that day with the wild animals of the field, the birds of the air, and the creeping creatures of the earth. I will eradicate bows, swords, and warfare from the land, granting them peaceful rest. In that day, I will forge a covenant marked by security. When the names of false gods are taken away from the people who acknowledge the Lord, and they shall call me their husband, not their idol, I will ensure peace with the wild animals, the fowl, and the creatures of the earth. As Isaiah foretold, The wolf shall dwell alongside the lamb, and the leopard shall lie with the kid. The calf, the lion, and the fatling will graze together, and a little child will lead them.
The ox and the bear will share pastures, and their young will rest together; the lion will eat straw like the ox (Isaiah 11:6-7), desiring not flesh or blood but pure sustenance. When it was revealed to Peter that he should welcome Cornelius, a Gentile, he was instructed not to regard anything as unclean, which he accepted gratefully, remembering, ‘What God has cleansed, you shall not consider unclean’ (Acts 10:9). Thus, at the coming of the Lord, following His glorious resurrection and ascension to the Father, the two factions are united by the cornerstone through Him who brings together both (Ephesians 2). What was deemed unforgiven is now forgiven; those labeled as not My people are called His people. When all is restored, bows, swords, and warfare will be abolished. There will be no need for weapons when conflict ceases. Israel will be reconciled with the Gentiles, fulfilling the words of Deuteronomy, ‘The Gentiles shall rejoice with His people’ (Deuteronomy 32:43). For God reigns in Judah, and His great name is exalted in Israel; His presence fills the earth, and His dwelling is in Zion (Psalm 75:2-3), which is the Church. Here, He has shattered the strength of bows, shields, swords, and conflicts, and when these are broken and obliterated, the faithful shall rest securely, sheltered under one shepherd, waiting for those promises that eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor have they entered the heart of man, which God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9).
In demonstrating that he was not referring to animals or birds, but to human beings who act with the viciousness of beasts and the swiftness of birds, he proclaimed: I will shatter the bow, the sword, and the battle from the land. He then assures them of everlasting blessings. I will abide with hope. The Apostle Paul articulates this same confidence when he states, 'For in hope we are saved. But hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance (Rom. 8:24, 25).’ It is clear that the Prophet is addressing this specific hope, not any other, as demonstrated by the subsequent words.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS