Shall I not, as I have done to Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?
הֲלֹ֗א כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשִׂ֛יתִי לְשֹׁמְר֖וֹן וְלֶאֱלִילֶ֑יהָ כֵּ֛ן אֶעֱשֶׂ֥ה לִירוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם וְלַעֲצַבֶּֽיהָ׃
3 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Do you recognize the frailty of false gods? Notice how his arrogance impacts not only humanity but also ridicules the divine, as he declares, 'Neither the many of mankind nor the might of the gods can stop me from my purpose. If you take action, it only reveals your weakness; and should anyone arise to oppose you, it is evident that they possess strength greater than both humanity and the divine.'
The residents of Samaria engaged in similar actions. Consequently, just as I will address Samaria and its crafted idols, I will also respond to Jerusalem and its false gods. Given that their transgressions mirror one another, it is only fair that they receive the same consequences. Thus, the Assyrian Empire conquered both Damascus and Samaria, driven by the creation of idols in both locations; therefore, a fitting consequence was established for those who pursued such actions. The act of idol creation is a grievous sin and incites divine anger against us, even if it exists only in thought and emotion. This practice steers us away from divine love, leads the heart astray, and entices it toward that which is inappropriate for us.
Mourn, you carvings in Jerusalem and Samaria: just as I have dealt with Samaria and its crafted images, so shall I address Jerusalem and its idols. How can those fashioned from wood, stone, or other materials by human skill—and shaped in the likeness of speechless four-footed creatures, birds, or reptiles like the idols of Egypt—express sorrow? True weeping signifies a deep anguish conveyed through inexplicable sounds. Hence, how could a carved figure weep? Mourn for the fact that within the wooden, stony, golden, silver, and ivory idols, which the pagans worship, there exist demons, who invisibly derive delight from the noxious offerings they receive.
Just as voracious dogs remain drawn to butcher shops reeking of blood and offal, so do insatiable demons lurk, eager to feast on sacrifices of blood and flesh, reveling near the altars and idols that have been erected for them. They may be nourished by the offerings made of flesh, air, or fire, or perhaps a combination of both. The accounts in the Kings illustrate the presence of demonic power in statues dedicated to false gods. It is recorded, “The foreigners took the ark of God, and carried it out where Dagon was. And the Azotians were rebellious in the morning, and behold, Dagon fell on his face to the ground” (cf.: 1 Sam. 5:2, 3). There, the visible statue of Dagon falls face down, symbolizing a demon defeated by the divine glory surrounding God’s presence; it collapses while also overthrown by the idol that it represents. Consequently, those who partake in food sacrificed to idols are said to share in demonic communion (cf.: 1 Cor. 10:20, 21), because the offerings made to the false deity involve sharing with the demon that inhabits it, taking in part of the vaporized blood, the smoke rising from the burnt offerings, and anyone who drinks from the cup used for libations is partaking in the cup of demons (cf.: 1 Cor. 10:21). Hence, the sculpted figures will lament, meaning the demons will wail alongside their crafted counterparts. Furthermore, when it is proclaimed that the Lord will come to Egypt and shake the creations of human hands, rendering their hearts weak (cf.: Is. 19:1), we interpret this in the same light. For at the Lord’s arrival, the demons residing above will be startled, sent into retreat, and driven back to their abyss. Thus, cursed is anyone who crafts an idol or molten image through the work of human hands and hides it away (cf.: Deuteronomy 27:15), for such an idol harbors an ill-fated treasure—a demon—who accompanies the idol, imposing an oath upon those who invite it into their homes.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS