Isaiah 10:23Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

for the great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people (Jon. 4:11). In this declaration, God appeared to console the prophet; however, He ultimately spared the city for the sake of genuine repentance. If He had considered the sheer number then, He would have provided mercy prior to their repentance. Yet, if before their repentance He disregarded the multitude, He would undoubtedly do so after; thus it is written, And God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked ways (Jon. 3:10), and also, The more they increased, the more they sinned against Me (Hos. 4:7). Do you not see that it is not the multitude that pleases God, but rather it aggravates Him, as the greater the population, the more sin abounds? It may often be that a solitary wicked person can find salvation, whereas multitudes may never be redeemed, for they collectively share the same affliction. Moreover, in our era, it raises the question, Would God truly destroy such a vast number? Certainly, for He has little regard for the crowd. Consider that only one individual with his household survived the flood unscathed, three escaped the fiery judgment upon Sodom, and only two were saved in the wilderness. Better is one who fulfills God's will than ten thousand lawless individuals—and rightly so: would you prefer to possess 10,000 worthless coins or a single precious gem? Do not dismiss the significance of the one; recognize that this one holds more value than many, for the worth lies not in the quantity, but in the worth itself. Hence, it is said of the few righteous men: those of whom the entire world was not worthy (Hebrews 11:38).

Thus, a holy and just decree was issued solely against those who transgressed. The truth of this can be easily confirmed by the words of the prophet Ezekiel. He recounted witnessing some Israelites worshipping the sun and heard God speak of them, saying, "Have you seen, son of man, that the house of Judah eateth little, to do the iniquities which ye have done here? For iniquity has filled the land, and they have turned to anger Me" (Ezekiel 8:17). He also described seeing a man dressed in linen, whom the Almighty commanded to "Go through the midst of the city of Jerusalem, and give signs in the faces of the men who groan and mourn for all the iniquities that are in their midst." God instructed him to tell these individuals, "Hearken unto me, Go into the city in his footsteps, and cut them off, and spare not your eyes, and have no mercy. Elder, and youth, and maiden, and babes, and wives shall be consumed: and all that have a sign upon them shall not be touched" (Ezekiel 9:3-6). Observe how God affixes His grace upon the righteous and holy while experiencing anger and sorrow towards those who dare to offend Him. Therefore, He states that although Israel is countless, like the grains of sand on the seashore, a remnant shall be saved. This occurred in the days of Hezekiah. As previously noted, Samaria fell, and numerous cities of Judah were captured; similarly, this transpired in the final days when the Only Begotten One appeared in the flesh. In that time, God, in His righteousness, delivered the Word succinctly throughout the universe. The law given through Moses took a long and winding path, providing inadequate clarity on what is beneficial, alluding mysteriously to what is necessary; whereas the Gospel message, which offers salvation, is concise, as if shortened or condensed. It contains revealed truth, outlines a clear way of life, is easy to follow, and has no darkness in its commands. The essence of truth is straightforward. Thus, the remnant of Israel will be saved, meaning those who received His coming with faith, while many others will turn away. The fate of those who rebelled against the Savior of all, who opposed the Lord, and who killed the prophets and stoned His sent ones, reflects the full measure of their wickedness.

Observe how this inherent principle encapsulates the entire message in a perfect and concise manner. As the word is simplified, the Lord will establish His creation throughout the universe. The apostle also mentioned, The Lord shall carry out His work on the earth (Rom. 9:28). In alignment with this, Simmachus and Theodotion render it as in the midst of all the earth. For those aspects of the law that are not properly upheld – Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle (Col. 2:21) – along with the mandates regarding festivals, observances, sacrifices, and purifications, are all condensed into a singular, practical directive, leaving no excuse for those who fail to live according to the Gospel.

This was after he took gold and silver from the treasures of the house of the Lord and from the royal treasury, sending gifts to the king of Assyria, who heeded his plea, came to Damascus, conquered it, and executed Racine. However, once freed from this Assyrian oppressor—who initially acted as an ally but later became an adversary—the people will truly trust in the Lord of Hosts of Israel, not in a false manner as they had under previous kings, but sincerely. This situation is noted during Hezekiah's reign, where the people abandoned idols and devoted themselves to God's service (4 Kings 18:1-5).

Furthermore, having predicted the salvation of the remnant, the text shifts to emphasize that ultimate salvation will be realized in Christ. The Apostle Paul acknowledges this in his letter to the Romans: Isaiah cries out for Israel, “But if the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved. And as Isaiah said, if the Lord of Hosts had not left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and would have been made like Gomorrah” (Rom. 9:28-29). Thus, when the authority of such a husbandman shines forth, all other interpretations must submit to him. Indeed, if we examine the works of Josephus, we learn about the vast population of Jerusalem and Judea at the time of the Lord’s suffering, and we understand that only a small number of Jews were saved through the apostles and apostolic figures. The concise and perfect message is the Gospel, which, in place of the elaborate legal rites, offers the simple commandments of love and faith—urging us to avoid doing to others what we would not want done to ourselves; hence, the Lord states in the Gospel: “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:40).

Some interpret this part of scripture to refer to the time when, under Zerubbabel, son of Salathiel, and Joshua, son of Josedech, alongside Ezra and Nehemiah, some of the people returned to Judah. However, we contend that they do not follow a logical historical timeline, especially since the subsequent verses do not address the Babylonians—whose king was Nebuchadnezzar—but rather Sennacherib, the king of Assyria.