And justice shall be the girdle of his loins: and faith the girdle of his reins.
וְהָ֥יָה צֶ֖דֶק אֵז֣וֹר מָתְנָ֑יו וְהָאֱמוּנָ֖ה אֵז֥וֹר חֲלָצָֽיו׃
6 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Simmachus and Theodotion convey that his heart will be enveloped in faith, enabling us to be adorned in this divine attire. Who is this individual that seems to possess an eternal garment uniquely belonging to God, about whom the prophecy concludes by stating, He shall be clothed with armor - truly (Prem. 5:18; Isa. 59:17), and in the vestments of the Almighty?
He will be adorned with righteousness at His waist and enveloped in truth. This conveys the idea that He possessed no authority or status in earthly matters; instead, He embodied a glorious splendor, clothed in righteousness and truth. The belt signifies authority, and the reference to His being wrapped in truth implies that He was surrounded by it like a girdle. Furthermore, it is likely that by truth, He was referring to the new and gospel proclamation, aligning with the words spoken through the Psalmist, “Thy truth is truth for ever, and Thy law is truth” (Ps. 118:142). The law also instructed in righteousness, but it was temporary, as a better and more perfect righteousness was brought forth through Christ. Thus, the Old Testament law was more a foreshadowing than the ultimate truth. In contrast, Christ embodies complete truth, which is why He declared, “I am the truth” (John 14:6).
He will be wrapped in righteousness around his waist, for Hezekiah upheld justice and righteousness just as his father David did.
This discussion pertains to the initial advent of the Redeemer; however, the Jewish perspective is that its fulfillment will occur at the conclusion of the age. Additionally, the Septuagint translates that He will not judge based on outward appearances nor reproach based on mere words; rather, He will assess the humble with righteousness and correct the lowly of the earth with justice. In His judgment, He remains indifferent to personal status, yet addresses the scribes, Pharisees, and rulers with ominous warnings: ‘Woe to you hypocrites,’ indicating that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and entrusted to those who bear righteous fruit (Matthew 23:21-41). His rebukes are not based merely on verbal exchanges or superficial listening.
When they proclaimed, ‘Teacher, we know you are genuine and teach the way of God with integrity, showing no partiality to anyone' (Matthew 22:16), He, fully aware of their deceitful motives, responded: ‘Why do you test me, you hypocrites?’ He instead rendered true judgment in favor of the humble in spirit, corresponding to the kingdom of God, and corrected the meek and lowly with justice, directing His words to the apostles, ‘Do you not comprehend?’ and specifically to Peter, ‘O you of little faith, why did you waver?’ (Mark 8:17; Matthew 14:31). He reproached those who sought to dominate the humble and lowly. He assailed all worldly matters with authority, or as the Septuagint puts it, with the command of His word, declaring in the Gospel, ‘Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword’ (Matthew 10:34). With the spirit of His word, He will strike down the wicked, as noted in the ninth Psalm: ‘You have silenced the nations, and the wicked shall vanish; his name you have obliterated for eternity’ (Psalm 9:6). The Apostle Paul mentions that the lawless one will be destroyed by the breath of the Lord Jesus’ mouth (2 Thessalonians 2:8). After putting down the wicked, the Lord is adorned with truth, faith, and righteousness; for He embodies wisdom from God, truth, sanctification, and redemption. He also states in the Gospel, ‘I am the light of the world, the life of men, and the truth’ (John 8 and John 14). In the Psalms, it is affirmed, ‘Truth springs from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven’ (Psalm 84:2); hence, the Apostle encourages the Ephesians to ‘gird your loins with truth and don the armor of righteousness’ (Ephesians 6:14). If one substitutes faith for truth in this context, it could be interpreted that the Lord's girding, akin to Jeremiah's (Jeremiah 13), symbolizes the faith of believers.
Just as a king is adorned with a belt of gold and precious jewels, so too does the prophet refer to a belt symbolizing truth and righteousness. This belt may also signify the divine nature of the Son, for He embodies truth, as expressed by the apostle: "By Him you also are in Christ Jesus, who was made unto us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption" (1 Cor. 1:30). Furthermore, according to the evangelist, He is the truth: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). He represents truth, rooted in the lineage of Jesse. The loins and thighs used by the prophet to illustrate Him indicate His role as both ruler and warrior, that is, the Word who triumphs over unseen and spiritual adversaries.
Righteousness here refers to the just evaluation of merit and the recompense for both good and evil, while truth signifies the reliability in upholding commitments. The metaphors of being adorned with truth and righteousness suggest that these qualities, unique to the Messiah, will serve as His glory, likened to the exquisite girdles worn by Eastern monarchs. Furthermore, this imagery indicates that by embodying truth and righteousness in every aspect, the Messiah will achieve success in His sovereign endeavors, akin to how individuals find efficacy in their tasks, journeys, and struggles when their flowing garments are secured with a girdle for ease and comfort.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS