That made the world a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof, that opened not the prison to his prisoners?
שָׂ֥ם תֵּבֵ֛ל כַּמִּדְבָּ֖ר וְעָרָ֣יו הָרָ֑ס אֲסִירָ֖יו לֹא־פָ֥תַח בָּֽיְתָה׃
5 Church Fathers comment on this verse
What do you mean? Why do you mourn and cast blame? This lamentation serves as a condemnation of evil, revealing that God alone possesses the authority to administer judgment, while the king of Babylon failed to free those held captive. Understand that human cruelty was the catalyst for the justice of God, which was executed upon him through a harsh demise.
He expresses that he was suddenly engulfed by calamities and found himself in an inexplicably dreadful state, almost oblivious to the fact that he shared the nature of humanity with those who had perished before him. Regarding his words filled with pride, godless arrogance, and sheer hubris, he notes that it appeared as if you were only slightly beneath the divine grandeur; you assumed that heaven would be within your grasp, that your throne would rival the highest seats of honor; you foolishly believed you were equal to God and above all creation; you fancied yourself as elevated above the clouds and beyond the stars. Yet you are rebuked, for this foolish arrogance has been laid bare by the final outcome; you have descended to the depths of hell and to the very foundations of the earth.
He mentions this possibly to signify the most wretched realm, which is the shadowy darkness of hell. Yet you will become a shocking spectacle to those who behold it, and rightly so; for significant transformations, especially those that defy expectations, evoke astonishment in witnesses. What then is this phenomenon, and what will they say about it? They may ask, Is this a man? The one who suffers in such a way could hardly be recognized as a man, as they may have long been conditioned to hesitate to label him so. But this is indeed the man who stirred the earth, who unsettled kings, who laid waste to all creation and scattered its hailstones. It is no wonder they were astonished that one individual could provoke such upheaval in heaven, unsettle rulers, reduce the inhabited world to desolation, and destroy cities. Furthermore, what difference remains? The captives who are in his grasp shall not be disregarded. However, in certain passages of Holy Scripture, it is noted as being led away, so we propose to those seeking understanding that this expression signifies the captivity of the Israelites and their removal from their homeland, as they were taken from Judea to Assyria. But if the Scripture accurately states: being in the bringing; then comprehending this would not diminish the significance, as it reasons that they were under the Lord’s wrath. The anger of God was undoubtedly unleashed upon them due to their numerous transgressions. Nebuchadnezzar did not liberate them from misfortune. Indeed, the unregenerate ought to see himself not merely as a proud man but also as an opponent of God, a devastator of creation, ruthless and devoid of mercy for those in acute distress, enduring severe suffering. However, these historical events can, and rightly should, be attributed to him who obliterated all things, which I refer to as the instigator of evil—the dragon; for he was a torturer and oppressor, as previously discussed. He ceased his deeds and vanished—struck down by God’s unhealed blow of wrath—and no longer sowed spiritual cedars, much like a powerful woodcutter, as the blessed David recalls, saying to the Lord of all, “The cedars of Lebanon you have planted” (Psalm 103:16). Yet when he, wretched and completely condemned, descended into hell and was cast into the all-consuming flames, the vile powers under his dominion justly marveled at him, perhaps even lamented him, saying, “You too are captive like us, and you are counted among us,” and similar statements. For in glory, he was esteemed among the angels and recognized among the higher orders, just as the morning star is distinct from the other celestial bodies. However, he who presumed too much and dared to attribute to himself the honor and glory due only to the Most High fell and was shattered. This was fitting for the audacity of his plans and thoughts; yet, as the Prophet states, he who once shook the entire earth and ravaged creation descended to hell and to the depths of the earth; for he eradicated the true knowledge of God upon the earth and thoroughly obliterated the doers of good. The captives shall not be freed. This is what the Lord promised to those who believed, saying to those in bondage, “Come forth”; and to those in darkness, “Be opened” (Isaiah 49:9). To those under divine judgment for their rebellious transgressions against God’s laws, He graciously forgave their sins, and to those burdened by many failings due to human frailty, He offered liberation from their punishment.
He rendered the entire cosmos empty and dispersed its towns. With the might of his forces, he transformed the land into a wasteland. Yet you do not free those taken captive. In his wrath, he granted no freedom to his captives. For Jechoniah, the king of Judah, who was taken prisoner by Nebuchadnezzar, was liberated from his shackles by Merodach following the death of Nebuchadnezzar.
Those who behold you will bow low and gaze, questioning, “Is this the man who shook the earth, who caused kingdoms to tremble, who transformed the world into a desolate place, devastated its cities, and failed to release its captives?” In another translation, it is stated that he did not free those who were being taken away.
Those who perceive not only with their physical eyes but with their hearts will recognize that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, descended from the heights to the depths, humbling himself as a sign of the opposite of pride and will exclaim, “Is this the one who agitated the earth?” The implication is clear: the one who declared, “I will ascend to the heights and claimed equality with God, turns out to be merely a man.” The ninth Psalm, directed against the adversary, expresses this truth: "Arise, O Lord; let not man prevail" (Psalm 9:20), and in the Gospel, we learn, “the enemy has sown tares among the wheat” (Matthew 13).
We also read of the declaration made to him and his cohorts: “I said, ‘You are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High; yet you shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes’” (Psalm 82:6-7). Furthermore, addressing him through the portrayal of the prince of Tyre, it is said: “Your heart is lifted up, and you say, ‘I am a god; I sit in the seat of gods, in the midst of the seas.’ But you are a man, and not God, although you set your heart as if it were the heart of God” (Ezekiel 28:2).
This man, who has incited chaos upon the earth—understood as humanity, for “you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19)—has also shaken the dominions of rulers, whose hearts are molded by the Lord (Proverbs 21:1). He trembled but was not brought to ruin. One who felt the tremors yet stood firm declared, “My feet had almost slipped” (Psalm 73:2). The Apostle admonishes believers to don the armor of God and resist the schemes of the devil (Ephesians 6:11). A house built upon rock shall withstand any tempest (Matthew 7:25).
Next, we consider the one who rendered the earth desolate, as various translations convey. Through sin and vice, he has turned the world—referred to in Hebrew as “thebel”—into a wasteland devoid of virtue, filled with the same wickedness as the Gentile deserts. He has also laid waste to the cities of this earth, transforming the houses of worship of Christ into synagogues of iniquity and corrupting the purity of true faith with heresy. Despite this, to his captives—representing the world—he has not opened the prison doors. We were all bound as prisoners; to us, in our chains, the Savior proclaimed, “Look, for the Lord liberates those in bondage.” Freed by Him, we offer our thanks, saying, “You have released my bonds” (Psalm 116:7). Each individual is ensnared by the ties of their transgressions; these chains the Apostles can unravel, emulating their Master who instructed them, “Whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 18:18). The Apostles free others through the Word of God, the scriptures' testimonies, and encouragement toward righteousness.
The arrival of the haughty ruler of the Chaldeans in the realms of the damned will astonish its dwellers. Upon encountering him among them, they will whisper amongst themselves in amazed mockery, now devoid of fear toward him. In his lifetime, he troubled the earth, committing numerous evils against humanity, which ignited their wrath towards him; he unsettled kings, meaning he removed them from their reigns; he brought desolation upon the world, depopulating vast regions and leaving their residents in destitution; he transformed cities into ruins, scattering them far and wide; he denied the captives their return, transporting those seized to distant lands without allowing their return. Now, however, he finds himself a captive in hell, utterly powerless to liberate himself: his plight is utterly bleak.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS