Isaiah 17:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Is it not sufficient to refer to Him simply as God? Why the additional title, the God of your salvation? You have neglected the God of your salvation and have failed to remember the foundation of your sanctuary. Not only have you overlooked Him, but you have also completely forgotten. Yet, having neglected God, how could you forget the Sustainer who has perpetually provided for you? The urgency for nourishment and healing compels you to recall Him. Consequently, you have established gardens of delight. Aquila expresses this as plantings of beauty. Symmachus describes it as plantings of magnificence. Theodotion refers to it as plantings of honor. And he has taken cuttings from another's vine. Aquila notes: and the shoot of a foreign vine; others mention that you will plant during the time when outsiders are waging war and besieging your gates.

For this reason, the garden you cultivate and the crops you sow will be unfaithful if you do not acknowledge the Lord your God. If you sow in the morning, however, you will reap a fruitful harvest; on that same day, you will inherit, just as a father imparts inheritance to his children. I shall attempt to clarify the enigmatic message of these statements. The prophet conveys that, having been seduced and misled, the Israelites—or Ephraim, referring to the ten tribes that settled in Samaria—lifted their heads high with an unfounded belief that no foe could prevail against them due to their great number. Yet, their hope was misplaced; they fell, some perishing in war, while others were taken captive to the lands of their conquerors, experiencing fear and distress.

To this end, cultivate a garden of splendor, meaning that the just, seized and taken captive during times of conflict, will share the message of truth among the nations to which they are sent.