Nations shall make a noise like the noise of waters overflowing, but he shall rebuke him, and he shall flee far off: and he shall be carried away as the dust of the mountains before the wind, and as a whirlwind before a tempest.
לְאֻמִּ֗ים כִּשְׁא֞וֹן מַ֤יִם רַבִּים֙ יִשָּׁא֔וּן וְגָ֥עַר בּ֖וֹ וְנָ֣ס מִמֶּרְחָ֑ק וְרֻדַּ֗ף כְּמֹ֤ץ הָרִים֙ לִפְנֵי־ר֔וּחַ וּכְגַלְגַּ֖ל לִפְנֵ֥י סוּפָֽה׃
4 Church Fathers comment on this verse
He intimidated them, causing them to flee. Some proclaim, ‘He will chase them to a great distance.’ They were scattered like particles of dust carried by the wind across the mountains, akin to debris swept up by a tempest. Observe how swiftly the triumph became apparent.
The Almighty God does not abandon the Israelites in their despair, as He is a compassionate Lord; instead, He frequently intertwines fear with the promise of hope, orchestrating events for the benefit of all who listen. It is clearly stated that their cities would face destruction, and the cause of their suffering is revealed: “Because thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and hast not mentioned the Lord thy helper.” However, the One who allows such afflictions promptly offers a remedy for healing.
This is illustrated by a significant incident which I will summarize briefly. While Hezekiah reigned in Jerusalem, Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, attacked the fortified cities of Judah. It is written, "And it came to pass, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord" (2 Kings 18:13). Following this, Sennacherib dispatched Rabsheka from Lachish to Jerusalem with hostile intent, and upon arrival, he began to mock the glory of God, our Savior, foolishly claiming that God could not save them despite His desire to do so (2 Kings 18:22, 30, etc.). Yet, this arrogant messenger learned through dire experience that it is perilous to defy the Supreme Glory, for an angel of the Lord emerged and laid waste to 185,000 enemy troops in a single night. When morning broke, all the lifeless bodies lay scattered (2 Kings 19:35).
When Sennacherib found his expectations thwarted, he fled in terror, barely escaping with his life. He returned to his palace where, not long after, he met his end at the hands of his own sons. It is recorded that he worshipped in his home at the altar of Nisroch, his forefather, and was slain by Adrammelech and Sharezer, his offspring (2 Kings 19:37).
In these accounts, the prophetic word serves as a reminder of this history, foretelling the Assyrian invasion and lamenting: “Woe to the multitude of many tongues!” It mourns their plight, reflecting on how they nearly perished in Jerusalem when the angel struck them down. It demonstrates that they were not a single people but rather a multitude, highlighted by their many languages. They descended upon the towns of Judea like a torrent of waters, surging forward with strength and creating a great clamor, resembling the restless sea rising in waves against its foes. Additionally, the scripture refers to them as the backbone of the many tongues, as numerous nations were oppressed by their cruelty, and the persecutors consistently pursued the weary.
And then what follows? “He shall cast him away,” indicating that he shall be repelled and pursued far from his land, just as easily as wind scatters ashes. What is more easily dispersed than dust under a wheel or from a threshing floor caught in a gust? The God of all humanity assures us of Sennacherib’s flight, declaring through Isaiah, “I will put a hook in thy nose, and I will put a bridle in thy mouth, and I will turn thee back by the way which thou camest” (Isaiah 37:29).
Woe to the throng of numerous nations, comparable to the tumult of the crashing sea, their clamor echoing like the ferocity of vast waters. The nations will roar as mighty floods, but He will confront them, causing them to retreat far and be swept away like dust from hills by the wind, as a tempest lifts debris into the air. In the evening, there will be chaos; by morning, they will not endure. Such is the destiny of those who laid waste to us, the portion of those who torment us. In reference to Damascus, we perceive the call to the Gentiles, the rejection of the Jews, and the selection of a remnant of believers from Israel by the apostles.
Considering the entirety of the world and its nations, a mere fraction of Christians has believed, of whom it is said: and the remnant of Syria shall be as the glory of the children of Israel: for many are called, but few are chosen (Matt. 22:14), and: not all have faith (2 Thess. 3:2). Therefore, the grief directed towards these nations, which resisted faith and persecuted believers, is not lamentation. They are likened to surging waves, to the noisy sea, striving to engulf all in its reach. For the nations will roar amidst the debauchery of theaters, the barbarity of the amphitheater, and the frenzy of the circus, resembling the tumult of waves in a flood, blasphemously uniting in a profane clamor, clamoring for Christians to be cast to lions and other beasts. Yet, as they rage like the sea, the Lord will confront the source of their uproar and expel it from His people. Just as dust raised on the mountains is carried away by strong winds, and as a whirlwind lifts from the earth with great speed, so shall he who is seized be separated from God’s people and flee, lest he be cast into the abyss. When the day of destruction arrives, symbolized by evening, confusion will ensue from the awareness of sin. In the morning, denoting resurrection, he will not stand, as the LXX renders it. And if he shall not endure, what could those say who envision repentance for the devil, promising him as high as the archangels? Such is the fate of those who have ravaged us, the destined lot of those who spoil us. This narrative pertains to the Christian community, or perhaps the prophet conveys the sentiments of believing individuals, for their persecutors—those who inflicted exile, imprisonment, and confiscated their belongings—are destined for eternal ruin and punishment.
Those who connect the aforementioned to the captivity of Damascus by the Romans relate it to the time of Christ and the Apostles, referring to the scripture: A man shall turn his eyes to his Creator, and his eyes shall be fixed on the Holy One of Israel. Further, they cite: Thou shalt plant an unfaithful garden, and an unfaithful seed; on the same day when thou shalt plant it, it shall be corrupted —interpreting this to address the disbelief of the Jews. The same passage we discussed is applied to the Gentiles as persecutors of the Church, and the subsequent declaration: He threatened them and they fled far away —here they refer to the devil, through an allegorical interpretation where desolation signifies the ruin of persecutors and demons. We maintain the established narrative while grounding it in historical context. Woe, he declares, to all the nations that opposed my people, whose assault was so immense it could be likened to the tides of the sea. When they arrive in fury to inundate my land, their prince Sennacherib will flee due to God’s admonition; and just as the dust scattered by the winds, and the whirlwind lifts in a storm, so he—despite his approach to Jerusalem and his siege—will be struck down by an angel, witnessing the destruction of his mighty army by morning. Such will be the fate of those who assault us. The prophet speaks this either on behalf of his people or by joining in their voice. We then read: And it came to pass in the night, and the angel of the Lord descended, and struck down one hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. They arose in the morning, and behold, all the dead bodies. And Sennacherib, King of Assyria, arose, departed, and returned to dwell in Nineveh.
Isaiah proclaims: Woe to the land that spreads its wings across the rivers of Cush, sending envoys over the seas in papyrus vessels! Swift messengers, come to a mighty and fierce people, a nation that has been formidable from its inception to the present, a civilization that overwhelms all in its path, whose territory is interspersed with rivers. This reflects us, who place our trust in the Son of God, and for this, we face persecution and oppression from the unbelievers and the wicked. The wings of the vessels symbolize the Church, while the sea represents the world, where the Church, like a ship amid tumultuous waters, encounters trouble yet remains unscathed. She is guided by a skilled navigator—Christ.
In her midst lies the triumphant emblem over death, the cross of our Lord, which she bravely bears. The vessel has a prow facing the east and a stern to the west, with her keel oriented towards noon; her two rudders represent the two covenants. The ropes that bind her are imbued with the love of Christ, which unites the Church. She also carries the bilge, representing the ‘bath of renewal’ that refreshes the faithful. Furthermore, she bears the fine, translucent cloth, signifying the Spirit from heaven, which seals believers to the Almighty. The iron anchors trailing her represent the holy commandments of Christ, steadfast as iron. On either side sail masters—the holy angels—who perpetually support and shield the Church. The ladder ascending to the mast symbolizes the sign of Christ's sufferings, drawing the faithful upwards to the heavens. The sails on the upper tier, raised upon the masts, are the assembly of prophets, martyrs, and apostles who rest in the kingdom of Christ.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS