Isaiah 19:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Thus, he regarded the wise men of Tanes as false prophets, along with those who performed rituals in the temples, revealing the utter misery of those who boasted of their sorcery through their very failures.

“How can you claim to the king, ‘We are the offspring of the wise, descendants of ancient kings’? Where are your wise men now? Let them come forward and declare: What will befall Egypt from the Lord of hosts? For what merit will you present to lift your head? What assistance have you offered to the Egyptians that would inspire them to admire you? What counsel have you provided to persuade the king of your lineage as wise men, seeking to be recognized as sorcerers, claiming descent from those skilled in the dark arts? They once wielded considerable influence across the land and basked in fame among idol worshipers; they were frequently the chief advisors to the rulers and maintained close relations with them, as they typically offered guidance on matters aligned with the directives of false gods. When you demonstrate yourselves to be deceivers and ignorant of reality, how can you assert to the king, ‘We are the progeny of the wise, the heirs of ancient monarchs’? This proclamation serves as a prophetic indication pointing to those who seem wise. It turns then to the leader of the people, asking, Where are your wise men now? Let them declare unto you what the Lord of hosts shall bring upon Egypt. If they are indeed not liars or charlatans, but speak genuinely, hearken to them about the perils that swiftly approach according to the Lord of hosts’ will. The prophetic voice, as it were, ridicules those lacking knowledge of God, enveloped in darkness due to their idolatrous ties. It is deeply troubling, indeed utterly futile, to place trust in the illusions of fraudulent diviners.

Unaware of the future or the calamities ordained by God, they use their misleading prophecies as a guise for monetary gain, falsely asserting that the gods heed their pleas, sharing only what aligns with their desires and deceiving those who follow them. They predict only what individuals wish to hear, focusing solely on what they think will please their audience. The divine law warns us to avoid such individuals, commanding, “When you enter the land which the Lord your God is giving you, do not adopt the detestable customs of those nations: Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, casts spells, or consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 18:9-12). Furthermore, it states, “You must be blameless before the Lord your God. Nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery and divination, but as for you, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do so. The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to him” (Deuteronomy 18:13-16). For the one who heeds divination and omens, the lies of sorcerers, will find no love for God and will lack the virtues of godliness. In contrast, one who pays attention to the truths of the Gospel and acknowledges the veracity of Christ’s teachings will be genuinely filled with hope; for He is the Lord of the prophets and the source of all knowledge, though recognized as a prophet for his humanity.