Isaiah 22:11Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Instead, they intensified the anger that was upon them, vexing God, the sovereign of all, and provoking Him further, as they disregarded Him and did not place their faith in Him, believing they could overpower their adversaries through mere human effort. For they claimed that after counting the houses within the city and assessing the stored water, they saw that the resources were plentiful, and they drew water from the ancient reservoir into the city via canals, convinced they would have enough for however long the siege might last. Furthermore, they destroyed the houses and reinforced the city's walls. Yet you shall neither regard Him who established it at first nor see Him who created it. It would have been wise, he argues, to place their hope not in their own strength or fortune, but rather in the One who has always served as a fortress for the holy city; as it is written, the mountains surround it, and the Lord surrounds His people (Psalms 124:2). This was also proclaimed to him by the prophet, who stated: I will be to it, saith the Lord, a wall of fire round about, and in glory I will be in the midst of it (Zechariah 2:5). However, you have disregarded this and scorned what could have come from God, acting as if you had no need for a higher assistance, placing your trust foolishly in mere stone edifices. It would be far more beneficial for you to call upon the invincible right hand for help, seeking what comes from the compassion and graciousness of God, addressing Him as Saviour and Redeemer, and shedding tears of repentance with such a mindset.

In essence, it suggests that they began to depend more on human actions than on God, the Creator of humanity. Some understand the old pond as a representation of the law, interpreting that between the two walls—the old and new covenants—there exists a well that cannot retain water, constructed by the Pharisees. They failed to direct their gaze towards the Son of God and did not believe in the one whose coming had long been awaited, as they remained unfaithful to the commandments of the Lord.

You observed, behold the breaches in the city of David, referring to the church, where divisions have proliferated throughout the world. You gathered the waters from your lower pond and doctrine, neglecting the upper waters, and marked or dismantled the homes of Jerusalem to fortify your defense. Instead of digging wells of living and eternal water, you've created unstable ponds that cannot hold water. You have situated them between the two covenants, old and new, disregarding the waters of the old covenant and neglecting the lawgiver, God, having overlooked the Creator of the world. This speaks to the Hebrews. In relation to the LXX, the heretics observed their multitude and, placing their trust in numbers, expelled from the city of God—namely, the church—the doctrine of the old covenant, destroying the houses of Jerusalem to erect the councils of the wicked. In rejecting the old covenant, they also failed to embrace the new, which is validated by the testimony of the old covenant. Thus, between the two walls, they devised new waters, believing these to contain deeper mysteries than those found in the Old Testament, failing to acknowledge God, the Creator of the Old Testament, or even wishing to recognize Him from afar.