Isaiah 22:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

However, the people of Judah, in their profound ignorance, believed themselves invincible against their adversaries and thought that no one would dare challenge them. They were convinced they would live in peace and prosperity, despite their transgressions against God and their grave iniquities; for they worshipped idols, constructed temples and altars beneath oaks and poplars, made sacrifices to empty deities, and neglected the adoration due to the one true God. Consequently, through the prophet Jeremiah, the Lord admonished them about Jerusalem, stating, “Do not say, ‘The temple of the Lord is the temple of the Lord’” (Jeremiah 7:4). He urged them to amend their actions and their thoughts, warning that if they did not, he would render this house like Shiloh (Jeremiah 26:6). Furthermore, God, through Micah the prophet, denounced them: “Their rulers judge for a bribe, their priests teach for a price, and their prophets tell fortunes for money; yet they lean on the Lord and say, ‘Is not the Lord among us?’” (Micah 3:11). Therefore, God declared that their cherished Zion would be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem would become a heap of ruins, like a watchtower in a vineyard (Micah 3:12). The judgment of God is imminent for those who persist in sin, a warning echoed by John the Baptist when he asked, “Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The axe has been laid to the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:7-10). Given Israel's unrestrained tendency toward vice and its commitment to false idol worship, God, through His prophet, foretold the impending captivity of Jerusalem. He asked, “What does it matter to you that all the empty temples have come forth? The city of those who wail will be filled; your wounds will not be healed by swords, but your dead will fall in battle.” This evidently highlights the devastation that occurred during the reign of Jechoniah. God rebuked the Israelites for their refusal to do what could have earned them His favor amidst overwhelming calamity; they should have entered His house with sorrow, repenting and seeking forgiveness for their insolence. He had instructed them through a holy prophet: “Weep, weep, you servants of the altar; enter in, lie in your tents, you servants of God, for the offerings and libations have been taken from the house of your God; consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly, gather the elders and all who dwell in the land to the house of your God, and cry out to the Lord, ‘Alas for the day’” (Joel 1:13-15). This was their path to appease the wrath of the Savior. Yet, they may not have understood what must be done; instead, they retreated to the highest parts of their homes, while cries and wails arose from children perishing, perhaps from hunger and thirst, a common fate during sieges. Thus, God questioned, “What does it matter to you that all have come to the empty temples?” He pointed out that in severe danger, when their lives were at stake, they did not call out to Him but hid within their homes, which would be of no assistance. Hence, He deemed those houses as vain. Why were the cries so numerous? They did not raise their voices to God but lamented over emptiness, aggravating Him while calamity loomed. He expected genuine sorrow and tears directed toward God. “Behold,” he declared, “before the battle commenced, before the sword was drawn, and before thoughts of resistance arose, the city was already full of the dead.” It is essential to know the correct actions for deliverance, so that during severe trials, we may find God as our refuge. That is why the blessed David sang: “Lord God of hosts, blessed is the man who puts his trust in You” (Psalm 84:12). It should be acknowledged that the term "wilderness of Zion" refers to Jerusalem, which lies at the foot of Zion, the mountain from which it derives its name.

The burden of the valley of vision. The Septuagint, although this phrase is absent from the Hebrew text, translated it more comprehensively as the word concerning the valley of Zion. This city serves as the cradle of prophets, where the temple was erected, and many revelations from the Lord occurred. Therefore, since Zion exists among other nations and is regarded as one among many, it is not simply identified as a city. Instead, the prophet states, 'Its foundations are on the holy mountains; the Lord cherishes the gates of Zion more than all the settlements of Jacob' (Psalm 86:1-2), referring to it as a valley due to its humiliation. Jeremiah expresses a similar sentiment when he took a cup filled with wine to all nations and ultimately served it to Jerusalem, which drank, spewed, fell, and went mad, indicating that it too would be laid waste by the Babylonians (Jer. 25). The narrative of the books of Kings and Jeremiah elaborates on this. We discern that God is the impartial creator of all, orchestrating everything by a singular judgment, as He states through Amos, 'Are you not as the sons of Cush to Me, O children of Israel? says the Lord. Did I not bring Israel up from the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir? Behold, the eyes of the Lord are upon the sinful kingdom' (Am. 9:7-8). To prevent the Jews from assuming they possess superiority due to their deliverance from Egypt, He indicates that other peoples were equally removed from their lands according to His decree. What then troubles you, that you too have all ascended to the rooftops, a clamor-filled, bustling city, a city of rejoicing? A Jewish perspective suggests that this vision does not pertain to the time when Nebuchadnezzar seized Jerusalem, capturing and blinding Zedekiah in Babylon, but reflects the era of Sennacherib, when the high priest Sobnah betrayed much of the city, leaving only Zion, the fortress, the temple, and the nobles, similar to Rome during the Gauls' invasion. We might also relate this to the Babylonian exile, although Eusebius interprets it in light of Christ’s coming during the times of Vespasian and Titus. Let us, however, succinctly explore the threefold interpretation. What is this about you? What is it with you, Zion, that you too have ascended to the rooftops? By mentioning 'you too,' it suggests that others have ascended prior to you. Are you placed alongside other nations, besieged by enemies and climbing to the rooftops, filled with the cries and lamentations of miserable women, once a royal city?

The burden of the valley of vision. The Septuagint translates this as the word concerning the valley of Zion. According to the book of Hebrew Names, Zion signifies a watchtower elevated to observe events occurring afar off. Consequently, since Zion, viewed through the lens of typology, must represent the Church—as noted in the second Psalm, declaring, 'But I have been made king by Him over Zion, His holy mountain' (Ps. 2:6), and 'Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion' (Ps. 124:1)—the inquiry arises: why is it referred to as the valley of Zion in this vision? Such a depiction leads us to a deeper spiritual exploration, revealing that all the leaders of erroneous doctrines, who have fallen from the lofty understanding of the Holy Scriptures and have been reduced to a state of humility, find themselves in the valley of Zion. Solomon echoes this sentiment in Proverbs: 'The eye that mocks a father and despises a mother's old age, let the ravens of the valley pluck it out, and the young eagles eat it' (Proverbs 30:17). For as soon as the mindset of heretics rebels against the Creator-Father while disregarding the venerable age of the Church-Mother, they are immediately seized by vile and unclean creatures representing malevolent powers. Such individuals, lacking spiritual insight, cannot proclaim, 'I lift up my eyes to the mountains; where does my help come from?' (Psalm 120:1), but like beastly creatures, they remain shackled to worldly matters. What, then, has happened to you that you too have ascended to the rooftops? The Septuagint clarifies: What has now come upon you that you have all ascended to the rooftops of the vain? The inquiry in the books of Kings, as rendered by the Septuagint, regarding Elisha's words (2 Kings 2:14), shifts in this context to: what is implied by the current state, expressed in Hebrew as 'now,' while Aquila, aiming to adhere closely to the Hebrew style, rendered it differently, a nuance the Latin cannot fully convey. When he asks, 'What is also with you?' he probes why he too climbs alongside others, suggesting that he too assumes a lowly condition. This implies that when philosophers are scorned, and all worldly wisdom engaging in profound discussions belittles the simplicity of the Church, why do you also strive for heights, which the LXX aptly refers to as δώματα μάταια, meaning roofs of vain pursuits, indicating that there exists another roof from which the Saviour instructs not to descend (Matt. 24), though it is not a vain roof. Moreover, the Apostle Peter ascends to the roof during the sixth hour of prayer (Acts 10). The reference to multiple roofs illustrates the diverse array of heresies. A noisy city, a bustling city, a city of exuberance. The Septuagint notes: a city filled with shouting, a jubilant city. The doctrine upheld by heretics is devoid of substance, relying instead heavily on chatter and outcry. Thus, due to the multitude of the deceived, the city is deemed crowded, and because of pride, it is celebratory. In arrogance, heretics boast, claiming to have unveiled profound truths. Your slain were not killed by the sword, nor did they die in battle. The Septuagint states: your wounded were not injured by the sword, nor did your dead perish in war. The majority succumb to the lures of heretics without resistance or struggle, forming a significant proportion. Therefore, those who faced destruction, or as translated by the Septuagint, were wounded, in the valley of Zion, were not slain by the sword, but willingly aligned themselves with the heretics; contrasted with those bested after battle, these willing converts suffer greater wounds and demise. Similarly, during martyrdom, one who capitulated post-execution bears lesser culpability compared to one who voluntarily turned from Christ without coercion, enduring the torments willingly.