Isaiah 22:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

have vanished; yet some of those who were captured suffered cruel bondage: for Zedekiah was taken prisoner along with his children, whom the Babylonians executed, while he himself had his eyes gouged out before being carried off to his homeland. Hence, the delusion of relying on worldly means is highlighted, as expressed in the scriptures (Psalm 59:13), yet it is imperative to hold onto God alone, echoing the wise declaration: I will not trust in my bow, nor shall my sword deliver me (Psalm 43:7), for only the Lord of Hosts rescues those who cherish Him and frees them from all affliction, prompting them to rejoice and proclaim: You have delivered us from our oppressors, and you have put to shame those who despise us (Psalm 43:8).

For indeed, the leaders of false teachings have forsaken the Church of Christ and have moved to the assembly of Satan, aligning themselves in erroneous beliefs, together in their departure; they are ensnared by the bow referred to in the Psalm: “behold, the wicked have drawn the bow; they have made ready their arrows in the quiver to shoot in darkness at the upright in heart” (Psalm 10:2), launching various arrows from the devil that both injure and entrap. Thus, they are grievously bound, having closed their ears like deaf adders, unwilling to heed the calls of the enchanters or the wisely persuasive exhortations. Consequently, the Apostle Paul instructs that after a first admonition, the heretic should be rejected, as he has become corrupted and condemned by his own judgment. “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us” (1 John 2:19). The chief among these fleeing leaders is one whom Isaiah designates as a fleeing dragon, the great serpent, who ensnares the deceived by planting lethal words in their ears, binding them tightly so escape becomes impossible. From this trap, the saint rejoices in the Psalm, declaring, “My soul is like a bird escaped from the snare of the fowlers” (Psalm 123:7). In another Psalm, reflecting upon this liberation, it says, “You are my advocate and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust; for He will deliver me from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence” (Psalm 91:3).

Moreover, all who are found with you are equally ensnared, regardless of how far they might have fled. The LXX states, “And the courageous ones among you have fled far away.” Further insight comes from the prophet regarding the valley of Zion, where its inhabitants, in their vain pursuits, ascended to rooftops in alarm, wounded without engaging in battle, their leaders having fled in fear, and the courageous among them having gone far away. The more adept one is in heretical falsehoods, the further he strays from the Lord. Regarding the Hebrew phrase, “all who are found with you,” we must recognize that heretics may claim to discover those they have misled, yet such discovery leads to ruin. They find themselves ensnared and flee far away. I resist the notion that the distance which those who have fled may vary based on differing heresies, as Scripture states that all who fall into the clutches of heretics are equally ensnared and scatter far, which aligns with the words of our Lord: “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters” (Luke 11:23). Thus, it is noted that Moses alone approached God, while others did not; for to His saints, the Lord is a God who draws near, not one who remains afar off.