Isaiah 28:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

This state does not originate solely from wine, but also from being inflamed by anger and immoral desires. Just as fever can lead to sleeplessness, fatigue, and despair, resulting in various ailments, intoxication may arise from wine, lust, and other sources, and the resulting affliction is the same. Therefore, let us refrain from drunkenness. I do not mean to suggest that we should avoid wine altogether, but rather that we should eschew drunkenness. Wine itself, being a creation of God, cannot be the source of wickedness. It is the corrupted will that leads to intoxication. To further emphasize that one can become inebriated in ways beyond wine, consider what Paul instructs: “Do not be drunk with wine” indicates the possibility of alternative forms of inebriation and adds, “in which is debauchery” (Eph. 5:18). This serves as a solemn admonition to those who indulge excessively in wine, especially in light of the resurrection.

Thus, as far as their actions permitted, they were responsible for the death of the Prince of Life. Yet He triumphed over death by rising again, for He is life by nature, even while in the flesh. Therefore, woe be to the crown of pride. They are referred to as a crown because they represented a portion of Israel's glory, characterized by their priestly privileges and positioned of authority. However, they failed to uphold the noble responsibilities inherent in their roles; instead, they descended into pride, leading to their disgrace and guilt, wilting like a flower. They were likened to the hirelings of Ephraim. Judas is called Ephraim due to his tribal affiliation, as the Jewish synagogue rulers employed him to execute their deceptive plans, including the betrayal of their teacher. Thus, woe to the crown of pride—the rulers who recruited Ephraim. Because of their transgressions, they became like a flower stripped of glory. Just as a flower's beauty lies in its vitality and presence, the same principle applies to us. While we retain what is true to our nature, we maintain the integrity of our souls' beauty; but when we stray towards what is not genuine, we resemble a flower that has lost its honor. Such was the case for the scribes and Pharisees, who wounded Christ through their thoughts, words, and intentions. But where then was the flower of their lost glory, and how were they severed from their inheritance? It was situated on a mountain of fat—Israel is described as a mountain of fat, indulging in pleasures, exalted by God, highlighted for His calling as in Isaiah 1:2. Divine Scripture often metaphorically compares the Jewish heritage to a glorious mountain, such as Jerusalem. They were elevated as a flower atop a mountain, presiding over all as rulers granted the law to govern. Yet they were intoxicated without wine; their vine originated from Sodom, their branches from Gomorrah—their clusters were filled with malice, bitterness, and the wrath of unhealed dragons. Their drunkenness stemmed not from physical wine but from indulging in the intoxicating drink of uncontrollable wrath, saturating their souls with diabolical hardness.

First, let us interpret this passage in a historical context, then as an allegory, and finally through prophetic insight. The divine message speaks against the ten tribes that held dominion in Samaria, which were termed Ephraim after Jeroboam, a member of that tribe. They are referred to as a crown of pride due to their superior numbers and might compared to the two tribes designated as Judah. They are labeled the inebriates of Ephraim because they fail to recognize their Creator, choosing instead to worship golden idols in Dan and Bethel. Once, they basked in the glory of the Lord during the reigns of David and Solomon when the twelve tribes worshipped in the temple of Jerusalem, situated atop a bounteous valley, known in Hebrew as de ge semanim. This valley is the same site where the Lord was betrayed.

They are inebriated with the wine of error and delusion that Jeroboam has laid out for them. Consequently, the Lord warns them of punishment, stating that like a whirlwind of hail that obliterates all in its path, and as flooding waters sweep away anything in their way, so shall they be devastated by the Assyrian army, and those who remain shall be taken away into the mountains or Midian cities. The majesty of the ten tribes is akin to a garland of vibrant colors, so beautiful that just as a man might seize a fig prematurely from a tree, he will consume it immediately. Likewise, when the Assyrian encounters the ten tribes, he will lay waste to them entirely, leaving nothing of the former inhabitants of Samaria.

This interpretation reflects the historical context. Now, shifting to the allegorical interpretation, as explained by the prophet Hosea, Ephraim, Joseph, Samaria, and the ten tribes that separated from the community of the twelve tribes are deemed heretics. These individuals, blaspheming the Lord in truth, form what the Seventy translated as a crown of offense, engaging solely for personal gain, having fallen from the glory of the Lord, neglecting the modesty of manna and the humility of the church, while dwelling upon a prosperous mountain in a drunken stupor without wine.

Hence, the fierce fury of the Lord, aimed at punishing them, is likened to a swift hailstorm, not merely striking rooftops but striking the heads of the people, and to great floods sweeping away everything in their wake. This garland of insult identifies the hirelings of Ephraim as those who, as the Apostle states, have strayed from the color, hope, and glory of their former faith, living in pride and becoming the favorite prey of the devil, who relentlessly consumes them.

In prophetic terms, it refers to the scribes of the Pharisees, who blasphemed the Lord, being described as a crown of offense. They are linked to Judas, of the tribe of Ephraim, who betrayed the Lord for monetary gain. He, truly the embodiment of apostolic glory, fell in a rich valley that echoes the words, "Jacob ate and drank, and was satisfied, and became dull, and rebelled against the Beloved." This valley, identified as tukov or Gessemanim, is noted for its fertility and for the very scribes and Pharisees who brought the Lord there. The Psalm states, "The young men of the fat have overpowered me."

This valley of Gessemanim is mentioned twice in this section, raising questions about why the LXX describes it first as a mountain of clouds and then as a mountain of high places. The betrayer was intoxicated, not by wine but by greed and malice akin to the biting asp, driven by the feast of the devil that entered him after he had eaten a morsel. He became utterly consumed, as his prayers turned into sin, and even his repentance yielded no salvific fruit.

The Hebrew term sacchore is ambiguous, implying both drunkenness and mercenary. Hence, Issachar translates as bounty, a sachar meaning intoxication; other translators render it as drunkenness, while only the LXX refers to them as mercenaries.

They recognize the inevitability of death, witnessing that no one takes possessions into the afterlife. Nevertheless, they obsess over accumulating wealth, expanding their land, constructing grand homes, and seeking honor and vanity—as if they alone will remain in this world forever. ‘But God said to him, ‘Madman! This night your soul will be taken from you; to whom shall the things you have prepared be given?’ (Lk. 12:20). Indeed, such a person is foolish, deserving of mockery and, even more so, lamentation! Suppose someone was far from home, preparing to return to their homeland but had amassed vast possessions elsewhere—would they not be considered ludicrous? Those observing their actions would certainly convey, ‘You will leave all of this behind; why do you hoard so much?’ Just as absurd is the individual who accumulates wealth in this life yet understands they must surrender it all soon. This is a state of intoxication, not from the effects of wine or strong drink but from a love of the world, which has so clouded their judgment that they are unaware of their folly. While drunkenness from wine is serious, this form is far worse. The one intoxicated by wine can be brought to clarity with relative ease, but those consumed by worldly desires find it exceedingly difficult to regain their senses. The cravings that dwell within them lead them into madness, constantly providing justifications for their excess, for the sake of family, the desire for safety in old age, and the pursuit of honor and wealth. Yet, what purpose do these riches serve? Why pursue extravagant garments, opulent homes, lavish meals, servants, fine horses, carriages, diamonds, and other fleeting treasures? O intoxicated soul, not from wine but from the lust for worldly vanity! Open your eyes and observe those who were once like you. Where is their wealth now? Where is their honor and glory? Where are their extravagant desires and inflated pride? All vanished when the world turned away from them or—worse yet—left them against their will. They faced the same fate as those who indulge in dreams only to awaken to find their hands empty, parched with thirst. Those who were intoxicated by the vanity of the world lived as if in a dream, gathering much and indulging, but upon death and even more so after, they saw themselves as beggars, longing for a mere drop of water yet receiving none. They hear the response, ‘Child! Remember that you have already received your good things in your life’ (Luke 16:25). The empty repentance of the wicked comes upon them, but it is too late: ‘What good has pride done us, and what has riches with vanity brought us? All this has passed away as a shadow and as fleeting rumor. Just as a ship leaves no trace as it glides over water or as a bird's flight leaves no sign, so too we were born and died, unable to show any evidence of virtue, having perished in our wickedness’ (Prem. 5:8-13). Take heed to avoid falling into the same late and fruitless repentance. The wise and blessed person learns from the misfortunes of others to steer clear of trouble.