Isaiah 28:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Therefore, it will come as a flood inundating the entire land, unmistakably the land of Judah. There will be great devastation, resulting in a silence upon the earth. What kind of silence? A silence of hands and feet. The essence of these words conveys this message: those capable of swimming, if the waters are calm and navigable, may stretch out their limbs and make modest efforts to evade the peril of drowning; but if the currents become fiercely unstoppable, the individual caught in it may cease to swim altogether, seemingly relieved of effort, but inevitably submerged in the waters and destined to drown. The prophet thus, in a sense, employs mockery and irony here, stating that the waters will bring a stillness upon the earth—a stillness of hands and feet. It is as if he is saying, let no one strive in vain to avert the impending disaster that will soon engulf everyone; it will arrive with such speed that it will be completely unavoidable, rendering the struggles of those who attempt to resist futile. No one will be able to swim, and everyone, against their desire, will find themselves swept away by the powerful and unyielding hand of the Roman army. Then, the crown of arrogance will be crushed, meaning the crown of pride will be trodden underfoot, symbolized by the nymphs of Ephraim; and we understand who they are from the preceding explanations.

First, let us interpret this in a historical context, followed by an allegorical interpretation, and lastly, a prophetic understanding. The divine message speaks against the ten tribes that governed in Samaria, notably from Jeroboam of Ephraim. Thus, they are called Ephraim. They are labeled a crown of haughtiness due to their numerical and physical prominence over the two tribes of Judah. They are further described as the drunkards of Ephraim for their failure to recognize their Creator, choosing instead to venerate golden calves in Dan and Bethel. They were once adorned in the glory of the Lord during the reigns of David and Solomon while the twelve tribes worshipped at the temple in Jerusalem, situated on a fertile valley known in Hebrew as ge semanim (גיא-שמנים), the location where the Lord was betrayed.

They are intoxicated by the wine of delusion and folly that Jeroboam has set before them. Thus, the Lord threatens them with retribution; like a hailstorm that shatters everything in its path, and floodwaters that sweep away everything they encounter, so too will they face destruction by the Assyrian army, with remnants taken to the mountains or cities of Midian. The glory of the ten tribes is likened to a vibrant garland, breathtaking in its beauty. Just as a person might immediately consume a prematurely ripening fig (πρόδρομον) upon sight, so the Assyrian will invade, obliterating what remains of the people of Samaria.

Now we turn to the allegory. As explicated by the prophet Hosea, Ephraim, Jacob, and Samaria, along with the ten tribes who split from the other twelve and abandoned the temple of the Lord, are categorized among the heretics. These latter-day blasphemers, as noted in the translation of the Seventy, are a crown of reproach, acting purely for selfish gain, having turned away from the Lord's glory, disregarding the simplicity of manna and the humility of divine assembly, instead dwelling on a bountiful mountain, intoxicated without wine.

Consequently, the fierce wrath of the Lord, poised to enact judgment, is depicted as a swift hailstorm, striking not roofs but the heads of the mortals below, alongside vast floods that engulf all in their path. The wreath of disgrace references those hirelings of Ephraim, who, as noted by the Apostle, have abandoned their faith’s former color and hope (Titus 1:11), remaining ensnared in pride and becoming easy prey for the devil, who continually devours them (1 Peter 5:8). From a prophetic viewpoint, one might argue that the scribes and Pharisees, who blasphemed the Lord, are depicted as a crown of offense. They are identified as Ephraim’s hirelings, stemming from Judas, also of Ephraim, who betrayed the Lord for profit.

He, being the true bloom of apostolic honor, fell upon a lush mountain, as it is written, "Jacob ate and drank, and was satiated, and grew dull and rebelled against the beloved" (Deuteronomy 32:13). Referring to the valley of tukov, or Gessemanim (גיא-שמנים), a name tied to the location of Judas' betrayal of the Lord, this fertile valley is noted in association with the scribes and Pharisees who brought the Lord there, as expressed in the Psalm, "The strong men of the fat have overpowered me" (Psalm 21:13).

This clouded valley, known as Gessemanim, is mentioned twice; it is curious how the LXX refers to it first as a mountain of clouds and later a mountain of heights. The betrayer was not intoxicated with wine, but with greed, the venom of a serpent, and with diabolical sustenance that entered him following a morsel of bread (John 18:27). He was thoroughly consumed by it; his prayers had become sinful (Psalm 108:7), and his regret bore no fruit of salvation (Matthew 27:3-5). The Hebrew term sacchore (שכורי) carries a dual meaning, signifying both drunkenness and mercenary intent. Hence, Issachar is rendered as one of bounty and also, as in μέθοσμα, indicating intoxication; while other translations present it as drunkenness, only the LXX interprets it as mercenaries.