Isaiah 29:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Yet they heard Christ clearly proclaim, "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12), and were urged to walk in that light so that darkness would not overtake them (John 12:35). When confronted with these sacred words, rather than growing wiser or more virtuous, they became increasingly hard-hearted and rebellious. Consequently, they fell deeper into darkness and, in an uncharacteristic indulgence, lost all sense of prudence, swaying into shameful acts as if overcome by wine. In this context, it is said to them, “Be at ease and be agitated, be intoxicated, but not with sweet syrup or wine. It is not mere wine or a fermented beverage that clouds the mind, but rather the distressing effects of affliction and the numbing that stems from divine displeasure.” This, I believe, is reflected in the statement, "And thou shalt shut their eyes, as well as the eyes of their prophets and princes, to the things that are hidden." He refers to those in ancient times, wise in the law, who grasped the beauty of truth but only in shadowy glimpses, and who partially understood the messages of the holy prophets. They will be stripped of this wisdom; God will blind their understanding, which once perceived those hidden truths. This fate will befall both the ruler and the priest. The term 'prophets' was attributed to those dedicated to the study of the sacred teachings; among the Jews, figures like Gamaliel held such esteemed knowledge of the laws and were well-regarded as teachers.

The inability of the Jews to believe was foretold by the prophet Isaiah, and his prophecy arose because God, in His foreknowledge, knew this would come to pass. If questioned as to why they were incapable of faith, I would promptly reply—because they did not desire to have it. God foresaw their wicked intentions, revealing this through His prophet, as One from whom the future is never concealed. You may argue that the prophet presents a rationale devoid of human will. What rationale does he provide? God has bestowed upon their minds a spirit of slumber, eyes they cannot see with, and ears they cannot hear with, purposely blinding their eyes and hardening their hearts. I would assert that their will rightfully incurred this fate.

God blinds and hardens individuals by withdrawing support and offering no aid; His actions may align with His hidden judgments which, nonetheless, cannot be deemed unjust. This overarching principle is meant to uphold the integrity of believers' faith, as the apostle himself queried regarding this challenging dilemma: "What shall we say? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not" (Rom. 9:14). Since it is unfathomable that there should be injustice with God, when He offers aid, it stems from His mercy, and when He withholds assistance, it is a just act. He does not act randomly, but rather according to His divine judgment. If the judgments of saints are just, how much more so are the judgments of the holy and righteous God? Thus, while they are just, they remain concealed.

Instead of the spirit of slumber, the LXX offers the term brokenness; Theodotion uses mindfulness; Aquila translates it as καταφορά, signifying a deep rest, known in Hebrew as thardema, which God placed upon Adam (Gen. 2), when a woman was formed from a rib taken from his side. In a similar manner, Jonah rested while on the ship (Jon. 1:5). The entirety of the prophecy concerning the ruin of Jerusalem and the temple, namely Ariel, points towards the scribes and Pharisees, who, despite holding the key of knowledge, neither enter in themselves nor permit others to do so. They are instructed that, from wonder and astonishment, or more accurately as per the LXX, from the loosening of both body and spirit, they will be inebriated and will stagger, not from wine or mourning garments, but from the slumber or brokenness imposed by the Lord, so that upon realizing their wrongdoings, they may repent, saying with the prophet, I am troubled by my sin, when I recognize my transgression (Psalm 31:4). Therefore, understand, O scribes and Pharisees, leaders of the Jewish people, that the Lord will repay you according to your deeds. For you listened to the Lord your Savior but chose not to understand, closing your eyes so that you could not see Him, and straining your ears so that you could not hear. Thus, He will also shut your eyes, that is, the prophets through whom you acquired the knowledge of God. He will close your eyes and those prophets who are your leaders. The law and the prophets were in effect until John the Baptist (Luke 16:16), so that those who are blind may see, as confirmed by the following message: and on that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and the eyes of the blind will see (v. 18). For the Lord came in judgment; that is, the Jews who see will remain blind, while those who were previously blind, namely the Gentiles, will see and recognize the Lord (John 9:39). Therefore, He did not explicitly state that the visions of all the prophets shall be sealed to everyone who reads them; rather, He indicates that it will be sealed to you to whom I am currently speaking, to whom I prophesy, or who will have their leaders' eyes closed forever—those who, according to the Seventy, prided themselves on having seen the hidden and secret matters. And it shall come to pass that all the Holy Scriptures will be enclosed and sealed for you, so that you who presume to possess knowledge of the Law and the prophetic foreshadowing, and who tirelessly engage with the Holy Scriptures, will not comprehend what you are reading; as it is written in the Revelation of John: Who is worthy to open the scroll, and to break its seals (Rev. 5:2)? When no one was found who could break the seals, John wept, until he was blessed by the words of God, saying, 'Weep not, for the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed, to open the scroll and to unseal its seals' (ibid., v. 5). The Lion of the tribe of Judah is the Lord Jesus Christ, who broke the seals of the scroll—not just those of the psalms of David, as many presume, but of all the Scriptures, which are authored by one Holy Spirit, thus referred to as a single book. Ezekiel affirms this in a mysterious phrase, stating that it is written inside and outside (Ezekiel 2:10), in accordance with its meaning and letter. (Psalms 39:8) It is not just in the book of Jeremiah or Isaiah, but in the entirety of the Holy Scriptures, which is recognized as one book. Consequently, while the Jewish teachers to this day cannot read and unlock the seals and unveil the mysteries of the Scriptures, if this scroll is handed to those unlearned, who are consumed by their educators, they acknowledge their lack of understanding of the writings, hence cannot read. Yet, it is far more commendable to admit one’s ignorance of the Law than to misrepresent wisdom and be at a loss for interpreting what it conveys.

Can you, dear brother, consider it a trivial matter before God, a minor infraction, that they are prevented from acknowledging the magnitude of an offended God, from sensing the intensity of His fury, the flames, and the coming day of the Lord? Through this negligence, along with the impending arrival of the Antichrist, the faith of the Church Militant is rendered powerless, as the reverence and authority of Christ are diminished?