Isaiah 30:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He seeks to illustrate that their refusal to heed the warnings of the holy prophets will inevitably result in grave disaster for them, as they place their faith in falsehoods and foolishly attempt to follow their errant thoughts. Since you have disregarded the messages of the prophets, dismissing them as illusions and wickedly demanding the removal of the Lord's word from you; this transgression will descend upon you like the wall of a besieged city, and it will come swiftly, indeed in a brief time; a city, I assert, shattered like a clay vessel reduced to such tiny fragments that each piece becomes worthless, unable to kindle a fire or deplete its meager supply of water. The disobedient, he implies, will endure such punishments and tribulations that will lead them to a state of profound misery, with no one among them escaping this dire fate.

Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel: Because you have disregarded this message and placed your trust in injustice and excitement, relying on these, your sin will be like a fissure in a lofty wall, at risk of collapse; it will bring about sudden ruin when you least expect it. It shall be shattered like a fragile vessel smashed violently, leaving no remnants large enough to use for kindling or even to dip water from a pool. For you have declared, "Let the Holy One of Israel be removed from our sight," or, as the Seventy translate, "Take the word of Israel away from us." Therefore, the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, speaks against your desire to perceive Him as a punisher, whom you scorned while He sought to guide you.