Therefore shall this iniquity be to you as a breach that falleth, and is found wanting in a high wall, for the destruction thereof shall come on a sudden, when it is not looked for.
לָכֵ֗ן יִֽהְיֶ֤ה לָכֶם֙ הֶעָוֺ֣ן הַזֶּ֔ה כְּפֶ֣רֶץ נֹפֵ֔ל נִבְעֶ֖ה בְּחוֹמָ֣ה נִשְׂגָּבָ֑ה אֲשֶׁר־פִּתְאֹ֥ם לְפֶ֖תַע יָב֥וֹא שִׁבְרָֽהּ׃
4 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Because of this, this transgression will be like a curse to you, akin to the defenses of a fortress. Truly, it is a significant wrongdoing to suffer due to the word of God; just as the walls of a strong city collapse, so too shall the one who endures torment.
He seeks to demonstrate that their refusal to heed the admonitions of the holy prophets will inevitably lead to great misfortune, as they place their faith in falsehoods and naively attempt to follow every whim that arises in their hearts. By disregarding the words of the prophets and dismissing them as deceptive, and wickedly proclaiming, Take away the word of the Lord from us; this transgression will encircle them like the walls of a besieged city, and it will occur swiftly; a city, which I liken to a fragile vessel of clay shattered into such tiny fragments that each piece loses its value, rendering it incapable of sustaining fire or even providing a meager supply of water. The disobedient, he implies through these expressions, will endure such afflictions and disasters that will lead them to an extraordinarily wretched state, with none among them able to evade this tragic fate.
For this reason, this transgression will be like a fissure poised to collapse, and like an elevated barrier that is destined to succumb; it will indeed falter at a divinely appointed moment, when adversaries advance, assault, and overwhelm.
Thus declares the Lord, the Holy One of Israel: Since you have dismissed this message and placed your trust in injustice and empty bravado, relying on these, your transgression will be like a crack in a lofty wall, threatening to give way; unexpectedly, it will meet with destruction. It will shatter like a fragile vessel, broken with great force, leaving behind not a single shard to kindle a fire from the hearth or to draw even a bit of water from the well. For you have stated, “Let the Holy One of Israel depart from our presence,” or, as the Seventy translators put it, “Remove the word of Israel from us.” Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel—this stands in contrast to your wish to perceive Him merely as a stern judge, whom you have scorned even as He sought your counsel in mercy.
You placed your faith in the deceit and falsehood of the Egyptians, entrusting yourselves to their empty bravado and pride, as Simmachus and Theodotion have expressed; hence this iniquity will be laid upon you, like a strong and conquered city's wall collapsing unexpectedly in ruin, as the LXX translates. The original Hebrew conveys that, like the challenge of mending a high wall with significant damage while restoring its former beauty, sudden devastation shall come upon you. To illustrate further: consider an earthen vessel that, when shattering due to considerable force, breaks into such small pieces that hardly any fragment remains to ignite a fire or gather water from a hollow or pool; similarly, when you retreat to Egypt under the persecution of Nebuchadnezzar, you will face demise and destruction. Moreover, the heretics, along with any teachings opposed to the truth, turn to unrighteousness and falsehood, murmuring, as the Seventy translators note, against their Creator. Thus, the city of iniquity, founded by Cain, shall face ruin, with sudden devastation at hand as it falls to the men of the church, resulting in such complete destruction that nothing will remain to rekindle the extinguished fire or provide even a drop of impure water to the parched nations.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS