Isaiah 30:20Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Lord will provide you with sustenance in times of trouble and refreshment when you are in want; although your afflictions have been few in this city, you will be set free from bondage in a distant land. Consequently, those who seek to flatter you will be unable to approach you: consider the value of discipline and the advantages of suffering. It is not stated that they will not tempt you, but rather that they will not draw near; you will remain beyond their reach and out of their grasp.

And the Lord will provide you with the bread of affliction and the limited waters: therefore, those who flatter you will not approach you, for your eyes will behold those who allure you, and your ears will perceive the enticing words spoken behind you, saying, This is the path, let us walk in it, whether upward or to the left. Our Lord Jesus Christ has become for us the bread of life; He declared, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven, and gives life to the world’ (John 6:48, 51). Additionally, He is the living water, not earthly and physical, but divine and spiritual.

Your ears will listen to the words coming from behind you. Instead of hearing the prophets addressing you directly, you will hear the voice of foreign nations, who will glorify God and urge you to place your faith in the One who rescued you from the Assyrians.

The Lord will provide you with a small amount of bread and water. Your teacher will no longer escape from you, and your eyes will behold your instructor. If we apply this to the era of Zerubbabel, the interpretation becomes clear — there will not be complete joy in His presence, echoing the words of David: When you restore the fortunes of Zion, we will be like those who dream (Psalms 126:1). This suggests that while they will not experience total and perfect comfort, they will receive a semblance of it. However, if this refers to the arrival of the Savior, then the meager bread and limited water signify the Gospel message, which, as indicated by the Apostle Paul and the prophet Isaiah, simplifies everything into one command: You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39). The ultimate and concise message was embodied by the Lord during His time on earth (Isaiah 10:23).

Allow your sources to pour forth in the streets and your waters to flow freely in the public squares, as stated in Proverbs 5:16. The prophet Isaiah proclaims: You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters remain abundant. Desolate places throughout the ages will be revitalized by your offspring; you will rebuild the foundations of countless generations, and they shall call you the restorer of the broken, the renewer of the paths for the people (Isaiah 58:11-12). You will also experience the blessedness that the same prophet promises. Consequently, not only will every aspect and thought of your heart be oriented toward the divine and eternal teachings found in God’s law, but your wandering and scattered mind will also be directed toward it.

He observed our transgressions and bore with them. The One who, prior to our misdeeds, prevented us from straying still remains, even after we have sinned, patient and ready to extend His mercy. This is the One whom we have scorned, yet He continues to beckon us. We may have turned away from Him, but He has not rejected us. Thus, it is aptly stated by Isaiah, "And thine eyes shall see thy teachers, and thine ears shall hear the word that speaketh behind thee." Man, created for holiness, was to be instructed in righteousness, yet when he disregarded these divine guidelines, it was as though he mentally turned his back on his Creator. Nevertheless, He continues to follow us and encourages us; despite our contempt, He does not cease to call us.