Isaiah 30:6Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He mentions the lionesses and lions, asps and flying serpents, to penetrate their hearts, illustrating that wicked offspring emerged from righteous lineage. You bring me shame, he asserts, yet you also elevate my glory in the sight of my adversaries. The righteous are as confident as lions (cf. Proverbs 28:1), while the lawless are engulfed in disorder and lack the heart to stand firm.

If he uses the term "hovering," it likely denotes those who are swift to engage in indecent acts. Those who turn away from the love of God and proclaim to a tree, "You are my father," and to a stone, "You brought me forth" (Jeremiah 2:27), thereby honoring the works of their own hands, are indeed considered evil and exceedingly wicked. They transported their remaining wealth on donkeys and camels to people who offered no assistance, serving only as a source of chastisement and scorn. This proved to be utterly futile for them, and their anticipated consolation—the help they hoped to acquire—was in vain. In fact, they perished alongside the inhabitants of Egypt when Nebuchadnezzar also conquered that land. Truly, it is a dire situation to be at odds with God, for when He sends His wrath upon anyone, all counsel is rendered useless; nothing can rescue those upon whom His anger rests. Who can withstand His mighty hand? As it is written (Isaiah 14:27).

It foretells an event chronicled in the book of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 41) in the aftermath of Jerusalem's destruction and the exile of wealth and rulers to Babylon. Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, descended from nobility, was appointed governor over those who remained in Jerusalem. But after his betrayal and murder, alongside the Chaldeans, the military leaders, including Johanan and Jehoiakim, along with all the people from greatest to least, approached the prophet Jeremiah, requesting him to intercede with the Lord their God for those left behind. They acknowledged their few numbers, appealing for the Lord's guidance on the path they should take and the actions they should undertake (Jeremiah 42:2-3). After ten days, Jeremiah conveyed the Lord's message: "Thus says the Lord God of Israel: If you remain in this land, I will build you up and not destroy you; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I have ceased the evil that I have done to you. Do not fear the king of Babylon, whom you dread" (Isaiah 42:11, 9). Shortly thereafter, he warned: “But if you say, 'We will not stay in this land' and choose to go to Egypt, where you fear the sword, you shall find it, and the calamity you dread will overtake you in your journey there, leading to your destruction." Then the proud responded to Jeremiah, declaring him a liar, insisting that the Lord had not sent him to say, "Do not go into Egypt and reside there." They accused him of obfuscating the truth at the behest of Baruch, the son of Neriah, seeking to force the people into the hands of the Chaldeans for death or captivity (Jeremiah 43:2-3). Ignoring the Lord's voice, the rulers, alongside the others, including the royal family, entered Egypt, taking Jeremiah and Baruch with them, reaching Tathnas, where Jeremiah prophesied against the disobedient people, foretelling the captivity foretold in his book. Thus, what was to come was predicted in advance and those who forsook God’s counsel through Jeremiah were consequently labeled as apostates and rebellious children, crafting their plans contrary to the Spirit as articulated by the prophet. Referring metaphorically to their perverse schemes, it signifies an inclination towards sin and obstinacy. They abandoned the Lord's counsel, seeking assistance from Pharaoh and relying on the safety of Egypt. The Hebrew text uses the term maoz to refer to strength, contrasting the interpretation given in Daniel's vision (Daniel 11:38), as it does not refer to a local deity. Pharaoh embodies royalty and is identified by titles such as Pharaoh Necho and Pharaoh Vafr, analogous to our use of terms such as Caesar or Augustus for emperors. The might of Pharaoh will indeed become a source of shame, and the hope placed in the shadow of Egypt shall bring dishonor. Jeremiah mentions in Tafnis, a town in Egypt, burying stones at Pharaoh's house, proclaiming, "Thus says the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel: Look, I will send and take Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and establish his throne upon these stones I have hidden" (Jeremiah 43:10-12). Upon his arrival, he will smite the land of Egypt: killing those destined for death, capturing the captives, slaying those awaiting the sword, igniting fire in the temples of the Egyptian gods, and leading them away as a shepherd would lead his flock, departing quietly. Thus, after the Egyptians were conquered, Jews who sought refuge in Egypt were also taken captive. The words, "Thy princes shall be in Thane, and thy ambassadors shall come to Ganes," are imbued with irony. Despising God's guidance, they dispatched their princes to Thane, an Egyptian city where many miracles occurred during Moses’s time; as described in the Psalms, "Wonders in Egypt, in the field of Taneos" (Psalm 77:43). Isaiah further inquired, "Where are your wise men now? Let them declare and show you what the Lord of Hosts has planned against Egypt" (Isaiah 19:12-13). The mention of Ganes is not elsewhere found in scripture, but from the statement about messengers arriving in Ganes, it suggests this was a remote city, at the edge of Egypt, near Ethiopia and Blemonia. The LXX translates this to indicate that the envoys were laboring in vain, seeking help from a people unable to provide assistance, destined for eternal disgrace. Some believe this pertains to the ten tribes in Samaria, who, seeking aid from Egypt, fell to the Assyrians. Allegorically, this speaks of all who, rejecting true faith, revert to their old ways, turning aside from the Lord's presence to form gatherings devoid of divine approval, forging alliances not in the Lord's Spirit, compounding sin upon sin. They submit to enticing vices, allowing themselves to be led into the spiritual darkness of Egypt, seeking refuge in Pharaoh’s reign—a reliance that results in shame and everlasting dishonor. "In Tanah," referring to the disregarded commandments, the ambassadors labor in vain, receiving no benefit from a people who cannot assist them. Just as the salvation of the faithful brings joy to holy leaders, the downfall of the deceived brings sorrow to their forebears. The phrase concerning the "animals of the south" translates from the Hebrew to mean the vision of four-footed creatures wandering in the wilderness. This detailed history lays the groundwork to illuminate the current discourse, for according to prophetic tradition, burdens of suffering and punishment extend not only over Babylon, the Philistines, Moab, Damascus, and Egypt, but also over Idumea, Arabia, Zion, and even distant Tyre, encompassing the animals of the south—interpreted by the LXX as quadrupeds in the wilderness. This alludes to Judah, situated in the south and bordering the wilderness, whose inhabitants, dismissing Jeremiah’s prophecy, fled to Egypt instead. They are aptly referred to as beasts of the south or quadrupeds of the wilderness, having forsaken divine wisdom and fled to the idols of Egypt, placing their trust in Pharaoh whose reliance is like leaning upon a fragile reed that injures those who do so. The psalmist echoes this, noting, “Man in honor lacking understanding is akin to the beasts that lack discernment” (Psalm 48:13). The implication that “this way becomes a snare for them” rightly aligns with this narrative, as the journey through the wilderness leads to their demise. Thus, it has been observed that those who fled the borders of Judah into Egypt’s shadows belong to the realm of evil spirits, as they have lost their wealth and strength through loyalty to Egypt. Hence, it is said, but equally, we maintain that those who forsook the Creator and yielded to worldly deceptions are akin to the beasts of this world, foolishly believing they could find assistance while abandoning the true source of their help—God.