Isaiah 30:9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He refers to them as deceivers, in my view, because they lacked the reverence due to God and were unfaithful to the vows made while Moses articulated God’s commandments on Mount Sinai, the One who governs us all. Indeed, they openly declared, "All that the Lord hath spoken, we will do and obey" (Ex. 24:8). Thus, the law commands, saying, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and serve him only: thou shalt not make an idol for thyself" (Deuteronomy 6:13; Exodus 20:4); yet they rendered this command void by turning to idols instead. Therefore, rightly so, he designates them as children of falsehood. Moreover, David nowhere states, "The enemies of the Lord have lied to Him" (Psalms 80:16), and on behalf of Christ, he declares, "The sons of strangers have lied to me" (Psalms 17:45). The root of their suffering lay in their disregard for the law, even dismissing the very messages of the holy prophets. He highlights this, stating, "They that would not hear the law of God, saying, Speak not unto us, but speak unto us, and proclaim unto us another seduction, and lead us astray from this way: take away from us this way, and take away from us the Holy One of Israel." In their fervor, the cruel Israelites often assaulted many of the holy prophets. This is evident when Jeremiah counseled them, "Go not into Egypt," to which they replied, "Liar, the Lord hath not sent thee: but the son of Nirin causeth thee to do other things" (Jeremiah 43:2, 3).

Why do you incessantly proclaim, ‘Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel?’ Let this foretelling cease.” In a figurative manner, all heretics are referred to as children of deceit. They have strayed from us but have not completely departed (1 John 2:19). They fail to truly hear the divine law with the ears of their spirits, telling the ministers of the Church, "Do not reveal to us the path of righteousness, nor instill fear of the fires of Gehenna; instead, assure us of the heavenly kingdom, so that after indulgence and pleasure, paradise may be our reward." "Why do you illuminate the way of the Lord, which I choose not to follow? Why do you echo the name of the Holy One of Israel, which does not touch my heart?" This applies to all indifferent members of the Church who dismiss the firm teachings of their leaders and lean towards those who lead them astray.