Isaiah 31:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

When the Israelites set about rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, neighboring tribes attempted to thwart their efforts, yet they were not overcome, for God was fortifying Israel’s resolve. Similarly, our Savior's strength is manifested in our lives. All were held captive by the one known as the god of this world, but Christ launched an assault against him like a lion, vanquishing him by His powerful word. He is the Lord who fought for Mount Zion, symbolizing the spiritual Zion, which is the Church of the living God, and He delivered it as if it were His cherished nest. The father of lies, in his arrogance, proclaimed: I will craft the entire cosmos with my hand as if it were a nest and will assert my dominion over all; no one shall escape my grasp or defy my authority (Isaiah 10:14). Yet the Savior of all, the Lord, gathers those who believe in Him as a bird gathers her chicks under her wings, shielding them from harm. For He has encompassed the entire earth and saved the heavens beneath the heavens.

A lion, whether full-grown or a cub, when it spots a flock of sheep, shows no fear of the shepherds’ cries and pays no heed to their numbers, confident in its own power. Similarly, the Lord of Hosts will not battle against Mount Zion but will take a stand on Mount Zion against His foes. Another illustration comes to mind: just as birds, in defending their young, soar above their nests and confront threats, such as snakes or humans, regardless of their own frailty, they fiercely protect their chicks with beaks and claws, adding to their distress with their chirping and cries. In this way, the Lord will protect Jerusalem, moving through it to deliver and save. The term "passing through" is rendered as "phase" in Hebrew; three translators, except for the LXX, have chosen "ϋπερβαίνων." This indicates that the Passover, or the Lord’s phase, signifies not suffering but rather the act of passing through. Furthermore, the Lord affirms His role as the protector of Jerusalem in the Gospel: ‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!’ (Matthew 23:37). Similarly, in Deuteronomy, it states: ‘As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings’ (Deuteronomy 32:11).