And Isaiah said to them: Thus shall you say to your master: Thus saith the Lord: Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, with which the servants of the king of the Assyrians have blasphemed me.
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם֙ יְשַֽׁעְיָ֔הוּ כֹּ֥ה תֹאמְר֖וּן אֶל־אֲדֹנֵיכֶ֑ם כֹּ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה אַל־תִּירָא֙ מִפְּנֵ֤י הַדְּבָרִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר שָׁמַ֔עְתָּ אֲשֶׁ֧ר גִּדְּפ֛וּ נַעֲרֵ֥י מֶלֶךְ־אַשּׁ֖וּר אוֹתִֽי׃
3 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Observe how He prompts and strengthens him, declaring that he has judged Me; thus, you need not fear. When the Lord reflects on the wrongs committed against Him, we should not be distressed because of them. He states that he rises up against Me, that he makes war against Me.
God acts promptly to uplift those who place their faith in Him, unveiling the hope of His assistance. The individual who comes to the Lord’s house, pouring out tears of anguish and earnest supplications, is assured that his efforts are not in vain. Thus, the God of all creation, in His compassion, is moved. When Rapsacus stripped the Israelites of all hope for salvation, the Almighty, who was prepared to rescue them, faced the deceitful taunts of Rapsacus, who proclaimed, “Let not Hezekiah deceive you, that God will deliver Jerusalem out of my hand. Have the gods of these nations delivered every man his country out of my hand?” In response, God rightly dispels fears and shields His people from the empty threats and arrogance of the oppressor.
Instead, He fortifies them with hope, declaring that the proud tyrant will find himself compelled to return to his own land against his desires, as the evil spirit will instill in him an overwhelming dread regarding his own domain. The one who has never confronted peril in a foreign land and who has boasted of triumphant victories over his foes, now faces the sword. Indeed, in his own territory, he met his downfall, an event that occurred beyond all anticipation. For in the place where he believed he would enjoy safety, liberated from fear, he collapsed—falling at the hands of those from whom he expected salvation in times of peril. The identity of these rescuers will become clear later.
The young men who served King Hezekiah approached Isaiah, and he spoke to them, declaring the word of the Lord: "Look, I will place a spirit within him; when he hears the news, he will go back to his own land." This is a man who not long ago was filled with pride over his military successes and the splendor of his reign, boasting, "What I accomplish now, I will achieve tomorrow." Yet, as Solomon advised, "Do not boast about tomorrow; for you do not know what a day may bring forth" (Proverbs 27:1). This aligns with the notion that the troubles of each day will only concern that day (Matt. 6:34).
Sennacherib will receive the distressing word and retreat; he will learn about the devastation of his forces in Judah, leading him to understand how misguided and foolish he had been when he proclaimed, "I will ascend the height of the mountains, to the farthest reaches of Lebanon" (Isaiah 37:24).
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS