I will cry like a young swallow, I will meditate like a dove: my eyes are weakened looking upward: Lord, I suffer violence, answer thou for me.
כְּס֤וּס עָגוּר֙ כֵּ֣ן אֲצַפְצֵ֔ף אֶהְגֶּ֖ה כַּיּוֹנָ֑ה דַּלּ֤וּ עֵינַי֙ לַמָּר֔וֹם אֲדֹנָ֖י עָֽשְׁקָה־לִּ֥י עָרְבֵֽנִי׃
5 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Like a stork, like a songbird, I voiced my lamentations; I yearned like a pigeon, meaning I called out and prayed due to the intensity of my sorrow. My gaze, filled with despair, was lifted to the heavens, pleading, “Lord, I am in distress; deliver me.”
As he continues his hymn of gratitude, he declares that he emulates the melodious birds and offers unending worship. He expresses that he focuses his thoughts on God, having been rescued from the anguish of his spirit and from death itself; for you, he says, have ignited life within me and revitalized my being, safeguarding my soul from destruction, and you have cast all my transgressions behind me. This speaks not of the sins of a person who is inflated with pride but of one who is aware of his own nature and acknowledges that we are all culpable of numerous sins. Without God's willingness to redeem us through His grace, no one could lay claim to a pure heart, nor would anyone dare to assert that they are free from sin. Therefore, let us exalt God for the blessings He has granted us, for He has pardoned us for that which deserved rightful punishment. For wise, he states, are those who understand themselves.
Like a singing swallow, I sang, and like a mourning dove, I lamented in grief and sorrow due to the pronouncement made against me. I raised my gaze... to the heavens, imploring, ‘Lord, save me, and show me Your mercy.’ When Hezekiah received Isaiah's revelation about himself, he turned to prayer and directed his eyes toward the abode of God, a realm distant and untouched by sin. He petitioned the Lord for rescue from the Assyrians and for compassion towards himself, that his days might be extended.
Like a young swallow, I will make my voice known; I will lament like a dove. My vision is dimmed as I gaze upward: O Lord, I am beset by violence; please respond to my cry. What can I say, or how can I defend myself, when He alone has acted? The shadow of death looms over me, and the overwhelming burden of my suffering has shattered my very bones like a lion; yet, like the swallow and the dove, I have mingled my days with tears and anguish. From the Lord alone, the source of my salvation, I anticipate help, lifting my eyes to the heavens.
I have spoken to Him: I endure more than I can bear; however, even if I have erred in any way, I seek to be restored; kindly answer me in my defense: ‘For it does not depend on the one who wills, nor on the one who strives, but on God who shows mercy’ (Rom. 9:16). I have mused upon my situation: ‘What shall I say? How can I stand justified before You, my Creator? What will You respond to me, who has executed Your divine will?’ Thus, one must bear whatever He decrees. The reference to the young swallow and its song is translated differently in various texts; while the Septuagint provides one interpretation, the Hebrew reads ‘sus agor,’ which Aquila translates as ‘horse,’ and Theodotion as ‘swallow;’ with the introduction of the vowel ‘vav’ between the two sameh, it becomes ‘sus’ meaning horse, and with the ‘yod’ it becomes ‘sis’ meaning swallow. Symmachus expresses it as: in confinement like a swallow, so I will sing. This term ‘agor’ is similarly used in Jeremiah, illustrating the awareness of nature as it speaks of the swallow and its pattern, as they observe their proper times (Jeremiah 8:7).
Let us consider the words of Hezekiah, who faced a grave illness but was later restored through divine intervention: ‘As a gull, so will I cry, and as a dove, so will I learn; for my eyes are gone, that I may look up to the heights of heaven unto the Lord’ (Isaiah 38:14). The intention is not to evoke ancient laments from the Scriptures merely to deepen our present distress, but to capture the essence of the sorrow that leads to salvation. Ezekiel experienced great sadness due to his serious affliction and the looming specter of death, yet he grieved without murmuring against God, maintaining patience and steadfast hope. With a reverent spirit, he cried out to God, likening himself to a timid ‘dove’.
His supplication was characterized by gentleness and humility, portrayed through the imagery of a dove gently lamenting. Even when his initial pleas felt unheard, he did not succumb to despair, but persisted in diligent and unwavering prayer. And though the strength of his voice in prayer might have diminished, he continued to seek with earnest eyes, ‘to look up to the heights of heaven to the Lord.’
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS