Isaiah 40:24Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Prior to proclaiming about creation, the prophet conveyed that God effortlessly formed the earth and the heavens. He remarks on the earth as if it had not been created at all, adding that ‘They were scarcely planted, scarcely sown, scarcely their trunk rooted in the earth.’ Is he referring to the idols or the Babylonians? We could assert it pertains to both; these words apply to each so that we might discern the truth. The prophet might be suggesting that the Babylonians are destined for captivity, as if swept away by the wind.

They will neither plant nor sow, nor will their roots take hold in the earth. The wind will blow upon them, causing them to wither, and the storm will lift them up like chaff. The preservation of even a faint memory—much less that of those who have achieved glory and renown on this earth—rests solely in God's hands. This is illustrated by the words: they shall not sow, but they shall plant. This signifies that if God does not desire it, then no fruit shall remain from them on this earth, not even roots or remembrances; rather, they will fade away like stalks blown by the wind. For all human endeavors are of little significance, fleeting and ephemeral, much like grass that quickly fades. Therefore, it is God alone—who is by His nature truly deserving of worship—who should be exalted. The creations of artists or those whom some may call gods are but a service to the dead and nothing more.

Indeed, their trunk is neither rooted nor sown in the soil; in an instant, He exhaled upon them, and they withered away, swept off like chaff by the tempest. These rulers and authorities of the earth, or perhaps of heaven as some believe, lack a firm foundation, being neither planted nor deeply established. They are swiftly removed and perish at the command given, just as chaff is whisked away by the storm, as stated in the scripture: ‘And I went by and by and by, and this is not; and I sought him, and his place was not found’ (Psalm 36:36).

The authorities of this world who have provoked the Lord, the Sovereign of all nations, face not only their own demise but also the extinction of their legacy, similar to how trees that have withered at the roots bear no new growth. Just as a fierce wind not only desiccates the trees but also uproots them, lifting them away like chaff, so too are these earthly rulers, deserving of divine retribution, unable to withstand the overwhelming fury of God.