Isaiah 40:27Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

In this context, it appears that God sought to restore and empower both the oppressed and their oppressors who had long been held in bondage. It is as if He communicated, I am close to you, your actions are not concealed from Me, I have not withdrawn your judgment, I am present to assist you; your deliverance is approaching and is already at hand; your ways were visible to Me, yet your transgressions obscured My presence from you, and because of your sins, I overlooked your rights. When the people asked, Why do we fast and You do not see? We afflict our souls, and You do not understand? (Isaiah 58:3), He was fully aware of these matters, yet He disregarded them due to the multitude of injustices.

Having clarified that in due time those who have strayed will be called back, enriched in both spirit and understanding, recognizing the brilliance of truth—the Creator of all and the Masterful Artist—they will attain wisdom and insight. By contemplating the beauty of creation, they will come to know Him who has brought all these things into existence with unmatched power. In light of this, he provides a hidden guidance beneficial to them and turns his attention to those descended from Jacob or Israel. When they fell at the stumbling block (Is. 8:14), having not accepted the Source of Salvation, they naturally distanced themselves from communion with Him.

Why do you say, O Jacob, and you, O Israel, "My path is concealed from the Lord, and my case has escaped from my God"? Consider the majesty of the Almighty, who sees all and whose sovereign will governs everything. Why do you assert, O Jacob, referring to the tribes of Judah, and why do you claim, O Israel, referring to the ten tribes in Samaria that have been carried off to Assyria, "My path is hidden from the Lord, and my case is beyond the notice of my God"? What you imply is that God is indifferent to worldly affairs and pays no heed to our actions. Thus, we find ourselves unjustly oppressed by our adversaries and led to destruction, as noted in Habakkuk 1:13-14, like cattle and fish that lack a shepherd.

The might of God The prophet invites us to observe the sun, the moon, the movement of the stars, the progression of the year, the transitions of the seasons, and the consistent cycle of night and day. This showcases the order of creation established by the Creator, which the prophet refers to as the order of the universe. He will call each one by name (Isaiah 40:26, LXX). The prophet affirms that God is not unaware; rather, He comprehensively knows all things, having personally assigned names to each element. "Because of the multitude of glory, and because of the power of (Thy) might, nothing has been hid from Thee." His ability encompasses all, for He is not oblivious to anything that occurs, and He discerns the innermost thoughts of humanity.

Nothing escapes God’s notice Do not, He warns, underestimate His awareness of your inner thoughts, nor presume that your wicked intentions go undetected. Therefore, it is evident that He charged the Israelites themselves with the sin of polytheism.

If the Lord, with His infinite wisdom and care, oversees all that exists in the world, can one truly believe that He has overlooked the Israelites suffering in Babylonian bondage? Yet, some among them harbored such thoughts, declaring, “My path is concealed from the Lord,” implying that their destinies were hidden from His view; they believed that He, preoccupied with numerous matters, had lost awareness of their plight; “my case is disregarded,” meaning that He does not engage in the examination of my circumstances, ignoring my pleas against my oppressors; “and He has abandoned,” suggesting that He has forsaken me. How inappropriate and misguided it is to voice such sentiments concerning God, and how surprising it is for those who have always enjoyed His divine protection to express such doubts!