Isaiah 40:29Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

It is accurately proclaimed: Strengthen the weary and bring comfort to the sorrowful; others interpret this as: He who empowers the frail. Not only is it true of God that He requires nothing for Himself, but He also generously distributes what He does not need to others. In the face of profound grief, those misguided souls wrongly attribute some form of evil to the Divine essence, which is inherently devoid of any evil. God justly rewards each individual according to His righteous judgment. When He subjects someone to hardship, it is not out of wrath, and when He administers discipline, it is not driven by passion; conversely, our inflictions on others often stem from deep-seated anger, which causes us to wither.

Consider this: the eternal God, the Creator who established the ends of the earth, provides strength to those who are spiritually hungry. Being the eternal God, He is never in want of sustenance, yet He imparts spiritual vitality to those who yearn for truth. Similarly, He offers sorrow to those who are unwell in spirit. This can be understood in two ways. First, for those who, due to profound insensitivity and ignorance of what pleases God, do not recognize that their offenses against Him will lead to severe and unavoidable consequences, He grants sorrow as a form of assistance. This sorrow, rooted in godly grief, paves the way for repentance leading to salvation (2 Cor. 7:10).

The prophet offers comfort to the Jewish people, affirming that the Lord empowers those who are exhausted in their bondage and increases the vitality of those who are fatigued.

He provides fortitude to the fatigued and enhances the vigor of those who lack strength. Conversely, He empowers the hungry and the weary, and among those whom the world may regard as insignificant, He increases strength and might. According to the Seventy, He imparts grief to those who are not afflicted, for some sorrow leads to death while other sorrow brings life. Thus, to those who possess an unrepentant heart, He grants sorrow in order for them to recognize their transgressions.

The Eternal God The prophet emphasizes what he has consistently conveyed: God exists forever (Is 40:28). Blessed Moses also affirmed this truth, declaring: I am He who is (Ex 3:14). Additionally, the blessed David speaks to Him, proclaiming: Thou, O Lord, art eternal, and Thy name endures through all generations (Ps 101:13), and once more he states: But Thou art the same, and Thy years will not come to an end (Ps 101:28).

The Words of Annas This is the statement made by the esteemed Annas: the Lord brings low and lifts up, impoverishes and enriches (1 Sam 2:7), along with many other truths.