I have always held my peace, I have kept silence, I have been patient, I will speak now as a woman in labour: I will destroy, and swallow up at once.
הֶחֱשֵׁ֙יתִי֙ מֵֽעוֹלָ֔ם אַחֲרִ֖ישׁ אֶתְאַפָּ֑ק כַּיּוֹלֵדָ֣ה אֶפְעֶ֔ה אֶשֹּׁ֥ם וְאֶשְׁאַ֖ף יָֽחַד׃
8 Church Fathers comment on this verse · 10 commentaries
The Lord indicates that He was reluctant to impose punishment on the sinner, as expressed in His words, ‘I have been tormented with as much sorrow as she who gives birth.’ While sorrow and grief are not inherent to God, this demonstrates that He is always hesitant to correct or abandon humanity.
It is essential to explore the significance behind the declaration, I will destroy (Ἐκστήσω). This may signify the expulsion of those currently holding sway over the earth; God will ensure their removal, as indicated in the words of Christ: now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out (John 12:31). Alternatively, the term Ἐκστήσω could suggest that those who witness My deeds and the blueprint of My creation, laden with unfathomable power, will be filled with wonder. This echoes the sentiment of the prophet Habakkuk, who expressed his awe, saying, "O Lord, I have heard the report of You, and I am afraid; I have considered Your works, and I tremble" (Hab. 3:2).
Another interpretation of Ἐκστήσω might be to illuminate those lost in the darkness and despair brought on by the devil, leading them to the light of truth and divine enlightenment. I will transform those who are currently defiled and bear an impure mind into a state of far greater purity, guiding them away from their previous transgressions toward a love of righteousness.
The phrase, I will dry up together, conveys further meaning as illustrated by the subsequent phrases: I will turn rivers into islands and will dry up the meadows. What do these rivers signify in relation to the islands and the dry meadows? They represent the Greco-Roman poets and philosophers, who propagated the deceptive allure of polytheism. By elevating creation and fabricating countless deities, their false teachings flood the minds of the misguided with pollution and confusion, as described in Habakkuk (2:15), ensnaring them with the allure of refined rhetoric. Consequently, they can rightly be equated with rivers and marshlands filled with vibrant greenery.
God pledges to transform such rivers into islands, signifying that He will render them desolate and devoid of water—an image that has indeed come to pass. The charm of their eloquence has ultimately lost its power, leaving no one feeling attached to their philosophies. Instead, those who were previously misled, having tread upon the decaying and vile fables of deceivers, find joy in wisdom through Christ. As Paul declared: "Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?" (1 Cor. 1:20). Thus, these rivers transformed into islands represent the teachings of the ancient sages, steeped in misguided beliefs.
Moreover, as previously noted, there exist other islands—the churches of Christ—which welcome those navigating the figurative sea of life. They offer refuge to those seeking safe harbor, guiding them away from the burdensome spirit of evil that weighs down those journeying on ships through tumultuous waters. The sea symbolizes the chaos and trials of our existence, while the marshlands represent the lost souls once dominated by Satan. These areas will be dried up, ultimately placing them under the care of the Good Shepherd, Christ, who guides His flock not into thorny paths like the false shepherds, but leads them among the lilies, where His divine revelations abound with spiritual fragrance.
The One who once addressed the world now remains quiet. He communicates through His teachings but remains silent when it comes to fulfilling His judgments. Thus, He declares in a certain passage, "I was silent for a long time; I endured" (Isaiah 42:14). How can He be considered silent if He has expressed these thoughts? For to claim, “I have been silent,” is in itself a form of speech. I perceive Your voice in numerous commandments and regulations found in various scriptures and writings. Ultimately, I hear You proclaim, "Long have I been silent; I have endured" (Isaiah 42:14). But in what way have You been silent? For You have not yet said, “Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom” (Matthew 25:34). Neither have You yet stated to the others, “Go... into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). These declarations have not yet been made, even though I have begun to predict them.
The temporary quietude of the Lord may be pondered, for He is both good and just (Psalm 24:8). Your affection for Him stems from His goodness, instilling a reverent awe due to His righteousness. In His humility, He has proclaimed His silence, yet in His justice, He questions, “Shall I remain silent forever?” (Isaiah 42:14, LXX). The Lord embodies mercy and compassion, and indeed, this holds true. It is essential to remember that the Lord is patient, and we must repeatedly acknowledge that the Lord is patient. However, heed the closing caution: “the Lord is righteous.”
The psalm proclaims, “will come revealing Himself, our God will not be silent” (cf. Ps. 49:3). What does it signify that He 'shall come revealing Himself'? It indicates that He presently arrives in obscurity. At that time, He will not remain mute, for when He came in humility, like a sacrificial lamb, He was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so He did not open His mouth (Isa. 53:7). He will come, and He will speak. 'I have been silent,' He declares, 'shall I remain silent forever?'
The endurance of the Lord came to my thoughts, echoing the words of Isaiah, which declare, “Long have I held my peace, I have been still and restrained myself; now I will cry like a woman in labor” (Isaiah 42:14). If only I could gain some reward for my quietude, and obtain the strength to deliver a rebuke, so that I might, after addressing the falsehoods hurled at me, proclaim, “The flood would have swept over our souls” (Ps 123:4), and, “If the Lord had not been on our side when men rose against us, they would have swallowed us alive... the waters would have engulfed us” (Ps 123:4). Indeed, “the waters would have engulfed us” (Ps 123:2-3)!
From eternity I have remained quiet... I have suffered as a bearer of life. While the Lord justly disciplines wrongdoers, His mercy, akin to a nurturing mother, holds back the hand of judgment out of love. I will instill amazement and fear in those who take my people into bondage.
I have remained persistently quiet, patient in my silence: like a woman in labor, I will now speak; I shall disperse and consume all at once. He too will raise His voice against His adversaries, reproaching them for their disloyalty, and proclaiming with authority: I have been silent, I have always been silent, I have endured, or as the Septuagint translates: I was silent; shall I remain silent forever? This speaks to the fulfillment of what Solomon stated: ‘A time to be silent, and a time to speak’ (Ecclesiastes 3:7). The implication is that I have borne with you, long-suffering sinners, but I will no longer remain voiceless as I have in the past.
Just as a mother delivers a child into the light, revealing what was previously concealed within her, I will now unveil my grief and the hidden truths regarding your transgressions, dismantling your plans. In an instant, I will bring an end to all nations and erase the pride of your mountains and the elevation of your hills.
God clearly conveys through the prophet, saying, "Long have I kept silent, I have endured, I have held back; now I will cry out like one who gives birth" (Isaiah 42:14). As previously mentioned, the one in labor, in tremendous anguish, releases what has been held within for an extended period. The same God who has remained quiet now speaks out like a woman in childbirth. The forthcoming Judge, who has patiently overlooked the actions of humanity without enacting immediate justice, carefully and thoughtfully reveals the necessary judgment of punishment. Therefore, it is unwise for anyone to grumble when the Lord conceals His light or when He, illuminating from the heavens, punishes those who scorn Him.
For those who do not now experience the fire of mercy will undoubtedly face the flame of judgment later. Thus, by the grace bestowed upon us from above, we are afforded the opportunity to turn back to God, striving to align our lives with His will in order to reform our conduct and evade His impending wrath, from which there is no refuge.
Prior to Christ's arrival, nearly all nations, with only a few exceptions, engaged in the worship of false gods. God allowed this wickedness to persist for an extended period. However, such tolerance could not endure indefinitely. Just as the intensity of childbirth demands great strength to withstand, so too did the Lord exhibit significant forbearance as humanity, in forgetting Him, turned to worship the creation instead of the Creator. In this degradation, they lost sight of their inherent dignity, bowing before lifeless figures and equating them with the divine. The longer the Lord shows mercy to idolaters, the more severe His anger becomes towards those who have pushed His forbearance to its limits. In His wrath, the Lord threatens to obliterate all that serves as a reminder of these idols.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS