Isaiah 44:27Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Hence, despite the populous nature of Babylon, it was laid waste, as stated, "I am He who speaks in the depths; you shall be desolate." This declaration regarded the multitude of Babylonians as the abyss, while the rivers of Babylon symbolized the tribes neighboring the Babylonians, called upon to aid them. In Scripture, the assemblage of nations is frequently compared to rivers, seas, and waters. Concerning Christ, our Redeemer, and the throngs of nations that are drawn to His teachings, the Divine Psalmist proclaimed, "The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of glory shall rise" (Ps. 28:3). The Lord's voice—representing the gospel's transformative message—echoed through the nations, as if it reverberated like thunder across the heavens. Additionally, it is recorded, "The rivers have raised up their voices" (Psalms 92:3). Here, the rivers can be seen as signifying the holy Apostles, whose teachings reached all corners of the world. It is also described in reference to Babylon and Nineveh: "as a fountain of water, its waters" (Nahum 2:8). Thus, God was proclaiming to the depths, "You shall be desolate; I will dry up your rivers." Similarly, he was urging Cyrus to act wisely, understanding what was necessary to fulfill God’s desires. This was intended as retribution for the Babylonians' actions in their ruthless destruction of Judah and the burning of the holy temple, while simultaneously delivering Israel and restoring the temple. This latter part is particularly significant, as Cyrus commanded the rebuilding of the temple, provided funds, and laid its foundations. However, after his passing, the progress of this undertaking was stalled due to the envy of his successor, yet ultimately it was completed under divine guidance. The full account of these events is documented in sacred Scripture (see 1 Ezra 4 dal.), and there seems little need to elaborate further. Some may question the truth of the Divine word, citing that Cyrus, being an idolater, did not carry out everything pleasing to God. Yet, the phrase "All my will shall be done" pertains solely to that which God intended to reveal through Cyrus, which included the conquest of Babylon, the liberation of Israel from subjugation, the rebuilding of the temple, and the restoration of the cities of Judah.

depths, "Be dry," and I will dry up your rivers; addressing Cyrus: "You are my shepherd, and you will accomplish all my purposes"; declaring to Jerusalem, "You shall be rebuilt," and to the temple, "You shall be established." After the idols and transgressions of Israel have been destroyed, and sins forgiven, when all creation rejoices together, and as the Gospel testifies (Luke 15), the angels in heaven rejoice over the repentance of sinners: the might of God is revealed, demonstrating that it is no small matter for Him to redeem Jacob and to renew a right spirit within Israel, whom He formed from the womb. And if anyone considers this trivial, it is not laborious for Him who alone spans the heavens, for it is written, "He stretches the heavens like a curtain" (Psalm 108:2). This does not exclude the Son from shaping the heavens, for through Him all things were created, and without Him nothing came into being that has been made (John 1:8), but rather to emphasize that idolatry may be dismissed. As noted in Proverbs, on behalf of Christ, God's power and wisdom declare: "When He established the heavens, I was there with Him" (Proverbs 8:27). He spoke, and they were created; He commanded, and they stood firm (Psalms 32:9), and: "By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all their host by the breath of His mouth" (Psalms 32:6). We refer to this frequently to prevent heretics from slandering Christ. When the earth was laid, no one was with God except Him who was in Him. Therefore, He possesses such qualities and attributes that when the time of the destined sacrament arrives, all idols will be vanquished, and the knowledge of the one true God will be proclaimed across the globe, as He dismantles and dismantles all forms of divination and false prophecy, and the wisdom of philosophers, which has largely contributed to the deception, will be exposed as foolishness since they are praised for grasping wisdom not through human insight but through divine revelation. He will also bring to fruition the words of His servant, whom we have mentioned earlier, and the pronouncements of His messengers, namely the apostles and all teachers who declared to the nations the will of their Master. Therefore, He who is tasked with this, whose power I have briefly outlined, speaks to Jerusalem, which is to face destruction by the Babylonians, proclaiming beforehand that it shall once again be filled with peoples, and to the cities of Judah that they shall be rebuilt by Him who will restore its waste places, that they may be filled with worshippers. He who promises Jerusalem and Judah restoration and rebuilding also proclaims to the depths and abyss, which refer to Babylon, "You will dry up, and I will dry up your rivers," meaning all the power of kings. Or, considering the context of depths and abyss, invoking rivers also makes sense, as the Psalmist laments, "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept" (Psalm 136:1). He who rebuilds Jerusalem also brings desolation to Babylon. He speaks to Cyrus, king of Persia, who first laid waste to Babylon and the Chaldeans: you are my shepherd, or as the Septuagint translates: that he may understand. The difference is clear. For the Hebrew term goi, with the letter resh, means my shepherd, while with the letter dalet, it means my shepherd who knows—subtle distinctions lead to frequent confusion. In the early chapters of Ezra, it is noted that by the command of Cyrus, king of Persia and India, the people of Judah were liberated from captivity and allowed to return to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel, son of Salathiel, and Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. For the Lord stirred Cyrus's spirit to fulfill His will and accomplish His commands. It is clearly stated, "You shall be rebuilt, and to the temple, you shall be established." In Cyrus's time, a decree was issued to construct Jerusalem and the temple, which had only seen its foundations laid during his reign. But under Darius, in the second year of his reign, they began to build the temple, as prophesied by Haggai and Zechariah.