Isaiah 47:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He further declares: "and instead of the stench of good stench there shall be a stench, and instead of a girdle thou shalt gird thyself with shame, and instead of the ornament of gold which is on the head thou shalt have a plaque for thy works, and instead of a scarlet robe thou shalt gird thyself with a garment" (Isaiah 3:16-23).

Now, He indicates the suffering that the daughters of the Babylonians, and their neighbors, will endure when the Persians and Medes take them captive, saying, "Come down, sit down on the earth," making it clear that the once proud shall face humiliation. Thus, they are directed to descend from their lofty state, transitioning from self-exaltation to humility, from honor to disgrace, from indulgence to hardship, from vast riches to extreme poverty, from freedom to bondage, in essence, from all pleasures to the lowest and most wretched conditions. They shall enter into darkness, resulting from dire calamities, with overwhelming sorrow penetrating the soul, sudden disasters weighing heavily upon them, and fear consuming their minds. The end of her previous prosperity is signified by the declaration, "It is not applied to you to be called soft and young." It seems likely that the women of the Chaldeans lived lives of luxury, prizing adornments and meticulous dressing. The Chaldeans were also famous for military prowess, boasting about gold and precious stones, dazzling with extravagant jewelry even amidst battles. Therefore, He proclaims that she shall no longer be regarded as gentle, but will, against her will, endure the harsh realities inseparable from servitude. She will grind grain and lose her head covering; her hair will be disheveled, once styled in elaborate braids. Unveiling her grey hair signifies the cruelty of the victors, who will show no mercy even to the elderly.

She bears the brunt of hardships, crossing rivers that expose her legs, disregarding the modesty typically observed by women, laying bare her body before many. Her disgrace will be all too evident, revealing her humiliation once she is captured, contrasting starkly with her former life of luxury and prosperity. He continues, "I will take what is righteous from thee," meaning He will withdraw from her what she can no longer possess. This is foretold by another holy prophet, who explains, "As thou hast done, I will do unto her" (Ezekiel 16:59) and further asserts, "As thou hast done, this shall be done unto thee; thy recompense shall be paid upon thy head" (Obadiah 1:15). Additionally, it is stated in another passage, "Woe unto the lawless: for the evil one, it shall come upon him according to the work of his hands" (Isaiah 3:11).

As Ezekiel illustrates the beauty of Tyre through the imagery of a ship and its elements, and the king of Egypt is depicted as a dragon due to the abundance of waters, while the fornication of Jerusalem with idols is likened to promiscuous women in a tavern; similarly, here, the metaphor of a captive woman—who was once a queen—illustrates the downfall of Babylon, highlighting that she must abandon her regal arrogance and sit upon the dust. This is referred to as a maiden and daughter, perhaps because, in the sight of God, all beings are His creations, indicating that Babylon does not merit condemnation by nature, contrary to the heretics' beliefs, or it could be a reference to the luxurious decorations of a once-mighty city that, now aged and on the brink of collapse, foolishly claims youthful beauty. Some interpret this not solely as Babylon but also as Rome, which is identified as Babylon in the Revelation of John and Peter’s epistle. They assert that what is spoken of concerning Babylon aligns with its demise, as after the salvation of Zion—the Church—it will fall forever.

Thus, to Babylon, the queen and daughter of the Chaldeans—founded by them—it is said that she, once embraced by all nations, now must no longer be seen as luxurious and indulgent, and she is commanded to take a millstone and grind grain, symbolizing her severe captivity and degradation, transforming her from a queen to one who grinds. The phrase "expose your shame" may be understood in a deeper, figurative sense that parallels a promiscuous woman subjected to the desires of her conquerors. Furthermore, drawing a parallel to the account in the Book of Judges where Samson was destined to grind for the Philistines, it reflects the mightiest of men being forced to this servitude.

When translating "expose your shame," the Septuagint translates this as "open your veil," while Theodotion uses the Hebrew term samtech and Aquila renders it as semmatech. The term suggests a type of silence born from shame, akin to the description of the bride in the Song of Songs, where beauty is complemented by the phrase "Except thy silence," as the interpreters avoided translating a word in Scripture that connotes shame.

Thus, Babylon, despite the propriety of naming human body parts, is called to reveal her breast and expose her legs, heading into captivity, where her disgrace shall be evident, subjected to everlasting humiliation. This, says the Lord, comes in retribution against those who wronged His people, with no pleas taken into account by those attempting to soothe the Lord's anger with their intercessions. This alludes to the angel guarding Babylon’s people, asserting alongside others that "We have healed Babylon, and it has not been healed." In the Septuagint, it states, "I will take what is righteous from you and will no longer deliver it to men," which may refer either to Babylon itself or to that which is deemed righteous and has been taken from it.

The Stoics claim that many acts regarded as disgraceful in reality are viewed as respectable in name due to their misapplication among humanity, such as patricide, adultery, and other offenses. Meanwhile, what is inherently proper may be perceived as shameful by name—such as childbirth or even natural bodily functions—illustrating the perverse cultural applications of language. Thus, the term semmatec, as used by Aquila, reflects a woman's essence, conveying Babylon's insatiable desire.

Should anyone interpret this as a reference to Babylon, they should recognize that through punishment, he has been freed from greater sins; for lacking power, he was devoid of sin, and thus, this liberation from sin was to his benefit.