Isaiah 47:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Yet he asserts, you will not prevail; your strategies have been in vain; the plans of those regarded as wise have proven fruitless. However, if you believe my words stray from the truth, let the stargazers, who gaze at the celestial bodies, come forth and rescue you, revealing what is destined to occur. Beyond the Magi and sorcerers, there were indeed other types of deceivers. They claimed to possess knowledge of the stars' rising and setting, charting their paths regardless of their origins, using this false wisdom to gain insight into the future. Therefore, if they truly are not deceivers, and if the stars that adorn the heavens act as their prophets, let them disclose what will transpire. Yet he proclaims, they cannot foretell it, for they will be as kindling for flames, and none shall escape their fate. In a certain sense, he mocks Babylon, calling it mistaken and refers to it as "coals of fire," indicating passionate, fiery individuals, of whom it is said that when you sit among them—the act of sitting suggesting a sense of settling or calming.

Babylon and all Chaldea are noted for their reliance on sorcerers, astrologers, and soothsayers, as demonstrated in the writings of Daniel, who noted that the kings of Babylon relied entirely on their counsel. Instead of the phrasing we have translated according to Simmachus and Theodotion, the Seventy translated it more clearly: let the astrologers of the sky come forward and save you, often referred to as mathematicians who believe that human existence is determined by the movements of stars and the orbits of planets. Thus, the wise men from the east arrived, declaring they had seen the star of the Lord, either due to their scientific insights or the prophecy of Balaam, who said, ‘A star shall shine from Jacob, and a man from Israel’ (Num. 24:17). Let those who calculate months and years and offer insights into the future using those calculations inform you of what the Lord has decreed about you.

When they remain silent regarding forthcoming events, the prophet responds, Behold, they have become like chaff, the fire has devoured them; those who promised salvation to others have experienced their own afflictions. It is certain that while the city was engulfed in flames, its inhabitants were consumed by the fiery devastation. The Jews interpret the following: there are no coals to keep warm, nor fire to sit before; they lack the illuminating wisdom and understanding to dispel their darkness and eliminate the coldness of error. Instead, the Seventy translated: you have coals of fire, you shall sit upon them; we can show that fire and flames were significantly more beneficial to Babylon than wise men, astrologers, and sorcerers. The former call to repentance through penalties, while the latter lead to pride through deceit.

All the labor of his merchants, understood as the Magi, contributed to everyone straying in their individual ways and, having lost their paths, were unable to save others. Let us inquire of those who discern various natures whether Babylon embodied a good or bad nature. If they claim it is evil—an answer they will likely agree upon—then how is one called to repentance, and why is it said to them: sit down, enter into darkness, daughter of the Chaldeans, and further, after reviewing sins and transgressions: you that have coals of fire, you shall sit upon them; they shall be your support? Why is it additionally stated, according to the same Seventy: you have labored for a change from your youth? What is this change? Certainly—from good to bad. This indicates that those who are inherently good have become evil by their own will. Ultimately, it is affirmed: humanity is lost within itself, not by nature, but by the choice of the will."