Isaiah 49:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Lord called Me from the womb, from My mother's womb He called My name. Some interpret it not as called, but as remembered. According to the Septuagint: from My mother's womb He shall call My name, which is to be understood in the following manner: The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow you; therefore, the Holy One born will be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35). He who has been holy by nature since the beginning and who sanctifies all will not only be recognized as Holy after this moment but will also always be acknowledged as such. Additionally, it is written: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, meaning God with us, signifying the Redeemer (Matt. 1:23). He has been the Redeemer from eternity, yet He will be called the Redeemer because His act of redemption will be made manifest. Similarly, it was previously stated that it was neither an angel nor a spirit, but the Lord Himself who descended from heaven and rescued them (cf. Is. 63:9). Therefore, the term must be interpreted: the Holy One. It is rightly stated, from the womb, from My mother's womb; indeed, He was recognized as the Holy One, the Redeemer, from that moment.

The concept of such islands appears multiple times in the Holy Scriptures, as the blessed David proclaims, “The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the islands be glad” (Ps. 96:1). When Christ ascended to His heavenly dominion and exerted His authority, expelling the powers of darkness, the Church across the globe rejoiced. The prophet’s reference to islands clearly points to the Churches of the Gentiles, as evidenced by his subsequent words, “Hearken unto me, ye islands,” followed quickly by, “Hear ye Gentiles.” He then states, “The Lord will stand many times,” saying, “I will proclaim” — this heralds the appearance of Jesus Christ, our Savior, the divine Word who relates to those on earth in a manner akin to our own. The timing of prophecy is made apparent; it signifies the divine presence rather than the fulfillment of actions, as indicated by the prophecy’s many announcements. In this context, the very nature of the Savior is introduced with the phrase, “From my mother's womb shall my name be called.” With these words, He connects us to a profound mystery that requires divine insight, a revelation granted to blessed Peter (Matt. 16:17). The Word, who is and was God, is of one essence with the Father, co-existing and co-eternal with Him. Prior to the Incarnation, His designations corresponded to His divine nature: God, wisdom, light, life, power, among others found in the Holy Scriptures. However, as He embraced humility, becoming like us and taking the form of a man (Phil. 2:7), He assumed a common name, that is, Christ and Jesus, reflecting His association with humanity. Thus, it is written, “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel” (Is. 7:14; Matt. 1:23). Likewise, the angelic messenger revealed the mystery to the Blessed Virgin, saying, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God: behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name Him Jesus” (Luke 1:30, 31). For He will save His people from their sins (Matt. 1:21). Did the blessed angel and the prophet employ differing names? Absolutely not; the sacred Prophet, speaking spiritually, foretold God who became one of us, designating Him according to His nature and His embodiment. The blessed angel named Him based on His mission, for He would save His people, hence He was called Savior. Gamely, the host of angels, as He was born of the flesh for our sake, proclaimed His birth to the shepherds, saying, “Fear not: behold, we bring you good tidings of great joy, which will be to all people, for there is born to you this day a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David” (Luke 2:10, 11). Therefore, He is called Immanuel, for He who is by nature God became one of us, a man; Jesus, for He came to redeem the heavenly realms, being God while embracing humanity. Upon His birth from the Virgin, He was given His name. Hence, the name of Christ was not attributed to the Word of God before His incarnation, for as the anointed one, He could not be named Christ until He was born as a man. Upon entering the world, He received a name relevant to His fleshly birth. His words were like a sharp sword, as it is rightly proclaimed; the prophet Isaiah declares, “He shall be girded with truth around His waist, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked” (Isa. 11:4-5). Indeed, the divine preaching, the gospel proclaimed through Christ’s mouth, wields a potent and penetrating sword (Heb. 4:12) against the forces of darkness, shattering the rulers of this world and the spirits of wickedness (Eph. 6:12). He dispelled the darkness of falsehood and infused the hearts of mankind with the marvelous knowledge of the true God; He transformed the heavenly realms to reflect godly living, inspiring all towards righteousness. He bore the sin of the world, justifying the ungodly through faith and filling those who approach Him with the Holy Spirit, making them children of God, instilling a mighty and victorious spirit in them, and equipping them with the spiritual sword, which is the word of God (Eph. 6:17), thereby enabling them to aspire towards the highest honors. Through Christ’s teachings and the mysteries revealed, He dismantled the dominion of evil over the earth, as the prophet Isaiah asserts, “In that day, the Lord will bring forth a great and mighty sword against the dragon, that serpent of old, and will slay the dragon” (Isa. 27:1). Yet, he added that He would shelter me under His hand. Although he speaks in human terms, it isn’t difficult for the discerning to understand that the Son exists eternally with God the Father, and that the Son became man. He is considered to be sheltered by His right hand, illustrating that His divine nature remains immutable and unchangeable even while appearing in our form, for none can triumph over the omnipotent hand. Yet, as I mentioned, His nature is now intertwined with ours. The omnipotent Word, originating from the Father, is also the Lord of Hosts, and though He became incarnate, the Father, while preserving the unity of the mystery, entrusts Him with the task of building, as expressed through the psalmist’s lyre: “The enemy shall not outsmart him, nor shall the son of iniquity afflict him; I will cut off his foes before him and those who hate him shall be vanquished; My truth and mercy will be with him” (Ps. 88:23, 24). Notice that He speaks in human terms for our sake, saying, “Shelter me under the protection of Your hand. Shape me into a chosen arrow, and conceal me in Your bowels.” There are many arrows hidden in God’s quiver for appointed times, sent forth at appropriate moments. However, Christ, the select arrow, was concealed in the Father’s foreknowledge, akin to being in a quiver, foreordained before the world’s foundation (1 Pet. 1:20), then brought forth when necessary to redeem creation, which had fallen into decay by prioritizing the creature over the Creator (Rom. 1:25) through yielding to unclean spirits and ensnarement in sin. This chosen arrow strikes directly at Satan and his allies; it also pierces the enemies of truth and those who oppose His holy message. Additionally, it strikes in an alternative sense, for the benefit and salvation, as the beloved of the Song of Songs expressed, “I am wounded with love” (Song of Songs 2:5). The Father proclaims, “You are My servant, O Israel, and through you I will be glorified.” O, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! As recorded (Rom. 11:33), the Son was and remains free, begotten from the very Essence that rules over all; yet He humbly accepted the role of a servant, demonstrating His incarnation through human birth. He is called Israel because, according to the flesh, He comes from the lineage of Israel. “In you,” He continues, “I will be glorified.” The God of all people was glorified through the holy prophets, not merely through them, but in Christ — wondrously and uniquely, for He was glorified in Him (not just through Him). When Christ is glorified, the Father is glorified in Him. Thus we witness the Father shining through the Son in divine majesty, power, efficacy, sanctity, righteousness, and gentleness, illustrating how the Godhead becomes spiritually perceptible to humanity. Thus Christ affirmed, “He who sees Me, sees My Father” (John 14:9). The wise Paul also expressed that, in the person of Christ, He who begot Him is glorified (Rom. 15:9; cf. Heb. 5:5; 1 Pet. 4:11). Therefore, “In you,” He declares, “I will be glorified,” for every knee shall bow to the Son and to Him who was manifested in the flesh, as written, in heaven, on earth, and under the earth; every tongue shall acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the glory of God the Father (Phil. 1:10, 11).

However, I did not intend to overwhelm the reader by presenting everything at once, fearing that my extensive commentary might obscure what could be more clearly expressed in segments. Thus, I have presented both versions, allowing what appears unclear in one to be illuminated by the other.

After summoning the remnant of Israel and rejecting those who remained in unbelief, of whom it is stated, "There is no peace for the wicked, saith the Lord" (Isaiah 48:22), He turns to the Gentile churches, referring to them as islands. They face the schemes of persecutors, akin to the crashing waves of the sea, and though they are struck by the tumult around them, they are not shaken. However, lest anyone think that our interpretation is forced and that these words refer not to the Gentiles but to Jewish synagogues, it follows: and pay attention, you nations or tribes from afar, from the outermost parts of the earth, or as the Septuagint translates: after many times shall come that which is spoken.

The Lord says, "He has called me from the womb, and from my mother's womb, He has taken care of my name." This may seem obscure to the hearers now, but later it will be made known to all nations when Gabriel says to Joseph regarding the one born of the Virgin, "And you shall call His name Jesus; He who will save His people" (Matthew 1:21). He made His mouth like a sharp sword to bring judgment upon the wicked with the Spirit of His mouth. He speaks of this sword in the Gospel: "I have not come to bring peace on earth, but a sword," distinguishing the righteous from the unrighteous (Matthew 10:34-35). The shadow of His hand covered Me, indicating that the insignificance of the flesh would be veiled by the majesty of divinity, just as the angel revealed to the Virgin: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you" (Luke 1:35).

He has made me a chosen arrow, hidden in His quiver. In referring to a chosen arrow, He implies that although God possesses many arrows, only a few are chosen; these arrows represent the prophets and apostles scattered throughout the earth. It is sung of them in another place, "Your arrows are sharp, O Mighty One; the peoples fall under You" (Psalm 45:5). Again, "The arrows of the Mighty are sharp, with burning coals" (Psalm 119:4). Yet Christ, among many arrows and numerous sons, is the singular chosen arrow, the only begotten Son; He is hidden in His quiver, that is, within His human form, so that the fullness of deity may dwell in Him bodily. However, often He is not received with faith, as it is stated, "You are a God who hides Himself" (Isaiah 45:15). The wound inflicted by this arrow leads the bride to say in the Song of Songs, "I am wounded with love" (Song of Songs 2:5).

He declares to Me, "You are My servant, Israel; in you, I will be glorified." Servant, for being the image of God, He chose to take on the form of a servant (Philippians 2), and Israel, for He descended from Jewish lineage. To ensure this is not attributed to any other servant, it is emphasized: "for in You I will be glorified." He also states in the Gospel, "Father, glorify Your name" (John 12:28). He speaks in the Psalms to the Son: "Arise, My glory; arise" (Psalm 57:9), which summarizes all virtues. Yet when the Father made known what I have proclaimed, I responded, "How are You glorified in Me, Father? For I have labored in vain and could not draw most of the Jewish people to You." All this indicates that human will is free; while God calls, it is our choice to believe. If we hesitate to believe immediately, God is not powerless but empowers our will so that we may be rewarded for supporting the righteous. Since they were unwilling to believe in You through me, my judgment is with You, for I have fulfilled my mission towards them, as I stated in the Gospel, "I glorified You on earth; I have completed the work You gave me to do" (John 17:4), and again, "I have revealed Your name to men" (John 17:6).

And my work, or my toil and my sorrow, is before You; for in the Gospel, He wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19), and in the Psalms, due to the multitude of unbelievers, He expressed that His efforts were in vain: "What is the value of my blood when I go down to the pit?" (Psalm 30:9). While hanging on the cross, He proclaimed according to the Hebrew text, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" (Psalm 22:1).

This is particularly clear in verse 6, found in the following section, where He elaborates on His mission: "Behold, I have given Thee for a Branch, for a light with the tongue, to be Thou salvation even unto the last of the earth" (Isaiah 49:6). Only the Messiah can truly be regarded as the Light of the nations and the Source of salvation for all humanity across the earth to its farthest reaches. The Apostle Paul cites these prophetic declarations to both Jews and Gentiles as a mandate to proclaim Christ, emphasizing that He came to illuminate and save not just the Jewish people, but all nations (Acts 13:47). "For many times shall stand, saith the Lord," marks the beginning of the Messiah's address to the Gentiles on behalf of the Lord. This indicates that the event He refers to will unfold in a future period, considerably later than the liberation from Babylonian captivity, which merely serves as a prefiguration of His coming as the world's Light and Savior. Through the Archangel Gabriel's words to the Virgin Mary, not only is the miraculous birth of Christ foretold, but His name is also revealed: "You shall conceive in the womb, and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus" (Luke 1:31). A similar foreshadowing of the name Jesus appears in the Angel’s message to Joseph, betrothed to Mary, explaining the significance of that name: "He who will save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).