Isaiah 49:6Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

"He stated, It is not sufficient for you to be My servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the remnant of Israel; rather, I will appoint you as a light for the nations, so that My salvation may reach to the furthest corners of the earth." The apostles recognized that this was realized in Christ; it was not truly accomplished in Israel, as salvation did not radiate from there to the ends of the earth. Though it was initially directed toward them, its fulfillment came at a later time—Christ became the covenant for the people and the light for those living in darkness.

In relation to His incarnate mission, it is rightly understood as servitude. Therefore, though it appeared degrading for the Son to embrace the glory of servanthood, in truth, the reality was different. His experience was far from trivial; He is exalted by all. Not viewing it as inappropriate to be equal with God, He accepted the role of a servant, faced the humiliation of the cross and all that it entailed, and willingly offered His life as a ransom for humanity: to vanquish the devil's rule and banish the legions of demons from their oppressive domination over us, to obliterate death and restore human nature to its original beauty, allowing humanity to serve God freely, no longer subjected to others' harshness but rather reflecting the beauty of the Creator.

Look, I have placed you in a covenant with the people, to bring light to the nations, so that you may bring salvation to the remotest parts of the earth. The Father was aware of the stubborn and unyielding wisdom of the Jews, which had become wholly corrupted, as they failed to accept the message of Christ. Instead, they should have honored the humility and unmatched grace of the Redeemer, who reached out with open arms to embrace divinity. Hence, to ensure it would not seem that our Savior's mission had reached fulfillment, given the people's rejection of their Leader and their unwillingness to accept salvation, the Father committed to revealing the path to salvation. He would send the light of true knowledge of God to those dwelling in darkness and shadows. Israel was called to this light, for Christ plainly declared: "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12) and, "Walk while you have the light, so that darkness does not overtake you" (John 12:35). But since they preferred darkness over light (John 3:19), they were engulfed by it, despite the holy prophets proclaiming grace through Christ. As one prophet said: "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and His glory will be seen upon you" (Isaiah 60:1-2). And another declared: "But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings" (Mal. 4:2). Since, as the sacred texts recount, they have blocked their ears so as not to hear, and their eyes have become blind (Isaiah 6:10; Isaiah 33:15; cf. Matthew 13:15; Acts 28:27), Christ shone forth to the Gentiles and revealed the heavenly realms filled with divine light. From east to west and to the farthest reaches of the earth, they rejoiced in devout worship and perceived the divine and supremely holy Nature, dedicating to Her and Her alone all expressions of spiritual service.

This signifies that He is called a servant, having been formed from the womb. He also states in the Psalm, From the womb of my mother, You are my God (Psalm 21:11). Now, what does the Lord proclaim to Him? That He would restore Jacob, who had turned away, having forsaken the Creator to worship idols. Therefore, He instructs His disciples, ‘Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, nor enter the city of Samaria; but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 10:5-6); and elsewhere He claims, 'I have come only for the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15:24). This was the Father’s will, that the wicked vinedressers would receive the Son sent to them and yield the fruits of the vineyard to those who conspired against Him, saying, Come, let us kill Him, and seize His inheritance (Matthew 21:38): this is what He now conveys: and Israel shall not be gathered, meaning they shall not turn to the Lord. However, I am deeply troubled by how the common translation has altered a powerful testimony against the disbelief of the Jews, declaring, I will be gathered and honored before the Lord, while both Theodotion and Symmachus align with our translation. Regarding Aquila, I find it unsurprising that this individual, who was well-versed in Hebrew and translated word for word, either feigned ignorance or was misled by the erroneous interpretations of the Pharisees, choosing to interpret Israel shall be gathered to Him, that is, to God, despite the Hebrew term "lo" not being rendered here with lamed and vav, which would mean ‘to Him,’ but rather with lamed and aleph, which conveys ‘not.’ Therefore, since Jacob was not drawn to God, nor was Israel united, the Son says to those who do not believe, I am honored in the eyes of the Lord. For in Me the entire world has believed. And my God has become my strength, who also comforted Me, who grieved over the rejection of My people, and responded to Me that it is not enough for You to be My servant for the restoration of the tribes of Jacob, which have fallen due to their own failures, and for the redemption of the remnant of Israel. This reflects the meaning of the Hebrew term "nesure." In their place, I have made you the light to all nations, so that you may illuminate the entire world and extend My salvation to the ends of the earth, by which all are redeemed. And what is recorded in the Seventy, I will be gathered and glorified before the Lord, can also be perceived in the sense that the Lord is united with the faithful. In the following assertion, much for you that you shall be called my young man, we can refer to the term reflecting humanity and the young man, who is insignificant in comparison to God.

His relationship to David is not the sole reason for His incarnation as a servant; it is also due to His identity: I have found David My servant; with My holy oil have I anointed him (Psalms 88:21). Moreover, Scripture states, Hear, O Jesus, great high priest, you and your brethren who sit before you, men of renown: Behold, I bring My servant, O Branch (Zechariah 3:8). The Son Himself proclaims, And now says the Lord, who formed Me from the womb to be His servant, to bring Jacob to Him, and to gather Israel to Him; I am honored in the sight of the Lord, and My God is My strength. And He said, It is not enough for you to merely be My servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the remnant of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that My salvation may reach to the ends of the earth (Isaiah 49:5-6). To whom else could these words be directed but to Jesus Christ Himself, who, being the image of God, did not consider it a robbery to be equal with God; but humbled Himself by taking on the form of a servant (Philippians 2:6-7). And what could the image of God consist of but the fullness of His divine nature?

The Lord continues, "I have put You as a light to the nations, that You might be for salvation to the end of the earth." The Apostle Paul, in his address to both Jews and Gentiles, references these prophetic words as an instruction to spread the message of Christ to the Gentiles: "Thus the Lord commanded us" (Acts 13:47). Christ serves as a light for the Gentiles, whereby His teachings will illuminate their understanding of the truth, leading to salvation that reaches to the ends of the earth—ensuring that all nations may find redemption through faith in Him.