Isaiah 50:9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Look, all of them will fade away like an old garment; they will be devoured by moths. Aquila refers to rust; Symmachus mentions mold. This denotes either the anger of God or a characteristic of the body.

Behold, the Lord will provide assistance; who can provoke me? Indeed, all of you will be like a discarded garment, to be swept away like a fleeting prayer. Through this, He aims to convey two crucial lessons to the wicked and those harboring unjust animosity towards Him. First, their conspiracies and murderous ambitions against Him have utterly failed. Second, severe retribution awaits those who have sinned against Him, as they presumed they could eliminate the Prince of Life, but as the Psalmist declares, they plotted schemes that came to nothing (Psalm 20:12). It was impossible for death to triumph over the one who embodies life. Consequently, He was resurrected by the might of God the Father, as is recorded (1 Cor. 15:4 cf. Rom. 10:9).

He who vindicates me is close at hand. Who will contend with me? We shall stand together. Who is my opponent? Let him approach Me. Behold, the Lord God is my supporter; who will bring judgment against me? Observe, all shall perish like a garment, for the moth will consume them. If anyone believes that I am rightly condemned to the cross, He says, let him challenge Me. Who will bring a lawsuit against Me, so that he might not fall to the power of My greatness, but rather by reason? Yet, those who judge alongside the Lord will not be evaluated by earthly authority, but by the measure of virtues, just as the apostles assessed the twelve tribes of Israel, and as the Ninevites and the Queen of Sheba judged the people of Judah.

Sin deteriorates humanity. Consider, you are all like a piece of clothing, as if a moth were to consume you (Isaiah 50:9, LXX.). This analogy is quite fitting, as the moth that emerges from garments causes their ruin, just as the sin we bear leads to the destruction of those who give it life.

Some people devalue birth, viewing it merely as a pathway to deterioration and death. Misinterpreting the truth, they assert that the Savior referred to procreation when He instructed us not to store up treasures on earth, where they decay and are consumed by moths. To support their claims, they audaciously cite the prophet's words: "You shall grow old like a garment, and the moth shall drain you" (Is 50:9, LXX). Our affirmation that human bodies are perishable and inherently subject to change does not contradict Scripture in any way. The prophet, likely addressing sinners, predicted their demise. The Lord's message was not about procreation; rather, He emphasized the sharing of resources and condemned those who hoard wealth while neglecting the needs of others.

The prophet Isaiah refers to sin as a moth (Is 50:9), symbolizing those whose consciences are corroded by their arrogance. One could liken these moths to their transgressions, which consume those around them, much like a moth devours fabric for sustenance. A mindset devoid of reverence for God typifies individuals in this state of ruin, convinced they are immune to destruction. Yet it is evident that fate serves them inevitable retribution. They will be justly engulfed by calamity, similar to how a moth is devoured.

The declaration of the Messiah, “The Lord will assist Me: who will cause Me distress,” parallels the Apostle's assertion, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31). The adversaries of the Messiah vainly aspire to thwart Him and His mission. But who are these foes? They are frail and mortal beings, akin to tattered and aged garments, destined to perish and vanish from the earth. Can one truly believe that such adversaries could thwart the divine plans of the everlasting God for humanity’s salvation through the Messiah?