Isaiah 51:18Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Their leaders frequently emphasized the law given by Moses, often proclaiming, "Blessed are you, O Israel, for that which is pleasing to God is reasonable to us" (Bar. 4:3). By doing this, they diverted the hearts of their followers from love for Christ and encouraged them to disregard His grace, leading them away and obstructing their journey towards righteousness and justification through faith, even though the law itself could not save them. Hence, the call to rise is akin to the words spoken by Paul: "Awake, you who sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you" (Eph. 5:14). Furthermore, he encourages the strengthening of their feeble hands and knees, urging them to make straight paths for their feet (Heb. 12:12-13).

The punishment that those who opposed Christ and sought to execute the Author of Life brought upon themselves is indeed fitting for their wickedness. This is illustrated by the statement regarding consuming "the cup of fury from the hand of the Lord: the cup of the fall, the vial of wrath; you have drunk and fully drained it." The term "vial" refers to condemnation. The phrase "you have drained it" indicates not merely pouring out but partaking fully; thus, they have encountered the complete severity of God's wrath and faced consequences commensurate with their transgressions. The most wicked among them met their demise, partially due to the devastation of their land and the destruction of their renowned temple along with Jerusalem. They also lost faith in God and were cut off from the assembly of the righteous. At that time, when these calamities struck and Jerusalem seemed overwhelmed by divine judgment, none of their children were there to offer support or solace. Despite the presence of many Levites, priests, scribes, and Pharisees, who enjoyed prestige and authority, not one among them could rescue Judah from the disaster brought about by God’s anger or offer comfort in the face of immense suffering. Those who led them away from the love of God and dissuaded them from faith only caused harm, leaving them to descend into the depths of ruin without assistance.

The Prophet urges those who had previously denied the Lord, proclaiming at His suffering, "Take Him, take Him, crucify Him; we have no king but Caesar" (John 19:15), to rise again. The one who had previously denied the Lord, saying these very words, repented and through the hardships of exile felt the weight of his offense against his Creator.

Just as physicians prescribe a bitter remedy to those suffering from stomach ailments to purge harmful substances, Jerusalem, which has partaken of the Lord's fury, is now called to awaken from her stupor. She has drunk deeply, emptied, and drained every last drop from the cup of wrath that the three translators signify with the term "εκστράγγισας" (decanted to the drop). This is the cup referenced in the Psalms: "The cup in the hand of the Lord is full of undiluted wine; the dregs are poured out of this" (Psalms 74:9). God also instructs in Jeremiah, "Take the cup of undiluted wine from My hand, and give it to all nations to which I send you. They will drink, and stagger, and be troubled by the sword that I will bring upon them" (Jeremiah 25:15-16). After describing its offer to other nations and to Jerusalem, as well as the cities of Judah, the Prophet adds, "Thus says the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel: Drink, be drunk, and stagger, and fall, and never rise again because of the sword that I will send among you" (Jeremiah 25:27).

It should be noted that the cup of the Lord's wrath is compared to His sword directed at sinners. A question arises: How is it that after drinking, becoming inebriated, and falling, Jeremiah asserts that Jerusalem cannot rise, yet Isaiah says, "Arise, arise, arise, O Jerusalem"? This can be explained as follows: as long as one drinks from the cup, succumbs to intoxication, and falls, they cannot rise, for they have not fully consumed the cup of the Lord nor drained it to the dregs. Jerusalem speaks of a past when she once drank of that cup, not of a present action. Furthermore, it is crucial to observe that since that time, there has been no prophet or apostle in Judah to comfort her or lift her up. This indicates that the statement refers to the time after the final captivity; otherwise, there were prophets like Ezekiel present during and after the Babylonian captivity.

Regarding the mention of "two" that have confronted her, the Prophet expands this to "four": desolation and destruction, famine and the sword. This echoes the sentiments in the Psalms: "God has spoken once; these two things have I heard: that power belongs to God, and to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; for You will render to each according to their works" (Psalms 61:12-13). Here, God asserts His omnipotence, while the Prophet acknowledges that His power is displayed in both mercy for the penitent and in judgment for the unrepentant.

In this context, Jerusalem grapples with two forces, each bearing a pair of consequences. Desolation, paired with destruction, and famine, alongside the sword, foreshadow utter ruin. We may interpret this in a mystical sense regarding the sinful soul, which, unwilling to partake of the Lord's cup of fury, pleads, "O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger, nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure" (Psalm 6:2). Yet, should she partake, it would benefit her to bear her punishment and heed the Lord’s promise: "When My anger has subsided, I will heal her again" (Isaiah 7:4). Additionally, the Lord says, "Those who fall will not rise again" (Jeremiah 8:4).