Isaiah 52:15Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

For they shall witness what was not previously revealed to them, and they shall comprehend what they had not yet heard. When did this come to pass among the Jewish people? However, this applies to Christ both then and now. Where are the prophets who declared these truths to the Jewish people so that all may later believe? The notion of them seeing what was not conveyed to them aligns with Paul’s assertion, that Jesus Christ was prominently portrayed before their eyes, as if crucified (Galatians 3:1). The power of the Crucified One is immense, yet the indictment against the Jews is equally significant. If those who never listened to the prophets about Christ are able to understand, what can be said of those who witnessed countless miracles that could captivate even those without prophecies? They heard the prophets' messages, they saw Christ and His miracles with their own eyes, yet they did not have faith. Conversely, those who had neither seen Christ nor heard the prophets believed. This is indeed a remarkable and profound reality. Is all of this untrue? Certainly not; the very events testify that what was foretold long ago holds true. They will witness what was not spoken to them, and it is declared that they will understand. To recognize is to believe. Why did they lack belief? It is because they fell prey to pride: pride is the root of all evil.

The essence of divine wisdom is that the only-begotten Word of God became incarnate, enduring poverty alongside those on earth so that through His destitution, we might find richness, and by believing in Him, we might be cleansed from the defilements of sin, since the Law of Moses could not eradicate sin. Furthermore, through the death of His mortal body, He would vanquish death and decay, restoring life everlasting to those bound by mortality and elevating earthly beings to heavenly citizenship, uniting them with God and the Father, previously lost. He came to proclaim freedom to the captives, sight to the blind, and healing to the brokenhearted, to empty hell, and to strip Satan of his power and tyrannical reign over all. Therefore, He will comprehend, my dear, for all His actions on our behalf were without folly or error; through wisdom, He accomplished all things, as noted by the Psalmist (Psalms 103:24). For this reason, He shall be lifted high and glorified exceedingly: for God receives glory from us when we acknowledge Him as Lord, Savior, and Redeemer, and we hold it to be true. To ensure the words of God the Father were undeniable and clear, He added, “As many as shall be astonished at you, so shall your sight be disparaged by men, and your glory from men. For those who perceive His coming and can spiritually discern the magnitude of His divine power are awestruck by His deeds.” This reflects the prophet Habakkuk, who declared, “Lord, I have heard Your report, and I am fearful; I comprehend Your works and am consumed with dread” (Habakkuk 3:1). However, those who failed to recognize His glory and remained in disbelief and folly subjected Him to derision and disgrace, branding Him a Samaritan, a glutton, a drunkard, an illegitimate child, and a sinner. Thus, as many will be horrified at you, so shall your sight be mocked by men, and your glory by men. Yet, in contrast, many Gentiles will marvel at you and remain silent before kings. The contemptible Jews, though utterly insignificant, dared to insult Him, frequently unleashing their unruly tongues in blasphemy; conversely, many kings, acknowledging His divinity, will extol Him as the ruler of all and withhold any hateful speech, not uttering a sound offensive to Christ’s glory. To ensure that the holy and salvific message, that is, the preaching of the Gospel, is aligned not with those who dishonor His sight, but rather with those who marvel at His magnificence, He clearly stated, “They shall see, and those who have not heard shall understand.” Indeed, all matters concerning Christ were foretold by the prophets to the Israelites, not to the Gentiles. Yet these, He asserts, shall witness perfect salvation through Him, and those who have never heard of His mysteries will come to know them, having believed in Him, for faith is the foundation and sustainer of knowledge, serving as the inception of piety; and those who embrace it are granted life. Thus, the prophet Isaiah proclaims, “Unless you believe, you cannot understand” (Isaiah 7:9).

Nations will marvel at Him; kings will be speechless before Him, for they will see things that were never revealed to them and will understand things they had not previously known. Who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground; He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering; like one from whom people hide their faces, He was despised, and we held Him in low esteem. Yet He bore our infirmities and carried our sorrows; we considered Him stricken by God, smitten and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds, we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb led to the slaughter, and like a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth. He was taken away because of oppression and judgment; and who can speak of His descendants? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of My people, He was stricken. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death, though He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer; and though the Lord makes His life an offering for sin, He will see His offspring and prolong His days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in His hand. After He has suffered, He will see the light of life and be satisfied; by His knowledge, my righteous servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will give Him a portion among the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He poured out His life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors, for He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors" (Isaiah 52:13-15; Isaiah 53:1-12). This speaks of Christ.

Being the image of God, He graciously assumed the appearance of a servant, obedient to the Father to the point of death, even death on a cross. As a result, God exalted Him and bestowed upon Him the name that is above all names (Philippians 2:6-9). The Psalmist states, ‘I will bless the Lord who has discerned me’ (Psalm 15:7), and David declares, ‘He created the heavens with understanding’ (Psalm 135:5). For He embodies wisdom and understanding—He who advanced in both age and wisdom as a young boy (Luke 2:52). Of Him, Peter affirms, “The God of our fathers glorified His child Jesus, whom you betrayed and denied before Pilate, who sought to release Him; but you rejected the Holy and Righteous One” (Acts 3:13-14). As previously shown, it is written: “I am the witness, saith the Lord God, and My child, whom I have chosen” (Isaiah 43:10). A great many will be astonished when they see His signs. Yet from that time onward, His glorious appearance among men will invoke great wonder—not due to any disgrace in His image, but because He will come in humility and poverty. Though He was rich, He became poor for our sake (2 Corinthians 8:9), and He invited those who believed, saying, “Learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29). Clement, the apostolic figure who led the Roman Church after Peter, writes to the Corinthians that the Lord Jesus Christ did not come in vain glory, despite the power that was His, but in humility. When confronted by the high priest's servant, He responded, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?” (John 18:19-23), even though He had at His disposal more than twelve legions of angels (Matthew 26:53). He will sprinkle many nations, cleansing them with His blood, and through baptism, consecrating them to serve God. Before Him, the kings and rulers of the world will be silenced, their wisdom brought to ruin by the preaching of the cross; meanwhile, those without the Law and the Prophets, to whom He was not proclaimed, will perceive and comprehend. To such, the Saviour states, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). In contrast, the obstinacy of the Jews is reproached; despite seeing and hearing, they fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy: “In hearing you will hear, and by no means understand; and in seeing you will see, and not perceive. The hearts of this people have grown dull, their ears are hard of hearing” (Isaiah 6:9-10).

The source of their joy and reverence is articulated as follows: for they who were unaware of Him will see, and they who had not heard will comprehend. These prophetic words are affirmed by the apostle Paul (Rom. 15:21), who highlights their realization in the conversion of the Gentiles who first heard him proclaim Christ. The remarkable and unprecedented events that will evoke joy and awe among nations and kings undoubtedly refer to the preaching of the gospel, alongside the miracles and wonders that accompanied its dissemination. The insights regarding Christ's humiliation and glory previously mentioned are further developed in the subsequent verses of the parimia, where the Messiah's degradation is depicted (Isaiah 53:1-9) before His exaltation is revealed.