Isaiah 55:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

When God is pleased, He transforms what is insurmountable into what is easily attainable, allowing anyone to evade the traps of carnal desires and, with vigor, ascend to the heights of virtue, as it is written, “Mountains are high unto Helen” (Psalm 103:18). Therefore, what does God promise to those who place their faith in Him? I will guide your steps and my commandments; you shall depart with joy, and you shall learn with gladness. This echoes another prophetic scripture that reveals: the way of the righteous is straight; the path of the righteous is prepared, the way of the Lord is the judgment of the Lord (Isaiah 26:7-8). Another holy prophet states: “The paths of the Lord are true, and those who walk in them are just, but the wicked will stumble along them” (Hosea 14:10), for if God does not facilitate the journey, they cannot walk the path. As noted, it is a heavenly gift to traverse God's paths and obey His commandments, drawing nearer to Him, as illustrated when He spoke regarding the Jewish synagogue: “For this reason He says, I will block her paths with thorns, and she will seek her paths but will not find them” (Hosea 2:6-7). Hence, He expresses that if I hasten my commandments, you shall depart with joy; that is, you shall surpass your sorrows and, freed from your passions, advance towards a fulfilling and wondrous life, learning with joy from the sacred teachings. This is why David, the man of God, says: “Your words are sweeter to my throat than honey and honeycomb to my mouth” (Psalm 118:103). He rejoiced in them sincerely, recognizing that true happiness lies in them (Psalm 118:14).

The departure with joy can be interpreted as those, freed from prior wickedness, joyfully embracing their divine calling. This truth is illustrated by the prophecy: “Mountains and hills shall spring forth in gladness for you and all the trees of the garden shall bloom; instead of the thornbush, the cypress will grow, and instead of the stinging nettle, the myrtle shall flourish; and the Lord shall be a name and an everlasting sign, and shall not be lacking” (Isaiah 55:12-13). The mountains likely symbolize higher spiritual powers ordained by God to serve the earthly inhabitants, as they are ministering spirits sent for those longing to inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14), rejoicing over every sinner who repents (Luke 15:10). It is fitting to liken them to mountains, signifying the inherent greatness of virtue and their attainment of the highest state. The mountains may also refer to those in the church fulfilling the teaching roles, seeking the things above, rising above earthly concerns, while hills denote those of lesser rank in glory and honor; for within the church structure, distinctions exist in both honor and service. He states that these mountains and hills will rise, rejoicing at your conversion and divine calling, waiting eagerly for you, as we triumphantly celebrate each soul returning from darkness into the light of divine truth. Similarly, the wise Paul expressed joy, proclaiming: “Rejoice and crown me” (Philippians 4:1). Moreover, all the trees of the countryside will also blossom forth; these trees represent the laity within the beautiful garden of the Savior. Such a garden, rich in flowers and fruits, invites, as the bride in the Song of Songs expresses: “Let my beloved come into his garden and partake of its exquisite fruits” (Song of Songs 4:16). Therefore, the trees of the spirit will flourish with branches: those who have believed will rejoice just as the mountains and hills, signifying their role within the churches, guiding the laity toward salvation in keeping with the divine purpose. The extraordinary transformation awaits those called, promising them a profound change for the better: instead of the thornbush, cypress trees will flourish, and instead of stinging nettles, myrtles shall grow. Bitter weeds, like thornbushes, thrive in arid and harsh environments, signifying those lost and laboring in spiritual bondage; however, once called to the truth, they shed their former identities and become the finest, most fragrant plants: they transform into cypress and myrtle. This profound transformation is the miraculous work of Christ, the cultivator of the Church: He turns thorns into highly valued trees, nourishing the latter in place of the former. We observe this very change in those of Israel’s bloodline. Matthew and Paul, once emblematic of thorns—one a tax collector, the other a persecutor—became lights unto the world and the fragrance of Christ among the saved and the lost alike (2 Corinthians 2:15-16). The giver of these blessings remains eternally glorious, as expressed: “And the Lord shall be a name and a sign forever, and shall not lack” — here, the name signifies glory, while the sign likely represents the illuminating cross, through which we find salvation and continue to dwell in grace; for certainly, we shall never be deprived of His blessings.

"My word," says He, "shall not return void, but will achieve all I intend and accomplish My will on earth, after which it will return to Me." It is written, "The Lord said to My Lord, 'Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool'" (Psalms 109:1). With joy, you shall emerge from the blood of idolatry, being led away in peace, ready to hear from the apostle, "Grace to you and peace" (Rom. 1:7). Or you may be joyfully guided, so that after the shadow of the law, you may comprehend the truth of the gospel. The mountains and hills, symbolic of the angels and the souls of the saints, distinguished by their virtues, are set to rejoice over the repentant ones, expressing their joy through exuberant leaping. This echoes what our Lord proclaimed in the Gospel, "The angels in heaven rejoice over one sinner who repents" (Luke 15). Likewise, all the trees will wave their branches, planted by the streams of water, yielding fruit in their season, with leaves that do not wither (Ps. 1). One such tree declares in the Psalms, "But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God" (Psalm 51:10).

Let us consider those who focus solely on the straightforward historical interpretation and consume the boiled flesh of the lamb—do the trees truly clap with their branches or create noise with their hands? What does it mean when it is said of the rivers, "The rivers will clap their hands" (Psalms 97:8)? Not only will the mountains and hills leap and sing, but all the trees blessed by God will also wave their branches and produce joyful sounds, while the thorns and nettles will transform into cypress and myrtle. According to Symmachus and the Seventy, the Hebrew term for οτοιβή is spelt pesus, which translates to χονόζη in Avila and Theodotion's works. Κονόζη is a foul and bitter herb with a terrible aroma. The LXX translates χονόζη, identified in Hebrew as sarphod; Symmachus translates this as nettle. Regardless of their specific meanings, it is proclaimed that the bad will become good, vices will yield virtues, transforming iniquity into truth, recklessness into courage, wastefulness into moderation, and imprudence into wisdom. Consider the ancestors: Matthew, Zacchaeus, and tax collectors were thorns, useless stumps, and bitter shrubs, lamenting, "My wounds are foul and festering because of my folly" (Psalms 37:6). Upon their sudden conversion to apostles, they became cypress, spruce, and myrtle, possessing a delightful fragrance and providing for many needs. Paul, once a persecutor of the church, upon hearing from the Lord, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads" (Acts 9:4-8), was like a nettle with the sharp needles of persecution. However, as he preached the gospel throughout the world, he could declare, "We are the fragrance of Christ" (2 Corinthians 2:15), rightly being identified as cypress and myrtle. The prostitutes and tax collectors will enter the kingdom of God ahead of the Pharisees, and the thief on the cross will find his way into paradise (Matt. 21).

Thus, what is recorded in the Gospel, "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit" (Matthew 7:18), refers not to the nature of a being, as some heretics suggest, but to the will's determination. Consequently, it states, "Make the tree good, and its fruit will be good" (Matt. 12:33). Hence, it is evident that each individual, by their choice, renders their soul a good or bad tree, showcasing differing fruits. Then it continues, "The Lord shall be in name and sign forever, which shall not cease." To those who transition from evil to good, the Lord will be their everlasting name and sign, allowing them to be called Christians and marked by the emblem of His cross. This sign was foretold by Simeon, who, holding the Child, exclaimed, "Behold, this One is destined for the fall and the rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against" (Luke 2:34). It is also written above, "The Lord will give you a sign" (Isaiah 7:14), with the saint declaring in the Psalm, "The Lord grant me a sign for good" (Psalm 85:17). And He, who embodies the sign, says, "When you see the sign of the Son of Man" (Matt. 21:30), which will endure and remain unchanged, transitioning from the present reality into the future.

The delight in the salvation of sinners through faith in Christ will resonate throughout the mountains and hills, causing them to burst forth in joy. Here, actions typically associated with living beings are attributed to the inanimate earth (cf. Is. 44:23; Is. 49:23; Is. 49:13; Ps. 98:8), signifying that both the mountains and hills will lift their voices in praise to the Lord. This song will be heard by the newly converted Christians, both from the Jewish and Gentile backgrounds, emanating from the mouths of their brethren who have already embraced faith in Christ.