Isaiah 55:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

And I grant an eternal covenant to you, O faithful servant of David. Behold, I will give him as a witness to the Gentiles, the ruler and Lord of the tongue. The Gentiles who have not known You will invoke You, and the nations that have not known You will turn to You, for the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, will be glorified in You. Upon making the promise, “Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Isaiah 55:2), He immediately reveals how this promise will be fulfilled, by bestowing an everlasting covenant... For the law was not meant to be eternal and unchangeable; it was established until the time of restoration, as the wise Paul articulates: when the former commandment became obsolete due to its flaws, a new command was introduced, one that stood in stark contrast to the first (Hebrews 8:13, 7): the former was outward and ceremonial, while the latter radiates with the splendor of truth.

The Lord of all creation spoke through one of the holy prophets, "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I shall establish a new covenant with the house of Jacob and the house of Israel" (Jeremiah 31:31-38). This new covenant will not be like the one I established with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. They did not remain faithful to my covenant, so I disregarded them, says the Lord. But with this new covenant that I create with the house of Israel, I will place my laws into their minds and write them on their hearts.

The wise John also delineates the contrast between the Old and New Testaments, stating, “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17); by grace and truth, he refers to the transformative power of the Gospel, which possesses the authority of genuine and spiritual ministry. Moses served as a minister of the temporary shadow, while Christ, the eternal, is the herald of the enduring service.

What is this eternal covenant that He establishes with those who approach Him in faith? He clarifies it, immediately referring to the faithful servant of David. This could mean that the promise made to the illustrious David regarding Christ, the Savior of us all, will also belong to the Gentile believers, or that He is referring to the divine and holy proclamations of Christ, who came from the lineage of David according to the flesh. These words are reverent because they sanctify those who heed them, similar to how the fear of the Lord is described as pure (Psalm 18:10).

The Gospel is called life—life-giving—as Christ stated, “The words I speak to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63). Thus, they are sacred because they transform those who embrace them into reverent, just, and blameless individuals, reinforcing their faith and godly living. Such is the power of Christ's teachings.

Having mentioned Christ as being of David's lineage, it is stated, “Behold, the testimony to the Gentiles is His, the ruler and Lord of the tongue.” He bears witness, as our Lord Jesus Christ did, that the Gentiles are now included, that all who desire may be freely enriched with the light of true divine wisdom. Utilizing the psalmist's lyre, it is proclaimed, “Hear this, all you nations; give ear, all inhabitants of the earth, both high and low, rich and poor together. My mouth will speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart will give understanding” (Psalm 48:2-4).

Wisdom and understanding were indeed necessary for those who had strayed into idolatry, worshipping creation instead of the Creator. The Word became flesh to address this error, stating, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the captives and recovery of sight for the blind, to set free the oppressed” (Is. 61:1). Such were the afflictions of the Gentiles, yet through Him, they obtained wisdom, becoming sensible, no longer weak-minded, but strong and eager to engage in every righteous and salvific endeavor.

Observe the precision in His declaration: when He is described as a witness to the Gentiles, it is made clear that He is not simply one of the holy prophets but is exalted with the very glory of God. Our Lord Jesus Christ spoke with authority, compelling amazement among the Jews, for His teachings were not shadows of the law but the embodiment of truth, as He transformed the old covenant into the new with divine command.

The prophetic word directed at the Gentiles is clear: God the Father addresses Him as His Son, affirming, “The Gentiles who did not seek you will call upon you, and nations who did not know you shall run to you.” Indeed, those who once walked in darkness now recognize Jesus as God, viewing Him as their hope, protector, and source of salvation.

Why is this the case? Because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, as they approach the Son, glorifying Him as begotten of the Father by nature, sharing the glory of the One who sent Him. Whoever honors the Father also honors the Son, as whoever exalts the Son undoubtedly honors the Father from whom He is naturally derived.

The Son, who bears the image of God as the Father’s own, did not seek equality with God as a prize but humbled Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; He obediently faced death, even the death of the cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted Him and bestowed upon Him a name above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:5-11).

Though humanity has temporarily marred the glory of Christ, He returns to His inherent divinely appointed greatness, both in majesty and bodily form. This is what is signified when it is declared that the Son has been given from the Father a name above every name. He Himself petitioned, “Father, glorify me with the glory which I had with You before the world existed” (John 17:5).

For if you hearken unto Me, you shall yield good things from the earth (Is. 1:19), or blessings as He who declared, I am the good shepherd (Jn. 10:11). You will partake in the bounty of the earth, and the richness of your soul will be fulfilled. Thus, to grasp the blessings promised to the soul, one must recognize that it is not material wealth, bodily health, or worldly accolades—attributes philosophers deem indifferent, fluctuating based on human perception—but those to which the Lord calls us: turn from evil and do good (Psalm 36:27). If integrity and virtue embody the true goods of the soul, then what is deemed evil must be understood not as poverty, physical frailty, or ignorance, but all vices that are genuinely harmful. Consequently, Abraham's true wealth was not in riches but in how he utilized them for good (Gen. 13). Likewise, Lazarus, who later found rest in the embrace of Abraham, did not encounter evil through his suffering and poverty; rather, through worldly adversities, he secured eternal blessings. Thus, the rich man clad in luxurious garments enjoyed his earthly prosperity, which appeared favorable to some, while concerning Lazarus, it is not stated that he “received his evil in his life,” but rather “received his evils in his life,” experienced not by him but perceived as such by others (Luke 16). The blessed Job serves as a model to us, unyielding to either worldly good or evil, standing firm through all trials (Job 2). Therefore, Solomon petitions the Lord, “Give me neither riches nor vanity. Rather, grant me just enough to sustain myself, lest I become proud and deny You, by asking, ‘Who will see me?’ Or in my poverty, may I not steal and thus profane Your name” (Proverbs 30:8-9). If he requests neither affluence nor deprivation but only what is essential for life, which the Apostle affirms: “We have food and clothing; with these we shall be content” (1 Tim. 6:8), then clearly, riches and poverty, health and sickness, pleasure and suffering, are not inherently good or evil. They are judged according to the perspectives of those who experience them. Hence, the Lord does not promise the soul, as the Chiliasts do, a life of abundance, sumptuous meals, physical strength, fine delicacies, sweet drinks, beautiful spouses, or great numbers of offspring. Instead, He invites us to partake in those pleasures that He subtly offers, saying, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will grant you the desires of your heart” (Ps. 36:4), and “I believe I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (Psalm 26:13), and in another psalm: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name, who fulfills your desires with good things” (Psalm 102:1-5). Ultimately, He declares, “Listen, and your soul shall live.” The promise of all good is eternal life. If you will heed His call, your soul will endure eternally, and I will grant you an everlasting covenant, the mercies of David that remain steadfast. Of these, the Psalmist sang, “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; from generation to generation, I will proclaim Your faithfulness” (Psalm 88:1). To clarify what these mercies entail, he reveals in subsequent verses: “I am in covenant with My holy one; though I may have to restrain My promise to David: his lineage shall endure perpetually, and his throne is established as the sun before Me, and as the moon, perfect and enduring, and a faithful witness in heaven” (Ps. 88:36-38). He is called faithful because He fulfills His promises. The LXX terms this as the holy faithfulness of David, understood as strong and firm, regarding which it is written: “Faithful are all His precepts, established forever” (Psalm 110:8), and similarly, “God is faithful, and there is no injustice in Him” (Deuteronomy 32:4). The Apostle Paul affirms: “If we do not believe, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself” (2 Tim. 2:13), and speaking to Timothy, “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance” (1 Tim. 1:15). However, the covenant promised by the Lord will not be fleeting like that made with the Jewish people; it is eternal, culminating in the true David, fulfilling God’s promise in the Gospel: “I have found David My servant; with My holy oil I have anointed him” (Psalm 88:21). Even after many ages following David’s death, He refers to him as His servant and shepherd, proclaiming, “I will raise up one shepherd over you, My servant David” (Ezekiel 34:23).

The Lawgiver has come, and you do not recognize Him: the poor proclaim the Gospel, the blind receive sight (Matt. 11:5), yet you fail to comprehend. A second circumcision is urgently required, while you obsess over the physical circumcision. The new commandment instructs you to observe the Sabbath always, but you cling to merely one day, believing yourselves to be righteous, not grasping the true purpose behind this command. Furthermore, if you partake of unleavened bread, you think you have fulfilled God's will, but that is not what pleases the Lord our God. If any of you are guilty of swearing or theft, let him cease that sin; if one is engaging in fornication, let him turn and then he shall truly fulfill the pleasing Sabbath of God. If anyone has dirty hands, let him cleanse them, and he will be made whole.

These and similar prophecies, Tryphon, I noted, pertain partly to Christ’s first coming, during which He is prophesied to appear without glory and in a state unappealing, and to His return when He shall come in radiant glory and in the clouds of heaven; then your people will see and recognize Him whom they have pierced, as foretold by Hosea, one of the twelve prophets (Zech. 12:10), and also by Daniel (Dan. 7:13).

God promises, through Christ, to form a new and everlasting covenant with humanity, unlike the old temporal agreement, anchored in the promise made to David. The Lord conveyed through the prophet Nathan that a Descendant from David would establish a kingdom to last for eternity (2 Samuel 7:16). David, in his praise of God's mercy toward his lineage, articulates God's promise thus: "Forever I will keep My favor with him, and My covenant shall be steadfast; I will establish his offspring for all ages, and his throne as enduring as the heavens" (Ps. 88:29-30, 36-38). The Archangel Gabriel declares the fulfillment of this promise in the announcement of Christ's birth from the Virgin Mary, stating: "The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end" (Luke 1:32, 33). The Apostle Paul also attests to this truth, aligning it with Isaiah's prophecy. Isaiah affirms the reality of Christ's resurrection (Acts 13:14). It is clear that when the Lord, through the prophet, promises to establish an everlasting covenant with humanity, He is referring to Christ, the Mediator of this covenant. The concluding words of the verse, referring to the faithfulness of David, emphasize that this covenant embodies what was promised to David—faithful, unchanging, and holy. The promise itself, akin to the word of God, is undeniably sacred.