Isaiah 57:9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

It adhered to the law of Moses and worshipped the true and living God, acknowledging no other deity for an extended period. Yet, after yielding to misguided teachers and unrighteous leaders, it betrayed God and humbled itself before creations of its own making, perhaps believing that rejecting divine love would lead to greater fortune. Therefore, God chastises her, saying, “You thought that if you departed from me, you would gain something more.” She did not grasp how misguided and futile her expectations were. Instead, calamity surrounded her, and by forsaking the dignity of their lineage and betraying their loyalty, they did not acquire any true prosperity. What could be more disturbing than this? They embraced those who lay with them, multiplying their unfaithfulness and interacting with them as if they were intimate partners. Could these be deceitful leaders, consumed with corruption, as Paul speaks of in 1 Timothy 4:2, shrouded in the darkness of evil? They acted as instruments of her ruin, severing her connection to God, implanting seeds of wickedness that led her to bear fruit for Satan in his defiance against the Almighty. The infidelity of some, or their turning away from God, is intensified when the power of sin manifests not in a singular form but from a pervasive corruption that spawns various evils – for which those engaged in such actions rightly face condemnation. For instance, a decision to serve Satan results in an utter incapacity for rational and moral conduct, driving individuals to pursue all manner of impure and vile pleasures. The companions of such sins include various forms of evil: sorcery, consulting the dead regarding the future, nonsensical fables of those who seek omens, false prophecies, deceptions from astrologers, and above all, the observance of specific days, hours, seasons, and years. Thus, it is said, “having multiplied thy wickedness, many have thou done, who are afar off from thee.” It is necessary to examine who these are. It may refer to holy prophets who, upon seeing the depths of depravity and each twisted act of wickedness, distanced themselves as if it had become contaminated, crying out, "Let us heal Babylon, and it shall not be healed: let us forsake it, and let us depart everyone to his own land: for his judgement is called up to heaven, and is exalted even to the stars" (Jeremiah 51:9). Since Babylon is known as the land of decay, and Jerusalem likewise endured the same affliction, the prophets rightly identify it as Babylon. Alternatively, the phrase "many have you made, already far from you" can refer to the worship of neighboring nations and their false deities, to which they attached themselves and served, each according to their preference. Thus, God, speaking through Jeremiah, asserted that the number of their gods was equal to the number of their cities in Judah, and for every path of Jerusalem, they were devoted to Baal (Jeremiah 2:28). Furthermore, it seems that the statement "thou hast sent ambassadors beyond thy borders" implies that they were not satisfied with the gods they had, but sought out many others according to individual desires. Alternatively, this phrase may signify that spiritual unfaithfulness had spread widely among them, so much so that this figurative language became commonplace for those who overstepped their usual boundaries in all matters.

To this kind of delusion and abhorrent ancient tradition, many cities and even Rome itself have succumbed, with all quarters and homes paying tribute with lamps to the Guardian, a spirit associated with the protection of buildings, forever reminding those who enter and exit of the deep-rooted folly. Likewise, those heretics, filled with pride and dismissive of the Church's humility, ascend to the peak of their doctrines, laying bare their intentions to demons. As the prophet proclaims, they have fallen away, resembling Lot’s wife, and have thus become like a pillar of salt, exhibiting the appearance of ecclesiastical spices yet devoid of real flavor; they are cast aside, fit only to be trampled. Consequently, the Lord teaches in the Gospel that anyone who takes hold of the plow must not look back.

For you have made yourself bare and received an adulterer; you have broadened your bed and struck bargains with them; you have celebrated your bed openly and adorned yourself for a king, multiplying your fineries. You sent ambassadors far and humiliated yourself even to the realm of the dead. For you thought that in departing from Me, you would gain something superior. You have cherished those who are unfaithful to you, expanded your infidelities, and sought out many lovers; you have dispatched messengers and humbled yourself to the underworld.

Let us first consider the Hebrew text, which significantly differs from the Septuagint here. To whom it was addressed, the lofty mountain where you have laid down reflects the description of a harlot, displayed at the entrance of homes and in dark corners, so that anyone who wishes to enter may encounter the temptation laid before them. This one, akin to an unfaithful wife, is now charged with sin, for while with her husband, she secretly entertains another, pulling back the veil or rather expanding her bed, negotiating as if conducting a contract with seducers regarding dowries. This is aimed at demonstrating that idols were worshipped not only in fields and homes but even established in the temple, as Ezekiel describes having seen within the wall (Ezekiel 8).

She openly adored their bed, showing no shame for her sin, openly indulging in her infidelity without pretense. She adorned herself for her king with costly perfumes and multiplied her idols, seeking various adornments to entice her lovers with both sight and scent. The phrase about adorning herself for the king could denote either her service to the true King-God, using what He bestowed on her while exposing herself to idols, or it may refer to the idol-king of the Ammonites, Moloch, whose name translates as king, as noted in other texts related to the Septuagint. I sent my ambassadors far and wide to indulge in the idols of not only neighboring nations but also those from distant lands, speaking to the gods of Babylon and Egypt.

Furthermore, her humiliation is not the praiseworthy kind, but rather a descent into the depths, diverging from purity into the darkness of corruption and lust. It is stated, ‘They shall bring thee down into the underworld.’ The disparity in the Septuagint suggests: Did you, harlot, believe that by forsaking Me and aligning with your lovers you would discover something greater? Through Ezekiel, God says to her, ‘To all who commit fornication, He gave hire, and you too have given hire, where it was in your power to resist.’ (Ezekiel 16:33-34). For not only have you gained nothing from your lovers, but you have lost what you received from your true husband.

It follows that she expanded her bed and negotiated with them in ways that differ from the Septuagint’s portrayal. She has cherished the guardians of the sightless and the mute, who dream empty dreams, often engaging in infidelity. Thus, she has removed many: the angels guarding her or the holy ones who have distanced themselves from the company of such a harlot. This can also apply to heretics, who, in abandoning God, chase after their delusions, believing they will gain something more, while, in fact, they forsake the truth, multiplying their infidelity not within one doctrine but across many, and casting aside the guardians of the churches. In their dissatisfaction, they reach beyond their borders, seeking new doctrines among the Gentiles to deceive listeners with the allure of fresh teachings.