Isaiah 58:9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

You may have done it once or twice, yet that is insufficient: it must be a continual practice, as it is written, Let not mercy and truth leave you (Proverbs 3:3); and again, Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when you have the power to act (Proverbs 3:27). God commands that you regularly share nourishment. If you remove the burdens from your midst, you will refrain from pointing fingers and speaking hurtful words. Aquila notes that if you divert your attention from your own affairs to harm others, then Symmachus suggests you remove your fingers and shackles, while Theodotion conveys similar sentiments. The prophet refers to the yoke as sin, which binds us in numerous ways, devoid of righteousness and justice. The phrase to lift up the finger describes being predatory, akin to the actions of thieves. Speaking hurtful words correlates with the exhortation, Do all things without complaining (Philippians 2:14). Complaining reflects a lethargic and inactive spirit. The prophet encourages us to not only be active but to do so with significant diligence, ensuring our complaints do not hinder our efforts. When you give to those in need, let your lips be quiet, lest you forfeit the reward, and the sweet gesture turn sour. Why do you, individual, grumble against the pleas of the needy? If he were not in want, he would not reach out; thus, you should feel compassion for his plea for daily sustenance and clothing born of necessity. Yet you say he bothers me constantly: I have faced his reproaches many times and cannot shake off this burden. But do you not realize that poverty and the pressing demands of hunger do not erase the need for solicitation? Resentment cannot alleviate need, nor can fear assuage the hunger that torments. When we approach God with our requests, He is not displeased; rather, His displeasure lies in our refusal to ask. Your Lord burns with indignation because you fail to seek Him for anything, while you express anger when requested.

Similarly, he engages us in diverse manners with an overarching message, revealing the pathways to glory and elucidating the magnificent rewards destined for the saints, aiming to prompt us to embrace the actions that lead to sainthood and to receive the highest honor from Him.

He emphasizes that if you eliminate the bitterness and the instigation. By bitterness, one might understand the irreverence and harshness of the Gentiles, their contentiousness, and their tendencies to forge deceitful alliances against others, as well as their aspirations to concoct schemes aimed at ensnaring individuals in unavoidable misfortune. To be honored by God and to receive His gifts, one must embody genuineness and simplicity. The pursuit of gifts and the quest for illicit bribes can be likened to extending a hand, while refraining from such shameful pursuits may be compared to a clenched fist. It is similarly noted regarding the synagogue leaders of the Jews that they judged based on gifts and their reapers on the silver of the wise (Micah 3:11)—they became partakers in corruption, loving gifts, and seeking rewards (Isaiah 1:28). Furthermore, the prophet Habakkuk lamented, "Against me there was judgment and oppression" (Habakkuk 1:3).

Thus, the term ordination refers either to the acceptance of gifts that ought to be set aside or indicates that they repaid one another with malice. The Psalmist speaks of certain individuals stretching out their hands for recompense (Psalm 54:21), implying that such actions violated their covenant. As stated, the act of reaching out signifies the vengeance one exacts upon their offenders, repaying them in kind. Yet, we must recall our Savior's words: "If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also" (Matthew 5:39); this reveals the truest form of humility and forbearance—the capacity to remain composed despite insults and to respond with kindness rather than retaliation.

Moreover, He seeks to banish even the murmurs of discontent; we are called to adhere to divine ordinances with a joyful heart and not to express dissatisfaction with the noble path set before us. When tempted to seek worldly pleasures over the sanctity of life, we must resist and remain steadfast. The Israelites’ murmuring against God led to their downfall, as they faced punishment from serpents. Hence, Paul warns, "Do not murmur, as some of them murmured and were destroyed by serpents" (1 Corinthians 10:10). Therefore, one who is intent on moral growth and strives for excellence should maintain a joyful spirit.

When you dismiss the tendency to complain and provide sustenance to the needy, satisfying the soul of the humble—acting with compassion and generosity, loving your neighbor as yourself—your light will shine brightly in darkness. How will this occur? Just as night gives way to day, so the divine light will arise within you, dispelling spiritual obscurity and bringing you into the brilliance of midday, akin to the sun at its zenith, pouring forth its greatest illumination upon the earth's inhabitants. In this way, your God will be with you at all times. This assurance is of utmost importance; what could those in His presence ever lack? What abundance would not fill a person blessed by the Almighty, who generously grants what He possesses, fortifying them against temptation and enabling them to withstand even Satan and the onslaught of passions?

He assures us that your healings will soon become evident. In a different rendering, Aquila translates it directly: "the scar of your injury will swiftly heal," indicating that the wounds of our transgressions will be mended with the rising of the Sun of Righteousness. There is also a distinction in translations concerning "your healings." The Latin translators, noting the similarity of the word, rendered it as "garments." Thus, some mistakenly interpret this testimony as proof of the resurrection of the body, suggesting that the soul's garment refers to the body to be revealed on Resurrection Day.

Your righteousness will precede you, as stated by Jacob: "My righteousness will answer for me" (Genesis 30:33); and thus will come to pass the saying, "Behold the man, and his deeds." The glory of the Lord will surround you like a radiant garment, bestowing upon you honor before both God and humanity. When you call, the Lord will hear you, and when you cry, He will respond, not merely with words but with action, not just in reply but with grace. This is poignantly affirmed in the Gospel when, in response to a leper’s plea to the Lord, "If you wish, you can make me clean," the Lord replied, "I will; be cleansed" (Luke 5:12-13).

If you remove the burdens from your midst and cease to point accusing fingers and speak empty words, while you pour your soul out for the hungry and nourish the weary, your light will shine in the darkness, and your gloom will become like noon. The Septuagint translates: "Remove from you the burden and the yoke of oppression and the word of complaint," then share your bread from your inner being with the needy and provide for the humble; your light shall rise in the dark, and your shadows will shine brightly as midday.

The Hebrew term "mota," which translates to "iron chain" in Jeremiah (Jeremiah 28:10), is referenced here. It is essential to understand that in the previous declaration made in line with the Septuagint's wording, the passage about releasing the bonds of wicked exchanges uses "mota" instead of "cautiones," where Aquila interpreted it as "deception," Symmachus as "evasion," and Theodotion as "chain." Thus, translations vary, yet the essence remains consistent: your light will dawn upon you, your healings will soon manifest, your righteousness will go ahead of you, and the glory of the Lord will encompass you. He will hear your prayers and reveal His presence. However, this promise holds true only if you add to the actions previously outlined by removing the chains that bind your soul.

Peter remarked to Simon, "I perceive that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity" (Acts 8:23). Paul was troubled to observe Athens ensnared by idolatry. The ensnarement due to sin constricts the heart (Proverbs 5:22). David also prayed concerning similar bonds in the Psalms, asking for deliverance: "Cleanse me from my hidden faults, O Lord, and keep your servant safe from the bondage of need" (Psalm 18:13-14). It is indeed a challenge to find someone not ensnared by such chains; it is uncommon to encounter a soul without this heavy weight anchoring it to earthly matters, preventing any upward gaze toward heaven. This is reflected in the case of the woman in the Gospel who was bound by Satan for eighteen years, incapable of rising up to behold heavenly truths (Luke 13).

Therefore, He urges: if you remove the chains from your heart and break the shackles of this bondage, focusing not on extending your hand for evil deeds, nor on casting judgment upon others, nor speaking idle words that distract from your own faults, your righteousness will shine forth.

Translation discrepancies exist regarding similar terms; within clerical ordinations not merely conferred with verbal pronouncements but also through the laying on of hands, as exemplified by Paul’s exhortation to Timothy, "Do not hastily lay hands on anyone, nor associate with the sins of others” (1 Timothy 5:22). It is a significant offense to offer sacred things to those unworthy and to appoint individuals to the clergy who do not uphold the holiness of the role but merely seek lesser duties due to outside pressures. The Apostle prudently noted the gravity of ordination and warned against the shared culpability in the ordination of unworthy candidates, while affirming that the selection of the faithful also partakes in their righteousness.

Finally, consider the warning against murmuring, indicated when God declares, "Let the complaints of these people cease before me, and they shall live." When we shift blame for our transgressions to external forces—saying, "The passions overwhelmed me, my youth led me astray, God made me this way, poverty drove me to theft"—it becomes evident that genuine repentance is crucial. If we focus on what has been articulated and embrace the future guidance of feeding not merely with bread but with ourselves, offering heartfelt support without reluctance, helping with all our might, then our light will indeed break forth amid darkness—the light proclaiming, "I am the light of the world; whoever believes in Me will not dwell in darkness but will have the light of life" (John 12:46; John 8:12). As our eyes are the lamp unto our body, purity within will illuminate our entire being, leading to radiance or to darkness if what should bring light becomes obscured. We must strive to cultivate virtues that usher in God's light so that our darkness is transformed into midday brightness, allowing us to echo the sentiments of the bride, "Where you graze, where you rest at noon" (Song of Solomon 1:6).

Ultimately, true fasting entails shunning all forms of evil.

It is important to recognize, dear Christian, that spiritual fasting is of paramount importance. While physical fasting aids in suppressing our passions, it lacks significance without the accompanying mental fasting. Numerous individuals may engage in physical fasting, yet neglect the spiritual aspect. Many may abstain from food and beverages while allowing their minds to wander into malevolent thoughts and actions—what benefit does this bring? Others may fast intermittently but remain trapped in anger, vengeance, and resentment. Some refrain from consuming certain foods but are quick to harm others with their words. Indeed, some may forgo handling food, only to engage in dishonest practices against their neighbors—what reward do they gain from this?

Authentic fasting requires complete abstinence from all that is wrong. If you wish for your fasting to bear fruit, you must engaged in both physical and spiritual fasting continuously. Just as you restrain your body from consumption, so too should you starve your mind of wicked inclinations. Let your thoughts be free from vanity. Withhold resentment from your memory. Keep your desires from evil inclinations. Avoid gazing upon sinful sights: "Turn away your eyes, that you may not see vanity" (Psalm 118:37). Let your ears be deaf to sinful melodies and malicious gossip. Refrain your tongue from slander, judgment, blasphemy, falsehood, flattery, and all idle and corrupt speech. Prevent your hands from inflicting harm and taking the belongings of others. Direct your feet away from pathways of wrongdoing: "Turn away from evil and do good" (Psalm 33:15; 1 Peter 3:11). This exemplifies the true fast required by God.

Repent and turn away from all wicked words, acts, and thoughts, and embrace every virtue; in doing so, you will offer continuous fasting before God. "If you fast in quarrels and strife, striking out at the lowly, why do you fast before Me as you do now, to make your voice heard? This is not the fast I have chosen, nor the day for one to humble their soul by bending their neck like a sickle and spreading sackcloth and ashes beneath them. Such a fast cannot be called a true or pleasant fast, nor is it the fast I desire," declares the Lord. Instead, break every unjust bond, dismantle all debts imposed by coercion, release the oppressed, abolish all corrupt contracts, share your bread with the hungry, and bring in the homeless. When you encounter someone who is naked, provide them with clothing, and do not turn away from your fellow human. Then your light will shine like the dawn, your healing shall spring forth quickly, your righteousness will precede you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. When you call out, the Lord will respond; when you cry for help, He will answer, "Here I am!" This will happen when you remove the burden from your midst, cease pointlessly accusing others, and surrender your soul to feed the hungry and comfort the afflicted: then your light will rise in the darkness, and your obscurity will shine like noon" (Isaiah 58:4-10).