Isaiah 59:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Jews anticipated revelation from Christ; they had listened to the holy prophets, who boldly declared, "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you" (Isaiah 60:1), and "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened" (Isaiah 35:5). As foretold by the prophets, they were not strangers to hope; however, the rulers of the Jewish synagogue once questioned among themselves, "Is Christ from Galilee? Does not the Scripture say, 'Christ will come from the lineage of David and from Bethlehem'" (John 7:41, 42)? The Samaritan woman openly acknowledged to Christ the purpose of His arrival on earth, saying, "We know that the Messiah is coming, who is called Christ; when He comes, He will tell us all things" (John 4:25). Thus, as mentioned, they expected enlightenment from Christ. Yet, the opposite occurred; instead of receiving true illumination, they settled into the darkness of their souls, becoming blind leaders of the blind, as expressed by the Savior (Matthew 23:24, 20). Consequently, those who awaited the light faced darkness, and those who anticipated the dawn walked in profound shadows. The Prophet further articulates this by reiterating their plight: those who looked for the dawn found themselves enveloped in deep darkness; this is the essence of being in darkness. He vividly illustrates their blindness by stating that they would grope along walls, a typical behavior among the blind. At midday, they will fall as they would at midnight. Midday is characterized as the height of the day, when the sun, positioned at its zenith, radiates the most brilliant light to all on earth, while midnight casts a deep shroud of darkness across the heavens. So, at midday, while divine and spiritual light shines most radiantly through Christ, the Savior of all, the Jews will stumble as the blind, lost and unaware of their path because they ignored His admonition, “Walk while you have the light, lest the darkness overtake you” (John 12:35). Thus, those who chose to disregard the light were engulfed in shadows. They will endure another form of suffering; he remarks that they will rise as if afflicted with a grievous illness. Yet, they shall move in sorrow like a bear and a dove simultaneously—not as two distinct creatures live harmoniously, but rather in a dual state that represents their emotional and spiritual disposition. Their cries will resonate with profound anguish. Bears that lose their cubs emit horrific roars, consumed by a frenzy, rampaging through mountains and valleys, attacking anyone in their way. The Almighty, through one of His prophets, warns, "I will meet them like a bear robbed of her cubs" (Hosea 13:8), signifying a fierce and merciless confrontation. Conversely, doves, ever cooing in their nests, express a mournful lament. Such was the plight of the Jews; when their homeland, including the holy city of Jerusalem and the temple, lay in ruin, they experienced intense rage against their conquerors, but they also mourned like the doves for Jerusalem's suffering, as it is written, "There shall be doves mourning on the mountains" (Ezekiel 7:16). We might also interpret that prophetic utterance as indicating another dimension; they will journey like a bear and a dove, indicative of a life steeped in spiritual coarseness, intertwined with ignorance, for the bear symbolizes a robust callousness, and the dove represents simplicity and naivety. Thus, through one of the holy prophets, Israel is portrayed, "Ephraim is like a silly dove, without sense" (Hosea 7:11). We can observe that some Jews are indeed brutish and foolish, lacking the wisdom and gentleness found in Christ, whom they have rejected—the very giver of wisdom who cultivates humility in those that love Him. Hence, the prophet Jeremiah laments of them, "Every man is senseless and without knowledge" (Jeremiah 51:17), and in another instance, he exclaims, "The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken; behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord, so what wisdom do they have?" (Jeremiah 8:9).

Therefore, the judgment meant for the nations has passed from the Jews, and the truth achieved by the Gentiles will not be theirs. They sought light, requesting, "Send forth Thy light and Thy truth" (Psalms 42:3), which the prophets pledged to them, yet they were enveloped by the darkness of error. They anticipated the light but found themselves in darkness. They perceived the sacred texts as blind men perceive a wall, searching within them only for letters and phrases, neglecting the deeper meaning and nourishment they hold.

In this lament, it is noted, "We have stumbled at noon as in darkness," a state of being as lifeless as the dead. Throughout the earth, while the sun of righteousness shines, they remain in shadow, deadened by sin. The lament continues, declaring that we shall cry out like bears and learn to groan like doves; together, we exhibit both cruelty and sorrow: fierce toward the weak and yet fearful before the mighty. In another scripture, it is stated, "as a bear is a woman bereaved of her children" (2 Sam. 17:8). Daniel, too, describes a brutal kingdom as a fearsome bear with three rows of teeth (Dan. 7). In our anguish, we will moan like doves, lacking understanding or comprehension of the scriptures, recalling only the words spoken by rote.

As doves are described, “Ephraim is like a dove without understanding” (Hos. 7:11), and as the Gospel contrasts the innocence of doves with the malice of serpents (Matt. 10), here, the teaching encapsulates simplicity devoid of wisdom, teetering on folly. They shall await judgment, yet it shall not come; salvation will be absent, having descended to the Gentiles. The use of the future tense underscores the present plight of the Jews.