Isaiah 59:17Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

As the Israelites would plead at the time of their calling, seeking God the Father for the grace of salvation through Christ, the prophet then turns to address the state of the Israelites, asserting that they have become wicked, turned away from God, and enemies of the truth. He supports this by declaring, “The truth has grown weary in their paths,” signifying a total collapse of truth in their actions, as there is none to be found in their deeds—the very law of truth. Consequently, they cannot proceed correctly; having lost all knowledge of living by the law and contemplating the truth (which is invariably identified as God’s law), how can they find their way? How can they maintain straight, undistorted paths? By stating, “The truth was disregarded, and they turned their minds away from understanding,” he conveys that truth had entirely left them, leading them to lose the ability to grasp that which leads to salvation.

The Lord observed this and became angry, noticing the absence of justice and righteousness. It is noted that He saw and did not strike a man, nor did He find a deliverer; for God, in His mercy, spares even an entire city from its sins for the sake of the righteous individual found there. Thus, through the prophet Jeremiah, He proclaimed, “Search the paths of Jerusalem, and see, and know, and seek in its hills; if you find a man who practices faith and loves mercy, I will be merciful to him,” declares the Lord (Jeremiah 5:1). He was also inclined to rescue the Sodomites from their fiery fate if just five righteous individuals could be found among them. However, He observes, “There is no man, and there is no deliverer,” for a righteous person, who has appeased divine wrath and can truly mediate with God, stands alone in this capacity. Yet, since none such existed among them, He will exact vengeance with His might and establish them through His mercy; for He did not completely destroy Israel but, in His compassion, saved a remnant, fulfilling His promises to their holy fathers.

Then the prophet declares, “He clothed Himself with armor as a warrior, putting on a helmet and the garments of vengeance, as one who repays the adversary.” This illustrates that the Lord became, in a sense, a commander against them, attired for battle and skilled in warfare. Through these words, he reveals the purpose of His wrath against them; for the Almighty arose against them, of whom it is rightly stated, “You are formidable, and who can stand against you?” This is your wrath (Psalm 75:8). As they witness the punishments inflicted upon the Jews, both those from the west and those from the east shall tremble at His glorious name; for His wrath shall surge upon the disobedient like a violent river, devastating all and rushing forward with unstoppable waves.

The Lord noted that there was a lack of judgment, and although many spoke of repentance, they did not harbor it in their hearts, which did not please Him. He sought the truth of the judgment given to the Gentiles but found none. He searched for a righteous individual to intercede during His fury and found none, just as He stated previously: “I came, and there was no man; I called, and there was no one to answer” (Isaiah 50:2). The transgressors had not identified even one righteous man; all had turned aside and no one was good, not a single person (Psalm 13:3). Therefore, He was strengthened by His power and mercy, that those who would repent might experience salvation, not based on their own worthiness but on the mercy of God.

Ultimately, He donned the armor of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, and the garments of vengeance, clothed in zeal. Equipped in this manner, He advanced into battle to exact judgment on His enemies, notably referring to the Jews who continued in their blasphemies and to the vengeance against His adversaries when the Roman forces encircled them. Their triumph illustrates that the Lord engaged in the conflict. This truth was echoed by Paul in his letter to the Ephesians when he urged believers to don the armor of Christ to deflect the fiery darts of the enemy (Ephesians 6). The phrase regarding the commendation to the nations points to the Jewish cities ravaged by the Roman troops. Even in previous verses, the Lord communicates through the prophet to the inhabitants of the land, signifying Jerusalem.