Isaiah 59:18Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

In recalling the words of the Israelites during their calling, seeking grace and salvation through Christ, the prophet shifts to speak on his own behalf, declaring that the Israelites have turned wicked, fallen away from God, and become foes of the truth. He declares this by stating that "the truth is weary in their ways," indicating that it seems entirely lost, as their deeds are devoid of truth, the law of truth. Consequently, they cannot walk the right path; having abandoned all understanding of living in accordance with the law and recognizing the truth of God, how can they find their way? How can they have straight and clear paths? The phrase "the truth was taken up, and they put away their minds to understand" signifies that truth had entirely forsaken them, leaving them without the comprehension necessary for salvation.

The Lord observed this, and He was angered that justice was lacking. He saw that there was no one to intervene or deliver; for as God, He, in His mercy, would forgive an entire city for the sake of a single righteous individual found among them. Thus, through the prophet Jeremiah, He urged, “Search the paths of Jerusalem, and see, and know, and seek in its hills; if you find a man who works faith and loves mercy, I will be merciful unto him, says the Lord (Jeremiah 5:1)." He was even willing to spare the citizens of Sodom from fiery judgment if five righteous men had been found, one in each city. However, He proclaimed that there was none, no deliverer among them; for a righteous person who can appease divine wrath and intercede for others could secure God’s pardon. In their absence, He will avenge them with His might, bringing about justice and establishing them with mercy. He did not utterly destroy Israel but, in His compassion, preserved a remnant, upholding His promises to their holy forefathers.

The prophet indicates that God adorned Himself with strength, wearing a helmet and garments of vengeance, likened to a commander prepared for battle against them. These words reveal the nature of His wrath toward them; for the Almighty stood ready against them, of whom it is rightly said, “Thou art fearful; who shall oppose thee?" (Psalm 75:8). Witnessing the punishments afflicted upon the Jewish people, both those from the west and the east of the sun shall tremble at His glorious name, for His wrath will surge upon the disobedient like a devastating river, sweeping away all before it with unstoppable force.

He clothed Himself with truth as if it were a protective covering, and he adorned His head with the helmet of deliverance. He enveloped Himself in garments of wrath, taking on the attire of vengeance, as one who avenges the wrongs of His opponents.

Up until this moment, prophetic voices had been uninterruptedly pleading for the people; however, now the prophet speaks for himself. When these declarations were made, the Lord observed that while they professed repentance with their mouths, their hearts did not reflect it, which was displeasing to Him. He sought genuine justice from them concerning the truth that was imparted to the Gentiles, but found none. He looked for a righteous individual to stand in the gap before Him during His time of wrath, yet He discovered no one, as He lamented, “I came, and there was no man; I called, and there was no one to respond” (Isaiah 50:2). The transgressors did not find a single righteous soul; rather, they all turned aside, and not one was good, not even one (Psalm 13:3). Therefore, He empowered them with His might, both through righteousness and with mercy, so that those willing to repent might be saved, not by their own merits, but by the grace of God.

At length, He donned the armor of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, the robe of vengeance, and the zeal robe, and thus equipped, He advanced into combat to exact vengeance upon His adversaries—pointing, undoubtedly, to the Jews, who continued in their blasphemies, and to the retribution upon His foes when the Roman legions besieged them. Their triumph illustrates that the Lord fought on their behalf. This truth was echoed by Paul in his letter to the Ephesians, urging believers to wear the armor of Christ so that they might withstand the fiery darts of the enemy (Ephesians 6). The same phrases, absent in the Septuagint, referring to the commendation of the distant lands, signify the Jewish towns ravaged by the Roman forces. Even earlier, the Lord speaks through the prophet addressing the citizens of the island, namely, Jerusalem.