Isaiah 59:19Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Reflecting upon the moment the Israelites would call upon God the Father, seeking the grace of redemption through Christ, the prophet resumes his discourse, indicting the Israelites for becoming wicked, abandoning God, and turning against the truth. He illustrates this by stating that "the truth is weary in their ways," suggesting it has been entirely extinguished, as their actions hold no truth—no adherence to the law of righteousness. Hence, there is no possibility of following the right path; having discarded the knowledge to live according to the divine law and to discern the truth (which is consistently identified as God's law), they cannot arrive at what is right. How can they forge straight and clear paths? By noting that "the truth was taken up, and they put away their minds to understand," he emphasizes that the truth had entirely left them, and they had lost the capacity to grasp what leads to salvation.

The Lord witnessed these matters, as expressed, and was incensed that justice was absent. It is noted that He saw but did not smite a man, and contemplated but did not strike any potential deliverer; for as God, in His mercy, He forgives the transgressions of an entire city for the sake of a single righteous individual found within its walls. Thus, through Jeremiah's words—"Search the paths of Jerusalem, and see, and know, and seek in its hills; if ye find a man that works faith and loves mercy, I will have mercy upon him, says the Lord"—He demonstrated His readiness to save the inhabitants of Sodom from fiery judgment if even five righteous men were present.

Consider, He implores, that there is no man, no deliverer; for a just man who trumps divine wrath, capable of interceding for those he represents before God, is wholly absent among them. Therefore, He shall take vengeance with His might, signifying His power, and affirm them with forgiveness; for although He did not utterly destroy Israel, in His mercy He preserved a remnant and upheld His promise to their holy forebears without change. The prophet continues, "He clothed Himself with a shield, donned a helmet, and put on a garment of vengeance, as one who recompenses the enemy," indicating that the Almighty became a commander against them, fully equipped for battle. With these words, he signifies the intent of His wrath toward them; indeed, the Almighty has risen against them—of whom it is rightly said, "Thou art fearful, and who shall withstand thee?" From Him comes the fury, as noted in Psalm 75:8.

In light of the chastisement that befell the Jews, both those from the west and the east of the sun shall tremble at the manifestation of His glorious name, as His wrath shall surge upon the disobedient like a violent river, devastating all in its path with overwhelming force akin to uncontainable waves.

My Spirit within you and the words I have entrusted to your mouth will not vanish from your mouth or from your lineage, says the Lord, from this time forth and forevermore. When the Lord dons His armor of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, the garments of vengeance, and the mantle of zeal, He will come to battle, seeking retribution against His foes, to reward His adversaries, and to tear down their strongholds, meaning cities and towns. Foreigners will then come from west and east to rest in Abraham's bosom, as mentioned: 'Behold, they shall come from afar, some from the west and others from the north, and some from Persia,' and will revere the Lord with a fear that is the beginning of wisdom. There are many scriptures affirming this: Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, and there is no affliction for those who reverence Him. The fear of the Lord brings knowledge and wisdom. 'Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.' Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, and the fear of the Lord extends life. After Israel's rejection, their place will be replaced by many from the nations, as the prophet Malachi conveys, saying to the Jews: My will is not observed in you, declares the Lord Almighty, and I will not accept your offerings. And concerning the nations: For from the east to the west, My name shall be glorified among the Gentiles. The source of this blessedness is the coming One, like a stormy river moved by the Spirit, or as Aquila rendered it: like a narrow river, signifying the Spirit of the Lord, or according to Theodotion: like a river in opposition, sealed by the Spirit of the Lord. Hence, the conclusion of this testimony, interpreted by the LXX, as a stormy river, shows the Lord's wrath not present in the Hebrew version. In God's promises, there should be no mention of wrath and fury; rather, the subsequent words contain blessings for the future and a warning of judgment against transgressors. Aquila and Theodotion assert that the Spirit of the Lord, which is embodied in Christ, confirms the example noted by John: This is the sign of God, of which it was previously stated: The rod shall spring forth from the root of Jesse, and a branch from his root shall bear fruit, and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, encompassing wisdom and understanding, counsel and strength, knowledge and godliness, and the spirit of the fear of the Lord shall fill Him. Therefore, we declare: 'The light of Your face shines upon us, O Lord.' Ezekiel marked the letter tav on the foreheads of those who mourned. To grasp how the Holy Spirit serves as a mighty river, we refer to the Acts of the Apostles, which recounts: 'When they were assembled, there came a sudden sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they sat. And there appeared to them divided tongues, like fire, resting on each one, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.' The Redeemer of Zion, who reconciles those turning from sin in Jacob, will come, as the Lord says. The Seventy translated it as: He shall come from Zion, bringing deliverance and turning away wickedness from Jacob. Thus, if One comes from Zion to remove the sins of Jacob, we understand that He was born in Zion, founded by the Most High, who turns away the transgressions of Jacob. The Redeemer will indeed come, who shall redeem Zion with His blood, or according to the Hebrew language, being near to Zion and born of Israel's lineage; thus, He is the goel, the redeemer. To clarify that Zion, stained by the Lord's blood, is redeemed, it is mentioned: who turns away wickedness, signifying the need for repentance, fulfilling the words of the Lord: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Those in Zion shall find redemption, and those in Jacob shall draw near to Him, to whom He promises, declaring: This is My covenant with them. What this covenant entails is outlined by the following verse: My Spirit that is within you and My words placed in your mouth will not depart from you or your descendants, from now onward and forever. This message addresses either Isaiah or the Lord; many believe it to be directed towards Isaiah. The progression of speech links this to the eternal covenant of the gospel, wherein My Spirit in you and My words entrusted to you shall not cease in your mouth nor in the mouths of your descendants—pointing to all future generations—because the grace of the prophets is transferred to the apostles, and through them to the Israelites who believe. The phrase: From now on and for eternity aligns with this affirmation: Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away. In elaborating this, Paul writes in Romans, asserting the absence of distinction between Jew and Greek, for there is one Lord rich toward all who invoke Him, indicating that Gentiles' belief does not exclude Israel entirely: 'For I am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. I will not cast away My people, but I will consider them first.' He cites Elijah, who lamented his solitude, and the Lord informed him that seven thousand men remained faithful who had not bowed to Baal. Similarly, in the present day, there is a remnant chosen by grace. If it is by grace, it cannot be of merit; otherwise, grace would not be grace. Israel sought but did not find; the elect did receive it while the rest were hardened. If they do not remain in disbelief, they will be grafted back, for God is powerful to restore them. Not contrary to nature, as the wild olive tree symbolizing the Gentiles was grafted in, but according to nature—to their own good olive tree. He concluded by stressing: I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brethren, lest you be wise in your own sight: a partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; thus, all Israel shall be saved, as it is written, He shall come from Zion to deliver and turn away ungodliness from Jacob: and this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins. We present this with careful detail so that all the promises to Zion and Jerusalem noted here apply not generally to all Jews but specifically to those chosen out of Israel through the Apostles.