Isaiah 59:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Notably, despite their many wrongdoings, the swift inclination to murder is highlighted first; he points out that they quickly devise plans for violence. Poverty and ruin characterize their ways, and they have no understanding of peace; their malicious actions lead only to their own misery and the suffering of others. They are perpetually engrossed in others' matters, drawn to disputes and arguments, driven by their love for bribes. Thus, he rightly claims that there is no justice in their actions. He defines righteousness as a way of life aligned with the law and free from blame. David does not shy away from declaring the commandments of Moses as having brought forth justice in Jacob (Psalm 98:4). Therefore, righteousness is absent from their lives; they have become corrupted, either withdrawing from the world or inciting others to disdain it. In this context, the world can be understood as our Lord Jesus Christ, whom they refused to acknowledge, effectively digging themselves a pit of ruin. This is why, he asserts, judgment has departed from them; or, in other words, righteousness has left them, along with the capability to attain the crown of righteousness offered to those willing to strive for it. The Jews are completely lacking in this spiritual wisdom, and the understanding of how to please God has, as it were, completely vanished from their hearts.

Furthermore, He warned that "all righteous blood shed on earth will come upon you," from "the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar" (Matt. 23:35). Therefore, it is written, "Your hands are full of blood, and your tongue speaks iniquity" (Isa. 1:15). Through such cruelty and blasphemy, they reached the point of crucifying the Lord, akin to how Judas, driven by greed, resorted to betrayal and murder. It follows that their thoughts are those of the foolish. Ruin and calamity lie in their paths, and they have not learned the way of peace. The Apostle, referring in his letter to the Romans, notes their eagerness to shed blood. Some misguided individuals believe this comes from the thirteenth psalm, which has verses in the Vulgate but not in the Hebrew. We discussed this at the start of this book. The ways of the world remain unrecognized by those unwilling to embrace their true Cause. He is our peace, stating to the apostles: "My peace I give unto you; my peace I leave with you" (John 14:27). Likewise, He spoke to Jerusalem, lamenting: "If only you had known on this day what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes" (Luke 19:42). Since they have not accepted this world, they lack discernment in their paths. It is written: "Behold My Servant, whom I uphold, My chosen one in whom My soul delights; He will bring justice to the nations" (Isaiah 42:1). Their paths are distorted—not by nature but by the exercise of free will. Perverting and twisting occur when one departs from the truth and embraces error. Every doctrine of the Pharisees represents a deviation from the truth, leading those who follow them not only to miss peace but to remain entirely unaware of what they should seek.