Isaiah 65:15Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

In Hebrew, where saturation is referred to as sabaa, some have rendered it as oath, a term with multifaceted meanings, influenced by its different pronunciations. It can signify oath, fullness, abundance, and the number seven. This is referenced in Genesis where seven women marry one man. Moreover, what the LXX translates as true and in Hebrew is signified by amen, Aquila rendered with the term πεπιοτωμενώς, meaning I believe faithfully. Thus, this implies that as others replace you, your name will become an oath for my chosen ones, serving as a warning against evils, prompting them to reject such fates, swearing: may I not face the plight of the Jewish people, lest your name become an abomination, a term often used for those whose memory is detestable and who evoke disgust.

Alternatively, it may be articulated that they surrender their name to the Lord's elect so that a multitude of Gentiles may occupy their place, being called the children of Abraham and Israel. Regarding them, Paul expresses: Peace be upon them, and upon the true Israel of God. For not all are regarded as Israel who are from Israel, nor all children of Abraham who share his lineage. It is stated: If you were truly Abraham’s children, you would exhibit the works of Abraham. Since they are his descendants but not his children, as previously noted, John the Baptist admonishes them, saying: Do not begin to say to yourselves, "We have Abraham as our father," for God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

For how can those who proclaim to the tree and stone, "You have made me" be acknowledged as his offspring? In contrast, it is the faithful who receive the title of Abraham's children. And the Lord declares: He will destroy you, so that you are not known as circumcision but rather as slaughter, deprived of eternal life, separated from Him who proclaims, I am the life. Yet His servants will be called by a new name, one that will be exalted throughout creation. They will be blessed, so that anyone who takes that name shall indeed be blessed by the Lord, receiving the sign of true circumcision or blessing, an affirmation that the Lord frequently employs in the Gospel to solidify His declarations: Amen, amen I say to you.

This new name stems from the name of Christ, ensuring that the people of God are no longer identified as Jacob’s, Judah’s, Israel’s, Ephraim’s, or Joseph’s, but rather as Christians. Therefore, those who take oaths will not do so in the name of idols or false gods but by God Himself, a thought reiterated by the affirmation of amen. Furthermore, regarding the translation to the Seventy, who interpreted "the true God," this conveys that the true God will be glorified and that those who swear on earth will do so by the true God, not merely pertaining to God the Father, as the Arian error suggests, but also to Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

For it is stated: that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent. The Evangelist John confirms this: The Son of God came and gave us understanding so that we might know the truth and be in His true Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. If the Savior declares of Himself, I am the truth, it logically follows that the true God derives His name from truth, not as an imitation or false deity, but as the genuine article, identified by God the Father, and being true God Himself. If He were false, He would be likened to an idol, which leads those who mark Christ as the true God to their own doom. This new name is inscribed in the Apocalypse upon the rock, which is blessed globally.

In stark contrast to the disgrace faced by those who abandon true faith, those who remain steadfast in their commitment to the Lord and labor for Him will be lifted high. They will receive a new identity, symbolizing the end of their suffering under the oppression of Babylon and heralding the arrival of a joyous existence that reflects their new name.