Isaiah 65:21Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Consequently, various punishments befell them; sometimes their crops failed, and they toiled in vain, weary from hunger, as it is written, “And the rye shall yield their fruit, and their labor their toil” (Psalm 77:46). The holy prophet also proclaimed to them, "You shall sow, but you shall not reap; you shall press oil, but you shall not anoint yourself; and you shall not drink wine” (Micah 6:15). In another place, it reads, “You shall build houses and not dwell in them; you shall plant desired vineyards and not drink wine from them” (Amos 5:11). Occasionally, the calamities of war descended upon them, causing some to fall by the sword while others, in fear, abandoned their homes and land for distant places. The ancients experienced these trials multiple times due to their grave transgressions. However, those who have embraced faith and received grace through Christ, washed clean by holy baptism from sin's defilements, will not succumb to wickedness nor suffer sudden setbacks in their spiritual endeavors. Rather, they will find joy in their accomplishments, as sung in the Psalms: “For he gives his beloved sleep” (Psalm 127:2). No one shall cast them out again, and no one shall remove the dwelling that God grants them, for in the Father’s house are many dwelling places (John 14:2). They will not lose the inheritance that awaits them, which reflects their spiritual fruitfulness, and their lives shall be as the days of the tree of life—holy and full of life. This was the condition of the original beings before their fall, when they could partake of the tree of life, untouched by the most vile sin. The voice of prophecy assures that the fruits of their labors shall be affirmed; their state will reflect stability, for the law given through Moses presented only a shadow and an image, a representation of truth but not the truth itself. When Christ appeared, the shadows were lifted, and the images were transcended; the power of the legal system has not endured eternally. The descendants of Israel therefore could not sustain their works, whereas Christians shall endure, as no new law shall alter the essence of the Gospel's truth. Indeed, of Christ, the Savior of all, it is said through the Psalmist, “Thy truth is truth forever, and thy law is truth” (Psalm 118:142). However, the elect will not labor without purpose; instead, they will nurture life that is fruitful in God’s blessings. The contrast is made with the Jewish teachers, who departed from the law and taught human doctrines (Matthew 15:9; cf. Isaiah 29:18). These scribes and Pharisees, while proclaiming teachings, bore children destined for condemnation, as the Savior pointed out: "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to make one proselyte; and when he is made, you make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves" (Matthew 23:15). Thus, they gave birth to souls marked for destruction. In contrast, my elect—those who are devoted to my teachings—will not produce children destined for damning curses; their offspring shall be blessed by God. He will be attentive to them, sending gifts of mercy and compassion, inclining His ear to their pleas, as it is indicated, “Before they call, I will hear them.”

If we concur with their understanding, let them recognize that this promise extends not only to Jerusalem but also to Sodom, as Ezekiel proclaims, "Sodom shall return to its former state" (Ezekiel 16:65). Therefore, the houses wherein those who built them will reside must signify either virtues or various eternal abodes with the Father that the builders will own forever. This was exemplified by the midwives who revered God, as noted in Exodus, although the Hebrew text indicates that God constructed houses for them due to their reverence. Jacob too, being simple or as the Greek translates, άλαστός, meaning genuine, was not one of those condemned in Peter's epistle, who are described as ensnaring others with deceitful words (2 Peter 2:3). Consequently, they dwelled in a home that Esau, who delighted in livestock and wilderness, could not claim for himself. Such a dwelling is echoed in the words of the Savior: "Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts upon them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock" (Matthew 7:24). In reality, many saints build homes but do not occupy them, whether due to wandering, others’ misappropriation, or death. This was the case with Job, who, despite his wealth in spirit and body, found himself in such destitution that he sat among the ashes outside the city gates (Job 2). In contrast, the rich man in the parable, adorned in fine garments, constructed a home and resided in it, to whom it could aptly be said, "Fool, this night your soul is required of you; and in whose will those things be which you have provided?" (Luke 12:20). Yet he states not only will they build houses and dwell in them, but they will also cultivate vineyards and enjoy their harvest, as Micah prophesies: "He shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree without fear" (Micah 4:4). This is the vine that Jesus referred to, saying, "I am the vine, you are the branches, and My Father is the gardener" (John 15:5). "Every branch that does not bear fruit is removed and cast into the fire” (Matthew 5). Their fruits will be partaken and savored, bringing joy to the heart of man, as the bridegrooms will share with their friends, and they shall consume them daily in the kingdom of God. He who delights in the sweetness of the Holy Spirit and is filled with His fruits—love, joy, peace, faith, gentleness, and patience—is of this kind. Concerning such a planter, it is written, "He who plants a fig tree will eat its fruit" (Amos 9). Whoever builds these true houses and plants vineyards, as the Apostle states: "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase" (1 Corinthians 3:6), shall partake of the fruit of their labor (Psalm 127), and, reaping from the spirit, will harvest eternal life, and will be shielded from the snares of the devil and his servants.