As one whom the mother caresseth, so will I comfort you, and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
כְּאִ֕ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אִמּ֖וֹ תְּנַחֲמֶ֑נּוּ כֵּ֤ן אָֽנֹכִי֙ אֲנַ֣חֶמְכֶ֔ם וּבִירֽוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם תְּנֻחָֽמוּ׃
5 Church Fathers comment on this verse
You will be lifted up and find solace in your humbled state. Just as a mother consoles her child, so I shall provide you with comfort. The Lord assures His people that when they follow His commands, His presence will be with them. Just as the children of a king are embraced in their father’s arms and cradled by trusted servants, so too will God support them, uplift them with joy, and offer His blessings for the hardships they have endured.
Just as a mother lovingly embraces her child, so will I provide comfort to you, and you shall experience solace in Jerusalem. Your eyes will witness joy, your heart will rejoice, and your strength will flourish like grass. The hand of the Lord will be acknowledged among His faithful ones, while His wrath will be directed against those who oppose Him. The Septuagint employs the term 'fearful' instead of 'servants' and 'unbelievers' in place of 'enemies,' yet the rest remains consistent. The compassion of the Creator toward His creation is evident through the nurturing love of mothers, who, while caring for their children, exhibit a profound depth of love.
Therefore, God, in His desire to reveal His love for humanity, asserts, "Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you" (Isaiah 49:15). This understanding aligns with the Gospel, where the Lord laments over Jerusalem: "How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing" (Matt. 23:37). Deuteronomy echoes this sentiment, illustrating how "as an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings" (Deuteronomy 32:11). It is noted in writings on animal behavior that all creatures possess an inherent love for their offspring, with eagles being particularly noted for their fierce protection, building nests in high and secure places to shield their young from danger. Furthermore, they have been known to keep a stone of amethyst among their chicks, believed to protect against poisons. Thus, it is fitting to compare God's love for His creation to that of the eagle, who vigilantly safeguards its young from threats, ensuring that the dragon and the ancient serpent, the devil, do not approach His new creations, so that by the name of the stone laid at Zion’s foundation, every adversarial scheme may be crushed. This Jerusalem, where children will find comfort from their mother, aligns with what the apostle writes: "But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother" (Galatians 4:26). In the abundance of this solace, he ministers to those who need encouragement, proclaiming: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulations, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble" (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). When they receive comfort, it will be said to them: "You will see, and your heart will rejoice, and your bones will flourish like grass" (John 16:22). Undoubtedly, they will witness God, which is true fulfillment of joy. The Lord declared: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matt. 5:8). This vision of Him brings perfect joy to a heart filled with sincere faith, and it is accompanied by the flourishing of one's being, which has been previously discussed. If the reader finds this unclear, it is better to revisit earlier interpretations than for us to reiterate what has been said. Furthermore, it is stated that the hand of the Lord will be known against those who oppose Him, threatening those who do not believe. The 'hand' signifies power, as God is capable of fulfilling all His promises, as Moses relayed to Pharaoh: "If I stretch out My hand and strike you and your people with the plague, you will be consumed from the earth" (Ex. 9:15). To the same oppressor, it was also said: "Behold, the hand of the Lord will be on your cattle" (Exodus 9:3), which aligns with the Psalmist's proclamation that God's hand consumes enemies and establishes His people (Psalms 43:3). Alternatively, the hand of the Lord may also refer to Christ, as previously noted: "My hand has made all these things" (Isaiah 41:20). The Lord will reveal His power to those who serve Him and revere Him, threatening the unfaithful and His adversaries, offering blessings to some and consequences to others. It is significant to note that He does not say He will punish His enemies, but rather, He will threaten them, prompting them, through fear, to turn toward the service of the Lord.
I will declare to you solace through my messengers, not just in this earthly existence but also in the eternal city, where I will saturate you with various delights, granting you resurrection from the dead. This was revealed through the comparison of the development of bones to that of fresh green shoots.
The Creator of all nurturers draws His children close to Him, just as we seek the embrace of our mother, the Church. Every fragile and tender being, which requires assistance due to its vulnerability, is inherently delightful, charming, and beautiful; it is natural for others to readily extend their help to such delicate creatures. Just as earthly parents take particular joy in their offspring—a horse with its foal, a cow with its calf, lions with their cubs, deer with their fawns, and a man with his young child—the heavenly Father graciously welcomes all who approach Him. Through their rebirth by the Holy Spirit, He recognizes them as His magnificent children, cherishing, sustaining, and safeguarding them, which is why He lovingly refers to each one of them as His child.
God's nurturing love reaches out even to those in sin. The penitent sinner who laments their transgressions will invariably find solace in the Lord. This truth is embodied in Christ Jesus, who invites all who are weary and burdened by sin to come to Him, assuring them of His comfort (Matthew 11:28), the forgiveness of their sins, and empowerment to resist sinful temptations through the grace of the sacraments. In Jerusalem, they will receive comfort. This signifies that the grace which provides solace to the sorrowful is found solely within the Church—outside of her, salvation cannot be attained. It is within her that the means of salvation are revealed, and it is here that spiritual treasures are located to soothe and uplift the sinner.
As Scripture says, "And your bones will wither like grass." The spiritual delight experienced by the soul reverberates through the body. Mourning can sap the strength of one's bones; often, despair correlates with a loss of appetite, leading the brain and bones to lack the nourishment they require, thus weakening the body. However, a peaceful conscience and the joy of the Holy Spirit have a beneficial impact on our physical well-being. Just as grass, parched from drought, revives with rain, so too does earthly existence flourish under the influence of divine consolation, restoring vitality and rejuvenating what is frail.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS