Isaiah 7:22Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

This depicts a scene of profound desolation. The land, typically yielding wheat and barley, will be so bereft of humanity that it will provide plentiful grazing for sheep. In such abundance, even a small number of sheep and a single heifer will supply their keeper with milk. The plentiful supply for the silent creatures serves as the clearest indication of the lack of people. A similar situation applies to honey: bees often choose to inhabit arid regions, where they discover ample nourishment and remain undisturbed.

Indeed, they will also decrease in number based on their locations, which the speaker anticipates, stating that there will emerge an abundance from the creation of the milky substance—oil and honey—through all who remain on the earth. He mentions that from two sheep and one young cow, there will be enough milk for all who survive, allowing them to achieve satisfaction through it. Thus, is it not apparent that it would have been simple to count those who avoided the slaughter and persisted in every part of Judah? How many individuals can there be for whom the milk from two sheep and one young cow suffices for nourishment and fulfillment?

When Israel enjoys peace after liberation from bondage, and the king who had conspired against them faces disgrace, revealed with the edge of the sword, then the Prophet declares there will be such abundance in the land that one cow and two sheep will yield so much milk that their owner will find ample oil, as everyone residing there will partake of both oil and honey. However, it may be more fitting to interpret the mention of animals in a loftier sense. Instead of stating that each person should embody diligence and fervor within their spirit, the Prophet refers to the sheep, an animal known for tilling the earth and aiding us in our endeavors, symbolizing a tranquil, humble, and generous spirit.

On that day, a man will tend to a young woman with the offerings of oxen and two sheep, and he shall partake from the plentiful harvest of rich oil and honey. This signifies the great abundance that will follow the liberation from captivity.