Isaiah 8:18Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Whether we face trials or not, our obedience to God is made manifest in our declaration, “Behold I and the children whom the Lord has given me.” Moreover, “there shall be indications and portents in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.” It is rightly said, “from the Lord of hosts;” but why does it specify “dwelling on Mount Zion”? It serves to reveal forthcoming events and serve as a sign of assistance. “Behold I and my children,” and indeed, “there shall be signs and wonders.” Witness the outcome of enduring faith: “And there shall be,” He promises, “indications and portents.” He prophesies not just salvation but also His own glory. Just as a master, observing his servant enduring trials with patience, may cast aside his anger, so too does God. The Lord of hosts descended and resides on Mount Zion; the barriers to His aid stem from your unfaithfulness. For if He were unwilling to offer help, He would not choose to dwell on this mountain. The prophets not only foretell but clarify the intentions of what has been spoken and of the One who communicated through them: God does not coerce, but desires that humanity willingly seeks to reconcile with His wrath.

We are made not only His brothers but also His children, for He asserts, “Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me.” We are not merely children but also His members and part of His body. As if the previous expressions of His love and grace were insufficient to affirm His favor towards us, He offers an even greater assurance by identifying Himself as our Head.

Although He was named our brother and recognized as the firstborn among many (Rom. 8:29; cf. Col. 1:15) in terms of humanity, being both God and His unique Son, we cannot fully grasp His glory and supremacy over all creation. We understand that we are entrusted to Him by God the Father. He affirms this to the heavenly Father, stating, "They which thou hast given me out of the world, thine they were, and to me thou hast given them" (John 17:6). The Son, by His very nature, is the Lord of all, equal with God the Father over all creation. Since humanity was created by Him to whom everything was given by God, it is said that He received dominion over what is rightfully His as God. As it is written, "Ask of Me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession" (Ps. 2:8). Therefore, He takes joy in those who have believed in Him—those called to the knowledge of truth through faith. Stretching out His hand, He proclaims, "Behold, I am He, and the children whom God has given Me.” Who speaks this? Clearly, it is Immanuel, who will manifest signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts residing in Mount Zion. This is meant to awaken belief in all the earth, demonstrating that, while divine by nature, He became man, and though Lord of all, He took on the form of a servant for our benefit. He performed many miracles in Judea, providing undeniable evidence of His divine nature through miraculous and perfect works, including raising the dead, silencing unclean spirits, and granting sight to the blind. The prophetic declarations will serve to convict the Jews of their errors and iniquities, affirming that signs and wonders will occur from the Lord of hosts dwelling on Mount Zion. Yet, despite witnessing these extraordinary works and teachings, they dared to blaspheme Him, claiming, "This fellow does not cast out demons but by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons" (Matt. 12:24).

It is universally accepted that these words are uttered in the voice of Christ, especially when we recall the message found in the Epistle to the Hebrews: It is appropriate that He, who for His own glory brought many sons to salvation, should initiate their redemption through His sufferings. The Apostle further notes, He who is sanctified and sanctifies all is unashamed to call them His brothers, saying, I will proclaim Your name to My brethren. Moreover, He asserts, Behold, I am He along with the children God has bestowed upon Me (Hebrews 2:10-13). It is said, there will be signs and wonders in the house of Jacob. These miraculous acts will occur through the children reborn in Christ, as mighty signs and wonders manifest in the house of Jacob. The children refer to the apostles, regarded as innocent in their challenges (1 Corinthians 14:20). These uneducated Galileans were the first to speak in various tongues, making evident the coming of the Spirit, the distribution of gifts, and the variety of languages among them. There is also the well-known miracle involving the lame man at the Beautiful Gate, where Peter and John, invoking the name of Christ, restored his ability to walk (Acts 3:1-8), fulfilling the ancient prophecy that declares: Then shall the lame man leap like a calf (Isaiah 35:6). The miraculous act includes the raising of Dorcas from death (Acts 9:36-41) and the opening of the prison gates, which opened of their own accord as Peter departed (Acts 12:9-10), along with the breaking of chains (Acts 12:7), and the myriad other wonders performed through the Apostles by the manifestation of the Only-begotten God. All these signs and wonders originate from the God of hosts, who resides in Mount Zion. The title God of hosts often denotes the God of armies. Who better exemplifies the Lord of Hosts than He who is referred to as the Archistrategos of God’s power (Numbers 5:14), from whom signs are bestowed upon the children? It is evident that those who have faith in Christ are indeed His children, as indicated by the Lord's words. When the Jews questioned Him about those praising Him, saying, Hosanna in the highest! and asked, Do you hear what they say? He replied: Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies, You have ordained praise (Matthew 21:15-16). Here, He referred to those waving palm branches, spreading their garments before Him, and exaltedly praising Him. In another instance, He states: I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to infants (Matthew 11:25), referring to those who have been instructed in the Word and have received a revelation of mysteries through the Spirit. Thus, when the Lord speaks of, Behold, I and the children, He alludes to His chosen ones, recognizing that God has indeed chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27). Therefore, everyone who has discarded the old self, corrupted by sinful desires (Ephesians 4:22), and has adopted the new self, constantly renewed in the likeness of the One who created him (Colossians 3:10), is considered a child, in accordance with Christ's profound teaching.

Moreover, in Zechariah, the holy men and disciples of the prophets are referred to as "spectators of wonders," because the prophets consistently manifested signs pointing to future events (Zechariah 3:8). This aligns with the literal understanding of the text. However, the blessed Apostle, in his letter to the Hebrews (although Latin tradition does not recognize it as canonical), conveys that this testimony should be interpreted in light of the Lord Savior: “For He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, ‘I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.’ And again, ‘I will put My trust in Him,’ and again, ‘Here am I and the children whom God has given Me’” (Heb. 2:11-14). The Apostle teaches that these children serve as signs and wonders to the wisdom and pride of the Jews, noting that the Lord Savior selected the foolish and weak of the world to shame the wise and strong (1 Cor. 1:25). Thus, the Savior admonished His apostles, “Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:3). A child embodies the proclaimer of the new gospel, shedding the old self, which is consumed by desires, and donning the new self that is renewed in spirit in the likeness of the Creator. Concerning the dwelling of the Lord of Hosts on Mount Zion, the same Apostle writes, “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem” (Hebrews 12:22). It perplexes me, therefore, that some among us interpret these children as the two sons of Isaiah, born of the prophetess' wife, namely Jasub and Immanuel. The former symbolizes the rejection of the ancient people, while the latter signifies the acceptance of the Gentiles. One must concede that if this interpretation is embraced, it implies that the prophet Hosea indeed had a wife of ill repute.

The phrase, "Behold I and the children which God hath given me," is ascribed to Jesus Christ (Heb. 2:13), indicating that through Isaiah’s name, a transformation occurs in relation to Christ. Isaiah’s children serve as early representations of Christ's Apostles (John 13:33) and of all believers in Him, who have been brought into His family through baptism. In the same transformative manner, the preceding words of trust in Him, attributed to Christ by the Apostle, should be understood alongside "Behold, I and the children whom God has given me."