Isaiah 8:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

They testify to the record of time, guaranteeing that if the writings face criticism, living witnesses present at the time of writing, who undeniably recall when it was proclaimed, can counter the shameless assertions. The following words also serve as a clear condemnation. In what manner do they do so? Let us consider the words themselves.

As it is recorded, after six days, Jesus brought Peter, James, and his brother John up to a high mountain and was transfigured before them: His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with them (Matthew 17:1-3; cf. Mark 9:2-4). Observe how Moses and Elijah, representing both the priesthood and the law through Moses, along with Elijah, who embodies the voice of the holy prophets, spoke to one another regarding the exodus, as it is said, 'He who is to be accomplished in Jerusalem' (Luke 9:31). What does this exodus signify? Clearly, it refers to the completion of building, namely, the cross, death, resurrection from the dead, and ascension to heaven. All these events were foretold by the law through its shadow, and the radiant and glorious visage of the holy prophets also predicted them.

In that account, the Prophet responds, "No, O Lord God of heaven, behold, my soul is not defiled in uncleanness, for no vile meat has entered my mouth" (Ezek. 4:12, 14). This allowed him to prepare bread using animal products (Ezek. 4:15). Here, however, the absence of denial implies agreement, even if the fulfillment of the command is not explicitly documented, as seen with Hosea. He received the command, "Go, take for yourself a wife of whoredom, and bear children of whoredom," and the text confirms his obedience: "And Gomer the daughter of Diblaim went and conceived" (Hos. 1:2, 3). In other instances, while a command is given, the record remains silent as to its execution; we grasp this through the obedience demonstrated by those who adhered to the call. For instance, regarding Ezekiel, who was instructed, "You shall lie on your left side... and also on your right side" (Ezek. 4:4, 6), the narrative does not specify which side he slept on; nevertheless, we ascertain this from the Prophet's obedience.

Thus, we can resolve our uncertainty by recognizing that upon receiving the initial command, the Prophet did not diverge but instead completed the task before addressing the prophetess anew. The new and great scroll can symbolize the New and Great Covenant, inscribed by human hands, as the Gospels are written in language accessible to many. The Scriptures also assert the forthcoming captivity of captives. The proclamation of the Gospel has swiftly spread throughout the entire world, reclaiming the spoils from the ruler of this age and drawing those held by him into the obedience of Christ. This captivity represents the division of spoils entrusted by God to the guardians of humanity, the angels, for their care and supervision. Therefore, it is written, "The capture of the spoils will soon be fulfilled, for the good news is near, preaching from heaven what has been anticipated since the beginning, as what has already come to us." Let Uriah and Zechariah bear witness to that which is recorded in the Gospel. Uriah, a priest, symbolizes the Law given through Moses; Zechariah, a prophet, reinforces the Gospel, confirmed by both the Law and the prophets. Uriah embodies divine enlightenment, while Zechariah signifies God's remembrance, and Barach's son is the son of divine blessing. Hence, who among men is fitting to be a faithful witness? One who is illuminated by God and who continually remembers Him.

The phrase "and I came to the prophetess" conveys that, through the Spirit and foreknowledge of future events, I approached the prophetess. I perceived, so to speak, with prophetic insight, her conception from a distance, foreseeing, through the prophetic gift, that she would bear a Son. The Lord declared, "You shall call His name: Soon captivate, plunder boldly." Soon, He took captive the mighty and the possessions of those entangled in sin and held by death. He triumphed over him and distributed the spoils to His faithful followers, entrusting them to the watchful care of the holy angels, as He stated, "Their angels always behold the face of My Father in heaven" (cf. Matthew 18:10). This One is the conqueror of strongholds; it is written of Him, "He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men" (cf. Psalm 67:19). As for Mary, she is the prophetess approached by Isaiah, and no one can deny this if they recall her prophetic words: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has regarded the lowly estate of His handmaiden; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed" (Luke 1:46-48). Understanding all her words, one cannot help but regard her as a prophetess, for the Spirit of the Lord descended upon her, and the power of the Most High overshadowed her. Thus, what was commanded to be inscribed on this scroll became evident as I approached the prophetess. For it states: "Write with the hand of men, that the captivity shall soon occur," followed by "In the womb I conceive and bear a son." It further declares, "The name given to Him is: Soon captivate, plunder." Therefore, through varied expressions and images, "Take for yourself the scroll, and approach the prophetess," signifies the same message, and this addition does not contradict what was previously stated. The One born of the prophetess seized dominion from Damascus and the wealth of Samaria. The power of Damascus represents the Gentile believers, while the wealth of Samaria signifies the believers from circumcision, as Damascus is the principal city of Syria and Samaria the principal city of Israel. Meanwhile, the commands and valiant deeds of the One born of the prophetess are associated with Him from the Lord, similar to how the name Jesus is connected to Him for the salvation given to us by God. "You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).

A prophecy was proclaimed regarding a virgin who would conceive a Son called Immanuel, meaning God with us. If they call upon Him, then both Samaria and Syria shall fall, with the king of Assyria later conquering Judah, resulting in the land being rendered desolate. The depiction of the virgin birth is reiterated through another image. The Lord instructed the prophet not to reveal the mystery of this new birth to the people, but rather to inscribe it in that great scroll which we examine now. More astonishingly, He commanded that divine mysteries be conveyed using human language and in the typical manner of human writing. What does this human expression convey? That the begotten Son will swiftly claim victory and plunder, for He will not dispatch angels or prophets for salvation; rather, He Himself will descend to rescue His creations. Thus, the prophet fulfilled the command and called upon two faithful witnesses: Uriah the priest, a teacher of the Law, as Malachi states: “For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 2:7), and Zechariah, the son of Barachiah, undoubtedly a prophet as well. We read that during Ahaz’s reign, there was a priest named Uriah in the temple of the Lord who was commanded by Ahaz to construct an altar akin to the one in Damascus. The Book of Days tells us that Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, sought the Lord during the time of Zechariah, who was taught to revere God. Isaiah exemplified the prophetic spirit by uniting with the prophetess, which in Hebrew denotes the feminine aspect of the Holy Spirit, pursuant to the scriptural call: "Come unto the Lord and be enlightened" (Psalm 32:6). Thus, through the Holy Spirit, the Lord was conceived. Although human language struggles to articulate the mysteries of His incarnation, Gabriel announced to the Virgin, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God" (Luke 1:35). Some interpret the term prophetess to refer to Saint Mary, who certainly holds this title, as she declares in the Gospel, "From now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me" (Luke 1:48-49). Isaiah is instructed to call that child, previously named Immanuel, to hasten, to launder the spoils, emphasizing the victory encapsulated in the words, "When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, and He gave gifts to men" (Psalm 68; Ephesians 4:8). Before He assumes a human form and acknowledges God as Father and Mary as mother, the power of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria shall be seized by the king of Assyria, ensuring that even before His birth, He will deliver His people, the house of David, with a single call. The names Uriah, Zechariah, and Barachiah symbolize God’s light, remembrance, and blessing, respectively. Through these witnesses, the birth of Christ is affirmed, as He Himself, according to the Gospel, revealed to the two disciples en route to Emmaus that all prophesies related to Him were rooted in the scriptures of Moses and the prophets. Allegorically, in a soul that is pure and unblemished by sin's taint, the Word of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit, quickly overcomes the spoils of hostile powers, bringing everything into His service. As one who is partially enlightened and partly prophetic, before he matures and rightly acknowledges God as Father and the heavenly Jerusalem as mother, still in his youth yet perfecting, he will overcome the wisdom of Damascus, meaning secular learning, and reclaim the spoils of Samaria that heretics have taken from the Church, declaring, "What part do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse" (2 Samuel 20:1). He will reclaim all of this in the presence of the king of Assyria, who represents the devil and will prove powerless against Him. Such sons are not only born of Mary, the prophetess of the Most Holy Virgin, but also righteous women have borne patriarchs, exemplified by Sarah, whose name signifies leadership, and Rebekah, whose name represents patience.