Isaiah 9:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

It is primarily from these tribes that the holy Apostles are said to have emerged. The blessed Evangelist Matthew begins his account of their calling by introducing Jesus into the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali and skillfully illustrates how He selected the holy Apostles. He writes of Christ: And He left Nazareth, and came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, The land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and to those who sat in the region and shadow of death, light has dawned (Matthew 4:13-16). He further recounts: And walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him (Matthew 4:18-22). It is important to note that Holy Scripture refers to the Sea of Galilee as the Lake of Tiberias, where the Divine disciples were fishing. At this time, the God of all humanity, through the prophet, turns His words toward the regions or cities of the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, situated by the Lake of Tiberias. In a sense, He offers them a cup of salvation, presenting the joyous message of Christ, saying, ‘This first offering, receive it quickly, that is, the land of Zebulun and Naphtali, may accept the proclamation of salvation. But act swiftly, without any hesitation.’ Indeed, the disciples responded quickly, earnest in their belief in Christ. They followed Him without delay, leaving their families behind, needing no extensive teaching; for when they heard, ‘Come, follow Me, and I will make you a fisher of men,’ they chose to follow Him. Similarly, other holy Apostles were called and understood the deep truth about Christ. John records of our Savior: Jesus found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip then found Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found Him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets wrote— Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph’ (John 1:43-45). When Nathanael approached Jesus and heard the words, ‘Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree’ (John 1:48), he immediately believed and exclaimed, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel’ (John 1:49). Bethsaida, the hometown of Philip and Nathanael, also bordered the Lake of Tiberias. The blessed David makes mention of the election of the disciples, declaring: ‘The princes of Judah are their rulers, the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali’ (Psalm 67:28). Furthermore, it is revealed that not only the Divine disciples were called, but also the nations of the Gentiles, as expressed in the saying, ‘And the rest of them that dwell by the sea, and in this region of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.’

Do not belittle this gift or assume any earthly treasure holds greater value; it surpasses all else. There is nothing more profound than the One who fashioned you, or more revered than ‘the firstborn of all creation’ (Colossians 1:15). ‘Before thou didst drink.' Understand that ‘in the beginning was the Word’ (John 1:1); there is nothing prior to the beginning, nothing exists before Him who was present from the start. The concept of ‘before’ does not denote an era, a distance, or a void where the Son is absent; it is not bound by time, moment, or any notion that may arise in one’s mind. "These things first drink, soon do." Engage in this task without delay, apathy, or laxity, but with energy and urgency. Paul exemplified this; he embraced faith with immediacy and wasted no time in sharing it. He ‘did not confer with flesh and blood’ (Galatians 1:16); like an agile runner, he propelled himself towards his goal, ‘to the purposeful pursuit, to the honor of the highest calling’ (Philippians 3:14).

And he left Nazareth, and came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, ‘The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, the Galilee of the Gentiles—the people who sat in darkness saw a great light, and to them who sat in the region and shadow of death, light has dawned’” (Matthew 4:13-16).

Furthermore, the Evangelist John recounts that at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, Jesus, accompanied by His disciples, performed His first miracle, turning water into wine. It is said, “This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him” (John 2:11). The LXX similarly remarks: “This first drink, thou shalt soon do, O land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,” indicating that this region was among the first to witness the miracles of Christ and thus the first to taste the wine of faith. According to the Hebrew text, this region was the first to be relieved from the burden of sin, as the Savior initially preached the Gospel in these territories.

Psalm 67 affirms this: “Bless the Lord from the source of Israel” (Psalm 67:27, 28), since the tribes mentioned were home to the villages from which our apostolic leaders emerged. Among them was Paul, known as Benjamin, who declared, “For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God” (2 Corinthians 5:13). The conversions in these regions occurred swiftly, as evidenced by their prompt response to Jesus’ call, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19), upon which they immediately left their nets and their father.

However, their faith has at times faltered under the weight of the prevailing delusions among many Jews. The sea is referred to as the lake of Gennesaret, fed by the Jordan and bordered by Capernaum, Tiberias, Bethsaida, and Chorazin. This was where the Lord spent much of His time. The people living in darkness witnessed a great light—not a minor illumination like that of other prophets, but the profound radiance of Him who declared, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). Thus, to those residing in the shadow of death, light shone upon them.

Between death and the shadow of death, a distinction exists; death symbolizes the state of those whose sinful deeds have led to eternal separation, as outlined in, “the soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:20). In contrast, the shadow of death pertains to those living in sin who have yet to depart this life and retain the opportunity for repentance. In the LXX, instead of Galilee the Gentile, Aquila uses the term related to the Gentiles, while Symmachus speaks of the borders of the Gentiles, denoting the sandy shores of rivers or seas.

Hebrew Christians interpret this passage to signify that Assyria was first conquered, resulting in the exile of the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali; thus, Galilee was left desolate (2 Kings 15:29). The prophet now states that this land has been restored, having endured suffering for the sins of its people. Eventually, not only these two tribes but also others from beyond the Jordan and in Samaria faced captivity (2 Kings 17 and 2 Kings 18). Scripture conveys that the region where the people were first led into exile and began serving the Babylonians, which was previously engulfed in spiritual darkness, became the first to witness the light of Christ’s preaching, from which the Gospel spread to all nations.

Those known as Nazarenes offer this explanation: when Christ came and His message radiated, Zebulun and Naphtali were the first to break free from the errors of the scribes and Pharisees, liberating themselves from the heavy yoke of Jewish tradition. Subsequently, through the ministry of the apostle Paul, described as the last of the apostles, the dissemination of the Gospel multiplied. The Gospel of Christ then illuminated the Gentiles throughout the coastal regions, enabling the entire world—previously shrouded in darkness and shackled by idolatry and death—to behold the clear light of the Gospel.