I beheld, and lo there was no man: and all the birds of the air were gone.
רָאִ֕יתִי וְהִנֵּ֖ה אֵ֣ין הָאָדָ֑ם וְכָל־ע֥וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם נָדָֽדוּ׃
3 Church Fathers comment on this verse
I turned my gaze and saw that there was no one present, and all the fowl of the air were filled with fear. We may wonder why the prophet remarks on the terror of the birds. This observation also stems from the prophet’s emotional state. Due to the devastation, the birds vacated their usual habitats, as many creatures tend to migrate to far-off regions.
I gazed upon the earth and saw that it was desolate, devoid of life. I looked to the heavens and found them lacking light. I surveyed the mountains and noticed they trembled, and all the hills quaked. I searched and found no living soul; all that soared in the skies had vanished. I observed that Carmel lay in ruins, its cities obliterated by the presence of the Lord and the fierceness of His wrath. The prophets perceive in the Spirit the impending events, so that when the people listen, they may be struck with fear and turn back, avoiding the calamity that threatens them. The earth stands empty when its inhabitants are lost, and the heavens are without illumination when the people are so overwhelmed by terror that they cannot see.
The mountains and hills, lacking refuge, seem to shake and tremble in hyperbole. I looked here and there, yet not even a bird could be found. The wrath of God is palpable even to inanimate creation, while the irrational creatures shudder in its presence. The entire world bears witness to this truth: after the devastation of countless lives, the birds, typically companions of humanity, are gone and perish. Carmel, situated near the great sea and once adorned with olive and fruit trees, along with flourishing vineyards, will become so barren that it will be stripped bare like a desert. And all its towns will lie in ruin. The root of these calamities lies in the stirring of God's wrath due to the transgressions of the people. Everything we have recounted regarding Jerusalem and Judea historically can apply to the Church of God when it provokes divine anger, facing desolation through immorality or persecution. Where there once flourished virtue and joy, there will now be an abundance of sin and grief.
In similar fashion, those who face hardships find that light appears dim, the day loses its brightness, and sweetness turns bitter; for them, all things transform into their opposites.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS