Zechariah 10:11Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

They will endure trials as though passing through turbulent rivers, rejoicing in their deliverance with the words: ‘Would that the Lord had not been in us, when men would rise up against us; for the living would have consumed us when their fury burned against us; for the waters would have swallowed us up, the flood would have gone over our soul; for our soul would have gone over the raging waters’ (Psalm 123:2-5).

Furthermore, just as Israel, who had suffered captivity and was taken to Assyria and Media, escaped the pride and brutality of their captors who were so inclined to war against them—from this, we understand that those redeemed by Christ will triumph over both manifest and hidden adversaries. These forces have sought to impose unwelcome servitude and ensnare them through their folly. Yet, they shall conquer and evade the arrogance and influence of such foes, empowered by God, in whom we shall also take pride; for our pride lies in Christ, who is our stronghold. We find confidence in Him and trust in Him throughout our days, knowing that ‘not an intercessor, nor an angel, but the Lord Himself shall save’ us (Is. 63:9), affirming the blessed psalmist’s declaration: ‘God is our refuge and strength, a helper in the afflictions of those who have found Him greatly’ (Psalm 45:2).

The Jewish interpretation suggests that the captives of Judah were not only moved by the Assyrians and Chaldeans to the lands of the Medes and Persians but also to the Bosphorus and the northern regions; later, through Divine mercy, they were partially restored. This is reflected in the statement that they shall cross the narrow sea, specifically the narrow strait of the Propontis, separating Chalcedon from ancient Byzantium. The Lord, leading His people, will stir the waves of the sea, and the depths of the rivers will be disturbed, reminiscent of when the Jordan parted (Hab. 3:13, 17) and when the Israelites crossed the Red Sea (Ex. 14:22). As the people are released from the depths of captivity and anguish, Assyria will be defeated, and the power of Egypt will be removed from them. They will gain strength in the Lord, walking in His name in the land of Israel, says the Lord. We have conveyed this in our own words as it has been passed down from the Jews, entrusting its truth to the those who shared it. However, we who identify as Christians abandon the killing letter and embrace the life-giving spirit; while comparing spiritual matters, we do not equate this with the Bosphorus or the drying of the riverbed, viewed as myths by the Jews. Instead, we recognize the mercy shown toward God’s servants, where He, leading us and paving the way, guides us through a narrow sea, which is expansive for sinners. For wide is the path that leads to death, while narrow is the way that leads to life (Matt. 7:13-14). This sea is also mentioned in the Psalm: Those who go down to the sea in ships, who perform their tasks in the waters, have witnessed the works of the Lord and His wonders in the depths (Psalm 106:23-24). In this current age, where the number of saints is limited and faces trials, the Apostles, too, traversed this sea, with Christ descending first to rescue us from its bitter depths (Mark 4:36-39). This sea is where the net of the Gospel is cast (Mt 13:47), woven from the testimonies of the Holy Scriptures, to draw forth many souls ensnared in the world’s abysses, so that they may glorify God. These individuals who have embarked into the sea in the ships of the Church witness the extraordinary works of God in the depths of His wisdom and understanding, fortified by the Holy Spirit, who searches the very depths of God (1 Cor. 2:10). The Lord calls to them, saying, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men (Matt. 4:19). Isaiah also foretells of these fishers voyaging through the sea on ships: They shall soar in the ships of the foreigners and together capture the sea as plunder (Is. 11:14). For in the churches formed from the nations, the Apostles travelled to make the sea a reclamation and to reclaim what belonged to the serpent that rules the waters, as described: This sea is great and vast, teeming with creatures both countless and diverse; boats sail therein, and this is the serpent You created to sport with it (Psalm 103:25-26). This expansive sea, inhabited by countless creatures alongside the serpent, beckons those who travel upon it. They will hear from the Savior: You will reign over the power of the sea, You will tame its tumultuous waves (Psalm 88:10). As they traverse the strait of the sea and tread upon its waves, all the depths of the river will be bewildered, as it is written, He who turned the sea into dry land, by the river they will walk on foot (Psalm 65:6), so that all depths will be silenced, and the pride of the Assyrians will be humbled, and the dominion of Egypt over the saints and believers will wane. Those who are freed will gain strength in the Lord and proclaim, My strength and my song is the Lord (Psalm 117:14). Again, I will love You, O Lord, my fortress (Psalm 17:2), and with Jeremiah, My fortress and my refuge, O Lord my God (Jeremiah 16:19). Thus also, the Apostle, in whom Christ speaks, declares: I can do all things through Him who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13). They will not only be empowered in the Lord, but also revel in Him, stating: I have no glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world (Gal. 6:14). In another passage: Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord (1 Cor. 1:31) and: Let not the wise boast in their wisdom, nor the mighty in their strength, nor the wealthy in their riches, but let him who boasts, boast in understanding and knowing the Lord, who exercises mercy and justice in the earth (Jer. 9:23-24). Undoubtedly, the passage from the Hebrew text, And they shall walk in His name, signifies that Christians will walk in the name of Christ, and their new identity will be inscribed upon them, walking with the Lord, much like Enoch, who walked with God and was taken (Gen. 5:24).