Translated by Qwen.
Commentary on Isaiah 49:8-15 by Cyril of Alexandria
Commentary:
Is 49:8 It seemed to certain interpreters who went before to make the beginning of this chapter here: "Thus says the Lord: In an acceptable time I have heard thee, and in a day of salvation I have helped thee." And they say these things are spoken by God the Father of us all to Christ the Savior, and they attach such a sense to it: They say that before the precious cross He prayed, saying: "Father, if it is possible, let this chalice pass from me" (Matt. 26:39), and He was not heard; for He drank it. But after He had trampled down death, with the Father succoring Him, it was necessarily said to Him: "In an acceptable time I have heard thee, and in a day of salvation I have helped thee."
However, this prayer seems to me very far from probability. For since He knew that the cup was to be drunk, and that the world could not be preserved unless through carnal death and resurrection from the dead, the reason for this petition is framed most appropriately so that the deprecation of the passion might be an accusation of the Jewish slaughter. For how would Israel be held by the crime of impiety against Him, if this passion had not been forced and violent on His part due to their ignobility? But even so, it was voluntary, both to take away the sin of the world and to reform our nature to the newness of a holy life. For it must be known that it was so said by Him: "I came down from heaven not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that I should lose nothing of all that He has given Me, but that I should raise it up on the last day" (John 6:38-39).
For Christ appeared to the world and began His sacred preaching among the Israelites. But because they were disobedient and hardened, unrestrained and audacious, they did not receive the faith but sinned against it in many ways, and finally even crucified Him. Hence behold the power of secret wisdom: For I say that the death of the flesh inflicted upon Him by the left-handed wickedness of the Jews became the cause of salvation to the inhabitants of the whole earth. And death was abolished through His resurrection, and corruption was trampled down, and we have flourished again into life, who through the prevarication of Adam were being thrust down into the opposite. Therefore, we say that there was not desperation in this prayer of our Savior—far be it!—but rather a dispensation worthy of admiration.
In another way also, we say this prayer was made before the precious cross by prudent counsel. For it became for us an example and form of a necessary thing. For when temptation is impending and fear is flooding in, we ought not to be idle and supine, but rather vigilant and intent on prayer, and to ask God the Savior that, if it seems good, we may extricate our foot from the scourges and the snare. But if we must suffer, He knows it will be more profitable for us if it comes to an end, with Him granting patience.
Is 49:9 Since, therefore, it has been shown that the opinion of certain persons is less probable, come, let us touch again upon the things at hand. For the Father says He gave Him as a covenant to the nations, that He may establish the earth and possess the inheritance of the desert, saying to those who are in bonds: "Come forth," and to those who are in darkness: "Be enlightened."
Since, therefore, Israel had kicked against the goads and receded from that love through infidelity, Christ gave laws to the nations and described for them the New Testament, that is, the evangelical and saving preaching. And He established the earth, namely the troubled and not sufficiently prudent [earth]. For it had erred by worshipping the creature and serving the crowds of impure spirits. For they did only that which seemed good to themselves. But others led it into every kind of turpitude and ordered it to live a bestial life. Therefore, the earth was troubled and tumultuated not moderately, but through Christ it was established. And she who was worthy of these goods, as if from a tempest and fluctuation, was converted into serenity. For she was made a portion and lot of His. And this is what was said to Him in the second Psalm as if by God the Father: "Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and Your possession the ends of the earth" (Ps. 2:8).
He names the multitude of the nations a desert, comparing it to fruitless and thirsty land. But, as I said, it was made the lot of Christ. And how? For to those who were constrained by the chains and fetters of their sins, He cried out: "Come forth!" Those who were versed in darkness and caliginosity of mind and almost buried in profound night, He ordered to be enlightened and to come to the light, and to open the eyes of the mind and receive His and divine light.
"They shall feed in all their ways, and in all their paths shall be their pastures." For there were indeed for them many ways of probity, but none were pervious or accessible to the nations, but rather rough and precipitous. And they were conquered by the impressions of their perturbations and the tyranny of the devil, who closed the journey of goodness to them. But when the grace of Christ shone forth, He loosed their bonds, enlightened the heart, thence to run through every way and gather the food of mind and intelligence. For this signifies "They shall feed," and they were able to pass quickly every path of probity. And nothing prevents us from saying that the paths and ways lead our minds to God, or to the holy and excellent institution of life, namely the divinely inspired Scripture, which was by no means known to those wandering. But after they were called to the light of truth, pastures and feedings were supplied to them which nourish with spiritual strength, and He promises them a copious supply of His grace and aid and spiritual consolation.
Is 49:10 "For they shall not hunger nor thirst," He says. For formerly they were devoid of spiritual consolation, nor did they have the divine law, nor a prophet, nor a pedagogue, nor a master, nor a doctor, nor a fountain of intelligible waters. But when they obtained mercy from God, spiritual goods were thenceforth supplied abundantly, and they had food which helps the minds; they ate bread from heaven, they drank living water, concerning which Christ Himself also said, speaking to the Samaritan woman: "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again. But he who drinks of the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into eternal life" (John 4:13-14). The prophet Isaiah also said concerning those justified in faith and submitting the neck of the mind to evangelical oracles: "He shall dwell in a high cave of a strong rock; bread shall be given him, and his waters shall be faithful" (Isa. 33:16).
Is 49:10 cont. Is 49:11 "But neither shall the heat strike them nor the sun." For Christ became their protector, who even of old suspended a cloud for the sons of Israel by day and preceded in a column of fire by night. Therefore, He says, they shall be outside the sun and the heat, that is, they shall be covered with a divine shelter so that nothing happens which is molesting or which leads to pusillanimity. Of which kind is what the divine Paul also said: "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will make also with temptation issue, that you may be able to bear it" (1 Cor. 10:13). For I think this signifies: "He who has mercy on them shall comfort them." For He shall lead them through the fountains of waters, and shall turn every mountain into a way, and every path into pasture for them.
We say the fountains here are the holy prophets and apostles and evangelists, with whom conversing wisely and skillfully we draw from them the vivific and divine sermon, which could sufficiently and abundantly confirm our souls to piety and engender in us spiritual pleasure. For thus it is written: "And you shall draw waters with joy from the fountains of the Savior" (Isa. 12:3). But that no glorious deed shall be arduous or difficult for those who are saved through Christ, this He may hint when He says that every mountain is to be turned into a way. For it seems sublime and high and inaccessible to many that one should cultivate virtue, for example continence, temperance, longanimity, patience, meekness, charity, and the rest. But the Savior made all this way plain and equitable for us, so that what seemed impervious and impassable is made smooth and exposed for those wishing to go there. And this is, I think, what was openly said by one of the holy prophets: "Every valley shall be filled, and all crooked things shall be made straight, and rough ways into plain ways" (Luke 3:5). And again: "The way of the pious was made straight, and the way of the pious was prepared" (Isa. 26:7).
Is 49:12 But that they were called in number and gathered from every part under heaven, He shows by saying: "Behold they come from afar, and these indeed from the north and from the sea, others from the land of the Persians." That from afar seems to indicate the southern parts; Aquilo [North] the northern regions; mare [sea] the western regions. For the Psalmist makes mention of these thus when he says: "The North and the sea You have created" (Ps. 88:13). But those from the land of the Persians may be those who were captured and enticed from the East. For the land of the Persians is to the East. Perhaps also it is fitting to understand the Magi who adored Him. For they came into Judea asking and saying: "Where is He who is born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East, and have come to adore Him" (Matt. 2:2). Since indeed they adored and honored with gifts, namely with incense, gold, and myrrh. The Psalmist also makes mention of this when he says concerning Christ the Savior of us all: "And He shall live, and there shall be given to Him of the gold of Arabia" (Ps. 71:15). For here he names the region of the Persians Arabia.
Is 49:13: "Rejoice, O heavens, and exult, O earth; let the mountains burst forth with joy, because God has had mercy on His people, and has comforted the humble of His people."
He calls the heaven and the earth into one fellowship, and because of those who were saved by Him, he commands them to celebrate a feast most excellently. The heavens can be understood not as the element itself, but those who dwell in the highest habitations and are enriched with a celestial dwelling, namely the holy Powers, Principalities, Thrones, Dominations, and those beyond, the Seraphim. The earth similarly [refers to] those who expect His appearance on it, and who know that He is about to come to redeem the Israelites and all nations dwelling in the whole earth, just as indeed that just man Simeon, holding the little infant yet in his arms, celebrated God, thus saying: "Now You dismiss Your servant, O Lord, according to Your word in peace. Because my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all peoples," etc. (Luke 2:29-31).
If perhaps we ought to understand those who were saved on this very account celebrating the feast and crowning the Redeemer with worthy praises, the mountains bursting forth with joy are to be thought to be, as I said just now, those powers lifted up on high who are partakers of reason, or the ministers of evangelical preaching who speak Christ and the things that are His, and fill the earth with joy which is perceived by the intellect. For they announce: "Because God has had mercy on His people, and has comforted the humble of His people." For Christ had mercy on all of them; He had shone upon them. Since it is true, they are liberated from the hand of the devil and the savagery of demons and from the sin which exercised tyranny over them, and moreover from the bonds of death, and having been given grace, an excellent gift, made partakers of the Holy Spirit, they became participants of the grace of adoption, illuminated and enriched with a hope which surpasses thought.
But the word of the Prophet says: "He has comforted the humble of His people." Those are humile [humble] who do not despise the flexible and tractable neck to Christ and the yoke of His kingdom, who have admitted the faith and are prepared in spirit and truth to render adoration and worship to Him. Whereas those who have not admitted the faith are not humble, but lift up the horn on high and speak injustice, and against His most holy oracles lift up as it were the proud neck of the mind; they are not given spiritual consolation, they were not worthy. For what part have the faithful with the infidels, according to that which is written? (2 Cor. 6:15).
Is 49:14-15: "For Zion said: The Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me. Can a woman forget her infant, so as not to have mercy on the son of her womb? And even if these should be forgotten by a woman, yet I will not forget you."
For the Savior and Lord of all proposed grace even before others to the sons of Zion, or those of the blood of Israel, through faith, and with infinite words He attempted to persuade them to faith, that they might apprehend the opportunity by which they could, if they believed in Him, be enriched with the promises made to the fathers. But they were refractory and disobedient, and despising the laws which were described through the most wise Moses, and neglecting the preachings, they fell away from the faith and were captured by the crime of deicide as if by a snare. On this account they lapsed and are alienated far from the conjunction which is with Him. Nevertheless, relics were saved, and Israel did not perish fundamentally. But few are saved, and before the multitude of infidels, altogether few.
Therefore, Zion, sustaining the person of the mother Judea, is now introduced as it were lamenting, almost as if despised by God expelling [her]. Hence, with very few children left to her, she says: "The Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me."
And what to these things [says] the Lord? He declares incomparable charity towards men, and promises goods of intelligible mercy to Zion, and attempts to persuade that He could not at any time forget His own creature. For just as a woman who has borne children cannot forget her own children, as one who has the law of nature as the dispensatrix and administratrix of supreme piety and indulgence, so, He says, I cannot forget My own, since divine things surpass and excel maternal affect and indulgence. But it is not dissimilar that she [the woman] may come into oblivion. But it is not lawful for Me to suffer this.
Therefore, the speech is as if from terrestrial Zion, or the mother of the Jews, who suffered either sterility or a paucity of children; but the promise is as if to intelligible Zion, to which the most wise Paul says those who believed have approached, so that you may understand the Church gathered from the Gentiles and Jews, having the type of the superior [Zion], of which also the most wise Paul makes mention when he says: "But that Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all" (Gal. 4:26). For it is the city of the living God and the nurse and mother of the firstborn who are described in the heavens, of which Christ will never forget. For He loves the Church, which He represented to Himself, condensing two peoples into one new man, and with both reconciled in one body with the Father. But who would forget his own body, that is, the Church, of which He is the Head?
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