English · KJV

Ephrem the Syrian

Nicene & Post-Nicene · AD 325–500 · 764 passages across 40 books

Commentary

481–500 of 764
Isaiah 49:24

Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?

“Can the prey be taken from the giant?” These words refer to Christ, who took the imprisoned nations away from the demon, a mighty giant. Therefore the prey shall be snatched away from the mighty demon.

COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 49:24

Isaiah 50:4

The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.

“The Lord God has given me the tongue of the doctrine.” These words refer to Christ as well, who preached his new doctrine to all the peoples. And therefore all the peoples listened to it and were converted.

COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 50:4

Isaiah 51:4

Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.

“Listen to me, my people, and give ear to me, my nation; for a law will go forth from me.” And how could it go forth now, if it were the same law that went forth in the days of Moses? But it is evident that here he mystically signifies the spiritual law, which is the New Testament. “And my justice is a light to the peoples,” that is, my sacrament. He also means that the conscience of the Gentiles, which is now clouded by idolatry, will be enlightened after all their gods are condemned by the divine sentence.

COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 51:4

Isaiah 52:13

Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.

“Behold, my servant shall be wise,” that is, shall be illustrious; these words certainly concern our Lord. Indeed, he was called a servant by his Father, because, in the first place, he was sent by his Father in order to fulfill his will in procuring salvation for all humankind, and in the second place, because he assumed the aspect of a servant. “He shall be exalted and lifted up, and he shall be very high” through his virtues and miracles.

COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 52:13

Isaiah 53:12

Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

“Therefore I will divide him a portion among the many,” among the many who will eat his body and will drink his blood. “And he shall divide the spoil with the strong” … he calls “the strong” the holy apostles, among whom he divided the nations to be ruled, which he had taken away the power of the devil.

COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 53:12

Isaiah 54:16

Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

“Behold, I have created the blacksmith, who made the vases in his work,” that is, I elected the apostles and the disciples of the apostles, who perfectly instruct the peoples through the doctrine of truth. “I have also created the destroyer.” I did not prevent the liars and the persecutors from rising against the church at the time of the apostles.

COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 54:16

Isaiah 55:13

Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

“Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle.” The spiritual meaning of these words refers to the change of customs, which sprouted and rose up in the advent of Christ among those nations who embraced his faith. Instead of thorns, which represent the sins, and instead of the brier, which is devoid of fruits, the sweet-smelling cypress and the myrtle have risen, which are figures of the actions of virtue, purity and holiness and … are pleasing to God and delight him.

COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 55:13

Isaiah 56:6-7

Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;

“And the sons of the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, … these I will bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer.” These words refer to the church of the Gentiles, as the Lord himself explained to the Jews, and it is written in the Gospel, “My house shall be called the house of prayer for all nations.”

COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 56:7

Isaiah 57:14

And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.

“And it shall be said, ‘Remove every obstruction from my people’s way.’ ” Probably he said these words with regard to the Jewish Zealots, who killed their fellow citizens, because they had lapsed into idolatry and had been an obstacle for their fellows in the days of the Greeks.

COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 57:14

Isaiah 58:3

Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.

“Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose a day for a person to humble himself?” Do not fast as if with the aim to fulfill your evil intentions, as if you had made a certain vow in order to obtain one thing or another and so that misfortunes might befall your enemies. Through this kind of fasting and prayers, he says, you seek to delight your will and not mine, and, since you despise me, you say on high, “Why have we fasted, and you do not see it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you do not notice?”

COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 58:4-5

Isaiah 59:10

We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.

At times even we, when we were in error, mired in the pride of our mind as if our feet were stuck in the mud, did not perceive our error of the divine gospel each day. We would “grope around in the dark like blind people,” because our inner mind did not possess that which is necessary for discernment. Then, as if from a deep sleep, the mercy of the Most High poured out like pure rain, was sprinkled on our drowsiness, and from our sleep we were roused and boldly took up this mirror to see our self in it. At that very moment we were convicted by our faults, and we discovered that we were barren of any good virtue and that we had become a dwelling place for every corrupting thought and a lodge and abode for every lust.

LETTER TO PUBLIUS 11

Isaiah 59:12

For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them;

For just as the deeds of the wicked are their accusers before the righteous Judge, making them bend and bow down their heads silently in shame, so also their beautiful deeds plead cause for the good before the good One. For the deeds of all humankind are both silent and speak silently by their nature, yet they speak when one sees them.In that place there is no interrogation, for [God] is the judge of knowledge; nor is there any response, for when he sees it, he hears. He hears with sight, and he sees with hearing.

LETTER TO PUBLIUS 9:1-2

Isaiah 59:20

And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.

“And he will come to Zion as Redeemer,” that is, Zerubbabel. Therefore the spiritual Zion and the hill of visions and revelations is the church. The Redeemer, who comes to it, is Christ, that great Zerubbabel. “This is my covenant with you,” which I made with your ancestors on the mountain, so that my words might never be lacking from the mouths of your descendants.

COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 59:20-21

Isaiah 60:4

Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.

“Lift up your eyes round about, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far, and your daughters shall be carried in the arms. Then you shall see and be radiant, your heart shall thrill and rejoice.” He says these words with regard to the righteous ones of the synagogue, who gather from every land and come to it; however, in a figurative sense, these words signify the children of the holy church, the dispersed peoples, I mean, who were quite far away and distant from God. The gospel of Christ, preached to them by the holy apostles, gathered them, so that the apostles carried them as if in their arms and introduced them into the sheepfold of the church, their mother.

COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 60:4-5

Isaiah 61:1

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

“The Spirit of the Lord God is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted,” that is, God anointed him with the Holy Spirit. Therefore, after being incarnated and clothed with a human body, as is said, he has received the Spirit and has been anointed with the Spirit, because he has received the Spirit for us and has anointed us with it.“The Spirit of the Lord is on me.” That Spirit, which proceeds from the Father and is his essence, is in me, who am the Word and the Son of the Father, and through my incarnation I received the anointment of the economy of salvation.

COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 61:1

Isaiah 62:5

For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.

“For as a young man marries a virgin, so shall your sons marry you.” He calls sons the apostles, the priests and the righteous ones of the church, who constitute the head of the body of the church, as the husband is the head of a woman. These are like husbands to the church through its doctrine and constantly generate spiritual sons to it.

COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 62:5

Isaiah 63:14

As a beast goeth down into the valley, the Spirit of the LORD caused him to rest: so didst thou lead thy people, to make thyself a glorious name.

“Like cattle that go down into the valley, the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest. So you did lead your people.” Through all these words that the prophet speaks about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, he leads the mind back to the wonders that God performed by means of his servant Moses, whom he called the shepherd of his flock, and through whose right hand, which moved the staff, he divided the sea. The staff, therefore, prefigured the cross of Christ, who is the hidden arm of the glory of the Father.

COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 63:14

Isaiah 64:7

And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.

“There is no one who calls on your name.” Since they worshiped the idols, they did not remember your name. “There is no one who bestirs himself to take hold of you.” They certainly put all their faith in the idols.

COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 64:7

Isaiah 65:17

For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth.” These words point to the church, referring to the heavenly and spiritual gifts that have been granted to it. Indeed, if the Lord took care of the Israelites for the earthly things promised to them, how much more will he provide for the church, thanks to the joy that peoples have experienced in their conversion to it. Therefore, he also calls new heavens and new earth the new and spiritual life granted to the church by the advent of Christ.

COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 65:17

Isaiah 66:19

And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.

“And from them I will send” the sign “to Tarshish, Tubal and Javan,” and to all the other cities, which came to help the house of Gog in its fight against Zerubbabel, that is, against Christ, who was symbolized by Zerubbabel, the king of the people in its return from captivity to the land of the inheritance of the Lord. Therefore the revolt of the nations against Zerubbabel prefigured what the prophet foretold about Christ by saying, “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed.”

COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 66:19

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