Isaiah 65:24

Translation
King James Version
And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
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KJV (with Strong's)
And it shall come to pass, that before they call H7121, I will answer H6030; and while they are yet speaking H1696, I will hear H8085.
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Complete Jewish Bible
Before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear.
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Berean Standard Bible
Even before they call, I will answer, and while they are still speaking, I will hear.
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American Standard Version
And it shall come to pass that, before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
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World English Bible Messianic
It shall happen that, before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
Yea, before they call, I will answere, and whiles they speake, I will heare.
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Young's Literal Translation
And it hath come to pass, They do not yet call, and I answer, They are yet speaking, and I hear.
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See also
Daniel 10:121 John 5:141 John 5:15Isaiah 58:9Mark 11:24Psalms 91:15Psalms 50:15
In the KJVVerse 18,922 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Isaiah 65:24 presents a profound promise of divine responsiveness and intimate communion, depicting a future era of restoration where God's people experience immediate and anticipatory answers to their prayers. This verse, situated within a broader prophetic vision of new heavens and a new earth, underscores God's deep knowledge of His people's needs and His proactive care, establishing a relationship of unparalleled closeness and trust that transcends typical human interaction.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Isaiah 65:24 is nestled within a powerful prophetic vision of restoration and new creation, following chapters that detail Israel's rebellion and God's impending judgment. Chapter 65 begins by contrasting the unfaithful who provoke God with a remnant who seek Him. It quickly transitions from divine indictment to a glorious depiction of God's redemptive plan for His chosen people, culminating in the promise of "new heavens and a new earth" in Isaiah 65:17. The preceding verses (Isaiah 65:18-23) describe a transformed reality where sorrow is banished, life spans are extended, labor is fruitful, and peace pervades. Verse 24, therefore, serves as a capstone promise, highlighting the intimate and immediate nature of God's interaction with His restored people in this future, perfected era, where the very act of seeking God is met with instantaneous divine attention and response. It is a promise of unparalleled relational closeness within the context of ultimate cosmic renewal.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: The book of Isaiah was written during a tumultuous period in Israel's history, spanning the Assyrian and Babylonian threats and the eventual exile. The prophecies in chapters 40-66, often referred to as Second and Third Isaiah, address the exilic and post-exilic communities, offering comfort, hope, and a vision of future restoration. The concept of God's people calling upon Him was central to their covenant relationship, often in times of distress or for guidance. However, the experience of exile and perceived divine silence could lead to despair. This promise in Isaiah 65:24 directly counters such despair by portraying a future where the barriers to divine communication are removed, and God's attentiveness is absolute. Culturally, prayer was a communal and individual practice, often involving vocal supplication. The promise of God hearing "while they are yet speaking" would have been a radical assurance of divine proximity, far exceeding typical human responsiveness, where a request must be fully articulated before a response can even begin to be formulated.
  • Key Themes: This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in Isaiah. Foremost is the theme of Divine Faithfulness and Covenant Renewal. Despite Israel's unfaithfulness, God remains committed to His promises of restoration, demonstrating His unwavering loyalty to His covenant people. Another key theme is Eschatological Hope and New Creation, as the verse paints a picture of an ideal future state, part of the "new heavens and new earth" where the relationship between God and humanity is perfected (Isaiah 65:17-25). The Intimacy of God's Presence is also profoundly emphasized; God is not distant but actively involved, anticipating and responding to the deepest desires of His people, illustrating a depth of relationship that surpasses human comprehension. Finally, the theme of Answered Prayer and Divine Responsiveness is central, offering a radical vision of a time when communication with God is immediate and unhindered, a stark contrast to the perceived silence or delayed answers often experienced in their present reality, and a fulfillment of the longing expressed in passages like Psalm 145:18.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • Call (Hebrew, qârâʼ', H7121): This primitive root (H7121) means to call out to, address by name, invoke, or summon. It encompasses the act of prayer, crying out for help, or formally seeking divine intervention. The use of "before they call" emphasizes God's pre-emptive knowledge and action, indicating that He knows the need even before the vocalized request is fully formed, highlighting His omniscience and proactive care.
  • Answer (Hebrew, ʻânâh', H6030): This primitive root (H6030) signifies to respond, reply, or give an account. It implies not just an auditory perception but an active, meaningful reply or solution. In this context, it highlights God's immediate and effective response to the needs and prayers of His people, reinforcing the idea that His help is not delayed but is perfectly timed and efficacious.
  • Hear (Hebrew, shâmaʻ', H8085): This primitive root (H8085) means to hear intelligently, often with the implication of attention, understanding, and willingness to obey or act. It's more than just perceiving sound; it's listening with intent and readiness to respond. The phrase "while they are yet speaking, I will hear" underscores the swiftness, completeness, and profound attentiveness of God, indicating that He comprehends and acts upon their request even as it is being articulated, demonstrating His full engagement.

Verse Breakdown

  • "And it shall come to pass,": This introductory phrase serves as a prophetic marker, signaling a future event or state of affairs that is divinely ordained and certain to be fulfilled. It sets the stage for a significant shift in the relationship between God and His people, pointing to a new era of divine interaction.
  • "that before they call, I will answer;": This clause highlights God's profound omniscience and anticipatory care. It signifies that God possesses perfect knowledge of His people's needs, desires, and unspoken prayers even before they are articulated. His response is not merely swift; it is pre-emptive, demonstrating an unparalleled intimacy and foresight in His relationship with them, where His provision precedes their petition.
  • "and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.": This second clause reinforces the immediacy and completeness of God's attentiveness. It emphasizes that God's "hearing" is not a passive reception of sound but an active, understanding, and responsive engagement that occurs even in the midst of the prayer being uttered. It underscores the unhindered and direct access His people will have to Him in this future state, where communication is seamless and divine action is instantaneous with human supplication.

Literary Devices

Isaiah 65:24 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its message of divine intimacy and responsiveness. Hyperbole is evident in the promise that God will answer "before they call" and hear "while they are yet speaking." While rooted in the truth of God's omniscience, the phrasing exaggerates the immediacy to emphasize the absolute certainty and speed of His response, surpassing all human expectation and capability. This also functions as a form of Anticipation, building a vivid picture of a future reality where divine-human communication is radically transformed and perfected. Furthermore, the verse uses Parallelism in its two clauses: "before they call, I will answer" and "while they are yet speaking, I will hear." This synonymous parallelism reinforces the central idea of God's pre-emptive and immediate responsiveness, lending a poetic rhythm and emphasizing the certainty of the promise through the repetition of meaning. The entire passage is steeped in Prophecy, offering a future-oriented vision of God's ultimate restoration and the perfected relationship He will have with His people in the new creation.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Isaiah 65:24 offers a profound theological insight into the nature of God's relationship with His people, especially in the context of the new creation. It reveals a God who is not only omniscient, knowing our needs before we voice them, but also supremely attentive and proactive in His love. This promise transcends a mere guarantee of answered prayer; it speaks to a perfected communion where the very act of seeking God is met with immediate, understanding, and effective divine engagement. It underscores the theme of God's ultimate desire for unhindered fellowship with humanity, a relationship characterized by complete trust and divine benevolence, where the perceived distance or delay in God's response is entirely removed. This vision of divine immediacy serves as a powerful encouragement, assuring believers of God's profound care and intimate involvement in their lives, even now, as a foretaste of the full realization of this promise.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Isaiah 65:24, while pointing to an eschatological reality, offers profound comfort and practical application for believers today. It reminds us that our God is not distant or indifferent but intimately acquainted with our deepest needs and desires, even those we struggle to articulate. This promise should cultivate a spirit of confident prayer, knowing that we are approaching a Father who not only listens but anticipates our cries. It challenges us to trust in His perfect timing and wisdom, even when answers are not immediate in our present experience, for His ultimate plan is one of perfect communion and complete good. This verse encourages us to live in hopeful anticipation of the day when our fellowship with God will be unhindered, motivating us to draw closer to Him now, knowing His heart is always inclined towards us. It fosters a deeper sense of security and peace, understanding that our sovereign God is actively involved in our lives, always ready to respond with love and provision according to His perfect will.

Questions for Reflection

  • How does the promise of God answering "before they call" impact your understanding of His omniscience and proactive care?
  • In what ways might believing God hears "while you are yet speaking" transform your approach to prayer and your sense of His presence?
  • How does this verse shape your hope for future communion with God in the new heavens and new earth, and what comfort does it offer for your present struggles?
  • What practical steps can you take to cultivate a deeper trust in God's immediate and anticipatory responsiveness in your daily life, even when answers are not immediately apparent?

FAQ

Does Isaiah 65:24 mean God will always give me exactly what I ask for immediately?

Answer: While Isaiah 65:24 powerfully illustrates God's profound attentiveness and pre-emptive knowledge, it is primarily an eschatological promise describing a perfected relationship in the new heavens and new earth. In our present fallen world, God's answers to prayer are always perfect, but not always immediate or precisely what we expect, as His wisdom and timing often differ from ours. This verse assures us of His attentiveness and readiness to act on our behalf, knowing our needs even before we articulate them, rather than guaranteeing instant gratification of every desire. It points to the ultimate fulfillment of a prayer life unhindered by sin and doubt, where communion with God is seamless and immediate, a reality we anticipate and strive for now, trusting in His good and sovereign will (Romans 8:28) and seeking His will in our requests (1 John 5:14).

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Isaiah 65:24 finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus, who perfectly embodies God's intimate knowledge and responsive love for humanity. In Christ, the barriers to communion with God, caused by sin, are removed, granting believers direct and confident access to the Father. Jesus Himself taught His disciples not to babble in prayer, for "your Father knows what you need before you ask him" (Matthew 6:8), directly echoing the sentiment of Isaiah 65:24 and demonstrating His own divine omniscience and care. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit, sent by Christ, intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words, ensuring that our true needs and the will of God align, even when we don't know how or what to pray for (Romans 8:26-27). Christ's perfect sacrifice on the cross and His ongoing intercession at the right hand of God mean that we can "approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). Thus, the promise of God's immediate and anticipatory responsiveness, envisioned by Isaiah, is inaugurated in the New Covenant through Christ, who is our High Priest, perfectly understanding our weaknesses and ever ready to hear and answer our prayers according to the Father's will, leading us toward the full realization of that seamless communion in the new heavens and new earth, where God will dwell fully with His people (Revelation 21:3-4).

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Commentary on Isaiah 65 verses 17–25

If these promises were in part fulfilled when the Jews, after their return out of captivity, were settled in peace in their own land and brought as it were into a new world, yet they were to have their full accomplishment in the gospel church, militant first and at length triumphant. The Jerusalem that is from above is free and is the mother of us all. In the graces and comforts which believers have in and from Christ we are to look for this new heaven and new earth. It is in the gospel that old things have passed away and all things have become new, and by it that those who are in Christ are new creatures, Co2 5:17. It was a mighty and happy change that was described Isa 65:16, that the former troubles were forgotten; but here it rises much higher: even the former world shall be forgotten and shall no more come into mind. Those that were converted to the Christian faith were so transported with the comforts of it that all the comforts they were before acquainted with became as nothing to them; not only their foregoing griefs, but their foregoing joys, were lost and swallowed up in this. The glorified saints will therefore have forgotten this world, because they will be entirely taken up with the other: For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth. See how inexhaustible the divine power is; the same God that created one heaven and earth can create another. See how entire the happiness of the saints is; it shall be all of a piece; with the new heavens God will create them (if they have occasion for it to make them happy) a new earth too. The world is yours if you be Christ's, Co1 3:22. When God is reconciled to us, which gives us a new heaven, the creatures too are reconciled to us, which gives us a new earth. The future glory of the saints will be so entirely different from what they ever knew before that it may well be called new heavens and a new earth, Pe2 3:13. Behold, I make all things new, Rev 21:5.

I. There shall be new joys. For, 1. All the church's friends, and all that belong to her, shall rejoice (Isa 65:18): You shall be glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create. The new things which God creates in and by his gospel are and shall be matter of everlasting joy to all believers. My servants shall rejoice (Isa 65:13), at last they shall, though now they mourn. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. 2. The church shall be the matter of their joy, so pleasant, so prosperous, shall her condition be: I create Jerusalem a rejoicing and her people a joy. The church shall not only rejoice but be rejoiced in. Those that have sorrowed with the church shall rejoice with her. 3. The prosperity of the church shall be a rejoicing to God himself, who has pleasure in the prosperity of his servants (Isa 65:19): I will rejoice in Jerusalem's joy, and will joy in my people; for in all their affliction he was afflicted. God will not only rejoice in the church's well-doing, but will himself rejoice to do her good and rest in his love to her, Zep 3:17. What God rejoices in it becomes us to rejoice in. 4. There shall be no allay of this joy, nor any alteration of this happy condition of the church: The voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her. If this relate to any state of the church in this life, it means no more than that the former occasions of grief shall not return, but God's people shall long enjoy an uninterrupted tranquillity. But in heaven it shall have a full accomplishment, in respect both of the perfection and the perpetuity of the promised joy; there all tears shall be wiped away.

II. There shall be new life, Isa 65:20. Untimely deaths by the sword or sickness shall be no more known as they have been, and by this means there shall be no more the voice of crying, Isa 65:19. When there shall be no more death there shall be no more sorrow, Rev 21:4. As death has reigned by sin, so life shall reign by righteousness, Rom 5:14, Rom 5:21. 1. Believers through Christ shall be satisfied with life, though it be ever so short on earth. If an infant end its days quickly, yet it shall not be reckoned to die untimely; for the shorter its life is the longer will its rest be. Though death reign over those that have not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, yet they, dying in the arms of Christ, the second Adam, and belonging to his kingdom, are not to be called infants of days, but even the child shall be reckoned to die a hundred years old, for he shall rise again at full age, shall rise to eternal life. Some understand it of children who in their childhood are so eminent for wisdom and grace, and by death nipped in the blossom, that they may be said to die a hundred years old. And, as for old men, it is promised that they shall fill their days with the fruits of righteousness, which they shall still bring forth in old age, to show that the Lord is upright, and then it is a good old age. An old man who is wise, and good, and useful, may truly be said to have filled his days. Old men who have their hearts upon the world have never filled their days, never have enough of this world, but would still continue longer in it. But that man dies old, and satur dierum - full of days, who, with Simeon, having seen God's salvation, desires now to depart in peace. 2. Unbelievers shall be unsatisfied and unhappy in life, though it be ever so long. The sinner, though he live to a hundred years old, shall be accursed. His living so long shall be no token to him of the divine favour and blessing, nor shall it be any shelter to him from the divine wrath and curse. The sentence he lies under will certainly be executed, and his long life is but a long reprieve; nay, it is itself a curse to him, for the longer he lives the more wrath he treasures up against the day of wrath and the more sins he will have to answer for. So that the matter is not great whether our lives on earth be long or short, but whether we live the lives of saints or the lives of sinners.

III. There shall be a new enjoyment of the comforts of life. Whereas before it was very uncertain and precarious, their enemies inhabited the houses which they built and ate the fruit of the trees which they planted, now it shall be otherwise; they shall build houses and inhabit them, shall plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them, Isa 65:21, Isa 65:22. Their intimates that the labour of their hands shall be blessed and be made to prosper; they shall gain what they aimed at, and what they have gained shall be preserved and secured to them; they shall enjoy it comfortably, and nothing shall embitter it to them, and they shall live to enjoy it long. Strangers shall not break in upon them, to expel them, and plant themselves in their room, as sometimes they have done: My elect shall wear out, or long enjoy, the work of their hands; it is honestly got, and it will wear well; it is the work of their hands, which they themselves have laboured for, and it is most comfortable to enjoy that, and not to eat the bread of idleness, or bread of deceit. If we have a heart to enjoy it, that is the gift of God's grace (Ecc 3:13); and, if we live to enjoy it long, it is the gift of God's providence, for that is here promised: As the days of a tree are the days of my people; as the days of an oak (Isa 6:13), whose substance is in it, though it cast its leaves; though it be stripped every winter, it recovers itself again, and lasts many ages; as the days of the tree of life; so the Septuagint. Christ is to them the tree of life, and in him believers enjoy all those spiritual comforts which are typified by the abundance of temporal blessings here promised; and it shall not be in the power of their enemies to deprive them of these blessings or disturb them in the enjoyment of them.

IV. There shall be a new generation rising up in their stead to inherit and enjoy these blessings (Isa 65:23): They shall not labour in vain, for they shall not only enjoy the work of their hands themselves, but they shall leave it with satisfaction to those that shall come after them, and not with such a melancholy prospect as Solomon did, Ecc 2:18, Ecc 2:19. They shall not beget and bring forth children for trouble; for they are themselves the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and there is a blessing entailed upon them by descent from their ancestors which their offspring with them shall partake of, and shall be, as well as they, the seed of the blessed of the Lord. They shall not bring forth for trouble; for, 1. God will make their children that rise up comforts to them; they shall have the joy of seeing them walk in the truth. 2. He will make the times that come after comfortable to their children. As they shall be good, so it shall be well with them; they shall not be brought forth to days of trouble; nor shall it ever be said, Blessed is the womb that bore not. In the gospel church Christ's name shall be borne up by a succession. A seed shall serve him (Psa 22:30), the seed of the blessed of the Lord.

V. There shall be a good correspondence between them and their God (Isa 65:24): Even before they call, I will answer. God will anticipate their prayers with the blessings of his goodness. David did but say, I will confess, and God forgave, Psa 32:5. The father of the prodigal met him in his return. While they are yet speaking, before they have finished their prayer, I will give them the thing they pray for, or the assurances and earnests of it. These are high expressions of God's readiness to hear prayer; and this appears much more in the grace of the gospel than it did under the law; we owe the comfort of it to the mediation of Christ as our advocate with the Father and are obliged in gratitude to give a ready ear to God's calls.

VI. There shall be a good correspondence between them and their neighbours (Isa 65:25): The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, as they did in Noah's ark. God's people, though they are as sheep in the midst of wolves, shall be safe and unhurt; for God will not so much break the power and tie the hands of their enemies as formerly, but he will turn their hearts, will alter their dispositions by his grace. When Paul, who had been a persecutor of the disciples (and who, being of the tribe of Benjamin, ravened as a wolf, Gen 49:27) joined himself to them and became one of them, then the wolf and the lamb fed together. So also when the enmity between Jews and Gentiles was slain, all hostilities ceased, and they fed together as one sheepfold under Christ the great Shepherd, Joh 10:16. The enemies of the church ceased to do the mischief they had done, and its members ceased to be so quarrelsome with and injurious to one another as they had been, so that there was none either from without or from within to hurt or destroy, none to disturb it, much less to ruin it, in all the holy mountain; as was promised, Isa 11:9. For, 1. Men shall be changed: The lion shall no more be a beast of prey, as perhaps he never would have been if sin had not entered, but shall eat straw like the bullock, shall know his owner, and his master's crib, as the ox does. When those that lived by spoil and rapine, and coveted to enrich themselves, right or wrong, are brought by the grace of God to accommodate themselves to their condition, to live by honest labour, and to be content with such things as they have - when those that stole steal no more, but work with their hands the thing that is good - then this is fulfilled, that the lion shall eat straw like the bullock. 2. Satan shall be chained, the dragon bound; for dust shall be the serpent's meat again. That great enemy, when he has been let loose, has glutted and regaled himself with the precious blood of saints, who by his instigation have been persecuted, and with the precious souls of sinners, who by his instigation have become persecutors and have ruined themselves for ever; but now he shall be confined to dust, according to the sentence, On thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat, Gen 3:14. All the enemies of God's church, that are subtle and venomous as serpents, shall be conquered and subdued, and be made to lick the dust, Christ shall reign as Zion's King till all the enemies of his kingdom be made his footstool, and theirs too. In the holy mountain above, and there only, shall this promise have its full accomplishment, that there shall be none to hurt nor destroy.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 17–25. Public domain.
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Gregory of ElviraAD 392
ORIGEN’S TRACTATES ON THE BOOKS OF HOLY SCRIPTURE 5:36
The earth will freely give its produce, and all evil will be removed, just as Isaiah said … for God has refashioned such a world in his kingdom just as it had been made in the beginning before the first-made human being ruined it, who after he had disobeyed the word of God all things were spoiled and ruined and cursed by God’s word: “the earth will be cursed in your works.” The former shape of this world will become the kingdom of the saints and the liberation of the creatures.
JeromeAD 420
COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 18:17
Through all of these events is demonstrated the change of evil beings into good, who will be innocent once their old violence has been laid aside. This does not happen outside the holy mountain of the Lord, but on it, that is, in the church and within the profession of the mountain of him by whom the king of Tyre was wounded. He who was cast down from the mountain without hands “grew into a great mountain and filled the world.” Let us inquire of the Jews about this passage, along with all Christians who still feed on the chaff of the Scriptures, which, once separated from the grain by the Lord’s winnowing fork, will be given over to wind and fire. Let us ask them: what blessedness should be attributed in the thousand-year reign to Mount Zion, Jerusalem, the city of the presiding Messiah? What blessedness to the most holy temple, where the wolf and the lamb, the lion and the cow, serpents and people will eat and dwell together? Are these the only creatures that are to be judged harmless to those who will dwell on the holy mountain of the Lord? Are we to understand from this, therefore, that everything outside of the mountain is to be killed and that all the earth will be denuded of wolves, lions, bears, panthers, serpents, with other animals, and of the immense forest and the desert of Egyptian solitude, which is fertile with poisonous animals? Are we to understand that the holy city is not only for the ultimate happiness of man, but also will be a home for beasts and serpents, such that, according to the prophecy above, “the wolf will dwell with the lamb and the leopard with the goat, and the bull and the lion and the cow and the bear will rest together, and a small child will rule them and an infant recently weaned will put his hand in the den of the asp.”
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Isaiah
(Verse 23 onwards) For according to the days of a tree, the days of my people will be, and the work of their hands will grow old with my chosen. They will not labor in vain, nor bring forth children in trouble, for they are the offspring of the blessed of the Lord, and their descendants will be with them. And before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent's food. They shall do no harm, neither shall they kill in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord. LXX: For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of my people: and the works of their hands shall be multiplied. My chosen ones shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth children for a curse: for they are the seed blessed by the Lord, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer them: while they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together: the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and the serpent shall eat dust like bread. They will not harm or destroy on my holy mountain, says the Lord. The dwelling and plantation of the righteous will be eternal, so that the days of the life of my people may be compared to the days of the life of the tree, about which it is said in the Psalms: The righteous will flourish like a palm tree (Psalm 92:13), triumphing over their adversaries daily and displaying the emblem of victory. However, if we read it according to the Septuagint, we understand 'the days of the life of the tree,' which conveys more the meaning from the Hebrew rather than the words, and we understand it as the tree of life that was situated in paradise. So that Adam would not extend his hand to live, he was driven out of paradise (Genesis, III). In the custody of which, Cherubim, that is, a multitude of knowledge, and a fiery sword was placed to guard the way of the tree of life, so that Adam, who was in sin and not yet aware of his sins, would not eat from it and die from the death of impenitence, desperation, and pride. Solomon explains more clearly what this tree of life is, who, discussing the wisdom of God, says: The tree of life is for all who approach it, and who rely on it, as a firm foundation on the Lord (Proverbs III, 18); there is no doubt that it signifies the Word of God, who himself is the way and wisdom, and speaks of himself: I am the life (John XI, 25). And as the Prophet sings: You have made everything in wisdom: the earth is full of your creatures (Psalm 104:24); and the Apostle Paul: Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24). The works of the people of God will also not grow old, but will be renewed daily, so that they do not walk in the oldness of the letter, but in the newness of the spirit (Romans 7). Just as through the disobedience of one man, many were made sinners, so through the obedience of one man, many will be made righteous. Certainly, this must be said, that the works of those whose house is founded upon rock endure forever, and those who build upon the foundation of Christ with gold, silver, and precious stones (1 Corinthians 3): and on the contrary, the works of those whose house is founded upon sand perish in a sudden tempest; and those who build upon the foundation of Christ with wood, hay, and straw. Does it not seem to you that their works grow old every day, who, forgetting the past, extend into the future? Both the old and the new are called the Testament: not that the old one perishes, but that the new one does not succeed it. This can also be said in accordance with the Hebrew, that the works of the people and of those who believe in Christ are the fruits of the Apostles, that is, of the elect of God, and are stored in their treasuries. For many are called, but few are chosen (Matthew 20). These people will not labor in vain, as the Jews once labored; but they will eat the labors of their hands. They will not generate in confusion or in curse, and, as is more expressly put in Hebrew, into non-existence, which in their language is called Labala ( Al. Labaala), that is, that they should cease to be and have an end to their substance: for which reason Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion interpreted it as hastening: so that they should not believe without reason, but imitate Nathanael, who was praised by the voice of the Lord, Behold a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit (John 1:47), who sought Christ by the authority of the Scriptures and desired to know about the prophets, saying, Can anything good come out of Nazareth? And the meaning is: How do you bring the Messiah to me from Galilee and Nazareth, when I know that he was promised to come from Bethlehem in Judah? Therefore, the apostles and apostolic men will generate children in such a way that they instruct them from the Holy Scriptures, so that they do not imitate the curse of the Jews, but rather say with the Prophet: From your fear, Lord, we have conceived in the womb, and have given birth and brought forth (Isaiah 26:18). For it was said of them: Blessed shall be the offspring of your womb (Deuteronomy 28:4). These are the sons of Abraham, who do his works: and in the old history they are called the sons of the Prophets (John VIII): such as in the new Testament the apostles begot (Acts XVI), Paul begot Timothy, Luke, and Titus, and many others; Peter begot Mark the evangelist, and the others, whose blessed seed is, and thus far blessed, and the sons remain of their sons. Concerning whom the Prophet says: Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, he will greatly desire his commandments. His descendants will be mighty on the earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed. (Psalm 112:1-2) And elsewhere: Your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord. (Psalm 128:4-5) On the contrary, it is said of Judas, the traitor, and all who are like him, Let his children be orphans, and his wife a widow. Let his children wander and beg; let them be driven out of their ruined homes. (Psalm 109:9-10) For the end of a wicked generation is the worst. They conceive sorrow and give birth to iniquity. Concerning them it is written: Behold, he travailed with injustice, he has conceived sorrow, and has brought forth iniquity (Psalm 7:15). But if this is said of the wicked, how then did Samuel, a blessed and righteous man, beget wicked sons who did not walk in their father's ways (1 Samuel 8)? And David, from whose seed Christ was born, begot two sons, Amnon and Absalom, one of whom became the murderer of his brother and the other the murderer of his father (2 Samuel 13, 15, and 16)? From all these things we learn that sons and grandsons should be understood according to what we have said. Therefore, Paul also begets sons until Christ is formed in them, and Onesimus is begotten in chains (Gal. IV). When they cry out, they are immediately heard, and when they speak, the Lord will say, 'Here I am.' All these things we also see fulfilled according to the letter in the Acts of the Apostles. For all the nations could not have believed in such a short time unless their faith had been somehow forced out by the miracles of signs. For while the Apostles and apostolic men were speaking and shouting out, the Lord would respond with the greatness of signs, such as when Dorcas rose up at the prayers of Peter (Acts 9), when the father of Publius on the island of Melita, who was suffering from fevers and dysentery, which are diseases that are contrary to each other, was healed by the prayers of Paul (Acts 28), and when the whole world declared that gods were walking among men (Acts 28). At that time, the wolf and the lamb were grazing together, the persecutor Paul and the disciple Ananias (Acts 9). That wolf, of which it is written: Benjamin, a ravenous wolf, in the morning he will eat prey, and in the evening he will divide the spoils (Gen. XLIX, 27); or as it is said in Hebrew, he will divide the spoils. Whose teaching was the food of believers, and who triumphed over vanquished adversaries in the whole world. But all who believe are lambs, who follow the Lamb wherever he goes (Apoc. XIV), whom the Lord handed over to Peter to feed, saying: Feed my lambs (John XXI, 16). The lion also, like an ox, will eat straw, when the most eloquent men, once powerful in the world, submit themselves to rusticity, so that they may not feed on worldly eloquence, which trickles like honey from the lips of a harlot, but rather follow lowliness and straw in history until they earn the wheat of understanding with much labor and industry. Concerning these straw and wheat, Jeremiah speaks: 'What has straw to do with wheat?' says the Lord (Jeremiah 13:28). And it must be considered that it is not the ox that turns into madness, but the lion that is transformed into gentleness. The serpent that observed the heel of the man, and whose head was observed by the man, will by no means be nourished by the destruction of others, but will eat the earth, or rather dust, as bread (Genesis 3). Or certainly it must be understood that the devil, who previously fed on the deaths of men, will only devour those who are dust and earth: through which everything demonstrates the transformation of evils into good, those who are innocent will be, with the ancient ferocity abandoned: not outside, but on the holy mountain of the Lord, that is, in the Church, and in the confession of that mountain, from which the prince of Tyre was wounded, and having been cut from the mountain without hands, grew into a great mountain, and filled the world (Daniel 2). Let us ask in this place the Jews, and all those who still eat the chaff of the Scriptures under the name of Christian, which will be separated from the wheat in the Lord's winnowing fan and will be delivered to the wind and the flames, how the beatitude is to be estimated, namely in the thousand-year kingdom, on Mount Zion, the city of present Christ's Jerusalem; and in the most august Temple, will wolves and lambs, lions and oxen, serpents and humans eat together and live together in harmony? And will these (i.e. the holy ones) alone be harmless, who have dwelt on the holy mountain of the Lord? From which we understand that all who are outside the mountain are to be killed. Therefore, the entire world will be laid bare for wolves, lions, bears, leopards, and serpents, and all other beasts; and the vast forests, and the Egyptian wilderness, which is fertile with venomous animals, and the city of the holy ones will be a dwelling not only for humans, but also for beasts and serpents, as according to the earlier prophecy, the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard with the goat, the calf and the lion, and the sheep shall all die together. And a little child shall lead them, and an infant shall put his hand into the hole of the asp, and shall destroy the brood of the reptile in its lair. (Isaiah 11) And the cause of such great happiness is because the whole earth is filled with the knowledge of the Lord.
Theodoret of CyrusAD 458
COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 20:65.25
This is a prediction Isaiah made previously after having announced the growth from the stem of Jesse. Now, we see the fulfillment of this prophecy as rulers and ruled, kings and servants, wise and foolish will share a common table—that is, the teaching of the Spirit. For he calls those who live in moderation lambs, whereas those with high ambitions are wolves. The lion is the one exalted to royal status, cattle are those worthy of the priesthood, and straw is the food of cattle. The lion will no longer be a carnivore but shall share the food of the cattle.
Theodoret of CyrusAD 458
COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 20:65.25
“And the serpent shall eat dust as bread.” This is the food that the righteous Judge has assigned to it from the beginning: “On your breast and belly you shall go, and you shall eat earth all the days of your life.” And so Isaiah calls the common enemy of humanity a serpent. He has subjected him to the ancient curse. This is similarly indicated in the passage that follows: “They shall not injure or destroy on my holy mountains, says the Lord.” All strength had been removed from him, not only from the fact that he crept on the ground but also that the saints had trampled him under foot and the wood of the cross crushed him.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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