Isaiah – Chapter 18

Old Testament7 Verses

1Woe to the land, the winged cymbal, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia,

2That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, and in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters. Go, ye swift angels, to a nation rent and torn in pieces: to a terrible people, after which there is no other: to a nation expecting and trodden underfoot, whose land the rivers have spoiled.

3All ye inhabitants of the world, who dwell on the earth, when the sign shall be lifted up on the mountains, you shall see, and you shall hear the sound of the trumpet.

4For thus saith the Lord to me: I will take my rest, and consider in my place, as the noon light is clear, and as a cloud of dew in the day of harvest.

5For before the harvest it was all flourishing, and it shall bud without perfect ripeness, and the sprigs thereof shall be cut off with pruning hooks: and what is left shall be cut away and shaken out.

6And they shall be left together to the birds of the mountains, and the beasts of the earth: and the fowls shall be upon them all the summer, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them.

7At that time shall a present be brought to the Lord of hosts, from a people rent and torn in pieces: from a terrible people, after which there hath been no other: from a nation expecting, expecting and trodden under foot, whose land the rivers have spoiled, to the place of the name of the Lord of hosts, to mount Sion.

Reflection for Today

The message of Isaiah Chapter 18 unfolds within the broader narrative of judgment, comfort, and messianic hope. Catholic theology, drawing on Isaiah's prophecies are fulfilled in Christ, especially the Suffering Servant (CIC 601), sees in this chapter a call to deeper faith. The principle that God's salvation reaches to the ends of the earth guides our interpretation.

The Church Fathers, including St. Augustine, St. Jerome, and St. John Chrysostom, devoted themselves to explaining Scripture for the faithful. Their insights, preserved in the Church's Tradition, continue to illuminate our reading. The Catechism reminds us that "the Church has always venerated the divine Scriptures as she venerated the Body of the Lord" (CIC 103).

As you engage with this chapter, bring your questions, struggles, and hopes to the text. God's Word addresses the whole person—mind, heart, and will. Through the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, we receive the grace to live what we read. May this chapter strengthen your faith and deepen your love for Christ and His Church.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

Deepen your understanding with these related articles