Isaia 5:4

4 Chi si dovea più fare alla mia vigna che io non vi abbia fatto? perchè ho io aspettato che facesse delle uve, ed ha fatte delle lambrusche?

Isaia 5:4 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 5:4

What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have
not done in it?
&c.] Or "ought", as the Vulgate Latin: this is generally understood of good things done to it in time past; as what better culture could it have had? what greater privileges, blessings, and advantages, natural, civil, and religious, could have been bestowed on this people? what greater favour could have been shown them, or honour done them? or what of this kind remains to be done for them? they have had everything that could be desired, expected, or enjoyed: though it may be rendered, "what is further or hereafter to be done to my vineyard" ^F21, and "I have not done in it?" that is, by way of punishment; I have reproved and chastised them, but all in vain; what remains further for me, and which I will do, because of their ingratitude and unfruitfulness? I will utterly destroy them as a nation and church; I will cause their civil and ecclesiastical state to cease. The sense may be gathered from the answer to the question in the following verse ( Isaiah 5:5 ) , wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought
it forth wild grapes?
that is, why have these people acted so ill a part, when such and so many good things have been bestowed upon them; on account of which it might have been reasonably expected they would have behaved in another manner? or rather the words may be rendered, "why have I looked or expected ^F23 that it should bring forth grapes, seeing it brought forth wild grapes?" why have I been looking for good fruit, when nothing but bad fruit for so long a time has been produced? why have I endured with so much patience and longsuffering? I will bear with them no longer, as follows. The Targum is for the former sense,

``what good have I said to do more to my people, which I have not done to them? and what is this I have said, that they should do good works, and they have done evil works?''

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FOOTNOTES:

F21 (ymrkl dwe twvel hm) "quid faciendum amplius fuit", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "et quid ultra faciendum erat"; so some in Vatablus, Montanus.
F23 (ytywq ewdm) "quare expectavi?" Cocceius.

Isaia 5:4 In-Context

2 E le fece attorno una chiusura, e ne tolse via le pietre, e la piantò di viti eccellenti, ed edificò una torre in mezzo di essa, ed anche vi fabbricò un torcolo; or egli aspettava ch’ella facesse delle uve, ed ha fatte delle lambrusche.

3 Or dunque, abitanti di Gerusalemme, ed uomini di Giuda, giudicate fra me e la mia vigna.

4 Chi si dovea più fare alla mia vigna che io non vi abbia fatto? perchè ho io aspettato che facesse delle uve, ed ha fatte delle lambrusche?

5 Or dunque, io vi farò assapere ciò che io son per fare alla mia vigna. Io torrò via la sua siepe, e sarà pascolata; io romperò la sua chiusura, e sarà calpestata.

6 E la ridurrò in deserto; non sarà potata, nè zappata; e le vepri e i pruni vi monteranno; divieterò ancora alle nuvole che non ispandano pioggia sopra essa.