Isaiah 5:1-7

The Song of the Vineyard

1 I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside.
2 He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit.
3 “Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard.
4 What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad?
5 Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled.
6 I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it.”
7 The vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the nation of Israel, and the people of Judah are the vines he delighted in. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress.

Isaiah 5:1-7 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 5

In this chapter, under the parable of a vineyard and its ruins, the Jews and their destruction are represented; the reasons of which are given, their manifold sins and transgressions, particularly enumerated, with the punishment threatened to them, and which is delivered in form of a song. The vineyard is described by the owner of it, a well beloved one; by the situation of it, in a fruitful hill; by the fence about it, and care and culture of it; and by its not answering the expectation of the owner, it bringing forth wild grapes instead of good ones, Isa 5:1,2 wherefore the men of Judah and Jerusalem are made judges between the owner and his vineyard, what more could have been done to it, or rather what was now to be done to it, since this was the case; and the result is, that it should be utterly laid waste, and come to ruin; and the whole is applied to the house of Israel, and men of Judah, Isa 5:3-7 whose sins, as the cause of their ruin, are mentioned in the following verses; their covetousness, with the punishment of it, Isa 5:8-10 their intemperance, luxury, and love of pleasure, with the punishment threatened thereunto, Isa 5:11-14 whereby haughty men should be humbled, the Lord be glorified, and at the same time his weak and innocent people would be taken care of, Isa 5:15-17 next, other sins are taken notice of, and woes pronounced on account of them, as, an impudent course of sinning, insolent impiety against God, confusion of good and evil, conceit of their own wisdom, drunkenness, and perversion of justice, Isa 5:18-23 wherefore for these things, and for their contempt and rejection of the law and word of the Lord, utter destruction is threatened them, Isa 5:24 yea, the anger of God had been already kindled against them, and they had felt it in some instances, Isa 5:25 but they are given to expect severer judgments, by means of foreign nations, that should be gathered against them; who are described by their swiftness, strength, and vigilance; by their armour, horses, and carriages; and by their terror and cruelty; the consequence of which would be utter darkness, distress, and calamities, in the land of Judea, Isa 5:26-30.

Cross References 18

  • 1. Psalms 80:8-9; Isaiah 27:2; John 15:1
  • 2. S Exodus 15:17; Isaiah 16:8; Jeremiah 2:21
  • 3. 1 Samuel 2:9; Isaiah 27:3; Isaiah 31:5; Isaiah 49:8; Matthew 21:33
  • 4. S Job 24:11
  • 5. Matthew 21:19; Mark 11:13; Luke 13:6
  • 6. Matthew 21:40
  • 7. S 2 Chronicles 36:15; Jeremiah 2:5-7; Micah 6:3-4; Matthew 23:37
  • 8. Jeremiah 2:21; Jeremiah 24:2; Jeremiah 29:17
  • 9. 2 Chronicles 36:21; Isaiah 6:12; Isaiah 27:10
  • 10. S Psalms 80:12; S Isaiah 22:5
  • 11. Isaiah 10:6; Isaiah 26:6; Isaiah 28:3,18; Isaiah 41:25; Isaiah 63:3; Jeremiah 12:10; Jeremiah 34:22; Lamentations 1:15; Hosea 2:12; Micah 7:10; Malachi 4:3; S Luke 21:24
  • 12. S Genesis 6:13; S Leviticus 26:32; Isaiah 6:13; Isaiah 49:17,19; Isaiah 51:3; Joel 1:10
  • 13. ver 10,17; S 2 Samuel 23:6; Isaiah 7:23,24; Isaiah 32:13; Isaiah 34:13; Isaiah 55:13; Ezekiel 28:24; Hosea 2:12; Hebrews 6:8
  • 14. S Deuteronomy 28:24; S 2 Samuel 1:21; Amos 4:7
  • 15. Psalms 80:8; Isaiah 17:10; Isaiah 18:5; Isaiah 37:30
  • 16. Isaiah 10:2; Isaiah 29:21; Isaiah 32:7; Isaiah 59:15; Isaiah 61:8; Ezekiel 9:9; Ezekiel 22:29
  • 17. S Isaiah 1:21
  • 18. S Psalms 12:5
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