Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right
seed
It is usual to compare the people of the Jews to a vineyard, and
to vines; and their settlement in the land of Canaan to the
planting of vines in a vineyard; see ( Isaiah
5:1-7 ) ( Exodus 15:17
) ( Psalms
80:8-15 ) . Kimchi says this is spoken concerning Abraham; no
doubt respect is had to the Jewish fathers, such as Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, the twelve patriarchs, Moses, Joshua, and
Caleb, and the like; who, having the true and right seed of grace
in them, became like choice and noble vines, and brought forth
much fruit, and were deserving of imitation by their posterity:
how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a
strange vine
unto me?
like a vine that grows in the woods, and brings forth wild
grapes; so these, their sons, degenerating in practice from their
fathers, became corrupt in themselves, and unprofitable to God.
The Targum of the whole is,
``I set you before me as the plant of a choice vine, all of you doing truth; but how are you changed before me in your corrupt works? ye have declined from my worship, ye are become as a vine in which there is no profit.''