The vineyard of my loved one
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Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard.
My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:
2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. 
3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I
pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.
.4 What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? 5 And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down: .6 And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. 7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry. 1 - Song about vineyard A key concept about God's care for His people. It is related to the Song of Solomon Song. Also see ez15. And for a few of the other songs or poetry of Isaiah, begin at is0609, is1001, is1302, is1101, is2101. 1 - My wellbeloved It was God's vineyard intended to bless the world by it's keepers, the nation of Israel ps8008, mt2133. Image © Corel |
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¶ Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field,
till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the
earth!
9 In mine ears said the LORD of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant. 10 Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of an homer shall yield an ephah. .11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! .12 And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands. |
11
- That they may follow Those who are drunk at night may seek
the heavy beat and harsh sounds common today. Musical instruments in v12
may be played for God's glory, but this was probably not what Isaiah had
in mind.
12 - Pipe See on je4836. |
| 13 Therefore my people
are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable
men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.
14 Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it. |
13
- Gone into captivity Should be "go into captivity." Israel
was taken in 723/722 BC. Judah with Jerusalem was taken later.
14 - Hell Hebrew she'ol generally meaning the abode of the dead and applied to the grave. See on 2sa1223. |
| 15 And the mean man
shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes
of the lofty shall be humbled:
16 But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness. .17 Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat. |
15
- Mean man Or simply "man." The word, mean" (or in modern
English, "common,") is supplied by translators apparently in comparison
with "mighty." In is0209,11,17
we also find a comparison between the humble and the great. Destruction
would come to all.
16 - Lord ... exalted Destruction and punishment does not make Him happy ex3311 but His faithfulness in justice is good. It helps us understand that all the wicked will be finally destroyed and that our only safety is in Him. 17 - After their manner The Hebrew may also be translated, "in their pasture." See ez3411-15. |
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¶ Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as
it were with a cart rope:
19 That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it! .20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! .22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: 23 Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! |
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- Woe ... iniquity These keep sinning. Sin is at first small
like a spider web but gets stronger and binds the sinner. God can save
those who come to Him but the bound ones tend to reject help. Compare is5905,
jb0814.
19 - Make speed ... His work of vengeance v6. 20 - Call evil good This is a the process of justifying bad behavior. It is related to religious or ethnic prejudice. 22 - Mingle strong drink Compare ps07508. |
| 24 Therefore as the
fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their
root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because
they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word
of the Holy One of Israel.
25 Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. .26 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly: |
24
- Flame ... Literally,
"as dry grass designed for the flame sinks down." According to Dead Sea
Scrolls "as a flaming fire sinks down." Similar to the Septuagint "burned
together by an unrestrained fire.
25 - Hills ... tremble "This probably fixes the date of this chapter, as it refers to the earthquake in the days of Uzziah (Am 1:1; Zec 14:5). The earth trembled as if conscious of the presence of God (Jer 4:24; Hab 3:6). (JFB commentary). 26 - Ensign From nes, a signal or banner. From ancient times messages were sent by smoke. God's signals may be prophecies. Compare is1803, is1110, is1302, is4922, is6210. Here the time was coming for God to punish Israel to help them see their need and, in metaphor, the war signal was sent to the Assyrians is1005. 25 - Anger ... kindled See 2ki02213,17. 26 - Hiss Or whistle. |
| 27 None shall be weary
nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the
girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken:
.28 Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind: .29 Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it. 30 And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof. |
30 - Roar against them Like a lion v29. And like a storm at sea with dark, angry clouds. |
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