The Song of the Vineyard

Illustration of The Song of the Vineyard

Isaiah sang a haunting song of his 'wellbeloved' who planted a vineyard on a fruitful hill, did everything to make it flourish, and looked for good grapes - but it brought forth only wild ones. The song is a parable of judgment: the vineyard is the house of Israel, and God laments the wild fruit of injustice where he looked for righteousness. It anticipates Jesus' own parable of the vineyard.

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Strongest connections in Scripture
Isaiah 5

Key Passages

My Wellbeloved Hath a Vineyard

Isaiah 5:1-7

Isaiah's song laments a vineyard that yielded wild grapes - Israel bringing injustice where God sought righteousness.

N1ow 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.

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Isaiah Isaiah was an 8th-century BCE prophet who ministered in the kingdom of Judah during a time of politicalโ€ฆ

Did You Know?

1

Isaiah sings it as a love song that turns into a parable of judgment.

2

The vineyard, given every advantage, yields only 'wild grapes.'

3

God looked for justice but found oppression; for righteousness, but heard a cry.

4

Jesus later told his own parable of a vineyard, echoing Isaiah's song.