Isaiah 5: The Song of the Vineyard

Isaiah’s Song of the Vineyard has long been considered a masterpiece of scripture poetry. Interpreters compare Isaiah’s writing to Solomon’s exquisite poetry about the bride and her beauty found in Song of Songs chapter 4. The structure of Isaiah’s song is like other joyful songs commonly sung by the ancient Israelites at harvest time. But there is one great difference in Isaiah’s song. It is not just a harvest celebration. It is an allegory or parable about the people of Judah, and the song ends on a sour, even mournful, note.

Vv. 1-2:

“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.”

The song in chapter 5 describes a vineyard planted in fertile ground with the expectation of bountiful production. The farmer cultivated the ground and “…cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines.” He “…built a watchtower in it…” to protect it and constructed a winepress to process the harvest. In fact, he had done everything just right to assure a productive growing season and successful harvest. But when harvest time came, the vineyard “…yielded only bad fruit” (v. 2).

The song is an allegory that was written to show the people of Judah that God’s judgment would surely come upon them because of their sin. The vineyard is a metaphor for the land of Judah, the grapevines represent the people of Judah, and the bad fruit is a metaphor representing their sin. Despite God’s loving care for His people over many generations, they continued to produce the bad fruit of sin rather than the sweet fruit of righteousness.

There is a segue at the end of v. 2 (“…but it yielded only bad fruit…”) which leads us to a dramatic change in tone beginning in v. 3 and extending through the end of the chapter. In vv. 3-7, the Lord indignantly questions the people of Judah, asking what more could He have done for them, followed by promises to destroy the vineyard:

“‘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.”

Beginning in v. 3 is a change in the tone. Isaiah introduced in v. 2 the fact that the vineyard, which is his metaphor representing the people of Judah, had produced bad fruit. Now in vv. 3-4, the Lord speaks and calls on the people of Judah and Jerusalem to judge how He had dealt with His vineyard and asks them “What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it?” The question implies that God did all that was expected of Him for the vineyard to be successful, and the people would have to acknowledge He had not left anything undone, and that He had the right to expect to see a good crop.

In vv. 5-6 the Lord, who is still using the vineyard metaphor to represent Judah and Jerusalem, announces what is about to happen: He will take away its hedge and break down its wall, and the vineyard will be trampled and destroyed (v. 5); and He will make it a wasteland, it will not be pruned or cultivated, it will be overgrown with briers and thorns, and there will be no rain (v. 6).

A vineyard will not last long without a protective hedge and wall. Without that protection, the vines would be vulnerable to destruction by wild animals, vandals, and thieves, and neither will God’s people survive the plundering and ravaging of the armies that will invade their land. Isaiah explains the meaning of the metaphors in v.7.

In vv. 8-24, Isaiah pronounces a series of six “woes” which describe various sins the people of Jerusalem and Judah were committing and, in some instances, the punishment God planned. We will discuss each of these “woes” briefly one at a time.

Each of the six begins with the Hebrew word “ הוֹי” and translated “woe” in Isaiah 5. The Hebrew word is transliterated “hoy” (and pronounced: “hoh'ee” in English) and translated into English differently in various Old Testament passages: “Woe, Alas!, Ah!,” and “Ho!” The word is a Hebrew interjection and was used by the Hebrew writers to emphasize an exclamation of regret or grief, arouse attention, indicate an occasion for mourning, or warn that judgment was coming. Equivalent English expressions are “Ah!”, “Ha!”, “Oh no!,” or “Alas!”

 

The First “Woe”

The first “woe” that Isaiah pronounces in chapter 5 is found in vv. 8-10 condemning the greed of wealthy landowners:

“⁸ Woe to you who add house to house

    and join field to field

till no space is left

    and you live alone in the land.

⁹ The Lord Almighty has declared in my hearing:

‘Surely the great houses will become desolate,

    the fine mansions left without occupants.

¹⁰ A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath of wine;

    a homer of seed will yield only an ephah of grain.’”

Corrupt judges helped wealthy landowners to seize adjacent properties in order to increase their already large land holdings. The rich landowners lived in great comfort, and their vast fields produced bountiful harvests and great wealth for them, while the common people lived in poverty. Isaiah prophesied that future conflict would leave the splendid homes of the wealthy empty (v. 9). The literal word-for-word rendering of v. 9 from the Hebrew text is interesting and succinct: “In my ears, YHWH of hosts has solemnly declared, ‘Indeed many houses will become a desolation, great and good ones, without inhabitant’” ).

In v. 10, the Lord predicts the land will produce only a paltry harvest.

All this did take place when invading enemy armies devastated the land, Jerusalem and the cities and towns of Judah were under siege, thousands of Israelites died in battle, and thousands more died from lack of food and water.

 

The Second “Woe”

Vv. 11-17 give us Isaiah’s second “woe,” which condemns people who drank and partied instead of working for their family’s welfare:

“¹¹ Woe to those who rise early in the morning

    to run after their drinks,

who stay up late at night

    till they are inflamed with wine.

¹² They have harps and lyres at their banquets,

    pipes and timbrels and wine,

but they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord,

    no respect for the work of his hands.

¹³ Therefore my people will go into exile

    for lack of understanding;

those of high rank will die of hunger

    and the common people will be parched with thirst.

¹⁴ Therefore Death expands its jaws,

    opening wide its mouth;

into it will descend their nobles and masses

    with all their brawlers and revelers.

¹⁵ So people will be brought low

    and everyone humbled,

    the eyes of the arrogant humbled.

¹⁶ But the Lord Almighty will be exalted by his justice,

    and the holy God will be proved holy by his righteous acts.

¹⁷ Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture;

    lambs will feed among the ruins of the rich.”

In Isaiah’s day, heavy drinking among the wealthy was a serious problem and contributed to the atmosphere of sin. The people would begin drinking and partying early in the day and continue until late at night. V. 11 in the original Hebrew text states the accusation bluntly: “Woe to those rising early in the morning to pursue intoxicating drink, tarrying into the night until wine inflames them.” Because of the drinking and party atmosphere, Isaiah observes in v. 12 that the people had  “…no regard for the deeds of the Lord, no respect for the work of his hands.”

The people’s conduct obviously violated God’s standards for them. They lived as if they were not accountable to Him and as if He did not exist at all. Consequently, God finally withdrew His protection and blessing, permitting foreign armies to invade the land of His people. Isaiah prophesied: “…my people will go into exile…those of high rank will die of hunger and the common people will be parched with thirst…” (v. 13), and “Death expands its jaws, opening wide its mouth; into it will descend their nobles and masses with all their brawlers and revelers. ¹⁵ So people will be brought low and everyone humbled…” (vv. 14-15).

The original Hebrew text in v. 14 uses the word שְׁאוֹל (sheol), rather than “Death” as chosen by the NIV translators or “hell,” used in the KJV translation. The Hebrew text in v. 14 reads: “Therefore, Sheol has enlarged its soul and opened its mouth without limit, and her glory and her multitude go down into Sheol, as do also her uproar and the one who exults in her.” The Hebrews’ definition of “sheol” was “the underworld, the place to which people descend at death.”

God makes it clear that He will not tolerate lawlessness by His people. In executing His righteous judgment, He proves himself to be holy and exalted by the judgment He has given (v. 16).

Isaiah prophesied that once the turmoil ended, the land would return to a more pastoral existence, with sheep grazing among the ruins of the extensive properties of the once-wealthy landowners (v. 17).

 

The Third “Woe”

Vv. 18-19 record Isaiah’s third “woe,” in which he accuses the people of being so attached to their sin that they regard that sinful lifestyle as normal.

“¹⁸ Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit,

    and wickedness as with cart ropes,

¹⁹ to those who say, ‘Let God hurry;

    let him hasten his work

    so we may see it.

The plan of the Holy One of Israel—

    let it approach, let it come into view,

    so we may know it.’”

Isaiah’s imagery in this third “woe” is difficult to grasp. He is picturing the sinful people as burden-bearers who are drawing a heavy load behind them just the oxen or other beasts of burden would bear the burden when hitched to the loaded cart with ropes. The word-for-word translation of the original Hebrew text of v. 18 is more revealing for us, but just slightly: “Woe to those drawing iniquity with cords of vanity and sin as with a cart rope…” I found more clarity by consulting a reference book entitled The Targum of Isaiah, which explains that v. 18 refers to the people’s sin as continuing and increasing until their transgressions become “as strong as cart ropes.” The Targums are Aramaic translations of the Old Testament dating to more than 400 years before Christ. When the Jews came back from the captivity in Babylon, the average person knew Aramaic and no longer spoke Hebrew.

Isaiah sees the people’s sin as a cynical rejection of God, and he is convinced that God will act in judgment on sin at the time He chooses. The phrase “…the Holy One of Israel…” in v. 19 was probably a contemptuous phrase used by the people to refer to Isaiah's prophetic message, because the people did not believe God would execute His judgment against them.

 

The Fourth “Woe”

Calling evil good and good evil is the accusation of the fourth “woe,” found in v. 20:

“²⁰ Woe to those who call evil good

    and good evil,

who put darkness for light

    and light for darkness,

who put bitter for sweet

    and sweet for bitter.”

Here, Isaiah reminds his people that when they confuse right with wrong or fool themselves into thinking good is bad and bad is good, they will bring grief upon themselves and judgment from the Lord. There were those among the people of Jerusalem and Judah who were perverting what was true and right, representing good as evil and evil as good.

In Isaiah’s day as well as today, people associate darkness with ignorance, evil practices, and deception (often done in secret or in darkness), and link light to openness, honesty, and truth.

 

The Fifth “Woe”

Isaiah’s fifth “woe,” in v. 21, concerned those people who viewed themselves as wise and full of understanding, but who were actually foolish.

“21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes

    and clever in their own sight.”

The reversal of values expressed in v. 20 may be part of what makes those people of v. 21 “…wise in their own eyes…” Such a proud people have little regard for the guidance God provides in his law. In their own estimation of themselves (“…clever in their own sight…), they see themselves as prudent, with no need any guidance. Such arrogant persons will not foresee the woe or calamity they are about to experience.

 

The Sixth “Woe”

Condemnation of leaders who seemed to be competent only at getting drunk, and not protecting the people, is the subject of the sixth “woe,” in vv. 22-24:

“²² Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine

    and champions at mixing drinks,

²³ who acquit the guilty for a bribe,

    but deny justice to the innocent.

²⁴ Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw

    and as dry grass sinks down in the flames,

so their roots will decay

    and their flowers blow away like dust;

for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty

    and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel.”

The charge here is directed against men who functioned as judges among the people. They consumed wine and other intoxicating beverages to such excess that v. 22 in the original Hebrew Masoretic Text records that Isaiah called them “mighty ones in drinking wine and men of strength in mixing intoxicating drink…” Drunkenness was not their only sin, however. They were corrupt judges (v. 23) who accepted bribes to acquit the guilty, deny justice to the impoverished innocent, and judge in favor of the wealthy in lawsuits against the poor. They failed to uphold and defend what was right, and for that reason would experience calamity Isaiah describes “…as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames…” (V. 24).

 

The series of “woes” ends with v. 24. God’s anger went well beyond the sins He condemned in His list of “woes,” and we read about His anger continuing to burn in vv. 25-30:

“²⁵ Therefore the Lord’s anger burns against his people;

     his hand is raised and he strikes them down.

The mountains shake,

    and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets.

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,

    his hand is still upraised.

²⁶ He lifts up a banner for the distant nations,

    he whistles for those at the ends of the earth.

Here they come,

    swiftly and speedily!

²⁷ Not one of them grows tired or stumbles,

    not one slumbers or sleeps;

not a belt is loosened at the waist,

    not a sandal strap is broken.

²⁸ Their arrows are sharp,

    all their bows are strung;

their horses’ hooves seem like flint,

    their chariot wheels like a whirlwind.

29 Their roar is like that of the lion,

    they roar like young lions;

they growl as they seize their prey

    and carry it off with no one to rescue.

³⁰ In that day they will roar over it

    like the roaring of the sea.

And if one looks at the land,

    there is only darkness and distress;

    even the sun will be darkened by clouds.”

It was the people’s disregard for God’s law that provoked His anger and caused Him to remove his protection and blessing from them. That allowed the people to suffer defeats by invading armies and the devastation of their land and cities.

Isaiah tells of mountains shaking and dead bodies lying in the streets in v. 25. The conflicts and scarcity of food and water had resulted in tremendous loss of life, leaving corpses lying in the streets, even while the fighting and struggle to survive continued. His statement that “The mountains shake…” in v. 25 has been interpreted over the centuries to indicate his foreknowledge of the future great earthquake that he will witness in the days of King Uzziah (Amos 1:1; Zechariah 14:5).

Vv. 26-30 pictures the Lord encouraging foreigners to enter the land to punish His disobedient people. He is portrayed as raising up a banner as a signal to indicate the place for the foreign armies to assemble. He calls them with His whistling (v. 26).

It was the Assyrians who came quickly into the land, murdering, enslaving, and destroying. Isaiah describes the Assyrians as being ready for battle and well-equipped (vv. 27-28) and ferocious fighters roaring like a lion hungry for prey (v. 29).

He adds the hopeless note that there will be “…no one to rescue…” (v. 29) the people from the invaders. And “…there is only darkness and distress; even the sun will be darkened by clouds” (v. 30).