# Isaiah 05 📖: The Song of the Vineyard [[📚 Explore the Bible Books]] [[-Isaiah Overview]] | [[Isaiah 04]] | [[Isaiah 06]] > [!info] Table of Contents > [[#📜 Scripture Text (NET)]] > [[#📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary]] > [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]] > [[#🧠 Chapter Summary]] > [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]] > [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]] > [[#💬 Discussion Questions]] > [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]] > [[#🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference]] > [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]] > [[#📂 Internal Notes]] ## 📜 Scripture Text (NET) (The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005) ### A Love Song Gone Sour [[#Verse 01.]] I will sing to my love— a song to my lover about his vineyard. My love had a vineyard on a fertile hill. [[#Verse 02.]] He built a hedge around it, removed its stones, and planted a vine. He built a tower in the middle of it, and constructed a winepress. He waited for it to produce edible grapes, but it produced sour ones instead. [[#Verse 03.]] So now, residents of Jerusalem, people of Judah, you decide between me and my vineyard! [[#Verse 04.]] What more can I do for my vineyard beyond what I have already done? When I waited for it to produce edible grapes, why did it produce sour ones instead? [[#Verse 05.]] Now I will inform you what I am about to do to my vineyard: I will remove its hedge and turn it into pasture, I will break its wall and allow animals to graze there. [[#Verse 06.]] I will make it a wasteland; no one will prune its vines or hoe its ground, and thorns and briers will grow there. I will order the clouds not to drop any rain on it. [[#Verse 07.]] Indeed, Israel is the vineyard of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the people of Judah are the cultivated place in which he took delight. He waited for justice, but look what he got—disobedience! He waited for fairness, but look what he got—cries for help! ### Disaster is Coming [[#Verse 08.]] Beware, those who accumulate houses, who also accumulate field after field until there is no land left, and you are the only landowners remaining within the land. [[#Verse 09.]] The Lord of Heaven’s Armies told me this: “Many houses will certainly become desolate, large, impressive houses will have no one living in them. [[#Verse 10.]] Indeed, a large vineyard will produce just a few gallons, and enough seed to yield several bushels will produce less than a bushel.” [[#Verse 11.]] Beware, those who get up early to drink beer, those who keep drinking long after dark until they are intoxicated with wine. [[#Verse 12.]] They have stringed instruments, tambourines, flutes, and wine at their parties. So they do not recognize what the Lord is doing, they do not perceive what he is bringing about. [[#Verse 13.]] Therefore my people will be deported because of their lack of understanding. Their leaders will have nothing to eat, their masses will have nothing to drink. [[#Verse 14.]] So Death will open up its throat, and open wide its mouth; Zion’s dignitaries and masses will descend into it, including those who revel and celebrate within her. [[#Verse 15.]] Men will be humiliated, they will be brought low; the proud will be brought low. [[#Verse 16.]] The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will be exalted when he punishes, the holy God’s authority will be recognized when he judges. [[#Verse 17.]] Lambs will graze as if in their pastures, amid the ruins the rich sojourners will graze. [[#Verse 18.]] Beware, those who pull evil along using cords of emptiness are as good as dead, who pull sin as with cart ropes. [[#Verse 19.]] They say, “Let him hurry, let him act quickly, so we can see; let the plan of the Holy One of Israel take shape and come to pass, then we will know it!” [[#Verse 20.]] Beware, those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness into light and light into darkness, who turn bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter. [[#Verse 21.]] Beware, those who think they are wise, those who think they possess understanding. [[#Verse 22.]] Beware, those who are champions at drinking, who display great courage when mixing strong drinks. [[#Verse 23.]] They pronounce the guilty innocent for a payoff, they ignore the just cause of the innocent. [[#Verse 24.]] Therefore, as flaming fire devours straw, and dry grass disintegrates in the flames, so their root will rot, and their flower will blow away like dust. For they have rejected the law of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, they have spurned the commands of the Holy One of Israel. [[#Verse 25.]] So the Lord is furious with his people; he lifts his hand and strikes them. The mountains shake, and corpses lie like manure in the middle of the streets. Despite all this, his anger does not subside, and his hand is ready to strike again. [[#Verse 26.]] He lifts a signal flag for a distant nation, he whistles for it to come from the far regions of the earth. Look, they come quickly and swiftly. [[#Verse 27.]] None tire or stumble, they don’t stop to nap or sleep. They don’t loosen their belts, or unstrap their sandals to rest. [[#Verse 28.]] Their arrows are sharpened, and all their bows are prepared. The hooves of their horses are hard as flint, and their chariot wheels are like a windstorm. [[#Verse 29.]] Their roar is like a lion’s; they roar like young lions. They growl and seize their prey; they drag it away and no one can come to the rescue. [[#Verse 30.]] At that time they will growl over their prey, it will sound like sea waves crashing against rocks. One will look out over the land and see the darkness of disaster, clouds will turn the light into darkness. ## 📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary ###### Overall. ###### Verse 01. ###### Verse 02. ###### Verse 03. ###### Verse 04. ###### Verse 05. ###### Verse 06. ###### Verse 07. ###### Verse 08. ###### Verse 09. ###### Verse 10. ###### Verse 11. ###### Verse 12. ###### Verse 13. ###### Verse 14. ###### Verse 15. ###### Verse 16. ###### Verse 17. ###### Verse 18. ###### Verse 19. ###### Verse 20. ###### Verse 21. ###### Verse 22. ###### Verse 23. ###### Verse 24. ###### Verse 25. ###### Verse 26. ###### Verse 27. ###### Verse 28. ###### Verse 29. ###### Verse 30. ## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights 1. Isaiah 5:1-7 is called the Song of the Vineyard, a love song that turns into a parable of judgment. 2. Verse 7 contains two famous wordplays in Hebrew: *mishpat* (justice) and *mishpach* (bloodshed), *tsedaqah* (righteousness) and *tseaqah* (a cry). 3. Jesus builds His parable of the wicked tenants on this song (Matthew 21:33-41; Mark 12:1-9). 4. A watchtower and winepress (5:2) show the owner's long-term investment in the vineyard. 5. Ten acres producing one bath (5:10) means a large vineyard would yield only about six gallons of wine. 6. A homer of seed producing an ephah (5:10) means a harvest of only one tenth of what was planted. 7. Isaiah pronounces six woes in 5:8-23, and another woe follows in 6:5, where Isaiah pronounces woe on himself. 8. Joining house to house and field to field (5:8) broke the spirit of the law that kept land within families (Leviticus 25:23). 9. The refrain about God's outstretched hand (5:25) is repeated several times in chapters 9 and 10. 10. The signal to distant nations (5:26) likely refers to Assyria, which was rising in power. ## 🧠 Chapter Summary > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter Christ is the beloved Son whom the vineyard owner finally sent (Matthew 21:33-41). Jesus is the true vine (John 15:1), and in Him God finally receives the good fruit He looked for in His vineyard (5:2). ## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## 💬 Discussion Questions 1. God asks what more He could have done for His vineyard (5:4). What has God done in your life that calls for a fruitful response? 2. Isaiah warns those who call evil good and good evil (5:20). Where do you see that happening today? 3. The six woes target greed, drunkenness, mocking God, moral confusion, pride, and corruption (5:8-23). Which of these is most dangerous in our culture? ## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember - 📖 verse 4: What more could God have done for His vineyard? - 📖 verse 7: God looked for justice and righteousness but found bloodshed and cries of distress. - 📖 verse 20: Woe to those who call evil good and good evil. ## 🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference - 🔗 [[Matthew 21#Verse 33.|Matthew 21:33-41]] - The parable of the tenants. - 🔗 [[John 15#Verse 01.|John 15:1-8]] - Jesus is the true vine. - 🔗 [[Psalm 80#Verse 08.|Psalm 80:8-15]] - Israel as the vine God brought out of Egypt. - 🔗 [[Romans 01#Verse 21.|Romans 1:21-25]] - Exchanging the truth of God for a lie. - 🔗 [[Galatians 05#Verse 22.|Galatians 5:22-23]] - The fruit of the Spirit. ## 🙏 Devotional Reflection 📝 SOAP: [[Isaiah 05 - SOAP|Would You Trust a “Fair” God?]] ## 📂 Internal Notes