Song of the Vineyard

Isaiah 5:1-7

judgmentfaithfulnessfruitfulness

Biblical Text

I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. 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.

"Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. 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?

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. 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."

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.

— Isaiah 5:1-7 (NIV)

Context

Isaiah delivered this love song turned lament during a time of relative prosperity in Judah, warning of coming judgment due to their failure to produce the fruit of righteousness despite God's careful cultivation.

Theological Interpretation

This parable portrays God as a diligent vineyard keeper who has done everything possible to produce good fruit from His people. It illustrates both God's loving care and His righteous judgment when His people fail to respond with righteousness and justice.