King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
For afore the harvest, when the bud is perfect, and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, he shall both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks, and take away [and] cut down the branches.
Complete Jewish Bible:
For before the harvest, when the flowering is over, and the bud becomes a ripening grape, he will cut off the branches with pruning-knives, lop off the twigs and take them away.
Berean Standard Bible:
For before the harvest, when the blossom is gone and the flower becomes a ripening grape, He will cut off the shoots with a pruning knife and remove and discard the branches.
American Standard Version:
For before the harvest, when the blossom is over, and the flower becometh a ripening grape, he will cut off the sprigs with pruning-hooks, and the spreading branches will he take away and cut down.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
For afore{H6440} the harvest{H7105}, when the bud{H6525} is perfect{H8552}, and the sour grape{H1155} is ripening{H1580} in the flower{H5328}, he shall both cut off{H3772} the sprigs{H2150} with pruning hooks{H4211}, and take away{H5493} and cut down{H8456} the branches{H5189}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Isaiah 17:10
- Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength, therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, and shalt set it with strange slips:
Isaiah 17:11
- In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish: [but] the harvest [shall be] a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow.
Song of Solomon 2:13
- The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines [with] the tender grape give a [good] smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
Song of Solomon 2:15
- Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines [have] tender grapes.
Ezekiel 17:6
- And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs.
Ezekiel 17:10
- Yea, behold, [being] planted, shall it prosper? shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it? it shall wither in the furrows where it grew.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Isaiah 18:5
Isaiah 18:5 is part of a prophecy in the book of Isaiah, which is a collection of prophecies attributed to the prophet Isaiah, who is thought to have lived in the 8th century BCE in the Kingdom of Judah. This particular verse is situated within a chapter that describes a response to the Ethiopian envoys and the fate of the land of Cush (an ancient name for the region of the upper Nile, including parts of modern-day Sudan and Ethiopia).
The verse itself uses a metaphor from viticulture to convey its message. It speaks of a time "afore the harvest," when the vines are at a stage just before the grapes are fully ripe—a critical moment for the vineyard's productivity. The "bud is perfect," indicating the optimal time for the fruit to develop, and the "sour grape is ripening in the flower," suggesting that even the late-ripening fruit is on the cusp of maturity. Despite this, the verse declares that the farmer will intervene at this crucial juncture, cutting off sprigs and branches with pruning hooks.
This action of pruning is symbolic and can be interpreted in several ways. It may represent God's judgment on the nations, including Cush, indicating that their anticipated prosperity and success will be abruptly curtailed. It could also symbolize the idea that God's intervention, though it may seem destructive or counterproductive, is ultimately for the purpose of refinement and future fruitfulness. In the broader context of Isaiah, such imagery often serves to illustrate God's sovereignty over nations and His ability to shape history according to His divine purposes.
In summary, Isaiah 18:5 employs the vivid imagery of vineyard maintenance to convey a message of divine intervention at a moment of peak potential. It suggests that God's plans for the nations, in this case possibly referring to Cush, will prevail over human expectations, and that His timing and methods for pruning and cultivation are precise and purposeful, leading to a harvest according to His will. This verse reflects themes of divine judgment, sovereignty, and the careful tending of God over His creation, which are recurrent in the book of Isaiah.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H6440
There are 1890 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: פָּנִים
Transliteration: pânîym
Pronunciation: paw-neem'
Description: plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun פָּנֶה; from פָּנָה); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.); [phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, [idiom] him(-self), [phrase] honourable, [phrase] impudent, [phrase] in, it, look(-eth) (-s), [idiom] me, [phrase] meet, [idiom] more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), [idiom] on, open, [phrase] out of, over against, the partial, person, [phrase] please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, [phrase] regard, right forth, [phrase] serve, [idiom] shewbread, sight, state, straight, [phrase] street, [idiom] thee, [idiom] them(-selves), through ([phrase] -out), till, time(-s) past, (un-) to(-ward), [phrase] upon, upside ([phrase] down), with(-in, [phrase] -stand), [idiom] ye, [idiom] you. - Strong's Number: H7105
There are 49 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: קָצִיר
Transliteration: qâtsîyr
Pronunciation: kaw-tseer'
Description: from קָצַר; severed, i.e. harvest (as reaped), the crop, the time, the reaper, or figuratively; also a limb (of a tree, or simply foliage); bough, branch, harvest (man). - Strong's Number: H6525
There are 15 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: פֶּרַח
Transliteration: perach
Pronunciation: peh'-rakh
Description: from פָּרַח; a calyx (natural or artificial); generally, bloom; blossom, bud, flower. - Strong's Number: H8552
There are 62 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: תָּמַם
Transliteration: tâmam
Pronunciation: taw-mam'
Description: a primitive root; to complete, in a good or a bad sense, literal, or figurative, transitive or intransitive; accomplish, cease, be clean (pass-) ed, consume, have done, (come to an, have an, make an) end, fail, come to the full, be all gone, [idiom] be all here, be (make) perfect, be spent, sum, be (shew self) upright, be wasted, whole. - Strong's Number: H1155
There are 4 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בֹּסֶר
Transliteration: bôçer
Pronunciation: bo'ser
Description: from the same as בֶּסֶר; {an immature grape}; sour grape. - Strong's Number: H1580
There are 32 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: גָּמַל
Transliteration: gâmal
Pronunciation: gaw-mal'
Description: a primitive root; to treat a person (well or ill), i.e. benefit or requite; by implication (of toil), to ripen, i.e. (specifically) to wean; bestow on, deal bountifully, do (good), recompense, requite, reward, ripen, [phrase] serve, mean, yield. - Strong's Number: H5328
There are 2 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נִצָּה
Transliteration: nitstsâh
Pronunciation: nits-tsaw'
Description: feminine of נֵץ; a blossom; flower. - Strong's Number: H3772
There are 280 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: כָּרַת
Transliteration: kârath
Pronunciation: kaw-rath'
Description: a primitive root; to cut (off, down or asunder); by implication, to destroy or consume; specifically, to covenant (i.e. make an alliance or bargain, originally by cutting flesh and passing between the pieces); be chewed, be con-(feder-) ate, covenant, cut (down, off), destroy, fail, feller, be freed, hew (down), make a league (covenant), [idiom] lose, perish, [idiom] utterly, [idiom] want. - Strong's Number: H2150
There are 1 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: זַלְזַל
Transliteration: zalzal
Pronunciation: zal-zal'
Description: by reduplication from זָלַל; tremulous, i.e. a twig; sprig. - Strong's Number: H4211
There are 4 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מַזְמֵרָה
Transliteration: mazmêrâh
Pronunciation: maz-may-raw'
Description: from זָמַר; a pruningknife; pruning-hook. - Strong's Number: H5493
There are 283 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: סוּר
Transliteration: çûwr
Pronunciation: soor
Description: or שׂוּר; (Hosea 9:12), a primitive root; to turn off (literal or figurative); be(-head), bring, call back, decline, depart, eschew, get (you), go (aside), [idiom] grievous, lay away (by), leave undone, be past, pluck away, put (away, down), rebel, remove (to and fro), revolt, [idiom] be sour, take (away, off), turn (aside, away, in), withdraw, be without. - Strong's Number: H8456
There are 1 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: תָּזַז
Transliteration: tâzaz
Pronunciation: taw-zaz'
Description: a primitive root; to lop off; cut down. - Strong's Number: H5189
There are 3 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נְטִישָׁה
Transliteration: nᵉṭîyshâh
Pronunciation: net-ee-shaw'
Description: from נָטַשׁ; a tendril (as an offshoot); battlement, branch, plant.