Isaiah5

Isaiah chapter 5 opens with the parable of a vineyard, representing Israel, which God meticulously cultivated but yielded only wild grapes, signifying their unrighteousness. Consequently, God declares He will lay waste to His vineyard. The chapter then pronounces a series of woes against the people for their greed, drunkenness, moral perversion, and injustice, culminating in a declaration of divine judgment and the swift, devastating invasion by a foreign nation.

Listen to this chapter

The Song of the Vineyard

¶ Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:

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.

And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.

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?

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:

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.

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.

Woe to the Land Grabbers

¶ Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!

In mine ears said the LORD of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant.

Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of an homer shall yield an ephah.

Woe to the Drunkards

Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!

And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands.

Exile Due to Lack of Knowledge

Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.

Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.

And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled:

God Exalted in Judgment

But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.

Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.

Woe to Those Who Embrace Sin

¶ Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:

That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it!

Woe to Those Who Pervert Morality

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Woe to the Self-Appointed Wise

Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

Woe to Those Mighty in Drink

Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:

Woe to the Corrupt Judges

Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

Judgment Like Consuming Fire

Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

God's Unrelenting Anger

Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

The Coming Invasion

And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly:

None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken:

Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind:

Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it.

Darkness and Despair

And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.

Study Notes for Isaiah 5

Verse 1

Isaiah introduces a parable, presented as a love song, concerning God's relationship with Israel. The 'wellbeloved' refers to God, and the vineyard represents Israel.

Verse 2

This verse emphasizes the extensive care and provision God gave to Israel. The tower and winepress symbolize protection and potential for blessing.

Verse 3

God calls upon the people to judge the fairness of his dealings. This is a rhetorical device to emphasize Israel's culpability.

Verse 4

This verse highlights God's frustration and disappointment with Israel's failure to produce good fruit. The 'wild grapes' symbolize corruption and injustice.

Verse 5

God announces the consequences of Israel's unfaithfulness: judgment and destruction. The removal of protection signifies the withdrawal of God's favor.

Verse 7

This verse explicitly identifies the vineyard as the house of Israel. God expected justice and righteousness, but instead found oppression and cries of distress.

Verse 8

Isaiah begins a series of 'woe' oracles, condemning specific sins prevalent in Israel. This first woe targets the insatiable greed of those who accumulate land at the expense of others.

Verse 9

This verse is a prophetic pronouncement of the consequences of greed: desolation and emptiness. The large houses will become uninhabited.

Verse 10

This verse describes the economic consequences of God's judgment. The land will become unproductive, yielding only a fraction of what it should.

Verse 11

This woe condemns those who prioritize excessive drinking and revelry over God's will. Their indulgence blinds them to the needs of others and the work of God.

Verse 12

This verse illustrates the self-indulgent lifestyle of the people, who are consumed with pleasure and oblivious to God's actions. The lack of regard for the 'work of the LORD' is a key indictment.

Verse 13

This verse explains that the people's ignorance of God's ways led to their captivity. The 'honorable men' and 'multitude' suffer the consequences of their spiritual blindness.

Verse 14

This verse uses vivid imagery to describe the insatiable nature of Sheol (hell) as it consumes the wicked. It highlights the comprehensive destruction that awaits those who reject God.

Verse 15

This verse speaks to the leveling effect of God's judgment. Both the lowly and the powerful will be humbled before Him.

Verse 16

In contrast to the humbling of humanity, God's justice and holiness will be magnified through his judgment. This verse provides a glimmer of hope amidst the pronouncements of doom.

Verse 17

This verse describes the desolation that will follow judgment. The land will be left for grazing, and strangers will consume the possessions of the wealthy.

Verse 18

This woe condemns those who actively pursue sin, even to the point of being bound to it. The imagery of 'cords of vanity' and a 'cart rope' illustrates their deliberate and persistent engagement with evil.

Verse 19

This verse reveals the arrogance and defiance of the wicked. They mock God's warnings and demand immediate proof of his power, revealing their unbelief.

Verse 20

This woe condemns the inversion of moral values, where good is called evil and evil is called good. This represents a profound spiritual and moral decay within society.

Verse 21

This woe is directed towards those who are arrogant and self-reliant in their own wisdom, rejecting God's guidance. True wisdom comes from fearing the Lord (Proverbs 9:10).

Verse 22

This woe echoes the earlier condemnation of drunkenness, but specifically targets those who pride themselves on their ability to consume large quantities of alcohol. It highlights the misplaced priorities of the people.

Verse 23

This woe condemns those who pervert justice by acquitting the guilty for bribes and denying justice to the innocent. This corruption undermines the foundations of a righteous society.

Verse 24

This verse uses the imagery of fire to describe the swift and complete destruction that will come upon the wicked. Their rejection of God's law and word will have devastating consequences.

Verse 25

This verse emphasizes the severity of God's anger and the devastating effects of his judgment. The earthquake and scattered corpses illustrate the widespread devastation, yet God's anger is not yet satisfied.

Verse 26

God will raise a signal to summon a distant nation to execute his judgment against Israel. This verse introduces the theme of foreign invasion as a means of divine punishment.

Verse 27

This verse describes the relentless and unstoppable nature of the invading army. Their readiness and determination highlight the futility of resisting God's judgment.

Verse 28

The imagery continues, emphasizing the strength and readiness of the invading army. The description of their horses and wheels evokes a sense of overwhelming force.

Verse 29

The invading army is compared to roaring lions, symbolizing their ferocity and eagerness to seize their prey. They will carry away their captives without opposition.

Verse 30

The chapter concludes with a scene of utter darkness and despair. The land is filled with sorrow, and even the light of heaven is obscured, signifying the complete withdrawal of God's blessing.

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate