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Commentary on Isaiah 5 verses 8–17
The world and the flesh are the two great enemies that we are in danger of being overpowered by; yet we are in no danger if we do not ourselves yield to them. Eagerness of the world, and indulgence of the flesh, are the two sins against which the prophet, in God's name, here denounces woes. These were sins which then abounded among the men of Judah, some of the wild grapes they brought forth (Isa 5:4), and for which God threatens to bring ruin upon them. They are sins which we have all need to stand upon our guard against and dread the consequences of.
I. Here is a woe to those who set their hearts upon the wealth of the world, and place their happiness in that, and increase it to themselves by indirect and unlawful means (Isa 5:8), who join house to house and lay field to field, till there be no place, no room for anybody to live by them. If they could succeed, they would be placed alone in the midst of the earth, would monopolize possessions and preferments, and engross all profits and employments to themselves. Not that it is a sin for those who have a house and a field, of they have wherewithal, to purchase another; but
1.Their fault is, (1.) That they are inordinate in their desires to enrich themselves, and make it their whole care and business to raise an estate, as if they had nothing to mind, nothing to seek, nothing to do, in this world, but that. They never know when they have enough, but the more they have the more they would have; and, like the daughters of the horseleech, they cry, Give, give. They cannot enjoy what they have, nor do good with it, but are constantly contriving and studying to make it more. They must have variety of houses, a winter-house, and a summer-house, and if another man's house or field lie convenient to theirs, as Naboth's vineyard to Ahab's, they must have that too, or they cannot be easy. (2.) That they are herein careless of others, nay, and injurious to them. They would live so as to let nobody live but themselves. So that their insatiable covetings may be gratified, they care not what becomes of all about them, what encroachments they make upon their neighbours' rights, what hardships they put upon those that they have power over or advantage against, nor what base and wicked arts they use to heap up treasure to themselves. They would swell so big as to fill all space, and yet are still unsatisfied (Ecc 5:10), as Alexander, who, when he fancied he had conquered the world, wept because he had not another world to conquer. Deficiente terr, non impletur avaritia - If the whole earth were monopolized, avarice would thirst for more. What! will you be placed alone in the midst of the earth? (so some read it); will you be so foolish as to desire it, when we have so much need of the service of others and so much comfort in their society? Will you be so foolish as to expect that the earth shall be forsaken for us (Job 18:4), when it is by multitudes that the earth is to be replenished? An propter vos solos tanta terra creata est?-Was the wide world created merely for you? Lyra.
2.That which is threatened as the punishment of this sin is that neither the houses nor the fields they were thus greedy of should turn to any account, Isa 5:9, Isa 5:10. God whispered it to the prophet in his ear, as he speaks in a like case (Isa 22:14): It was revealed in my ears by the Lord of hosts (as God told Samuel a thing in his ear, Sa1 9:15); he thought he heard it still sounding in his ears; but he proclaimed it, as he ought, upon the house-tops, Mat 10:27. (1.) That the houses they were so fond of should be untenanted, should stand long empty, and should yield them no rent, and go out of repair: Many houses shall be desolate, the people that should dwell in them, being cut off by sword, famine, or pestilence, or carried into captivity; or trade being dead, and poverty coming upon the country like an armed man, those that had been housekeepers were forced to become lodgers, or shift for themselves elsewhere. Even great and fair houses, that would invite tenants, and (there being a scarcity of tenants) might be taken at low rates, shall stand empty without inhabitants. God created not the earth in vain; he formed it to be inhabited, Isa 45:18. But men's projects are often frustrated, and what they frame answers not the intention. We have a saying, That fools build houses for wise men to live in; but sometimes, as the event proves, they are built for no man to live in. God has many ways to empty the most populous cities. (2.) That the fields they were so fond of should be unfruitful (Isa 5:10): Ten acres of vineyard shall yield only such a quantity of grapes as will make but one bath of wine (which was about eight gallons), and the seed of a homer, a bushel's sowing of ground, shall yield but an ephah, which was the tenth part of a homer; so that through the barrenness of the ground, or the unreasonableness of the weather, they should not have more than a tenth part of their seed again. Note, Those that set their hearts upon the world will justly be disappointed in their expectations from it.
II. Here is a woe to those that dote upon the pleasures and delights of sense, Isa 5:11, Isa 5:12. Sensuality ruins men as certainly as worldliness and oppression. As Christ pronounces a woe against those that are rich, so also against those that laugh now and are full (Luk 6:24, Luk 6:25), and fare sumptuously, Luk 16:19. Observe,
1.Who the sinners are against whom this woe is denounced. (1.) They are such as are given to drink; they make their drinking their business, have their hearts upon it, and overcharge themselves with it. They rise early to follow strong drink, as husbandmen and tradesmen do to follow their employments; as if they were afraid of losing time from that which is the greatest misspending of time. Whereas commonly those that are drunken are drunken in the night, when they have despatched the business of the day, these neglect business, abandon it, and give up themselves to the service of the flesh; for they sit at their cups all day, and continue till night, till wine inflame them - inflame their lusts (chambering and wantonness follow upon rioting and drunkenness) - inflame their passions; for who but such have contentions and wounds without cause? Pro 23:29-35. They make a perfect trade of drinking; nor do they seek the shelter of the night for this work of darkness, as men ashamed of it, but count it a pleasure to riot in the day-time. See Pe2 2:13. (2.) They are such as are given to mirth. They have their feasts, and they are so merrily disposed that they cannot dine or sup without music, musical instruments of all sorts, like David (Amo 6:5), like Solomon (Ecc 2:8); the harp and the viol, the tarbet and pipe, must accompany the wine, that every sense may be gratified to a nicety; they take the timbrel and harp, Job 21:12. The use of music is lawful in itself; but when it is excessive, when we set our hearts upon it, misspend time in it, so that it crowds our spiritual and divine pleasures and draws away the heart from God, then it turns into sin for us. (3.) They are such as never give their mind to any thing that is serious: They regard not the work of the Lord; they observe not his power, wisdom, and goodness, in those creatures which they abuse and subject to vanity, nor the bounty of his providence in giving them those good things which they make the food and fuel of their lusts. God's judgments have already seized them, and they are under the tokens of his displeasure, but they regard not; they consider not the hand of God in all these things; his hand is lifted up, but they will not see, because they will not disturb themselves in their pleasures nor think what God is doing with them.
2.What the judgments are which are denounced against them, and in part executed. It is here foretold, (1.) that they should be dislodged; the land should spue out these drunkards (Isa 5:13): My people (so they call themselves, and were proud of it) have therefore gone into captivity, are as sure to go as if they were gone already, because they have no knowledge; how should they have knowledge when by their excessive drinking they make sots and fools of themselves? They set up for wits; but because they regard not God's controversy with them, nor take any care to make their peace with him, they may truly be said to have no knowledge; and the reason is because they will have none; they are inconsiderate and wilful, and are therefore destroyed for lack of knowledge. (2.) That they should be impoverished, and come to want that which they had wasted and abused to excess: Even their glory are men of famine, subject to it and slain by it; and their multitude are dried up with thirst. Both the great men and the common people are ready to perish for want of bread and water. This is the effect of the failure of the corn (Isa 5:10), for the king himself is served of the field, Ecc 5:9. And when the vintage fails the drunkards are called upon to weep, because the new wine is cut off from their mouth (Joe 1:5), and not so much because now they want it as because when they had it they abused it. It is just with God to make men want that for necessity which they have abused to excess. (3.) What multitudes should be cut off by famine and sword (Isa 5:14): Therefore hell has enlarged herself. Tophet, the common burying-place, proves too little; so many are there to be buried that they shall be forced to enlarge it. The grave has opened her mouth without measure, never saying, It is enough, Pro 30:15, Pro 30:16. It may be understood of the place of the damned; luxury and sensuality fill these regions of darkness and horror; there those are tormented who made a god of their belly, Luk 16:25; Phi 3:19. (4.) That they should be humbled and abased, and all their honours laid in the dust. This will be done effectually by death and the grave: Their glory shall descend, not only to the earth, but into it; it shall not descend after them (Psa 49:17), to stand them in any stead on the other side death, but it shall die and be buried with them - poor glory, which will thus wither! Did they glory in their numbers? Their multitude shall go down to the pit, Eze 31:18; Eze 32:32. Did they glory in the figure they made? Their pomp shall be at an end; their shouts with which they triumphed, and were attended. Did they glory in their mirth? Death will turn it into mourning; he that rejoices and revels, and never knows what it is to be serious, shall go thither where there are weeping and wailing. Thus the mean man and the mighty man meet together in the grave and under mortifying judgments. Let a man be ever so high, death will bring him low - ever so mean, death will bring him lower, in the prospect of which the eyes of the lofty should now be humbled, Isa 5:15. It becomes those to look low that must shortly be laid low.
3.What the fruit of these judgments shall be.
(1.)God shall be glorified, Isa 5:16. He that is the Lord of hosts, and the holy God, shall be exalted and sanctified in the judgment and righteousness of these dispensations. His justice must be owned in bringing those low what exalted themselves; and herein he is glorified, [1.] As a God is irresistible power. He will herein be exalted as the Lord of hosts, that is able to break the strongest, humble the proudest, and tame the most unruly. Power is not exalted but in judgment. It is the honour of God that, though he has a mighty arm, yet judgment and justice are always the habitation of his throne, Psa 89:13, Psa 89:14. [2.] As a God of unspotted purity. He that is holy, infinitely holy, shall be sanctified (that is, shall be owned and declared to be holy) in the righteous punishment of proud men. Note, When proud men are humbled the great God is honoured, and ought to be honoured by us.
(2.)Good people shall be relieved and succoured (Isa 5:17): Then shall the lambs feed after their manner; the meek ones of the earth, who followed the Lamb, who were persecuted, and put into fear by those proud oppressors, shall feed quietly, feed in the green pastures, and there shall be none to make them afraid. See Eze 34:14. When the enemies of the church are cut off then have the churches rest. They shall feed at their pleasure; so some read it. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth, and delight themselves in abundant peace. They shall feed according to their order or capacity (so others read it), as they are able to hear the word, that bread of life.
(3.)The country shall be laid waste, and become a prey to the neighbours: The waste places of the fats ones, the possessions of those rich men that lived at their ease, shall be eaten by strangers that were nothing akin to them. In the captivity the poor of the land were left for vine-dressers and husbandmen (Kg2 25:12); these were the lambs that fed in the pastures of the fats ones, which were laid in common for strangers to eat. When the church of the Jews, those fat ones, was laid waste, their privileges were transferred to the Gentiles, who had been long strangers, and the lambs of Christ's flock were welcome to them.
There are many instances in which the land suffers because of people’s sins. Why are you surprised if the people’s sin makes the land infertile and unfruitful when we caused it to be corrupt in the first place (and will again make it incorruptible)?… See Noah, for example. When humanity had become utterly perverse, turmoil ensued everywhere. Everything—the seed, the plants, all types of animals, the land, the sea, the air, the mountains, the valleys, the hills, the cities, the ramparts, the houses and the towers—everything was covered by the flood. When the time came for humanity to be replenished, the land was restored to the order and beauty it had before. It is clear that the land was restored in part as an honor to humanity.
(Verse 10.) For they will make one small jar from ten acres of vineyards, and they will make three bushels from thirty bushels of seed. For the small jar, which only the seventy translated, all others have interpreted as a bat, which is said in Hebrew Beth (). And for the thirty bushels, which we have called a cor, which in Hebrew is called Omer (), the seventy translated as six artabas: which is an Egyptian measure and makes twenty bushels. Therefore, in the extreme barrenness that follows the captivity, ten acres of vineyards will make a bat, that is, three amphoras: and thirty bushels of seed, that is, a cor, will make an ephah, which the seventy have interpreted as three measures, that is, three bushels. But batus is said to refer to liquid measures, and ephi, or epha of the same measurement, to dry measures. As we read in Ezekiel according to the Hebrew: A just ephi and a just batus shall be for you. Ephi and batus shall be equal and of the same measurement, so that a batus may hold a tenth part of a cor, and an ephi may hold a tenth part of a cor; their balance shall be according to the measurement of a cor (Ezek. 45:10-11). According to anagoge, we ask how the houses of heretics, which are large and beautiful, will have no inhabitant when the time of judgement comes. For every parade and elaborate arrangement of words, and every dialectical argument, are reduced to nothing. And since according to the Apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 3) we are not just the building of God, but also the cultivation, which the heretics imitating are dug up and eradicated by Jeremiah: therefore where ten acres of vineyards, or where ten pairs of oxen work, they will make one bath, and thirty measures of seed they will make an ephah (Jeremiah 18), to signify the mystical and perfect number of ten in the holy scriptures: and the thirty, in which Ezekiel prophesied (Ezekiel 1), and the Lord was baptized (Luke 3), are reduced to the ephah, which is connected by comparison with a multiple number through unity. But when it comes to spiritual understanding, building and agriculture, the Apostle Paul also teaches in another place (Ephesians 4) that believers are rooted and grounded in love. Furthermore, Ecclesiastes (Ecclesiastes 2) not only built houses for himself, but also planted vineyards, made gardens and orchards, and established all kinds of fruit trees. He also constructed pools to irrigate the forest. On the other hand, heretics, having only the image and shadow of virtues and not the truth itself, promise empty words without the fruit of works. Regarding their trees, the Lord says: Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted (Matt. 15:13). For the vineyard of the Sodomites is their vineyard, and their offspring is from Gomorrah. Their grapes are grapes of gall, and their clusters are bitter. Their wine is the venom of serpents and the deadly poison of cobras (Deut. 32:32, following).
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SUMMARY
Isaiah 5:10 serves as a stark prophetic declaration of divine judgment against Judah, vividly illustrating the severity of impending agricultural and economic devastation. Through the imagery of drastically reduced yields—ten acres of vineyard producing only one bath of wine, and a homer of seed yielding merely an ephah of grain—the prophet Isaiah underscores the catastrophic consequences of the nation's unfaithfulness, injustice, and spiritual barrenness, representing a direct reversal of God's expected abundant blessing and a tangible manifestation of His righteous wrath.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Isaiah 5:10 functions as a direct and concrete pronouncement of judgment, immediately following the poignant "Song of the Vineyard" in Isaiah 5:1-7. In this allegorical song, the Lord portrays Himself as a diligent vineyard owner who meticulously cultivates His vineyard (Israel/Judah), expecting "good grapes" (righteousness and justice) but receiving only "wild grapes" (oppression and bloodshed). Verse 10 provides the specific, devastating economic consequences of this spiritual failure, detailing the agricultural ruin that will befall the unfaithful nation. It then precedes a series of six "woes" (beginning in Isaiah 5:8) that condemn specific societal sins—greed, drunkenness, perversion of justice, and spiritual arrogance—further establishing the moral and spiritual depravity that necessitated such severe divine intervention. The verse thus bridges the allegorical indictment with the specific judgments to follow.
Historical & Cultural Context: The prophecies of Isaiah were delivered during a tumultuous period in Judah's history, primarily in the 8th century BCE, spanning the reigns of Kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. While Judah experienced periods of relative prosperity, particularly under Uzziah, this affluence often led to widespread social injustice, moral decay, and spiritual apostasy, as highlighted in Isaiah 1:21-23. The agricultural economy was the absolute lifeblood of ancient Israel, making references to crop failure and famine deeply impactful and terrifying. Land was central to Israelite identity, covenant blessings, and economic stability, with abundant harvests signifying divine favor and scarcity indicating divine displeasure, as outlined in the covenant blessings and curses of Deuteronomy 28. The specific measures mentioned—bath, homer, and ephah—were common in the ancient Near East, making the prophecy immediately understandable to the original audience as a severe and tangible economic collapse, directly tied to their covenant relationship with Yahweh and their failure to uphold its terms.
Key Themes: This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes prevalent in Isaiah and the broader prophetic literature. Primarily, it underscores the theme of Divine Judgment, demonstrating God's righteous wrath against sin and His unwavering commitment to justice. The agricultural imagery directly links to the theme of Spiritual Barrenness and Fruitlessness, echoing the "wild grapes" of the vineyard song; Judah's spiritual unresponsiveness and failure to produce righteousness is mirrored in the physical barrenness of their land. Furthermore, it highlights the Economic Consequences of Disobedience, showing how spiritual rebellion can lead to tangible, devastating impacts on a society's material well-being and prosperity. This serves as a stark reminder that God holds nations accountable for their moral and spiritual state, often manifesting His displeasure through the removal of blessings previously enjoyed, as seen in the warnings of Leviticus 26:18-20. The verse also subtly touches on the theme of Covenant Faithfulness, as the judgment is a direct consequence of Judah's breach of their covenant with God.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Isaiah 5:10 masterfully employs several literary devices to convey the gravity and certainty of God's judgment. The primary device is Hyperbole, where the disproportionate yields (ten acres for one bath, a homer for an ephah) are exaggerated to emphasize the extreme, almost unimaginable severity of the impending agricultural disaster. This exaggeration underscores the utter devastation and the futility of human effort in the face of divine judgment. There is also strong Symbolism present; the failure of the vineyard and grain fields symbolizes the spiritual barrenness and moral decay of Judah, which, despite God's meticulous cultivation, failed to produce righteousness and justice. The agricultural imagery itself functions as a powerful Metaphor for the nation's spiritual state and God's interaction with them, where physical fruitfulness is directly tied to spiritual obedience. Finally, the verse is a powerful example of a Prophetic Oracle, a divine pronouncement of future events and their underlying causes, delivered with authority and intended to provoke repentance and highlight God's sovereign control over the natural world.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Isaiah 5:10 profoundly illustrates the biblical principle that disobedience to God's covenant leads to tangible, often severe, consequences, frequently manifesting as a reversal of blessings. This agricultural devastation is not random misfortune but a direct act of divine judgment, demonstrating God's sovereignty over creation and His active involvement in human history to uphold justice. It serves as a powerful reminder that true prosperity, both spiritual and material, is intricately linked to faithfulness and righteousness, and that God holds His people accountable for the "fruit" they produce in their lives. The Lord, as the divine farmer, expects a harvest of righteousness from His people, and when they produce "wild grapes" of injustice, He justly withdraws His blessing, leading to barrenness and famine.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Isaiah 5:10 stands as a timeless warning that spiritual choices bear real-world consequences, both for individuals and for communities. For believers today, it prompts a profound self-examination: are we, as God's cultivated people, producing the "good grapes" of righteousness, justice, and love, or are we yielding "wild grapes" of self-interest, injustice, and spiritual apathy? This verse challenges us to consider how our faithfulness (or lack thereof) might impact not only our individual lives but also the communities and societies we inhabit. It calls us to cultivate a life that genuinely reflects God's character, understanding that true flourishing—both spiritual and, at times, material—is deeply intertwined with our obedience and devotion to Him. It encourages us to be good stewards of the spiritual and physical resources God has entrusted to us, recognizing that His blessings are contingent upon our alignment with His will and our commitment to bearing fruit for His glory. This passage reminds us that God is not indifferent to our actions and that His desire for justice and righteousness is unwavering.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What were the specific measures (bath, homer, ephah) and why are they significant in this verse?
Answer: The "bath" was a standard Hebrew liquid measure, approximately 6 gallons (22 liters), primarily used for wine. The "homer" was a large dry measure, about 60 gallons (220 liters), typically used for grain. The "ephah" was a smaller dry measure, about 6 gallons, and notably, it was one-tenth of a homer. Their significance in Isaiah 5:10 lies in the extreme disproportion they illustrate: ten acres of vineyard yielding only one bath of wine, and a homer of seed yielding a mere ephah of grain. This depicts a catastrophic failure, representing a 90% loss of yield, signifying severe famine and economic ruin as a direct and devastating consequence of God's judgment on Judah's unfaithfulness.
How does this agricultural judgment relate to the "Song of the Vineyard" in Isaiah 5:1-7?
Answer: Isaiah 5:10 serves as the concrete and dire outcome of the "Song of the Vineyard" found in Isaiah 5:1-7. In the song, God portrays Himself as a diligent vineyard owner who meticulously cultivates Israel (His vineyard), expecting "good grapes" (justice and righteousness). Instead, the vineyard produced "wild grapes" (bloodshed and oppression). The judgment pronounced in verse 10—the severe agricultural failure and economic devastation—is the direct, physical consequence of this spiritual fruitlessness. It illustrates that because the vineyard (Judah) failed to produce the expected spiritual fruit, it would suffer physical barrenness and economic collapse, demonstrating God's righteous response to their unfaithfulness.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Isaiah 5:10, with its depiction of a barren vineyard and fruitless land under divine judgment due to Israel's unfaithfulness, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment not in a literal agricultural disaster for believers, but in the person and work of Jesus Christ, who perfectly fulfills God's expectations for His people. While Judah's vineyard produced "wild grapes" and faced judgment, Jesus declares Himself the "true vine" in John 15:1, and His followers are the branches. The fruitfulness God truly desires, which Israel failed to produce, is now found in abiding in Christ, through whom believers are empowered by the Holy Spirit to bear much spiritual fruit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Furthermore, the judgment for fruitlessness and covenant unfaithfulness, which fell upon Judah, was ultimately borne by Christ on the cross. He became the "cursed" one, hung on a tree (Galatians 3:13), to redeem humanity from the curse of the law and the consequences of sin. Through His sacrifice, those who believe in Him receive the blessing of spiritual abundance and eternal life, transforming the Old Testament curse of barrenness into the New Testament promise of abundant life and true spiritual productivity in Him (John 10:10).