1Svému milému zpívat chci milostnou píseň o jeho vinici: Můj milý míval vinici na úrodném úbočí. 2Okopal ji a zbavil kamení, ušlechtilou révu na ní vysadil. Věž postavil uprostřed ní, vykopal v ní i vinný lis. Očekával, že hrozny urodí, její plody ale zplaněly. 3Nyní, občané Jeruzaléma a lide judský, rozsuďte mezi mnou a mojí vinicí. 4Co víc se dalo udělat pro moji vinici, než co jsem pro ni učinil? Když jsem očekával, že hrozny urodí, proč její plody zplaněly? 5Nyní vám tedy oznámím, co udělám se svou vinicí: Odstraním její plot a bude vypleněna, zbořím její zeď a bude zdupána. 6Nechám ji, aby ladem ležela, neprořezaná, neokopaná, trním a bodláčím celá zarostlá. Navíc i mrakům poručím, ať na ni neprší. 7Vinice Hospodina zástupů je dům izraelský, jeho milovaná réva je judský lid. Očekával právo, a hle – bezpráví, spravedlnost, a hle – úpění! 8Běda vám, kdo skupujete dům za domem a spojujete pole s polem, takže už nezbývá místo pro jiné – copak jste jediní obyvatelé země?! 9Hospodin zástupů přede mnou prohlásil: Jistěže mnohé domy zchátrají, honosné vily se vylidní. 10Deset akrů vinice vydá jen jeden džbán, deset měr osiva jen jednu míru zrna. 11Běda těm, kdo ráno vstávají a hned se ženou za pitím, kdo vysedávají dlouho do noci, než se vínem rozvášní! 12Citery, loutny, tamburíny, píšťaly, víno na jejich hodech nechybí. Hospodinovy skutky je ale nezajímají, dílo jeho rukou vůbec nevidí. 13A proto můj lid půjde do zajetí, neboť mu chybí poznání; jeho urození budou umírat hlady, obyčejní budou žízní vyprahlí! 14Záhrobí už proto rozvírá svůj chřtán, jeho bezedná tlama zeje dokořán; výkvět i spodina spadne tam, celý ten rozjařený bujný dav! 15Člověk bude sražen a každý ponížen, pohledy pyšných skloní se. 16Hospodin zástupů se ale soudem vyvýší, svatý Bůh se ukáže svatým ve spravedlnosti. 17Ovce se budou pást jako na vlastních loukách, v troskách boháčů se budou pást kůzlata. 18Běda těm, kdo táhnou vinu za provazy lži, kdo jak vůz na laně vlečou hřích! 19Těm, kdo říkají: „Jen ať si pospíší, ať Bůh neotálí s dílem svým, abychom si je prohlédli! Jen ať už přijde s tím, ať Svatý izraelský svůj záměr naplní, abychom ho poznali!“ 20Běda těm, kdo říkají zlu dobro a dobru zlo, kdo vydávají tmu za světlo a světlo nazývají tmou, kdo vydávají hořkost za sladkost a sladkost za hořkost! 21Běda těm, kdo se považují za moudré, kdo si připadají rozumně! 22Běda hrdinům v pití vína, zdatným v nalévání nápojů, 23kteří za úplatek ospravedlní darebáka a spravedlivým právo odepřou! 24Proto jako oheň polyká strniště a seno mizí v plamenech, právě tak ztrouchniví jejich kořeny a jejich květy vítr rozpráší. Zákon Hospodina zástupů totiž zavrhli, slovy Svatého izraelského pohrdli! 25Hospodin proto vzplál hněvem na svůj lid, napřáhl proti němu ruku a udeřil, takže se hory zatřásly – v ulicích jako smetí leží mrtvoly! Tím vším ale jeho hněv stále nekončí, jeho ruka se ještě chystá udeřit. 26Pozvedá korouhev pro národ zdaleka, od konce světa ho hvízdnutím přivolá, a hle – hned rychle přispěchá! 27Nikdo z nich se neunaví, neklesne, nikdo si nezdřímne ani neusne, neuvolní se jim opasek na bedrech, nepřetrhne se jim na obuvi řemínek. 28Jejich šípy jsou ostré a všechny luky napjaté; kopyta jejich koní jako křemen a jejich kola jako vichřice. 29Budou řvát jako lev, jako lvíčata spustí řev; zavrčí a chytí úlovek, odvlečou ho pryč a nikdo jim ho nevyrve. 30V ten den budou vrčet nad svou kořistí, jako když moře burácí. Kdo tehdy pohlédne na zemi, uvidí samou tmu a trápení – světlo se skryje za mraky!
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 PARABLE OF JEHOVAH'S VINEYARD. (Isa. 5:1-30)
to--rather, "concerning" [GESENIUS], that is, in the person of My beloved, as His representative [VITRINGA]. Isaiah gives a hint of the distinction and yet unity of the Divine Persons (compare He with I,
Isa 5:2-
Isa 5:3).
of my beloved--inspired by Him; or else, a tender song [CASTALIO]. By a slight change of reading "a song of His love" [HOUBIGANT]. "The Beloved" is Jehovah, the Second Person, the "Angel" of God the Father, not in His character as incarnate Messiah, but as God of the Jews (
Exod 23:20-
Exod 23:21;
Exod 32:34;
Exod 33:14).
vineyard-- (
Isa 3:14;
Ps 80:8, &c.). The Jewish covenant-people, separated from the nations for His glory, as the object of His peculiar care (
Matt 20:1;
Matt 21:33). Jesus Christ in the "vineyard" of the New Testament Church is the same as the Old Testament Angel of the Jewish covenant.
fruitful hill--literally, "a horn" ("peak," as the Swiss shreckhorn) of the son of oil; poetically, for very fruitful. Suggestive of isolation, security, and a sunny aspect. Isaiah alludes plainly to the Song of Solomon (
Song 6:3;
Song 8:11-
Song 8:12), in the words "His vineyard" and "my Beloved" (compare
Isa 26:20;
Isa 61:10, with
Song 1:4;
Song 4:10). The transition from "branch" (
Isa 4:2) to "vineyard" here is not unnatural.
2 fenced--rather, "digged and trenched" the ground to prepare it for planting the vines [MAURER].
choicest vine--Hebrew, sorek; called still in Morocco, serki; the grapes had scarcely perceptible seeds; the Persian kishmish or bedana, that is, "without seed" (
Gen 49:11).
tower--to watch the vineyard against the depredations of man or beast, and for the use of the owner (
Matt 21:33).
wine-press--including the wine-fat; both hewn, for coolness, out of the rocky undersoil of the vineyard.
wild grapes--The Hebrew expresses offensive putrefaction, answering to the corrupt state of the Jews. Fetid fruit of the wild vine [MAURER], instead of "choicest" grapes. Of the poisonous monk's hood [GESENIUS]. The Arabs call the fruit of the nightshade "wolf grapes" (
Deut 32:32-
Deut 32:33;
2Kgs 4:39-41). JEROME tries to specify the details of the parable; the "fence," angels; the "stones gathered out," idols; the "tower," the "temple in the midst" of Judea; the "wine-press," the altar.
3 And now, &c.--appeal of God to themselves, as in
Isa 1:18;
Mic 6:3. So Jesus Christ, in
Matt 21:40-
Matt 21:41, alluding in the very form of expression to this, makes them pass sentence on themselves. God condemns sinners "out of their own mouth" (
Deut 32:6;
Job 15:6;
Luke 19:22;
Rom 3:4).
4 God has done all that could be done for the salvation of sinners, consistently with His justice and goodness. The God of nature is, as it were, amazed at the unnatural fruit of so well-cared a vineyard.
5 go to--that is, attend to me.
hedge . . . wall--It had both; a proof of the care of the owner. But now it shall be trodden down by wild beasts (enemies) (
Ps 80:12-
Ps 80:13).
6 I will . . . command--The parable is partly dropped and Jehovah, as in
Isa 5:7, is implied to be the Owner: for He alone, not an ordinary husbandman (
Matt 21:43;
Luke 17:22), could give such a "command."
no rain--antitypically, the heaven-sent teachings of the prophets (
Amos 8:11). Not accomplished in the Babylonish captivity; for Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Haggai, and Zechariah prophesied during or after it. But in gospel times.
7 Isaiah here applies the parable. It is no mere human owner, nor a literal vineyard that is meant.
vineyard of the Lord--His only one (
Exod 19:5;
Amos 3:2).
pleasant--"the plant of his delight"; just as the husbandman was at pains to select the sorek, or "choicest vine" (
Isa 5:2); so God's election of the Jews.
judgment--justice. The play upon words is striking in the Hebrew, He looked for mishpat, but behold mispat ("bloodshed"); for tsedaqua, but behold tseaqua (the cry that attends anarchy, covetousness, and dissipation,
Isa 5:8,
Isa 5:11-
Isa 5:12; compare the cry of the rabble by which justice was overborne in the case of Jesus Christ,
Matt 27:23-
Matt 27:24).
8 SIX DISTINCT WOES AGAINST CRIMES. (Isa. 5:8-23)
(
Lev 25:13;
Mic 2:2). The jubilee restoration of possessions was intended as a guard against avarice.
till there be no place--left for any one else.
that they may be--rather, and ye be.
the earth--the land.
9 In mine ears . . . the Lord--namely, has revealed it, as in
Isa 22:14.
desolate--literally, "a desolation," namely, on account of the national sins.
great and fair--houses.
10 acres--literally, "yokes"; as much as one yoke of oxen could plow in a day.
one--only.
bath--of wine; seven and a half gallons.
homer . . . ephah--Eight bushels of seed would yield only three pecks of produce (
Ezek 45:11). The ephah and bath, one-tenth of an homer.
11 Second Woe--against intemperance.
early--when it was regarded especially shameful to drink (
Acts 2:15;
1Thess 5:7). Banquets for revelry began earlier than usual (
Eccl 10:16-
Eccl 10:17).
strong drink--Hebrew, sichar, implying intoxication.
continue--drinking all day till evening.
12 Music was common at ancient feasts (
Isa 24:8-
Isa 24:9;
Amos 6:5-
Amos 6:6).
viol--an instrument with twelve strings [JOSEPHUS, Antiquities, 8.10].
tabret--Hebrew, toph, from the use of which in drowning the cries of children sacrificed to Moloch, Tophet received its name. Arabic, duf. A kettle drum, or tambourine.
pipe--flute or flageolet: from a Hebrew root "to bore through"; or else, "to dance" (compare
Job 21:11-
Job 21:15).
regard not . . . Lord--a frequent effect of feasting (
Job 1:5;
Ps 28:5).
work . . . operation--in punishing the guilty (
Isa 5:19;
Isa 10:12).
13 are gone--The prophet sees the future as if it were before his eyes.
no knowledge--because of their foolish recklessness (
Isa 5:12;
Isa 1:3;
Hos 4:6;
Luke 19:44).
famished--awful contrast to their luxurious feasts (
Isa 5:11-
Isa 5:12).
multitude--plebeians in contradistinction to the "honorable men," or nobles.
thirst-- (
Ps 107:4-
Ps 107:5). Contrast to their drinking (
Isa 5:11). In their deportation and exile, they shall hunger and thirst.
14 hell--the grave; Hebrew, sheol; Greek, hades; "the unseen world of spirits." Not here, "the place of torment." Poetically, it is represented as enlarging itself immensely, in order to receive the countless hosts of Jews, which should perish (
Num 16:30).
their--that is, of the Jewish people.
he that rejoiceth--the drunken reveller in Jerusalem.
15 (Compare
Isa 2:9,
Isa 2:11,
Isa 2:17). All ranks, "mean" and "mighty" alike; so "honorable" and "multitude" (
Isa 5:13).
16 God shall be "exalted" in man's view, because of His manifestation of His "justice" in punishing the guilty.
sanctified--regarded as holy by reason of His "righteous" dealings.
17 after their manner--literally, "according to their own word," that is, at will. Otherwise, as in their own pasture [GESENIUS]: so the Hebrew in
Mic 2:12. The lands of the Scenite tent dwellers (
Jer 35:7). Arab shepherds in the neighborhood shall roam at large, the whole of Judea being so desolate as to become a vast pasturage.
waste . . . fat ones--the deserted lands of the rich ("fat,"
Ps 22:29), then gone into captivity; "strangers," that is, nomad tribes shall make their flocks to feed on [MAURER]. Figuratively, "the lambs" are the pious, "the fat ones" the impious. So tender disciples of Jesus Christ (
John 21:15) are called "lambs"; being meek, harmless, poor, and persecuted. Compare
Ezek 39:18, where the fatlings are the rich and great (
1Cor 1:26-27). The "strangers" are in this view the "other sheep not of the" the Jewish "fold" (
John 10:16), the Gentiles whom Jesus Christ shall "bring" to be partakers of the rich privileges (
Rom 11:17) which the Jews ("fat ones,"
Ezek 34:16) fell from. Thus "after their (own) manner" will express that the Christian Church should worship God in freedom, released from legal bondage (
John 4:23;
Gal 5:1).
18 Third Woe--against obstinate perseverance in sin, as if they wished to provoke divine judgments.
iniquity--guilt, incurring punishment [MAURER].
cords, &c.--cart-rope--Rabbins say, "An evil inclination is at first like a fine hair-string, but the finishing like a cart-rope." The antithesis is between the slender cords of sophistry, like the spider's web (
Isa 59:5;
Job 8:14), with which one sin draws on another, until they at last bind themselves with great guilt as with a cart-rope. They strain every nerve in sin.
vanity--wickedness.
sin--substantive, not a verb: they draw on themselves "sin" and its penalty recklessly.
19 work--vengeance (
Isa 5:12). Language of defiance to God. So Lamech's boast of impunity (
Gen 4:23-
Gen 4:24; compare
Jer 17:15;
2Pet 3:3-4).
counsel--God's threatened purpose to punish.
20 Fourth Woe--against those who confound the distinctions of right and wrong (compare
Rom 1:28), "reprobate," Greek, "undiscriminating: the moral perception darkened."
bitter . . . sweet--sin is bitter (
Jer 2:19;
Jer 4:18;
Acts 8:23;
Heb 12:15); though it seem sweet for a time (
Pro 9:17-
Pro 9:18). Religion is sweet (
Ps 119:103).
21 Fifth Woe--against those who were so "wise in their own eyes" as to think they knew better than the prophet, and therefore rejected his warnings (
Isa 29:14-
Isa 29:15).
22 Sixth Woe--against corrupt judges, who, "mighty" in drinking "wine" (a boast still not uncommon), if not in defending their country, obtain the means of self-indulgence by taking bribes ("reward"). The two verses are closely joined [MAURER].
mingle strong drink--not with water, but spices to make it intoxicating (
Pro 9:2,
Pro 9:5;
Song 8:2).
take away the righteousness--set aside the just claims of those having a righteous cause.
24 Literally, "tongue of fire eateth" (
Acts 2:3).
flame consumeth the chaff--rather, withered grass falleth before the flame (
Matt 3:12).
root . . . blossom--entire decay, both the hidden source and outward manifestations of prosperity, perishing (
Job 18:16;
Mal 4:1).
cast away . . . law--in its spirit, while retaining the letter.
25 anger . . . kindled-- (
2Kgs 22:13,
2Kgs 22:17).
hills . . . tremble--This probably fixes the date of this chapter, as it refers to the earthquake in the days of Uzziah (
Amos 1:1;
Zech 14:5). The earth trembled as if conscious of the presence of God (
Jer 4:24;
Hab 3:6).
torn--rather, were as dung (
Ps 83:10).
For all this, &c.--This burden of the prophet's strains, with dirge-like monotony, is repeated at
Isa 9:12,
Isa 9:17,
Isa 9:21;
Isa 10:4. With all the past calamities, still heavier judgments are impending; which he specifies in the rest of the chapter (
Lev 26:14, &c.).
26 lift . . . ensign--to call together the hostile nations to execute His judgments on Judea (
Isa 10:5-
Isa 10:7;
Isa 45:1). But for mercy to it, in
Isa 11:12;
Isa 18:3.
hiss-- (
Isa 7:18). Bees were drawn out of their hives by the sound of a flute, or hissing, or whistling (
Zech 10:8). God will collect the nations round Judea like bees (
Deut 1:44;
Ps 118:12).
end of the earth--the widely distant subject races of which the Assyrian army was made up (
Isa 22:6). The ulterior fulfilment took place in the siege under Roman Titus. Compare "end of the earth" (
Deut 28:49, &c.). So the pronoun is singular in the Hebrew, for "them," "their," "whose" (him, his, &c.),
Isa 5:26-
Isa 5:29; referring to some particular nation and person [HORSLEY].
27 weary--with long marches (
Deut 25:18).
none . . . slumber--requiring no rest.
girdle--with which the ancient loose robes used to be girded for action. Ever ready for march or battle.
nor the latchet . . . broken--The soles were attached to the feet, not by upper leather as with us, but by straps. So securely clad that not even a strap of their sandals gives way, so as to impede their march.
28 bent--ready for battle.
hoofs . . . flint--The ancients did not shoe their horses: hence the value of hard hoofs for long marches.
wheels--of their chariots. The Assyrian army abounded in cavalry and chariots (
Isa 22:6-
Isa 22:7;
Isa 36:8).
29 roaring--their battle cry.
30 sorrow, and the light is darkened--Otherwise, distress and light (that is, hope and fear) alternately succeed (as usually occurs in an unsettled state of things), and darkness arises in, &c. [MAURER].
heavens--literally, "clouds," that is, its sky is rather "clouds" than sky. Otherwise from a different Hebrew root, "in its destruction" or ruins. HORSLEY takes "sea . . . look unto the land" as a new image taken from mariners in a coasting vessel (such as all ancient vessels were), looking for the nearest land, which the darkness of the storm conceals, so that darkness and distress alone may be said to be visible.
Isaiah is outside, near the altar in front of the temple. The doors are supposed to open, and the veil hiding the Holy of Holies to be withdrawn, unfolding to his view a vision of God represented as an Eastern monarch, attended by seraphim as His ministers of state (
1Kgs 22:19), and with a robe and flowing train (a badge of dignity in the East), which filled the temple. This assertion that he had seen God was, according to tradition (not sanctioned by
Isa 1:1; see Introduction), the pretext for sawing him asunder in Manasseh's reign (
Heb 11:37). Visions often occur in the other prophets: in Isaiah there is only this one, and it is marked by characteristic clearness and simplicity.