1Under the parable of a vineyard God justifieth the severity of his dealings with his people: 8his judgments upon their covetousness; 11riot, and disregard of him; 18profaneness; 20perverseness, selfconceit, excess, and injustice. 26The executioners of God's judgments.
1NOW will I sing to 1my wellbeloved 2a song of my beloved 3touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard 4in a very fruitful hill:
1 Thus the prophet calls Jesus Christ three times in this verse. The sense is: He is the Bridegroom of His church, I am His minister and friend, Cant. 2:2; John 3:29.
2 That is, a song which He Himself indited to me and put into my mouth; this song will I sing, and also set down in writing that it may not be forgotten, but may be remembered, read and sung by all; as Moses also penned a song for the same end and purpose, Deuteronomy 32.
3 That is, concerning His church. See the similar phrase verse 7; Exod. 15:17; Psalm 44:2; 80:8; Isa. 27:2; Jer. 2:21; Mat. 21:33; Mark 12:1; Luke 20:9; John 15:1.
4 Hebr. in the horn of a son of oil or fatness, that is, in an excellent place of fat fruitful ground. See Job 5 on verse 7.
25And he 6fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built 7a tower in the midst of it, and also made a 8winepress therein: and 9he looked that it should 10bring forth 11grapes, and it brought forth 12wild grapes.
5 In this verse is described in figurative language God’s care for His church.
6 Hebr. properly: strengthened it, namely, with a wall or hedge. See verse 5. That is, fenced and protected it against the power and violence of all His and His church’s enemies.
7 Namely, to keep watch in it; to watch for thieves and wild animals and to drive them away.
8 Other, a wine fat.
9 Compare with verse 7.
10 Hebr. make, and so again in this verse and twice in verse 10, that is, bring forth, yield, bear. As Mat. 3:8, 10; 7:17, 18, 19. Compare Psalm 1 on verse 3.
11 Or, berries, or, fruits.
12 Or, sour, unripe, untimely, wild or harsh grapes, Yet the Hebrew word is derived from stinking.
313And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.
13 Here speaks God the Lord, and He surrenders to judgment, even to those about whom He complains.
414Whata could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? 15wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, 16brought it forth wild grapes?
14 As if the Lord had said: Seeing I have bestowed so many blessings and favors upon My people and they have been so unthankful towards Me for the same, therefore judge ye now yourselves, what else can be done for the future, that I but destroy My unprofitable vineyard? Compare Mat. 21:40, 41, where the Lord Christ, having propounded almost the same parable unto the high priest and elders of the Jews, makes them by way of interrogation judges of the cause, and thereupon receives the like answer as the Lord gives here in verse 5. Others take it thus, that God will signify by these words: He had done so much good unto His people, above other nations, that they ought every way to be thankful for it; but since they were unthankful, they were to be convinced as well of their own corruption and sinfulness, as of the justice of the punishments which they had deserved. Of the inward powerful working of the Holy Ghost is not spoken in this parable, which only looks at the outward calling, being taken from the outward labor and pains of the owner of the vineyard.
a Jer. 2:5; Micah 6:3, 8.
15 Spoken after the manner of men; as men are used to show their dissatisfaction, when they have done much good to an unthankful and undeserving person, and are ill rewarded by him. Hereupon follows the sentence of God, verse 5.
16 Hebr. had made.
5And now go to; I will tell you 17what I will do to my vineyard: 18I will take away the 19hedgeb thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, 20and it shall be trodden down:
17 That is, how I will punish the unthankfulness of My people.
18 That is, I will not hence forward defend this people against their enemies, but I will suffer them to be wasted and destroyed.
19 Or, fence, enclosure.
b Psalm 80:12.
20 Or, that it may be trodden down.
6And 21I will lay it waste: 22it shall not be 23pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up 24briers and thorns: 25I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.
21 Or, I will make it desolate, that is, I will deprive Judah of the manner of the government of the state, which hitherto has been maintained in the land, according to the manner prescribed in My law.
22 That is, the public worship and other holy exercises shall cease.
23 Or, be cleansed, weeded.
24 The sense is: It shall be changed from a vineyard into a bramble bush, that is, lie utterly waste and wild.
25 As if God said: I will no more comfort and refresh this people as I have done in former times, but will suffer them to pine away in grief and sorrow in Babylon and elsewhere. See Psalm 137. See also Job 36 on verse 32.
726Forc the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and 27the men of Judah 28his pleasant plant: and he looked for 29judgment, but behold 30oppression; 31for righteousness, but behold a 32cry.
26 Other, Surely. In this verse the prophet expounds the above mentioned parable.
c Psalm 80:8.
27 That is, the men pertaining to the tribe of Judah.
28 Or, plantations, or, plantings; understand the people in whom the Lord was wont to take delight.
29 That is, that the judges would do justice to the oppressed.
30 Hebr. a scab; that is, the judges are scabby, that is wicked, and do vex and torment the poor oppressed people, as the itch or scabbiness does vex and torment men.
31 As if He would say: I have waited that they would help in a righteous manner the widows and the fatherless and others who were oppressed, but, etc.
32 Or, crying out, calling, roaring, namely, of the poor, who are mightily oppressed, crying unto God, and complaining to Him with tears of the oppression and wrong which is done to them. See Gen. 18:20. Some understand this of the complaints of the poor which are oppressed by long and tedious processes of law, under the pretense of formalities that are used in pleading of cases.
8¶Woed unto them that 33join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be 34no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!
d Micah 2:2.
33 Or, cause to stretch or join, namely, unjustly, and with harm and damage to their neighbor.
34 Namely, where the poor may dwell or cultivate.
935In mine ears said the LORD of hosts, 36Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and 37fair, 38without inhabitant.
35 That is, the Lord has revealed it unto me, or, He said it in my hearing.
36 This is a form or manner of an oath; see Gen. 14:23. Other, Surely, or, Verily many houses shall, etc.
37 Hebr. the good, that is, the excellent or fair houses.
38 Since there shall be none to inhabit them.
1039Yea, ten 40acres of vineyard shall yield 41one bath, and the seed of an 42homer shall 43yield an 44ephah.
39 The Lord God threatens in this verse to make the land barren, because of the abominable sins of the people, so that they would not reap the tenth part of what they had sown and planted.
40 An acre is so much land, as a couple of oxen are able to plow in one day. Other, ten yoke of oxen, that is, as much land as ten yokes of oxen are able to plow in one day.
41Bath and ephah were of one size, but bath was a measure to mete moist commodities, as wine, oil, etc., and ephah was a measure to mete dry commodities, as corn, grain, etc. Of bath see 1 Kings 7 on verse 26, and of ephah, Lev. 5 on verse 11.
42 Of homer (otherwise cor) see the annotations at 1 Kings 4 on verse 22; Ezek. 45 on verse 11; Ezek. 45 on verse 14.
43 Hebr. make. So likewise in the previous clause.
44 See annotation #41 previously in this verse.
11¶Woee unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow 45strong drink; that 46continue until 47night, till wine inflame them!
e Prov. 23:29, 30.
45 Hebr. schechar; see on verse 22.
46 Or, delay themselves.
47 The Hebrew word signifies as well the morning twilight as the evening twilight, as Job 7:4; Prov. 7:9.
12And the harp, and the viol,f the tabret,g and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but 48they regard not the work of the LORD, 49neither consider the operation of his hands.
f lyre, stringed instrument*
g small drum*
48 That is, they give no heed to the work of the Lord, that is, to the carrying away of the ten tribes captive into Assyria, namely, by Shalmaneser, 2 Kings 17:6; 18:12. Compare Amos 6:6. Others take the word work more generally; in this sense: They consider not His judgments, which He will put in practice, that is, the punishments which shall overtake them, which indeed they ought to prevent by hearty sorrow and repentance.
49 Some understand this of beholding the sun, moon, stars, etc., which do set before our eyes the power and wisdom of God, and which ought to excite and stir us up to honor, praise and magnify Him.
13¶Thereforeh my people 50are gone into 51captivity, 52because they have no knowledge: 53and their honourable men are famished, and 54their multitude dried up with thirst.
h Amos 6:7.
50 Hebr. my people is carried away. This was not yet done at this time, but the prophets are wont to speak of things to come, as if they had been already done and performed, in respect of the certainty of God’s predictions.
51 Namely, to Babel.
52 That is, because they have not known nor considered the work of the Lord.
53 Hebr. and his honour shall be men or persons of famine, that is, the most honorable and important persons among the people shall suffer famine.
54 That is, the common people, as verse 14. Other, and their riches shall dry up with thirst; also likewise verse 14.
1455Therefore hell hath enlarged 56herself, and opened her mouth 57without measure: and 58their glory, and their 59multitude, 60and their pomp, and he 61that rejoiceth, shall descend into 62it.
55 The prophet intimates hereby that very many shall perish, either by famine and affliction, or by the sword. Other, the grave hath spread itself wide, and so in the sequel.
56 Hebr. her soul, that is, herself. Other, her lust (namely, the lust or desire which the grave has to swallow and devour many men), as Psalm 27:12; 41:2; 105:22; Ezek. 16:27.
57 Other, above or beyond custom. See the annotation at Judges 11 on verse 39.
58 Namely, of Jerusalem, yet hereby may be understood all the people of the Jews.
59 That is, the common people, or, their riches, as verse 13.
60 Namely, with that stir and loud noise, which the wicked and ungodly crew make in their carousing and rioting. See verses 11 and 12.
61 Namely, being merry in his carousing and carnal delights within the city of Jerusalem, and, consequently, in the land of the Jews.
62 Namely, into the grave.
15And 63the mean man shall be brought down, and 64the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty 65shall be humbled:
63 See Isa. 2:9, 11, 17.
64 See Isa. 2:9, 11, 17.
65 Namely, after they shall be visited with famine, pestilence, sword and captivity.
16But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted 66in judgment, and God that is holy 67shall be sanctified in righteousness.
66 Namely, when He shall show Himself to be Judge, punishing evil doers for their sins.
67 That is, God shall be acknowledged and extolled to be holy, after He shall have exercised judgment and justice upon wicked men, punishing evil doers, and defending those who are violently wronged and oppressed.
1768Theni69shall 70the lambs feed 71after their manner, and the waste places of the 72fat ones 73shall 74strangers eat.
68 Here now the prophet lays down a comfort or consolation, after the aforementioned threatenings, hereby to intimate that God will at length save and deliver His people.
i Isa. 14:30.
69 That is, God the Lord will sustain and preserve them in such a common calamity, and will supply them with necessities.
70 Other, sheep, that is, the godly, innocent, harmless poor, who were previously wronged and oppressed by wicked, rich men.
71 Hebr. after their leading, that is, as they were wont to do in former time.
72Fat for rich men, living in pleasure and delight, is also used Psalm 22:29; Isa. 10:16. They are called in Amos 4:1 kine of Bashan.
73 That is, enjoy or possess the waste places of the fat ones, that is, the houses and fields, which the rich had to forsake, being driven out of them, and carried away captive.
74 Understand here also the godly poor, who for a while were counted as strangers by wicked, rich men; or those who were so vexed and molested by wicked men or tyrants that they had to forsake house and home. Other, And they shall eat the waste places of fat strangers.
18Woe unto them that 75draw iniquity 76with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:
75 Other, draw towards themselves.
76 Or, with cords, or snares, or bonds of lying. The sense is: that with fair and smooth speeches, under this or that cloak or covering, practice wickedness, and, as it were, pull it to them and hold fast, imagining themselves that they shall always prosper, and that all that the prophets threaten and preach unto them concerning the approaching judgments of God, are but mere fancies. It is a phrase borrowed from those who pull or haul a ship or cart towards them with strong cords or ropes.
19That 77say, Let him make speed, and hasten 78his work, that we may see it: and let 79the counsel 80of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, 81that we may 82know it!
77 Namely, in a mocking manner. As if they said: They threaten us every time, but nothing follows from it. If God be in earnest, then let Him make haste, etc. We do not ask for your threatenings, let God come when He will. Thus they scoff and mock at the patience and forbearance of the Lord. See verse 12.
78 That is, His punishments wherewith you threaten us so often.
79 Or, decree, that is, that which He has determined in His counsel.
80 That is, of God the Lord, Who is that Holy One, Whom men ought to honor and fear. See Isa. 1 on verse 4.
81 As if they said: You, Isaiah and other prophets, you scare us with vain and idle threatenings, but God means no harm towards us.
82 Or, become wise, or, may perceive.
20¶Woe unto them 83that call evil good, and good evil; 84that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
83 Hebr. that say to or of evil good, etc. Compare Isa. 4:3. That is, who, by their cunning and crafty discourses, make poor, simple people believe that evil is good, and good is evil.
84 That is, who dare say boldly and impudently that darkness is light, and light darkness.
21Woej unto them that are wise 85in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
j Prov. 3:7; Rom. 12:16.
85 That is, in their own conceit or judgment; so in the sequel. Hebr. before their face, that is, by themselves.
22Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength 86to mingle 87strong drink:
86 The Jews, as also other nations in the eastern countries, were wont in former times, as also at this present day, to mingle their wine with water or with spices; but the Hebrew word signifies here as much as to drink it off; for, no strength or valor consists in filling of wine, or mingling with it.
87 Hebr. schechar. Some think that this word includes the wines also, but to others it signifies all manner of strong drink, besides wine. See the annotation at Lev. 10 on verse 9.
23Which 88justify the wicked for reward, and 89take away thek righteousness of the righteous from him!
88 That is, pronounce him righteous, whereas he is guilty. See Num. 35:31; Deut. 25:1.
89 By condemning them, as if they were guilty of some heinous crime.
k Prov. 17:15; 24:24.
24Therefore asl90the fire 91devoureth the stubble, and the flame 92consumeth the chaff, so their 93root shall be 94as rottenness, and their 95blossom 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.
l Exod. 15:7; Isa. 9:18.
90 That is, the flame of fire, which has some resemblance with a tongue; and likewise it seems to lick as the tongue does.
91 Hebr. eateth up, that is, consumes, devours.
92 Hebr. is slackened, or, decreaseth, or, is weakened.
93 Some understand here by the root the parents, by the blossom the children. Others perceive that here is to be understood in general the vanity and vanishing away of the wicked. So that to ascend or go up (which is used in the Hebrew text) signifies here to come to nothing, to vanish away, to perish, as a smoke which goes up.
94 Other, shall become as snot, that is, their root shall putrefy and become as snot; for, the putrefying roots become like unto white snot or mucus.
95 Or, bud.
25Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath 96stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and 97the hills did tremble, and 98their carcases 99were torn inm the midst of the streets. 100For all thisn his anger is not turned away, but his hand is 101stretched out still.
96 Namely, to smite them. See Isa. 1:5.
97 This is an excessive kind of speech, called an hyperbole in the schools. It is a prediction of the approaching ruin and destruction of the people of the Jews.
98 Namely, those who were slain by the enemies.
99 Or, became as dung, or, were destroyed in the midst of the streets.
m Isa. 10:6.
100 Or, With all this. As if he said: Although the Lord has punished His people so severely, as is even now related, and therefore might seem to be appeased and reconciled with them, notwithstanding He continues still incensed against them, forasmuch as they turn not unto God. Also Isa. 9:11, 12.
n Isa. 9:12, 17, 21; 10:4.
101 To smite them yet more. See Lev. 26:14, 15, etc.
26 ¶ 102And he will 103lift up 104an ensign 105to the nations from far, and will 106hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, 107behold, 108they shall come with speed swiftly:
102 Here the prophet does now further relate that whereof he had begun to speak in the end of the foregoing 25th verse, namely, that the Lord’s hand was lifted up.
103 That is, He will give them a sign that they come and fall upon the people of the Jews. Or, He will allure and entice the Chaldeans, Babylonians, Assyrians (who are here meant to be understood by the name of Gentiles) by His secret and righteous Providence, and will provoke and stir them up against the Jews.
104 That is, an army of the enemies.
105 Or, among the nations that are afar off, that is, that shall come from a far country.
106 Or, whistle, pipe. Other, he will hiss them to him. The sense is, that God is able, yea easily, to raise an huge army to execute His judgments upon those whom He intends to punish. See the like phrase Isa. 7:18; Zech. 10:8.
107 This has relation to that which was said in verse 19. As if he would say here: Ye mock at My threatenings, saying: Let him make speed, let him hasten his work, etc. Behold, now He will make haste, procuring that the enemies shall come speedily and swiftly to destroy you.
108 Hebr. it shall come, namely, the banner, with the people who belong to it. Other, he, namely, the king of Babel with his army. Other, it, namely, the people.
27109None shall be weary nor stumble among them; 110none shall slumber nor sleep; 111neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken:
109 Intimating that none in that camp or among those soldiers would be weary of marching on that long journey; thus giving to understand the willing obedience of the people whom God would put to work.
110 They shall altogether be awake and prudent in their attempts.
111 That is, they shall be continually ready to fight, being armed at all times.
28112Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows 113bent, their horses’ 114hoofs shall be counted like 115flint, and 116their wheels like a whirlwind:
112 Hebr. whose in the singular number, namely, people, that shall be in the camp. So in the sequel the singular number is put for the plural. The prophet imitates that the people, whom the Lord will make use of to do execution, shall be well armed and well equipped.
113 Hebr. trodden, because they place their foot upon the crossbow as they bend it. See Psalm 7:12.
114 Hebr. claws.
115 Namely, they shall be esteemed to be as sharp and as hard as a flint or rock, so that they shall not wear out with running and galloping. The contrary happened in Judges 5:22.
116 That is, their chariots shall come very swiftly.
29117Their roaring shall be like a 118lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of 119the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it.
117 In these words the prophet describes the cruelty of the people whom the Lord would send against the Jews to destroy them.
118 Or, fierce or terrible lion.
119 The Hebrew word rendered here prey signifies properly an animal that is rent and torn in pieces with the teeth and claws of another animal.
30And in that day 120they shall roar 121against them like the roaring of the sea: 122and if one look unto theo land, behold 123darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened 124in the heavens thereof.
120 Namely, those strange nations, the Chaldeans and others.
121 Namely, against the people of the Jews, who shall be so pitifully mistreated.
122 This is a comparison taken from those, who, being in a storm and tempest at sea in great danger of their life, do spy land afar off, wishing that they might get in and land at some harbor. They also look often up towards heaven to see whether the weather begins to clear up or not. So shall those of Jerusalem, when they are assailed by their enemies, look round about to see if there be no help where help or succor to be found for them, but all in vain, for, they shall find none.
o Isa. 8:21.
123 Other, there is darkness of trouble. The sense is: There shall be no hope on hand; that which is wont to bring joy, the same shall bring nothing but anguish and sorrow unto them.
124 Other, in, or at, or under their heaven, that is, in the heaven or sky under which the land of Judah is situated. Of darkness see Gen. 15 on verse 12; of light Job 18 on verse 5; of both Job 30:26.