5:1 my beloved The prophet writes from the perspective of one who is in right relationship with Yahweh. Yahweh uses the same term to describe Israel in Jer 11:15, which includes a similar agricultural metaphor.

vineyard Here, the genres of love song and parable come together in a mixed metaphor. Garden or vineyard imagery for a beloved figure are also found in Song of Songs (see Song 2:15; 4:16; 8:11–12). The metaphor appears to symbolize the potential for fertility. The vineyard motif is also present in Isa 27:2–5.

a fertile hill The problem was not with the soil or location—the vineyard had the potential to bear fruit.

5:2 he dug it God’s handiwork in creating Israel as a people for Himself is compared to the hard work of preparing the rocky, hilly soil of Judah for farming. God’s right to rule over Israel and the world is intimately connected to His status as Creator—a theme that will be emphasized more in chs. 40–48. As the one who created Israel, God has the right to do as He wishes with His creation. The comparison is similar to the potter and clay metaphor found in 45:9 (see note on 29:16 and note on 45:9). If God owns the vineyard, it is His to do with as He pleases.

wild grapes The Hebrew expression implies that the vineyard produced stinking, inedible fruit, not just sour or uncultivated grapes.

5:3 judge Ironically, the people of Judah are called to judge the vineyard that symbolizes their own failure to meet God’s standards.

5:4 did I hope for it to yield grapes Yahweh had every reason to expect His creation would produce fruit. He prepared the soil, cultivated the vines, and protected the vineyard.

5:5 hedge A dense row of shrubs designed to keep people and animals out of the vineyard, protecting the crop and the plants. Removing the hedge causes the vineyard to be vulnerable to destruction. This removal of God’s support and protection echoes 3:1.

it shall become a devastation Without the protective hedge, animals can freely enter and eat both vines and wild grapes.

I will break down its wall A subtle indication that this vineyard metaphorically represents a city, since the wall of the vineyard was usually just the hedgerow. The imagery foreshadows the siege and invasion of Jerusalem where the country is trampled by foreign armies.

5:6 briers and thornbushes This word pair is used several more times in Isaiah to symbolize Judah’s post-destruction condition (see 7:23–25; 9:17; 10:17; 27:4).

5:7 the house of Israel The prophet reveals that vv. 3–6 is actually a metaphorical indictment against Judah and Jerusalem.

justice, but look! Bloodshed Wordplay in Hebrew poetry is difficult to reproduce in translation. The Hebrew words contrasted in this closing stanza sound similar: mishpat (“justice”) and mispach (“bloodshed”), tsedaqah (“righteousness”) and tse'aqah (“call for help”).

5:8 they join field together with field Refers to rich people systematically taking land from the poor. Their behavior violates the regulations about property ownership found in the Pentateuch, especially Lev 25 and Num 26:55 and 33:54 (compare 1 Kgs 21:1–3; Mic 2:2). This first woe is directed at the elite of Judah who ignore their legal obligations for social justice.

the land Possession of the land of Canaan is a central theme of the ot. Yahweh gave the land to Israel. He dispossessed other nations to make way for Israel (Exod 3:17). Israel’s continued possession of the land is conditional on their obedience (Deut 4:26). The unlawful land-grabbing by the rich was pointless—the penalty for breaking the covenant was loss of the land. See Deut 28:20–24.

5:10 will yield an ephah Roughly 10 percent of the initial investment will be recouped at harvest. The expectation was a tenfold yield or more, not a 90 percent loss (compare Matt 13:8).

5:11 they pursue strong drink Devotion to drunkenness rather than God is unwise and unrighteous (see Prov 20:1; 31:4).

5:12 wine at their feasts The second woe is directed at those who have essentially made a religion out of drunken partying. They are so besotted with their depraved and self-centered lifestyle that they have no time to give heed to the “deeds of Yahweh” or pay attention to affairs of state when invasion and siege is on the horizon.

5:15 humankind is bowed down Compare 2:11, 17.

the eyes of the haughty Isaiah continually focuses on pride as the fundamental sin of humanity. This reflects a strong current of thought throughout the ot: the ultimate sin is to exalt oneself, while the ultimate virtue is humility.

5:16 Yahweh of hosts is exalted Compare Isa 2:11, 17. The exaltation of Yahweh occurs when people enact justice and righteousness.

5:19 let him hurry his work The people’s prideful and haughty attitude comes into focus as they express a mocking desire to see God bring about the day of judgment that the prophet is warning them of.

the holy one of Israel A title emphasizing God’s presence and glory, ironically put into the mouth of a mocker who all but dares Yahweh to appear; Yahweh does appear in 6:1. See note on 1:4.

5:20 evil good and good evil As v. 21 makes clear, relying on our own wisdom leads to a distorted view of the world and a skewed perspective on right and wrong.

5:22 Heroes at drinking wine Compare vv. 11–12. Drunkenness is not a virtue. The imagery contrasts what heroes and valiant men should be with what they actually are—drunks only skilled at drinking, not able leaders.

5:23 Those who acquit the guilty Refers to corruption in court and echoes 1:23. In the next scene (ch. 6), Isaiah is in Yahweh’s court, where he witnesses things as they should be on earth.

5:24 the tongue of fire See 1:25. Judgment will come by fire. See 4:4 and note.

5:25 still his hand is stretched out This line is reused as a refrain in chs. 9–10 (9:12, 17, 21; 10:4).

5:26 a signal for a nation God will summon the nations when it is time for judgment (see 11:12).

he will whistle for it God uses the nations as instruments of judgment. This is in contrast with 2:2–4, where the nations come to Jerusalem to worship and learn from Yahweh. See 7:18.

5:27–30 None is weary The advancing armies of Assyria are described in almost superhuman fashion.