Genesis 49:10-11

49:10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,

nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, ¹ 

until he comes to whom it belongs; ² 

the nations will obey him. ³ 

49:11 Binding his foal to the vine,

and his colt to the choicest vine,

he will wash ⁴  his garments in wine,

his robes in the blood of grapes.

Psalms 80:8-19

80:8 You uprooted a vine ⁵  from Egypt;

you drove out nations and transplanted it.

80:9 You cleared the ground for it; ⁶ 

it took root, ⁷ 

and filled the land.

80:10 The mountains were covered by its shadow,

the highest cedars ⁸  by its branches.

80:11 Its branches reached the Mediterranean Sea, ⁹ 

and its shoots the Euphrates River. ¹⁰ 

80:12 Why did you break down its walls, ¹¹ 

so that all who pass by pluck its fruit? ¹² 

80:13 The wild boars of the forest ruin it; ¹³ 

the insects ¹⁴  of the field feed on it.

80:14 O God, invincible warrior, ¹⁵  come back!

Look down from heaven and take notice!

Take care of this vine,

80:15 the root ¹⁶  your right hand planted,

the shoot you made to grow! ¹⁷ 

80:16 It is burned ¹⁸  and cut down.

They die because you are displeased with them. ¹⁹ 

80:17 May you give support to the one you have chosen, ²⁰ 

to the one whom you raised up for yourself! ²¹ 

80:18 Then we will not turn away from you.

Revive us and we will pray to you! ²² 

80:19 O Lord God, invincible warrior, ²³  restore us!

Smile on us! ²⁴  Then we will be delivered! ²⁵ 

Isaiah 4:2

The Branch of the Lord

4:2 At that time ²⁶ 

the crops given by the Lord will bring admiration and honor; ²⁷ 

the produce of the land will be a source of pride and delight

to those who remain in Israel. ²⁸ 

Isaiah 5:1-7

A Love Song Gone Sour

5:1 I ²⁹  will sing to my love –

a song to my lover about his vineyard. ³⁰ 

My love had a vineyard

on a fertile hill. ³¹ 

5:2 He built a hedge around it, ³²  removed its stones,

and planted a vine.

He built a tower in the middle of it,

and constructed a winepress.

He waited for it to produce edible grapes,

but it produced sour ones instead. ³³ 

5:3 So now, residents of Jerusalem, ³⁴ 

people ³⁵  of Judah,

you decide between me and my vineyard!

5:4 What more can I do for my vineyard

beyond what I have already done?

When I waited for it to produce edible grapes,

why did it produce sour ones instead?

5:5 Now I will inform you

what I am about to do to my vineyard:

I will remove its hedge and turn it into pasture, ³⁶ 

I will break its wall and allow animals to graze there. ³⁷ 

5:6 I will make it a wasteland;

no one will prune its vines or hoe its ground, ³⁸ 

and thorns and briers will grow there.

I will order the clouds

not to drop any rain on it.

5:7 Indeed ³⁹  Israel ⁴⁰  is the vineyard of the Lord who commands armies,

the people ⁴¹  of Judah are the cultivated place in which he took delight.

He waited for justice, but look what he got – disobedience! ⁴² 

He waited for fairness, but look what he got – cries for help! ⁴³ 

Jeremiah 2:21

2:21 I planted you in the land

like a special vine of the very best stock.

Why in the world have you turned into something like a wild vine

that produces rotten, foul-smelling grapes? ⁴⁴ 

Jeremiah 12:10

12:10 Many foreign rulers ⁴⁵  will ruin the land where I planted my people. ⁴⁶ 

They will trample all over my chosen land. ⁴⁷ 

They will turn my beautiful land

into a desolate wasteland.

Ezekiel 15:2-6

15:2 “Son of man, of all the woody branches among the trees of the forest, what happens to the wood of the vine? ⁴⁸  15:3 Can wood be taken from it to make anything useful? Or can anyone make a peg from it to hang things on? 15:4 No! ⁴⁹  It is thrown in the fire for fuel; when the fire has burned up both ends of it and it is charred in the middle, will it be useful for anything? 15:5 Indeed! If it was not made into anything useful when it was whole, how much less can it be made into anything when the fire has burned it up and it is charred?

15:6 “Therefore, this is what the sovereign Lord says: Like the wood of the vine is among the trees of the forest which I have provided as fuel for the fire – so I will provide the residents of Jerusalem ⁵⁰  as fuel. ⁵¹ 

Hosea 10:1

Israel is Guilty of Fertility Cult Worship

10:1 Israel was a fertile vine

that yielded fruit.

As his fruit multiplied,

he multiplied altars to Baal. ⁵² 

As his land prospered,

they adorned the fertility pillars.

Zechariah 3:8

3:8 Listen now, Joshua the high priest, both you and your colleagues who are sitting before you, all of you ⁵³  are a symbol that I am about to introduce my servant, the Branch. ⁵⁴ 

Matthew 21:33

The Parable of the Tenants

21:33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner ⁵⁵  who planted a vineyard. ⁵⁶  He put a fence around it, dug a pit for its winepress, and built a watchtower. Then ⁵⁷  he leased it to tenant farmers ⁵⁸  and went on a journey.

Luke 13:6

Warning to Israel to Bear Fruit

13:6 Then ⁵⁹  Jesus ⁶⁰  told this parable: “A man had a fig tree ⁶¹  planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and found none.

[49:10]  ¹ tn Or perhaps “from his descendants,” taking the expression “from between his feet” as a euphemism referring to the genitals. In this case the phrase refers by metonymy to those who come forth from his genitals, i.e., his descendants.

[49:10]  ² tn The Hebrew form שִׁילֹה (shiloh) is a major interpretive problem. There are at least four major options (with many variations and less likely alternatives): (1) Some prefer to leave the text as it is, reading “Shiloh” and understanding it as the place where the ark rested for a while in the time of the Judges. (2) By repointing the text others arrive at the translation “until the [or “his”] ruler comes,” a reference to a Davidic ruler or the Messiah. (3) Another possibility that does not require emendation of the consonantal text, but only repointing, is “until tribute is brought to him” (so NEB, JPS, NRSV), which has the advantage of providing good parallelism with the following line, “the nations will obey him.” (4) The interpretation followed in the present translation, “to whom it [belongs]” (so RSV, NIV, REB), is based on the ancient versions. Again, this would refer to the Davidic dynasty or, ultimately, to the Messiah.

[49:10]  ³ tn “and to him [will be] the obedience of the nations.” For discussion of this verse see J. Blenkinsopp, “The Oracle of Judah and the Messianic Entry,” JBL 80 (1961): 55-64; and E. M. Good, “The ‘Blessing’ on Judah,” JBL 82 (1963): 427-32.

[49:11]  ⁴ tn The perfect verbal form is used rhetorically, describing coming events as though they have already taken place.

[80:8]  ⁵ sn The vine is here a metaphor for Israel (see Ezek 17:6-10; Hos 10:1).

[80:9]  ⁶ tn Heb “you cleared away before it.”

[80:9]  ⁷ tn Heb “and it took root [with] its roots.”

[80:10]  ⁸ tn Heb “cedars of God.” The divine name אֵל (’al, “God”) is here used in an idiomatic manner to indicate the superlative.

[80:11]  ⁹ tn Heb “to [the] sea.” The “sea” refers here to the Mediterranean Sea.

[80:11]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “to [the] river.” The “river” is the Euphrates River in Mesopotamia. Israel expanded both to the west and to the east.

[80:12]  ¹¹ sn The protective walls of the metaphorical vineyard are in view here (see Isa 5:5).

[80:12]  ¹² tn Heb “pluck it.”

[80:13]  ¹³ tn The Hebrew verb כִּרְסֵם (kirsem, “to eat away; to ruin”) occurs only here in the OT.

[80:13]  ¹⁴ tn The precise referent of the Hebrew word translated “insects,” which occurs only here and in Ps 50:11, is uncertain. Aramaic, Arabic, and Akkadian cognates refer to insects, such as locusts or crickets.

[80:14]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “O God, hosts.” One expects the construct form אֱלֹהֵי before צְבָאוֹת (tsÿva’ot, “hosts”; see Ps 89:9), but יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים (yehvah ’elohim) precedes צְבָאוֹת (tsÿva’ot) in Pss 59:5 and 84:8 as well. See also vv. 4, 7 for a similar construction.

[80:15]  ¹⁶ tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here in the OT. HALOT 483 s.v. III כֵּן emends the form to כַּנָּהּ (kannah, “its shoot”).

[80:15]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and upon a son you strengthened for yourself.” In this context, where the extended metaphor of the vine dominates, בֵּן (ben, “son”) probably refers to the shoots that grow from the vine. Cf. Gen 49:22.

[80:16]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “burned with fire.”

[80:16]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “because of the rebuke of your face they perish.”

[80:17]  ²⁰ tn Heb “may your hand be upon the man of your right hand.” The referent of the otherwise unattested phrase “man of your right hand,” is unclear. It may refer to the nation collectively as a man. (See the note on the word “yourself” in v. 17b.)

[80:17]  ²¹ tn Heb “upon the son of man you strengthened for yourself.” In its only other use in the Book of Psalms, the phrase “son of man” refers to the human race in general (see Ps 8:4). Here the phrase may refer to the nation collectively as a man. Note the use of the statement “you strengthened for yourself” both here and in v. 15, where the “son” (i.e., the branch of the vine) refers to Israel.

[80:18]  ²² tn Heb “and in your name we will call.”

[80:19]  ²³ tn Heb “O Lord, God, hosts.” One expects the construct form אֱלֹהֵי before צְבָאוֹת (tsÿva’ot, “hosts”; see Ps 89:9), but יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים (yehvah ’elohim) precedes צְבָאוֹת (tsÿva’ot) in Pss 59:5 and 84:8 as well. See also vv. 4, 7, 14 for a similar construction.

[80:19]  ²⁴ tn The idiom “cause your face to shine” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing (see Num 6:25; Pss 4:6; 31:16; 44:3; 67:1; 89:15; Dan 9:17).

[80:19]  ²⁵ tn Heb “cause your face to shine in order that we may be delivered.” After the imperative, the cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose/result.

[4:2]  ²⁶ tn Or “in that day” (KJV).

[4:2]  ²⁷ tn Heb “and the vegetation of the Lord will become beauty and honor.” Many English versions understand the phrase צֶמַח יְהוָה (tsemakh yÿhvah) as a messianic reference and render it, “the Branch of the Lord” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT, and others). Though צֶמַח (tsemakh) is used by later prophets of a royal descendant (Jer 23;5; 33:15; Zech 3:8; 6:12), those passages contain clear contextual indicators that a human ruler is in view and that the word is being used in a metaphorical way of offspring. However, in Isa 4:2 there are no such contextual indicators. To the contrary, in the parallel structure of the verse צֶמַח יְהוָה corresponds to “produce of the land,” a phrase that refers elsewhere exclusively to literal agricultural produce (see Num 13:20, 26; Deut 1:25). In the majority of its uses צֶמַח refers to literal crops or vegetation (in Ps 65:10 the Lord is the source of this vegetation). A reference to the Lord restoring crops would make excellent sense in Isa 4 and the prophets frequently included this theme in their visions of the future age (see Isa 30:23-24; 32:20; Jer 31:12; Ezek 34:26-29; and Amos 9:13-14).

[4:2]  ²⁸ tn Heb “and the fruit of the land will become pride and beauty for the remnant of Israel.”

[5:1]  ²⁹ tn It is uncertain who is speaking here. Possibly the prophet, taking the role of best man, composes a love song for his friend on the occasion of his wedding. If so, יָדִיד (yadid) should be translated “my friend.” The present translation assumes that Israel is singing to the Lord. The word דוֹד (dod, “lover”) used in the second line is frequently used by the woman in the Song of Solomon to describe her lover.

[5:1]  ³⁰ sn Israel, viewing herself as the Lord’s lover, refers to herself as his vineyard. The metaphor has sexual connotations, for it pictures her capacity to satisfy his appetite and to produce children. See Song 8:12.

[5:1]  ³¹ tn Heb “on a horn, a son of oil.” Apparently קֶרֶן (qeren, “horn”) here refers to the horn-shaped peak of a hill (BDB 902 s.v.) or to a mountain spur, i.e., a ridge that extends laterally from a mountain (HALOT 1145 s.v. קֶרֶן; H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:180). The expression “son of oil” pictures this hill as one capable of producing olive trees. Isaiah’s choice of קֶרֶן, a rare word for hill, may have been driven by paronomastic concerns, i.e., because קֶרֶן sounds like כֶּרֶם (kerem, “vineyard”).

[5:2]  ³² tn Or, “dug it up” (so NIV); KJV “fenced it.’ See HALOT 810 s.v. עזק.

[5:2]  ³³ tn Heb “wild grapes,” i.e., sour ones (also in v. 4).

[5:3]  ³⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[5:3]  ³⁵ tn Heb “men,” but in a generic sense.

[5:5]  ³⁶ tn Heb “and it will become [a place for] grazing.” בָּעַר (ba’ar, “grazing”) is a homonym of the more often used verb “to burn.”

[5:5]  ³⁷ tn Heb “and it will become a trampled place” (NASB “trampled ground”).

[5:6]  ³⁸ tn Heb “it will not be pruned or hoed” (so NASB); ASV and NRSV both similar.

[5:7]  ³⁹ tn Or “For” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV).

[5:7]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “the house of Israel” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[5:7]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “men,” but in a generic sense.

[5:7]  ⁴² tn Heb “but, look, disobedience.” The precise meaning of מִשְׂפָּח (mishpakh), which occurs only here in the OT, is uncertain. Some have suggested a meaning “bloodshed.” The term is obviously chosen for its wordplay value; it sounds very much like מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat, “justice”). The sound play draws attention to the point being made; the people have not met the Lord’s expectations.

[5:7]  ⁴³ tn Heb “but, look, a cry for help.” The verb (“he waited”) does double duty in the parallelism. צְעָקָה (tsa’qah) refers to the cries for help made by the oppressed. It sounds very much like צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “fairness”). The sound play draws attention to the point being made; the people have not met the Lord’s expectations.

[2:21]  ⁴⁴ tc Heb “I planted you as a choice vine, all of it true seed. How then have you turned into a putrid thing to me, a strange [or wild] vine.” The question expresses surprise and consternation. The translation is based on a redivision of the Hebrew words סוּרֵי הַגֶּפֶן (sure haggefen) into סוֹרִיָּה גֶּפֶן (soriyyah gefen) and the recognition of a hapax legomenon סוֹרִיָּה (soriyyah) meaning “putrid, stinking thing.” See HALOT 707 s.v. סוֹרִי.

[12:10]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “Many shepherds.” For the use of the term “shepherd” as a figure for rulers see the notes on 10:21.

[12:10]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “my vineyard.” To translate literally would presuppose an unlikely familiarity of this figure on the part of some readers. To translate as “vineyards” as some do would be misleading because that would miss the figurative nuance altogether.

[12:10]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “my portion.”

[15:2]  ⁴⁸ tn Most modern translations take the statement as a comparison (“how is vine wood better than any forest wood?”) based on the preposition מִן (min). But a comparison should have a word as an adjective or stative verb designating a quality, i.e., a word for “good/better” is lacking. The preposition is translated above in its partitive sense.

[15:4]  ⁴⁹ tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) draws one’s attention to something. Sometimes it may be translated as a verb of perception; here it is treated as a particle that fits the context (so also in v. 5, but with a different English word).

[15:6]  ⁵⁰ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[15:6]  ⁵¹ tn The words “as fuel” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.

[10:1]  ⁵² tn The phrase “to Baal” does not appear in the Hebrew text here, but is implied; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity. Cf. NCV “altars for idols”; NLT “altars of their foreign gods.”

[3:8]  ⁵³ tn Heb “these men.” The cleansing of Joshua and his elevation to enhanced leadership as a priest signify the coming of the messianic age.

[3:8]  ⁵⁴ sn The collocation of servant and branch gives double significance to the messianic meaning of the passage (cf. Isa 41:8, 9; 42:1, 19; 43:10; 44:1, 2, 21; Ps 132:17; Jer 23:5; 33:15).

[21:33]  ⁵⁵ tn The term here refers to the owner and manager of a household.

[21:33]  ⁵⁶ sn The vineyard is a figure for Israel in the OT (Isa 5:1-7). The nation and its leaders are the tenants, so the vineyard here may well refer to the promise that resides within the nation. The imagery is like that in Rom 11:11-24.

[21:33]  ⁵⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[21:33]  ⁵⁸ sn The leasing of land to tenant farmers was common in this period.

[13:6]  ⁵⁹ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[13:6]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “he”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:6]  ⁶¹ sn The fig tree is a variation on the picture of a vine as representing the nation; see Isa 5:1-7.