Isaiah 18:5
For afore the harvest, when the bud is perfect, and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, he shall both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks, and take away and cut down the branches.
Original Language Analysis
Historical Context
The pruning metaphor precisely describes what occurred: Ethiopian/Egyptian anti-Assyrian coalition-building was cut off before achieving goals. The 701 BCE campaign saw Assyria defeat Egyptian forces at Eltekeh, neutralizing Ethiopian military support before it could effectively aid Judah. Yet Jerusalem's deliverance came through direct divine intervention, not Ethiopian help. God pruned human plans while accomplishing His own purposes. This fulfilled Isaiah's consistent warnings against trusting Egypt/Ethiopia rather than God. Historically, Ethiopia's influence in Levantine politics was permanently reduced after these failures, illustrating divine pruning's lasting effects.
Questions for Reflection
- What does the pruning metaphor teach about God's sovereignty over human plans?
- How does God's intervention before harvest demonstrate His perfect timing and control?
- Why does God sometimes permit plans to develop before terminating them?
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Analysis & Commentary
'For afore the harvest, when the bud is perfect, and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, he shall both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks, and take away and cut down the branches.' Before harvest (before plans mature), God intervenes with pruning. The imagery depicts viticulture—cutting off promising growth before fruit matures. This describes God's judgment on Ethiopian/Egyptian anti-Assyrian plans: before diplomacy could produce results, God terminates the scheme. The pruning metaphor indicates not mere failure but divine intervention preventing success. This demonstrates God's sovereignty over human plans—'Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails' (Proverbs 19:21). God permits plans to develop only to the point serving His purposes, then cuts them off.