Isaiah 5:6
And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.
Original Language Analysis
לֹ֤א
H3808
לֹ֤א
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
3 of 15
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
וְלֹ֣א
H3808
וְלֹ֣א
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
5 of 15
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
יֵעָדֵ֔ר
nor digged
H5737
יֵעָדֵ֔ר
nor digged
Strong's:
H5737
Word #:
6 of 15
to arrange, as a battle, a vineyard (to hoe); hence, to muster and so to miss (or find wanting)
וְעָלָ֥ה
but there shall come up
H5927
וְעָלָ֥ה
but there shall come up
Strong's:
H5927
Word #:
7 of 15
to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative
שָׁמִ֖יר
briers
H8068
שָׁמִ֖יר
briers
Strong's:
H8068
Word #:
8 of 15
a thorn; also (from its keenness for scratching) a gem, probably the diamond
וָשָׁ֑יִת
and thorns
H7898
וָשָׁ֑יִת
and thorns
Strong's:
H7898
Word #:
9 of 15
scrub or trash, i.e., wild growth of weeds or briers (as if put on the field)
וְעַ֤ל
H5921
וְעַ֤ל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
10 of 15
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
הֶעָבִים֙
the clouds
H5645
הֶעָבִים֙
the clouds
Strong's:
H5645
Word #:
11 of 15
properly, an envelope, i.e., darkness (or density, 2 chronicles 4:17); specifically, a (scud) cloud; also a copse
Historical Context
Agricultural imagery resonated in Judah's agrarian context. Vineyard abandonment meant economic ruin, symbolizing God's removal of covenant protection and blessing.
Questions for Reflection
- How does divine 'neglect'—removing sustaining grace—function as judgment?
- What 'briars and thorns' overgrow our lives when God withdraws His cultivating presence?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
The vineyard owner's drastic action—ceasing pruning, hoeing, allowing briars and thorns, and withholding rain—depicts divine abandonment to covenant curses (cf. Leviticus 26:19-20). The vineyard (Israel, v. 7) that produced wild grapes receives judicial neglect, becoming waste. This anticipates Jesus' parable of the unfruitful fig tree (Luke 13:6-9) and the warning that unfaithful branches are removed (John 15:2, 6). God's withdrawal of care is itself judgment, delivering rebels to consequences of rebellion.