Isaiah · The Prophet

Isaiah · Chapter 5יְשַׁעְיָהוּ

A Song of Judgment: The Vineyard That Failed

Isaiah sings a love song that becomes a lawsuit. The prophet presents God's relationship with Israel as a carefully tended vineyard that produced only wild, worthless grapes despite receiving every advantage. This parable of divine disappointment transitions into a series of six "woes" pronouncing judgment on specific sins—greed, drunkenness, moral confusion, pride, and injustice—that explain why the vineyard will be trampled and destroyed. The chapter establishes that Israel's coming devastation is not divine caprice but the logical consequence of a people who rejected the justice and righteousness God cultivated in them.

Isaiah 5:1-7

The Song of the Vineyard and Its Interpretation

LSB Text

¹Let me sing now for my beloved a song of my beloved concerning His vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill. ²And He dug it all around, removed its stones, and planted it with the choicest vine. And He built a tower in the middle of it and also hewed out a wine vat in it; then He waited for it to produce good grapes, but it produced worthless ones. ³So now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between Me and My vineyard. ⁴What more was there to do for My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why, when I waited for it to produce good grapes did it produce worthless ones? ⁵So now let Me tell you what I am going to do to My vineyard: I will remove its hedge and it will be consumed; I will break down its wall and it will become trampled ground. ⁶And I will lay it waste; it will not be pruned or hoed, but briars and thorns will come up. I will also command the clouds to rain no rain on it." ⁷For the vineyard of Yahweh of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah His delightful plant. Thus He waited for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry.

Greek Text

¹אָשִׁ֤ירָה נָּא֙ לִֽידִידִ֔י שִׁירַ֥ת דּוֹדִ֖י לְכַרְמֽוֹ כֶּ֛רֶם הָיָ֥ה לִֽידִידִ֖י בְּקֶ֥רֶן בֶּן־שָֽׁמֶן׃ ²וַֽיְעַזְּקֵ֣הוּ וַֽיְסַקְּלֵ֗הוּ וַיִּטָּעֵ֙הוּ֙ שֹׂרֵ֔ק וַיִּ֤בֶן מִגְדָּל֙ בְּתוֹכ֔וֹ וְגַם־יֶ֖קֶב חָצֵ֣ב בּ֑וֹ וַיְקַ֛ו לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת עֲנָבִ֖ים וַיַּ֥עַשׂ בְּאֻשִֽׁים׃ ³וְעַתָּ֛ה יוֹשֵׁ֥ב יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם וְאִ֣ישׁ יְהוּדָ֑ה שִׁפְטוּ־נָ֕א בֵּינִ֖י וּבֵ֥ין כַּרְמִֽי׃ ⁴מַה־לַּעֲשׂ֥וֹת עוֹד֙ לְכַרְמִ֔י וְלֹ֥א עָשִׂ֖יתִי בּ֑וֹ מַדּ֧וּעַ קִוֵּ֛יתִי לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת עֲנָבִ֖ים וַיַּ֥עַשׂ בְּאֻשִֽׁים׃ ⁵וְעַתָּ֣ה אוֹדִֽיעָה־נָּ֣א אֶתְכֶ֗ם אֵת֙ אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִ֣י עֹשֶׂ֔ה לְכַרְמִ֖י הָסֵ֤ר מְשׂוּכָּתוֹ֙ וְהָיָ֣ה לְבָעֵ֔ר פָּרֹ֥ץ גְּדֵר֖וֹ וְהָיָ֥ה לְמִרְמָֽס׃ ⁶וַאֲשִׁיתֵ֣הוּ בָתָ֗ה לֹ֤א יִזָּמֵר֙ וְלֹ֣א יֵעָדֵ֔ר וְעָלָ֥ה שָׁמִ֖יר וָשָׁ֑יִת וְעַ֤ל הֶֽעָבִים֙ אֲצַוֶּ֔ה מֵהַמְטִ֥יר עָלָ֖יו מָטָֽר׃ ⁷כִּ֣י כֶ֜רֶם יְהוָ֤ה צְבָאוֹת֙ בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאִ֣ישׁ יְהוּדָ֔ה נְטַ֖ע שַׁעֲשׁוּעָ֑יו וַיְקַ֤ו לְמִשְׁפָּט֙ וְהִנֵּ֣ה מִשְׂפָּ֔ח לִצְדָקָ֖ה וְהִנֵּ֥ה צְעָקָֽה׃

¹ʾāšîrâ nāʾ lîdîdî šîrat dôdî lĕkarmô kerem hāyâ lîdîdî bĕqeren ben-šāmen. ²wayyĕʿazzĕqēhû wayyĕsaqqĕlēhû wayyiṭṭāʿēhû śōrēq wayyiben migdāl bĕtôkô wĕgam-yeqeb ḥāṣēb bô wayyĕqaw laʿăśôt ʿănābîm wayyaʿaś bĕʾušîm. ³wĕʿattâ yôšēb yĕrûšālaim wĕʾîš yĕhûdâ šipṭû-nāʾ bênî ûbên karmî. ⁴mah-laʿăśôt ʿôd lĕkarmî wĕlōʾ ʿāśîtî bô maddûaʿ qiwwêtî laʿăśôt ʿănābîm wayyaʿaś bĕʾušîm. ⁵wĕʿattâ ʾôdîʿâ-nāʾ ʾetkĕm ʾēt ʾăšer-ʾănî ʿōśeh lĕkarmî hāsēr mĕśûkkātô wĕhāyâ lĕbāʿēr pārōṣ gĕdērô wĕhāyâ lĕmirmās. ⁶waʾăšîtēhû bātâ lōʾ yizzāmēr wĕlōʾ yēʿādēr wĕʿālâ šāmîr wāšāyit wĕʿal heʿābîm ʾăṣawweh mēhamṭîr ʿālāyw māṭār. ⁷kî kerem yhwh ṣĕbāʾôt bêt yiśrāʾēl wĕʾîš yĕhûdâ nĕṭaʿ šaʿăšûʿāyw wayyĕqaw lĕmišpāṭ wĕhinnēh miśpāḥ liṣdāqâ wĕhinnēh ṣĕʿāqâ.

Key Words

כֶּרֶם kerem vineyard

The Hebrew kerem designates a cultivated vineyard, a carefully tended agricultural space requiring significant investment of labor and resources. In ancient Near Eastern contexts, vineyards symbolized prosperity, divine blessing, and covenant relationship. Isaiah employs this agricultural metaphor to depict Yahweh's covenant relationship with Israel, drawing on imagery familiar from love poetry (Song of Songs) and prophetic tradition. The vineyard becomes a parable of divine investment and human failure, a motif Jesus will later appropriate in His own parables (Matthew 21:33-46). The term carries both economic and relational freight, suggesting not merely property but intimate care.

דּוֹד dôd beloved / lover

The noun dôd appears frequently in Song of Songs to denote a lover or beloved, carrying connotations of intimate affection and covenant loyalty. Isaiah's use here creates deliberate ambiguity—the "beloved" is both the prophet's friend and Yahweh Himself, collapsing the distance between human singer and divine subject. This term evokes the marriage metaphor central to prophetic theology, where Yahweh is Israel's husband (Hosea 2). The wordplay intensifies the emotional register of the passage, transforming what could be mere legal indictment into heartbroken lament. The beloved's identity is progressively revealed, moving from third-person description to first-person divine speech.

בְּאֻשִׁים bĕʾušîm wild grapes / worthless fruit

This rare Hebrew term (appearing only here and in verse 4) denotes sour, wild grapes or stinking fruit—produce that is not merely inferior but actively repulsive. The etymology may connect to a root suggesting foul odor or rottenness. The term creates a shocking contrast with the expected ʿănābîm (good grapes), emphasizing the complete perversion of Israel's moral and spiritual fruit. Where divine cultivation should have produced justice and righteousness, it yielded bloodshed and outcry. The linguistic surprise mirrors the theological scandal: covenant privilege corrupted into covenant violation. This vocabulary of failed expectation anticipates Jesus' teaching on fruit-bearing (Matthew 7:16-20; John 15:1-8).

מִשְׁפָּט mišpāṭ justice / judgment

The noun mišpāṭ encompasses judicial decision, legal ordinance, and the execution of justice in society. Derived from the verbal root šāpaṭ (to judge), it represents one of the central ethical demands of the covenant. Isaiah frequently pairs mišpāṭ with ṣĕdāqâ (righteousness), creating a hendiadys that captures both forensic and relational dimensions of covenant faithfulness. Yahweh's expectation was not merely ritual observance but social justice—fair treatment of the vulnerable, honest commerce, equitable legal proceedings. The prophetic tradition consistently identifies failure in mišpāṭ as covenant breach warranting divine judgment. This term becomes foundational for understanding the kingdom ethics Jesus proclaims (Matthew 23:23).

מִשְׂפָּח miśpāḥ bloodshed / violence

This term, a brilliant paronomasia with mišpāṭ, denotes bloodshed, violence, and murderous oppression. The phonetic similarity (mišpāṭ/miśpāḥ) creates a devastating wordplay that cannot be fully captured in translation—where justice was expected, bloodshed appeared. The consonantal shift from ṭ to ḥ marks the distance between divine intention and human reality. Isaiah employs sound to reinforce meaning, making the perversion of Israel's calling aurally palpable. This technique of prophetic wordplay appears throughout Isaiah's oracles, using linguistic artistry to drive home theological indictment. The term encompasses not only literal murder but systemic violence against the poor and powerless.

צְדָקָה ṣĕdāqâ righteousness

The noun ṣĕdāqâ denotes righteousness, rightness, or covenant faithfulness, encompassing both legal innocence and relational integrity. Derived from the root ṣādaq (to be just, righteous), it represents conformity to Yahweh's character and covenant stipulations. In prophetic literature, ṣĕdāqâ is inseparable from social ethics—care for widow, orphan, and stranger. Isaiah's usage here anticipates his later theology of the Suffering Servant who will bring ṣĕdāqâ to the nations (Isaiah 53). Paul will later develop this vocabulary in his doctrine of justification, where God's righteousness is both standard and gift (Romans 1:17; 3:21-26). The term bridges forensic and transformative categories, demanding both right standing and right living.

צְעָקָה ṣĕʿāqâ outcry / cry of distress

This noun denotes a cry of distress, particularly the cry of the oppressed seeking justice. The term appears in contexts of extreme suffering—the cry of Sodom (Genesis 18:20-21), the cry of enslaved Israel in Egypt (Exodus 3:7-9). Isaiah's wordplay pairs ṣĕdāqâ with ṣĕʿāqâ, another phonetic near-match that underscores the perversion of covenant expectations. Where righteousness should have flourished, only the screams of victims arose. This vocabulary evokes the covenant curses of Deuteronomy, where oppression and injustice characterize covenant breach. The ṣĕʿāqâ is not merely human complaint but testimony that reaches Yahweh's ears, demanding His judicial response. James will later warn that the cries of defrauded workers reach the Lord of Sabaoth (James 5:4).

Grammar & Argument

Isaiah 5:1-7 unfolds as a masterpiece of prophetic rhetoric, beginning with the disarming form of a love song (šîrat dôdî) before pivoting to devastating indictment. The opening verse establishes a triadic relationship: the prophet sings for his beloved about his beloved's vineyard, creating narrative distance that will collapse in verse 3 when Yahweh speaks in first person. The repetition of "beloved" (dôdî, yĕdîdî) saturates the opening with covenant intimacy, evoking the marriage metaphor central to Hosea and later prophetic tradition. The shift from third-person narration (vv. 1-2) to direct divine address (vv. 3-6) to explicit interpretation (v. 7) creates a rhetorical trap: the audience is drawn into aesthetic appreciation before realizing they are the accused.

Verse 2 employs a rapid succession of verbs describing Yahweh's exhaustive cultivation: He dug (wayyĕʿazzĕqēhû), cleared stones (wayyĕsaqqĕlēhû), planted choice vines (wayyiṭṭāʿēhû śōrēq), built a watchtower (wayyiben migdāl), and hewed out a winepress (ḥāṣēb yeqeb). The accumulation of perfect consecutive verbs (wayyiqtol forms) drives home the completeness of divine investment—nothing was withheld, no effort spared. The climactic verb wayyĕqaw ("He waited/expected") introduces the shocking reversal: instead of ʿănābîm (good grapes), the vineyard produced bĕʾušîm (stinking fruit). This agricultural failure becomes the hinge on which the entire parable turns, setting up the rhetorical question of verse 4.

Verses 3-4 shift to direct address, with Yahweh summoning Jerusalem and Judah to serve as jury in His lawsuit against His own vineyard. The imperative šipṭû-nāʾ ("judge now") transforms the audience from spectators to participants in covenant litigation (rîb). The rhetorical question of verse 4—"What more was there to do?"—admits no answer; it is a question that silences objection. The repetition of the expectation-failure pattern (qiwwêtî laʿăśôt ʿănābîm wayyaʿaś bĕʾušîm) reinforces the inexplicability of Israel's covenant breach. Verses 5-6 pronounce sentence with chilling specificity: removal of hedge, breaking of wall, cessation of cultivation, and—most ominously—divine command to the clouds to withhold rain. This last detail elevates the judgment beyond human agency to cosmic decree, recalling the covenant curses of Deuteronomy 28.

Verse 7 provides the interpretive key with devastating clarity: "For the vineyard of Yahweh of hosts is the house of Israel." The particle kî functions as both causal explanation and emphatic assertion. The parallelism of the verse is exquisite: kerem yhwh ṣĕbāʾôt // bêt yiśrāʾēl, and nĕṭaʿ šaʿăšûʿāyw // ʾîš yĕhûdâ. But the true rhetorical brilliance lies in the double paronomasia of the final cola: wayyĕqaw lĕmišpāṭ wĕhinnēh miśpāḥ / liṣdāqâ wĕhinnēh ṣĕʿāqâ. The phonetic near-identity of justice/bloodshed (mišpāṭ/miśpāḥ) and righteousness/outcry (ṣĕdāqâ/ṣĕʿāqâ) creates an auditory shock that mirrors the moral shock of covenant perversion. The particle hinnēh ("behold") introduces each horrifying reality with the force of eyewitness testimony. This is not abstract theology but observable social reality: where covenant should have produced justice and righteousness, it yielded violence and the screams of victims.

God's most lavish investment in us does not guarantee our fruitfulness; privilege intensifies rather than excuses accountability. The vineyard song reveals that covenant relationship is not divine favoritism but divine expectation—and where justice is perverted into bloodshed, love must become judgment. We are never closer to apostasy than when we mistake God's patience for His approval.

OT Connection

Psalm 80:8-16; Jeremiah 2:21; Ezekiel 15:1-8; Hosea 10:1

The vineyard metaphor for Israel appears throughout the prophetic corpus, creating a sustained typological thread. Psalm 80 laments that Yahweh brought a vine out of Egypt, cleared the ground,

Isaiah 5:8-23

Six Woes Against Judah's Sins

LSB Text

⁸Woe to those who attach house to house and bring field close to field, Until there is no more room, So that you have to live alone in the midst of the land! ⁹In my ears Yahweh of hosts has sworn, "Surely, many houses shall become a desolation, Great and beautiful ones, without inhabitant. ¹⁰For ten acres of vineyard will yield only one bath, And a homer of seed will yield but an ephah." ¹¹Woe to those who rise early in the morning that they may pursue strong drink, Who stay up late in the evening that wine may inflame them! ¹²Their banquets are accompanied by lyre and harp, by tambourine and flute, and by wine; But they do not pay attention to the deeds of Yahweh, Nor do they consider the work of His hands. ¹³Therefore My people go into exile for their lack of knowledge; And their honored men are famished, And their multitude is parched with thirst. ¹⁴Therefore Sheol has enlarged its throat and opened its mouth without measure; And Jerusalem's splendor, her multitude, her din of revelry, and the exultant within her, descend into it. ¹⁵So the common man will be bowed down, and the man of importance abased, The eyes of the lofty also will be abased. ¹⁶But Yahweh of hosts will be exalted in justice, And the holy God will show Himself holy in righteousness. ¹⁷Then lambs will graze as in their pasture, And strangers will eat in the waste places of the wealthy. ¹⁸Woe to those who drag iniquity with the cords of falsehood, And sin as if with cart ropes; ¹⁹Who say, "Let Him make speed, let Him hasten His work, that we may see it; And let the purpose of the Holy One of Israel draw near And come to pass, that we may know it!" ²⁰Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! ²¹Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes And discerning in their own sight! ²²Woe to those who are mighty in drinking wine And valiant men in mixing strong drink, ²³Who justify the wicked for a bribe, And take away the righteousness of the righteous ones from them!

Greek Text

⁸ה֗וֹי מַגִּ֥יעֵי בַ֙יִת֙ בְּבַ֔יִת שָׂדֶ֥ה בְשָׂדֶ֖ה יַקְרִ֑יבוּ עַ֚ד אֶ֣פֶס מָק֔וֹם וְהֽוּשַׁבְתֶּ֥ם לְבַדְּכֶ֖ם בְּקֶ֥רֶב הָאָֽרֶץ׃ ⁹בְּאָזְנָ֖י יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֑וֹת אִם־לֹ֞א בָּתִּ֤ים רַבִּים֙ לְשַׁמָּ֣ה יִֽהְיּ֔ו גְּדֹלִ֥ים וְטוֹבִ֖ים מֵאֵ֥ין יוֹשֵֽׁב׃ ¹⁰כִּ֗י עֲשֶׂ֙רֶת֙ צִמְדֵּי־כֶ֔רֶם יַעֲשׂ֖וּ בַּ֣ת אֶחָ֑ת וְזֶ֥רַע חֹ֖מֶר יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה אֵיפָֽה׃ ¹¹ה֛וֹי מַשְׁכִּימֵ֥י בַבֹּ֖קֶר שֵׁכָ֣ר יִרְדֹּ֑פוּ מְאַחֲרֵ֣י בַנֶּ֔שֶׁף יַ֖יִן יַדְלִיקֵֽם׃ ¹²וְהָיָ֨ה כִנּ֜וֹר וָנֶ֗בֶל תֹּ֧ף וְחָלִ֛יל וָיַ֖יִן מִשְׁתֵּיהֶ֑ם וְאֵ֨ת פֹּ֤עַל יְהוָה֙ לֹ֣א יַבִּ֔יטוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָדָ֖יו לֹ֥א רָאֽוּ׃ ¹³לָכֵ֛ן גָּלָ֥ה עַמִּ֖י מִבְּלִי־דָ֑עַת וּכְבוֹדוֹ֙ מְתֵ֣י רָעָ֔ב וַהֲמוֹנ֖וֹ צִחֵ֥ה צָמָֽא׃ ¹⁴לָכֵ֗ן הִרְחִ֤יבָה שְּׁאוֹל֙ נַפְשָׁ֔הּ וּפָעֲרָ֥ה פִ֖יהָ לִבְלִי־חֹ֑ק וְיָרַ֨ד הֲדָרָ֧הּ וַהֲמוֹנָ֛הּ וּשְׁאוֹנָ֖הּ וְעָלֵ֥ז בָּֽהּ׃ ¹⁵וַיִּשַּׁ֥ח אָדָ֖ם וַיִּשְׁפַּל־אִ֑ישׁ וְעֵינֵ֥י גְבֹהִ֖ים תִּשְׁפַּֽלְנָה׃ ¹⁶וַיִּגְבַּ֛ה יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֑ט וְהָאֵל֙ הַקָּד֔וֹשׁ נִקְדָּ֖שׁ בִּצְדָקָֽה׃ ¹⁷וְרָע֥וּ כְבָשִׂ֖ים כְּדָבְרָ֑ם וְחָרְב֥וֹת מֵחִ֖ים גָּרִ֥ים יֹאכֵֽלוּ׃ ¹⁸ה֛וֹי מֹשְׁכֵ֥י הֶֽעָוֺ֖ן בְּחַבְלֵ֣י הַשָּׁ֑וְא וְכַעֲב֥וֹת הָעֲגָלָ֖ה חַטָּאָֽה׃ ¹⁹הָאֹמְרִ֗ים יְמַהֵ֧ר ׀ יָחִ֛ישָׁה מַעֲשֵׂ֖הוּ לְמַ֣עַן נִרְאֶ֑ה וְתִקְרַ֣ב וְתָב֗וֹאָה עֲצַ֛ת קְד֥וֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וְנֵדָֽעָה׃ ²⁰ה֣וֹי הָאֹמְרִ֥ים לָרַ֛ע ט֖וֹב וְלַטּ֣וֹב רָ֑ע שָׂמִ֨ים חֹ֤שֶׁךְ לְאוֹר֙ וְא֣וֹר לְחֹ֔שֶׁךְ שָׂמִ֥ים מַ֛ר לְמָת֖וֹק וּמָת֥וֹק לְמָֽר׃ ²¹ה֖וֹי חֲכָמִ֣ים בְּעֵֽינֵיהֶ֑ם וְנֶ֥גֶד פְּנֵיהֶ֖ם נְבֹנִֽים׃ ²²ה֕וֹי גִּבּוֹרִ֖ים לִשְׁתּ֣וֹת יָ֑יִן וְאַנְשֵׁי־חַ֖יִל לִמְסֹ֥ךְ שֵׁכָֽר׃ ²³מַצְדִּיקֵ֥י רָשָׁ֖ע עֵ֣קֶב שֹׁ֑חַד וְצִדְקַ֥ת צַדִּיקִ֖ים יָסִ֥ירוּ מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃

⁸hôy maggîʿê bayit bĕbayit śādeh bĕśādeh yaqrîbû ʿad ʾepes māqôm wĕhûšabtĕm lĕbaddĕkem bĕqereb hāʾāreṣ ⁹bĕʾoznāy yhwh ṣĕbāʾôt ʾim-lōʾ bāttîm rabbîm lĕšammâ yihyû gĕdōlîm wĕṭôbîm mēʾên yôšēb ¹⁰kî ʿăśeret ṣimdê-kerem yaʿăśû bat ʾeḥāt wĕzeraʿ ḥōmer yaʿăśeh ʾêpâ ¹¹hôy maškîmê babbōqer šēkār yirdōpû mĕʾaḥărê bannešep yayin yadlîqēm ¹²wĕhāyâ kinnôr wānebel tōp wĕḥālîl wāyayin mištêhem wĕʾēt pōʿal yhwh lōʾ yabbîṭû ûmaʿăśēh yādāyw lōʾ rāʾû ¹³lākēn gālâ ʿammî mibbĕlî-dāʿat ûkĕbôdô mĕtê rāʿāb wahămônô ṣiḥēh ṣāmāʾ ¹⁴lākēn hirḥîbâ šĕʾôl napšāh ûpāʿărâ pîhā liblî-ḥōq wĕyārad hădārāh wahămônāh ûšĕʾônāh wĕʿālēz bāh ¹⁵wayyiššaḥ ʾādām wayyišpal-ʾîš wĕʿênê gĕbōhîm tišpalnâ ¹⁶wayyigbah yhwh ṣĕbāʾôt bammišpāṭ wĕhāʾēl haqqādôš niqdāš biṣdāqâ ¹⁷wĕrāʿû kĕbāśîm kĕdābrām wĕḥorbôt mēḥîm gārîm yōʾkēlû ¹⁸hôy mōšĕkê hĕʿāwōn bĕḥablê haššāwĕʾ wĕkaʿăbôt hāʿăgālâ ḥaṭṭāʾâ ¹⁹hāʾōmĕrîm yĕmahēr yāḥîšâ maʿăśēhû lĕmaʿan nirʾeh wĕtiqrab wĕtābôʾâ ʿăṣat qĕdôš yiśrāʾēl wĕnēdāʿâ ²⁰hôy hāʾōmĕrîm lāraʿ ṭôb wĕlaṭṭôb rāʿ śāmîm ḥōšek lĕʾôr wĕʾôr lĕḥōšek śāmîm mar lĕmātôq ûmātôq lĕmār ²¹hôy ḥăkāmîm bĕʿênêhem wĕneged pĕnêhem nĕbōnîm ²²hôy gibbôrîm lištôt yāyin wĕʾanšê-ḥayil limĕsōk šēkār ²³maṣdîqê rāšāʿ ʿēqeb šōḥad wĕṣidqat ṣaddîqîm yāsîrû mimmennû

Key Words

הוֹי hôy woe / alas

An interjection of grief, warning, or impending judgment, hôy functions as a prophetic alarm bell. It appears in funeral laments (1 Kings 13:30) and prophetic oracles of doom, signaling that the speaker is about to pronounce divine judgment. Isaiah uses this word six times in this passage to structure his indictment of Judah's sins. The term carries both sorrow and threat—God grieves over the sin even as He announces its consequences. Jesus echoes this prophetic tradition in His own "woe" pronouncements against the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23).

שְׁאוֹל šĕʾôl Sheol / the grave / the realm of the dead

Sheol designates the shadowy underworld where the dead reside, a place of silence and separation from God's active presence. In verse 14, Isaiah personifies Sheol as a ravenous beast enlarging its throat to swallow Jerusalem's revelers. The term appears throughout the Hebrew Bible as the destination of all humanity (Genesis 37:35; Psalm 16:10), though later texts hint at distinctions within it (Luke 16:19-31). The New Testament uses Hades as the Greek equivalent, and Christ's descent into Sheol becomes a pivotal moment in redemptive history, demonstrating His authority over death itself.

דַּעַת daʿat knowledge / understanding

From the verb yādaʿ (to know), daʿat signifies not merely intellectual awareness but covenantal intimacy and experiential understanding. In verse 13, the people go into exile "for their lack of knowledge"—they have failed to know Yahweh relationally and to recognize His deeds. This is the same word used in Hosea 4:6 ("My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge") and anticipates the new covenant promise that all will know the Lord (Jeremiah 31:34). True knowledge in the Hebrew Bible is always personal, ethical, and transformative, never merely cognitive.

מִשְׁפָּט mišpāṭ justice / judgment / ordinance

Mišpāṭ denotes the execution of right judgment, the establishment of justice, and the legal decisions that maintain covenant order. In verse 16, Yahweh will be exalted "in justice," demonstrating that His character is vindicated precisely through His righteous judgments. The term appears over 400 times in the Hebrew Bible and is central to prophetic ethics (Micah 6:8). It encompasses both forensic judgment and restorative justice, the twin poles of God's governance. When human judges pervert mišpāṭ (verse 23), they assault the very image of God's rule on earth.

צְדָקָה ṣĕdāqâ righteousness / justice / vindication

Ṣĕdāqâ describes conformity to God's standard, the rightness that characterizes both His nature and His demands. In verse 16, God shows Himself holy "in righteousness," and in verse 23, corrupt judges "take away the righteousness of the righteous ones." The term is relational and covenantal, often paired with mišpāṭ to form a hendiadys for comprehensive justice. In the New Testament, dikaiosynē carries forward this rich semantic field, becoming central to Paul's theology of justification. God's ṣĕdāqâ is both the standard by which He judges and the gift He imputes to those who trust Him.

שֵׁכָר šēkār strong drink / intoxicating beverage

Šēkār refers to fermented drinks other than wine (yayin), typically beer or liquor made from grain or dates. In verses 11 and 22, Isaiah condemns those who "pursue strong drink" and are "valiant in mixing strong drink," highlighting not moderate consumption but addictive excess that dul

Grammar & Argument

Isaiah 5:24-30

Judgment Pronounced Through Foreign Invasion

LSB Text

²⁴Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes stubble And dry grass collapses into the flame, So their root will become like rot and their blossom blow away as dust; For they have rejected the law of Yahweh of hosts And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. ²⁵On this account the anger of Yahweh has burned against His people, And He has stretched out His hand against them and struck them down. And the mountains quaked, and their corpses lay like refuse in the middle of the streets. In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away And His hand is still stretched out. ²⁶He will also lift up a standard to the distant nation, And will whistle for it from the ends of the earth; And behold, it will come with speed swiftly. ²⁷No one in it is weary or stumbles, None slumbers or sleeps; Nor is the belt at its waist undone, Nor its sandal strap broken. ²⁸Its arrows are sharp and all its bows are bent; The hoofs of its horses seem like flint and its chariot wheels like the whirlwind. ²⁹Its roaring is like a lioness, and it roars like young lions; It growls as it seizes the prey And carries it off with no one to deliver it. ³⁰And it will growl over it in that day like the roaring of the sea. If one looks to the land, behold, there is darkness and distress; Even the light is darkened by its clouds.

Greek Text

²⁴לָכֵ֗ן כֶּאֱכֹ֤ל קַשׁ֙ לְשׁ֣וֹן אֵ֔שׁ וַחֲשַׁ֥שׁ לֶהָבָ֖ה יִרְפֶּ֑ה שָׁרְשָׁם֙ כַּמָּ֣ק יִֽהְיֶ֔ה וּפִרְחָ֖ם כָּאָבָ֣ק יַעֲלֶ֑ה כִּ֣י מָאֲס֗וּ אֵ֚ת תּוֹרַ֣ת יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת וְאֵ֛ת אִמְרַ֥ת קְדֽוֹשׁ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נִאֵֽצוּ׃ ²⁵עַל־כֵּ֡ן חָרָה֩ אַף־יְהוָ֨ה בְּעַמּ֜וֹ וַיֵּ֣ט יָד֣וֹ עָלָ֗יו וַיַּכֵּ֙הוּ֙ וַיִּרְגְּז֣וּ הֶהָרִ֔ים וַתְּהִ֧י נִבְלָתָ֛ם כַּסּוּחָ֖ה בְּקֶ֣רֶב חוּצ֑וֹת בְּכָל־זֹאת֙ לֹא־שָׁ֣ב אַפּ֔וֹ וְעוֹד֙ יָד֣וֹ נְטוּיָֽה׃ ²⁶וְנָֽשָׂא־נֵ֤ס לַגּוֹיִם֙ מֵרָח֔וֹק וְשָׁ֥רַק ל֖וֹ מִקְצֵ֣ה הָאָ֑רֶץ וְהִנֵּ֥ה מְהֵרָ֖ה קַ֥ל יָבֽוֹא׃ ²⁷אֵין־עָיֵ֤ף וְאֵין־כּוֹשֵׁל֙ בּ֔וֹ לֹ֥א יָנ֖וּם וְלֹ֣א יִישָׁ֑ן וְלֹ֤א נִפְתַּח֙ אֵז֣וֹר חֲלָצָ֔יו וְלֹ֥א נִתַּ֖ק שְׂר֥וֹךְ נְעָלָֽיו׃ ²⁸אֲשֶׁ֤ר חִצָּיו֙ שְׁנוּנִ֔ים וְכָל־קַשְּׁתֹתָ֖יו דְּרֻכ֑וֹת פַּרְס֤וֹת סוּסָיו֙ כַּצַּ֣ר נֶחְשָׁ֔בוּ וְגַלְגִּלָּ֖יו כַּסּוּפָֽה׃ ²⁹שְׁאָגָ֥ה ל֖וֹ כַּלָּבִ֑יא וְשָׁאַג֙ כַּכְּפִירִ֔ים וְיִנְהֹ֥ם וְיֹאחֵ֛ז טֶ֖רֶף וְיַפְלִ֥יט וְאֵ֥ין מַצִּֽיל׃ ³⁰וְיִנְהֹ֥ם עָלָ֛יו בַּיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא כְּנַהֲמַת־יָ֑ם וְנִבַּ֤ט לָאָ֙רֶץ֙ וְהִנֵּה־חֹ֔שֶׁךְ צַ֣ר וָא֔וֹר חָשַׁ֖ךְ בַּעֲרִיפֶֽיהָ׃

²⁴lāḵēn keʾĕḵōl qaš lešôn ʾēš waḥăšaš lehābâ yirpeh šoršām kammāq yihyeh ûpirḥām kāʾābāq yaʿăleh kî māʾăsû ʾēt tôrat yhwh ṣebāʾôt weʾēt ʾimrat qedôš-yiśrāʾēl niʾēṣû. ²⁵ʿal-kēn ḥārâ ʾap-yhwh beʿammô wayyēṭ yādô ʿālāyw wayyakkēhû wayyirgeᶻû hehārîm wattehi niḇlātām kassûḥâ beqereḇ ḥûṣôt beḵol-zōʾt lōʾ-šāḇ ʾappô weʿôd yādô neṭûyâ. ²⁶wenāśāʾ-nēs laggôyim mērāḥôq wešāraq lô miqqeṣēh hāʾāreṣ wehinnēh mehērâ qal yāḇôʾ. ²⁷ʾên-ʿāyēp weʾên-kôšēl bô lōʾ yānûm welōʾ yîšān welōʾ niptaḥ ʾēzôr ḥălāṣāyw welōʾ nittaq śerôḵ neʿālāyw. ²⁸ʾăšer ḥiṣṣāyw šenûnîm weḵol-qaššetōtāyw derûḵôt parsôt sûsāyw kaṣṣar neḥšāḇû wegalgillāyw kassûpâ. ²⁹šeʾāgâ lô kallābîʾ wešāʾag kakkepîrîm weyinhōm weyōʾḥēz ṭerep weyaplîṭ weʾên maṣṣîl. ³⁰weyinhōm ʿālāyw bayyôm hahûʾ kenahamat-yām weniḇbaṭ lāʾāreṣ wehinnēh-ḥōšeḵ ṣar wāʾôr ḥāšaḵ baʿărîpehā.

Key Words

תּוֹרָה tôrâ law / instruction / teaching

From the root ירה (yārâ), "to throw, shoot, direct," tôrâ fundamentally means "direction" or "instruction." In the Pentateuch it designates the entire Mosaic covenant, but in prophetic literature it often refers to divine instruction more broadly. Isaiah's use here emphasizes that rejection of Yahweh's tôrâ is not merely legal disobedience but a repudiation of God's revealed will. The parallelism with "word of the Holy One" underscores that tôrâ is living divine speech, not merely written code. Paul's wrestling with nomos in Romans echoes this tension between law as gift and law as condemning standard.

נָאַץ nāʾaṣ to despise / to spurn / to treat with contempt

This verb conveys active scorn rather than passive neglect. It appears in contexts of covenant violation (Num 14:11, 23) and blasphemy (2 Sam 12:14). The Piel form intensifies the contempt—Israel has not merely ignored God's word but has treated it with deliberate disdain. The term's covenantal freight makes clear that this is not intellectual disagreement but relational betrayal. The prophets consistently link nāʾaṣ with covenant curses, and here it triggers the divine anger of verse 25. The New Testament concept of "trampling underfoot the Son of God" (Heb 10:29) carries similar force.

נֵס nēs standard / banner / signal

A military ensign raised to rally troops or signal movement. In ancient Near Eastern warfare, the nēs served as both a visual marker and a symbolic representation of the commanding authority. Isaiah uses it to depict Yahweh as the divine commander summoning foreign armies to execute judgment. The imagery recurs in Isaiah 11:10-12, where Messiah becomes a nēs for the nations—a striking reversal where the signal of judgment becomes the banner of salvation. The term's military connotations underscore God's sovereignty over international politics and warfare.

שָׁרַק šāraq to whistle / to hiss / to signal

A verb denoting a sharp, piercing sound used to summon or signal. Shepherds whistled to gather flocks; commanders whistled to coordinate troops. The image of Yahweh whistling for distant nations portrays Him as effortlessly summoning vast armies with a casual gesture. The term appears in Zechariah 10:8 with redemptive overtones (whistling to gather scattered Israel), but here it is ominous—God calls the nations not to bless but to devastate. The ease of the summons (a mere whistle) contrasts with the catastrophic consequences, highlighting divine sovereignty over history.

שָׁאַג šāʾag to roar (as a lion)

The characteristic roar of a lion, especially when seizing prey. Amos 3:8 uses it to describe both the lion's roar and Yahweh's prophetic word: "The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord Yahweh has spoken; who can but prophesy?" Here the invading army roars like young lions (kepîrîm), an image of predatory power and unstoppable force. The verb's association with divine speech elsewhere in the prophets suggests that even the enemy's roar is, paradoxically, the voice of Yahweh's judgment. First Peter 5:8 inverts the image, warning that "your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion."

חֹשֶׁךְ ḥōšeḵ darkness / obscurity

More than physical absence of light, ḥōšeḵ in prophetic literature signifies judgment, chaos, and the withdrawal of divine favor. It recalls the primordial darkness of Genesis 1:2 and anticipates the eschatological darkness of the Day of Yahweh (Amos 5:18-20; Joel 2:2). Isaiah's closing image—light itself darkened by clouds—depicts total inversion of creation order. The term's theological weight makes it a natural symbol for spiritual blindness and divine wrath. Jesus' use of "outer darkness" (Matt 8:12) and Paul's contrast between light and darkness (Eph 5:8) draw on this prophetic tradition.

צַר ṣar distress / anguish / straits

From a root meaning "to bind" or "to be narrow," ṣar describes the constriction of extreme trouble. It often appears in contexts of military siege or personal crisis where options narrow to nothing. The pairing with ḥōšeḵ in verse 30 creates a hendiadys of total calamity—darkness that presses in, light that offers no relief. The term's etymology suggests being hemmed in with no escape, which perfectly captures the experience of divine judgment. Paul's catalog of afflictions in 2 Corinthians 4:8 ("afflicted in every way, but not crushed") uses similar imagery of pressure and constriction.

Grammar & Argument

The passage opens with the causal lāḵēn ("therefore"), anchoring the judgment oracle firmly to the preceding woes. The double simile of verse 24—fire consuming stubble, flame collapsing dry grass—establishes the totality and irreversibility of coming judgment. Isaiah then shifts from agricultural imagery to anatomical: root and blossom represent the entirety of the nation's life, from hidden foundation to visible fruit. The kî clause that follows is not merely explanatory but juridical, specifying the covenant violation that necessitates judgment. The parallelism between "law of Yahweh of hosts" and "word of the Holy One of Israel" is not redundant but cumulative, emphasizing both the authority (hosts) and the intimacy (Holy One of Israel) of the rejected revelation.

Verse 25 introduces the divine anger with a perfect verb (ḥārâ), indicating completed action with ongoing consequences. The anthropomorphic imagery—Yahweh stretching out His hand, striking—portrays judgment as personal and deliberate, not impersonal fate. The mountains quaking and corpses lying like refuse in the streets blend cosmic and human catastrophe. Yet the most chilling element is the refrain: "In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away and His hand is still stretched out." The outstretched hand, which might signal blessing or protection, here remains extended in judgment. The repetition of this refrain throughout Isaiah 5 and 9-10 creates a drumbeat of unrelenting divine wrath.

Verses 26-30 shift from past judgment to future invasion, depicted with cinematic vividness. The nēs (standard) and whistle summon a distant nation with effortless sovereignty—Yahweh orchestrates international politics as a shepherd gathers sheep. The description of the invading army is relentless: no weariness, no stumbling, no sleep, no broken equipment. Every detail emphasizes unstoppable momentum. The imagery escalates from military precision (sharp arrows, bent bows) to natural force (horses like flint, wheels like whirlwind) to predatory violence (roaring like lions, seizing prey). The final verse returns to cosmic imagery: the army's roar merges with the sea's roar, and even light is swallowed by darkness. The progression from human agency to natural force to cosmic chaos suggests that this invasion transcends mere military conquest—it is the unraveling of creation itself under divine judgment.

The grammar of verse 30 deserves special attention. The conditional "if one looks to the land" (weniḇbaṭ lāʾāreṣ) followed by "behold, darkness" (wehinnēh-ḥōšeḵ) creates a rhetorical trap: the instinct to look for hope or escape yields only confirmation of total calamity. The final clause, "even the light is darkened by its clouds," uses a Pual verb (ḥāšaḵ) to indicate that light itself undergoes darkening—not merely obscured but transformed. This grammatical choice underscores the totality of judgment: not just the absence of light but the corruption of light itself. The verse's structure mirrors its content: every attempt to find relief or orientation leads only deeper into darkness and distress.

When a nation rejects divine instruction, God does not merely withdraw His blessing—He actively summons the instruments of judgment, whistling for distant armies as casually as a shepherd calls his flock. The most terrifying aspect of divine wrath is not its intensity but its precision: every arrow sharp, every belt fastened, every step purposeful, and still His hand remains outstretched in judgment.

LSB Choices Worth Noting

"Yahweh" for יהוה—The LSB's consistent rendering of the divine name preserves the covenantal intimacy and specificity of Isaiah's indictment. When the prophet declares that Israel has "rejected the law of Yahweh of hosts," the personal name underscores that this is not generic deity but the covenant God who brought them out of Egypt. The title "Yahweh of hosts" (yhwh ṣebāʾôt) combines personal relationship with cosmic sovereignty—the God who knows Israel by name commands the armies of heaven and earth.

"Holy One of Israel"—This distinctive Isaianic title (appearing 25 times in Isaiah, only 6 times elsewhere in the OT) captures the paradox of God's transcendent holiness and His particular relationship with Israel. The LSB preserves the full phrase rather than softening it to "Israel's Holy One," maintaining the grammatical structure that emphasizes both separation (holiness) and connection (of Israel). To despise the word of the Holy One of Israel is to reject both the privilege of election and the demand for holiness it entails.

"His hand is still stretched out"—The LSB's literal rendering of yādô neṭûyâ preserves the ominous ambiguity of the Hebrew. An outstretched hand can signal blessing, protection, or—as here—unrelenting judgment. The repetition of this