Isaiah Chapter 5 — The Song of the Vineyard
This chapter features a parable about a neglected vineyard representing Israel and a series of warnings against social injustice and moral decay.
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Notable Verses
Isaiah 5:7
“For the vineyard of the LORD of Armies is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for justice, but behold, oppression; for righteousness, but behold, a cry.”
This verse provides the key to the chapter's opening parable, identifying the vineyard as the nation and the expected fruit as justice.
Isaiah 5:20
“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”
This is a frequently cited verse describing the total reversal of moral values within a corrupt society.
Chapter Summary
Isaiah 5 begins with the 'Song of the Vineyard,' a parable where a well-tended vineyard fails to produce good fruit, symbolizing God's disappointment with the house of Israel and Judah. Because the people produced 'wild grapes' of oppression rather than justice, the protector of the vineyard promises to remove its hedge and leave it desolate. The text then transitions into a series of 'woes' directed at specific sins: land-grabbing greed, excessive indulgence in wine and music while ignoring God’s deeds, mocking divine judgment, and moral inversion—calling evil good. The chapter concludes with a vivid description of an approaching foreign army, summoned by a signal from the Lord, which will bring darkness and distress upon the land as a consequence of these transgressions and the rejection of the law.
Frequently Asked Questions
The text explicitly states that the vineyard of the Lord of Armies represents the house of Israel and the people of Judah. It illustrates God's care for His people and His expectation that they would produce the 'fruit' of justice and righteousness.
The chapter lists several 'woes' or warnings against specific behaviors, including greed in land ownership, drunkenness, mocking God's work, and confusing moral boundaries by calling evil good. Each woe identifies a specific social or spiritual failing.
It describes the Lord lifting a banner to summon a distant nation whose army is tireless, well-armed, and fierce like lions. This army will bring darkness and sorrow to the land as a consequence of the people's disobedience.
Study Note
The 'Song of the Vineyard' uses a literary form known as a juridical parable, designed to lead the audience to pronounce judgment on themselves before the true subject of the story is revealed.
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