Geneva Study Bible Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: Now will {a} I sing to my {b} wellbeloved a song of my beloved concerning his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a {c} vineyard in a very fruitful hill:
(a) The prophet by this song sets before the people's eyes their ingratitude and God's mercy. (b) That is, to God. (c) Meaning that he had planted his Church in a place most plentiful and abundant. And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. And he dug it, and removed its stones, and planted it with the choicest vine, {d} and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress in it: and he expected that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth {e} wild grapes.
(d) He spared no diligence or cost. (e) In Isa 5:7 he declares what they were. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, {f} between me and my vineyard.
(f) He makes them judges in their own cause, for as much as it was evident that they were the cause of their own ruin. What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?
And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down: And now come; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I {g} will take away its hedge, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall of it, and it shall be trodden down:
(g) I will take no more care for it: meaning, that he would take from them his word and ministers and all other comforts, and feed them contrary plagues. 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. 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.
For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry. For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for {h} judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold {i} a cry.
(h) Judgment and righteousness are true fruit of the fear of God and therefore in the cruel oppression there is no religion. (i) Of them who are oppressed. Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth! Woe to them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there is no {k} place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!
(k) That is, for the poor to dwell in. In mine ears said the LORD of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant. In my {l} ears said the LORD of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant.
(l) I have heard the complaint and cry of the poor. Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of an homer shall yield an ephah. Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one {m} bath, and the seed of an {n} homer shall yield an {o} ephah.
(m) Which contains about 5 gallons, so that every acre would yield only half a gallon. (n) Which contains 50 gallons. (o) An ephah contains 5 gallons and is in dry things as much as a bath is in liquids. Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! Woe to them that {p} rise early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until {q} night, till wine inflames them!
(p) Who spare no pain nor diligence to follow their lusts. (q) Who are never weary of their rioting and excessive pleasures but use all means to provoke to the same. And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands. And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the {r} work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands.
(r) They do not regard the provident care of God over them, nor for what end he has created them. Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst. Therefore my people {s} have gone into captivity, because they have {t} no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.
(s) That is, will certainly go: for so the prophets use to speak as though the thing which will come to pass were done already. (t) Because they would not obey the word of God. Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it. Therefore {u} hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.
(u) Meaning, the grave will swallow up them who will die for hunger and thirst, and yet for all this great destruction it will never be satisfied. And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled: And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled:
But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness. But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.
Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat. Then shall {x} the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.
(x) God comforts the poor lambs of his Church, who had been strangers in other countries, promising that they would dwell in these places again, of which they had been deprived by the fat and cruel tyrants. Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope: Woe to them that draw iniquity with {y} cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:
(y) Who use all allurements, opportunities and excuses to harden their conscience in sin. That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it! That say, {z} Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, that we may know it!
(z) He shows what are the words of the wicked, when they are menaced by God's judgments, 2Pe 3:4. Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to them that call evil good, {a} and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
(a) Who are not ashamed of sin, nor care for honesty but are grown to a desperate impiety. Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe to them that are {b} wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
(b) Who contemn all doctrine and admonition. Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: Woe to them that are {c} mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mix strong drink:
(c) Who are never weary, but show their strength, and brag in gluttony and drunkenness. Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!
Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their {d} root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
(d) Both they and their posterity so that nothing will be left. Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his {e} hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills trembled, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
(e) He shows that God had so sore punished this people, that the dumb creatures if they had been so plagued would have been more sensible, and therefore his plagues must continue, till they begin to seal them. And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly: And he will lift up an ensign {f} to the nations from afar, and will hiss to them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly:
(f) He will make the Babylonians come against them at his beck, and to fight under his standard. None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken: None shall {g} be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the belt of their loins be loosed, nor {h} the latchet of their shoes be broken:
(g) They will be prompt and lusty to execute God's vengeance. (h) The enemy will have no impediment. Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind: Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind:
Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it. Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall {i} roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it.
(i) By which is declared the cruelty of the enemy. And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof. And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if {k} one looketh to the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in its {l} heavens. (k) The Jews will find no comfort. (l) In the land of Judah. The Geneva Bible Translation Notes [1599] Bible Hub |
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