Lexical Summary azaq: To bind, to enclose, to restrain Original Word: עָזַק Strong's Exhaustive Concordance fence about A primitive root; to grub over -- fence about. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to dig about NASB Translation dug it all around (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [עָזַק] verb dig about (Late Hebrew id., also surround, enclose; Aramaic עִזְקְתָא,  ,  ring; Arabic  cleave or furrow the earth with implement  ; Ethiopic  well, cistern); — Pi`el Imperfect3masculine singular suffix וַיְעַזְּקֵהוּ Isaiah 5:2 (intensive) and he dug it carefully about. Topical Lexicon Setting in Isaiah 5:2 In the Song of the Vineyard the prophet sings of a landowner who prepares a choice hillside for vines. “He dug it out and cleared it of stones and planted it with the finest vines” (Isaiah 5:2). The single Hebrew verb translated “dug it out” highlights painstaking labor invested in the soil before any vines were set. It marks the opening line of the parable’s careful progression: cultivation, protection, expectation—and, tragically, disappointment. Ancient Viticulture and the Required Labor Viticulture in eighth–century B.C. Judah demanded months of manual digging, terracing, and stone-clearing. Hillsides were loosened with mattocks so roots could penetrate and drains could carry away winter rains. That context underscores the landowner’s commitment; the hearers knew no vineyard flourishes without first being broken up and aerated. The verb therefore evokes a thorough, preparatory work whose absence would doom the harvest. The Vineyard as Israel Isaiah soon identifies the vineyard as “the house of Israel” (Isaiah 5:7). The single occurrence of the verb signals that divine preparation was neither casual nor experimental; it was decisive and sufficient. Israel’s covenant history—deliverance from Egypt, law at Sinai, conquest of Canaan—parallels the digging, clearing, and planting. All covenant blessings flow from that initial divine investment. Divine Expectation and Moral Accountability After such preparation, the owner “expected it to yield good grapes.” The failure of the crop points to moral, not agricultural, causes. Isaiah lists injustice, bloodshed, and self-indulgence (Isaiah 5:7–12). Like ground painstakingly worked but left unproductive, a people granted revelation and privilege must bear fruit worthy of repentance (Matthew 3:8). Echoes in Later Scripture 1. Jesus’ parable of the tenants (Matthew 21:33-41) mirrors Isaiah’s imagery: a vineyard planted, hedged, and furnished with a tower. The Lord’s use of the same motif reaffirms a continuous biblical theology—God’s preparations, Israel’s rebellion, and the promised transfer of kingdom stewardship to a faithful people (Matthew 21:43). Historical and Prophetic Significance Isaiah delivered the Song of the Vineyard during a period of outward prosperity but inner corruption under kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. The single verb underlines that God’s past acts had supplied every ingredient for righteousness. Exile, therefore, would not be the result of divine neglect but of covenant infidelity. Ministry Applications • Preaching: The verb urges teachers to highlight both God’s exhaustive provision in Christ and the believer’s responsibility to respond with obedient fruit. Related Themes for Further Study Genesis 2:15; Deuteronomy 7:6-11; Psalm 80:8-16; Jeremiah 2:21; Romans 11:17-24; Galatians 5:22-25. Forms and Transliterations וַֽיְעַזְּקֵ֣הוּ ויעזקהו vayazzeKehu way‘azzəqêhū way·‘az·zə·qê·hūLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 5:2 HEB: וַֽיְעַזְּקֵ֣הוּ וַֽיְסַקְּלֵ֗הוּ וַיִּטָּעֵ֙הוּ֙ NAS: He dug it all around, removed its stones, KJV: And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones INT: dug removed and planted 1 Occurrence |
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