Topical Bible: The Vine: Cultivated by the Walls of Houses

◄ The Vine: Cultivated by the Walls of Houses ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

In biblical times, the vine held significant cultural, agricultural, and spiritual importance. The practice of cultivating vines by the walls of houses is a recurring theme in Scripture, symbolizing prosperity, peace, and divine blessing. This entry explores the biblical references and cultural context of this practice.

Biblical References

The imagery of the vine is prevalent throughout the Bible, often symbolizing Israel, God's chosen people, and their relationship with Him. In the context of domestic cultivation, the vine is frequently associated with abundance and tranquility. One notable reference is found in Psalm 128:3 : "Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house, your sons, like olive shoots around your table." Here, the vine represents fertility and the blessings of family life, suggesting a household flourishing under God's favor.

Another pertinent passage is found in 1 Kings 4:25 , which describes the peace and prosperity during Solomon's reign: "Throughout Solomon’s days, Judah and Israel lived in safety, from Dan to Beersheba, each man under his own vine and his own fig tree." This imagery conveys a time of security and abundance, where each family enjoys the fruits of their labor in peace.

Cultural Context

In ancient Israel, the cultivation of vines was a common practice, integral to both the economy and daily life. Vines were often planted near the walls of houses, where they could be easily tended and protected. The walls provided support for the vines to grow and spread, maximizing the use of space in often crowded urban settings. This practice not only served practical purposes but also carried symbolic weight, representing stability and the blessings of a well-ordered household.

The vine's significance extends beyond its agricultural value. In the agrarian society of ancient Israel, a fruitful vine was a sign of God's provision and favor. The ability to cultivate one's own vine and enjoy its produce was a mark of divine blessing and personal prosperity. This is reflected in the prophetic vision of a restored Israel, as seen in Micah 4:4 : "Each man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, with no one to frighten him. For the mouth of the LORD of Hosts has spoken."

Spiritual Symbolism

The vine also holds deep spiritual symbolism in the Bible. In the New Testament, Jesus uses the imagery of the vine to describe His relationship with His followers. In John 15:5 , He declares, "I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing." This metaphor emphasizes the necessity of remaining connected to Christ to bear spiritual fruit, drawing a parallel to the physical cultivation of vines.

The vine, cultivated by the walls of houses, thus serves as a powerful symbol in Scripture. It represents not only the material blessings of a peaceful and prosperous life but also the spiritual nourishment and growth that come from a close relationship with God. Through the imagery of the vine, the Bible communicates themes of divine provision, familial blessing, and spiritual vitality.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 128:3
Your wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of your house: your children like olive plants round about your table.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

A Provision Ground
... Was it once cultivated there by a race superior ... and the creeping Crab's-eye Vine,
{314g} will ... of prints, usually devotional, on the walls, comfortable furniture ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter xvi a provision ground.htm

Naparima and Montserrat
... pots; and catch glimpses inside of papered walls, prints, and ... A cultivated Scotchman,
now no longer young, but hale ... a busy life, not under his own vine and fig ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter x naparima and montserrat.htm

Epistle i. To Donatus.
... solitude, and the vagrant trailings of the vine branches creeping ... to charm a popular
audience with cultivated rhetoric, but ... of the colours of its walls, nor of ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/cyprian/the epistles of cyprian/epistle i to donatus.htm

The Synagogue at Nazareth - Synagogue-Worship and Arrangements.
... flower between two Paschal lambs, or vine-leaves with ... of slabs of white limestone;
[2084] the walls are solid ... And so it came, that many cultivated this branch ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter x the synagogue at.htm

The Assyrian Revival and the Struggle for Syria
... The king, however, soon demolished its walls by sapping and by the use of the ram,
killed 800 of its garrison, burned its houses, and carried off 2400 men with ...
/.../chapter ithe assyrian revival and.htm

The Rise of the Assyrian Empire
... But few olive trees were cultivated, and the dates were of ... apple, the pomegranate,
the apricot, the vine, the almond ... formed by the remains of its walls is still ...
/.../chapter iithe rise of the.htm

The Life of Anne Catherine Emmerich
... beneath the protecting shadow of hallowed walls; but our ... and which had not as yet
been cultivated; she was ... dug around, tied, and pruned the vine; you ground ...
/.../the dolorous passion of our lord jesus christ/the life of anne catherine.htm

The Nile and Egypt
... and the only plant of the kind generally cultivated for fodder ... of mud and laths;
two or three taller houses, whitewashed; an ... as to seem more like the walls of a ...
/.../chapter i the nile and egypt.htm

The Political Constitution of Egypt
... Interminable discourses, whose records cover the walls of the Theban temples, inform
us ... Children swarmed in the palace, as in the houses of private individuals ...
/.../chapter ithe political constitution of.htm

Syria at the Beginning of the Egyptian Conquest
... and partly on the confines of the cultivated land. ... wall, and flanked by two
guard-houses, rectangular in ... the court between their loop-holed walls being made ...
/.../chapter iisyria at the beginning.htm