Isaiah 5:1–7
The vineyard song: justice and bloodshed
A love song becomes a verdict: "the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel… he looked for judgment (mishpat), but behold oppression (mispach); for righteousness (tsedaqah), but behold a cry (tse'aqah)." The wordplay cannot be translated. Jesus' parable of the tenants (Mark 12:1 and parallels) reuses the opening.
Stable text: no manuscript differences in meaning
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- The oracle as first spoken or written8th–6th century BC (by section; debated)
- Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsa-a), Qumran Cave 1c. 125 BC (palaeography; reported)Descends, through lost copies, from The oracle as first spoken or written
- Masoretic Text (Leningrad Codex)AD 1008Descends, through lost copies, from The oracle as first spoken or written
Every witness, in order
8th–6th century BC (by section; debated)
The oracle as first spoken or written
No original survives. The oldest copies of Isaiah are the Qumran scrolls: the Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsa-a, about 125 BC, nearly complete), 1QIsa-b (1Q8) and some twenty other fragmentary manuscripts.
c. 125 BC (palaeography; reported)
Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsa-a), Qumran Cave 1
How the site knows this: Described from a published transcription of the manuscript. Described in the site's own words from Martin Abegg's transcription (ETCBC/CACCHT Dead Sea Scrolls dataset v2.0.5); the transcription itself is not reproduced. Photographs and DJD XXXII not yet checked.
Hebrew numbering: Isaiah 5:1–7. The song and its verdict as in the Masoretic Text; in v. 7 "bloodshed" has a preposition ("for bloodshed"), and vv. 3–5 have a few different word forms ("remove" as a first-person verb, "in my vineyard"). Otherwise the differences are of spelling (fuller use of vowel letters) and small grammatical forms.
1st century AD; edition 2010s
Mark 12:1 (Greek New Testament; library: Statistical Restoration text)
How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: the Greek New Testament editions in the library (Textus Receptus, Byzantine Textform, Statistical Restoration).
¶Καὶ ἤρξατο αὐτοῖς ἐν παραβολαῖς λαλεῖν: “Ἀμπελῶνα ἄνθρωπος ἐφύτευσεν, καὶ περιέθηκεν φραγμὸν, καὶ ‘ὤρυξεν ὑπολήνιον, καὶ ᾠκοδόμησεν πύργον’, καὶ ἐξέδετο αὐτὸν γεωργοῖς, καὶ ἀπεδήμησεν.
A man planted a vineyard, set a hedge around it, dug a winepress, built a tower, let it to tenants and went abroad
Jesus' parable of the tenants (the Gospel's report). Words attributed to Jesus. KJV: "And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country."
Jerome c. AD 400, from Hebrew; edition 1592
Latin Vulgate (Clementine)
How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: Clementine Vulgate (1592 edition).
Cantabo dilecto meo canticum patruelis mei vineæ suæ. Vinea facta est dilecto meo in cornu filio olei. Et sepivit eam, et lapides elegit ex illa, et plantavit eam electam; et ædificavit turrim in medio ejus, et torcular exstruxit in ea; et exspectavit ut faceret uvas, et fecit labruscas. Nunc ergo, habitatores Jerusalem et viri Juda, judicate inter me et vineam meam. Quid est quod debui ultra facere vineæ meæ, et non feci ei? an quod exspectavi ut faceret uvas, et fecit labruscas? Et nunc ostendam vobis quid ego faciam vineæ meæ: auferam sepem ejus, et erit in direptionem; diruam maceriam ejus, et erit in conculcationem. Et ponam eam desertam; non putabitur et non fodietur: et ascendent vepres et spinæ, et nubibus mandabo ne pluant super eam imbrem. Vinea enim Domini exercituum domus Israël est; et vir Juda germen ejus delectabile: et exspectavi ut faceret judicium, et ecce iniquitas; et justitiam, et ecce clamor.
Latin numbering: Isaiah 5:1–7. Jerome translated Isaiah from Hebrew (c. AD 400).
AD 1008
Masoretic Text (Leningrad Codex)
How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: Westminster Leningrad Codex, a digital transcription of the Leningrad Codex.
אָשִׁ֤ירָה נָּא֙ לִֽידִידִ֔י שִׁירַ֥ת דּוֹדִ֖י לְכַרְמ֑וֹ כֶּ֛רֶם הָיָ֥ה לִֽידִידִ֖י בְּקֶ֥רֶן בֶּן־שָֽׁמֶן׃ וַֽיְעַזְּקֵ֣הוּ וַֽיְסַקְּלֵ֗הוּ וַיִּטָּעֵ֙הוּ֙ שֹׂרֵ֔ק וַיִּ֤בֶן מִגְדָּל֙ בְּתוֹכ֔וֹ וְגַם־יֶ֖קֶב חָצֵ֣ב בּ֑וֹ וַיְקַ֛ו לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת עֲנָבִ֖ים וַיַּ֥עַשׂ בְּאֻשִֽׁים׃ וְעַתָּ֛ה יוֹשֵׁ֥ב יְרוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם וְאִ֣ישׁ יְהוּדָ֑ה שִׁפְטוּ־נָ֕א בֵּינִ֖י וּבֵ֥ין כַּרְמִֽי׃ מַה־לַּעֲשׂ֥וֹת עוֹד֙ לְכַרְמִ֔י וְלֹ֥א עָשִׂ֖יתִי בּ֑וֹ מַדּ֧וּעַ קִוֵּ֛יתִי לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת עֲנָבִ֖ים וַיַּ֥עַשׂ בְּאֻשִֽׁים׃ וְעַתָּה֙ אוֹדִֽיעָה־נָּ֣א אֶתְכֶ֔ם אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִ֥י עֹשֶׂ֖ה לְכַרְמִ֑י הָסֵ֤ר מְשׂוּכָּתוֹ֙ וְהָיָ֣ה לְבָעֵ֔ר פָּרֹ֥ץ גְּדֵר֖וֹ וְהָיָ֥ה לְמִרְמָֽס׃ וַאֲשִׁיתֵ֣הוּ בָתָ֗ה לֹ֤א יִזָּמֵר֙ וְלֹ֣א יֵעָדֵ֔ר וְעָלָ֥ה שָׁמִ֖יר וָשָׁ֑יִת וְעַ֤ל הֶעָבִים֙ אֲצַוֶּ֔ה מֵהַמְטִ֥יר עָלָ֖יו מָטָֽר׃ כִּ֣י כֶ֜רֶם יְהוָ֤ה צְבָאוֹת֙ בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאִ֣ישׁ יְהוּדָ֔ה נְטַ֖ע שַׁעֲשׁוּעָ֑יו וַיְקַ֤ו לְמִשְׁפָּט֙ וְהִנֵּ֣ה מִשְׂפָּ֔ח לִצְדָקָ֖ה וְהִנֵּ֥ה צְעָקָֽה׃
He hoped for justice (mishpat), and behold, bloodshed (mispach); for righteousness (tsedaqah), and behold, an outcry (tse'aqah) (v. 7)
Hebrew numbering: Isaiah 5:1–7.
1611
King James Bible
How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: King James Version (1769 text).
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: 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 now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. 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 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.
Greek translation c. 2nd century BC; French 1872
Greek Isaiah (library: Giguet's French)
How the site knows this: Known here only through a translation.
Je chanterai pour mon bien-aimé le cantique que mon bien-aimé chante à ma vigne. Mon bien-aimé avait une vigne, sur une éminence, en un lieu fertile. Et je l’ai entourée d’une haie, et je l’ai palissadée, et je l’ai plantée du plant de Sorec; et au milieu j’ai bâti une tour, où j’ai creusé un cellier; et j’ai compté qu’elle me donnerait du raisin, mais elle a produit des épines. Et maintenant, vous, habitants de Jérusalem, et toi, homme de Juda, jugez entre moi et ma vigne. Que ferai-je encore pour ma vigne que je n’aie point déjà fait? J’avais compté qu’elle me donnerait du raisin, mais elle a produit des épines. Or je vais maintenant vous déclarer ce que je ferai à ma vigne. Je lui arracherai sa haie, et elle sera mise au pillage; j’abattrai son mur, et elle sera foulée aux pieds. Et j’abandonnerai ma vigne, et elle ne sera plus ni taillée ni bêchée; et sur elle s’élèveront des épines comme sur une terre aride, et j’ordonnerai aux nuées de ne jamais l’arroser de pluie. Or la vigne du Seigneur Dieu des armées, c’est la maison d’Israël, et l’homme de Juda est mon nouveau plant bien-aimé. J’ai compté qu’il ferait la justice, et il a fait l’iniquité; et ce n’est pas la voix de l’équité, mais des cris que j’y entends.
Greek (digital file) numbering: Isaiah 5:1–7. Giguet's 1872 French of a printed Greek text (D check only); a C check needs Ziegler's Göttingen Isaiah or Rahlfs–Hanhart.
What changed, and why
Classification: witnesses agree in substance; the scroll has spelling differences and "for bloodshed" (lemishpach) with a prefix.
Mark 12:1 (Jesus' parable) follows the Greek wording of Isaiah 5:2 ("set a hedge… dug a winepress… built a tower"). Matthew 21:33 and Luke 20:9 tell the parable differently; each Gospel is kept separate.
The song's owner is revealed in v. 6, when he commands the clouds: only God can do that.
What the evidence shows
- Isaiah 5:7 plays on mishpat/mispach and tsedaqah/tse'aqah.
- Mark 12:1 echoes the Greek of Isaiah 5:2.
Sources
Related lessons
- Isaiah 5: The Song of the Vineyard →Isaiah sings "a song of my beloved touching his vineyard": a carefully prepared vineyard that yielded wild grapes (5:1–2). The owner asks the listeners to judge and announces he will tear it down (vv. 3–6). Then the verdict: "the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel… he looked for judgment (mishpat), but behold oppression (mispach); for righteousness (tsedaqah), but behold a cry (tse'aqah)" (v. 7). Six woes follow: on those who add house to house and field to field (vv. 8–10), who drink from morning to night (vv. 11–17), who drag sin with cords (vv. 18–19), who call evil good (v. 20), who are wise in their own eyes (v. 21), and who are heroes at drinking and acquit the guilty for a bribe (vv. 22–24). God's hand is stretched out; he whistles for a distant nation that comes swiftly, roaring like lions (vv. 25–30).
- Investigation: Jesus and Isaiah →Isaiah is quoted in the Gospels more than any other prophet. This study registers 55 uses that involve Jesus: 20 in Matthew, 14 in Mark, 12 in Luke and 9 in John. For each it records who speaks (Jesus as the Gospel reports him, the narrator, John the Baptist, a heavenly voice, Simeon, or a later scribe), the Isaiah passage and its original setting, the Gospel's Greek wording, whether the use is an explicit quotation, a quotation without formula, an allusion, a proposed allusion, or a later Christian connection, and how that Gospel uses it. Each Gospel is kept separate.