The big picture
Isaiah 5 opens in verse 1 with “Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 15 with “And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the…”, and closes in verse 30 with “And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one…” Repeated or prominent terms include vineyard, LORD, grapes, hosts, darkness. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Isaiah · King James Version · 30Isaiah 5:1-8
1–8: Will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his…
Isaiah 5:1–8 opens with “Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved…” and reaches “Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on A carefully tended vineyard producing wild grapes as leaders gather field to field and injustice spreads, with particular weight carried by vineyard, grapes, house.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very…” The line’s distinctive content terms include vineyard, wellbeloved, beloved. Its relationship to verses 2 shows what work it does in this passage.
“And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.” Naming Jerusalem and Judah keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“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…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Isaiah 5:1-8
King James Version1Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:
2And 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.
3And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.
4What 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?
5And 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:
6And 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.
7For 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.
8Woe 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!
Isaiah 5:9-16
9–16: In mine ears said the LORD of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be…
Isaiah 5:9–16 opens with “In mine ears said the LORD of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and…” and reaches “But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on A carefully tended vineyard producing wild grapes as leaders gather field to field and injustice spreads, with particular weight carried by LORD, hosts, humbled.
Context that brings the passage to life
“In mine ears said the LORD of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till…” Naming Woe keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Isaiah 5:9-16
King James Version9In mine ears said the LORD of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant.
10Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of an homer shall yield an ephah.
11Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!
12And 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.
13Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.
14Therefore 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.
15And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled:
16But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.
Isaiah 5:17-24
17–24: Shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat…
Isaiah 5:17–24 opens with “Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall…” and reaches “Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on A carefully tended vineyard producing wild grapes as leaders gather field to field and injustice spreads, with particular weight carried by bitter, darkness, draw.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“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…” The number one makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.
Isaiah 5:17-24
King James Version17Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.
18Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:
19That 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!
20Woe 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!
21Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
22Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:
23Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!
24Therefore 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.
Isaiah 5:25-30
25–30: Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he…
Isaiah 5:25–30 opens with “Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his…” and reaches “And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on A carefully tended vineyard producing wild grapes as leaders gather field to field and injustice spreads, with particular weight carried by roar, anger, hand.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.
“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…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Isaiah 5:25-30
King James Version25Therefore 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.
26And 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:
27None 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:
28Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses’ hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind:
29Their 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.
30And 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.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Isaiah 5:1 begins with “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:”
Where the chapter turns
Isaiah 5:14 forms a natural hinge: “Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth…”
The final note
Isaiah 5:30 leaves the reader with “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…”
A word trail through the chapter
The words vineyard, LORD, grapes, hosts, darkness, drink help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
What does the repeated ending make readers feel?
Death becomes the chapter's persistent refrain, even as generation follows generation.
What two interruptions offer hope?
Enoch's walk with God and Lamech's hope attached to Noah.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
- hath
- has
- wherefore
- for that reason
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.