The Meaning of Isaiah 5:2 Explained

Isaiah 5:2

KJV: 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.

YLT: And he fenceth it, and casteth out its stones, And planteth it with a choice vine, And buildeth a tower in its midst, And also a wine press hath hewn out in it, And he waiteth for the yielding of grapes, And it yieldeth bad ones!

Darby: And he dug it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine; and he built a tower in the midst of it, and also hewed out a winepress therein; and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes.

ASV: and he digged 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 hewed out a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Isaiah 5:2 Mean?

Context Summary

Is 5:1-17 - A Disappointing Harvest
In a picture of great beauty, Isaiah describes a vineyard situated on one of the sunny heights visible from Jerusalem. Every care which an experienced vine-dresser could devise had been expended on it, but in vain. The vine-dresser himself is introduced, demanding if more could have been done. When God selects a nation, a church, or an individual for high and holy work in the world and expends care and pains on the preparation of the instrument, and His plans miscarry through no failure on His part but through the obstinancy or obtuseness of the human soul, the measure of what might have been is the gauge of its doom. The worst weeds grow on the richest soil. This picture is the counterpart of Paul's dread of being a castaway, 1 Corinthians 9:27.
The six woes which follow, arising from drunkenness and avarice remind us of sorrows that menace the selfish heart. How different such a lot to the blessedness of the humblest soul that possesses God and is possessed by Him! "Evil shall slay the wicked; and they that hate the righteous shall be condemned. Jehovah redeemeth the soul of His servants; and none of them that take refuge in Him shall be condemned," Psalms 34:21-22. [source]

Chapter Summary: Is 5

1  Under the parable of a vineyard, God excuses his severe judgment
8  His judgments upon covetousness
11  Upon lasciviousness
13  Upon impiety
20  And upon injustice
26  The executioners of God's judgments

What do the individual words in Isaiah 5:2 mean?

And He dug it up and cleared out its stones and planted it with the choicest vine and He built a tower in its midst and also a winepress made in it so He expected [it] to bring forth [good] grapes but it brought forth wild grapes
וַֽיְעַזְּקֵ֣הוּ וַֽיְסַקְּלֵ֗הוּ וַיִּטָּעֵ֙הוּ֙ שֹׂרֵ֔ק וַיִּ֤בֶן מִגְדָּל֙ בְּתוֹכ֔וֹ וְגַם־ יֶ֖קֶב חָצֵ֣ב בּ֑וֹ וַיְקַ֛ו לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת עֲנָבִ֖ים וַיַּ֥עַשׂ בְּאֻשִֽׁים

וַֽיְעַזְּקֵ֣הוּ  And  He  dug  it  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: עָזַק  
Sense: (Piel) to dig about.
וַֽיְסַקְּלֵ֗הוּ  and  cleared  out  its  stones 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: סָקַל  
Sense: to stone (to death), put to death by stoning.
וַיִּטָּעֵ֙הוּ֙  and  planted  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: נָטַע  
Sense: to plant, fasten, fix, establish.
שֹׂרֵ֔ק  with  the  choicest  vine 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֹׂרֵק  
Sense: choice species of vine, choice grapes.
וַיִּ֤בֶן  and  He  built 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.
מִגְדָּל֙  a  tower 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִגְדָּל  
Sense: tower.
בְּתוֹכ֔וֹ  in  its  midst 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
וְגַם־  and  also 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
יֶ֖קֶב  a  winepress 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יֶקֶב  
Sense: wine vat, wine-press.
חָצֵ֣ב  made 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָצֵב 
Sense: to dig, cleave, divide, hew, make, cut out, dig out, cut down, quarry, hewer, mason.
בּ֑וֹ  in  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
וַיְקַ֛ו  so  He  expected  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָוָה 
Sense: to wait, look for, hope, expect.
לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת  to  bring  forth 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
עֲנָבִ֖ים  [good]  grapes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: עֵנָב  
Sense: grape(s).
וַיַּ֥עַשׂ  but  it  brought  forth 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
בְּאֻשִֽׁים  wild  grapes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: בְּאֻשׁ  
Sense: stinking or worthless things, wild grapes, stinkberries.