Isaiah 5:4 kjv
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?
Isaiah 5:4 nkjv
What more could have been done to My vineyard That I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, Did it bring forth wild grapes?
Isaiah 5:4 niv
What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad?
Isaiah 5:4 esv
What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?
Isaiah 5:4 nlt
What more could I have done for my vineyard
that I have not already done?
When I expected sweet grapes,
why did my vineyard give me bitter grapes?
Isaiah 5 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 5:1-7 | "Let me sing for my beloved, my love song concerning his vineyard..." | The broader context of the Song of the Vineyard. |
| Deut 8:7-9 | "...for the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land..." | God's generous provision of the promised land. |
| Ps 80:8-16 | "You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it." | Israel explicitly depicted as God's vine. |
| Jer 2:21 | "Yet I planted you a choice vine, wholly of pure seed. How then has it turned into a wild vine for me?" | God's expectation contrasted with Israel's corruption. |
| Hos 10:1-2 | "Israel is a luxuriant vine that yields its fruit... Their heart is false." | Israel's apostasy despite apparent prosperity. |
| Ezek 15:1-8 | "Son of man, how is the wood of a vine better than any wood...?" | Emphasizes worthlessness of an unfruitful vine. |
| Mt 7:16-20 | "You will recognize them by their fruits." | Believers are known by the fruit of their actions. |
| Lk 3:7-9 | "Bear fruits in keeping with repentance... Even now the ax is laid..." | Demand for tangible evidence of repentance. |
| Mt 21:33-46 | "Hear another parable: There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard..." | Parable of the wicked tenants, judgment on unfruitful Israel. |
| Mk 12:1-12 | (Similar to Mt 21:33-46) | Rejection of God's Son and transfer of the vineyard. |
| Lk 13:6-9 | "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it..." | Parable of the barren fig tree, extending patience. |
| Jn 15:1-8 | "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser." | Jesus as the source of true spiritual fruit. |
| Rom 11:17-24 | "...you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others..." | Gentiles grafted into God's cultivated plan. |
| Gal 5:22-23 | "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace..." | The true fruit expected from God's people. |
| Phil 1:9-11 | "...that you may be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ." | The desire for believers to bear spiritual fruit. |
| Heb 12:10-11 | "...afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." | Discipline leading to righteous fruit. |
| Isa 1:21-23 | "How the faithful city has become a harlot...!" | Earlier lament over Jerusalem's corruption. |
| Isa 5:7 | "For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel... he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry!" | Direct interpretation of the "grapes" and "wild grapes." |
| Jer 3:3 | "...yet you have the forehead of a prostitute; you refuse to be ashamed." | Persistent unfaithfulness and rebellion. |
| Amos 5:24 | "But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." | Prophetic call for the very fruit Israel failed to produce. |
| Mic 6:8 | "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" | The expected fruits of justice and righteousness. |
| Deut 32:5-6 | "They have dealt corruptly with him; they are no longer his children, blotched..." | God's faithful parenting vs. children's corruption. |
| Mal 3:8-9 | "Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me." | Rhetorical question about human culpability. |
Isaiah 5 verses
Isaiah 5 4 Meaning
This verse expresses God's profound disappointment and rhetorical questioning over Israel's spiritual barrenness. Despite His exhaustive and perfect care, akin to a diligent vinedresser providing everything for a vineyard, the nation produced only corruption and injustice instead of the expected righteousness. It underscores divine lament concerning humanity's inexplicable failure to bear good fruit in response to God's unfailing faithfulness and abundant provision.
Isaiah 5 4 Context
Isaiah 5:4 is part of the "Song of the Vineyard" (Isaiah 5:1-7), a poetic lament and prophetic judgment against the house of Israel and Judah. It immediately follows the detailed description in verse 2 of all the extensive and careful preparations the "beloved" (God) made for His vineyard (Israel): clearing stones, planting choice vines, building a tower, and digging a wine press. The passage initially sounds like a love song but quickly transforms into a legal indictment and a lament, bringing the audience (who would immediately recognize the metaphor) to judge themselves. Historically, Judah was in a period of religious apostasy, social injustice, and moral decay, despite relative economic prosperity, under the reigns of kings like Uzziah and Jotham. The verse specifically addresses the inexplicable failure of Israel to produce good "fruit"—righteousness and justice—despite God's perfect investment and care, setting the stage for the declaration of judgment that follows.
Isaiah 5 4 Word analysis
- What more: Mah-la'asot 'od (מַה־לַּעֲשׂוֹת עוֹד). A powerful rhetorical question expressing complete perplexity and indicating that every possible measure had been taken. It emphasizes God's comprehensive, exhaustive effort and blamelessness. There was absolutely nothing left undone.
- could have been done: la'asot 'od. Refers to the most meticulous and comprehensive care a vinedresser could offer. This signifies a maximal investment of effort and resources, implying divine perfection in provision.
- to my vineyard: lekarmī (לְכַרְמִי). The possessive "my" emphasizes God's personal ownership and deep emotional investment in Israel. This vineyard, representing Israel, was a treasured and cultivated entity, not merely wild growth.
- that I have not done in it?: v'lo 'asītī bo (וְלֹא עָשִׂיתִי בּוֹ). A declarative statement affirming the thoroughness of God's cultivation. It solidifies the absolute completeness of His benevolent provision.
- Why,: maddūa' (מַדּוּעַ). An interrogative pronoun meaning "why?" or "wherefore?". It marks a transition to a lament, expressing deep sorrow, bewilderment, and a search for an explanation that does not exist for the vineyard's failure. It signifies God's heartache.
- when I looked for: qivētī (קִוֵּיתִי). Means "I hoped," "I waited," or "I expected with eager anticipation." This highlights God's legitimate and ardent expectation of positive outcomes based on His generous investment. It speaks to divine patience and trust.
- grapes,: 'anāvīm (עֲנָבִים). The expected good, edible fruit, representing righteousness (mishpat) and justice (tsedaqah) as explicitly stated in Isa 5:7. This is the natural and beneficial yield of a properly tended vineyard.
- did it yield: vā'ya'as (וַיַּעַשׂ). "And it made" or "and it produced." A stark declaration of the unexpected, negative outcome. The action of yielding is direct and consequential.
- wild grapes?: b'ushīm (בְּאֻשִׁים). This key word refers to sour, worthless, foul-smelling, or even poisonous grapes. It signifies extreme corruption and rot, representing bloodshed (mispaḥ) and an outcry of oppression (tse'aqah) as described in Isa 5:7. It's not just a lack of good fruit, but the production of something actively detrimental. The term encapsulates the moral decay and social injustice that replaced the expected righteousness.
- "What more...not done in it?": This phrase underscores God's perfect fidelity to His covenant responsibilities, highlighting that the fault for barrenness lies entirely with Israel, not with the divine vinedresser.
- "Why, when I looked for grapes, did it yield wild grapes?": This complete thought reveals God's shock and disappointment. The drastic contrast between expectation and reality forms the core of God's complaint. It’s a powerful image of an inversion of divine purpose and human perversion. The very opposite of what was diligently cultivated emerged.
Isaiah 5 4 Bonus section
This verse subtly introduces a judicial setting, casting God as the plaintiff presenting His case against the vineyard, allowing the listeners to convict themselves by their own inability to answer the rhetorical question. It implies an impending judgment, as the vineyard's inexcusable failure demands a just response. The passage transcends simple lament to establish the moral justification for the severe judgments God outlines later in the chapter (Isa 5:5-6). It reveals God's character not only as a just judge but also as a grieved Father whose boundless investment was met with a bitter harvest.
Isaiah 5 4 Commentary
Isaiah 5:4 is the apex of God's lament within the Song of the Vineyard, serving as a legal indictment and a plea of perplexity before the very entity being accused—Israel. Having exhaustively detailed His perfect and complete care (Isa 5:2), God now challenges the vineyard to explain its inexplicable failure. The rhetorical question "What more could have been done...?" emphatically proclaims His utter blamelessness and demonstrates that His provision was maximal and sufficient. The ensuing "Why, when I looked for grapes, did it yield wild grapes?" conveys His profound disappointment and even agony. He looked for the sweet fruit of justice and righteousness (as specified in Isa 5:7) that would naturally result from His investment, but found instead the bitter, putrid fruit of injustice and oppression. This highlights a critical truth: God does His part fully, expecting a righteous response from His people, and when that response is negative, it's not due to His inadequacy but to human sin and rebellion.
Examples for practical usage:
- Reflect on personal spiritual growth: Am I bearing good fruit (e.g., Gal 5:22-23) in response to God's care, or "wild grapes" of sin?
- Church accountability: Is our community demonstrating righteousness and justice in the world, or reflecting internal decay despite ample spiritual resources?
- Gratitude for God's provision: Acknowledge God's thoroughness in salvation and sanctification, understanding that He provides all we need to live righteously.