Verse

Isaiah 5:6

ESV I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.
NIV I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it."
NASB I will lay it waste; It will not be pruned nor hoed, But briars and thorns will come up. I will also command the clouds not to rain on it.'
CSB I will make it a wasteland. It will not be pruned or weeded; thorns and briers will grow up. I will also give orders to the clouds that rain should not fall on it.
NLT I will make it a wild place where the vines are not pruned and the ground is not hoed, a place overgrown with briers and thorns. I will command the clouds to drop no rain on it.
KJV 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.
NKJV I will lay it waste; It shall not be pruned or dug, But there shall come up briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds That they rain no rain on it.”

What does Isaiah 5:6 mean?

The owner of the failed vineyard is declaring his intention to destroy it. The vineyard's harvest is valueless and he is done with it. He will tear down the protective barrier that exists and leave the vineyard to the wild animals to decimate (Isaiah 5:5).

Now the owner adds that he will make no attempt to work it any longer. He wants it to become a wasteland. Instead of maintaining the vines, he will intentionally let thorns and weeds grow up and over the existing plants.

Next the farmer says he will tell the clouds not to rain on his vineyard. This reference would have been a strong indicator of exactly who was speaking. That was something only God can do. Did the original audience start to suspect just who this owner was at this point? Or did they just assume he was using hyperbole to express his bitter anger and disappointment?

The next verse (Isaiah 5:7) gives away exactly what Isaiah's song has been about all along, including who the vineyard is meant to represent.
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