Israel: The useless vine
1 This word of Yahweh came to me, 2 “Son of man, in what way is the wood of the vine superior to that of any other tree in the forest? 3 Do they take its wood to make anything? Do they use it to make a peg for hanging a tool?
4 But now they have used it as fuel and the fire has burned it at both ends leaving the middle charred. Is it then of any use? 5 If it was of no use when it was whole, of even less use will it be when burnt in the fire.”
6 That is why Yahweh speaks thus, “I took the vine from among all the trees of the forest, and I gave it to the fire to be burned. This is how I have just dealt with those living in Jerusalem. 7 I will turn my face against them. Though they escaped from the fire, the fire will burn them and you will know that I am Yahweh when I turn against them. 8 I will make the land desolate because they have been unfaithful – word of Yahweh.”
- Isaiah 5,1
- Psalms 80,1
- John 15,6
In chapters 15-23 the sins of Judah throughout history are denounced four times, in different ways: chapters 16, 20, 22, 23.
In this chapter, the image of the vine is used to depict the necessary conclusion of Judah's history: the nation is to be destroyed and its capital burned. Like the wood of the vine when Yahweh chose it, Israel did not stand out from other people, neither in number, nor in quality. Since they did not fulfill their mission, they can neither continue as God's people, nor again become a people like the rest.
