Isaiah 5:2

“And he fenced it, &c.] With good and wholesome laws, which distinguished them, and kept them separate from other nations; also with his almighty power and providence; especially at the three yearly festivals, when all their males appeared before God at Jerusalem: and gathered out the stones thereof; the Heathens, the seven nations that inhabited the land of Canaan, compared to stones for their hardness and stupidity, and for their worshipping of idols of stone; (see <198008>Psalm 80:8) and planted it with the choicest vine; the seed of Abraham, Joshua, and Caleb, who fully followed the Lord, and the people of Israel with them, who first entered into the land of Canaan, and inhabited it; such…”

“fenced--rather, "digged and trenched" the ground to prepare it for planting the vines [MAURER]. choicest vine--Hebrew, sorek; called still in Morocco, serki; the grapes had scarcely perceptible seeds; the Persian kishmish or bedana, that is, "without seed" (Gen 49:11). tower--to watch the vineyard against the depredations of man or beast, and for the use of the owner (Mat 21:33). wine-press--including the wine-fat; both hewn, for coolness, out of the rocky undersoil of the vineyard. wild grapes--The Hebrew expresses offensive putrefaction, answering to the corrupt state of the Jews. Fetid fruit of the wild vine [MAURER], instead of "choicest" grapes. Of the poisonous monk's hood [GESENIUS].…”

“And he fenced it - Margin, ‘Made a wall about it.’ The word used here is supposed rather to mean “to dig about, to grub,” as with a pick-axe or spade. - “Gesenius.” It has this signification in Arabic, and in one place in the Jewish Talmud. - “Kimchi.” The Vulgate and the Septuagint understands it of making a hedge or fence, probably the first work in preparing a vineyard. And as ‘a hedge’ is expressly mentioned in Isaiah 5:5, it seems most probable that that is its meaning here. And gathered out the stones ... - That it might be easily cultivated. This was, of course, a necessary and proper work. And planted it with the choicest vine - Hebrew, ‘With the sorek.’ This was a choice species of…”

“He gathered - He removed all hindrances, and gave them all the means of fruitfulness. A tower - For the residence of the keepers. Isaiah 5:6”

“5:2 The Lord gave the best care to his vineyard, preparing and nursing it as an expert agriculturalist. He watched over it with great attentiveness, planting the best vines—ones that had the potential for abundant sweet grapes. God had great expectations of Israel as his people (see Exod 19:5-6), so the bitter grapes they produced—their unrighteous deeds—were useless and disappointing (cp. Gal 5:22-23).”

“fenced it: or, made a wall about it, Exo 33:16; Num 23:9; Deu 32:8, Deu 32:9; Psa 44:1-3; Rom 9:4 planted: Jer 2:21 the choicest vine: Sorek in Arabic, sharik certainly denotes an excellent vine; but some with Bp. Lowth, retain it as a proper name. Sorek was a valley lying between Askelon and Gaza, so called from the excellence of its vines. Jdg 16:4 and built: Isa 1:8; Mic 4:8 made: Heb. hewed a winepress: Isa 63:2, Isa 63:3; Neh 13:15; Rev 14:18-20 he looked: Isa 5:7, Isa 1:2-4, Isa 1:21-23; Deu 32:6; Mat 21:34; Mar 11:13, Mar 12:2; Luk 13:7, Luk 20:10-18; Co1 9:7 wild grapes: Deu 32:32, Deu 32:33; Hos 10:1 Isaiah 5:3”