Isaiah 5:6

“And I will lay it waste, &c.] Or “desolate”, as it was by the Romans: the whole land of Judea, as well as the city and temple (<402338>Matthew 23:38), it shall not be pruned nor digged; as vineyards are, to make them more fruitful; but no care shall be taken of it, no means made use of to cultivate it, all being ineffectual: but there shall come up briers and thorns; sons of Belial, wicked and ungodly men; immoralities, errors, heresies, contentions, quarrels, &c. which abounded about the time of Jerusalem’s destruction, and before: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon them; by “the clouds” are meant the apostles of Christ, who were full of the doctrines of grace, from…”

“I will . . . command--The parable is partly dropped and Jehovah, as in Isa 5:7, is implied to be the Owner: for He alone, not an ordinary husbandman (Mat 21:43; Luk 17:22), could give such a "command." no rain--antitypically, the heaven-sent teachings of the prophets (Amo 8:11). Not accomplished in the Babylonish captivity; for Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Haggai, and Zechariah prophesied during or after it. But in gospel times.”

“I will lay it waste ... - The description here is continued from Isaiah 5:5. The image is carried out, and means that the Jews should be left utterly without protection. I will also command the clouds ... - It is evident here, that the parable or figure is partially dropped. A farmer could not command the clouds. It is God alone who could do that; and the figure of the vineyard is dropped, and God is introduced speaking as a sovereign. The meaning is, that he would withhold his divine influences, and would abandon them to desolation. The sense of the whole verse is plain. God would leave the Jews without protection; he would remove the guards, the helps, the influences, with which he had…”

“Nor digged - Vine - dressers use to dig up and open the earth about the roots of the vines. The meaning is, I will remove my ministers, who used great care and diligence to make you fruitful. Thorns - I will give you up to your own lusts. No rain - I will deprive you of all my blessings. Isaiah 5:7”

“5:6 The withholding of rain was at times a divine judgment (Deut 28:23-24; Hag 1:11; 2:16). It was especially devastating to a society that depended heavily on agriculture.”

“I will lay: Isa 5:9, Isa 5:10, Isa 6:11, Isa 6:12, Isa 24:1-3, Isa 24:12, Isa 32:13, Isa 32:14; Lev 26:33-35; Deu 29:23; Ch2 36:19-21; Jer 25:11, Jer 45:4; Luk 21:24 it shall: Isa 7:23-25; Hos 3:4 also: Isa 30:23; Deu 28:23, Deu 28:24; Amo 4:7; Zac 14:16, Zac 14:17; Heb 6:6-8; Rev 11:6 Isaiah 5:7”

“This puts an end to the unthankful vineyard, and indeed a hopeless one."And I will put an end to it: it shall not be pruned nor digged, and it shall break out in thorns and thistles; and I will command the clouds to rain no rain over it." "Put an end:" bâthâh (= battâh : Ges. 67, Anm. 11) signifies, according to the primary meaning of bâthath (בּוּת, בּהת, see at Isa 1:29), viz., abscindere, either abscissum = locus abscissus or praeruptus ( Isa 7:19), or abscissio = deletio. The latter is the meaning here, where shı̄th bâthâh is a refined expression for the more usual כלה עשׂה, both being construed with the accusative of the thing which is brought to an end. Further pruning and hoeing…”