Isaiah 5:1 - Exposition

Now will I sing to my Well-beloved. The prophet sings to Jehovah a song concerning his vineyard. The song consists of eight lines, beginning with "My Well-beloved," and ending with "wild grapes." It is in a lively, dancing measure, very unlike the general style of Isaiah's poetry. The name "Well-beloved" seems to be taken by the prophet from the Song of Songs, where it occurs above twenty times. It well expresses the feeling of a loving soul towards its Creator and Redeemer. A song of my Well-beloved. Bishop Lowth translates "A song of loves," and Mr. Cheyne "A love-song;" but this requires an alteration of the text, and is unsatisfactory from the fact that the song which follows is not a "love-song." May we not understand the words to mean "a song concerning my Well-beloved in respect of his vineyard?" Touching his vineyard . Israel is compared to a "vine" in the Psalms ( Psalms 80:8-16 ), and the Church of God to a "garden" in Canticles (So Song of Solomon 4:12 ; Song of Solomon 5:1 ); perhaps also to a "vineyard" in the same book (So Song of Solomon 8:12 ). Isaiah may have had this last passage in his mind. My Beloved hath a vineyard ; rather, had a vineyard ( ἀμπελὼν ἑγενήθη τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ , LXX .). In a very fruitful hill . So the passage is generally understood, since keren , horn, is used for a height by the Arabs (as also by the Germans, e.g. Matterhorn, Wetterhorn, Aarhorn, etc.), and "son of oil" is a not unlikely Orientalism for "rich" or "fruitful." With the "hill" of this passage compare the "mountain" of Isaiah 2:2 , both passages indicating that the Church of God is set on aft eminence, and "cannot be hid" ( Matthew 5:14 ).