Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version 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.” New Living Translation 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. English Standard Version 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. Berean Standard Bible I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and thorns and briers will grow up. I will command the clouds that rain shall not fall on it.” Berean Literal Bible And I will set it as a waste—it will not be pruned nor hoed, and there will come up brier and thorn; and also the clouds I will command against raining on it with rain.” King James Bible 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. New King James Version 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.” New American Standard Bible “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.” NASB 1995 “I will lay it waste; It will not be pruned or hoed, But briars and thorns will come up. I will also charge the clouds to rain no rain on it.” NASB 1977 “And I will lay it waste; It will not be pruned or hoed, But briars and thorns will come up. I will also charge the clouds to rain no rain on it.” Legacy Standard Bible I will lay it waste; It will not be pruned or hoed, But briars and thorns will come up. I will also command the clouds to rain no rain on it.” Amplified Bible “I will turn it into a wasteland; It will not be pruned or cultivated, But briars and thorns will come up. I will also command the clouds not to rain on it.” Berean Annotated Bible I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and thorns and briers will grow up. I will command the clouds that rain shall not fall on it. Christian Standard Bible 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. Holman Christian Standard Bible 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. American Standard Version and I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned nor hoed; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. Contemporary English Version It will turn into a desert, neither pruned nor hoed; it will be covered with thorns and briars. I will command the clouds not to send rain. English Revised Version and I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned nor hoed; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. GOD'S WORD® Translation I will make it a wasteland. It will never be pruned or hoed. Thorns and weeds will grow in it, and I will command the clouds not to rain on it. Good News Translation I will let it be overgrown with weeds. I will not trim the vines or hoe the ground; instead, I will let briers and thorns cover it. I will even forbid the clouds to let rain fall on it." International Standard Version I'll make it a wasteland, and it won't be pruned or cultivated. Instead, briers and thorns will grow up. I'll also issue commands to the clouds, that they drop no rain upon it." NET Bible I will make it a wasteland; no one will prune its vines or hoe its ground, and thorns and briers will grow there. I will order the clouds not to drop any rain on it. New Heart English Bible I will lay it a wasteland. It won't be pruned nor hoed, but it will grow briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it." Webster's Bible Translation 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. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleI will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and thorns and briers will grow up. I will command the clouds that rain shall not fall on it.” World English Bible I will lay it a wasteland. It won’t be pruned or hoed, but it will grow briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it.” Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd I make it a waste, "" It is not pruned, nor arranged, "" And brier and thorn have gone up, "" And I lay a charge on the thick clouds, "" From raining on it rain. Berean Literal Bible And I will set it as a waste—it will not be pruned nor hoed, and there will come up brier and thorn; and also the clouds I will command against raining on it with rain.” Young's Literal Translation And I make it a waste, It is not pruned, nor arranged, And gone up have brier and thorn, And on the thick clouds I lay a charge, From raining upon it rain. Smith's Literal Translation And I will make it a desolation; it shall not be pruned and it shall not be dressed, and there came up sharp points and thorns: and upon the clouds I will command from raining rain upon it. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd I will make it desolate: it shall not be pruned, and it shall not be digged: but briers and thorns shall come up: and I will command the clouds to rain no rain upon it. Catholic Public Domain Version And I will make it desolate. It will not be pruned, and it will not be dug. And briers and thorns will rise up. And I will command the clouds not to rain upon it. New American Bible Yes, I will make it a ruin: it shall not be pruned or hoed, but will be overgrown with thorns and briers; I will command the clouds not to rain upon it. New Revised Standard Version I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall spring up in it briers and thorns; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And I shall make it to be destroyed and it shall not be preserved, neither shall it be cultivated, and thorns shall sprout in it and a thicket, and I shall order the clouds that rain will not descend upon it OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And I will lay it waste: It shall not be pruned nor hoed, But there shall come up briers and thorns; I will also command the clouds That they rain no rain upon it. Brenton Septuagint Translation And I will forsake my vineyard; and it shall not be pruned, nor dug, and thorns shall come up upon it as on barren land; and I will command the clouds to rain no rain upon it. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context The Song of the Vineyard…5Now I will tell you what I am about to do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be consumed; I will tear down its wall, and it will be trampled. 6I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and thorns and briers will grow up. I will command the clouds that rain shall not fall on it.” 7For the vineyard of the LORD of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the plant of His delight. He looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard a cry of distress.… Cross References I will make it a wasteland Ezekiel 6:14 I will stretch out My hand against them, and wherever they live I will make the land a desolate waste, from the wilderness to Diblah. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’” Jeremiah 4:27 For this is what the LORD says: “The whole land will be desolate, but I will not finish its destruction. Micah 7:13 Then the earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants, as the fruit of their deeds. neither pruned nor cultivated Leviticus 25:4-5 But in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of complete rest for the land—a Sabbath to the LORD. You are not to sow your field or prune your vineyard. / You are not to reap the aftergrowth of your harvest or gather the grapes of your untended vines. The land must have a year of complete rest. Exodus 23:10-11 For six years you are to sow your land and gather its produce, / but in the seventh year you must let it rest and lie fallow, so that the poor among your people may eat from the field and the wild animals may consume what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and olive grove. 2 Chronicles 36:21 So the land enjoyed its Sabbath rest all the days of the desolation, until seventy years were completed, in fulfillment of the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah. and thorns and briers will grow up Isaiah 7:23-25 And on that day, in every place that had a thousand vines worth a thousand shekels of silver, only briers and thorns will be found. / Men will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers and thorns. / For fear of the briers and thorns, you will no longer traverse the hills once tilled by the hoe; they will become places for oxen to graze and sheep to trample. Hebrews 6:8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless, and its curse is imminent. In the end it will be burned. Genesis 3:18 Both thorns and thistles it will yield for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. I will command the clouds that rain shall not fall on it Deuteronomy 11:17 or the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you. He will shut the heavens so that there will be no rain, nor will the land yield its produce, and you will soon perish from the good land that the LORD is giving you. 1 Kings 17:1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was among the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there will be neither dew nor rain in these years except at my word!” Amos 4:7 “I also withheld the rain from you when the harvest was three months away. I sent rain on one city but withheld it from another. One field received rain; another without rain withered. Matthew 21:19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, He went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. “May you never bear fruit again!” He said. And immediately the tree withered. Luke 13:6-9 Then Jesus told this parable: “A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. / So he said to the keeper of the vineyard, ‘Look, for the past three years I have come to search for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Therefore cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ / ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone again this year, until I dig around it and fertilize it. … Jeremiah 12:10-11 Many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard; they have trampled My plot of ground. They have turned My pleasant field into a desolate wasteland. / They have made it a desolation; desolate before Me, it mourns. All the land is laid waste, but no man takes it to heart. Hosea 2:12 I will destroy her vines and fig trees, which she thinks are the wages paid by her lovers. So I will make them into a thicket, and the beasts of the field will devour them. Treasury of Scripture And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor dig; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it. I will lay Isaiah 5:9,10 In mine ears said the LORD of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant… Isaiah 6:11,12 Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, … Isaiah 24:1-3,12 Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof… it shall Isaiah 7:23-25 And it shall come to pass in that day, that every place shall be, where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings, it shall even be for briers and thorns… Hosea 3:4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: also Isaiah 30:23 Then shall he give the rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous: in that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures. Deuteronomy 28:23,24 And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron… Amos 4:7 And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. Jump to Previous Arranged Blackberries Branches Briars Brier Briers Charge Clouds Command Digged Earth Grow Hoed Knife Lay Orders Pruned Rain Spade Thorn Thorns Touched Waste Wasteland Won't WorkedJump to Next Arranged Blackberries Branches Briars Brier Briers Charge Clouds Command Digged Earth Grow Hoed Knife Lay Orders Pruned Rain Spade Thorn Thorns Touched Waste Wasteland Won't WorkedIsaiah 5 1. Under the parable of a vineyard, God excuses his severe judgment8. His judgments upon covetousness 11. Upon lasciviousness 13. Upon impiety 20. And upon injustice 26. The executioners of God's judgments I will make it a wasteland This phrase signifies God's judgment and the removal of His protection and blessing. In the context of Isaiah 5, the vineyard represents Israel, and the wasteland symbolizes the consequences of their unfaithfulness. The imagery of a vineyard becoming a wasteland is a powerful metaphor for divine judgment, reflecting the covenant curses found in Deuteronomy 28:15-68. Historically, this foreshadows the destruction and exile that Israel would face due to their disobedience. neither pruned nor cultivated and thorns and briers will grow up I will command the clouds that rain shall not fall on it. Persons / Places / Events 1. IsaiahA major prophet in the Old Testament, Isaiah is the author of the book and is delivering God's message to the people of Israel. 2. The Vineyard Symbolic of the nation of Israel, the vineyard represents God's chosen people and His expectations for them to bear fruit. 3. Briers and Thorns These represent the consequences of Israel's disobedience and failure to live up to God's standards. 4. The Clouds Symbolic of God's control over nature, representing His judgment in withholding rain. 5. The Wasteland The result of God's judgment, symbolizing the spiritual barrenness and desolation due to Israel's unfaithfulness. Teaching Points God's Expectation of FruitfulnessGod expects His people to bear spiritual fruit. Just as a vineyard is meant to produce grapes, believers are called to live lives that reflect God's character and purposes. Consequences of Disobedience The imagery of a wasteland and the absence of rain highlight the serious consequences of turning away from God. Spiritual barrenness results from neglecting our relationship with Him. Divine Sovereignty God's control over nature, as seen in His command to the clouds, reminds us of His ultimate authority over all creation. We are called to trust in His sovereignty and align our lives with His will. The Importance of Spiritual Maintenance Just as a vineyard requires pruning and care, our spiritual lives need regular attention through prayer, study of the Word, and fellowship with other believers to prevent spiritual decay. Hope for Restoration While the passage speaks of judgment, it also points to the possibility of restoration. God’s discipline is meant to bring His people back to Him, offering hope for renewal and fruitfulness. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Isaiah 5:6?2. How does Isaiah 5:6 illustrate God's judgment on unfruitfulness in our lives? 3. What actions can we take to avoid the "briers and thorns" mentioned? 4. How does Isaiah 5:6 connect with Jesus' teachings on fruitfulness in John 15? 5. In what ways can we ensure God's "rain" of blessings in our lives? 6. How can we apply Isaiah 5:6 to cultivate spiritual growth and maturity? 7. What does Isaiah 5:6 reveal about God's judgment on unfruitfulness? 8. How does Isaiah 5:6 reflect God's sovereignty over creation? 9. Why does God choose to withhold rain in Isaiah 5:6? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Isaiah 5? 11. Isaiah 5:5–6: Does the claim that God can command clouds not to rain conflict with modern scientific understanding of weather? 12. Isaiah 5:1-7: Does God's destruction of His own vineyard contradict the idea of a loving and merciful deity? 13. Psalm 86:5 - How can a God said to be 'abounding in steadfast love' align with the severity of punishments described elsewhere in the Old Testament? 14. Isaiah 65:24: If God answers before people call, why are there countless unanswered prayers and unresolved suffering? What Does Isaiah 5:6 Mean I will make it a wastelandThe Lord speaks as the Vineyard’s Owner, taking full responsibility for what is about to happen. Judgment is neither random nor accidental; it is God’s deliberate act. • Isaiah has just listed everything God invested in His “pleasant vineyard” (Isaiah 5:1-2). Because the people rejected His care, He now withholds it. • Similar language appears in Jeremiah 12:10-11, “They have made My pleasant field a desolate wasteland… no one lays it to heart”. • The Babylonian invasion fulfilled this word historically (2 Chronicles 36:21). The ground really was left in ruins—literal proof that God’s warnings are accurate. Application: When God removes His hand, even the most fruitful place turns barren. The verse urges a sober look at the consequences of persistent unbelief. neither pruned nor cultivated Pruning and cultivating are signs of ongoing relationship. God’s withdrawal means He will no longer shape or tend His people for a season. • Jesus echoes the image: “Every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit” (John 15:2). Refusing God’s care leaves branches untended. • Ezekiel 19:10-14 pictures a once-flourishing vine now “plucked up… the east wind dried up its fruit.” No pruning → no productivity. • In Leviticus 26:34-35 God foretells land lying fallow during exile so “it will enjoy its Sabbaths.” Neglected fields show both judgment and mercy: the soil rests, but only because the people are gone. Application: Discipline is grace; abandonment is terrifying. Better to receive God’s shears now than His silence later. thorns and briers will grow up When a vineyard is left alone, nature quickly reclaims it. The imagery is purposeful—thorns first appeared after the fall (Genesis 3:17-18). • Isaiah 7:23-25 expands the picture: once-cultivated hills become places “for briers and thorns.” • Hosea 10:8 says, “Thorns and thistles will grow up on their altars.” Sin invites the curse’s symbols right into sacred spaces. • Hebrews 6:7-8 warns that land yielding thorns “is worthless and near to being cursed, its end is to be burned.” Application: Spiritual neglect never stays neutral; weeds of unbelief crowd out former fruit. The verse calls us to constant, intentional cultivation of faith. I will command the clouds that rain shall not fall on it Rain is God’s blessing (Deuteronomy 11:14). To withhold it is to shut off life itself. • Deuteronomy 11:16-17 ties drought directly to idolatry: “He will shut the heavens so that there will be no rain.” • Elijah embodies this principle: “There will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word” (1 Kings 17:1). • Amos 4:7 records selective drought: “I also withheld the rain from you… yet you did not return to Me.” God is so sovereign that even clouds obey His voice. When He withholds rain, no human effort can compensate. Application: Our prosperity, crops, and daily bread hinge on His favor. Gratitude and obedience keep the heavens open. summary Isaiah 5:6 delivers a layered yet literal warning. God Himself will: 1. Turn the fruitful vineyard into a wasteland. 2. Cease pruning and cultivating, leaving it abandoned. 3. Allow thorns and briers—the curse’s emblems—to overrun it. 4. Command the sky to withhold rain, removing every source of renewal. Historically, Judah experienced each step. Spiritually, the passage cautions every generation: reject the Vinedresser, and the vineyard perishes; submit to Him, and it flourishes. (6) There shall come up briers and thorns.--The picture of desolation is still part of a parable. The "briers and thorns" (both the words are peculiar to Isaiah) are the base and unworthy who take the place of the true leaders of the people (Judges 9:7-15). The absence of the pruning and the digging answers to the withdrawal of the means of moral and spiritual culture (John 15:2; Luke 13:8). The command given to the clouds (comp. 2Samuel 1:21, for the outward form of the thought) implies the cessation of all gracious spiritual influences.Verse 6. - I will lay it waste; literally, I will make it a desolation (comp. Isaiah 7:19, where a cognate term occurs). Active ravage is not so much pointed at, as the desolation which comes from neglect. There shall come up briers and thorns. The natural produce of neglected ground in Palestine (see Proverbs 24:31). The "thorns and briers" symbolize vices of various kinds, the natural produce of the human soul, if God leaves it to itself. The words are scarcely to be taken literally, though it is probably true that "no country in the world has such variety and abundance of thorny plants as Palestine in its present desolation" (Macmillan, 'Min. of Nat.,' p. 103). I will also command the clouds. Here at last disguise is thrown off, and the speaker manifestly appears as Jehovah, who can alone "command the clouds." The "rain" intended is probably that of his gracious influences.Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew I will makeוַאֲשִׁיתֵ֣הוּ (wa·’ă·šî·ṯê·hū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine singular Strong's 7896: To put, set it a wasteland, בָתָ֗ה (ḇā·ṯāh) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 1326: End, destruction neither לֹ֤א (lō) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no pruned יִזָּמֵר֙ (yiz·zā·mêr) Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 2168: To trim, prune nor וְלֹ֣א (wə·lō) Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no cultivated, יֵעָדֵ֔ר (yê·‘ā·ḏêr) Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 5737: To arrange as a battle, a vineyard, to muster, to miss and thorns וָשָׁ֑יִת (wā·šā·yiṯ) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 7898: Scrub, trash, wild growth of weeds, briers and briers שָׁמִ֖יר (šā·mîr) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 8068: A thorn, a gem, the diamond will grow up. וְעָלָ֥ה (wə·‘ā·lāh) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively I will command אֲצַוֶּ֔ה (’ă·ṣaw·weh) Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular Strong's 6680: To lay charge (upon), give charge (to), command, order the clouds הֶעָבִים֙ (he·‘ā·ḇîm) Article | Noun - common plural Strong's 5645: An envelope, darkness, a, cloud, a copse that rain מָטָֽר׃ (mā·ṭār) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 4306: Rain shall not fall מֵהַמְטִ֥יר (mê·ham·ṭîr) Preposition-m | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct Strong's 4305: To rain on it. עָלָ֖יו (‘ā·lāw) Preposition | third person masculine singular Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against Links Isaiah 5:6 NIVIsaiah 5:6 NLT Isaiah 5:6 ESV Isaiah 5:6 NASB Isaiah 5:6 KJV Isaiah 5:6 BibleApps.com Isaiah 5:6 Biblia Paralela Isaiah 5:6 Chinese Bible Isaiah 5:6 French Bible Isaiah 5:6 Catholic Bible OT Prophets: Isaiah 5:6 I will lay it a wasteland (Isa Isi Is) |
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