Vine-dressers, also known as vinedressers or husbandmen, are individuals responsible for the cultivation and care of vineyards. This role is significant in biblical times, as vineyards were a common and important agricultural feature in ancient Israel. The vine-dresser's duties included planting, pruning, harvesting, and protecting the vines from pests and diseases. The imagery of vine-dressers is frequently used in the Bible to convey spiritual truths and moral lessons.

Old Testament References

In the Old Testament, vine-dressers are often mentioned in the context of agricultural prosperity and divine blessing. The Promised Land is described as a land of vineyards, indicating abundance and fertility. For instance, in Deuteronomy 6:10-11 , God promises the Israelites, "When the LORD your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that He would give you—a land with great and splendid cities that you did not build, with houses full of every good thing with which you did not fill them, with wells you did not dig, and with vineyards and olive groves you did not plant."

The role of vine-dressers is also highlighted in the context of judgment and restoration. In Isaiah 5:1-7, the "Song of the Vineyard" uses the metaphor of a vineyard to describe Israel. God is depicted as the owner who carefully tends to His vineyard, expecting it to yield good grapes, but it produces wild grapes instead. This passage underscores the expectation of faithfulness and the consequences of disobedience.

New Testament References

In the New Testament, the imagery of vine-dressers is prominently featured in the parables of Jesus. One of the most notable is the Parable of the Wicked Tenants (Matthew 21:33-41, Mark 12:1-9, Luke 20:9-16). In this parable, a landowner plants a vineyard and leases it to vine-dressers. When the time comes to collect the fruit, the vine-dressers beat, kill, and stone the servants sent by the owner, and eventually kill his son. This parable serves as an allegory for Israel's rejection of the prophets and ultimately, the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

John 15:1-8 presents another significant use of vine imagery, where Jesus declares, "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser." This passage emphasizes the relationship between Jesus, His followers, and God the Father. Believers are the branches, and they must remain in Christ to bear fruit. The Father, as the vine-dresser, prunes the branches to make them more fruitful, illustrating the process of spiritual growth and discipline.

Symbolism and Spiritual Lessons

The role of vine-dressers in the Bible is rich with symbolism. Vineyards often represent God's people, and the vine-dressers symbolize those entrusted with spiritual leadership and care. The expectation of fruitfulness is a recurring theme, highlighting the importance of living a life that reflects God's righteousness and produces spiritual fruit.

The vine-dresser's work also symbolizes God's nurturing and corrective actions in the lives of believers. Just as a vine-dresser prunes and tends to the vines to ensure a healthy harvest, God disciplines and guides His people to foster spiritual maturity and holiness.

In summary, vine-dressers in the Bible serve as a powerful metaphor for stewardship, faithfulness, and the relationship between God and His people. Through the imagery of vineyards and vine-dressers, Scripture communicates profound truths about divine care, judgment, and the call to bear fruit in the Christian life.3755. karam -- to tend vineyards, dress vines
... 3754, 3755. karam. 3756 . to tend vineyards, dress vines. Transliteration:
karam Phonetic Spelling: (ko-rame') Short Definition: vinedressers. ...
/hebrew/3755.htm - 6k

Dishonest Tenants
... who is to sense far off. II. The next scenes paint the conduct of the dishonest
vine-dressers. We mark the stern, dark picture drawn ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture d/dishonest tenants.htm

Joel's Rhapsody of the Locust Plague
... HUSBANDMEN. Be ashamed, O ye husbandmen, Howl, O ye vinedressers, For the wheat,
and for the barley; For the harvest of the field is perished! ...
/.../select masterpieces of biblical literature/joels rhapsody of the locust.htm

The Leafless Tree
... reservation"'none remained save the poorer sort of the people of the land." They
were left by the captain of the guard, "to be vine-dressers and husbandmen ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/the leafless tree.htm

Two Ways of Despising God's Feast
... For many are called, but few are chosen.'"Matthew 22:1-14. This parable,
and the preceding one of the vine-dressers, make a pair. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/two ways of despising gods.htm

The Mountainous Country of Judea.
... the King.". Rabbi Simeon had vine-dressers in the Mount of the King. He
was minded to let out his vineyard to heathens. R. Chaijah ...
/.../lightfoot/from the talmud and hebraica/chapter 11 the mountainous country.htm

The End
... away.12. But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be
vine-dressers and husbandmen.'"2 Kings 25:1-12. Eighteen ...
//christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/the end.htm

A Young Man who Said, "Send Me"
... He also built towers in the wilderness and dug many cisterns, for he had many herds
in the lowland and farmers in the plain and vine-dressers in the mountains ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/a young man who said.htm

Parable of the Wicked Husbandman. (Matt. , xxi. , 33-44; Mark, xii ...
... Divine messengers, and, finally, towards the Son himself, are set forth more
prominently in the parable of the vineyard and the wicked vine-dressers (Matt., ...
/.../section 256 parable of the.htm

To the End and After
... Palace and the greater houses, and to transport to Babylon a second multitude of
Jews, leaving only the poorest of the land to be vine-dressers and husbandmen ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/lecture vi to the end.htm

The Wicked Husbandmen.
... The picture of the tenant vine-dressers usurping possession"driving off the owner's
servants and slaying his son, although transparent in its meaning and ...
/.../arnot/the parables of our lord/xi the wicked husbandmen.htm

Vinedressers (4 Occurrences)
...Vinedressers (4 Occurrences). 2 Kings 25:12 But the captain of the guard left of
the door of the poor of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen. ...
/v/vinedressers.htm - 7k

Vine-dressers (18 Occurrences)
Vine-dressers. Vinedressers, Vine-dressers. Vinegar . Multi-Version Concordance ...
(WBS YLT). Vinedressers, Vine-dressers. Vinegar . Reference Bible.
/v/vine-dressers.htm - 11k

Vintage-time (3 Occurrences)
... Vintage-time (3 Occurrences). Matthew 21:34 When vintage-time approached, he sent
his servants to the vine-dressers to receive his share of the grapes; (WEY). ...
/v/vintage-time.htm - 7k

Cruelly (26 Occurrences)
... Matthew 21:35 but the vine-dressers seized the servants, and one they cruelly
beat, one they killed, one they pelted with stones. (WEY). ...
/c/cruelly.htm - 14k

Owner (56 Occurrences)
... (BBE). Matthew 21:40 When then the owner of the vineyard comes, what will
he do to those vine-dressers?" (WEY NAS RSV NIV). Matthew ...
/o/owner.htm - 24k

Grapes (74 Occurrences)
... Matthew 21:34 When vintage-time approached, he sent his servants to the
vine-dressers to receive his share of the grapes; (WEY). ...
/g/grapes.htm - 31k

Empty-handed (13 Occurrences)
... Luke 20:10 At vintage-time he sent a servant to the vine-dressers, for them to give
him a share of the crop; but the vine-dressers beat him cruelly and sent ...
/e/empty-handed.htm - 10k

Produce (140 Occurrences)
... (WEB DBY NAS). Matthew 21:34 When vintage-time approached, he sent his servants
to the vine-dressers to receive his share of the grapes; (See NAS). ...
/p/produce.htm - 37k

Crop (33 Occurrences)
... Luke 20:10 At vintage-time he sent a servant to the vine-dressers, for them to give
him a share of the crop; but the vine-dressers beat him cruelly and sent ...
/c/crop.htm - 17k

Body-guard (23 Occurrences)
... multitude. (DBY). 2 Kings 25:12 But the captain of the body-guard left of
the poor of the land for vinedressers and husbandmen. (DBY). ...
/b/body-guard.htm - 14k

How many parables are in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Does the vine and branches passage in John 15 mean that salvation can be lost? | GotQuestions.org

What did Jesus mean when He said, “I am the True Vine” (John 15:1)? | GotQuestions.org

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