Focused Passage

Isaiah 5:18-23

The Song of the Vineyard and the Woes Against Covenant Corruption

The chapter moves from the beloved’s vineyard song, to the LORD’s interpretation of Judah as the failed vineyard, to six woes exposing the vineyard’s bad fruit, to the rejection of the LORD’s instruction, and finally to the summoned instrument of judgment.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

18 Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of deceit and pull sin along with cart ropes,

19 to those who say, “Let Him hurry and hasten His work so that we may see it! Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come so that we may know it!”

20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness to light and light to darkness, who replace bitter with sweet and sweet with bitter.

21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.

22 Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine and champions in mixing strong drink,

23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe and deprive the innocent of justice.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 18

Original words

Woe ה֛וֹי H1945 Interjection to those who draw מֹשְׁכֵ֥י H4900 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct iniquity הֶֽעָוֺ֖ן H5771 Article | Noun - common singular with cords בְּחַבְלֵ֣י H2256 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct of deceit הַשָּׁ֑וְא H7723 Article | Noun - masculine singular and pull sin along חַטָּאָֽה׃ H2403 Noun - feminine singular with cart הָעֲגָלָ֖ה H5699 Article | Noun - feminine singular ropes וְכַעֲב֥וֹת H5688 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k | Noun - common singular construct
Verse 19

Original words

to those who say הָאֹמְרִ֗ים H559 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural Let Him hurry יְמַהֵ֧ר׀ H4116 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular and hasten His work מַעֲשֵׂ֖הוּ H4639 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular . . . יָחִ֛ישָׁה H2363 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect Cohortative - third person masculine singular so that לְמַ֣עַן H4616 Conjunction we may see it נִרְאֶ֑ה H7200 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural . . . וְתִקְרַ֣ב H7126 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person feminine singular Let the plan עֲצַ֛ת H6098 Noun - feminine singular construct of the Holy קְד֥וֹשׁ H6918 Adjective - masculine singular construct One of Israel יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular come וְתָב֗וֹאָה H935 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - third person feminine singular so that we may know it וְנֵדָֽעָה׃ס H3045 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural
Verse 20

Original words

Woe ה֣וֹי H1945 Interjection to those who call הָאֹמְרִ֥ים H559 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural evil לָרַ֛ע H7451 Preposition-l, Article | Adjective - masculine singular good ט֖וֹב H2896 Noun - masculine singular and good וְלַטּ֣וֹב H2896 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular evil רָ֑ע H7451 Adjective - masculine singular who turn שָׂמִ֨ים H7760 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural darkness חֹ֤שֶׁךְ H2822 Noun - masculine singular to light לְאוֹר֙ H216 Preposition-l | Noun - common singular and light וְא֣וֹר H216 Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular to darkness לְחֹ֔שֶׁךְ H2822 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular who replace שָׂמִ֥ים H7760 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural bitter מַ֛ר H4751 Adjective - masculine singular with sweet לְמָת֖וֹק H4966 Preposition-l | Adjective - masculine singular and sweet וּמָת֥וֹק H4966 Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular with bitter לְמָֽר׃ס H4751 Preposition-l | Adjective - masculine singular
Verse 21

Original words

Woe ה֖וֹי H1945 Interjection to those who are wise חֲכָמִ֣ים H2450 Adjective - masculine plural in their own eyes בְּעֵֽינֵיהֶ֑ם H5869 Preposition-b | Noun - cdc | third person masculine plural and clever נְבֹנִֽים׃ H995 Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural in וְנֶ֥גֶד H5048 Conjunctive waw | Preposition their own sight פְּנֵיהֶ֖ם H6440 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Verse 22

Original words

Woe ה֕וֹי H1945 Interjection to those who are heroes גִּבּוֹרִ֖ים H1368 Adjective - masculine plural in drinking לִשְׁתּ֣וֹת H8354 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct wine יָ֑יִן H3196 Noun - masculine singular and champions וְאַנְשֵׁי־ H582 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct . . . חַ֖יִל H2428 Noun - masculine singular in mixing לִמְסֹ֥ךְ H4537 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct strong drink שֵׁכָֽר׃ H7941 Noun - masculine singular
Verse 23

Original words

who acquit מַצְדִּיקֵ֥י H6663 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural construct the guilty רָשָׁ֖ע H7563 Adjective - masculine singular for עֵ֣קֶב H6118 Noun - masculine singular construct a bribe שֹׁ֑חַד H7810 Noun - masculine singular and deprive יָסִ֥ירוּ H5493 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural the innocent צַדִּיקִ֖ים H6662 Adjective - masculine plural . . . מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ס H4480 Preposition | third person masculine singular of justice וְצִדְקַ֥ת H6666 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.