Vineyard

Biblical References

Old Testament

• After the Flood, Noah began farming and planted a vineyard (Genesis 9:20).
• The Law forbids tending vineyards during the sabbatical year (Leviticus 25:3-4). When harvesting grapes, the people were not to strip the vines bare but were to leave the fallen fruit for the poor and the stranger (a foreigner residing in the land) (Leviticus 19:10).
• In the account of Naboth's vineyard, Naboth refuses King Ahab's demand that he sell his vineyard, saying that it is land inherited from his ancestors. Jezebel then arranges for false witnesses and has Naboth put to death (1 Kings 21; see Ahab and Jezebel).
• The "Song of the Vineyard" in Isaiah 5:1-7 tells of a carefully tended vineyard that produced wild grapes.
• In the Song of Solomon, the lovers' dialogue mentions "the little foxes, that spoil the vines" (Song of Solomon 2:15).

New Testament

• Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16)
• Parable of the Two Sons (Matthew 21:28-32)
• Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen (Matthew 21:33-46; Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-19)
• Parable of the fig tree planted in a vineyard (Luke 13:6-9)

Background

Vineyards in Palestine were usually cultivated on hillsides. The ground was cleared of stones, a hedge was set around it, a watchtower was built to guard it, and a winepress was dug for treading the grapes to extract their juice (Isaiah 5:2; Mark 12:1). At harvest time, laborers were hired for wages; the daily wage of one denarius in the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard reflects this practice. The original-language terms are the Hebrew kerem and the Greek ampelōn. The image of every man sitting "under his vine" served as an expression of peace and security (Micah 4:4).

Significance Across Scripture

Isaiah declares, "the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel" (Isaiah 5:7). Psalm 80 and Jeremiah 12:10 likewise compare Israel to a vine or vineyard planted by God. This symbolism brings together God's care, His expectation of fruit, and judgment when no fruit is produced. Jesus' Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen borrows the language of Isaiah 5 almost verbatim and carries this tradition forward. In the Gospel of John, the image of the Vine and the Branches (John 15) applies the same imagery to the relationship between Jesus and His disciples.

Interpretation and Debates

• The Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen and Israel: Matthew 21:43 states, "The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof." Some interpreters read this verse to mean that the church has taken Israel's place. Others read it more narrowly as a warning to the leaders of that time, since the text (Matthew 21:45) identifies the hearers as the chief priests and Pharisees. Because covenant theology and dispensationalism understand the relationship between Israel and the church differently, they also read this verse differently.
• The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard: This parable is generally read as teaching God's grace, which is given apart from works. Since the patristic era there has also been a tradition of allegorical interpretation (reading each detail of the text as a symbol of something else) that takes the hours at which the workers were called to represent stages of human life or periods of salvation history.
• The little foxes: Many sermons apply the little foxes of Song of Solomon 2:15 to small sins or discord that undermine a community. However, since the passage is set in a song between lovers, such applications are distinct from what the text directly says.

In the Korean Church

In the Korean church, it is common to refer to a church or ministry setting as "the Lord's vineyard" and to those who serve as "vineyard workers." The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard is frequently used as a sermon text on the theme that those who come to faith late receive the same grace. The word for "vineyard" (podowon) also appears often in church names.