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What the Bible Says About Vineyard

Overview

The Bible addresses vineyard across 56 verses, drawn from both the Old and New Testaments. These passages cluster most in Matthew, Isaiah and Luke. Closely related themes include Parables, Employee, Unfaithfulness and Vineyards. Figures whose stories touch this theme include Solomon and Jesus.

Key Bible verses about vineyard

Old Testament

Isaiah

Isaiah 1:8

And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.

Isaiah 5:1

Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: a very: Heb. the horn of the son of oil

Isaiah 5:2

And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. fenced: or, made a wall about made: Heb. hewed

Isaiah 5:3

And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.

Isaiah 5:4

What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?

Isaiah 5:5

And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down: trodden: Heb. for a treading

Isaiah 5:6

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.

Isaiah 5:7

For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry. his: Heb. plant of his pleasures oppression: Heb. a scab

Isaiah 7:23

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.

Isaiah 27:2

In that day sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine.

Isaiah 27:3

I the LORD do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day.

New Testament

Matthew

Matthew 20:1

For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.

Matthew 20:2

And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. penny: the Roman penny is the eighth part of an ounce, which after five shillings the ounce is seven pence halfpenny; about fourteen cents

Matthew 20:3

And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,

Matthew 20:4

And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.

Matthew 20:5

Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.

Matthew 20:6

And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?

Matthew 20:7

They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.

Matthew 20:8

So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.

Matthew 20:9

And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.

Matthew 20:10

But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.

Matthew 20:11

And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,

Matthew 20:12

Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. have wrought: or, have continued one hour only

Matthew 20:13

But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?

Matthew 20:14

Take that thine is, and go thy way I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.

Matthew 20:15

Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own?1487 Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

Matthew 20:16

So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

Matthew 21:28

But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.

Matthew 21:29

He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.

Matthew 21:30

And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.

Matthew 21:31

Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

Matthew 21:33

Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:

Matthew 21:34

And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.

Matthew 21:35

And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one and killed another, and stoned another.

Matthew 21:36

Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.

Matthew 21:37

But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.

Matthew 21:38

But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.

Matthew 21:39

And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.

Matthew 21:40

When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?

Matthew 21:41

They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.

People in the Bible and vineyard

Biblical figures whose stories intersect with this theme.

Studying vineyard for yourself

  • Begin with Judges 11:33, then read the passages below in canonical order.
  • Compare how Matthew, Isaiah and Luke each treat the theme.
  • Consider the lives of Solomon and Jesus and how their stories intersect with it.
  • Widen the study to related themes: Parables, Employee, Unfaithfulness and Vineyards.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Bible say about vineyard?

The Bible addresses vineyard across 56 verses, drawn from both the Old and New Testaments. These passages cluster most in Matthew, Isaiah and Luke. Closely related themes include Parables, Employee, Unfaithfulness and Vineyards. Figures whose stories touch this theme include Solomon and Jesus.

How many Bible verses are about vineyard?

The Bible references vineyard in 56 verses (King James Version).

Where does the Bible first mention vineyard?

In canonical order, the first of these passages is Judges 11:33: “And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel. the plain: or, Abel”

Which people in the Bible are associated with vineyard?

Solomon and Jesus.

Preach & teach

Outline a sermon or build a study series on vineyard.

Preach a series on Vineyard