Lexical Summary beushim: Wild grapes, sour grapes Original Word: בְּאֻשִׁים Strong's Exhaustive Concordance wild grapes Plural of b'osh; poison-berries -- wild grapes. see HEBREW b'osh NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originpl. of beosh Definition stinking or worthless (things), wild grapes NASB Translation worthless ones (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs בְּאֻשִׁים noun [masculine] plural stinking or worthless things, wild grapes (Late Hebrew noun of individual meaning בְּאוּשָׁה) (perhaps adjective omitted עֲנָבִים compare Di) Isaiah 5:2,4 of Yahweh's vineyard, Vulgae labruscae (see further De). Topical Lexicon Semantic range and imagery The noun בְּאֻשִׁים depicts grapes that have soured, decayed, or turned acrid—fruit that looks promising but proves inedible. The word thus paints a vivid contrast between outward appearance and inward reality, an image ideally suited to expose spiritual hypocrisy and moral rot. Occurrences in Isaiah’s Song of the Vineyard Isaiah 5:2 and Isaiah 5:4 employ בְּאֻשִׁים to summarize the harvest of a lovingly cultivated vineyard that ought to have produced “good grapes” but instead yielded “worthless grapes” (Isaiah 5:2). The repetition in verse 4 (“why did it yield worthless grapes?”) underscores the prophet’s lament over Judah’s failure to reciprocate the LORD’s covenant care. Theological and covenant implications 1. Covenant expectations: The Song of the Vineyard is framed by legal language reminiscent of Deuteronomy—blessing for obedience, curse for rebellion. The unpalatable grapes signify covenant breach. Prophetic relevance to ancient Israel In eighth-century Judah, prosperity masked systemic oppression and idolatry. By choosing an agrarian metaphor familiar to every listener, Isaiah exposes sins hidden behind religious ritual. The stench of ruined grapes alerts the nation that what appears fruitful worship is, in God’s nostrils, putrefaction. Christological perspective Jesus’ parable of the wicked tenants (Matthew 21:33-41) mirrors Isaiah’s vineyard motif, climaxing in the rejection of the Son and the transfer of the vineyard to a people producing its fruits. Likewise, John 15:1-8 identifies Christ as the true vine, His disciples as branches that “bear much fruit.” The persistent Old–New Testament thread portrays genuine righteousness as fruit generated by union with God, in contrast to בְּאֻשִׁים, the self-generated works of the flesh. Application to personal and corporate ministry • Spiritual diagnostics: Leaders and congregations may appear lush but must test their fruit for authenticity (Galatians 5:22-23). Eschatological echoes Revelation 14:18-19 pictures a final grape harvest in which the earth’s rebellion is thrown into “the great winepress of God’s wrath,” a culmination of the בְּאֻשִׁים motif. By contrast, Revelation 22:2 envisions a tree “yielding its fruit every month,” a pledge that redeemed creation will forever be free of spoiled produce. Summary בְּאֻשִׁים serves as a concise symbol of corrupted potential, covenant infidelity, and the stench of self-righteousness. In prophetic, Christological, and eschatological dimensions, the term urges believers to pursue the authentic fruit that springs from a heart transformed by the grace of God. Forms and Transliterations בְּאֻשִֽׁים׃ באשים׃ bə’ušîm bə·’u·šîm beuShimLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 5:2 HEB: עֲנָבִ֖ים וַיַּ֥עַשׂ בְּאֻשִֽׁים׃ NAS: But it produced [only] worthless ones. KJV: and it brought forth wild grapes. INT: grapes produced worthless Isaiah 5:4 2 Occurrences |
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