the Fourth Week of Advent
Click here to join the effort!
Bible Dictionaries
Vine
Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types
This plant is used as a type of the nation of Israel, and of other nations. Sometimes it is spoken of as a good vine, and in other passages as a vine that was unprofitable and that brought forth evil fruit. GOD speaks of this vine as His own planting, when it refers to Israel. He expected it to bring forth good fruit that would be for His glory, and would bring joy to His heart. Instead of doing so, it brought forth evil fruit in most of the cases where it refers to Israel.
Genesis 49:11 (b) This vine is Israel. Judah was tied to Israel by blood bonds, and his children also bore the same relationship.
Deuteronomy 32:32 (a) The vine in this case refers to the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. It is in contrast with what they should be, the vine of Israel. GOD is telling us that Israel had become so corrupt that they were more like those two wicked cities than like His city, and their works were as evil as those of Sodom.
Judges 9:12 (b) Jotham is telling the people of Israel that they have invited a weak, helpless person to be their king, because he considered that Abimelech was an incompetent man.
Psalm 80:8 (a) The nation of Israel is compared to the vine. GOD brought them from Egypt and placed them in the land of Palestine. They replaced the heathen nations whom GOD enabled Joshua to conquer.
Psalm 128:3 (a) In this case the wife is compared to a vine because she would be beautiful in her life, and fruitful in her conduct. Children would be born into the family, and they would be a blessing to the mother, to the father, and to the nation.
Jeremiah 2:21 (a) Here we read the sad lament of the Lord because of the evil conduct of His people. The vine is Israel. They did not act like a good vine bearing grapes, but as an evil vine, bearing useless fruit, or poisonous fruit.
Ezekiel 17:6 (b) This vine is probably the apostate Kingdom of Israel. The first great eagle, the King of Babylon, invaded Israel and took some of the people away as captives to his own land. The second eagle was the King of Egypt. Israel sent messengers to Egypt to obtain help, but Egypt failed and Israel was destroyed. It is a wonderful allegory which is described in verses Ezekiel 17:12- 18. (See also Isaiah 5:2; Jeremiah 2:21; Ezekiel 15:2).
Hosea 10:1 (a) GOD expected fruit from His people Israel. He received none. Israel turned to idolatry and to wicked practices learned from the people of the land. They served themselves, and satisfied their own lusts, while GOD's Word was neglected, and His service ignored.
John 15:1 (a) In this case the Lord JESUS Himself is the vine. Those who are saved by His grace are the branches. GOD sees the believer as a very part of CHRIST JESUS Himself. The branch bears the likeness of the vine, and has the same living sap flowing through it constantly. It bears the kind of fruit that characterizes the vine. All the fruit on the vine is found on the branches. Let us be bearing fruit for Him.
Revelation 14:18 (a) This vine refers to the people of the earth of every kindred and nation who are enemies of GOD, enemies of Israel, and reject the authority of JESUS CHRIST.
These files are public domain.
Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Watson, Walter. Entry for 'Vine'. Wilson's Dictoinary of Bible Types. https://www.studylight.org/​dictionaries/​eng/​wdt/​v/vine.html. 1957.