Lexical Summary
beushim: Wild grapes, sour grapes
Original Word:בְּאֻשִׁים
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:b'ushiym
Pronunciation:beh-oo-sheem
Phonetic Spelling:(be-oo-sheem')
KJV: wild grapes
NASB:worthless ones
Word Origin:[plural ofH889 (בְּאוֹשׁ - stench)]
1. poison-berries
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
wild grapes
Plural ofb'osh; poison-berries -- wild grapes.
see HEBREWb'osh
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originpl. of
beoshDefinitionstinking or worthless (things), wild grapes
NASB Translationworthless ones (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
, wild grapes (Late Hebrew noun of individual meaning ) (perhaps adjective omitted compare Di)
Isaiah 5:2,4 of Yahweh's vineyard, Vulgae
labruscae (see further De).
Topical Lexicon
Semantic range and imageryThe 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 andIsaiah 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.
2. Moral indictment: Isaiah explicitly equates the bad fruit with “bloodshed” and “distress” (Isaiah 5:7), linking social injustice to spiritual apostasy.
3. Divine righteousness: The LORD’s meticulous preparation of His vineyard (digging, clearing, tower, winepress) highlights His justice in judging its disappointing yield. The presence of בְּאֻשִׁים therefore vindicates God’s forthcoming acts of discipline.
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).
• Discipleship emphasis: Cultivating good fruit involves abiding in the Word, prayer, and obedience, ensuring that the watchtower and winepress—symbols of vigilance and purification—remain operative.
• Social ethics: Isaiah ties rotten grapes to injustice; thus Christian mission integrates gospel proclamation with tangible acts of mercy and equity.
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 beuShim
Links
Interlinear Greek •
Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
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