In the day of thy planting shall be the wild grape, and in the morning thy seed shall flourish: the harvest is taken away in the day of inheritance, and shall grieve thee much.
בְּי֤וֹם נִטְעֵךְ֙ תְּשַׂגְשֵׂ֔גִי וּבַבֹּ֖קֶר זַרְעֵ֣ךְ תַּפְרִ֑יחִי נֵ֥ד קָצִ֛יר בְּי֥וֹם נַחֲלָ֖ה וּכְאֵ֥ב אָנֽוּשׁ׃
4 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Grief is harsh, especially for those who have fled the city. May what you have planted come forth quickly, signifying its growth. On this day, you will receive your inheritance, and as a father to humanity, you will share your legacy with strangers as if they were your own children, and you will walk alongside them.
For this reason, you cultivate a garden that lacks faithfulness, and the seed you sow is unfaithful as well. However, if you plant in the morning, it will prosper by the time of harvest; on that same day, you will receive your inheritance, and as a father does, you will pass it on to your children. I will do my best to elucidate the obscure meaning of these sayings. The prophet expresses this: previously, I indicated that the Israelites, or Ephraim (referring to the ten tribes that had relocated to Samaria), were seduced and enticed into thinking about what they ought not to consider. They held their heads high, believing their vast numbers rendered them invincible against any foe.
Yet, their misguided confidence led to their downfall; many perished in battle, while others were taken captive to foreign lands, filled with fear and distress. However, when a certain period passed—specifically during the reign of Cyrus—they returned from Persia to the holy city. They no longer had separate kings but instead resided together in Jerusalem, beginning to honor God's commandments. Consequently, their offspring dwelled in safety, and their lineage extended to the children of their children. The aforementioned scripture conveys this and other lessons, presenting an image derived from bread and ears of corn. Because if you do not acknowledge the Lord your God, the garden you plant, meaning your seed and the seed of your descendants, shall be untrustworthy and unfruitful. Yet, if you plant it and see it thrive, you may be misled; you might mistakenly think that your success comes solely from the assistance of numerous individuals, which would lead to a false judgment. They will fall like unripe ears, leaving you with only disappointment in your expectations. Conversely, if you sow in the morning—when you walk in the light and finally recognize Him who is truly the Lord, who easily bestows salvation and help—then what you plant will flourish into a fruitful harvest. The destruction of the unripe ear harms the farmer in both labor and hope; but upon reaching the harvest, it instills the greatest promise of good things. Your sowing will indeed yield a fruitful harvest when you dwell in the light of day and possess knowledge of God. Then, like a father to his children, you will bestow an inheritance upon them, as you grant your sons a sharing of blessings and communion of divine aid.
On that day, when you sow, it will thrive. These seeds, moved to the harsh terrain of the Gentiles, will quickly yield fruit. In the morning, you will bring forth your harvest, referring to the nations that will embrace in faith the truth revealed to them upon witnessing the redemption of Israel. Just as the gathering of grapes happens swiftly, so too will your captivity, O Israel, be brief, resembling the quick work of those who harvest grapes, which is short-lived and swiftly concludes. Furthermore, akin to a mild ailment that may trouble yet is quickly healed.
In the time of your planting, you have sown wild grapes; in the dawn, your seed may thrive, yet the harvest during your inheritance will be taken, leading to profound sorrow. Look closely, says He, at the yield of your efforts: your Sorek vine will turn to wild grapes; your hopeful seed in its growth will ultimately yield no benefit, for when harvested, it will be taken by another. You will experience deep sadness upon losing what you once aspired to grasp.
Thus, you will tend the garden of the faithful, but will also cultivate a foreign offshoot. On the day you sow wild grapes, your seeds may grow; however, the harvest in your inheritance will be lost, resulting in much distress. Therefore, if you sow in the morning, it shall thrive for the harvest in the day of inheritance, similar to how a father bequeaths an inheritance to his sons. The Hebrew tradition speaks of this inheritance day, referred to as biom nehela, indicating a dire time. The interpretation of man’s sorrow, as guided by the Hebrews, suggests a profound mourning.
I reiterate: since you, land of Judah, have turned away from God your Savior, forgetting Him who has always strengthened you, though you may strive to plant a garden of faithfulness, or a beautiful garden according to other translations, you have, in truth, sown a foreign shoot, rejecting the Father by refusing the Son. For belief in the Father inherently encompasses belief in the Son. Your endeavors in the synagogues of discord have yielded blasphemy against Jesus; therefore, you will not reap clusters of grapes, but wild ones instead. Although your sprouts may initially flourish and show a semblance of piety, when the time comes for your harvest on the day of inheritance, you will be greatly disheartened to find the Gentiles favored over you. Hence, the apostle expresses, "My sorrow is great, and constant anguish fills my heart." He wishes to be separated from Christ for the sake of his brethren, his kinsmen by blood who are Israelites—privileged with sonship, the law, glory, covenants, and promises, along with their forefathers.
Not only Paul acknowledges this sentiment; all saints desire the preservation of the root alongside the branches of the wild olive tree. This inheritance comes from the Lord, of which the apostle states, "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord; and there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all." Some may question why we refer to a garden of faithfulness instead of a beautiful or good garden as other translations have suggested. The Hebrew term neemanim, when spelled with an aleph, conveys faithfulness, while when spelled with an ain, denotes beauty. Thus, as Naomi, bearing the spelling with this letter, instructs Ruth, "Call me not Naomi, which means beautiful, but call me Mara, which implies bitterness."
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS