Characterisations of YHWH in the song of the vineyard : a multitextural interpretation of Isaiah 5:1-7

Abstract

The Song of the Vineyard, Isaiah 5:1-7, portrays YHWH as a vinedresser who has carefully prepared land and planted a choice vine, a symbol of the people whom the deity has chosen. When the reasonable expectation that the vine produce good fruit is thwarted, the vinedresser destroys the vineyard. YHWH, the vinedresser, may seem to be characterised by these actions as a demanding god who will swiftly and harshly recompense any failure to meet expectations. This thesis poses the hypothesis that although this brief song may at first seemingly present a monochromatic characterisation of YHWH, it may actually present a spectrum of characterisations when viewed through multiple interpretive lenses. Socio-rhetorical criticism is the methodology used to examine this hypothesis. This methodology, developed by Vernon K. Robbins, encompasses diverse interpretive approaches, examining five aspects, or “textures,” of the text to obtain a broad interpretive spectrum. In this thesis, three of the textures, innertexture, intertexture, and socio-cultural texture, are considered in separate chapters. The chapter on innertexture examines the world of the text itself, in particular its progressive nature and emotive content. The next chapter examines the intertextural relationship between this Isaian song and two other ancient songs (The Song of the Reed Sea and the Song of Moses), associative references to Sodom, and parallels with the Song of Solomon. The chapter on the socio-cultural texture examines the portrayal of YHWH in light of the socio-economics and socio-cultural values of the world of the story, eighth century B.C.E. Judah. Through this interpretive lense, YHWH is seen as a patron or benefactor who has been dishonoured by his people. In socio-rhetorical criticism, ideology is often presented as a separate texture; in this thesis, it is considered as part of the act of interpretation of all textures, since readers’ ideologies interact with the text. The sacred texture, the last of Robbins’ proposed textures, is presented as the conclusion, with a summary of the spectrum of characterisations of YHWH that the multi-lensed interpretive approach uncovers. The conclusion also includes suggested implications of these finds for the community of faith.