הושע, פרק ט׳, פסוק ב׳

When a nation turns its back on God, the very earth that sustains them responds in kind. As a consequence of their spiritual betrayal, the Israelites are destined to lose their agricultural lifelines. Because the people refused to acknowledge God as the sole provider of their wealth and chose instead to worship other gods, God will strip away their harvest [רד״ק]. This relationship is likened to a marriage: just as a husband commits to providing basic sustenance for his wife, God provided for the people, but now those vital provisions are being revoked [מלבי״ם].

The devastation centers on the primary sources of food—the threshing floor and the winepress, the pit where fresh wine flows from the press [מצודת ציון]. These places of abundance will no longer feed or sustain the nation [מצודת ציון]. The commentators explain that the grain and grapes will simply cease to provide nourishment. This will occur either because the crops will fail to grow entirely [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ], or because God will strike the harvest with natural disasters like blight and locusts, leaving any remnants to be looted by enemies [רד״ק].

Although the winepress is already noted, the specific mention of new grapes serves a distinct purpose. A vineyard typically offers two pleasures: eating the fresh grapes and drinking the pressed wine. Highlighting the new grapes emphasizes that even the most basic yield of the vine will be absent, making the production of wine an impossibility [רד״ק]. Ultimately, the agricultural produce will deceive and disappoint the farmers [מצודת ציון]. Even if they plant vineyards, their hopes for a bountiful harvest will be crushed. A curse will fall upon the land, ensuring that whatever small amount is produced will be drastically less than expected [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

There are several ways to understand exactly who or what experiences this bitter disappointment. One approach suggests the failure is directed at the nation as a whole, referring to the congregation of Israel or Ephraim [מצודת דוד, רד״ק]. Another perspective is that the failure happens within the land itself, where the grapes will simply refuse to grow [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ], or within the empty winepress [מלבי״ם]. Additionally, a traditional reading indicates that the harvest will directly deceive and fail the people themselves [רד״ק, מלבי״ם, מנחת שי].