ישעיהו, פרק כ״ז, פסוק ד׳

The dynamic between God, His people, and their enemies unfolds through vivid imagery of a vineyard merging with a battlefield. At the heart of this relationship is a profound declaration of patience. God asserts that He harbors no deep, internal anger toward His people [מצודת ציון, מלבי״ם]. The primary approach among commentators is that this reflects His enduring mercy. While other nations might face His complete wrath, God punishes the Israelites moderately, holding back from their absolute destruction because of the oath He made to their forefathers [רד״ק, רש״י]. Some emphasize that because God feels no anger toward His vineyard, He will protect it tirelessly [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Another perspective suggests that the vineyard itself is speaking, declaring that it harbors no hatred toward the surrounding nations [מלבי״ם].

The scene then shifts to a conflict involving wild thorns. One approach views these thorns as a representation of enemies and the wicked. God questions who would dare introduce such wild overgrowth into His carefully tended vineyard. When enemies arrive to wage war and cause ruin, God desires to step directly into the battlefield. With a single, decisive stride, He intends to trample the thorns and burn them completely [אבן עזרא, ביאור שטיינזלץ, מלבי״ם]. A related view explains that God eagerly wishes to punish these rival nations, but the attribute of strict justice objects, arguing that the Israelites are also guilty of sin. In response, God longs to take just one step past the boundaries of strict justice to set His enemies ablaze [רש״י].

Conversely, a second approach interprets the battle with the thorns as a hypothetical scenario, illustrating what would happen if God actually unleashed His anger upon His own people. Under this view, God looks at the vineyard and asks how it could have produced thorns instead of grapes. If He truly harbored deep anger, He would need to take only one step into the vineyard to burn it entirely to the ground in a single moment because of its sins [רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. Similarly, some suggest God compares Himself to dry thorns that catch fire rapidly in battle, destroying everything in their path. If He allowed Himself to be consumed by anger like those burning briers, or if He were not bound by His oath to the forefathers, He would step forward and obliterate the vineyard in a mere instant [שד״ל, רש״י].