בְּאֻשִׁים (be.u.shim)
be.u.shim
sour grapes
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun be’ushim refers to sour, stinking, or worthless fruit, specifically describing wild grapes that are unfit for eating. In the biblical text, these are not the cultivated vines that produce sweet wine, but rather the untamed growths of the wilderness that yield a bitter and foul taste. The word carries a strong sensory image of disgust, evoking both the unpleasant odor and the sharp, acidic flavor of unripe or spoiled berries.
This term appears twice in Scripture, most notably in Isaiah 5:2 and Hosea 10:1. In Isaiah’s song of the vineyard, God laments that His chosen people, whom He tended with care, produced be’ushim instead of good fruit. The contrast is sharp: the owner expected sweetness and justice, but received sourness and bloodshed. The word thus serves as a metaphor for moral failure and broken covenant, highlighting the gap between divine expectation and human behavior.
Translators often render be’ushim as "sour grapes" or "wild grapes," though some versions use "stinkberries" to preserve the sense of repulsiveness. The underlying idea is not just that the fruit is bad, but that it is offensive and useless. This imagery underscores the seriousness of spiritual barrenness in the prophetic tradition.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The image of sour grapes is one of deep disappointment. In Isaiah 5, God describes planting a vineyard with care, expecting sweet fruit but receiving only bitter, worthless berries. This word, be’ushim, captures that sharp contrast between what was hoped for and what actually appeared. It reminds us that our actions have weight and that God notices the difference between genuine faith and empty ritual.
When we feel distant from God, this passage offers a honest look at where we stand. It does not condemn us with shame but invites reflection on our spiritual harvest. Perhaps we are relying on our own efforts instead of trusting in His grace. The invitation remains open: turn back to the One who tends the vineyard, seeking fruit that pleases Him rather than what merely looks good on the surface.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- wild grapes2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- בְּאֻשִֽׁים\׃2×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 5:2
He dug it up, gathered out its stones, planted it with the choicest vine, built a tower in the middle of it, and also cut out a wine press in it. He looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes.
This verse establishes the context of God's careful preparation and subsequent disappointment when the vineyard produced only worthless fruit instead of the expected harvest.
-
Isaiah 5:4
What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? Why, when I looked for it to yield grapes, did it yield wild grapes?
Here the rhetorical question highlights the depth of God's investment, emphasizing that He did everything possible yet still received sour grapes rather than justice.