Albert Barnes Commentary Isaiah 5:7

"For the vineyard of Jehovah of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for justice, but, behold, oppression; for righteousness, but, behold, a cry." — Isaiah 5:7 (ASV)

For the vineyard ... - This is the application of the parable. God had treated the Jews as a farmer does a vineyard. This was “his” vineyard - the object of His faithful, unceasing care. This was His “only” vineyard; on this people alone, of all the nations of the earth, had He bestowed His special attention.

His pleasant plant - The plant in which He delighted. As the farmer had taken pains to plant the “sorek” (Isaiah 5:2), so had God selected the ancient stock of the Jews as His own, and made the race the object of His chief attention.

And he looked for judgment - For justice, or righteousness.

But behold oppression - The word rendered “oppression” means properly “shedding of blood.”

A cry. A clamor - tumult, disorder; the clamor which attends anarchy, and covetousness, and dissipation (Isaiah 5:8), (Isaiah 5:11–12), rather than the soberness and steadiness of justice.