“The Young and Tender Branches Are Hid in the Nethermost Parts of the Vineyard”

Bryan Richards

This is the scattering of Israel when the natural branches are taken and spread all over the world. Note that the execution of most of the work to this point has been done by the servant (v. 10). This act, the scattering of Israel, is done only by the Master of the vineyard himself, the Lord of the vineyard went his way, and hid the natural branches of the tame olive-tree (v. 14).

Later in the chapter we learn that the Lord hid four distinct branches (v. 20-25). The only branch whose identity is known is the last of the four, which is a representation of the descendants of Lehi. This helps us understand the chronology. It implies that the other three branches which were hid up by the Lord were taken before Lehi and his family in 600 BC. One of these three branches is probably a representation of the ten tribes which were taken in 721 BC. The identity of the other two branches is unknown.

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