Isaiah 32:15

Hebrew Bible

12 Mourn over the field, over the delightful fields and the fruitful vine. 13 Mourn over the land of my people, which is overgrown with thorns and briers, and over all the once-happy houses in the city filled with revelry. 14 For the fortress is neglected; the once-crowded city is abandoned. Hill and watchtower are permanently uninhabited. Wild donkeys love to go there, and flocks graze there. 15 This desolation will continue until new life is poured out on us from heaven. Then the wilderness will become an orchard and the orchard will be considered a forest. 16 Justice will settle down in the wilderness and fairness will live in the orchard. 17 Fairness will produce peace and result in lasting security.

Galatians 5:22

New Testament

19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, depravity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, murder, drunkenness, carousing, and similar things. I am warning you, as I had warned you before: Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God! 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance with the Spirit.

 Notes and References

"... the overall weight of the cumulative arguments points to the plausibility or probability of Isaiah's being the Old Testament backdrop for best understanding Galatians 5:22 ... In contrast to the land's unfruitful condition (Isaiah 32:10-14), in the coming restoration, the Spirit will come upon Israel and create abundant Fertility (verse 15). However, this fertility appears to go beyond mere material abundance and includes spiritual fecundity: not only will the Spirit create literal plants, crops, and trees in the field but also the spirit will produce spiritual fruits in the fields: "justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness will abide in the fertile field" (verse 16). The "task" and "work" (which is presumably viewed as being performed by God's Spirits in the "fertile field"; compare verse 16) resulting in "righteousness" will also produce "peace," "quietness," and confidence" (verse 17). Thus, the traits mentioned in verses 17-18 appear to be additional by-products of the Spirit's cultivating work. Both the Septuagint and MT make these essential points. Likewise, other texts in the Septuagintal version of Isaiah make the same connection and sometimes exhibit an even closer or more explicit link between the eschatological pouring out of the Spirit and the figurative fruits of godly characteristics. The closest such parallel is Isaiah 57:15-19, which appears to be a development of 32:15-18, especially in the LXX ..."

Beale, G. K. The Old Testament Background of Paul's Reference to "the Fruit of the Spirit" in Galatians 5:22 (pp. 1-39) Bulletin for Biblical Research 15.1, 2005

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