The Vine, Israel and the Church (Studies in Biblical Literature, V. 51)

The vine is one of the blessings of the Promised Land. Since Israel is precious in the eyes of Yahweh, she is also called the vine. But this vine became degenerate in some prophetic and wisdom writings. The metaphor was taken over in the New Testament where the Kingdom of Heaven was compared to the vine but with this marked difference: this vine was to bear lasting fruit. This is so because Jesus is the true vine, and his salvific work is carried on in His Church.