Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; As the vine tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
As the vine tree ... which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give ... Jerusalem - so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as being utterly unprofitable (Matthew 21:33-41; Matthew 25:30. So Jesus said to the fig tree which had the leaves of promise, but no fruit of performance, to realize the expectations raised by the leaves, "No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever," Mark 11:12-14; and to the barren fig tree, "Cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?" Luke 13:6-9) in answering God's design, that they should be witnesses for Yahweh before the pagan (Matthew 3:10; Matthew 5:13).