An allegory or a parable should not be pushed too far in an attempt to correlate every item precisely with some outside reality. However, certain major elements need to be defined if the allegory itself is to be understood. The following items seem important in Zenos’s allegory:
| Item | Interpretation |
| 1. The vineyard | 1. The world |
| 2. Master of the vineyard | 2. Jesus Christ |
| 3. The servant | 3. The Lord’s prophets |
| 4. Tame olive tree | 4. The house of Israel, the Lord’s covenant people |
| 5. Wild olive tree | 5. Gentiles, or non-Israel (later in the parable, wild branches are apostate Israel) |
| 6. Branches | 6. Groups of people |
| 7. The roots of the tame olive tree | 7. The gospel covenant and promises made by God that constantly give life and sustenance to the tree |
| 8. Fruit of the tree | 8. The lives or works of men |
| 9. Digging, pruning, fertilizing | 9. The Lord’s work with his children, which seeks to persuade them to be obedient and produce good fruit |
| 10. Transplanting the branches | 10. Scattering of groups throughout the world, or restoring them to their original position |
| 11. Grafting | 11. The process of spiritual rebirth wherein one is joined to the covenant |
| 12. Decaying branches | 12. Wickedness and apostasy |
| 13. Casting the branches into the fire | 13. The judgment of God |