Therefore I weep with the weeping of Jazer for the vine of Sibmah; I drench you with my tears, O Heshbon and Elealeh; for over your summer fruit and your harvest the shout has ceased.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophetic "I" weeps not just for the cities, but with them, sharing in their sorrow as if it were his own. This isn't just empathy; it's a divine lament where the joyous harvest shouts are replaced by the terrifying "shout" of an invading enemy.
Therefore I weep with the weeping of Jazer for the vine of Sibmah; I drench you with my tears, O Heshbon and Elealeh; for over your summer fruit and your harvest the shout has ceased.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet Isaiah is lamenting the impending devastation of Moab, specifically its fertile lands and famous vineyards. He cries out with deep sorrow for cities like Sibmah, Heshbon, and Elealeh, recognizing that their joyous harvest celebrations will be silenced by an invading enemy. This passage follows a description of Moab's pride and folly, setting the stage for God's judgment.
The prophet Isaiah, usually a messenger of judgment, weeps here. What does it reveal about God's heart when nations face destruction?
Isaiah 16:9 presents a powerful image: the prophet identifies so deeply with the suffering of Moab that he says, 'I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer... I drench you with my tears.' This isn't just a rhetorical device; it shows that God, through His prophet, feels the pain of destruction, even for nations that have strayed.
A Divine Empathy
Imagine the happiest sound – the shouts of harvest. Now imagine that sound replaced by the cries of war. What does this sudden shift reveal about misplaced trust?
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Isaiah 16:9 describes a stark contrast between the expected sounds of celebration and the reality of invasion: 'for over your summer fruit and your harvest the shout has ceased.' This isn't just about losing crops; it's about the silencing of joy and the eruption of alarm.
The Sound of Desolation
Understand the original words
bakah · Hebrew Verb
A state of inner emotional distress or empathy that manifests in the shedding of tears, reflecting the heart of God or the prophet regarding the judgment of the wicked.
qatsir · Hebrew Noun
The gathering of agricultural products, frequently used as a metaphor for the final judgment or the fruition of a person's life and works.
This prophecy against Moab reflects the broader geopolitical instability of the 8th to 6th centuries BC, marked by the rise and fall of great empires like Assyria and Babylon. The devastation of Moab's lands and the cessation of its joyful harvest shouts are tied to these larger imperial conflicts.
c. 750 BC— this verse
Isaiah prophesies against Moab
Isaiah delivers oracles concerning Moab, lamenting their pride and predicting their downfall. This period reflects a time of relative stability for Moab, making the prophecies of destruction particularly stark.
c. 730s BC
Assyrian expansion under Tiglath-Pileser III
The Neo-Assyrian Empire begins a period of intense expansion, exerting pressure on smaller nations like Moab. This military pressure would have been a significant factor in the impending destruction Isaiah foretells.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom of Israel
The Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel leads to widespread displacement and fear throughout the region, impacting Moab's geopolitical landscape.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian campaigns under Sennacherib
Sennacherib's military campaigns in the Levant further destabilize the region, with many cities in Judah and surrounding territories falling under Assyrian control or suffering devastation. This would have intensified the threat to Moab.
c. 605 BC - 586 BC
Babylonian ascendancy and destruction of Jerusalem
The Babylonian Empire replaces Assyria as the dominant power. Nebuchadnezzar's campaigns result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of Judah, a significant event that reshapes the political and religious landscape of the Levant.
This passage directly parallels Isaiah 16:9, lamenting the vine of Sibmah and the destruction that has fallen upon Moab's harvests, reinforcing the shared theme of judgment and sorrow.
Isaiah 15:5This verse describes the lamentation over Moab, setting a tone of grief and devastation that Isaiah 16:9 echoes with his personal tears for the destruction of specific Moabite cities and their produce.
Luke 19:41-42Jesus weeps over Jerusalem, expressing sorrow for its impending destruction and the lost opportunities for peace, mirroring Isaiah's lament for Moab and highlighting a divine empathy for cities facing judgment.
Ezekiel 26:17-18This passage details the destruction of Tyre, describing its former bustling prosperity and how it will be utterly ruined, much like the descriptions of lost harvests and ceased shouts in Isaiah 16:9.
barnesIsaiah 16:9: "Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the vine of Sibmah: I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon, and Elealeh: for the shouting for thy summer fruits and for thy harvest is fallen."
Therefore, I will bewail - So great is the desolation that I, the prophet, will lament it, though it belongs to another nation than mine own. The expression indicates that the calamity will be great (see the note at Isaiah 15:5 ). With the weeping of Jazer - That is, I will pour out the…
pooleIsaiah 16:9: "Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the vine of Sibmah: I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon, and Elealeh: for the shouting for thy summer fruits and for thy harvest is fallen."
I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the vine of Sibmah: so the sense is, I will bewail Sibmah as I did bewail Jazer, which, they say, was destroyed before Sibmah: or, the weeping of Jazer might be a proverbial expression; for it is used also Jeremiah 48:32 , like that of the mournin…
The prophetic "I" weeps not just for the cities, but with them, sharing in their sorrow as if it were his own. This isn't just empathy; it's a divine lament where the joyous harvest shouts are replaced by the terrifying "shout" of an invading enemy.
The prophet Isaiah is lamenting the impending devastation of Moab, specifically its fertile lands and famous vineyards. He cries out with deep sorrow for cities like Sibmah, Heshbon, and Elealeh, recognizing that their joyous harvest celebrations will be silenced by an invading enemy. This passage follows a description of Moab's pride and folly, setting the stage for God's judgment.
The prophet Isaiah is lamenting the impending devastation of Moab, specifically its fertile lands and famous vineyards. He cries out with deep sorrow for cities like Sibmah, Heshbon, and Elealeh, recognizing that their joyous harvest celebrations will be silenced by an invading enemy. This passage follows a description of Moab's pride and folly, setting the stage for God's judgment.
"Therefore I weep with the weeping of Jazer for the vine of Sibmah; I drench you with my tears, O Heshbon and Elealeh; for over your summer fruit and your harvest the shout has ceased." — The prophetic "I" weeps not just for the cities, but with them, sharing in their sorrow as if it were his own. This isn't just empathy; it's a divine lament where the joyous harvest shouts are re…
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Last reviewed October 2026