Isaiah 16:9
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)
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The prophet's tears aren't just for destruction, but specifically for the lost joy symbolized by the "shouting" that once accompanied harvest and vintage. This fallen shout isn't just a cessation of noise; it’s the terrifying replacement of celebration with the alarm of an invading enemy.
Isaiah is lamenting the impending devastation of Moab, a neighboring nation. He's been describing the ruin of various Moabite cities and regions, noting their pride and impending judgment. This verse continues that lament, emphasizing the prophet's deep sorrow and the complete cessation of joy and celebration over the land's produce due to enemy invasion.
Why would a prophet of Israel weep for a foreign nation like Moab?
A Prophet's Heart
Isaiah is about to describe the devastating judgment of God upon Moab. Yet, he begins with a profound expression of sorrow: "Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer... I will water you with my tears, O Heshbon and Elealeh."
This isn't just a political lament; it's a demonstration of God's expansive heart.
What happens when the joyous shouts of harvest turn to the cries of war?
From Celebration to Calamity
The verse contrasts the sounds of a thriving community with the silence of devastation. The "shouting for thy summer fruits and for thy harvest" refers to the joyful acclamations of a successful harvest and vintage – the sounds of prosperity, security, and God's blessing.
But in this prophecy, those shouts are replaced by something else:
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.
The lament over Moab in Isaiah 16 reflects the widespread political and military upheaval in the ancient Near East during the 8th to 6th centuries BC, dominated by the aggressive expansion of the Neo-Assyrian and later Neo-Babylonian empires, which brought devastation and displacement to many nations.
c. 740 BC
Assyrian conquests in the region
The Neo-Assyrian Empire under Tiglath-Pileser III expanded its control into the Levant, conquering significant territories including Damascus and subjugating many smaller kingdoms and city-states in the region.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom of Israel
The Northern Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians, leading to the exile of its population and the establishment of new settlements by the Assyrians. This event created widespread fear and instability among neighboring kingdoms, including Moab.
c. 701 BC— this verse
Assyrian campaigns under Sennacherib
Sennacherib, son of Sargon II, conducted military campaigns into the Levant, besieging Jerusalem and reportedly subjugating Moab and other surrounding territories, further demonstrating the precarious position of these nations.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian deportation of Judeans
This passage directly parallels Isaiah 16:9, lamenting the vine of Sibmah with the same imagery of weeping and the cessation of harvest joy due to destruction.
Lamentations 1:1-2This passage shares the profound sense of personal grief and lament over a fallen city, mirroring the prophet's weeping for the devastated Moabite cities.
Jeremiah 25:30This verse speaks of God's 'shout' like those who tread grapes, but in a context of judgment, echoing Isaiah's contrast between the joyful harvest shout and the 'shouting' of the invader.
Joel 1:11-12This passage describes the withering of crops and the despair of farmers whose harvest joy has ceased, illustrating the devastation of the 'summer fruit and harvest' mentioned in Isaiah.
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 prophet's tears aren't just for destruction, but specifically for the lost joy symbolized by the "shouting" that once accompanied harvest and vintage. This fallen shout isn't just a cessation of noise; it’s the terrifying replacement of celebration with the alarm of an invading enemy.
Isaiah is lamenting the impending devastation of Moab, a neighboring nation. He's been describing the ruin of various Moabite cities and regions, noting their pride and impending judgment. This verse continues that lament, emphasizing the prophet's deep sorrow and the complete cessation of joy and celebration over the land's produce due to enemy invasion.
Isaiah is lamenting the impending devastation of Moab, a neighboring nation. He's been describing the ruin of various Moabite cities and regions, noting their pride and impending judgment. This verse continues that lament, emphasizing the prophet's deep sorrow and the complete cessation of joy and celebration over the land's produce due to enemy invasion.
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Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon defeated the Egyptian and Assyrian forces at Carchemish, after which he besieged Jerusalem and deported a portion of the Judean elite to Babylon. This marked the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
c. 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the Temple
Nebuchadnezzar II destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the remaining population to Babylon. This catastrophic event signified the end of the Davidic monarchy and the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
"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 prophet's tears aren't just for destruction, but specifically for the lost joy symbolized by the "shouting" that once accompanied harvest and vintage. This fallen shout isn't just a cessation o…
