Isaiah 16:9

9 On this thing I shall weep in the weeping of Jazer, and on the vinery of Sibmah (And so I shall weep for the vineyard of Sibmah, like I weep for Jazer). Heshbon and Elealeh, I shall fill thee with my tears; for the voice of defoulers fell on thy vintage, and on thy harvest.

Isaiah 16:9 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 16:9

Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the vine
of Sibmah
That is, bewail the one, as he had done the other, both places with the fruits about them being destroyed by the enemy; or "therefore with weeping I will bewail" (most vehemently lament, an usual Hebraism) "Jazer", and "the vine of Sibmah": the prophet here represents the Moabites weeping for their vines more especially, they being a people addicted to drunkenness, in which their father was begotten; hence Bacchus is said to be the founder of many of their cities, see ( Jeremiah 48:32 ) . The Targum is,

``as I have brought armies against Jazer, so will I bring slayers against Sibmah;''

I will water thee with my tears:
shed abundance of them, see ( Psalms 6:6 ) : O Heshbon, and Elealeh;
perhaps alluding to the fishponds, in the former, ( Song of Solomon 7:4 ) of these places, (See Gill on Isaiah 15:4): for the shouting for thy summer fruits, and for thy harvest, is
fallen;
is ceased, so as not to be heard; namely, the singing and shouting which used to be made by labourers, while they were gathering the summer fruits, or reaping the harvest, with which they amused and diverted themselves, and their fellow labourers, and so their time and their work went on more pleasantly; or else that great joy and shouting they expressed when all was ended, something of which nature is still among us at this day; but now in Moab it was at an end, because the enemy had destroyed both their summer fruits and harvest; though Jarchi and Kimchi interpret this shouting of the enemy, of the spoilers and plunderers, upon their summer fruits and harvest, when they destroyed them; and so the Targum,

``upon thy harvest, and upon thy vintage, spoilers have fallen;''

so Noldius ^F7 renders the words, "for upon thy summer fruits, and upon thy harvest, the shouting shall fall"; that is, the shouting of the enemy, spoiling their fruits and their harvest; and this seems to be the true sense, since it agrees with ( Jeremiah 48:32 ) and the ceasing of the other kind of shouting is observed in the next verse ( Isaiah 16:10 ) .

---

FOOTNOTES:

F7 Ebr Concord. Part p. 253.

Isaiah 16:9 In-Context

7 Therefore Moab shall yell to Moab, all Moab shall yell to them that be glad on the walls of baken tilestone; speak ye their wounds. (And so Moab shall yell, or shall wail, for Moab, yea, all Moab shall wail; ye shall mourn for the foundations of Kirhareseth; speak ye of their wounds.)

8 For why the suburbs of Heshbon and the vinery of Sibmah be forsaken. The lords of heathen men have cut down the scions thereof; they came unto Jazer, they erred in desert. The boughs thereof be forsaken, they passed (over) the sea. (For the orchards of Heshbon and the vineyards of Sibmah be deserted. The lords of the heathen have cut down its vines, that once came unto Jazer, and wandered through the wilderness. Now their boughs be forsaken, that before had passed over the sea.)

9 On this thing I shall weep in the weeping of Jazer, and on the vinery of Sibmah (And so I shall weep for the vineyard of Sibmah, like I weep for Jazer). Heshbon and Elealeh, I shall fill thee with my tears; for the voice of defoulers fell on thy vintage, and on thy harvest.

10 And gladness and full out joying shall be taken away from Carmel; and none shall make full out joy, neither shall sing heartily (a) song in vineries. He that was wont to wring out, shall not wring out wine in a presser; I have taken away the voice of [the] wringers-out. (And happiness and rejoicing shall be taken away from the plentiful land; and no one shall rejoice, nor shall heartily sing a song in the vineyards. He who was wont to wring out, shall not wring out wine with a winepress; I have taken away the voice of the wringers-out.)

11 On this thing my womb shall sound as an harp to Moab, and mine entrails to the wall of baken tilestone. (On this thing my womb, or my heart, shall sing like a harp for Moab, and my entrails for Kirhareseth.)