Isaiah 16:8 - Exposition

The fields of Heshbon (see the comment on Isaiah 15:4 ). The whole of the Mishor, or Belka, on the edge of which Hesbdn stands, is cultivable and capable of producing good crops. The Moabites stored water in reservoirs ( Song of Solomon 7:4 ), and made their country a garden. The vine of Sib-mah . "Sibmah" is mentioned in Numbers 32:8 and Joshua 13:19 among the towns of the Reubenites. According to Jerome ('Comment. in Esaiam'), it was less than half a mile distant from Heshbon. Jeremiah follows Isaiah in lamenting the destruction of its vines ( Jeremiah 48:32 ). The lords of the heathen have broken down the principal plants thereof . "The lords of the heathen" are probably the Assyrians, who made a practice of destroying the fruit trees in an enemy's country, for the mere purpose of doing mischief. It is wanton to discard this very satisfactory sense for the strange one that "the choice plants have broken down— i.e; made drunk—the lords of the heathen" (Cheyne). The rendering of the Authorized Version is supported by Gesenius, Ewald, Rosenmüller, Meier, dud Dr. Kay. They are come even unto Jazer; rather, they ( the vines ) reached to Jazer ; i.e. the vine of Sibmah was cultivated as far as Jazer. Jazer lay about twelve miles north of Heshben, in the territory of Gad ( Numbers 32:35 ). It is probably identified with Es Szir , which is in the required position, and retains a trace of the name. They wandered through the wilderness ; rather, they strayed into the wilderness ; i.e. the cultivation was pushed eastward into the actual midbar , or desert. Her branches are stretched out ; or, her offshoots are spread abroad ; i.e. the young shoots or slips are taken by the cultivators and spread further and further. They are even carried across the Dead Sea, and planted on its western shore. Mr. Cheyne supposes the prophet to refer to the "vineyards of En-gedi" (song of Solomon Isaiah 1:14 ).