What does Isaiah 16:10 mean?
Isaiah is mourning the end of the annual grape harvest in the fields around Heshbon in northern Moab. The Lord has prophesied what will come after judgment falls on Moab (Isaiah 15). The invasion will bring loss of life, homes, and even lost cities. The prophet, though, cries for the loss of the joyful season of the harvest (Isaiah 16:9).In September or October, the people would literally camp in the fields together as families to help with the harvest. It would be a time of bringing the whole community together to work and celebrate. The people would sing and raise cheers and shout out to each other. For some, it was the highlight of the year. Isaiah cries because God states, "I have put an end to the shouting." The vines will wither, and the fields will be silent. In a way, Isaiah's sorrow at desolation is almost more poignant than the shocking violence that caused the waters of Dibon to be full of blood (Isaiah 15:9).