Isaiah 16:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The fields of Heshbon will not rest quietly. The grapes of Sebaman will cry out, as those who consume nations will tread upon his grapes, reaching all the way to Jazir. These words appear to be directed at the occupants of Moab, likely the Assyrians and Babylonians, to whom God instructed not to feel shame regarding the fields of Heshbon, even commanding them to lay waste to Heshbon itself and to do likewise with Sebam, invoking tears from the vineyards therein. To those addressed as devourers of nations, God declares: you, who unjustly consume the tongues of many, are commanded to obliterate his vineyards even to Jazir, which is also a city of Moab.

In these verses, the prophet again refers to the inhabitants of Moab as grapes, as it is common in sacred scripture to compare the inhabitants of a land to trees and vines. For instance, concerning Israel, it is written: “The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the plant he delighted in” (Isaiah 5:7). When it is stated that the grapes will be trampled, it is evident that it was not the Assyrians who defeated Moab by their own strength, but rather that the Almighty God is the one who brings down adversaries and empowers His people to triumph.

Yet, those who boast unthinkingly about trivial and meaningless tales find amusement in their discourse on the tiled wall. What implication does it hold for those living in Sedeq to harbor righteous thoughts? To contemplate good thoughts entails dedicating oneself to the study of the Lord's law, day and night. In contrast, the thoughts of the Moabites are corrupt, aligning them with those who dwell in Zedek. Hence, those who ponder disgraceful doctrines shall not find rest.

Therefore, we shall address this according to the Hebrew text. It is common in Scripture, having uplifted the spirit of humanity through glad tidings, to issue warnings to the indifferent and reluctant to repent, lest the kindness of God lead to hardened hearts. We present one example of this. In the one hundred and forty-fourth Psalm, it is stated, "The Lord is good to all, and His bounty is upon all His works" (Psalms 144:9), and shortly thereafter, "The Lord upholds all that fall and raises up all that are cast down. The eyes of all wait upon You, O Lord, and You give them their food in due season" (Psalm 144:14-15). Yet prior to this, it is proclaimed, "The Lord preserves all who love Him," with the Psalmist adding, "And all sinners He will destroy" (Psalm 144:20), so as not to make the listener complacent. Thus, having foretold that after the downfall of Antichrist and his father, the devil, who would reign over the entire earth, there would be established a throne of mercy and one who would sit in the tabernacle of David; because of this, on behalf of the saints who were rescued from Moab and who have experienced his pride, the prophet states, "We have heard of the pride of Moab," or of injustice, as the LXX translations it. For what heretic lacks pride? Disdaining ecclesiastical humility, he perceives the Church's members as ignorant creatures, and is so inflated by the hubris of pride and injustice that he raises his voice against the Creator Himself, maligning His prophets, as if asserting Gospel truth, where the Savior says, "All who came before Me are thieves and robbers" (John 10:8). Thus even Moses, the servant of God, is branded a murderer; and Joshua, who was so righteous that the sun and moon halted at his command, is labeled a bloodthirsty man; and David, the ancestor from whom Christ descended (Matt. 1), is accused of murder and adultery, despite his repentance and humility, by which he is compared to God’s mercy. Yet despite his pride and arrogance, he is more audacious than his strength permits. Therefore, Moab will cry out to Moab, meaning that the heretics and wise men of this age will call out against one another when faced with judgment. Hence, you teachers of the Church, or those who have been delivered from the error of Moab, share your wounds from the arrows of heretics with those who have walls made not of square stones like those of the temple, which were hewn silently in the house of God. For all their schemes, represented by Heshbon, do not belong to the dwelling-place of the hail of the Lord, of which it is written, "The river's stream brings joy to the city of God" (Psalm 46:5); yet these structures only appear to belong to the presence of God: these facades lack divine protection or are consumed by holy fire, especially the vineyard of Sabamah, which denotes one who raises himself up, building his tower of pride toward the heavens. However, the Hebrew text does not include the term for the inhabitants of Deseph; instead, it uses a form that signifies a tile or burnt brick.

The suburban fields of Heshbon have become desolate, along with the vineyard of Sabaam. There exists a short distance between Heshbon and Sabam, and through the metaphor of the vineyard, the desolation of the entire area is depicted. The rulers of the nations have ravaged his vines, maintaining the metaphor begun earlier, illustrating how the kings of the nations who have devastated Moab have also destroyed all its towns and strongholds. They reached Jazer, roamed the wilderness; his outgrowths were left behind, having crossed over the sea. By vines and outgrowths, we refer to the people and their exiles, and crossing over the sea signifies captivity in Babylon, which we will explore further below, including the burden of the desert by the seashore.