Jeremiah 48:32 · Bible study
Jeremiah 48:32 Commentary: Weeping Over the Vine of Sibmah
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does Jeremiah weep for a nation he has just condemned? This study examines the prophet’s grief and the meaning behind the vine of Sibmah.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The prophet laments the destruction of Sibmah’s vineyards, identifying with the sorrow even while pronouncing judgment on Moab’s pride.
- Key words: Bekhi (weeping), gefen (vine), n’tishot (tendrils/branches), yam (sea), shoded (destroyer).
- Main debate: Does “with more than the weeping of Jazer” mean the same kind of weeping intensified, or a sequence of weeping (first Jazer, then Sibmah)? Both readings are represented in the commentaries.
- Theological theme: The tension between divine justice and divine compassion; the prophet’s heart mirrors God’s own grief over the ruin sin brings.
- Best use: A poignant reminder that judgment and lament are not opposites, God hates sin, yet He does not take pleasure in the sinner’s destruction.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
I will weep for you, O vine of Sibmah, more than I weep for Jazer. Your tendrils have extended to the sea; they reach even to Jazer. The destroyer has descended on your summer fruit and grape harvest.
WEB World English Bible 2000
With more than the weeping of Jazer I will weep for you, vine of Sibmah. Your branches passed over the sea. They reached even to the sea of Jazer. The destroyer has fallen on your summer fruits and on your vintage.
KJV King James Version 1769
O vine of Sibmah, I will weep for thee with the weeping of Jazer: thy plants are gone over the sea, they reach even to the sea of Jazer: the spoiler is fallen upon thy summer fruits and upon thy vintage.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
With more than the weeping of Jazer will I weep for thee, O vine of Sibmah: thy branches passed over the sea, they reached even to the sea of Jazer: upon thy summer fruits and upon thy vintage the destroyer is fallen.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
With the weeping of Jazer, I weep for thee, O vine of Sibmah, Thy branches have passed over a sea, Unto the sea of Jazer they have come, On thy summer fruits, and on thy harvest, A spoiler hath fallen.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
O vine of Sibmah, I will weep for thee with more than the weeping of Jaazer: thy shoots passed over the sea, they reached to the sea of Jaazer. The spoiler is fallen upon thy summer fruits and upon thy vintage.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
O vineyard of Sabama, I will weep for thee, with the mourning of Jazer: thy branches are gone over the sea, they are come even to the sea of Jazer: the robber hath rushed in upon thy harvest and thy vintage.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Con lloro de Jazer lloraré por ti, oh vid de Sibma: tus sarmientos pasaron la mar, llegaron hasta la mar de Jazer: sobre tu agosto y sobre tu vendimia vino destruidor.
Com o choro de Jazer chorarei por ti, ó vide de Sibma; teus sarmentos passaram o mar, e chegaram até o mar de Jazer; porém o destruidor veio sobre os frutos de teu verão, e sobre tua vindima.
Vigne de Sibma, je pleure sur toi plus que sur Jaezer;
Mehr als über Jaser muß ich über dich, du Weinstock zu Sibma, weinen, dessen Reben über das Meer reichten und bis an das Meer Jaser kamen. Der Verstörer ist in deine Ernte und Weinlese gefallen;
Boven het geween van Jaezer zal Ik u bewenen, gij wijnstok van Sibma! uw wijnranken zijn over zee gegaan, zij hebben gereikt tot aan Jaezers zee; maar de verstoorder is gevallen op uw zomervruchten en op uw wijnoogst;
O vigna di Sibma, io piango per te più ancora che per Jazer; i tuoi rami andavan oltre il mare, arrivavano fino al mare di Jazer; il devastatore è piombato sui tuoi frutti d’estate e sulla tua vendemmia.
Bardziej niż płakano Jazerczyków, płaczę nad tobą, o winna macico Sabama! Latorośli twoje dostaną się za morze, aż do morza Jazer dosięgną; na letnie owoce twoje, i na zbieranie wina twego burzyciel przypadnie.
Буду плакать о тебе, виноградник Севамский, плачем Иазера; отрасли твои простирались за море, достигали до озера Иазера; опустошитель напал на летние плоды твои и на зрелый виноград.
西比瑪 的葡萄樹啊，我為你 哀哭，甚於雅謝人 哀哭。你的枝子 蔓延過 海，直長 到 雅謝 海。那行毀滅的 已經臨 到 你夏天的果子 和 你所摘的葡萄。
My weeping for you, O vine of Sibmah, will be more than the weeping of Jazer: your branches have gone over the sea, stretching even to Jazer: destruction has come down on your summer fruits and your cut grapes.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 48:32
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Jeremiah 48:32 is a lament over the destruction of Sibmah, a Moabite region famous for its vineyards. The verse closely echoes Isaiah 16:8‑9, which Jeremiah adapts for his own oracle. The prophet speaks in the first person, expressing personal grief rather than merely reporting a future event. As Calvin notes, the Hebrew construction (min bechi ‘from/as a result of the weeping’) suggests that weeping for Jazer will be followed by fresh weeping for Sibmah, as if one calamity introduces another. Keil and Delitzsch observe that Jeremiah, with his “natural softness,” begins his lament immediately, unlike Isaiah who first describes Moab’s own mourning. While the speaker is almost certainly the prophet, some earlier interpreters (e.g., Hitzig) argued for an indefinite third person representing the Moabites, but this view lacks support. What all agree on: the vine of Sibmah, a symbol of fertility and wealth, is utterly ruined, and the destroyer (likely the Babylonian army) has fallen upon both summer fruit and grape harvest.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Continuation of weeping: Calvin and Gill interpret the Hebrew preposition as sequential: the same kind of weeping that began with Jazer continues to Sibmah.
- Greater weeping: Barnes and JFB favour a comparative reading (‘more than’); the English versions reflect this.
- Scribal adjustment to Isaiah: Cambridge Bible notes that a slight alteration of MT would give the Isaiah reading; LXX already harmonises the two.
What is clear: The prophet expresses genuine personal grief over the destruction of Moab’s vine country, without retracting the earlier declaration of judgment for Moab’s pride.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Prophetic weeping and divine judgment | The prophet expresses genuine personal grief over Moab’s destruction, not cold satisfaction. | Whether this weeping represents the prophet’s own emotion or a rhetorical device (some argue an indefinite third person representing Moab). The majority view (Calvin, Keil, Matthew Henry) sees it as the prophet’s authentic voice. |
| Meaning of 'with more than the weeping of Jazer' | The fate of Sibmah is linked to the earlier calamity of Jazer. | Calvin and Gill interpret the Hebrew preposition (min/beth) as ‘from/after the weeping of Jazer’, a sequence. Barnes and JFB translate it as ‘more than the weeping’, a comparison. Both are grammatically possible. |
| 'Sea of Jazer' | It refers to a body of water near Jazer, likely a lake or reservoir. | Whether it is a literal lake (Gill) or a scribal error (Cambridge Bible suggests ‘sea’ is an accidental repetition from the previous clause). Some identify it with the Dead Sea hyperbolically. |
| Relationship to Isaiah 16:8-9 | Jeremiah adapts and expands Isaiah’s earlier oracle against Moab. | The differences (e.g., ‘destroyer’ vs ‘shout’ in Isaiah) may be intentional (Keil: Jeremiah shifts focus from dainties to people) or the result of textual transmission (LXX aligns with Isaiah). |
Historical & Cultural Context
Moab occupied the high plateau east of the Dead Sea. Its northern region, especially around Sibmah and Jazer, was prized for viticulture. Numbers 32:1, 38 records that the tribes of Reuben and Gad settled this rich pastoral and agricultural land after the conquest, assigning it to the Levites (Joshua 21:39). The vine of Sibmah became a metaphor for Moab’s prosperity, its branches spread west “over the sea”, a hyperbole for the Dead Sea, suggesting the vines’ fame reached beyond Moab’s borders.
By Jeremiah’s time (late seventh to early sixth century BC), Moab had a long history of hostility toward Israel. After David’s conquest (2 Samuel 8:2) and the division of the kingdom, Moab struggled for independence and later allied with Babylon against Judah (2 Kings 24:2). Jeremiah 48 places the oracle in the context of Nebuchadnezzar’s campaigns, the “destroyer” (from shadad, to devastate) who descends on the vintage.
The literary setting is important: verses 26‑30 pronounce judgment on Moab for its pride and arrogance. Then, without warning, the first person breaks into a personal lament. This sudden shift has puzzled readers. But ancient Near Eastern prophetic oracles often included laments even over enemies, as the prophet participated in the sorrow that judgment brings. The geography is also specific: Jazer lies about 15 miles north of Heshbon, Sibmah about 2.5 miles west of Heshbon. Their vineyards were celebrated, but now the same army that destroyed Jazer will fall on Sibmah.
Textual Notes
The Masoretic Text (MT) of Jeremiah 48:32 differs slightly from the parallel passage in Isaiah 16:8‑9, which has “shout” (hedad) where Jeremiah has “destroyer” (shoded). The LXX harmonises Jeremiah with Isaiah, reading “with the weeping of Jazer” (without the comparative). Cambridge Bible notes that changing one letter in MT would yield the Isaiah reading, but the MT is retained. The consulted sources do not indicate any other significant variants.
Reception History
Church tradition has often read this verse as a model of the prophetic calling, to speak judgment with tears. Jerome, in his commentary on Isaiah, linked the weeping to Christ’s lament over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41). Medieval exegetes used it to illustrate how preachers should deliver reproof with compassion. In Reformation-era commentaries, Calvin and Matthew Henry emphasised that the prophet’s tears do not soften the reality of judgment but show that God does not delight in punishing. The verse appears in a few English hymns of lament; more commonly, it has been cited in sermons on the balance of truth and love.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Prophet’s Personal Weeping (v.32a), Jeremiah does not gloat over Moab’s fall. He weeps with the same intensity as for Jazer. This shows that God’s judgment is not cold or detached; even when justice falls, there is grief.
- The Picture of Prosperity Destroyed (v.32b‑c), The vine’s branches once stretched across the sea, a symbol of far-reaching influence. Now they are cut off. What seemed unshakeable is gone.
- The Destroyer’s Certain Fall (v.32d), A “destroyer” has descended on the summer fruit and vintage. The Hebrew perfect verb form (nafal) treats the future event as already accomplished in the prophet’s vision.
Five-point outline
- Identifying with Sorrow, The speaker joins the lament even though the hearers are enemies of God.
- Remembering Former Fruitfulness, Sibmah was once a lush vine; now it is stripped.
- The Reach of Branches, The vines spread over the sea; prosperity gave way to pride.
- The Suddenness of Judgment, Summer fruit and vintage are taken at their peak.
- The Finality of the Destroyer, No next season, no second chance for this vine.
Illustration hooks
- Late frost in an orchard: A farmer watches the buds blacken on the trees he has pruned all year. What was promising is gone in one night.
- Post-hurricane flood: A coastal community loses homes and harvests; even those who warned it was coming stand silently amid the wreckage.
- Closed family business: A store that served three generations goes under. The owner weeps even on the day the bank finally locks the doors, relief and grief together.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If God is just, why does the prophet weep when judgment comes? Doesn’t that undermine the message?
- Does God enjoy punishing, or does He take no pleasure in the death of the wicked?
- How do we hold together a loving heart and a firm commitment to justice?
Leading a Discussion
This verse presents a tension: the prophet announces judgment on Moab’s pride, then immediately voices a personal, weeping lament. How can both be true? The passage invites us to sit with the paradox that God’s judgment is real, and so is His sorrow over what sin costs. As you read Jeremiah 48:32 in its context (vv. 28‑36), notice the shift from accusation to grief. Discuss together what this says about the character of God and the call of those who speak for Him.
Discussion questions
- What images in this verse stand out to you? Why do you think the prophet picks a vine and its branches?
- Look at verses 29‑30. How does the description of Moab’s pride differ from the tone in verse 32? Why do you think the writer juxtaposes them?
- The speaker says “I will weep for you.” Who is weeping? What does that tell you about the heart behind the prophecy?
- Compare verse 32 with Isaiah 16:8‑9. Why might Jeremiah adapt an earlier oracle? What does he change?
- How would you explain to someone that God can both judge sin and grieve over its effects? Does this comfort you or challenge you?
- If you had to deliver a hard truth to someone you love, how could you do it without losing compassion? What does this verse teach about that?
- How might this passage shape the way your group prays for those who oppose God or His people today?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Numbers 21:32 | Moses sent to spy out Jazer. They took its villages, and drove out the Amorites who were there. |
| Numbers 32:1 | Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock. They saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead. Behold, the place was a place for livestock. |
| Numbers 32:35 | Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, |
| Numbers 32:38 | Nebo, and Baal Meon, (their names being changed), and Sibmah. They gave other names to the cities which they built. |
| Joshua 13:19 | Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar in the mount of the valley, |
| Joshua 21:39 | Heshbon with its pasture lands, Jazer with its pasture lands: four cities in all. |
| Isaiah 16:8 | For the fields of Heshbon languish with the vine of Sibmah. The lords of the nations have broken down its choice branches, which reached even to Jazer, which wandered into the wilderness. Its shoots were spread abroad. They passed over the sea. |
| Isaiah 16:9 | Therefore I will weep with the weeping of Jazer for the vine of Sibmah. I will water you with my tears, Heshbon, and Elealeh: for on your summer fruits and on your harvest the battle shout has fallen. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Adam Clarke offers no fresh explanation of this particular phrase in the verse. Instead he simply cross-references
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that Jazer, a town fifteen miles north of Heshbon, is named as a geographical marker for the region's mourning. He interprets "thy branches are gone over the sea" as a metaphor for Moab's power extending to the western side of the Dead Sea.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin emphasizes that the prophet's weeping will have no end: after mourning for Jazer's destruction, a fresh cause of grief arises for Sibmah. The vine of Sibmah represents the city's entire wealth, and its "shoots" crossing the sea refer to that wealth being scattered by a destroyer.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentator treats the passage as largely borrowed from Isaiah, with textual details confirming the dependence. He notes that a slight correction to the Hebrew text brings the verse in line with Isaiah's version, and he explains the metaphor of the sea as an exaggerated image for the vine's luxuriance.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
O vine of Sibmah, I will weepe for thee, as I wept for Iazer: thy plants are gone ouer the sea, they are come to the sea of Iazer: ye destroyer is fallen vpon thy somer fruites, and vpon thy vintage,
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill reads the verse as a series of connected laments: the destruction of Sibmah deserves the same grief already shown for Jazer, or perhaps even greater grief. He explains that the vine's branches spreading to the sea pictures the people carried into captivity, and the spoiler falling on summer fruits points to Babylon's sudden devastation at harvest time.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch observes that Jeremiah's natural tenderness leads him to immediately lament for Moab in the first person, unlike Isaiah who first describes Moab's mourning before joining. The prophet deliberately changes the reference from dried grape cakes to the people of Kir-heres, focusing his sympathy on the men of Moab rather than its luxuries.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange shows that Jeremiah builds his prophecy against Moab by consciously weaving together older oracles from Isaiah, Amos, Zephaniah and Numbers. Rather than offering a new revelation, the prophet reuses and adapts these earlier words to create a powerful composite judgment, emphasizing that God's judgment on Moab reaffirms what He has already declared.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights that Moab's mocking of Israel's suffering becomes the measure of their own judgment. The same pride that made them skip for joy over Israel's troubles now leaves them wallowing in shame, and God's justice ensures that those who deride others will themselves become a derision.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that Sibmah was well known in its time for its vineyards, while Jazer appears to have been the first city captured and taken into exile. These geographical details help explain the significance of the places mentioned.