TRV
Translation
KJV (with Strong's)
The new wine H8492 mourneth H56, the vine H1612 languisheth H535, all the merryhearted H8056 H3820 do sigh H584.
American Standard Version
The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merry-hearted do sigh.
World English Bible Messianic
The new wine mourns. The vine languishes. All the merry-hearted sigh.
Geneva Bible (1599)
The wine faileth, the vine hath no might: all that were of merie heart, doe mourne.
Young's Literal Translation
Mourned hath the new wine, languished the vine, Sighed have all the joyful of heart.
In the KJVVerse 18,103 of 31,102
Study This Verse
Commentary on Isaiah 24 verses 1–12
1 ¶ Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.
2 And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.
3 The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word.
4 The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.
5 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.
6 Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.
7 The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do sigh.
8 The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.
9 They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it.
10 The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in.
11 There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.
12 In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.
It is a very dark and melancholy scene that this prophecy presents to our view; turn our eyes which way we will, every thing looks dismal. The threatened desolations are here described in a great variety of expressions to the same purport, and all aggravating.
I. The earth is stripped of all its ornaments and looks as if it were taken off its basis; it is made empty and waste (Isa 24:1), as if it were reduced to its first chaos, Tohu and Bohu, nothing but confusion and emptiness again (Gen 1:2), without form and void. It is true earth sometimes signifies the land, and so the same word eretz is here translated (Isa 24:3): The land shall be utterly emptied and utterly spoiled; but I see not why it should not there, as well as Isa 24:1, be translated the earth; for most commonly, if not always, where it signifies some one particular land it has something joined to it, or at least not far from it, which does so appropriate it; as the land (or earth) of Egypt, or Canaan, or this land, or ours, or yours, or the like. It might indeed refer to some particular country, and an ambiguous word might be used to warrant such an application; for it is good to apply to ourselves, and our own hands, what the scripture says in general of the vanity and vexation of spirit that attend all things here below; but it should seem designed to speak what often happens to many countries, and will do while the world stands, and what may, we know not how soon, happen to our own, and what is the general character of all earthly things: they are empty of all solid comfort and satisfaction; a little thing makes them waste. We often see numerous families, and plentiful estates, utterly emptied and utterly spoiled, by one judgment or other, or perhaps only by a gradual and insensible decay. Sin has turned the earth upside down; the earth has become quite a different thing to man from what it was when God made it to be his habitation. Sin has also scattered abroad the inhabitants thereof. The rebellion at Babel was the occasion of the dispersion there. How many ways are there in which the inhabitants both of towns and of private houses are scattered abroad, so that near relations and old neighbours know nothing of one another! To the same purport is Isa 24:4. The earth mourns, and fades away; it disappoints those that placed their happiness in it and raised their expectations high from it, and proves not what they promised themselves it would be. The whole world languishes and fades away, as hastening towards a dissolution. It is, at the best, like a flower, which withers in the hands of those that please themselves too much with it, and lay it in their bosoms. And, as the earth itself grows old, so those that dwell therein are desolate; men carry crazy sickly bodies along with them, are often solitary, and confined by affliction, Isa 24:6. When the earth languishes, and is not so fruitful as it used to be, then those that dwell therein, that make it their home, and rest, and portion, are desolate; whereas those that by faith dwell in God can rejoice in him even when the fir-tree does not blossom. If we look abroad, and see in how many places pestilences and burning fevers rage, and what multitudes are swept away by them in a little time, so that sometimes the living scarcely suffice to bury the dead, perhaps we shall understand what the prophet means when he says, The inhabitants of the earth are burned, or consumed, some by one disease, others by another, and there are but few men left, in comparison. Note, The world we live in is a world of disappointment, a vale of tears, and a dying world; and the children of men in it are but of few days, and full of trouble.
II. It is God that brings all these calamities upon the earth. The Lord that made the earth, and made it fruitful and beautiful, for the service and comfort of man, now makes it empty and waste (Isa 24:1), for its Creator is and will be its Judge; he has an incontestable right to pass sentence upon it and an irresistible power to execute that sentence. It is the Lord that has spoken this word, and he will do the work (Isa 24:3); it is his curse that has devoured the earth (Isa 24:6), the general curse which sin brought upon the ground for man's sake (Gen 3:17), and all the particular curses which families and countries bring upon themselves by their enormous wickedness. See the power of God's curse, how it makes all empty and lays all waste; those whom he curses are cursed indeed.
III. Persons of all ranks and conditions shall share in these calamities (Isa 24:2): It shall be as with the people, so with the priest, etc. This is true of many of the common calamities of human life; all are subject to the same diseases of body, sorrows of mind, afflictions in relations, and the like. There is one event to those of very different stations; time and chance happen to them all. It is in a special manner true of the destroying judgments which God sometimes brings upon sinful nations; when he pleases he can make them universal, so that none shall escape them or be exempt from them; whether men have little or much, they shall lose it all. Those of the meaner rank smart first by famine; but those of the higher rank go first into captivity, while the poor of the land are left. It shall be all alike, 1. With high and low: As with the people, so with the priest, or prince. The dignity of magistrates and ministers, and the respect and reverence due to both, shall not secure them. The faces of elders are not honoured, Lam 5:12. The priests had been as corrupt and wicked as the people; and, if their character served not to restrain them from sin, how can they expect it should serve to secure them from judgments? In both it is like people, like priest, Hos 4:8, Hos 4:9. 2. With bond and free: As with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress. They have all corrupted their way, and therefore will all be made miserable when the earth is made waste. 3. With rich and poor. Those that have money before-hand, that are purchasing, and letting out money to interest, will fare no better than those that are so impoverished that they are forced to sell their estates and take up money at interest. There are judgments short of the great day of judgment in which rich and poor meet together. Let not those that are advanced in the world set their inferiors at too great a distance, because they know not how soon they may be set upon a level with them. The rich man's wealth is his strong city in his own conceit; but it does not always prove so.
IV. It is sin that brings these calamities upon the earth. The earth is made empty, and fades away, because it is defiled under the inhabitants thereof (Isa 24:5); it is polluted by the sins of men, and therefore it is made desolate by the judgments of God. Such is the filthy nature of sin that it defiles the earth itself under the sinful inhabitants thereof, and it is rendered unpleasant in the eyes of God and good men. See Lev 18:25, Lev 18:27, Lev 18:28. Blood, in particular, defiles the land, Num 35:33. The earth never spues out its inhabitants till they have first defiled it by their sins. Why, what have they done? 1. They have transgressed the laws of their creation, not answered the ends of it. The bonds of the law of nature have been broken by them, and they have cast from them the cords of their obligations to the God of nature. 2. They have changed the ordinances of revealed religion, those of them that have had the benefit of that. They have neglected the ordinances (so some read it), and have made no conscience of observing them. They have passed over the laws, in the commission of sin, and have passed by the ordinance, in the omission of duty. 3. Herein they have broken the everlasting covenant, which is a perpetual bond and will be to those that keep it a perpetual blessing. It is God's wonderful condescension that he is pleased to deal with men in a covenant-way, to do them good, and thereby oblige them to do him service. Even those that had no benefit by God's covenant with Abraham had benefit by his covenant with Noah and his sons, which is called an everlasting covenant, his covenant with day and night; but they observe not the precepts of the sons of Noah, they acknowledge not God's goodness in the day and night, nor study to make him any grateful returns, and so break the everlasting covenant and defeat the gracious designs and intentions of it.
V. These judgments shall humble men's pride and mar their mirth. When the earth is made empty, 1. It is a great mortification to men's pride (Isa 24:4): The haughty people of the earth do languish; for they have lost that which supported their pride, and for which they magnified themselves. As for those that have held their heads highest, God can make them hang the head. 2. It is a great damp to men's jollity. This is enlarged upon much (Isa 24:7-9): All the merry-hearted do sigh. Such is the nature of carnal mirth, it is but as the crackling of thorns under a pot, Ecc 7:6. Great laughters commonly end in a sigh. Those that make the world their chief joy cannot rejoice ever more. When God sends his judgments into the earth he designs thereby to make those serious that were wholly addicted to their pleasures. Let your laughter be turned into mourning. When the earth is emptied the noise of those that rejoice in it ends. Carnal joy is a noisy thing; but the noise of it will soon be at an end, and the end of it is heaviness. Two things are made use of to excite and express vain mirth, and the jovial crew is here deprived of both: - (1.) Drinking: The new wine mourns; it has grown sour for want of drinking; for, how proper soever it may be for the heavy heart (Pro 31:6), it does not relish to them as it does to the merry-hearted. The vine languishes, and gives little hopes of a vintage, and therefore the merry-hearted do sigh; for they know no other gladness than that of their corn, and wine, and oil increasing (Psa 4:7), and, if you destroy their vines and their fig-trees, you make all their mirth to cease, Hos 2:11, Hos 2:12. They shall not now drink wine with a song and with huzzas, as they used to, but rather drink it with a sigh; nay, Strong drink shall be bitter to those that drink it, because they cannot but mingle their tears with it; or, through sickness, they have lost the relish of it. God has many ways to embitter wine and strong drink to those that love them and have the highest gust of them: distemper of body, anguish of mind, the ruin of the estate or country, will make the strong drink bitter and all the delights of sense tasteless and insipid. (2.) Music: The mirth of tabrets ceases, and the joy of the harp, which used to be at their feasts, Isa 5:12. The captives in Babylon hang their harps on the willow trees. In short, All joy is darkened; there is not a pleasant look to be seen, nor has any one power to force a smile; all the mirth of the land is gone (Isa 24:11); and, if it was that mirth which Solomon calls madness, there is no great loss of it.
VI. The cities will in a particular manner feel from these desolations of the country (Isa 24:10): The city of confusion is broken, is broken down (so we read it); it lies exposed to invading powers, not only by the breaking down of its walls, but by the confusion that the inhabitants are in. Every house is shut up, perhaps by reason of the plague, which has burned or consumed the inhabitants, so that there are few men left, Isa 24:6. Houses infected are usually shut up that no man may come in. Or they are shut up because they are deserted and uninhabited. There is a crying for wine, that is, for the spoiling of the vintage, so that there is likely to be no wine. In the city, in Jerusalem itself, that had been so much frequented, there shall be left nothing but desolation; grass shall grow in the streets, and the gate is smitten with destruction (Isa 24:12); all that used to pass and repass through the gate are smitten, and all the strength of the city is cut off. How soon can God make a city of order a city of confusion, and then it will soon be a city of desolation!
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–12. Public domain.
Copy as
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Isaiah
(Verse 7 and following) The grape harvest has failed, the vine is weakened, all those who rejoiced in their hearts have sighed. The joy of the tambourines has ceased, the sound of the rejoicers has quieted, the sweetness of the lyre has been silenced, as those who do not drink wine with singing, bitter will be the drink for those who drink it. The city of vanity is worn away, every house is closed with no one entering. There will be a cry over wine in the streets, all joy is deserted, the pleasure of the land has been moved elsewhere. And the solitude was left in the city, and calamity will oppress the gates: for these will be in the midst of the earth, in the midst of the people. In the end of the world, the remembrance of past delights will be the material of torments. Wherefore even that rich man, clothed in purple at a banquet, who had received his good things in his life, lifting up his eyes from hell, sees Lazarus in rest (Luke XVI). And the Lord, reproving the rich and luxurious and laughing, speaks in the Gospel: Woe to you who are rich, because you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are now satisfied, for you will hunger. Woe to you who are now laughing, for you will mourn and weep (Luke 6:25). Therefore, when the resurrection of the dead will have occurred, and the day of judgment will have come, then the wine and the harvest will mourn, of which Moses speaks: Their vine is from Sodom, their vineyard is from Gomorrah. Their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter. The fury of dragons is their wine, and the incurable fury of asps (Deuteronomy 32:33). Then every drink, or as it is said in Hebrew, 'sycerah', that is, drunkenness, which overturns the state of the mind and does not allow people to stay awake, will be changed into bitterness, which deceives those who use it with its sweetness for a time, and in the end is found to be more bitter than gall. Then all the sweetness of those who rejoice and the sounds of tambourines and lyres will be turned into mourning and groaning. Let us present this testimony to those who in banquets not only indulge in gluttony and drunkenness but also in the luxuries of the ears, so that strength of the soul may soften through all the senses. The city of vanity is destroyed, that is, every city, or spiritual Babylon, which sits on seven purple mountains, whose punishments we read about in the Apocalypse of John (Apoc. XVIII). It is well said, the city of vanity. For if it is said of heaven and earth, and of all things that are earthly: Vanity of vanities and all is vanity (Eccl. I, 2); how much more should this be said of one city, which is a small part of the whole world! Then the houses, whose ceilings are now gilded, and the poor without shelter and dying in hovels, will be adorned with marble veneers and shining ivory panels, but they will remain empty. There will be clamor in the streets over wine, not on the narrow and cramped road that leads to life, but on the wide and spacious road that leads to death (Matthew 7). Their error is over wine and drunkenness, those who have fallen asleep in their slumber, and all the wealthy men found nothing in their hands (Psalm 75). For indeed the joy of the earth has been translated to the heavens, and the once famous solitude is left in the abandoned city, and calamity will oppress the inhabitants of the crowded gateways through which the streams of peoples used to flow. And in order that we may know clearly the news of the destruction of the whole world, it added, These things shall happen in the midst of the earth: in the midst of nations or peoples.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
Copy as
Continue studying Isaiah 24:7 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
SUMMARY
Isaiah 24:7 powerfully depicts a world plunged into profound sorrow and desolation, serving as a poignant illustration of the far-reaching consequences of divine judgment. Through the vivid imagery of "new wine mourning" and "vines languishing," the prophet conveys the cessation of joy, prosperity, and celebratory life, culminating in the universal sighing of those once accustomed to merriment. This verse encapsulates the spiritual and physical decay that accompanies humanity's rebellion against God, transforming scenes of abundance into barren landscapes of lament.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Isaiah 24:7 is rich in Personification, a device that imbues inanimate objects with human qualities. The "new wine mourneth" and "the vine languisheth" are prime examples, powerfully conveying the depth of sorrow and decay by making the very symbols of joy and life participate in the general lament. This technique amplifies the sense of unnaturalness and profound loss. The verse also employs Symbolism, where "new wine" and "vine" represent not just literal agricultural products but the broader concepts of joy, prosperity, blessing, and the vibrant life of the community. Their mourning and languishing symbolize the complete cessation of these positive states. Furthermore, the verse exhibits a form of Parallelism, where the first two clauses ("The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth") describe the physical and agricultural desolation, which is then mirrored and culminated in the emotional desolation of "all the merryhearted do sigh." This progression from the land to the people underscores the comprehensive and inescapable nature of the divine judgment.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Isaiah 24:7 stands as a stark reminder of the profound consequences of humanity's rebellion against God, illustrating how sin inevitably leads to a reversal of blessing into desolation. Theologically, it underscores God's absolute sovereignty over creation and history, demonstrating His righteous judgment against unholiness. The cessation of joy and the universal sighing reflect a world out of harmony with its Creator, where the sources of true delight have been corrupted or removed due to widespread transgression. This lamentable state is a direct outcome of breaking the divine covenant, highlighting the inextricable link between obedience and flourishing, and disobedience and decay. Yet, even within this severe judgment, the broader prophetic context of Isaiah often hints at a future restoration and a new covenant, where true and lasting joy will be found in God alone.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Isaiah 24:7 serves as a potent spiritual mirror, inviting us to reflect on the sources of our own joy and security. In a world often preoccupied with fleeting pleasures and material prosperity, this verse soberly reminds us that earthly delights are transient and vulnerable, especially when a society or individual deviates from God's righteous path. The "mourning wine" and "languishing vine" challenge us to consider whether our happiness is rooted in external circumstances or in an enduring relationship with the Creator. The universal sighing of the "merryhearted" calls us to acknowledge the pervasive impact of sin, not just on individuals but on entire communities and the very fabric of creation. It prompts a crucial self-examination: are we living in a way that cultivates true, lasting joy, or are we clinging to temporary sources that are prone to decay and sorrow? This verse ultimately serves as a call to humility, repentance, and a reorientation of our hearts towards God, the ultimate source of all good and enduring joy.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why does Isaiah use the imagery of "new wine" and "vine" to describe desolation?
Answer: Isaiah uses the imagery of "new wine" and "vine" because they were deeply symbolic in ancient Israelite culture. Wine represented joy, celebration, prosperity, and divine blessing, often associated with festivals and abundance. The vine was the source of this wine, symbolizing the fruitfulness of the land and God's provision. By depicting the "new wine mourneth" and "the vine languisheth," Isaiah vividly portrays a complete reversal of fortune. It signifies not just economic hardship or famine, but the cessation of all joy, festivity, and the very foundations of a blessed life. This imagery powerfully communicates the profound spiritual and physical desolation that results from God's judgment on a rebellious people, where even the symbols of delight are consumed by sorrow, as also seen in Joel 1:10-12.
Is this judgment only for ancient Israel, or does it have broader implications?
Answer: While Isaiah's prophecies often have immediate implications for ancient Israel and surrounding nations, chapter 24, including verse 7, is part of what scholars call Isaiah's "Little Apocalypse." This section describes a sweeping, global judgment that affects "the earth" and "its inhabitants" as stated in Isaiah 24:1. Therefore, while rooted in a specific historical context, the themes of universal sin, divine judgment, and the resulting desolation have broader, even eschatological, implications. They serve as a timeless warning about the consequences of human rebellion against God's laws and covenant, applicable to all humanity across generations, pointing to a future time when God will judge the whole earth.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Isaiah 24:7 paints a bleak picture of universal sorrow and the cessation of earthly joys under divine judgment, it simultaneously sets the stage for the ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment of true and lasting joy. The "mourning new wine" and "languishing vine" foreshadow the brokenness and curse brought by sin, which Christ came to redeem. Jesus Himself is the "true vine" as declared in John 15:1, through whom believers find life, fruitfulness, and an enduring source of spiritual nourishment that never languishes. He transforms the lament of a fallen world into a new song of redemption. The sighing of the "merryhearted" reflects humanity's deep need for a joy that transcends temporal circumstances and divine judgment. This joy is found supremely in Christ, who, through His sacrifice, took upon Himself the full weight of sin and its consequences, including sorrow and death, as prophesied in Isaiah 53:3-5. He promises a "fullness of joy" found in God's presence, as noted in Psalm 16:11, and a "peace that surpasses all understanding" referenced in Philippians 4:7 that the world cannot give or take away. Ultimately, the New Testament portrays a future where, in the new heavens and new earth, God will wipe away every tear, and "there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying" as promised in Revelation 21:4, fulfilling the deepest longing for an eternal state of unmarred joy and celebration in His presence.