King James Version

What Does Isaiah 24:11 Mean?

Isaiah 24:11 in the King James Version says “There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.” — study this verse from Isaiah chapter 24 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.”

Isaiah 24:11 · KJV

Joy

Context

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.

13

When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done.

Read Isaiah 24 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
There is a crying for wine in the streets—tse'aqah (צְעָקָה, "crying/outcry") in the chutsot (חוּצוֹת, "streets/public squares") indicates public lamentation. The cry is al-yayin (עַל־יַיִן, "concerning wine")—people wail over wine's absence, suggesting both literal shortage (failed harvest, disrupted trade) and symbolic loss of joy. This echoes Joel 1:5's call to drunkards to weep because wine is cut off. Public squares, normally places of commerce and celebration, become venues of corporate grief.

All joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone—arab (עָרַב, "darkened/evening") suggests twilight descending, joy fading into night. Simchah (שִׂמְחָה, "joy") becomes arebah (עָרְבָה, "darkened"). The mirth of the land uses mesos ha'aretz (מְשׂוֹשׂ הָאָרֶץ), "exultation of the earth," now galah (גָּלָה, "gone into exile/removed"). The verb for "gone" is the same used for deportation into exile—joy itself is exiled from the land. Lamentations 5:15 similarly mourns: "The joy of our heart is ceased."

KJV Study — Public Domain

Historical & Cultural Context

Public squares (chutsot) were the economic and social heart of ancient cities—markets, legal proceedings, and public gatherings occurred there. Wine scarcity would have been publicly visible and economically devastating, affecting merchants, consumers, and the agricultural base. The 'crying for wine' may reflect both literal shortage during siege (when Assyrian or Babylonian forces surrounded cities, cutting off supply) and the psychological despair of a people under judgment. Exile imagery ('gone') foreshadows the Babylonian deportation (586 BC) when Judah's joy was literally exiled to Mesopotamia.

Reflection Questions

  1. How does the public nature of this lamentation ('crying in the streets') emphasize the corporate dimension of covenant-breaking and judgment?
  2. What does the verb 'galah' (gone into exile) teach about joy's dependence on God's presence and blessing?
  3. In what ways do modern societies 'cry for wine'—seeking happiness in substances or circumstances rather than in God?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 10 words
צְוָחָ֥ה1 of 10

“There is a crying”

H6682

a screech (of anguish)

עַל2 of 10
H5921

above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

הַיַּ֖יִן3 of 10

“for wine”

H3196

wine (as fermented); by implication, intoxication

בַּֽחוּצ֑וֹת4 of 10

“in the streets”

H2351

properly, separate by a wall, i.e., outside, outdoors

עָֽרְבָה֙5 of 10

“is darkened”

H6150

to grow dusky at sundown

כָּל6 of 10
H3605

properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)

שִׂמְחָ֔ה7 of 10

“all joy”

H8057

blithesomeness or glee, (religious or festival)

גָּלָ֖ה8 of 10

“is gone”

H1540

to denude (especially in a disgraceful sense); by implication, to exile (captives being usually stripped); figuratively, to reveal

מְשׂ֥וֹשׂ9 of 10

“the mirth”

H4885

delight, concretely (the cause or object) or abstractly (the feeling)

הָאָֽרֶץ׃10 of 10

“of the land”

H776

the earth (at large, or partitively a land)

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Isaiah. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Isaiah 24:11 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Isaiah 24:11 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Hosea 7:14Luke 16:25Isaiah 32:13Isaiah 24:7-9Isaiah 9:19Jeremiah 48:33

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