Jeremiah 48:33
וְנֶאֶסְפָ֨ה שִׂמְחָ֥ה וָגִ֛יל מִכַּרְמֶ֖ל וּמֵאֶ֣רֶץ מֹואָ֑ב וְיַ֨יִן֙ מִיקָבִ֣ים הִשְׁבַּ֔תִּי לֹֽא־יִדְרֹ֣ךְ הֵידָ֔ד הֵידָ֖ד לֹ֥א הֵידָֽד׃
Niphal Perfect with Vav-Consecutive: וְנֶאֶסְפָה
וְנֶאֶסְפָה is a Niphal perfect 3fs form of אָסַף (“to gather, remove”), here meaning “has been removed.” With the conjunction וְ, it begins the verse’s declaration: “Joy and gladness have been removed.” The Niphal passive reflects divine judgment — joy is not simply absent; it has been taken away.
Word Pairing: שִׂמְחָה וָגִיל
שִׂמְחָה (“joy”) and גִיל (“gladness, rejoicing”) are often paired in Hebrew poetry. The conjunction וָ (a variant of וְ) links them as a poetic hendiadys — two terms expressing a single idea: festive celebration. Their removal signals mourning and desolation.
Prepositional Separation: מִכַּרְמֶל וּמֵאֶרֶץ מֹואָב
מִכַּרְמֶל (“from the vineyard”) and וּמֵאֶרֶץ מֹואָב (“and from the land of Moab”) are prepositional phrases showing source. כַּרְמֶל likely refers to cultivated land or a specific vineyard region. מוֹאָב is the national focus of the prophecy. The repetition of מִן and מֵ adds rhythm and emphasizes widespread loss.
First Person Perfect: הִשְׁבַּתִּי
הִשְׁבַּתִּי (“I have made cease”) is a Hiphil perfect 1cs of ש־ב־ת (“to cease, stop”). This causative form implies God’s active role in halting festivities: “I have silenced wine from the winepresses.” It’s a divine interruption of human joy and agricultural abundance.
Poetic Negation and Repetition: לֹא־יִדְרֹךְ הֵידָד
יִדְרֹךְ is a Qal imperfect 3ms from ד־ר־ך (“to tread”), referring to stomping grapes in a winepress. The noun הֵידָד means “shout of joy” or “grape-crushing cry.” This can either personify the shout as a grape-treader or imply that no joyful cry will be heard. The phrase הֵידָד לֹא הֵידָד concludes the verse with poetic emphasis — repetition with negation — creating an acoustic void: “shout — no shout!”
Parsing Table: Key Forms in Jeremiah 48:33
| Hebrew Word | Root | Form | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| וְנֶאֶסְפָה | אָסַף | Niphal perfect (3fs) | “Has been removed” — passive loss of joy |
| הִשְׁבַּתִּי | ש־ב־ת | Hiphil perfect (1cs) | “I have ceased” — divine cessation |
| יִדְרֹךְ | ד־ר־ך | Qal imperfect (3ms) | “He shall tread” — stomping grapes |
| הֵידָד | ־ | Noun (ms) | “Shout of joy” — grape-treading cry |
The Syntax of Silence
Jeremiah 48:33 silences Moab through grammar: passive loss, divine intervention, and poetic echo. The removal of joy, the halted winepress, and the absence of celebratory shouts all unfold through Niphal, Hiphil, and Qal forms. The verse builds a liturgy of lament where every verb, noun, and repetition embodies desolation. It is not just what is said — it is what is no longer heard.
