Soil water is an important part of water resources and water cycle in nature. Moreover, the soil water condition is closely related to local crop production, eco-environmental quality and social-economic development. The soil water cycle and its mechanism can be explored by the application of stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope techniques from the both the macro and micro view. In recent years, the technology has gradually become an effective method for soil water cycle, especially for water migration and transformation. In this paper, the basic knowledge of hydrogen and oxygen isotopes in soil was systematically introduced. Then, the driving forces of hydrogen and oxygen isotope enrichment were analyzed based on the geochemical cycle of water, and the key points of isotope technique for soil water cycle were discussed. Finally, the future research was prospected.