For a nation has come up against My land, strong, and without number; his teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he has the fangs of a fierce lion. He has laid waste My vine, and ruined My fig tree; he has stripped it bare and thrown it away; its branches are made white. Joel tells the drunkards to wake up and see the devastation the locusts caused.
They came like a mighty nation , a fierce army against Judah. My vine … My fig tree: God looks at the vines and fig trees of Judah and says they belong to Him, even in judgment. Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth. The field is wasted, the land mourns; for the grain is ruined, the new wine is dried up, the oil fails. Be ashamed, you farmers, wail, you vinedressers, for the wheat and the barley; because the harvest of the field has perished.
The vine has dried up, and the fig tree has withered; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree; all the trees of the field are withered; surely joy has withered away from the sons of men. Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth: Joel tells Judah that they should look at their condition and mourn, with all the emotion and passion of a young widow.
They should not receive this plague of locusts stoically, with false bravado. In this, Joel doesn't minimize the suffering at all. He isn't like the dentist who says, "This may cause a bit of discomfort" when he really means "This is going to hurt and I am going to make you suffer. The priests mourn … the land mourns … be ashamed, you farmers, wail, you vinedressers … surely joy has withered away: In vivid and poetic images, Joel shows how the whole nation mourns this great destruction brought by locusts.
The grain and the drink offering have been cut off: It's remarkable to see that these sacrifices to the LORD at the temple only stopped when there was no more grain or wine to give to God. Queen Athaliah's reign was wicked, but she allowed the temple ceremonies to continue. This shows us that the devil doesn't mind ceremonies in themselves, and that the devil is more interested in corrupting true religion than eliminating it.
Gird yourselves and lament, you priests; wail, you who minister before the altar; come, lie all night in sackcloth, you who minister to my God; for the grain offering and the drink offering are withheld from the house of your God. Gird yourselves and lament, you priests: Joel calls the religious leaders to lead the nation in repentance.
He tells the priests to gird yourselves for repentance, the idea being "prepare to do the work of repentance. For the grain offering and the drink offering are withheld from the house of your God: When there was grain and wine to bring the people of Judah still brought offerings to the temple, either out of tradition or godly obedience. Now that there is no produce, there is no offering for the house of your God.
Alas for the day! Is not the food cut off before our eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God? The seed shrivels under the clods, storehouses are in shambles; barns are broken down, for the grain has withered. How the animals groan! The herds of cattle are restless, because they have no pasture; even the flocks of sheep suffer punishment.
The beasts of the field also cry out to You, for the water brooks are dried up, and fire has devoured the open pastures. For the day of the LORD is at hand: In the ultimate sense, the day of the LORD is fulfilled with Jesus judges the earth and returns in glory. In a lesser sense, a time of judgment as Judah experienced with the locusts and drought is also an example of the day of the LORD. The seed shrivels … they have no pasture … the flocks of sheep suffer punishment … fire has devoured the open pastures … the water brooks are dried up: Joel vividly describes a devastating drought.
It affects everything in Judah, and wildfires ravage the dry land. In this time of drought, all Judah could do was cry out to God. They were powerless to "fix" the drought problem. God sent them to a place where only heaven could help them, so they would look no other place. Instead of acting as if it were just an accident of blind fate, Jesus used it as a wake-up call for repentance.
Jesus showed that "Why did this disaster happen to them? The right question is "Am I ready to face such a disaster in this fallen world? Since the text and audio content provided by BLB represent a range of evangelical traditions, all of the ideas and principles conveyed in the resource materials are not necessarily affirmed, in total, by this ministry.
Bible Search
Blue Letter Bible study tools make reading, searching and studying the Bible easy and rewarding. Individual instructors or editors may still require the use of URLs. Keep me logged in! Did you forget your password? Why won't my login from the old site work? Usernames should only contain letters, numbers, dots, dashes, or underscores. Passwords should have at least 6 characters. Your partnership makes all we do possible. Would you prayerfully consider a gift of support today? Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage.
Follow the Blue Letter Bible on: Or subscribe to our Newsletter: No Delimiter — None — Jhn 1: Square — [Jhn 1: Parens — Jhn 1: Help Video Tutorials 1.
Essentials - The Bible 3. Essentials - Word Searching 4. Help Quick Nav Advanced Options. Old Testament New Testament.
The Old Testament - A Brief Overview
Search Results in Other Versions. The word of the LORD. This does not imply that Pethuel was a prophet. It merely distinguishes this Joel from others of the same name.
Book of Joel - Bible Survey
Note this indication of the formula of Joel"s prophetic utterances. Hebrew has no proper vocative. The simple Noun with the Article takes its place. Not official elders, but those whose memory goes back farthest. Figure of speech Erotesis App , for emphasis. Tell ye your children. Ref to Pentateuch Deuteronomy 4: Note the Figure of speech Climax App Reference to Pentateuch Deuteronomy The English of this verse is beautifully idiomatic, but twelve Hebrew words condense the whole.
BibleGateway
This is named first of four different stages of the locust. These four words show the completeness of the destroying agencies. The Heb, reads "Gnawer"s remnant, Swarmer eats: Swarmer"s remnant, Devourer eats Devourer"s remnant, Consumer eats. Put for the great destroying powers which are symbolized in Joel 1: So called because Jehovah is about to put in His claim.
- Original Language Tools?
- Select a book of the Bible?
- Die Zusammenarbeit der Alliierten während des Nürnberger Hauptprozesses (German Edition)!
- The Complete Companion Bible?
- Joel 1 Commentary - E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes;
The end-time is here referred to, when He will do this:. The nation of Joel 1: Also for the fig-tree compare Hosea 9: The root is connected with foam, compare Hosea Reference to Pentateuch Lev 2. Ref to Pentateuch Exodus Reference to Pentateuch Numbers 3: Note the Figure of speech Paronomasia App Hebrew "adamah Not the same word as in verses: Verses show why the offerings cannot be brought. Same word as in Joel 2: Not the some as in Joel 1: Reference to Pentateuch Exodus The symbol of mourning; p.