Joel1

Joel prophesies a devastating plague of locusts, described as an invading nation, which has utterly consumed all vegetation, leaving the land barren. This unprecedented destruction leads to the cessation of temple offerings and widespread mourning among all inhabitants, from drunkards to priests. The prophet calls for a solemn fast and assembly, warning that this calamity signals the imminent "day of the LORD."

Superscription and Call to Attention

1
The word of ADONAI that came to Yo'el the son of P'tu'el: ​
2
"Hear this, you leaders! Listen, all who live in the land! Has anything like this ever happened in your days, or in your ancestors' days? ​
3
Tell your children about it, and have them tell it to theirs, and have them tell the next generation.

The Devastation of the Locust Plague

4
What the cutter-worms left, the locusts ate; what the locusts left, the grasshoppers ate; what the grasshoppers left, the shearer-worms ate. ​
5
Wake up, drunkards, and weep! wail, all you who drink wine, because the juice of the grape will be withheld from your mouth. ​
6
For a mighty and numberless nation has invaded my land. His teeth are lion's teeth; his fangs are those of a lioness. ​
7
He has reduced my vines to waste, my fig trees to splinters - he plucked them bare, stripped their bark and left their branches white."

A Call to Widespread Lamentation

8
Lament like a virgin wearing sackcloth for the husband of her youth! ​
9
Grain offering and drink offering are cut off from the house of ADONAI. The cohanim are mourning, those who are serving ADONAI. ​
10
The fields are ruined, the ground is grieving; for the grain is ruined, the new wine dried up, and the olive oil is wretched.
11
Despair, you farmers; lament, vinedressers, over the wheat and the barley - the harvest from the fields is lost. ​
12
The vines have withered, the fig trees wilted, also the pomegranate, date-palm and apple tree - all the trees in the fields have withered, and the people's joy has withered away. ​

Priests Commanded to Lead Repentance

13
Cohanim, put on sackcloth, and weep! Wail, you who serve at the altar! Come, lie in sackcloth all night long, you who serve my God! For the grain offering and drink offering are withheld from the house of your God. ​
14
Proclaim a holy fast, call for a solemn assembly, gather the leaders and all who live in the land to the house of ADONAI your God, and cry out to ADONAI, ​

The Prophet's Prayer and the Day of the LORD

15
"Oh no! The Day! The Day of ADONAI is upon us! As destruction from Shaddai it is coming! ​
16
The food is cut off before our very eyes, also joy and gladness from the house of our God.
17
The seed-grain is rotting in its furrows; the granaries are deserted, the barns in ruins; because the grain has withered. ​
18
How the animals groan! The herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture. The flocks of sheep bear the punishment, too. ​
19
ADONAI, I cry out to you! For the fire has consumed the pastures in the desert, and the flame set ablaze all the trees in the fields. ​
20
Even the wild animals come to you, panting, because the streambeds have dried up, and fire has consumed the pastures in the desert." ​

Study Notes for Joel 1

Verse 1

The book opens with a standard prophetic superscription, identifying the prophet Joel, whose name means 'The LORD is God.' Unlike many prophets, his ministry is dated by the events themselves (the plague) rather than by kings.

Verse 2

Joel begins by addressing the elders, emphasizing the unprecedented nature of the impending disaster. The severity of the event is so great that it must be recorded as a historical benchmark for future generations.

Verse 4

Four different Hebrew terms are used here, all referring generally to stages or types of devastating crawling insects (likely locusts). This poetic stacking emphasizes the totality of the destruction—what one wave missed, the next consumed.

Verse 5

Joel addresses the 'drunkards' (those reliant on wine) because the destruction of the vines immediately affects their way of life, forcing even the most complacent to recognize the judgment.

Verse 6

The locust swarm is described metaphorically as a 'nation' or invading army—strong, innumerable, and possessing devastating teeth. This anthropomorphic language highlights the military precision and comprehensive nature of the attack.

Verse 8

The call for lamentation is compared to the deepest personal grief: a young woman mourning the death of her fiancé (the 'husband of her youth') before the marriage could be consummated, representing the total loss of future promise.

Verse 9

The disaster has theological consequences. The destruction of grain and wine means the required public 'meat offering' (grain offering) and 'drink offering' cannot be presented, effectively severing the standard ritual connection between God and Israel.

Verse 11

Joel shifts his focus specifically to the farmers and vinedressers, whose economic and social existence has been ruined by the loss of the staple crops (wheat and barley).

Verse 12

The comprehensive destruction of all fruit-bearing trees (including pomegranates, palms, and apples) signifies the complete removal of joy, as harvest festivals and celebration were intrinsically tied to these crops.

Verse 13

The prophet commands the priests to lead the nation in repentance, demanding that they wear sackcloth and stay overnight in the temple complex, demonstrating extreme grief and desperation.

Verse 14

The necessary response to divine judgment is a communal act of repentance. 'Sanctify ye a fast' means to declare and prepare for a solemn religious assembly, gathering all segments of society (elders and inhabitants) to cry out to the LORD.

Verse 15

The current disaster is immediately linked to the climactic 'Day of the LORD,' a prophetic theme referring to a decisive time when God intervenes to judge the earth. Joel treats the present plague as a terrifying foretaste of that ultimate judgment.

Verse 17

The description highlights the complete breakdown of the agricultural cycle; even the seed intended for next year’s planting has spoiled, ensuring future famine and desolation.

Verse 18

The lament expands beyond humanity to include the suffering of the livestock. The groaning of the beasts emphasizes the cosmic scope of the judgment—the entire created order is affected by the curse.

Verse 19

Joel shifts from describing the disaster to addressing God directly in prayer. The 'fire' likely refers to the scorching drought and heat accompanying the locust plague, which has withered the pastures.

Verse 20

The prophet concludes the chapter by emphasizing that even the wild animals instinctively appeal to their Creator for sustenance, underscoring the severity of the drought where 'rivers of waters are dried up.'

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