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."
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Superscription and Call to Attention

1
The word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Pethuel. ​
2
Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers? ​
3
Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.

The Devastation of the Locust Plague

4
That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten. ​
5
Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth. ​
6
For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion. ​
7
He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white.

A Call to Widespread Lamentation

8
Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth. ​
9
The meat offering and the drink offering is cut off from the house of the LORD; the priests, the LORD'S ministers, mourn. ​
10
The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted: the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth.
11
Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen; howl, O ye vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley; because the harvest of the field is perished. ​
12
The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men. ​

Priests Commanded to Lead Repentance

13
Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God. ​
14
Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD, ​

The Prophet's Prayer and the Day of the LORD

15
Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come. ​
16
Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness from the house of our God?
17
The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered. ​
18
How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate. ​
19
O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field. ​
20
The beasts of the field cry also unto thee: for the rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness. ​

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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