Joel 1:13

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.

Gird {H2296} yourselves, and lament {H5594}, ye priests {H3548}: howl {H3213}, ye ministers {H8334} of the altar {H4196}: come {H935}, lie all night {H3885} in sackcloth {H8242}, ye ministers {H8334} of my God {H430}: for the meat offering {H4503} and the drink offering {H5262} is withholden {H4513} from the house {H1004} of your God {H430}.

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.

Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar. Come, spend the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God, because the grain and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God.

Gird yourselveswith sackcloth, and lament, ye priests; wail, ye ministers of the altar; come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meal-offering and the drink-offering are withholden from the house of your God.

Joel 1:13 is a poignant call to deep mourning and repentance directed specifically at the religious leaders of Judah—the priests and ministers of the temple. The prophet Joel conveys God's command for them to lament intensely due to the cessation of regular worship in the Jerusalem Temple.

Context

This verse is situated amidst a devastating national crisis described in the opening chapter of Joel. The land of Judah is suffering from an unprecedented locust plague, followed by a severe drought. These natural disasters are presented not merely as unfortunate events but as a sign of God's judgment upon the people for their sins. The agricultural devastation has led to empty storehouses and withered crops, meaning there is no produce available for the daily "meat offering" (more accurately, the grain or meal offering) and "drink offering" that were central to the temple rituals. The absence of these offerings signifies a broken relationship between God and His people, as the customary acts of devotion and atonement could not be performed. The call in verse 13 is therefore a direct consequence of the widespread desolation detailed in Joel 1:10-12.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Divine Judgment and its Impact on Worship: The verse powerfully illustrates how sin and judgment can directly hinder or even cease the corporate worship of God. The inability to offer sacrifices meant a practical breakdown in the covenant relationship.
  • The Role of Religious Leaders: Priests and ministers are called to lead the nation in sorrow and repentance. Their public display of grief and humility is crucial for initiating a national return to God. This highlights their responsibility to intercede for the people and guide them in spiritual matters.
  • Call to Repentance and Lamentation: The commands to "gird yourselves, and lament," "howl," and "lie all night in sackcloth" underscore the depth of sorrow and urgent need for repentance required. Sackcloth was a traditional garment of mourning and humility, symbolizing a contrite heart before God.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew words convey a sense of intense, unreserved grief. "Gird yourselves" (חִגְרוּ, ḥigru) here does not mean to prepare for action, but rather to prepare for extreme sorrow, often by putting on sackcloth. "Lament" (סְפְּדוּ, s'pədu) and "howl" (יְלִילוּ, y'lilu) are strong verbs indicating loud, public expressions of anguish. The "meat offering" (מִנְחָה, minḥah) refers specifically to a grain or meal offering, typically unleavened bread or flour, offered to God as an act of devotion and thanksgiving (Leviticus 2:1). The "drink offering" (נֶסֶךְ, neseḵ) usually accompanied other sacrifices, often consisting of wine poured out before the Lord (Numbers 28:7). Their absence was a profound spiritual crisis.

Practical Application

Joel 1:13 serves as a powerful reminder of several timeless truths. Firstly, it emphasizes that national or personal crises can often be a call from God to examine our spiritual state and repent. When the ability to worship God is hindered, whether by external circumstances or internal spiritual apathy, it should provoke deep introspection and sorrow. Secondly, it highlights the significant responsibility of spiritual leaders to discern the times, lead their congregations in repentance, and intercede fervently. Their example in humility and mourning can inspire a people to return to God. Finally, the verse underscores the importance of valuing and maintaining spiritual disciplines and corporate worship, recognizing them as vital expressions of our relationship with God. When these are absent, true spiritual health is compromised, prompting a need for heartfelt lament and a renewed commitment to God's ways, as further urged in Joel 2:12-13.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Joel 1:8

    ¶ Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth.

  • Joel 1:9

    The meat offering and the drink offering is cut off from the house of the LORD; the priests, the LORD'S ministers, mourn.

  • Jeremiah 4:8

    For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back from us.

  • Jeremiah 9:10

    For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none can pass through [them]; neither can [men] hear the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the beast are fled; they are gone.

  • 1 Kings 21:27

    And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.

  • Joel 2:17

    Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where [is] their God?

  • Jonah 3:5

    ¶ So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
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