The fields are destroyed, the ground mourns, because the grain is destroyed, the wine dries up, the oil languishes.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The text highlights the complete ruin of life's essentials – grain, wine, and oil – not just as a description of famine, but as a picture of God’s judgment directly impacting the very things Israel relied on for sustenance and worship. This wasn't merely bad luck; it was a profound disruption of their covenant blessings, meant to be a clear sign of their disobedience.
The fields are destroyed, the ground mourns, because the grain is destroyed, the wine dries up, the oil languishes.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet Joel is vividly describing the devastating effects of a locust plague and drought that have struck the land. He emphasizes that this isn't just a minor inconvenience; the very staples of life – grain, wine, and oil – have been destroyed, leading to widespread mourning and ruin. This destruction directly impacts the sacrifices and offerings at the Temple, highlighting the comprehensive nature of God's judgment on their sin.
The prophet describes a scene of total ruin. It's not just a bad harvest; the very land itself seems to grieve.
Joel uses powerful personification here, describing the 'land' as mourning. This isn't just about crops failing; it's a profound sense of loss that impacts the entire nation.
A Nation's Heartbreak
Grain, wine, and oil—these weren't just commodities; they were the pillars of ancient Israelite life and worship. What happens when they vanish?
Joel specifically calls out the loss of grain, wine, and oil. These three were central to daily sustenance, celebration, and religious devotion in ancient Israel.
Staples of Life and Worship
Ask a follow-up
People are suffering from hunger and thirst, but the prophet insists they're missing the real point of the devastation.
Joel highlights a disconnect: the people feel the physical pain of famine but fail to grasp its spiritual cause. They are like animals reacting to discomfort, not humans understanding God's message.
Missing the Divine Message
Joel's graphic depiction of ecological disaster serves as a stark reminder that our physical sustenance is a gift from God, and its absence is a call to recognize His sovereignty and our dependence on Him.
c. 8th century BC— this verse
Joel's Prophetic Ministry
The prophet Joel delivers his message during a time of significant ecological disaster and potential foreign threat, likely in the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
c. 8th century BC
Devastating Locust Plague
An unprecedented locust swarm consumes the land, destroying crops and leaving devastation in its wake. This is the immediate context for Joel's vivid descriptions of famine.
c. 8th century BC
Drought and Famine
The locust plague is compounded by a severe drought, exacerbating the agricultural collapse and leading to widespread scarcity of essential resources like grain, wine, and oil.
c. 8th century BC
Impact on Temple Offerings
The destruction of crops and produce directly affects the ability of the people and priests to bring the required grain and wine offerings to the Jerusalem Temple.
c. 8th century BC
Call to National Repentance
Joel calls the people, elders, and priests to a solemn assembly and public repentance, urging them to turn back to God in light of the impending judgment.
This passage lists the devastating curses that would fall upon Israel if they disobeyed God, directly paralleling the crop failure and resulting hardship described in Joel.
Psalm 104:14-15This psalm celebrates God's provision of grain, wine, and oil for human joy and sustenance, highlighting the deep loss and sorrow when these provisions are withheld, as Joel describes.
Isaiah 24:4-7Isaiah also paints a picture of a devastated land where wine is dried up and joy perishes, emphasizing a similar theme of judgment and the profound impact on daily life and celebration.
Jeremiah 12:4Jeremiah laments the devastation of the land and the mourning of its inhabitants due to wickedness, echoing Joel's personification of the land grieving over destruction and the loss of its produce.
Haggai 1:10-11Haggai speaks of drought and the failure of crops (corn, new wine, oil) as a consequence of the people neglecting God's temple, showing how the lack of these staples is a sign of divine displeasure and lack of blessing.
calvinJoel 1:10: "The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted: the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth."
- Vastatus est ager, luxit terra (hoc est, luxerunt terrae incolae;) quia vastatum est (idem est verbum vel, quia periit) frumentum, aruit (est a verbo yvs, non a vvs, quod significat pudefacere: quanquam utraque radix significationem hanc admittit apud Hebraeos: quia ergo aruit) mustum et exterminatum est (infirmatum ad verbum, ab 'ml; sed significat debilitatum esse) o…
pulpitJoel 1:10: "The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted: the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth."
Verse 10. - The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted: the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth. This verse is closely connected with the preceding, for the failure of the meat offerings and drink offerings was owing to the devastation of the country and the destruction of its crops by the locust-plague. The field was laid waste by them, nor was i…
The text highlights the complete ruin of life's essentials – grain, wine, and oil – not just as a description of famine, but as a picture of God’s judgment directly impacting the very things Israel relied on for sustenance and worship. This wasn't merely bad luck; it was a profound disruption of their covenant blessings, meant to be a clear sign of their disobedience.
The prophet Joel is vividly describing the devastating effects of a locust plague and drought that have struck the land. He emphasizes that this isn't just a minor inconvenience; the very staples of life – grain, wine, and oil – have been destroyed, leading to widespread mourning and ruin. This destruction directly impacts the sacrifices and offerings at the Temple, highlighting the comprehensive nature of God's judgment on their sin.
The prophet Joel is vividly describing the devastating effects of a locust plague and drought that have struck the land. He emphasizes that this isn't just a minor inconvenience; the very staples of life – grain, wine, and oil – have been destroyed, leading to widespread mourning and ruin. This destruction directly impacts the sacrifices and offerings at the Temple, highlighting the comprehensive nature of God's judgment on their sin.
"The fields are destroyed, the ground mourns, because the grain is destroyed, the wine dries up, the oil languishes." — The text highlights the complete ruin of life's essentials – grain, wine, and oil – not just as a description of famine, but as a picture of God’s judgment directly impacting the very things Israel r…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026