Joel 1:11-12
Be ashamed, O tillers of the soil; wail, O vinedressers, for the wheat and the barley, because the harvest of the field has perished. The vine dries up; the fig tree languishes. Pomegranate, palm, and apple, all the trees of the field are dried up, and gladness dries up from the children of man.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse isn't just describing crop failure; it’s highlighting a deep, emotional "shame" for the farmers, not just disappointment. It suggests their work has been so utterly undone that their very hopes and efforts are exposed as fruitless, leading to profound embarrassment before God and each other.
The prophet Joel is vividly describing a devastating locust plague that has stripped the land bare. He's calling out to the farmers and vineyard keepers, the very people whose livelihoods depend on the earth's bounty, to recognize the complete ruin of their crops. This scene of utter desolation is set up to shock the people into understanding the severity of God's judgment, urging them to confront their sin and the consequences it has wrought.
Why would Joel tell people to 'be ashamed' if they haven't sinned? It's not about feeling guilty, but about a deep, public disappointment that shakes you to your core.
The Hebrew word used here for 'ashamed' doesn't always carry the same moral weight as our English word. It can describe the profound feeling of being let down when your hopes are dashed.
Imagine pouring all your energy, resources, and prayers into a harvest, only to see it completely destroyed. The shame Joel describes is the outward expression of that dashed hope. It's the face you show the world when your reliable source of provision has vanished. It's the confusion and dismay that comes when your careful work yields nothing.
This isn't necessarily about a specific sin, but about the devastating impact of God's judgment on the land and livelihoods of the people. Their labor, their security, their very way of life is gone, leaving them exposed and bewildered.
It's one thing to lose a crop, but another to lose 'joy.' What does Joel mean when he says joy has 'withered away'?
Joel connects the physical destruction of the harvest to the emotional and spiritual state of the people. The wheat and barley weren't just food; they were the source of celebration, of life's sustenance, and of hope for the future.
When the harvest perishes, it means more than just an empty pantry. It signifies the loss of:
This loss plunges them into a state of mourning. The 'howling' of the vinedressers is a visceral reaction to this devastation. It's a cry of despair because the very 'joy' that sustained them has been stripped away, leaving only emptiness.
Understand the original words
buwsh · Hebrew Verb
A sense of disgrace, humiliation, or remorse often experienced when one realizes their unworthiness before God or the consequence of their sins. It involves an internal awareness of failure that manifests outwardly.
The prophet Joel addresses the people of Judah during or immediately after the devastating Babylonian exile, a period when their land was ravaged and their hope for a bountiful harvest, both literal and spiritual, was shattered.
Late 8th Century BC
Assyrian Dominance in Judah
The region of Judah experienced significant political and military pressure from the Neo-Assyrian Empire, impacting its autonomy and resources.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Under Nebuchadnezzar II, the Babylonian Empire began its conquest of the region, starting with the deportation of elites and skilled workers from Judah to Babylon.
c. 597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Another wave of deportations occurred, further weakening Judah's population and economy, and increasing the sense of crisis.
c. 586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Third Deportation
The Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, leading to a final, massive deportation. This event represented a catastrophic loss for the Jewish people.
This passage describes a similar devastation of crops, leading to the leaders and nobles being ashamed and going into mourning because their wells and water sources have failed.
Isaiah 24:7This verse speaks of joy perishing and mirth ceasing, directly mirroring the consequence of the failed harvest described in Joel, where joy is withered away from humanity.
Haggai 1:10-11This passage shows God's people being disciplined with drought and barrenness as a consequence of their misplaced priorities, causing their crops to fail and leading to shame and lack.
Luke 12:16-21Jesus tells the parable of the rich fool whose harvest was so abundant he planned to store it, but God said his life would be taken that night, highlighting the ultimate futility of material harvests when spiritual life is neglected.
jfbJoel 1:11: "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."
- Be … ashamed—that is, Ye shall have the shame of disappointment on account of the failure of "the wheat" and "barley … harvest."howl … vine dressers—The semicolon should follow, as it is the "husbandmen" who are to be "ashamed … for the wheat." The reason for the "vine dressers" being called to "howl" does not come till Joe 1:12, "The vine is…
bensonJoel 1:11: "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."
Joel 1:11-12 . Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen — Be struck with confusion to see all your hopes disappointed, and no fruit arising from your labour; to find nothing of that which you had made yourselves sure of. Howl, O ye vine-dressers — This is to be referred to what is said in the next verse, and not to the words immediately following, which bel…
This verse isn't just describing crop failure; it’s highlighting a deep, emotional "shame" for the farmers, not just disappointment. It suggests their work has been so utterly undone that their very hopes and efforts are exposed as fruitless, leading to profound embarrassment before God and each other.
The prophet Joel is vividly describing a devastating locust plague that has stripped the land bare. He's calling out to the farmers and vineyard keepers, the very people whose livelihoods depend on the earth's bounty, to recognize the complete ruin of their crops. This scene of utter desolation is set up to shock the people into understanding the severity of God's judgment, urging them to confront their sin and the consequences it has wrought.
The prophet Joel is vividly describing a devastating locust plague that has stripped the land bare. He's calling out to the farmers and vineyard keepers, the very people whose livelihoods depend on the earth's bounty, to recognize the complete ruin of their crops. This scene of utter desolation is set up to shock the people into understanding the severity of God's judgment, urging them to confront their sin and the consequences it has wrought.
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c. 586 - 538 BC
Babylonian Exile
The majority of the Jewish population lived in exile in Babylon, a period of profound spiritual and national reflection.
"Be ashamed, O tillers of the soil; wail, O vinedressers, for the wheat and the barley, because the harvest of the field has perished. The vine dries up; the fig tree languishes. Pomegranate, palm, and apple,…" — This verse isn't just describing crop failure; it’s highlighting a deep, emotional "shame" for the farmers, not just disappointment. It suggests their work has been so utterly undone that their very…
