The priests are called to "lie all night in sackcloth," not just as a sign of grief, but as an active, sustained posture of worship and repentance before God. This isn't merely about outward display; it's about dwelling in a state of humility and intercession when the very means of their service—the offerings—have been cut off.
Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar. Go in, pass the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God! Because grain offering and drink offering are withheld from the house of your God. Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet Joel is calling the priests, who serve at the altar, to a profound expression of grief and repentance. This is not just a general call to sorrow, but a specific directive for them to wear sackcloth and lament through the night because the vital grain and drink offerings—symbols of their communion and worship—have been cut off. This immediate cessation of offerings signals a grave spiritual crisis, prompting Joel to direct the religious leaders to set the example for the entire nation, foreshadowing a more significant "day of the Lord" if repentance doesn't follow.
When disaster strikes, who should lead the way in repentance and grief? Joel points to the spiritual leaders.
Leaders Set the Tone
Joel directly addresses the priests, commanding them to 'gird yourselves, and lament,' and 'howl.' This isn't just a suggestion; it's an urgent directive. Why start with them?
Ask a follow-up
What does it mean to 'gird yourselves with sackcloth' and 'lie all night' in it?
More Than Just Fabric
Joel's command to wear sackcloth and lament isn't about a superficial show. It's a profound outward expression of inward grief and repentance.
The core reason for the priests' lament is stated plainly: the offerings have ceased. What does this signify?
Worship Disrupted, Relationship Strained
The heart of Joel's message in this verse is the reason behind the commanded mourning: 'Because grain offering and drink offering are withheld from the house of your God.'
Understand the original words
saq · Hebrew Noun
A coarse fabric, typically made of goat's hair, worn as a sign of deep mourning, repentance, or extreme distress. It symbolizes humiliation and the renunciation of personal comfort in the face of judgment.
caphad · Hebrew Verb
A formalized way of expressing sorrow, grief, or mourning, often involving vocalized wailing or weeping. In a spiritual context, it is an appropriate response to the judgment or discipline of God.
minchah · Hebrew Noun
A religious sacrifice consisting of ground grain or flour mixed with oil, often offered alongside animal sacrifices. It symbolizes the dedication of the fruit of one’s labor to God.
nesek · Hebrew Noun
A ritual offering of wine poured out before the Lord, signifying the offering of life or joy, often accompanying other sacrifices to complete the act of worship.
qadash · Hebrew Verb
To set apart as holy or dedicated for a specific sacred purpose. It involves cleansing or preparing oneself to stand in the presence of God.
tsowm · Hebrew Noun
A time of voluntary abstinence from food for the purpose of seeking God's face, humbling the soul, and focusing on prayer and repentance.
atsarah · Hebrew Noun
A special gathering of the covenant community for the purpose of worship, repentance, or seeking the Lord during a time of crisis. It marks a suspension of normal activity to focus entirely on God.
Yahweh · Hebrew Noun
The personal name of the God of Israel, YHWH, who enters into a covenant relationship with His people and is characterized by faithfulness and mercy.
The verse highlights the immediate impact of a natural disaster on religious practice, showing how famine directly interrupts worship and necessitates a response from the spiritual leaders.
c. 760 BC
Prophet Joel's Ministry Begins
Joel, a prophet to the Southern Kingdom of Judah, delivers his message during a time of agricultural devastation and potential foreign threat.
c. 760 BC— this verse
Devastating Locust Plague
A catastrophic locust plague, described vividly by Joel, consumes the land, destroying crops and leaving Judah in a state of famine.
c. 760 BC
Withholding of Offerings
Due to the agricultural devastation, the essential grain and drink offerings are withheld from the Jerusalem Temple, halting vital worship.
c. 760 BC
Call to National Repentance
Joel calls for a solemn assembly, urging priests and the people to repent and fast, recognizing the locust plague as a judgment from God.
c. 760 BC
Warning of the Day of the Lord
Joel warns that this current devastation is a precursor to the even greater 'Day of the Lord,' a future time of divine judgment.
This passage echoes Joel's call to lament and put on sackcloth, linking these actions directly to the impending wrath of God and the devastation it brings.
Lamentations 2:10Here, the elders and priests are depicted in sackcloth, signifying deep mourning and repentance, mirroring Joel's command for ministers of God to express their grief through these outward signs.
1 Corinthians 9:13This New Testament passage reminds us that those who serve in the temple, like the priests in Joel's time, are 'ministers of God' and have a sacred duty related to the worship and offerings given to Him.
Hebrews 7:27This verse highlights the role of priests in offering sacrifices for sins, connecting to Joel's lament over the cessation of these vital offerings which were central to priestly ministry.
Joel 1:14-15Immediately following this verse, Joel calls for a solemn fast and assembly, showing that the priests' lamentation is the prelude to a broader call for repentance and prayer in the face of the 'day of the Lord.'
jfbJoel 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 yourselves—namely, with sackcloth; as in Isa 32:11, the ellipsis is supplied (compare Jer 4:8).lament, ye priests—as it is your duty to set the example to others; also as the guilt was greater, and a greater scandal was occasioned, by your sin to the cause o…
calvinJoel 1:13-15: "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 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.
Accingimini et plangete sacerdotes;…
The priests are called to "lie all night in sackcloth," not just as a sign of grief, but as an active, sustained posture of worship and repentance before God. This isn't merely about outward display; it's about dwelling in a state of humility and intercession when the very means of their service—the offerings—have been cut off.
The prophet Joel is calling the priests, who serve at the altar, to a profound expression of grief and repentance. This is not just a general call to sorrow, but a specific directive for them to wear sackcloth and lament through the night because the vital grain and drink offerings—symbols of their communion and worship—have been cut off. This immediate cessation of offerings signals a grave spiritual crisis, prompting Joel to direct the religious leaders to set the example for the entire nation, foreshadowing a more significant "day of the Lord" if repentance doesn't follow.
The prophet Joel is calling the priests, who serve at the altar, to a profound expression of grief and repentance. This is not just a general call to sorrow, but a specific directive for them to wear sackcloth and lament through the night because the vital grain and drink offerings—symbols of their communion and worship—have been cut off. This immediate cessation of offerings signals a grave spiritual crisis, prompting Joel to direct the religious leaders to set the example for the entire nation, foreshadowing a more significant "day of the Lord" if repentance doesn't follow.
"Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar. Go in, pass the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God! Because grain offering and drink offering are withheld from the house of you…" — The priests are called to "lie all night in sackcloth," not just as a sign of grief, but as an active, sustained posture of worship and repentance before God. This isn't merely about outward display;…
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Last reviewed October 2026
