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 verse doesn't just tell them to fast, but to "sanctify" it. This means the fast isn't just about abstaining from food; it's meant to be a holy act, set apart for repentance and devotion, a spiritual offering in itself. It also calls for a "solemn assembly," emphasizing that this solemn day of "restraint" is not just a day off, but a gathering dedicated to earnestly crying out to God together.
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 calls for a sacred, nationwide day of fasting and prayer in response to a devastating locust plague that has stripped the land bare. He instructs the priests to announce this solemn assembly, gathering all people, from the elders and leaders to every inhabitant, to the temple. This communal repentance, held in God's presence, is the only hope for averting further destruction and appeasing God's wrath.
Fasting in the Bible isn't just skipping a meal. Joel calls for something deeper, a complete 'sanctification' of the act. What does that truly involve?
The word 'consecrate' or 'sanctify' here means to set apart something as holy, to make it special for God. It’s not just about abstaining from food, but about preparing the heart and life for a sacred purpose.
A Holy Purpose
When Joel calls for a 'sanctified fast,' he's asking for a spiritual reset, where the physical act of not eating becomes a visible expression of inner brokenness and a turning back to God.
Joel doesn't just call individuals to repent; he demands a corporate response. Why is the 'gathering' so crucial in times of crisis?
The instruction to 'call a solemn assembly' and 'gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land' emphasizes that sin and its consequences often affect an entire community. Therefore, repentance and seeking God's mercy should also be a communal act.
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Unity in Humiliation
This collective gathering signifies that the community stands together, not just in their sin, but in their plea for God's forgiveness and intervention.
The final command is to 'cry out to the LORD.' This isn't a polite request, but an urgent plea. What does this desperate cry reveal about their situation?
The command to 'cry out to the LORD' is the culmination of the call to fast and assemble. It signifies a deep, earnest, and perhaps desperate appeal to God.
The Urgency of the Plea
This urgent plea underscores that true repentance involves not only outward actions like fasting and gathering but also an inward, vocal expression of dependence on God's mercy in the face of severe consequences.
Understand the original words
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 call for a national fast in Joel 1:14 arises from a context of profound national crisis, echoing the anxieties and collective repentance seen in Judah's history following earlier invasions and exiles. This instruction emphasizes that genuine repentance involves the entire community, from elders to commoners, uniting in a sacred act of seeking God's intervention.
Late 8th Century BC
Assyrian Empire's height
The powerful Assyrian Empire dominated the Near East, a constant threat to the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. Their military might and expansionist policies created widespread fear and instability.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Israel
The northern kingdom of Israel fell to the Assyrians, its people exiled and its territory absorbed. This event served as a stark warning to Judah about the consequences of disobedience and the potential for divine judgment.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian invasion of Judah
Assyrian king Sennacherib invaded Judah, conquering many fortified cities and besieging Jerusalem. Though Jerusalem was miraculously spared, the kingdom suffered significant loss and humiliation.
626 BC
Neo-Babylonian Empire rises
Nabopolassar, a Babylonian governor, revolted against Assyrian rule and established the Neo-Babylonian Empire, setting the stage for a new imperial power in the region.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon conquered Judah and deported a portion of its elite, including the prophet Daniel, to Babylon. This marked the beginning of Judah's decline and eventual destruction.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling most of the remaining population to Babylon. This catastrophic event symbolized the breaking of God's covenant and plunged Judah into deep despair.
Date of Joel's prophecy (uncertain, likely between 8th-5th century BC)— this verse
Joel's call for a national fast
Facing a devastating plague of locusts and a severe drought, the prophet Joel calls the people of Judah to a solemn fast and assembly at the Temple to repent and cry out to God for mercy.
This passage challenges the superficiality of fasting, echoing Joel's call to 'sanctify' a fast, implying a need for genuine repentance and not just outward religious observance.
2 Chronicles 20:3-4Like Joel, Jehoshaphat calls for a fast and assembly to seek the Lord in a time of crisis, highlighting the communal and urgent nature of seeking God's intervention.
1 Kings 8:37-39Solomon's dedication prayer at the temple, asking God to hear prayers 'when famine or plague or blight or mildew or locust or grasshopper' strikes, directly parallels Joel's instruction to gather 'into the house of the LORD' to 'cry out to the LORD' during a time of devastation.
Joel 2:15-16This passage directly expands on Joel 1:14, reiterating the call for a sacred assembly and fast, and specifically including children and newlyweds, underscoring the universal need for repentance when judgment is near.
barnesJoel 1:14: "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,"
Sanctify ye a fast - He does not say only, "proclaim," or "appoint a fast," but "sanctify it." Hallow the act of abstinence, seasoning it with devotion and with acts meet for repentance. For fasting is not accepted by God, unless done in charity and obedience to His commands. : "Sanctify" it, i. e., make it an offering to God,…
clarkeJoel 1:14: "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,"
Call a solemn assembly - עצרה atsarah signifies a time of restraint, as the margin has it. The clause should be translated - consecrate a fast, proclaim a time of restraint; that is, of total abstinence from food, and from all secular employment. All the elders of the land and the representatives of the people were to be coll…
The verse doesn't just tell them to fast, but to "sanctify" it. This means the fast isn't just about abstaining from food; it's meant to be a holy act, set apart for repentance and devotion, a spiritual offering in itself. It also calls for a "solemn assembly," emphasizing that this solemn day of "restraint" is not just a day off, but a gathering dedicated to earnestly crying out to God together.
The prophet Joel calls for a sacred, nationwide day of fasting and prayer in response to a devastating locust plague that has stripped the land bare. He instructs the priests to announce this solemn assembly, gathering all people, from the elders and leaders to every inhabitant, to the temple. This communal repentance, held in God's presence, is the only hope for averting further destruction and appeasing God's wrath.
The prophet Joel calls for a sacred, nationwide day of fasting and prayer in response to a devastating locust plague that has stripped the land bare. He instructs the priests to announce this solemn assembly, gathering all people, from the elders and leaders to every inhabitant, to the temple. This communal repentance, held in God's presence, is the only hope for averting further destruction and appeasing God's wrath.
"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." — The verse doesn't just tell them to fast, but to "sanctify" it. This means the fast isn't just about abstaining from food; it's meant to be a holy act, set apart for repentance and devotion, a spirit…
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Last reviewed October 2026