Focused Passage

Joel 1:8-12

A Devastated Land and the Call to Lament Before the LORD

The chapter moves from observed devastation to interpreted devastation, then to commanded lament and direct appeal to the LORD.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

8 Wail like a virgin dressed in sackcloth, grieving for the husband of her youth.

9 Grain and drink offerings have been cut off from the house of the LORD; the priests are in mourning, those who minister before the LORD.

10 The field is ruined; the land mourns. For the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, and the oil fails.

11 Be dismayed, O farmers, wail, O vinedressers, over the wheat and barley, because the harvest of the field has perished.

12 The grapevine is dried up, and the fig tree is withered; the pomegranate, palm, and apple—all the trees of the orchard—are withered. Surely the joy of mankind has dried up.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 8

Original words

Wail אֱלִ֕י H421 Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular like a virgin כִּבְתוּלָ֥ה H1330 Preposition-k | Noun - feminine singular dressed חֲגֻֽרַת־ H2296 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular construct in sackcloth שַׂ֖ק H8242 Noun - masculine singular grieving for עַל־ H5921 Preposition the husband בַּ֥עַל H1167 Noun - masculine singular construct of her youth נְעוּרֶֽיהָ׃ H5271 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular
Verse 9

Original words

Grain and drink offerings מִנְחָ֛ה H4503 Noun - feminine singular . . . וָנֶ֖סֶךְ H5262 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular have been cut off הָכְרַ֥ת H3772 Verb - Hofal - Perfect - third person masculine singular from the house מִבֵּ֣ית H1004 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָ֑ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular the priests הַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔ים H3548 Article | Noun - masculine plural are in mourning אָֽבְלוּ֙ H56 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural those who minister מְשָׁרְתֵ֖י H8334 Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural construct before the LORD יְהוָֽה׃ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 10

Original words

The field שָׂדֶ֔ה H7704 Noun - masculine singular is ruined שֻׁדַּ֣ד H7703 Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person masculine singular the land אֲדָמָ֑ה H127 Noun - feminine singular mourns אָבְלָ֖ה H56 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular For כִּ֚י H3588 Conjunction the grain דָּגָ֔ן H1715 Noun - masculine singular is destroyed שֻׁדַּ֣ד H7703 Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person masculine singular the new wine תִּיר֖וֹשׁ H8492 Noun - masculine singular . . . אֻמְלַ֥ל H535 Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person masculine singular is dried up הוֹבִ֥ישׁ H3001 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular [and] the oil fails יִצְהָֽר׃ H3323 Noun - masculine singular
Verse 11

Original words

Be dismayed הֹבִ֣ישׁוּ H954 Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural O farmers אִכָּרִ֗ים H406 Noun - masculine plural wail הֵילִ֙ילוּ֙ H3213 Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural O vinedressers כֹּֽרְמִ֔ים H3755 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural over עַל־ H5921 Preposition the wheat חִטָּ֖ה H2406 Noun - feminine singular and וְעַל־ H5921 Conjunctive waw | Preposition barley שְׂעֹרָ֑ה H8184 Noun - feminine singular because כִּ֥י H3588 Conjunction the harvest קְצִ֥יר H7105 Noun - masculine singular construct of the field שָׂדֶֽה׃ H7704 Noun - masculine singular has perished אָבַ֖ד H6 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Verse 12

Original words

The grapevine הַגֶּ֣פֶן H1612 Article | Noun - common singular is dried up הוֹבִ֔ישָׁה H3001 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person feminine singular and the fig tree וְהַתְּאֵנָ֖ה H8384 Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine singular is withered אֻמְלָ֑לָה H535 Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person feminine singular the pomegranate רִמּ֞וֹן H7416 Noun - masculine singular . . . גַּם־ H1571 Conjunction palm תָּמָ֣ר H8558 Noun - masculine singular and apple וְתַפּ֗וּחַ H8598 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct the trees עֲצֵ֤י H6086 Noun - masculine plural construct of the orchard הַשָּׂדֶה֙ H7704 Article | Noun - masculine singular are withered יָבֵ֔שׁוּ H3001 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural Surely כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction the joy שָׂשׂ֖וֹן H8342 Noun - masculine singular of מִן־ H4480 Preposition vvv בְּנֵ֥י H1121 Noun - masculine plural construct mankind אָדָֽם׃ס H120 Noun - masculine singular has dried up הֹבִ֥ישׁ H954 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.