Joel 1 10

Joel 1:10 kjv

The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted: the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth.

Joel 1:10 nkjv

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

Joel 1:10 niv

The fields are ruined, the ground is dried up; the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, the olive oil fails.

Joel 1:10 esv

The fields are destroyed, the ground mourns, because the grain is destroyed, the wine dries up, the oil languishes.

Joel 1:10 nlt

The fields are ruined,
the land is stripped bare.
The grain is destroyed,
the grapes have shriveled,
and the olive oil is gone.

Joel 1 10 Cross References

VerseTextReference
Lev 26:19-20"And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass: And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits."Divine judgment causes barrenness and loss of produce.
Deut 28:23-24"And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron. The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust..."God's curse leads to drought and unproductive land.
Deut 28:38-40"Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little in; for the locust shall consume it. Thou shalt plant vineyards... but shalt not drink of the wine, nor gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat them... olives... not anoint thyself with the oil..."Locusts and other plagues cause crop failure, loss of wine and oil.
Ps 104:15"And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart."Contrast showing grain, wine, and oil as blessings for sustenance and joy.
Isa 24:4-7"The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth... The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted sigh."Global devastation leading to the land mourning and the loss of wine.
Isa 33:9"The earth mourneth and languisheth: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits."Widespread mourning of the land due to desolation.
Jer 4:28"For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black..."Earth mourns due to overwhelming judgment and destruction.
Jer 12:11"They have made it desolate, and being desolate it mourneth unto me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart."The land mourning due to desolation, highlighting lack of human concern.
Jer 14:2-6"Judah mourns... the earth is faint... The young men are sent to the waters... find no water... they return with their vessels empty; they are ashamed and confounded... Because the ground is chapped, for there was no rain in the land, the plowmen were ashamed..."People mourn and land suffers from severe drought, shame of crop failure.
Hos 2:8-9"For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil... Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof..."God withholds basic provisions as a consequence for Israel's spiritual unfaithfulness.
Hos 4:3"Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away."Land mourns due to the people's lack of truth, mercy, and knowledge of God.
Joel 1:16-18"Is not the meat cut off before our eyes... the corn is withered... The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered. How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture..."Further detailed description of famine, withered crops, and animal suffering.
Joel 2:1-3"A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness... A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them."The locust plague is like an invading army, consuming everything and leaving desolation.
Joel 2:24"And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil."Prophecy of future restoration and abundant provision, directly contrasting the present lack.
Am 4:7-9"And also I have withholden the rain from you... so two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied... I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them..."God's various judgments through drought and pests leading to lack of provisions.
Hag 1:11"And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands."Direct divine judgment causing widespread drought and destruction of essential crops.
Mal 3:10-11"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse... that there may be meat in mine house... I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts."Promise of protection from devourers (like locusts) and abundance for those who honor God with tithes.
Matt 6:11"Give us this day our daily bread."A plea for daily provision, reflecting human dependence on sustenance.
Gal 6:7-8"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap... For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."The principle of sowing and reaping, a spiritual parallel to the physical consequences of actions.
Rev 6:5-6"And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine."Famine as a judgment, where staple foods become extremely scarce and costly.

Joel 1 verses

Joel 1 10 Meaning

Joel 1:10 depicts a scene of profound agricultural devastation and the resulting widespread mourning. The land, once fruitful, is rendered desolate, stripped of its essential produce: grain, new wine, and oil. This comprehensive loss signals not only physical hardship and famine for the people but also disrupts their spiritual life, as these products were crucial for temple offerings, symbolizing the breaking of the covenant relationship and divine displeasure.

Joel 1 10 Context

Joel 1:10 is set in a period of unprecedented disaster, likely a devastating locust plague combined with severe drought. The entire chapter serves as a lament, a dirge over the ruined land. Prior verses described the completeness of the locust devastation (Joel 1:4-7), leaving nothing untouched. Verse 10 specifically details the broad agricultural failure, directly impacting the well-being of the populace and critically, halting the religious life of the community (as priestly offerings relied on grain, wine, and oil, as mentioned in Joel 1:9, 13). The calamity forces the people, from farmers to priests, to mourn, and this mourning is so pervasive that the very land itself is personified as mourning. This immediate context reveals God's severe judgment, aimed at moving His people to sincere repentance.

Joel 1 10 Word analysis

  • The field (הַשָּׂדֶה - hassadeh): Refers to the cultivated, arable land. This is the source of all sustenance, indicating the widespread and fundamental nature of the desolation.
  • is wasted (שֻׁדָּדָה - shuddadah): From the root שׁדד (shadad), meaning "to devastate, lay waste, spoil, destroy." The repetition of this verb (or its derivative) in the verse emphasizes the completeness of the destruction, an utter ruin, implying not just partial damage but utter devastation.
  • the land (הָאֲדָמָה - ha'adamah): Refers to the ground, the soil, often seen as personified or having an intrinsic connection to its inhabitants.
  • mourns (אָבְלָה - avelah): From the root אבל (aval), meaning "to mourn, lament, grieve." This anthropomorphism powerfully conveys the profound sorrow and despair caused by the blight. The land is not just barren; it participates in the universal grief of its inhabitants, mirroring their anguish and showing the natural order itself crying out in distress.
  • for the corn (כִּי שֻׁדַּד דָּגָן - ki shuddad dagan): "Corn" here refers to "grain" (dagan), the staple food. The phrase ki shuddad ("for is wasted") provides the immediate reason for the land's mourning. This re-emphasizes the completeness of the destruction.
  • is wasted: Repetition reinforces the utter devastation of the staple grain.
  • the new wine (תִּירוֹשׁ - tirosh): Fresh grape juice, unfermented or recently fermented wine. A symbol of blessing, joy, and prosperity (cf. Deut 7:13, Ps 104:15). Its loss signifies not just lack of drink but a loss of joy and celebration.
  • is dried up (הוֹבִישׁ - hovish): From the root יבשׁ (yabesh), "to dry up, wither, shame." Implies shriveling and decay, further conveying utter depletion and the absence of any remaining liquid, connecting it to the drying up of all moisture in the land.
  • the oil (יִצְהָר - yitshar): Olive oil, essential for cooking, anointing, lamps, and medicinal purposes. Like new wine, it symbolized blessing and abundance.
  • languisheth (אֻמְלָלָה - umlalah): From the root אמל (amal), "to fade, droop, wither, pine away." Describes a gradual, debilitating decay and decline, highlighting a state of weakness and profound loss, a sorrowful dying.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "The field is wasted, the land mourns": This parallelism establishes a powerful image. The physical devastation of the field directly causes the emotional distress of the land, reflecting the profound symbiotic relationship between humanity and creation, where suffering in one inevitably affects the other. This paints a picture of comprehensive sorrow, not just a practical problem.
  • "for the corn is wasted: the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth": This phrase functions as a concise summary of the specific reasons for the devastation and mourning. These three products – grain, wine, and oil – were the fundamental pillars of ancient Israelite sustenance and prosperity. Their absence represents complete economic and existential collapse, signifying a loss of life, joy, and anointing, fundamental aspects of physical and spiritual well-being. The tripartite enumeration underscores the comprehensiveness of the divine judgment, leaving no major agricultural commodity untouched.

Joel 1 10 Bonus section

The devastating loss of "grain, new wine, and oil" in Joel 1:10 would have served as a direct polemic against the Canaanite fertility god Baal, whom many Israelites had adopted for his supposed ability to bring rain and bountiful harvests. The current severe lack demonstrated Yahweh's supreme power over creation and agricultural yields, dismantling the false sense of security derived from syncretic worship and challenging the efficacy of idol worship. It underscored that true blessing and curse originated from the one true God of Israel, thus validating His covenant promises and warnings. The desolation called the people back to exclusive devotion to Yahweh, revealing the emptiness of relying on false gods.

Joel 1 10 Commentary

Joel 1:10 profoundly expresses the absolute ruin wrought by the locust plague and accompanying drought, a divinely sent calamity. The vivid anthropomorphism of "the land mourns" effectively conveys the depth of despair, emphasizing that creation itself suffers under the weight of human sin and divine judgment. The destruction of "corn, new wine, and oil" signifies the stripping away of life's fundamental provisions. These were not just dietary staples but also held significant symbolic and religious importance: grain for bread and offerings, new wine for celebration and libations, and oil for anointing and light, and especially offerings (cf. Lev 2:1, 4:7). Their absence crippled both daily existence and the ritual worship, signifying a total breakdown—physical, economic, and spiritual. This verse therefore serves as a dire warning of the consequences of unfaithfulness and a strong impetus for immediate and genuine repentance, highlighting that God, not foreign deities or nature, controls prosperity and desolation.