Joel 1:17 kjv

The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered.

Joel 1:17 nkjv

The seed shrivels under the clods, Storehouses are in shambles; Barns are broken down, For the grain has withered.

Joel 1:17 niv

The seeds are shriveled beneath the clods. The storehouses are in ruins, the granaries have been broken down, for the grain has dried up.

Joel 1:17 esv

The seed shrivels under the clods; the storehouses are desolate; the granaries are torn down because the grain has dried up.

Joel 1:17 nlt

The seeds die in the parched ground,
and the grain crops fail.
The barns stand empty,
and granaries are abandoned.

Joel 1 verses

Joel 1 17 Meaning

Joel 1:17 portrays a scene of profound agricultural devastation. The verse details the catastrophic effects of the locust plague and accompanying drought, showing that the very source of future food—the seeds—have perished in the ground, and all past harvests, if any, are gone from the granaries and barns, which are empty and broken. The entire agricultural system has failed, resulting in widespread famine and a desperate outlook, indicating divine judgment for the nation's spiritual state.

Joel 1 17 Context

Joel 1:17 appears amidst a dire description of a dual disaster that has befallen Judah: an unprecedented locust plague followed by, or intensified by, severe drought. The preceding verses (Joel 1:4-12) detail the locusts' thorough destruction of every green thing, from grapevines to fig trees, wiping out sources of joy and sustenance. Joel 1:13-16 then issue a call for national lament and repentance, emphasizing the absence of grain and drink offerings, signifying an interruption in worship due to the famine. Verse 17 precisely illustrates the complete and utter failure of the agricultural season, leaving no hope for present or future food supplies. This agricultural ruin is presented as a physical manifestation of God's judgment and a foretaste of the "Day of the Lord"—a broader eschatological day of divine reckoning. The historical and cultural context is ancient Judah, a predominantly agrarian society whose very survival was dependent on abundant harvests. Such widespread crop failure would signify absolute catastrophe, implying divine wrath for national unfaithfulness. The narrative inherently opposes polytheistic beliefs in local fertility gods like Baal, demonstrating that the God of Israel, not any false deity, holds ultimate sway over the land's fruitfulness.

Word Analysis

• The seeds (פְּרֻדוֹת - perudah): This Hebrew term refers to "separated ones" or individual seeds. Its use here emphasizes the state of the individual kernels, which, rather than germinating, have disintegrated. Significance: It points to the fundamental failure at the very start of the growth cycle; the potential for life has decayed, meaning no future harvest.
• are shrivelled (נִמְּקוּ - nimmĕqū): Derived from a root meaning "to decay, rot, putrefy, dissolve." This is stronger than merely "withered" or "dried out"; it signifies internal decomposition and dissolution. Significance: It conveys total, irreparable destruction from within, highlighting the advanced state of decay.
• under their clods (בְּמִגְרְפוֹתֵיהֶם - bəmaqhălôtêhem): This is a debated term, often translated as 'shovels', 'rakes', or the 'clods of earth' turned by agricultural implements. The consensus in context points to the place where seeds were sown. Significance: The failure occurred not merely above ground but hidden below, in the very soil meant to nurture them. It signifies the destruction of hope where it lay buried, the promise of life already dead.
• the granaries (אֹצָרוֹת - ’ôtsārôṯ): General term for treasuries or storehouses where harvested grain, wine, and oil were kept. Significance: These represent the accumulation of past labor and provision for the future. Their state indicates both current emptiness and a complete lack of stored sustenance.
• are laid waste (נֶחֱרָבוּ - neḥěravû): Meaning "to be dry," "desolate," or "laid in ruins." It indicates emptiness and structural decay. Significance: Shows not just lack of contents, but the ruin of the infrastructure built to hold the nation's wealth, further emphasizing widespread destruction and desolation.
• the barns (מַמֻּרוֹת - mammurôt): Similar to granaries, specific structures for collecting and storing harvested crops or fodder. Some scholars differentiate them as larger, communal storage. Significance: Reinforces the total collapse of food storage systems across all types.
• are broken down (מֻגָּרוּ - muḡgārû): Meaning "to be pulled down," "destroyed," or "razed." Significance: Highlights the physical demolition and disuse of these vital structures, indicating an extended period of abandonment and ruin, directly caused by lack of use or the desperate search for any scrap within them.
• for the grain (דָּגָן - dāgān): Refers broadly to cereals, corn, or general grain crops, the staple food source. Significance: It pinpoints the fundamental element of the Israelite diet that has been annihilated, underlying all other deprivations.
• has withered (יָבֵשׁ - yāvēš): Meaning "to be dry" or "to wither." This is the core reason provided for all the previous effects. Significance: This simple statement is the culmination of the disaster, the root cause for all the suffering detailed in the verse and chapter.

Joel 1 17 Bonus section

The descriptive language of Joel 1:17, using terms like "shrivelled," "laid waste," and "broken down," employs a poetic style known as parallelism and amplification, driving home the totality of the disaster. Each phrase builds upon the last, intensifying the picture of desolation. This natural catastrophe in Joel serves not just as a historical event but as a vivid prophetic metaphor. The physical blight symbolizes the spiritual barrenness of the people, warning of an even greater future "Day of the Lord" when divine judgment will fall not just on the land's produce, but on the unrepentant hearts of humanity. The inability to offer grain and drink offerings (Joel 1:13, 16) due to this agricultural devastation highlights a deeper spiritual problem: the nation’s ability to even worship and atone was compromised, further stressing the urgency of true heart repentance.

Joel 1 17 Commentary

Joel 1:17 delivers a stark and devastating report of complete agricultural collapse. It paints a picture of utter barrenness, not merely describing the loss of one season's harvest, but highlighting a systemic failure that destroys both immediate sustenance and future hope. The "seeds shrivelled under their clods" conveys the horrifying reality of crops decaying even before they could germinate, an indication of extreme drought and a dead future harvest. This is compounded by the discovery that "granaries are laid waste" and "barns are broken down," signifying that either past yields were consumed or annihilated, or these structures became defunct due to persistent lack of supply. The concluding phrase, "for the grain has withered," serves as the ultimate, overarching explanation for this multi-faceted catastrophe. This verse profoundly underscores the absolute dependence of ancient Israel on God's provision for their physical well-being. It is a physical manifestation of God's judgment, serving as a visceral call to the people to lament their spiritual condition and turn back to Him, as their very means of survival are taken away.