Joel 1:19 kjv

O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field.

Joel 1:19 nkjv

O LORD, to You I cry out; For fire has devoured the open pastures, And a flame has burned all the trees of the field.

Joel 1:19 niv

To you, LORD, I call, for fire has devoured the pastures in the wilderness and flames have burned up all the trees of the field.

Joel 1:19 esv

To you, O LORD, I call. For fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and flame has burned all the trees of the field.

Joel 1:19 nlt

LORD, help us!
The fire has consumed the wilderness pastures,
and flames have burned up all the trees.

Joel 1 verses

Joel 1 19 Meaning

Joel 1:19 expresses the prophet Joel’s fervent, anguished prayer and plea to YHWH in the midst of overwhelming national disaster. It acknowledges the catastrophic devastation, particularly the destruction of the land's vegetation by fire, as the primary reason for his desperate cry for divine intervention and help. This verse signifies a profound reliance on God alone as the ultimate hope and solution in a time of severe national calamity and suffering.

Joel 1 19 Context

The Book of Joel opens with a vivid and harrowing description of an unprecedented locust plague that has utterly devastated the land of Judah (Joel 1:2-7). This is followed by a severe drought (Joel 1:10-12, 18-20), leading to widespread famine and distress among people, livestock, and nature itself. The natural calamities are presented as a foreshadowing of the terrifying "Day of the LORD," a time of imminent divine judgment (Joel 1:15). In this dire context, Joel 1:19 marks a crucial pivot. Having detailed the calamity, Joel, as the prophet and voice of the people, turns directly to God in a deeply personal and public lament. His desperate cry for help underscores the total dependence of humanity on divine intervention when faced with overwhelming environmental and existential threats, signifying that all other human resources have utterly failed.

Joel 1 19 Word analysis

• To You: לְךָ (lekha). A direct and exclusive dative pronoun ("unto You"). It highlights the specific and singular focus of the prayer: God alone is addressed as the ultimate source of hope.

• O LORD: יְהוָה (YHWH). The personal, covenant name of God (Tetragrammaton). Invoking this name signifies an appeal to God's unique relationship with Israel, His faithfulness to covenant promises, and His supreme sovereignty over creation and events, even in judgment.

• I cry out: אֶקְרָא (eqra). From the verb קָרָא (qara), "to call, to proclaim, to cry out." It denotes a deep, urgent, and often anguished appeal. This is not a casual prayer but an impassioned, desperate shout for intervention, indicating extreme distress and a realization that only God can provide relief.

• For: כִּי (ki). A conjunction, here meaning "because" or "indeed." It logically connects Joel’s cry directly to the catastrophic events described. It introduces the precise reason for the lament.

• fire: אֵשׁ (esh). A fundamental element often symbolizing destruction, judgment (e.g., Amos 1:4), purification, or divine presence in Scripture. Here, it denotes intense, rapid, and thorough consumption.

• has devoured: אָכְלָה (akh'lah). From אָכַל (akhal), "to eat, consume, destroy." Used metaphorically for fire, vividly portraying it as a hungry, active entity that completely consumes. It is an image of total annihilation, mirroring the locust destruction described earlier.

• the open pastures: נְאוֹת מִדְבָּר (ne'ot midbar). Literally, "habitations of the wilderness" or "grazing grounds of the desert/steppe." These are vital, uncultivated areas providing essential forage for livestock. Their destruction indicates a widespread ecological collapse impacting the foundational agricultural economy and survival. It implies that even previously wild, resilient areas are devastated.

• And a flame: וְלֶהָבָה (ve'lahava). From לַהַב (lahav), "flame, blade." The conjunction "and" tightly links it to "fire." This provides synonymous parallelism, intensifying the imagery of destructive burning. It emphasizes the active, licking tongues of fire.

• has burned: לִהֲטָה (lihatah). From לָהַט (lahat), "to scorch, consume by fire, cause to blaze." This strong verb reinforces the intense heat and comprehensive nature of the destruction. It suggests a scorching effect that renders the land utterly desolate, incapable of regeneration.

• all the trees: כָּל־עֲצֵי (kol-atzey). The word "all" signifies totality. The destruction is absolute, affecting every tree. Trees are crucial for fruit, shade, building materials, and ecological balance. Their widespread burning signifies the loss of both immediate and future resources, symbolizing total desolation of green life.

• of the field: הַשָּׂדֶה (hassadeh). "The field" refers to both cultivated land (farmland) and broader uncultivated open country. This final phrase comprehensively underlines the absolute and pervasive nature of the calamity, impacting every type of vegetation and thus every form of life dependent on it.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "To You, O LORD, I cry out": This phrase captures the essence of deep spiritual and existential desperation combined with unwavering faith. It signifies a complete turning to the covenant God, YHWH, as the exclusive and ultimate hope amidst an otherwise insurmountable catastrophe, embodying the biblical principle that genuine help stems solely from God.
  • "For fire has devoured the open pastures, And a flame has burned all the trees of the field": This constitutes a vivid example of poetic parallelism common in Hebrew literature. "Fire has devoured" is mirrored by "a flame has burned," and "open pastures" corresponds to "all the trees of the field." This literary structure magnifies the overwhelming and comprehensive nature of the devastation. It portrays the destruction as affecting not just one type of vegetation, but all forms, from wild grazing lands to cultivated orchards, underscoring the completeness of the calamity that necessitates Joel's urgent prayer.

Joel 1 19 Bonus section

The "fire" mentioned in Joel 1:19 can be interpreted as either a literal conflagration exacerbated by drought and dryness, or a metaphorical expression for the scorching effects of the devastating locust plague previously described, or a combination of both. Many scholars suggest it represents a literal fire distinct from, yet following, the locust invasion, intensifying the divine judgment. This escalation of calamities—locusts, drought, then fire—emphasizes the severe displeasure of God and highlights the urgent, absolute necessity for national repentance. This personal lament within Joel serves as a precursor and an exemplar for the broader call to solemn assembly and profound turning back to God, underscoring that even in the midst of profound judgment, the ultimate hope for restoration and mercy rests solely in God's compassion and power.

Joel 1 19 Commentary

Joel 1:19 is a deeply personal yet representative prayer, marking a significant transition from detailing disaster to articulating divine dependency. It sets a crucial example for responding to overwhelming calamity: rather than despair or turning to idolatry, the appropriate response is a fervent, direct cry to YHWH, the covenant God. The vivid description of fire consuming both "open pastures" and "all the trees of the field" paints a picture of complete ecological collapse, demonstrating the land's total inability to sustain life. This utter devastation underscores the prophet's (and the nation's) absolute powerlessness and the sole reliance on God's intervention. Implicitly, given Joel's broader message, these disasters are viewed as divine judgments or severe warnings, intended to compel repentance. This verse fundamentally shapes the call for national lament and spiritual awakening that follows, illustrating that genuine distress should always lead to sincere petition before the Lord.

• Examples:
  • When an individual faces an overwhelming personal crisis with no apparent human solution, their initial, desperate cries should be directed humbly to God alone.
  • In the aftermath of a widespread natural disaster impacting communities, the faithful must model turning to the Lord as their ultimate refuge and source of aid.
  • Acknowledging the limits of human strength and ingenuity in truly dire circumstances leads believers to deep, humble reliance on God's sovereign power.