Joel 1:20 kjv

The beasts of the field cry also unto thee: for the rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.

Joel 1:20 nkjv

The beasts of the field also cry out to You, For the water brooks are dried up, And fire has devoured the open pastures.

Joel 1:20 niv

Even the wild animals pant for you; the streams of water have dried up and fire has devoured the pastures in the wilderness.

Joel 1:20 esv

Even the beasts of the field pant for you because the water brooks are dried up, and fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness.

Joel 1:20 nlt

Even the wild animals cry out to you
because the streams have dried up,
and fire has consumed the wilderness pastures.

Joel 1 verses

Joel 1 20 Meaning

Joel 1:20 vividly describes the comprehensive devastation upon the land of Judah due to an extreme drought and consuming fire, emphasizing the dire consequences by depicting the non-human creation suffering profoundly. The beasts, unable to find water or sustenance, are reduced to gasping or panting, instinctively crying out to the Creator for relief. This scene underscores the absolute dependence of all life on God's provision and the pervasive nature of His judgment when such provision is withheld.

Joel 1 20 Context

Joel chapter 1 describes a national catastrophe in Judah, initially presenting it as an unprecedented locust plague that has devoured all vegetation. However, the plague is exacerbated by a severe drought, leading to a desperate state where streams have dried up and pastures are burnt. The prophet Joel portrays these calamities as an initial manifestation of "the Day of the LORD," a time of divine judgment and purification. The verse fits within Joel's lament and plea to God (vv. 13-19), providing an acute illustration of the environmental desolation. The suffering of the animals in Joel 1:20 deepens the portrayal of total collapse, serving as a powerful call for the people, and even the priests, to lament and repent before the LORD.

Joel 1 20 Word analysis

• Even: (Gam - גַּם) An intensifier, signifying "also," "indeed," or "moreover." Here, it emphasizes the universal impact of the disaster, extending beyond humans to the natural world. It stresses that all life is desperate.
• the beasts of the field: (Behemat hassadeh - בְּהֵמַת הַשָּׂדֶה) Refers to wild animals, creatures typically finding sustenance in open lands. Their suffering highlights the complete devastation, as they cannot survive even in their natural habitats.
• pant: (Aragu - עָרַגוּ) From the Hebrew root `ʿārağ` (עָרַג). This verb signifies to "gasp," "long for," "yearn," or "pant with thirst." It evokes a visceral, guttural sound and struggle for breath. While it can denote spiritual yearning (Psa 42:1), here, applied to animals, it primarily denotes a desperate, instinctual cry for physical survival, revealing the extremity of their plight. This anthropomorphism emphasizes their dependence on God.
• for You: (Elka - אֵלֶיךָ) Directly addresses the LORD, acknowledging that even the irrational creation instinctively turns to its Creator for help in crisis. This reinforces God's sovereignty over nature and His role as the ultimate provider of life.
• For: (Ki - כִּי) A conjunction introducing the reason or cause for the preceding statement. It explains why the beasts are panting to the LORD.
• the water brooks: (Palgei mayim - פַּלְגֵי־מַיִם) Literally "channels/streams of water." These are essential sources of fresh water, vital for both animals and agricultural life. Their absence signifies a deep and severe drought.
• are dried up: (Yabeshuh - יָבֵשׁוּ) From the Hebrew `yabēš` (יָבֵשׁ), meaning "to be dry," "to wither," "to be desolate." It describes a complete desiccation, not just low water levels, implying barrenness and death.
• And fire: (Ve'esh - וְאֵשׁ) "And fire" indicates a second agent of destruction. This could refer to literal brush fires ignited by extreme drought, intense heat (likened to fire), or the devastating effect of the locusts that consumed like fire. In a broader prophetic sense, fire is often associated with divine judgment.
• has devoured: (Akhlah - אָכְלָה) From the verb `ākal` (אָכַל), meaning "to eat," "to consume," "to devour." It presents fire as an active, destructive force that utterly consumes its target, leaving nothing behind.
• the pastures: (Ni'ot - נִאוֹת) Refers to green grazing grounds, places where animals feed and find sustenance. The destruction of pastures leads directly to starvation.
• of the wilderness: (Midbar - מִדְבָּר) In this context, "wilderness" (`midbar`) refers not necessarily to barren desert, but to open, semi-arid, often uncultivated land used for grazing livestock. The fact that even these usually resilient areas are destroyed highlights the extent of the desolation.

• Even the beasts of the field pant for You: This phrase uses anthropomorphism to illustrate extreme, universal desperation. It shows that the disaster is so profound that even animals, lacking conscious reasoning, instinctively cry out to their Creator, making a silent appeal to the divine source of all life.
• For the water brooks are dried up: This provides the immediate, concrete cause for the animals' distress. It highlights the direct environmental catastrophe of severe drought, which is life-threatening in an agrarian society dependent on water sources.
• And fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness: This describes the second major component of the desolation, either literal fire consuming the dry land, or intense heat and the devastating impact of the locusts, leaving no vegetation. This adds another layer of complete destruction to the landscape, impacting grazing animals especially.

Joel 1 20 Bonus section

The motif of suffering creation is significant in prophetic literature, serving as a powerful rhetorical device. When prophets describe the land or animals lamenting, it heightens the severity of divine judgment and the need for human repentance, as human sin often results in cosmic disharmony affecting even the non-rational creation (Jer 12:4; Hos 4:3). The universal scope of this suffering underscores that divine judgment, when it comes, is not confined to human activities but reverberates throughout the natural order. This verse prefigures the New Testament concept found in Rom 8:22, where Paul speaks of "the whole creation groaning as in the pains of childbirth" awaiting its redemption from the curse of sin, subtly hinting at the eschatological impact of sin on the created order.

Joel 1 20 Commentary

Joel 1:20 is a potent expression of profound ecological suffering and serves as a climactic point in Joel's initial lament. It captures the comprehensive and unsparing nature of God's judgment manifested in drought and fire. By picturing the wild animals instinctively "panting" towards their Creator, the verse evokes deep pathos, underscoring that the catastrophe has reached every corner of creation and impacted every form of life, irrespective of their capacity for moral understanding. This visceral image not only amplifies the horror of the desolation but also silently urges human beings to acknowledge their own total dependence on God and to respond with conscious repentance to avert further, even greater, judgment. It reinforces God's absolute sovereignty over all of nature, both in its flourishing and in its desolation.