Joel 1:7 kjv

He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white.

Joel 1:7 nkjv

He has laid waste My vine, And ruined My fig tree; He has stripped it bare and thrown it away; Its branches are made white.

Joel 1:7 niv

It has laid waste my vines and ruined my fig trees. It has stripped off their bark and thrown it away, leaving their branches white.

Joel 1:7 esv

It has laid waste my vine and splintered my fig tree; it has stripped off their bark and thrown it down; their branches are made white.

Joel 1:7 nlt

It has destroyed my grapevines
and ruined my fig trees,
stripping their bark and destroying it,
leaving the branches white and bare.

Joel 1 verses

Joel 1 7 Meaning

Joel 1:7 vividly describes the overwhelming destruction wrought upon the land of Israel by an invading "nation" of locusts (as interpreted by context). It focuses on the desolation of two essential agricultural mainstays: the grapevine and the fig tree. The verse communicates complete devastation – the trees are not just defoliated, but thoroughly stripped of bark and branches, then cast away, leaving behind lifeless, bleached wood. This imagery powerfully conveys an unprecedented and personal disaster, touching the very "vine" and "fig tree" that God considers His own.

Joel 1 7 Context

Joel 1:7 is situated within a dramatic lament and warning in the opening chapter of the book of Joel. The prophet describes an unprecedented, horrific locust plague that has devastated the entire land of Judah, causing widespread famine, mourning, and a halt to temple offerings due to lack of produce. The verse follows the description of the "nation" of locusts (1:6) that is "strong, and without number." Verses 1:7-12 particularize this general destruction, detailing its impact on specific agricultural elements critical to the ancient Israelite economy and way of life – vineyards, fig trees, grain, pomegranates, date palms, and apple trees. The context highlights that this agricultural ruin is so complete it forces priests to mourn, as there are no offerings for the house of the Lord (1:9), underscoring the spiritual implication of the material destruction. This catastrophe serves as a severe call to repentance and an anticipation of the "Day of the Lord."

Joel 1 7 Word analysis

• For (כִּי, ki): A conjunction, serving as an explanatory particle. It links the description of the locust invasion in Joel 1:6 to the specific actions and consequences detailed in Joel 1:7. It explains how the "nation" has attacked.
• it (הוּא, hu): Third-person masculine singular pronoun, referring back to the "nation" (גוֹי, goy) of locusts mentioned in Joel 1:6. This confirms the locusts as the direct agents of destruction.
• has laid...waste (שָׂם לְשַׁמָּה, sam leshammah): From the verb שָׂמַם (shamam), meaning "to be desolated," "to be appalled." The phrase "to make a desolation" implies a transformation from a flourishing state into a barren, uninhabitable, or unusable ruin. It's a very strong term for destruction.
• My vine (גַּפְנִי, gafni):
  • Vine (גֶּפֶן, gefen): Grapevine. Essential crop in ancient Israel for wine and fruit. Symbolically, the vine often represents Israel or God's people in the Old Testament (e.g., Ps 80:8; Isa 5:1-7; Jer 2:21; Hos 10:1), signifying fruitfulness, blessing, and covenant relationship.
  • My (-ִי, -i): The possessive suffix indicates divine ownership. The devastation is not merely on an agricultural crop; it is on God's vine, making the destruction deeply personal to Him.
• and barked (וְהִקְצִף, v'hiqtsif): From the root קָצַף (qatsaph). While it can mean "to be angry," in the Hiphil stem, as used here, in context of trees, it means "to strip off," "to shatter," "to peel." It denotes an aggressive and destructive action beyond simple defoliation, suggesting the removal of the very outer layer of the tree that is vital for its life, or even the breaking of its structure. This is fatal damage.
• My fig tree (תְּאֵנָתִי, t’enati):
  • Fig tree (תְּאֵנָה, t’enah): Another foundational crop in ancient Israel, providing fruit and shade. Along with the vine, it symbolized peace, prosperity, and security (1 Kgs 4:25; Mic 4:4).
  • My (-ִי, -i): Again, emphasizes God's personal ownership. The assault is directly against God's cherished resources.
• It has made it clean bare (חָשַׂף הִיא, chasaf hi):
  • Made bare (חָשַׂף, chasaf): To uncover, strip, lay bare. Here, it refers to the complete stripping of foliage, bark, and even small branches.
  • clean (הִיא, hi): While primarily meaning "it" (fem. ref. to fig tree), here it intensifies chasaf, implying absolute, utter bareness, leaving nothing remaining.
• and cast it away (וְהִשְׁלִיךְ, v'hishlikh): From שָׁלַךְ (shalakh), "to throw, cast away, discard." This action indicates not just destruction, but rendering something utterly useless and rejected. The remnants are worthless and simply thrown aside.
• the branches thereof (בַּדֶּיהָ, baddeyha):
  • Branches (בַּד, bad): Here specifically referring to the smaller branches or twigs.
  • thereof (-ֶיהָ, -eyha): Refers to the fig tree (feminine).
• are made white (הִלְבִּינָה, hilbinah): From לָבֵן (laven), "to be white." In the Hiphil stem, "to make white" or "to whiten." This is a potent image. It signifies desiccation and death. Instead of vibrant green, the wood is exposed, bleached by the sun, indicating the absence of sap, life, and verdant growth. It suggests a lifeless skeleton, resembling dried bones or parchment, emphasizing total biological death of the plant.

Words-Group Analysis

• "laid My vine waste, and barked My fig tree": This pairing highlights the economic and dietary cornerstone of ancient Israelite life. The emphasis on "My" (My vine, My fig tree) signifies God's direct personal investment and the severe nature of the desecration upon what is rightfully His. The specific verbs "laid waste" and "barked/stripped" convey a level of damage far beyond simple defoliation; they speak of terminal injury to the very life-sustaining structures of the plants.
• "made it clean bare and cast it away": This sequence describes a process of total denudation leading to ultimate discard. "Clean bare" suggests nothing whatsoever left – stripped of all foliage, fruit, and life. "Cast it away" speaks to worthlessness; the remains are rubbish, demonstrating the completeness of the destruction.
• "the branches thereof are made white": This chilling image is the final devastating stroke. The white color is the opposite of living green; it implies death, dryness, and decay. The branches are like sun-bleached bones, signifying the complete cessation of life and productivity. It's a visual metaphor for desolation and spiritual death.

Joel 1 7 Bonus section

The Hebrew word "barked" (qatsaph) also carries the nuance of "anger" or "to enrage." While here it functions in a concrete sense of stripping, the subtle linguistic connection could subtly hint at divine anger as the underlying cause or emotional state accompanying such devastating action. The verse's stark imagery of lifeless, white branches stands in direct contrast to the Biblical descriptions of Israel as a flourishing, fruitful land (Deut 8:7-9). The stripping away of bark suggests that even if rain returned, these trees would likely not recover, indicating permanent damage to the land's productive capacity in the near future. This emphasizes the gravity of the event as an unparalleled disaster.

Joel 1 7 Commentary

Joel 1:7 encapsulates the full terror of the locust plague described in the book, framing it as an agent of divine judgment. The destruction of the "vine" and "fig tree" symbolizes not just agricultural ruin but a fundamental assault on Israel's well-being, prosperity, and indeed, its spiritual health. By repeatedly stating "My vine" and "My fig tree," God underscores His ownership and highlights that the disaster is not random but affects His cherished possession, signifying His sorrow and stern warning. The choice of verbs like "laid waste," "barked," "made clean bare," and "cast away" denotes a level of total, aggressive, and irreversible devastation. The imagery progresses from a initial attack to the stripping of the trees' vital essence (bark) and culminating in the "whitening" of the branches – a powerful metaphor for lifelessness, akin to bleached bones. This verse serves as a potent warning of the consequences of unfaithfulness and neglect of God's ways, leading to an immediate, palpable loss of blessing and a vivid preview of the deeper, spiritual desolation associated with the "Day of the Lord."