New International VersionThe fields are ruined, the ground is dried up; the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, the olive oil fails.
New Living TranslationThe fields are ruined, the land is stripped bare. The grain is destroyed, the grapes have shriveled, and the olive oil is gone.
English Standard VersionThe fields are destroyed, the ground mourns, because the grain is destroyed, the wine dries up, the oil languishes.
Berean Standard BibleThe field is ruined; the land mourns. For the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, and the oil fails.
King James BibleThe field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted: the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth.
New King James VersionThe field is wasted, The land mourns; For the grain is ruined, The new wine is dried up, The oil fails.
New American Standard BibleThe field is ruined, The land mourns; For the grain is ruined, The new wine has dried up, Fresh oil has failed.
NASB 1995The field is ruined, The land mourns; For the grain is ruined, The new wine dries up, Fresh oil fails.
NASB 1977The field is ruined, The land mourns, For the grain is ruined, The new wine dries up, Fresh oil fails.
Legacy Standard BibleThe field is destroyed; The land mourns, For the grain is destroyed, The new wine dries up, Fresh oil fails.
Amplified BibleThe field is ruined, The ground mourns; For the grain is ruined, The new wine is dried up, The fresh oil fails.
Christian Standard BibleThe fields are destroyed; the land grieves; indeed, the grain is destroyed; the new wine is dried up; and the fresh oil fails.
Holman Christian Standard BibleThe fields are destroyed; the land grieves; indeed, the grain is destroyed; the new wine is dried up; and the olive oil fails.
American Standard VersionThe field is laid waste, the land mourneth; for the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth.
Contemporary English VersionBarren fields mourn; grain, grapes, and olives are scorched and shriveled.
English Revised VersionThe field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted, the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth.
GOD'S WORD® TranslationIsrael's fields are ruined, and the ground is dried up. The grain has been destroyed. The new wine has dried up. The olive oil has run out.
Good News TranslationThe fields are bare; the ground mourns because the grain is destroyed, the grapes are dried up, and the olive trees are withered.
International Standard Version"The fields lie in ruins and the ground is dried up. Indeed, the grain is ruined, the new wine has evaporated, and the olive oil has run out.
NET BibleThe crops of the fields have been destroyed. The ground is in mourning because the grain has perished. The fresh wine has dried up; the olive oil languishes.
New Heart English BibleThe field is laid waste. The land mourns, for the grain is destroyed, The new wine has dried up, and the oil languishes.
Webster's Bible TranslationThe field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted; the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleThe field is ruined; the land mourns. For the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, and the oil fails.
World English BibleThe field is laid waste. The land mourns, for the grain is destroyed, The new wine has dried up, and the oil languishes. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionThe field is spoiled, "" The ground has mourned, "" For the grain is spoiled, "" New wine has been dried up, oil languishes.
Young's Literal Translation Spoiled is the field, mourned hath the ground, For spoiled is the corn, Dried up hath been new wine, languish doth oil.
Smith's Literal TranslationThe field was laid waste, the land mourned; for the grain was laid waste, the new wine was dried up, the new oil languished. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleThe country is destroyed, the ground hath mourned: for the corn is wasted, the wine is confounded, the oil hath languished.
Catholic Public Domain VersionThe region has been depopulated, the soil has mourned. For the wheat has been devastated, the wine has been disfigured, the oil has languished.
New American BibleThe field is devastated; the farmland mourns, Because the grain is devastated, the wine has dried up, the oil has failed.
New Revised Standard VersionThe fields are devastated, the ground mourns; for the grain is destroyed, the wine dries up, the oil fails. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleThe field is plundered, the land mourns; for the wheat is plundered, the new wine is dried up, the olive orchards are destroyed.
Peshitta Holy Bible TranslatedThe field is plundered and the land sat in mourning because the grain is pillaged and the wine has dried up and the olive trees are destroyed OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917The field is wasted, The land mourneth; For the corn is wasted, The new wine is dried up, The oil languisheth.
Brenton Septuagint TranslationFor the plains languish: let the land mourn, for the corn languishes; the wine is dried up, the oil becomes scarce;
Additional Translations ... Audio Bible
Context A Call to Mourning… 9Grain and drink offerings have been cut off from the house of the LORD; the priests are in mourning, those who minister before the LORD. 10The fieldis ruined;the landmourns.Forthe grainis destroyed,the new wineis dried up,and the oil fails.11Be dismayed, O farmers, wail, O vinedressers, over the wheat and barley, because the harvest of the field has perished.…
Cross References Isaiah 24:4-7The earth mourns and withers; the world languishes and fades; the exalted of the earth waste away. / The earth is defiled by its people; they have transgressed the laws; they have overstepped the decrees and broken the everlasting covenant. / Therefore a curse has consumed the earth, and its inhabitants must bear the guilt; the earth’s dwellers have been burned, and only a few survive. ...
Jeremiah 12:4How long will the land mourn and the grass of every field be withered? Because of the evil of its residents, the animals and birds have been swept away, for the people have said, “He cannot see what our end will be.”
Hosea 4:3Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it will waste away with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air; even the fish of the sea disappear.
Amos 5:16-17Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of Hosts, the Lord, says: “There will be wailing in all the public squares and cries of ‘Alas! Alas!’ in all the streets. The farmer will be summoned to mourn, and the mourners to wail. / There will be wailing in all the vineyards, for I will pass through your midst,” says the LORD.
Lamentations 1:11All her people groan as they search for bread. They have traded their treasures for food to keep themselves alive. Look, O LORD, and consider, for I have become despised.
Habakkuk 3:17Though the fig tree does not bud and no fruit is on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the sheep are cut off from the fold and no cattle are in the stalls,
Zephaniah 1:13Their wealth will be plundered and their houses laid waste. They will build houses but not inhabit them, and plant vineyards but never drink their wine.
Haggai 1:10-11Therefore, on account of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth has withheld its crops. / I have summoned a drought on the fields and on the mountains, on the grain, new wine, and oil, and on whatever the ground yields, on man and beast, and on all the labor of your hands.”
Deuteronomy 28:38-40You will sow much seed in the field but harvest little, because the locusts will consume it. / You will plant and cultivate vineyards, but will neither drink the wine nor gather the grapes, because worms will eat them. / You will have olive trees throughout your territory but will never anoint yourself with oil, because the olives will drop off.
Ezekiel 7:12-13The time has come; the day has arrived. Let the buyer not rejoice and the seller not mourn, for wrath is upon the whole multitude. / The seller will surely not recover what he sold while both remain alive. For the vision concerning the whole multitude will not be revoked, and because of their iniquity, not one of them will preserve his life.
Isaiah 16:10Joy and gladness are removed from the orchard; no one sings or shouts in the vineyards. No one tramples the grapes in the winepresses; I have put an end to the cheering.
Jeremiah 48:33Joy and gladness are removed from the orchard and from the fields of Moab. I have stopped the flow of wine from the presses; no one treads them with shouts of joy; their shouts are not for joy.
Revelation 6:5-6And when the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” Then I looked and saw a black horse, and its rider held in his hand a pair of scales. / And I heard what sounded like a voice from among the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine.”
Romans 8:20-22For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will, but because of the One who subjected it, in hope / that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. / We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until the present time.
James 5:17-18Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. / Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth yielded its crops.
Treasury of Scripture The field is wasted, the land mourns; for the corn is wasted: the new wine is dried up, the oil languishes. field. Joel 1:17-20 The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered… Leviticus 26:20 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. Isaiah 24:3,4 The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word… the new. Joel 1:5,12 Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth… Isaiah 24:11There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone. Jeremiah 48:33 And joy and gladness is taken from the plentiful field, and from the land of Moab; and I have caused wine to fail from the winepresses: none shall tread with shouting;their shoutingshall be no shouting. dried up. Jump to Previous CornDestroyedDriedDriesDryFailsFieldFieldsFreshGrainGroundKeptLaidLanguishMournedMournethMournsNewOilPoorRuinedSpoiledWasteWastedWineJump to Next CornDestroyedDriedDriesDryFailsFieldFieldsFreshGrainGroundKeptLaidLanguishMournedMournethMournsNewOilPoorRuinedSpoiledWasteWastedWineJoel 1 1.Joel, declaring various judgments of God, exhorts to observe them,8.and to mourn.14.He prescribes a solemn fast to deprecate those judgments.The field is ruined;This phrase reflects the devastation of the agricultural landscape, a critical aspect of ancient Israel's economy and sustenance. The ruin of the fields signifies a severe judgment from God, often seen in the Old Testament as a consequence of the people's disobedience. The imagery of ruined fields is reminiscent of the curses outlined in Deuteronomy 28:38-42, where disobedience leads to agricultural failure. This devastation serves as a tangible sign of divine displeasure and a call to repentance. the land mourns.
The personification of the land mourning emphasizes the severity of the calamity. In biblical literature, the land often reflects the spiritual state of the people (Isaiah 24:4-7). The mourning land indicates a deep, communal grief over the loss of God's blessings and the disruption of the covenant relationship. This mourning is not just physical but spiritual, as the land's condition mirrors the people's estrangement from God. For the grain is destroyed,
Grain was a staple food and a symbol of God's provision. Its destruction signifies not only physical hunger but also spiritual famine. The loss of grain disrupts the cycle of offerings and feasts, which were central to Israel's worship and covenant life (Leviticus 23). This destruction can be seen as a fulfillment of prophetic warnings, such as those inAmos 4:6-9, where God uses famine to call His people back to Himself. the new wine is dried up,
New wine represents joy and celebration in the Bible (Psalm 104:15). Its drying up indicates a loss of joy and the cessation of festive activities. Wine was also used in offerings, and its absence would affect religious practices (Numbers 15:5). This imagery connects to the broader theme of judgment and the need for repentance, as seen inIsaiah 24:7-11, where joy is removed due to the people's unfaithfulness. and the oil fails.
Oil was essential for daily life, used in cooking, lighting, and anointing. Its failure signifies a breakdown in both domestic and religious life. Oil was a symbol of the Holy Spirit and God's anointing (1 Samuel 16:13), and its absence suggests a withdrawal of divine favor and presence. This failure can be linked to the parable of the ten virgins inMatthew 25:1-13, where oil represents readiness and spiritual preparedness. The lack of oil underscores the urgent need for the people to return to God and seek His restoration. Persons / Places / Events 1. JoelThe prophet who authored the book, delivering God's message to the people of Judah. 2. JudahThe southern kingdom of Israel, where Joel's prophecy is directed. 3. The FieldRepresents the agricultural land of Judah, which is central to their economy and sustenance. 4. Grain, New Wine, OilKey agricultural products in ancient Israel, symbolizing prosperity and God's provision. 5. The LandPersonified as mourning, indicating the severity of the devastation and its impact on the people. Teaching Points The Consequences of SinThe devastation of the land serves as a vivid reminder of the consequences of turning away from God. Just as the land mourns, so do our lives when we stray from His path. Dependence on GodThe destruction of essential crops like grain, wine, and oil highlights our dependence on God's provision. In times of scarcity, we are reminded to trust in His faithfulness. Call to RepentanceThe imagery of mourning land is a call to repentance. Just as the people of Judah were urged to return to God, we too must examine our lives and turn back to Him. Spiritual FamineBeyond physical devastation, this passage can symbolize spiritual famine. We must ensure our spiritual lives are nourished by God's Word and presence. Hope in RestorationWhile the immediate context is one of judgment, the broader message of Joel includes hope and restoration. God desires to restore and bless His people when they return to Him. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1.What is the meaning of Joel 1:10?
2.How does Joel 1:10 illustrate consequences of turning away from God?
3.What lessons can we learn from the devastation described in Joel 1:10?
4.How does Joel 1:10 connect to God's warnings in Deuteronomy 28:38-42?
5.How can we apply the message of Joel 1:10 to modern-day stewardship?
6.What actions can we take to prevent spiritual "fields" from becoming "devastated"?
7.What historical events might Joel 1:10 be referencing with its imagery of devastation?
8.How does Joel 1:10 reflect God's judgment and its impact on the land?
9.What theological significance does the destruction in Joel 1:10 hold for believers today?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Joel 1?
11.What do Bible verses say about abundance?
12.How is God’s statement in Jeremiah 8:13 that He will take away the harvest reconciled with other passages promising provision and protection for the faithful?
13.Is the total devastation of crops and vines in Joel 1:10-12 consistent with known environmental events, or does it seem exaggerated when compared to historical data on locust plagues?
14.Joel 1:9 mentions that grain and drink offerings ceased; is there any extrabiblical record or historical proof verifying this disruption of Temple practices?What Does Joel 1:10 Mean The field is ruined“The field is ruined” (Joel 1:10) pictures the visible, literal destruction of the farmland Judah depended on. The plague of locusts described earlier in the chapter (Joel 1:4) has chewed through every crop, leaving bare dirt where abundance once stood. • Scripture frequently links physical devastation to covenant warnings (Deuteronomy 28:17, 38). •Amos 7:1–2 shows another locust judgment, reinforcing that God sometimes uses nature itself to call His people back. •Psalm 107:33–34 reminds us He “turns a fruitful land into a desert, for the wickedness of its inhabitants.”
the land mournsBy saying “the land mourns,” God personifies the soil as if creation itself feels sorrow. •Jeremiah 12:4 asks, “How long will the land mourn and the grass of every field wither?”—a direct echo of this image. •Romans 8:22 teaches that “the whole creation has been groaning together,” revealing that sin’s impact is not confined to humanity; it burdens the earth. •Isaiah 24:4 notes, “The earth mourns and withers,” tying moral rebellion to ecological collapse.
For the grain is destroyedGrain was the staple of daily life and central to Israel’s worship—think of the grain offerings (Leviticus 2:1–2). Its loss meant: • Empty tables (Psalm 105:16). • Silenced temple rituals that depended on flour (Exodus 29:41). • Economic collapse foretold inHaggai 1:10–11 when “the grain and the new wine and the oil” were withheld.
the new wine is dried upNew wine represents joy, blessing, and celebration (Psalm 104:15). Its absence signals that gladness has been shut off. •Isaiah 24:7 laments, “The new wine dries up, the vine withers.” •Deuteronomy 28:39 warns that disobedience leads to vineyards that “will not drink the wine.” • Joel later promises reversal—“the mountains will drip with sweet wine” (Joel 3:18)—showing that repentance can restore what sin removes.
and the oil failsOil fueled lamps (Exodus 27:20), anointed priests and kings (1 Samuel 16:13), and flavored meals. When “the oil fails,” light, leadership, and daily sustenance all suffer. • In1 Kings 17:12–16 a widow’s last oil jar pictures desperate scarcity, yet also God’s power to replenish. •Micah 6:15 warns, “You will press olives but not anoint yourself with oil,” linking moral failure to material loss. •Haggai 1:11 again pairs failed oil with divine discipline, underscoring the theme.
summaryJoel 1:10 paints five strokes of the same portrait: a nation’s sin has brought literal, measurable ruin to field, land, grain, wine, and oil. Creation itself grieves, daily necessities disappear, and worship stalls. The verse presses God’s people to recognize the direct connection between covenant unfaithfulness and tangible loss—yet within the wider prophecy God also holds out hope that heartfelt repentance will turn mourning fields into fertile ones once more. (10) The new wine.--The necessaries and delights of life are all gone: "the wine that maketh glad the heart of man, the oil that makes his face to shine, the bread that strengthened man's heart" ( Psalm 104:15). Verse 10. - The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted: the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth. This verse is closely connected with the preceding, for the failure of the meat offerings and drink offerings was owing to the devastation of the country and the destruction of its crops by the locust-plague. The field was laid waste by them, nor was it a field here and there, or a solitary district; it was the whole land without exception or exemption that had cause to grieve, "if aught inanimate e'er grieves." This is expressed by one of those paronomasias of which the Hebrews were so fond, thus, shuddad sadheh, abhelah adhamah, equivalent to "field falls, ground grieves;" or "field fruitless, land laments." The oblation, or meat offering, consisted of flour mingled with oil; the libation, or drink offering, consisted of wine. There were also firstfruits of corn and wine and oil; while all the produce of the land was tithabla. Now, however, the corn was wasted and the oil languished; and therefore the meat offering had partially failed or entirely ceased; the new wine was dried up, and therefore the drink offering must needs have been given up. The mention of corn and wine and oil in particular is owing to their connection with the temple service, for the firstfruits, tithes, oblations, and libations depended largely upon them.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew The fieldשָׂדֶ֔ה(śā·ḏeh)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7704:Field, landis ruined;שֻׁדַּ֣ד(šud·daḏ)Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7703:To deal violently with, despoil, devastate, ruinthe landאֲדָמָ֑ה(’ă·ḏā·māh)Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 127:Ground, landmourns;אָבְלָ֖ה(’ā·ḇə·lāh)Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 56:To bewailindeed,כִּ֚י(kî)Conjunction
Strong's 3588:A relative conjunctionthe grainדָּגָ֔ן(dā·ḡān)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1715:Corn, grain (of cereals)is destroyed;שֻׁדַּ֣ד(šud·daḏ)Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7703:To deal violently with, despoil, devastate, ruinthe new wineתִּיר֖וֹשׁ(tî·rō·wōš)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8492:Must, fresh grape-juice, fermented wineis dried up,הוֹבִ֥ישׁ(hō·w·ḇîš)Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3001:To be ashamed, confused, disappointed, to dry up, witherthe oil fails.יִצְהָֽר׃(yiṣ·hār)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3323:Oil, anointing
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OT Prophets: Joel 1:10 The field is laid waste (Jl Joe.) |
