Joel 1:19
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.
Original Language Analysis
יְהוָ֖ה
O LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֖ה
O LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
2 of 13
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
אֶקְרָ֑א
to thee will I cry
H7121
אֶקְרָ֑א
to thee will I cry
Strong's:
H7121
Word #:
3 of 13
to call out to (i.e., properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications)
כִּ֣י
H3588
כִּ֣י
Strong's:
H3588
Word #:
4 of 13
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
מִדְבָּ֔ר
of the wilderness
H4057
מִדְבָּ֔ר
of the wilderness
Strong's:
H4057
Word #:
8 of 13
a pasture (i.e., open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert
לִהֲטָ֖ה
hath burned
H3857
לִהֲטָ֖ה
hath burned
Strong's:
H3857
Word #:
10 of 13
properly, to lick, i.e., (by implication) to blaze
כָּל
H3605
כָּל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
11 of 13
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
Cross References
Psalms 50:15And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.Jeremiah 9:10For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none can pass through them; neither can men hear the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the beast are fled; they are gone.Amos 7:4Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and, behold, the Lord GOD called to contend by fire, and it devoured the great deep, and did eat up a part.Micah 7:7Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.
Historical Context
The wilderness (midbar) refers to marginal grazing lands beyond cultivated zones. Even these refuges were devastated. Ancient Israel's land use included settled agriculture, terraced hillsides, and wilderness pastures. Total ecological devastation meant no economic fallback—communities faced starvation.
Questions for Reflection
- How does Joel's turning to prayer ('to thee will I cry') model faithful response to catastrophic circumstances?
- What 'fires' (whether literal disasters or metaphorical trials) have 'devoured' what you depended on?
- How does comprehensive loss drive us to prayer in ways prosperity never does?
Analysis & Commentary
O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness (eleikha YHWH eqra ki esh akhlah ne'ot midbar)—Joel turns from description to prayer. 'Fire' likely refers to locust devastation appearing like scorched earth (Joel 2:3), though drought-induced brushfires may also be in view.
And the flame hath burned all the trees of the field (ve-lehavah lihata kol-atsei ha-sadeh)—Total destruction extends beyond cultivated fields to wild trees. The imagery anticipates Joel 2:3's description: 'A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth.' This dual use of 'fire' (esh) and 'flame' (lehavah) creates poetic intensity. Yet Joel's response is prayer, not despair—modeling proper response to divine judgment.