God’s Word Translation
Joel 1:12
12The grapevines are dried up. The fig trees are withered. The pomegranate, palm, and apricot trees, as well as all the trees in the orchards, have died. Yes, the joy of these people has died too.
Joel 1:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men.
- New International Version (NIV)The vine is dried up and the fig tree is withered; the pomegranate, the palm and the apple tree— all the trees of the field—are dried up. Surely the people’s joy is withered away.
- English Standard Version (ESV)The vine dries up; the fig tree languishes. Pomegranate, palm, and apple, all the trees of the field are dried up, and gladness dries up from the children of man.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The vine has dried up, And the fig tree has withered; The pomegranate tree, The palm tree also, And the apple tree— All the trees of the field are withered; Surely joy has withered away from the sons of men.
Context of Joel 1:12
10Israel’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. 11Be sad, you farmers! Cry loudly, you grape growers! Mourn for the wheat and the barley. The harvest is destroyed in the field. The grapevines are dried up. The fig trees are withered. The pomegranate, palm, and apricot trees, as well as all the trees in the orchards, have died. Yes, the joy of these people has died too. 13Put on your sackcloth and mourn, you priests. Cry loudly, you servants of the altar. Spend the night in sackcloth, you servants of my God. Grain offerings and wine offerings are withheld from your God’s temple. 14Schedule a time to fast! Call for an assembly! Gather the leaders and everyone who lives in the land. Bring them to the temple of the Lord your God, and cry to the Lord for help.
Read all of Joel 1Joel 1:12 word by word
הַגֶּ֣פֶן הוֹבִ֔ישָׁה וְהַתְּאֵנָ֖ה אֻמְלָ֑לָה רִמּ֞וֹן גַּם־תָּמָ֣ר וְתַפּ֗וּחַ כָּל־עֲצֵ֤י הַשָּׂדֶה֙ יָבֵ֔שׁוּ כִּֽי־הֹבִ֥ישׁ שָׂשׂ֖וֹן מִן־בְּנֵ֥י אָדָֽם׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- The vineגֶּ֫פֶןgephen · vineH1612
- is dried upיָבֵשׁyâbêsh · to witherH3001
- and the fig treeתְּאֵנָהte'ên te'ênâh · figH8384
- languishethאָמַל'âmal · be weakH535
- the pomegranateרִמּוֹןrimmôn rimmôn · pomegranateH7416
- tree, the palm treeתָּמָרtâmâr · palmH8558
- also, and the apple treeתַּפּוּחַtappûach · appleH8598
- all the treesעֵץ‛êts · treeH6086
- of the fieldשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: countryH7704
- because joyשָׂשׂוֹןώâώôn ώâώôn · rejoicingH8342
- from the sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of menאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
Cross-references for Joel 1:12
- Joel 1:10Israel’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.
- Habakkuk 3:17Even if the fig tree does not bloom and the vines have no grapes, even if the olive tree fails to produce and the fields yield no food, even if the sheep pen is empty and the stalls have no cattle—
- Numbers 13:23When they came to the Eshcol Valley, they cut off a branch with only one bunch of grapes on it. They carried it on a pole between two of them. They also brought some pomegranates and figs.
- Psalms 92:12Righteous people flourish like palm trees and grow tall like the cedars in Lebanon.
- Joel 1:16Food disappears right before our eyes. Happiness and rejoicing disappear from our God’s temple.
- Psalms 4:7You put more joy in my heart than when their grain and new wine increase.
- Isaiah 9:3You will expand the nation and increase its happiness. It will be happy in your presence like those who celebrate the harvest or rejoice when dividing loot.
- Isaiah 16:10Joy and delight have vanished from the orchards. No songs are sung. No shouts are raised. No one stomps on grapes in the winepresses, because I have put an end to the shouts of joy.
- Isaiah 24:11People in the streets call for wine. All joy passes away, and the earth’s happiness is banished.
- Jeremiah 48:3People will cry out from Horonaim, “Looting and great destruction!”
- Hosea 9:1Israel, don’t rejoice. Don’t celebrate as other nations do. You have been unfaithful to your God. You have sold sex on every threshing floor.
Commentaries on Joel 1:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12The vine is dried up - Dr. Shaw observes that in Barbary, in the month of June, the locusts collect themselves into compact bodies a furlong or more square, and march on, eating up every thing that is green or juicy, and letting nothing escape them, whether vegetables or trees. They destroy the pomegranate, the palm, the apple, (תפוח tappuach, the citron tree), the vine, the fig, and every tree of the field. See the note on Joel 2:2; (note).Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Because joy is withered away - o“There are four sorts of joy, a joy in iniquity, a joy in vanity, a joy of charity, a joy of felicity. Of the first we read, “Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the forwardness of the wicked Proverbs 2:14. Of the second, “They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ” Job 21:12. Of the third, “Let the saints be joyful in glory” Psalm 149:5. Of the fourth, “Blessed are they that dwell in Thy…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-13Verses 8-13 All who labour only for the meat that perishes, will, sooner or later, be ashamed of their labour. Those that place their happiness in the delights of sense, when deprived of them, or disturbed in the enjoyment, lose their joy; whereas spiritual joy then flourishes more than ever. See what perishing, uncertain things our creature-comforts are. See how we need to live in continual dependence upon God and his providence. See what ruinous work…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12The drought made the locust plague worse. Everything withered and dried up (see also Joel 1:19–20). Spiritually, the people's joy vanished with the fruit trees.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. pomegranate--a tree straight in the stem growing twenty feet high; the fruit is of the size of an orange, with blood-red colored pulp. palm tree--The dates of Palestine were famous. The palm is the symbol of Judea on coins under the Roman emperor Vespasian. It often grows a hundred feet high. apple tree--The Hebrew is generic, including the orange, lemon, and pear tree. joy is withered away--such as is felt in the harvest and the vintage seasons (Psa…Read the comment
Topics related to Joel 1:12
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Joel 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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