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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Joel 1:16 Has not the food been cut off before our very eyes--joy and gladness from the house of our God?</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/joel/1-16.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/7/29_Jol_01_16.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Joel 1:16 - A Call to Repentance" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="Has not the food been cut off before our very eyes--joy and gladness from the house of our God?" /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script> <script src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/biblehub.js' type='text/javascript'></script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/vmenus/joel/1-16.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc/joel/1-16.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/joel/">Joel</a> > <a href="/joel/1.htm">Chapter 1</a> > Verse 16</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div><div id="ad1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/ad1.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/joel/1-15.htm" title="Joel 1:15">◄</a> Joel 1:16 <a href="/joel/1-17.htm" title="Joel 1:17">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Study Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Crossref </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Hebrew </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/joel/1.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/joel/1.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />Has not the food been cut off before our very eyes— joy and gladness from the house of our God?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/joel/1.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />Our food disappears before our very eyes. No joyful celebrations are held in the house of our God.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/joel/1.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />Is not the food cut off before our eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/joel/1.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />Has not the food been cut off before our very eyes—joy and gladness from the house of our God?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/joel/1.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, <i>yea</i>, joy and gladness from the house of our God?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/joel/1.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />Is not the food cut off before our eyes, Joy and gladness from the house of our God?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/joel/1.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />Has food not been cut off before our eyes, <i>and</i> Joy and rejoicing from the house of our God?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/joel/1.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />Has not food been cut off before our eyes, Gladness and joy from the house of our God?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/joel/1.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />Has not food been cut off before our eyes, Gladness and joy from the house of our God?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/joel/1.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />Has not food been cut off before our eyes, Gladness and joy from the house of our God?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/joel/1.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />Has not the food been cut off before our eyes, Joy and gladness from the house of our God?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/joel/1.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />Hasn’t the food been cut off before our eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/joel/1.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />Hasn&#8217t the food been cut off before our eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God? <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/joel/1.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />Is not the food cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness from the house of our God?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/joel/1.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />Our food is already gone; there's no more celebrating at the temple of our God. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/joel/1.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness from the house of our God?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/joel/1.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />Food disappears right before our eyes. Happiness and rejoicing disappear from our God's temple.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/joel/1.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />We look on helpless as our crops are destroyed. There is no joy in the Temple of our God. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/joel/1.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />Isn't our food supply cut off right in front of us, along with joy and gladness from the Temple of our God?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/joel/1.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />Has not the food been cut off before our very eyes—joy and gladness from the house of our God?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/joel/1.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />Our food has been cut off right before our eyes! There is no longer any joy or gladness in the temple of our God! <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/joel/1.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />Isn't the food cut off before our eyes; joy and gladness from the house of our God?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/joel/1.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />Is not the food cut off before our eyes, and joy and gladness from the house of our God?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/joel/1.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />Isn’t the food cut off before our eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God? <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/joel/1.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />Is food not cut off before our eyes? Joy and rejoicing from the house of our God?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/joel/1.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> Is not before our eyes food cut off? From the house of our God joy and rejoicing?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/joel/1.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />Was not the food cut off before our eyes, from the house of our God, joy and gladness?<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/joel/1.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />Is not your food cut off before your eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God? <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/joel/1.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />Has not your nourishment perished from before your eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/joel/1.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />Before our very eyes has not food been cut off? And from the house of our God, joy and gladness? <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/joel/1.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />Is not the food cut off before our eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God?<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/joel/1.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />And, behold, before our eyes the food is cut off from the house of our God, and gladness and joy have ceased.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/joel/1.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />Behold, before our eyes, the food has departed from the house of our God, and joy and dancing!<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/joel/1.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />Is not the food cut off Before our eyes, Yea, joy and gladness From the house of our God?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/joel/1.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br /><i>Your</i> meat has been destroyed before your eyes, joy and gladness from out of the house of your God.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/joel/1-16.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oEU9eLLsIkI?start=164" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/joel/1.htm">A Call to Repentance</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">15</span>Alas for the day! For the Day of the LORD is near, and it will come as destruction from the Almighty. <span class="reftext">16</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/3808.htm" title="3808: hă·lō·w (Adv-NegPrt) -- Not. Or lowi; or loh; a primitive particle; not; by implication, no; often used with other particles.">Has not</a> <a href="/hebrew/400.htm" title="400: ’ō·ḵel (N-ms) -- Food. From 'akal; food.">the food</a> <a href="/hebrew/3772.htm" title="3772: niḵ·rāṯ (V-Nifal-Perf-3ms) -- To cut off, cut down. A primitive root; to cut; by implication, to destroy or consume; specifically, to covenant.">been cut off</a> <a href="/hebrew/5048.htm" title="5048: ne·ḡeḏ (Prep) -- From nagad; a front, i.e. Part opposite; specifically a counterpart, or mate; usually over against or before.">before</a> <a href="/hebrew/5869.htm" title="5869: ‘ê·nê·nū (N-cdc:: 1cp) -- An eye. Probably a primitive word; an eye; by analogy, a fountain.">our very eyes—</a> <a href="/hebrew/8057.htm" title="8057: śim·ḥāh (N-fs) -- Joy, gladness, mirth. From sameach; blithesomeness or glee.">joy</a> <a href="/hebrew/1524.htm" title="1524: wā·ḡîl (Conj-w:: N-ms) -- A revolution, joy. From giyl; a revolution; also joy.">and gladness</a> <a href="/hebrew/1004.htm" title="1004: mib·bêṯ (Prep-m:: N-msc) -- A house. Probably from banah abbreviated; a house.">from the house</a> <a href="/hebrew/430.htm" title="430: ’ĕ·lō·hê·nū (N-mpc:: 1cp) -- Plural of 'elowahh; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used of the supreme God">of our God?</a> </span><span class="reftext">17</span>The seeds lie shriveled beneath the clods; the storehouses are in ruins; the granaries are broken down, for the grain has withered away.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/3-7.htm">Isaiah 3:7</a></span><br />On that day he will cry aloud: “I am not a healer. I have no food or clothing in my house. Do not make me leader of the people!”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/lamentations/5-15.htm">Lamentations 5:15</a></span><br />Joy has left our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/amos/4-6.htm">Amos 4:6</a></span><br />“I afflicted all your cities with cleanness of teeth and all your towns with lack of bread, yet you did not return to Me,” declares the LORD.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/24-11.htm">Isaiah 24:11</a></span><br />In the streets they cry out for wine. All joy turns to gloom; rejoicing is exiled from the land.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/14-2.htm">Jeremiah 14:2-4</a></span><br />“Judah mourns and her gates languish. Her people wail for the land, and a cry goes up from Jerusalem. / The nobles send their servants for water; they go to the cisterns, but find no water; their jars return empty. They are ashamed and humiliated; they cover their heads. / The ground is cracked because no rain has fallen on the land. The farmers are ashamed; they cover their heads.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/hosea/9-2.htm">Hosea 9:2</a></span><br />The threshing floor and winepress will not feed them, and the new wine will fail them.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ezekiel/7-26.htm">Ezekiel 7:26</a></span><br />Disaster upon disaster will come, and rumor after rumor. Then they will seek a vision from a prophet, but instruction from the priests will perish, as will counsel from the elders.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/16-10.htm">Isaiah 16:10</a></span><br />Joy 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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/48-33.htm">Jeremiah 48:33</a></span><br />Joy 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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/amos/5-16.htm">Amos 5:16-17</a></span><br />Therefore 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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/9-15.htm">Matthew 9:15</a></span><br />Jesus replied, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while He is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/5-35.htm">Luke 5:35</a></span><br />But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/revelation/18-22.htm">Revelation 18:22-23</a></span><br />And the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will never ring out in you again. Nor will any craftsmen of any trade be found in you again, nor the sound of a millstone be heard in you again. / The light of a lamp will never shine in you again, and the voices of a bride and bridegroom will never call out in you again. For your merchants were the great ones of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/24-7.htm">Matthew 24:7</a></span><br />Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/mark/13-8.htm">Mark 13:8</a></span><br />Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, as well as famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, yes, joy and gladness from the house of our God?</p><p class="hdg">the meat.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/joel/1-5.htm">Joel 1:5-9,13</a></b></br> 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… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/amos/4-6.htm">Amos 4:6,7</a></b></br> And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD… </p><p class="hdg">joy.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/deuteronomy/12-6.htm">Deuteronomy 12:6,7,11,12</a></b></br> And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks: … </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/deuteronomy/16-10.htm">Deuteronomy 16:10-15</a></b></br> And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto the LORD thy God with a tribute of a freewill offering of thine hand, which thou shalt give <i>unto the LORD thy God</i>, according as the LORD thy God hath blessed thee: … </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/43-4.htm">Psalm 43:4</a></b></br> Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/joel/1-9.htm">Cut</a> <a href="/hosea/9-2.htm">Delight</a> <a href="/hosea/13-14.htm">Eyes</a> <a href="/joel/1-14.htm">Food</a> <a href="/joel/1-12.htm">Gladness</a> <a href="/joel/1-14.htm">House</a> <a href="/joel/1-12.htm">Joy</a> <a href="/joel/1-13.htm">Meat</a> <a href="/joel/1-12.htm">Rejoicing</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/amos/1-5.htm">Cut</a> <a href="/amos/5-21.htm">Delight</a> <a href="/amos/7-8.htm">Eyes</a> <a href="/joel/2-12.htm">Food</a> <a href="/zephaniah/3-17.htm">Gladness</a> <a href="/joel/3-18.htm">House</a> <a href="/joel/2-21.htm">Joy</a> <a href="/joel/2-14.htm">Meat</a> <a href="/habakkuk/3-14.htm">Rejoicing</a><div class="vheading2">Joel 1</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/joel/1-1.htm">Joel, declaring various judgments of God, exhorts to observe them,</a></span><br><span class="reftext">8. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/joel/1-8.htm">and to mourn.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">14. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/joel/1-14.htm">He prescribes a solemn fast to deprecate those judgments.</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <script type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading"><a href="/study/joel/1.htm">Berean Study Bible</a></div><b>Has not the food been cut off</b><br />The phrase "food been cut off" in Hebrew is "נִכְרַת אֹכֶל" (nikhrat okhel). The verb "נִכְרַת" (nikhrat) means "to cut off" or "to destroy," indicating a sudden and complete removal. This reflects the devastating impact of the locust plague described earlier in the chapter, which has stripped the land of its produce. In a broader spiritual sense, this can symbolize the removal of spiritual nourishment when a community turns away from God. The loss of physical sustenance is a direct consequence of the people's disobedience, serving as a call to repentance and a return to reliance on God for provision.<p><b>before our very eyes</b><br />The phrase "before our very eyes" emphasizes the immediacy and visibility of the disaster. It is not a distant or abstract event but one that the people are witnessing firsthand. This serves as a powerful reminder of the reality of God's judgment and the tangible consequences of sin. The use of "our" personalizes the experience, indicating that the community as a whole is affected and must collectively acknowledge their need for divine intervention.<p><b>joy and gladness</b><br />"Joy and gladness" in Hebrew are "שִׂמְחָה וְשָׂשׂוֹן" (simchah ve'sason). These words are often associated with celebrations, feasts, and worship in the temple. Their absence signifies a deep spiritual and communal loss. In the context of ancient Israel, joy and gladness were not merely emotional states but were tied to the presence and favor of God. The removal of these elements from the community underscores the severity of the situation and the need for repentance to restore the relationship with God.<p><b>from the house of our God</b><br />The "house of our God" refers to the temple in Jerusalem, the center of worship and the dwelling place of God's presence among His people. The absence of joy and gladness from the temple indicates a disruption in the worship and spiritual life of the nation. Historically, the temple was where sacrifices and offerings were made, and its desolation would have been a profound sign of spiritual desolation. This phrase calls the people to recognize the spiritual barrenness that accompanies physical devastation and to seek restoration through sincere repentance and renewed worship.<div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/joel/1.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verses 16-18.</span> - These verses contain manifest proofs that the day of the Lord was coming, and coming as a destruction from the Almighty. <span class="cmt_word">Is not the meat cut off before our eyes?</span> The food for daily sustenance, and the food for Divine service - the corn and wine and oil, as mentioned in ver. 10 - had vanished while they beheld the process of destruction, but could not binder it. "These locusts," says Thomson, in 'The Land and the Book,' "at once strip the vines of every leaf and cluster of grapes, and of every green twig. I also saw many large fig orchards 'clean bare,' not a leaf remaining; and, as the bark of the fig tree is of a silvery whiteness, the whole orchards, thus rifled of their green veils, spread abroad their branches 'made white' in melancholy nakedness to the burning sun." He then refers to the exclamation in ver. 15, and to that in the words before us, "Is not the meat cut off before our eyes?" and then proceeds," This is most emphatically true. I saw under my own eye not only a large vineyard loaded with young grapes, but whole fields of corn, disappear as if by magic, and the hope of the husbandman vanish like smoke." <span class="cmt_word">Yea, joy and gladness from the house of our God</span>. Not only had the food necessary for the support of daily life perished - "The food of the sinners," says Jerome, "perishes before their eyes, since the crops they looked for are snatched away from their hands, and the locust anticipates the reaper," - but the offerings used in Divine worship had ceased. Owing to the destruction of the crops, the firstfruits, as a matter of course, failed; the thank offerings could not be procured. Consequently, the joy that usually accompanied the presentation of these and other offerings was also cut off. When the Hebrews of old brought their burnt offerings, sacrifices, tithes, heave offerings, vows, free-will offerings, and firstlings of herds and flocks, it was a joyful season, a time of rejoicing before the Lord, as we learn from <a href="/deuteronomy/12-7.htm">Deuteronomy 12:7</a>, "There ye shall eat before the Lord your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households." All this joy and gladness, so graciously associated with the worship of Jehovah, were now things of the past. <span class="cmt_word">The seed</span> (margin, <span class="accented">grains</span>)<span class="cmt_word">is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered</span>. This was a fearful aggravation of their calamity. Their present distress thus prolonged itself into the future, as there was no prospect of a crop in the following year to cheer them. The rotting of the seed that had been sown and carefully covered in the earth was occasioned by the drought. The visitation of locusts, as Stanley says, "came, like all such visitations, in the season of' unusual drought - a drought which passed over the country like flames of fire." The rotting of the seed, and the withering of the corn, if the mouldering seed germinated and put forth a blade at all, rendered barns useless, and granaries, or the larger storehouses, unnecessary. The barns were left to decay and tumble down; and the granaries were desolate, and so there was no further use for them. Several difficult expressions occur in this verse, <span class="accented">Perudoth is</span> from <span class="accented">parad</span>, to scatter about, or to sow broadcast, and hence signifies "scattered things," - seed or grain sown. <span class="hebrew">עַבַשׁ</span> is to dry up, moulder, wither; and is said of seeds that lose their germinating power <span class="accented">Megraphoth</span> are clods of earth, the root being <span class="accented">garaph</span>, <span class="accented">to</span> wash away (<a href="/judges/5-21.htm">Judges 5:21</a>); the noun, therefore, denotes a clod of earth rolled together by water and swept away. <span class="accented">Otsaroth</span> were the storehouses, but these were allowed to moulder away, as there was no reasonable prospect of a harvest or of grain to store in them. The <span class="accented">mam-megurah</span> or <span class="accented">megurah</span>, viz. the barns, had now become a useless appendage of the farmstead<span class="cmt_word">. How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.</span> The drought that preceded and accompanied the plague of locusts destroyed the pasture-grounds, and thus the herds of cattle were bewildered, being deprived of pasture and water; they were perplexed to know where to find food to satisfy the cravings of hunger, and water to quench their thirst; in their perplexity they sought both, but found neither. The flocks of sheep, too, that are more easily satisfied and accustomed to browse on grass shorter and sparser, were desolate for want of nourishment, or, as the word <span class="accented">ashem</span> may be translated, "expiate the sin of man," inasmuch as they suffered from its consequences. This also was true to the life, as Thomson assures us. After quoting this verse (18) he adds, "This is poetic, but true. A field over which this flood of desolation [the locusts] has rolled shows not a blade for even a goat to nip." What with the locusts devouring what appeared above ground, and the drought destroying the seeds sown under the surface, the havoc was complete; famine and distress afflicted both man and beast. In the progress of this visitation the cereals - corn, and wheat, and barley, and other grains - were ruined; the fruit trees - vine, and olive, and fig, and pomegranate. and apple, and palm - were destroyed. But not only were the herbs for the service of man eaten up, but the grass for the cattle perished. Stanley refers to it in the following eloquent words: "The purple vine, the green fig tree, the grey olive, the scarlet pomegranate, the golden corn, the waving palm, the fragrant citron, vanished before them; end the trunks and branches were left bare and white by their devouring teeth. What had been but a few moments before like the garden of Eden was turned into a desolate wilderness. The herds of cattle and flocks of sheep so dear to the shepherds of Judah, the husbandmen so dear to King Uzziah, were reduced to starvation. The flour and oil for the 'meat offerings' failed; even the temple lost its accustomed sacrifices." The remarks of Kimchi on some of the difficult or unusual words of this verse deserve attention. On <span class="hebrew">עבשו</span> he observes, "It is equivalent in meaning to <span class="hebrew">עפשו</span>, for the <span class="accented">beth</span> and the <span class="accented">pe</span> belong to the same organ." In his note on <span class="accented">perudoth</span> he says, "They are the grains of seed that are under the earth; and he says another curse will be that the seed will be destroyed and rotten under the earth, and shall not bud; and what shall bud, the locusts shall eat it. Or the grains of seed shall rot because of the rains which do not descend upon them, for there shall also be in like manner a great drought [literally, ' restraint of rain'] in those years." On the garners (<span class="accented">otsaroth</span>) being laid desolate, and the barns (<span class="accented">mammeguroth</span>) broken down, he observes on the former, "The garners for the produce are laid desolate, for there was nothing to bring into them, and, lo! they are laid desolate. In reference to the latter he says, "He (the prophets) repeats the matter in different words; for <span class="accented">mammeguroth</span> is the same as <span class="accented">otsaroth</span>, and so 'is the seed yet in the barn, <span class="accented">megurah</span> (<a href="/hosea/2-20.htm">Hosea 2:20</a>), gives proof of this." And he accounts for their being broken down either "(1) because they brought nothing into them, or <p><span class="note_emph">(2)</span> they were broken down because they had no caretaker to repair them after the custom from year to year, and so they fell and were destroyed." Of the perplexity of the herds he gives the following explanation: "He speaks collectively (<span class="accented">i.e.</span> the verb is singular, agreeing with the noun), and afterwards individually (the verb being plural); <span class="accented">perplexed</span> has the meaning of confusion, as a man who is confused in his knowledge, and does not know what to do, and so they (the herds) are confused in the land," in other words, they wandered up and down, and knew not where to go for drink or pasture. He (Kimchi) adds, in his further explanation. "that the flecks of sheep sometimes find pasture where the oxen do not find it, because that they (sheep) go up upon the mountains and upon the hills - a thing which the oxen do not in general do." <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/joel/1-16.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">Has not</span><br /><span class="heb">הֲל֛וֹא</span> <span class="translit">(hă·lō·w)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb - Negative particle<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3808.htm">Strong's 3808: </a> </span><span class="str2">Not, no</span><br /><br /><span class="word">the food</span><br /><span class="heb">אֹ֣כֶל</span> <span class="translit">(’ō·ḵel)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_400.htm">Strong's 400: </a> </span><span class="str2">Food</span><br /><br /><span class="word">been cut off</span><br /><span class="heb">נִכְרָ֑ת</span> <span class="translit">(niḵ·rāṯ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3772.htm">Strong's 3772: </a> </span><span class="str2">To cut, to destroy, consume, to covenant</span><br /><br /><span class="word">before</span><br /><span class="heb">נֶ֥גֶד</span> <span class="translit">(ne·ḡeḏ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5048.htm">Strong's 5048: </a> </span><span class="str2">A front, part opposite, a counterpart, mate, over against, before</span><br /><br /><span class="word">our very eyes—</span><br /><span class="heb">עֵינֵ֖ינוּ</span> <span class="translit">(‘ê·nê·nū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - cdc | first person common plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5869.htm">Strong's 5869: </a> </span><span class="str2">An eye, a fountain</span><br /><br /><span class="word">joy</span><br /><span class="heb">שִׂמְחָ֥ה</span> <span class="translit">(śim·ḥāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_8057.htm">Strong's 8057: </a> </span><span class="str2">Blithesomeness, glee</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and gladness</span><br /><span class="heb">וָגִֽיל׃</span> <span class="translit">(wā·ḡîl)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1524.htm">Strong's 1524: </a> </span><span class="str2">A revolution, joy</span><br /><br /><span class="word">from the house</span><br /><span class="heb">מִבֵּ֥ית</span> <span class="translit">(mib·bêṯ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1004.htm">Strong's 1004: </a> </span><span class="str2">A house</span><br /><br /><span class="word">of our God?</span><br /><span class="heb">אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ</span> <span class="translit">(’ĕ·lō·hê·nū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_430.htm">Strong's 430: </a> </span><span class="str2">gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/joel/1-16.htm">Joel 1:16 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/joel/1-16.htm">Joel 1:16 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/joel/1-16.htm">Joel 1:16 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/joel/1-16.htm">Joel 1:16 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/joel/1-16.htm">Joel 1:16 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/joel/1-16.htm">Joel 1:16 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/joel/1-16.htm">Joel 1:16 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/joel/1-16.htm">Joel 1:16 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/joel/1-16.htm">Joel 1:16 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/joel/1-16.htm">Joel 1:16 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/joel/1-16.htm">OT Prophets: Joel 1:16 Isn't the food cut off before our (Jl Joe.) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/joel/1-15.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Joel 1:15"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Joel 1:15" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/joel/1-17.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Joel 1:17"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Joel 1:17" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>