Our food disappears before our very eyes. No joyful celebrations are held in the house of our God.
Parallel translations
- WEB Isn’t the food cut off before our eyes; joy and gladness from the house of our God?
- KJV Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness from the house of our God?
- BSB Has not the food been cut off before our very eyes—joy and gladness from the house of our God?
- NKJV Is not the food cut off before our eyes, Joy and gladness from the house of our God?
- NASB Has food not been cut off before our eyes, and Joy and rejoicing from the house of our God?
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Joel observes that food and the joy of worship have been cut off before their very eyes. The people can plainly see God's hand stripping away both sustenance and gladness.
Overview
The prophet draws attention to the visible evidence of judgment: provisions are gone and the joyful gladness once found in God's house has ceased. The pairing of physical food and the joy of worship shows how deeply the disaster reaches. It reminds God's people that true gladness flows from communion with Him, a joy fully restored in the fellowship Christ secures.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Deut 12:6–7There you shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the wave offering of your hand, your vows, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock.
- Ps 105:3Glory in his holy name. Let the heart of those who seek Yahweh rejoice.
- Ps 43:4Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my exceeding joy. I will praise you on the harp, God, my God.
- Isa 3:7In that day he will cry out, saying, “I will not be a healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing. You shall not make me ruler of the people.”
- Deut 12:11–12then it shall happen that to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the wave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which you vow to Yahweh.
- Joel 1:5–9Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the sweet wine; for it is cut off from your mouth.
- Amos 4:6–7“I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in every town; yet you haven’t returned to me,” says Yahweh.
- Joel 1:13Put on sackcloth and mourn, you priests! Wail, you ministers of the altar. Come, lie all night in sackcloth, you ministers of my God, for the meal offering and the drink offering are withheld from your God’s house.
- Deut 16:10–15You shall keep the feast of weeks to Yahweh your God with a tribute of a freewill offering of your hand, which you shall give, according as Yahweh your God blesses you.
- Isa 62:8–9Yahweh has sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, “Surely I will no more give your grain to be food for your enemies; and foreigners will not drink your new wine, for which you have labored;
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The promised outpouring of the Spirit on all flesh and the call to 'everyone who calls on the name of the LORD' are fulfilled at Pentecost in the name of Jesus.
How Joel 1:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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