Joel 1:18 - Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Bible Comments

How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.

The herds of cattle are perplexed - implying the restless gestures of the dumb beasts in their inability to find food. There is a tacit contrast between the sense of the brute creation and the insensibility of the people.

Yea, the flocks of sheep - even the sheep, which are content with less rich pasturage, cannot find food.

Are made desolate - literally, suffer punishment х ne'ªshaamuw (H816)]. The innocent brute shares the punishment of guilty man. Thus "all the first-born of cattle" were smitten with the same stroke that smote the first-born of man among the Egyptians (Exodus 12:29; Jonah 3:7; Jonah 4:11).

Joel 1:18

18 How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.