Book of Joel Chapter 1 Vs. 7

Book of Joel Chapter 1 Vs. 7

An Invasion of Locusts



He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white. Joel 1:7


He hath laid... This describes an extremity of desolation. The locusts at first attack all which is green and succulent; when this has been consumed, then they attack the bark of trees.

When they have devoured all other vegetables, they attack the trees, consuming first the leaves, then the bark. A day or two after one of these bodies were in motion, others were already hatched to glean after them, gnawing off the young branches and the very bark of such trees as had escaped before with the loss only of their fruit and foliage.”

They carried desolation wherever they passed. After having consumed vegetation, fruit, leaves of trees, they attacked even their young shoots and their bark. Even the reeds, wherewith the huts were thatched, though quite dry, were not spared.

Everything in the country was devoured; the bark of figs, pomegranates, and oranges, bitter hard and corrosive, escaped not their excessive desire to eat.

That is the locust, which spoiled the vines in Judea, by gnawing the branches, biting the tops of them, and devouring the leaves and the fruit. And so not only left them bare and barren, but destroyed them.

The fig tree symbolizes Israel, including Judah. This is speaking of the devastation that comes to Judah. Locusts would debark every tree. This is speaking of them being totally cut off from God.

Their protection (bark), is gone. The tree was actually stripped of all the leaves, fruit, and bark. The tree left would have a hard time living. This is exactly what does happen to Judah. They are left barren and helpless.




This mighty nation an innumerable (without number) like a swarm of locusts had invaded the prophet’s land. Their ability to devour was like that of a lion, which can rip and tear almost anything with its powerful teeth (likened to fangs). The locusts had destroyed the vines and stripped even the bark from the fig trees.… leaving their branches white.