Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD,

JOEL 1:14KJV
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Joel 1:14 (KJV)

What does Joel 1:14 mean?

Joel 1:14 calls the people of Judah to set apart a time for fasting, gather everyone—including the elders and all who live in the land—into the temple of the LORD, and urgently pray to God. The verse is a summons for the whole community to come together in response to a crisis, seeking God’s help through united worship and repentance.

In this verse, the prophet Joel is speaking to the people of Judah during a time of disaster, likely a devastating locust plague. Joel instructs the leaders and all inhabitants to assemble at the house of the LORD (the temple) and cry out to God, showing the seriousness of their situation. The call to "sanctify a fast" means to make the fast special or set apart, emphasizing the need for everyone to humble themselves and seek God’s mercy together.

The Hebrew behind Joel 1:14

  • "Sanctify" (קָדַשׁ, qadash, H6942) means to set something apart as holy or special. Here, it stresses that the fast is not just skipping meals, but a sacred act dedicated to God.
  • "Assembly" (עֲצָרָה, atzarah, H6116) refers to a solemn gathering, often for worship or repentance. This word highlights the seriousness and formality of the event Joel is calling for.
  • "Cry" (זָעַק, za'aq, H2199) means to call out or cry for help, often in distress. Joel is urging the people to pray with urgency and deep emotion, not just routine words.

Why Joel 1:14 matters

  • Joel 1:14 shows that in times of crisis, the response is not just individual prayer but a community-wide act of humility and seeking God together.
  • The verse emphasizes the role of leaders ("elders") and ordinary people alike, making clear that everyone is responsible to respond to God.
  • This call to gather in the house of the LORD connects the physical place of worship with the spiritual act of repentance, showing that returning to God involves both heart and action.

Where else these words appear

“assembly” Hebrew H6116 · used in 11 verses

  • Leviticus 23:36 Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.
  • 2 Kings 10:20 And Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it.
  • Isaiah 1:13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.

“fast” Hebrew H6685 · used in 22 verses

  • 2 Samuel 12:16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
  • Esther 9:31 To confirm these days of Purim in their times appointed, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined them, and as they had decreed for themselves and for their seed, the matters of the fastings and their cry.
  • Jeremiah 36:6 Therefore go thou, and read in the roll, which thou hast written from my mouth, the words of the LORD in the ears of the people in the LORD'S house upon the fasting day: and also thou shalt read them in the ears of all Judah that come out of their cities.

“cry” Hebrew H2199 · used in 73 verses

  • Exodus 2:23 And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.
  • 1 Samuel 28:12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.
  • Isaiah 26:17 Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O LORD.