Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.

JOEL 2:22KJV
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Joel 2:22 (KJV)

What does Joel 2:22 mean?

Joel 2:22 describes how even the animals of the field should not be afraid, because the once-barren wilderness pastures are now growing again, and the trees, including the fig tree and the vine, are producing their fruit and strength. This verse is a promise of restored abundance and relief after a time of devastation.

In Joel 2:22, the prophet Joel is speaking God’s words to the land and its creatures after a severe locust plague and drought. The verse reassures not just people but also animals that the land’s fertility is returning, signaling the end of hardship. The mention of specific trees and vines highlights the renewal of agricultural life in Israel.

The Hebrew behind Joel 2:22

  • "Afraid" (יָרֵא, yare): This word means to fear or be terrified. Here, it is addressed to animals, emphasizing that even nature itself need not fear anymore.
  • "Pastures" (נָאוֹת, na'ot): This refers to grassy places or meadows. The word points to the restoration of grazing land, which is crucial for the survival of livestock.
  • "Spring" (דָּשָׁא, dasha): This verb means to sprout or shoot forth. It highlights the sudden and visible renewal of plant life after a period of barrenness.
  • "Yield their strength" (נָתַן חֵיל, natan cheil): This phrase means to give or produce their vigor or best. It suggests that the fig tree and vine are not just surviving but thriving, producing abundantly.

Why Joel 2:22 matters

  • Joel 2:22 clears up the idea that God’s restoration is only for people; it extends to all creation, including animals and the land itself.
  • The verse emphasizes the completeness of renewal after judgment, showing that God’s promises cover every aspect of life that was affected by disaster.
  • Joel 2:22 connects to the wider passage by showing the reversal of the curses described earlier in the book, marking a turning point from despair to hope.

Where else these words appear

“spring” Hebrew H1876 · used in 2 verses

  • Genesis 1:11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

“pastures” Hebrew H4999 · used in 12 verses

  • Psalms 23:2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
  • Psalms 83:12 Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession.
  • Lamentations 2:2 The Lord hath swallowed up all the habitations of Jacob, and hath not pitied: he hath thrown down in his wrath the strong holds of the daughter of Judah; he hath brought them down to the ground: he hath polluted the kingdom and the princes thereof.

“tree” Hebrew H8384 · used in 35 verses

  • Genesis 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
  • Proverbs 27:18 Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured.
  • Jeremiah 24:8 And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil; surely thus saith the LORD, So will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt:

“vine” Hebrew H1612 · used in 53 verses

  • Genesis 40:9 And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me;
  • Psalms 105:33 He smote their vines also and their fig trees; and brake the trees of their coasts.
  • Jeremiah 48:32 O vine of Sibmah, I will weep for thee with the weeping of Jazer: thy plants are gone over the sea, they reach even to the sea of Jazer: the spoiler is fallen upon thy summer fruits and upon thy vintage.