Book of Joel Chapter 1 Vs. 20

The day of the Lord

 

The beasts of the field cry also unto thee: for the rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness. Joel 1:20

The beasts of... As well as the prophet, in their way; which may be mentioned, both as a rebuke to such who had no sense of the judgments upon them, and called not on the Lord; and to express the greatness of the calamity, of which the brute creatures were sensible, and made piteous moans, as for food, so for drink.

cry also unto... Panting thorough excessive heat and vehement thirst, as the hart, after the water brooks, of which this word is only used (Psm. 42:1); but in vain.

for the rivers... Not only springs, and rivulets and brooks of water, but rivers, places where there were large deep waters. By the excessive heat and scorching beams of the sun, by which such effects are produced.

and the fire... Whereas the word rendered pastures signifies both "them" and "habitations". (Joel 1:19)

This drought has been so severe, that the rivers and streams have dried up. There is no water for the crops. There is no water for the people or the cattle either. Their only chance for help is to cry out to God.

We read in Jeremiah of a drought where the cows had their calves early and lost them. This was no ordinary dry period. This was a drought so great that nothing could live. This speaks of horror beyond our imagination.

As we see, even the streams had dried up, causing the dehydrated wild animals to pant for water. People will need to cry out to the Lord.