Book of Joel Chapter 1 Vs. 20

 A Call to Repentance

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.

בְּהֵמָה

b^ehêmâh

be-hay-maw'

From an unused root (probably meaning to be mute); properly a dumb beast; especially any large quadruped or animal (often collectively): - beast, cattle.

שָׂדַי שָׂדֶה

śâdeh śâday

saw-deh', saw-dah'ee

From an unused root meaning to spread out; a field (as flat): - country, field, ground, land, soil, X wild.

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

עָרַג

‛ârag

aw-rag'

A primitive root; to long for: - cry, pant.

גַּם

gam

gam

By contraction from an unused root meaning to gather; properly assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correlation both... and: - again, alike, also, (so much) as (soon), both (so) . . . and, but, either . . . or, even, for all, (in) likewise (manner), moreover, nay . . . neither, one, then (-refore), though, what, with, yea.

אֶל אֵל

'êl 'el

ale, el

(Used only in the shortened constructive form (the second form)); a primitive particle, properly denoting motion towards, but occasionally used of a quiescent position, that is, near, with or among; often in general, to: - about, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because (-fore, -side), both . . . and, by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in (-to), near, (out) of, over, through,to (-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).

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.

כִּי

kı̂y

kee

A primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjugation or adverb; often largely modified by other particles annexed: - and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured [-ly], + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, who, yea, yet,

אָפִיק

'âphı̂yq

aw-feek'

From H622; properly containing, that is, a tube; also a bed or valley of a stream; also a strong thing or a hero: - brook, channel, mighty, river, + scale, stream, strong piece.

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

אֵשׁ

'êsh

aysh

A primitive word; fire (literally or figuratively): - burning, fiery, fire, flaming, hot.

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.

He compared the locusts to a fire (in both Joel 1:19 and Joel 1:20) which destroys everything in its path. Even the streams had dried up, causing the dehydrated wild animals to pant for water.