Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Joel 1:9
The meat offering and the drink offering is cut off from the house of the LORD; the priests, the LORD’s ministers, mourn.
9. The meal offering and the drink offering is cut off, &c.] the means of providing them having been destroyed by the locusts. The cessation of the daily sacrifices would be regarded as a national misfortune: even during the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans, they were maintained as long as possible, and when ultimately they had to be suspended, the people, we are told, “were terribly despondent” (Jos. B. J. VI. 2, 1).
On the nature of the meal-offering, see Leviticus 2; and comp. on Amo 5:22. The drink-offering was a libation of wine, which usually accompanied a burnt-offering. Here the reference is, no doubt, to the meal- and drink-offering, which, according to the Priestly Code (Exo 29:38-42; Num 28:3-8), were to accompany the daily morning and evening burnt-offering. A special meal-offering was also offered daily by the high-priest (Lev 6:19-20).
the ministers of Jehovah ] Joe 1:13, Joe 2:17; cf. Isa 61:6; Jer 33:21. The corresponding verb, to minister, is used often of the sacred services of the priests, as Deu 10:8; Deu 18:5; Deu 18:7; Exo 28:35; Exo 28:43, &c.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The meat offering and the drink offering is cut off – The meat offering and drink offering were part of every sacrifice. If the materials for these, the grain and wine, ceased, through locusts or drought or the wastings of war, the sacrifice must become mangled and imperfect. The priests were to mourn for the defects of the sacrifice; they lost also their own subsistence, since the altar was, to them, in place of all other inheritance. The meat and drink offerings were emblems of the materials of the holy eucharist, by which Malachi foretold that, when God had rejected the offering of the Jews, there should be a pure offering among the pagan Joe 1:11. When then holy communions become rare, the meat and drink offering are literally cut off from the house of the Lord, and those who are indeed priests, the ministers of the Lord, should mourn. Joel foretells that, however love should wax cold, there should ever be such. He forsees and foretells at once, the failure, and the grief of the priests. Nor is it an idle regret which he foretells, but a mourning unto their God. : Both meat offering and drink offering hath perished from the house of God, not in actual substance but as to reverence, because, amid the prevailing iniquity there is scarcely found in the Church, who should duly celebrate, or receive the sacraments.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 9. The meat-offering and the drink-offering is cut off] The crops and the vines being destroyed by the locusts, the total devastation in plants, trees, corn, &c., is referred to and described with a striking variety of expression in this and the following verses.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The meat-offering; which by Divine appointment was to be of fine flour, oil, and frankincense, as Lev 2:1, &c.; 6:14, &c. This meat-offering was necessary to every sacrifice offered under the law; so that without the mincha, or meat-offering, the sacrifice was maimed and illegal.
The drink-offering; required daily, as appears Exo 29:40,41; Num 28:8; a fourth part of a hin of wine for one lamb, Num 28:7.
Is cut off; by the destruction of the vines by the locusts forementioned, all that wine (out of which they ought to, offer the drink-offering) did fail.
From the house of the Lord; it was to be poured out, if wine, and part of the meat-offering was to be burnt on the altar, so both were disposed according to the law in the house of the Lord.
The priests; sons of Aaron, with the Levites.
The Lords ministers, who did serve the Lord in the services of the temple.
Mourn; grieve inwardly, and express it by outward signs. These had more cause than others to mourn, for as they had equal cause with others in respect to God, whose service hereby failed, so the priests, in respect to their private gain and maintenance, had more cause to mourn, their provision was by this means shortened.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
9. The greatest sorrow to themind of a religious Jew, and what ought to impress the whole nationwith a sense of God’s displeasure, is the cessation of the usualtemple-worship.
meat offeringHebrew,mincha; “meat” not in the English sense “flesh,”but the unbloody offering made of flour, oil, and frankincense. As itand the drink offering or libation poured out accompaniedevery sacrificial flesh offering, the latter is included,though not specified, as being also “cut off,” owing tothere being no food left for man or beast.
priests . . . mournnotfor their own loss of sacrificial perquisites (Nu18:8-15), but because they can no longer offer the appointedofferings to Jehovah, to whom they minister.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
The meat offering and the drink offering is cut off from the house of the Lord,…. The meat offering was made of fine flour, oil, and frankincense; and the drink offering was of wine; and, because of the want of corn and wine, these were not brought to the temple as usual; and which was matter of great grief to religious persons, and especially to the priests, as follows:
the priests, the Lord’s ministers, mourn; partly because they had no work to do, and could not answer to their character, the ministers of the Lord, in ministering about holy things, and bringing the sacrifices and offerings of the people to him; and partly because of their want of food, their livelihood greatly depending on the offerings brought, part of which belonged to them, and on which they and their families lived.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Here, in other words, the Prophet paints the calamity; for, as it has been said, we see how great is the slowness of men to discern God’s judgments; and the Jews, we know, were not more attentive to them than we are now. It was, therefore, needful to prick them with various goads, as the Prophet now does, as though he said, “If ye are not now concerned for want of food, if ye consider not even what the very drunkards are constrained to feel, who perceive not the evil at a distance, but taste it in their lips — if all these things are of no account with you, do at least look on the temple of God, which is now destitute of its ordinary services; for through the sterility of your fields, through so great a scarcity, neither bread nor wine is offered. Since then ye see that the worship of God has ceased, how is it ye yourselves still remain? Why is it that ye perceive not that God’s fury is kindled against you? For surely except God had been most grievously offended, he would at least have had some regard for his own worship; he would not have suffered his temple to remain without sacrifices.”
The Jews, we know, daily poured their libations, and offered meat-offerings. When, therefore, Joel mentions מנחה meneche and libation, he doubtless meant to show that the worship of God was nearly abolished. But God would have never permitted such a thing, had he not been grievously offended by the sins of men. Hence the indifference, or rather the stupidity of the people, is more clearly proved, inasmuch as they perceived not the signs of God’s wrath made evident even in the very temple. It follows —
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(9) The meat offering and the drink offeringi.e., all the outward and visible signs of communion with God are cut off. The means are lost through this visitation. There is a total cessation of the creatures of bread and wine. The immediate significance of this fact is naturally appreciated first by the priests, the Lords ministers.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Joe 1:9 The meat offering and the drink offering is cut off from the house of the LORD; the priests, the LORD’S ministers, mourn.
Ver. 9. The meat offering and the drink offering is cut off ] Periit libatio et oblatio. This was the godly man’s greatest grief, that there wanted matter of testifying their thankfulness to God in his commanded worships; and that God was so deeply displeased, as that he had deprived himself and his ministers of the due allowance; so that they also mourned, and could not cheerfully execute their office, for lack of maintenance; for they were not of the chameleon kind.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
meat offering = the meal or gift offering. Hebrew. minchah. See App-43. Reference to Pentateuch (Lev 2). App-92. Compare Joe 2:14.
drink offering. Ref to Pentateuch (Exo 29:40. Lev 23:13. Num 15:3-10) and App-92. See App-43.
ministers. Reference to Pentateuch (Num 3:6, &c.) App-92.
field . . . wasted. Note the Figure of speech Paronomasia (App-6). Hebrew. shuddad. . . sadeh
land = soil. Hebrew ‘adamah Not the same word as in verses: Joe 2:6, Joe 2:14, &c., in this book; but the same as in Joe 2:21. Verses 10-12 show why the offerings cannot be brought.
new wine. Hebrew tirosh. App-27. Same word as in Joe 2:19, Joe 2:24. Not the some as in Joe 1:5 and Joe 8:18.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
meat: Joe 1:13, Joe 1:16, Joe 2:14, Hos 9:4
the priests: Joe 2:17, Lam 1:4, Lam 1:16
the Lord’s: Exo 28:1, 2Ch 13:10, Isa 61:6
Reciprocal: Exo 29:40 – a drink Lev 2:1 – fine flour Lev 23:13 – the drink Num 6:15 – drink Num 15:9 – a meat Num 28:7 – to be poured Num 29:22 – drink offering 2Sa 1:21 – offerings Hos 9:2 – floor Amo 1:2 – the habitations 2Co 6:4 – as
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Joe 1:9. It was true that the services of the altar had been literally neglected and abused, but as a prophecy the time was coming when such practices would be stopped altogether, for God would not permit his people to attempt them in a heathen country.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Joe 1:9-10. The meat-offering and the drink-offering These offerings always accompanied the daily sacrifice: see Num 28:4; Num 28:7. The word here and elsewhere translated meat-offering, properly signifies the bread- offering, which was made of flour. It is here foretold, that these daily sacrifices could not be offered as they were wont to be, on account of the scarcity of corn and wine. The field is wasted, &c. The fields and the whole land have a mournful appearance, being altogether bare, and destitute of fruit for the food of either man or beast. The oil languisheth
The olive-tree fadeth and produceth no fruit.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1:9 The meat offering and the drink offering is {f} cut off from the house of the LORD; the priests, the LORD’S ministers, mourn.
(f) The signs of God’s wrath appeared in his temple, in so much that God’s service was discontinued.