Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Joel 2:22
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.
22. The beasts of the field, whose sufferings were described in Joe 1:18; Joe 1:20 need now fear no longer: the “pastures of the wilderness,” which but recently were burnt up (Joe 1:19), will now soon begin to spring.
spring ] lit. have young grass: the verb being cognate with the word for “young grass,” Gen 1:11 (“let the earth grass forth young grass ”), 12; Psa 23:2 (lit. “pastures of young grass ”).
the fig tree and the vine ] which were described as ravaged in Joe 1:7; Joe 1:12. The tenses in this verse are in the Hebrew perfects, to be explained as the perfect in Joe 2:21.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The reversal of the whole former sentence is continued up to man. The beasts of the field groaned, were perplexed, cried unto God; now they are bidden, be not afraid; before, the pastures of the wilderness were devoured by fire; now, they spring with fresh tender life; before, the fig tree was withered, the vine languished; now, they should yield their strength, put out their full vigor. For God was reconciled to His people; and all things served them, serving Him.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field. In Joe 1:18-20, the poor beasts were represented as in greatest perplexity, for want of pasture they were like to perish; but now they are (as if capable of fears or joy from foresight of what was coming toward them) encouraged, they should find pasture, both the tamer which are under mans hand, and the wilder which range the mountains.
The pastures of the wilderness: see Joe 1:19. Do spring; begin to look green, and the grass fresh promise the food for you. The tree beareth her fruit; all sorts of trees, though they were withered, and seemed to be dead, Joe 1:12, now they recover their strength and bring forth fruit.
The fig tree does not, as Joe 1:12, languish.
The vine is not, as before, dried up, but with change of season hath changed its hue.
Do yield their strength; both these trees do mightily bear, are full of fruit, and bring forth as much as ever they are able to stand under.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
22. (Zec8:12). As before (Joe 1:18;Joe 1:20) he represented thebeasts as groaning and crying for want of food in the”pastures,” so now he reassures them by the promise ofspringing pastures.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field,…. Which before groaned, and were perplexed for want of pasture, and cried because of the drought, Joe 1:18; perhaps the Gentiles may be here designed, in the mystic and spiritual sense, in distinction from the Jews, the children of Zion, in Joe 2:23;
for the pastures of the wilderness do spring; grass in abundance springs up in them, and covers them, so that there was plenty of food for the beasts of the field:
for the tree beareth her fruit; brings forth and bears fruit suitable to it, agreeable to its nature:
the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength; send forth their branches, put forth their buds, their leaves and fruit. This and the preceding clause cannot be understood as a reason why the beasts of the field should not be afraid, for they relate not to them, but to men; and may serve to confirm the mystic sense of the words, as they may refer to the great fruitfulness produced in the wilderness of the Gentile world, through the preaching of the Gospel in the times of the Messiah; which are more clearly pointed at in Joe 2:23; and which were introduced with great outward peace and plenty; and the Jews f by the tree bearing her fruit, in the preceding clause, understand barren trees bearing fruit.
f T. Bab. Cetubot, fol. 112. 2.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Here the Prophet turns his address to the beasts; not that his instruction suited them; but it was a more efficacious mode of speaking, when he invited the very beasts to a participation of the people’s joy; for except the Jews had been made to know that God’s wrath was now nigh at hand, no consolation which the Prophet has hitherto applied would have been of any weight with them. But now since they perceived that God’s wrath did not only suspend over them, but extended much farther, even to the beasts, and since the Lord would have mercy on them, so that his blessing would be partaken in common by the beasts and brute animals, the address was far more impressive. We hence see that the Prophet, for the best reason, directed his discourse to the very beasts, though destitute of mind and discernment. For in addressing brute animals he addressed men with double force; that is, he impressed their minds more effectually, so that they might seriously confess how great was God’s wrath, and also how great would be his blessing.
Beasts, he says, fear not. Then the beasts of the field ought to have dreaded the judgment of God which he had before denounced; for except God had been pacified to his people, the fire of his wrath would have consumed the whole land, trees and pastures; so all the beasts must have been famished. But now when God is reconciled to his people, his blessing will smile on the brute animals. What then is to be said of men? For God is properly propitious to them, and not to brute animals. We hence see that the fruit of reconciliation is made more evident, when it is in part extended to the brute creation.
He therefore says, Fear not, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the desert will grow, the trees will bring forth their fruit. By these words the Prophet intimates, that had God’s wrath toward his people been implacable, the sterility of the land would not have been improved. Now then whence came so sudden a change that the pastures grew, that the trees produced their fruits, both the fig-tree and the vine, except that God was pleased to bless the land, after having received men into favor? We now then apprehend the meaning of the Prophet, even this, — that the land would be made by an angry God to execute his judgment, and that there would be no remedy for the barrenness of the land until men propitiated God. This is the sum of the whole. It now follows —
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
Joe 2:22 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.
Ver. 22. Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field ] q.d. Ye shall have no cause to fear for the future: though hitherto ye have suffered hardship, Joe 1:18 . Beasts and birds do in diem vivere to live for the day, (as Quintilian saith of them), and take no further thought than for present sustenance. But by a personification (as before the land, so here) the beasts that till it are forbidden to fear want; for God, the great housekeeper of the world, will provide them their meat in due season, Psa 104:27-28 , and several meats according to their various appetites. He will hear the heaven, the heaven shall hear the earth, the earth shall bear all kind of fruits, both natural, as herbs of the field and grass of the wilderness, and such as are sown and planted, as wine, oil, figs; so that neither man nor beast shall want anything ad esum, vel ad usum, to eat or to use but have plenty without penury, &c. It shall be said of Judea, as Solinus saith of Spain, In Hispania nihil infructuosum, nihil sterile, that there is no unfruitfulness in any part of it; or, as it is said of Campania, in Italy, that it is the most fruitful plat of earth that is in the universe.
The fig tree and the vine
do yield their strength
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Be not afraid, &c. Figure of speech Apostrophe (App-6), as in Joe 2:21. Compare Joe 1:18, Joe 1:20.
pastures, &c. Compare Joe 1:19.
strength = abundance.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
afraid: Joe 1:18-20, Psa 36:6, Psa 104:11-14, Psa 104:27-29, Psa 145:15, Psa 145:16, Psa 147:8, Psa 147:9, Isa 30:23, Isa 30:24, Jon 4:11
for the pastures: Joe 1:19, Psa 65:12, Isa 51:3
for the tree: Lev 26:4, Lev 26:5, Psa 67:6, Psa 107:35-38, Eze 34:26, Eze 34:27, Eze 36:8, Eze 36:30, Eze 36:35, Hos 14:5-7, Amo 9:14, Amo 9:15, Hag 2:16, Zec 8:12, Mal 3:10-12
yield: Gen 4:12, 1Co 3:7
Reciprocal: Deu 11:14 – General Deu 11:15 – And I will 1Ki 18:5 – grass Job 36:33 – the cattle Psa 104:14 – causeth Psa 104:21 – seek Mal 3:11 – neither
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Joe 2:22. The beasts of the field are animate creatures, yet they cannot in-telligently respond to the Lord’s promise of blessings upon the fields. However, they can enjoy those blessings and thrive upon them, which would enable them to yield benefits for the enjoyment of their owners.