Joel 1:20 (ASV)

Passage

Yea, the beasts of the field pant unto thee; for the water brooks are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.

Nearby Context

Joel 1:18 How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.

Joel 1:19 O Jehovah, to thee do I cry; for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field.

Joel 1:20 Yea, the beasts of the field pant unto thee; for the water brooks are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "beasts", "field", "pant", "thee", "water", "brooks", "dried", and "fire". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "beasts" and "field", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "O Jehovah to thee do I cry...", giving immediate footing for "beasts" and "field". In Joel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "beasts" and "field" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.