Joel 2:22 (DBY)

Passage

Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring; for the tree beareth its fruit; the fig-tree and the vine yield full increase.

Nearby Context

Joel 2:20 And I will remove far off from you him [that cometh] from the north, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, his face toward the eastern sea, and his rear toward the hinder sea; and his stench shall come up, and his ill odour shall come up, for he hath exalted himself to do great things.

Joel 2:21 Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for Jehovah doeth great things.

Joel 2:22 Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring; for the tree beareth its fruit; the fig-tree and the vine yield full increase.

Joel 2:23 And ye, children of Zion, be glad and rejoice in Jehovah your God; for he giveth you the early rain in due measure, and he causeth to come down for you the rain, the early rain, and the latter rain at the beginning [of the season].

Joel 2:24 And the floors shall be full of corn, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "afraid", "beasts", "field", "pastures", "wilderness", "spring", "tree", and "beareth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "afraid" and "beasts", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 21's "Fear not O land be glad and..." into verse 23's "And ye children of Zion be glad...", so "afraid" and "beasts" belong inside that flow. In Joel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

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