Fear not, you beasts of the field: Beasts of the field is an idiomatic expression in Hebrew for the animals, whose natural habitat is not in towns but in the land outside. Both wild and domestic animals are included (compare 1.20). Simply “animals” (Good News Translation) is enough, rather than “wild animals” (New Jerusalem Bible). As in the previous verse, there is personification here, but this time with animals. Many languages will have ways of speaking to animals as if they were persons.

For the pastures of the wilderness are green: For the pastures of the wilderness, see 1.19-20. Instead of being dry and desolate, the pastures are green, that is, they are sprouting with fresh growth.

The tree bears its fruit, the fig tree and vine give their full yield: Although the tree, the fig tree, and vine are each singular, they are poetic expressions representing all trees, fig trees, and vines. Many languages will use plural forms here. In this context the tree refers to any fruit trees. For fig tree and vine, see the comments on 1.5, 7. Give their full yield is literally “give their strength,” which means that the size and the quantity of the fruit are as large as they would ever be under the best conditions for growth. For the last line Good News Translation says “there are plenty of figs and grapes.”

Quoted with permission from de Blois, Kees & Dorn, Louis. A Handbook on Joel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2020. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .