Famine, a severe shortage of food resulting in widespread hunger, is a recurring theme in the Bible, often depicted as a divine instrument of judgment or a test of faith. Throughout the Scriptures, famines serve as pivotal events that shape the narrative and spiritual journey of God's people.

In the Old Testament, famines are frequently mentioned as consequences of disobedience to God's commandments. Leviticus 26:19-20 warns, "I will break down your stubborn pride and make your sky like iron and your land like bronze, so that your strength will be spent in vain; for your land will not yield its produce, and the trees of the land will not bear their fruit." Here, famine is portrayed as a direct result of Israel's failure to adhere to the covenant with God.

One of the most notable famines occurs in the time of Joseph, as recorded in Genesis 41. Pharaoh's dreams, interpreted by Joseph, foretell seven years of abundance followed by seven years of severe famine. Genesis 41:30 states, "But seven years of famine will deplete the land." This famine not only tests the resilience and faith of the Egyptians and surrounding nations but also serves as a means for God to elevate Joseph to a position of power and to preserve the lineage of Israel.

The Book of Ruth opens with a famine in the land of Judah, prompting Elimelech and his family to migrate to Moab (Ruth 1:1). This famine sets the stage for the account of Ruth, highlighting themes of loyalty, redemption, and divine providence. The narrative demonstrates how God can use famine to bring about His purposes, ultimately leading to the lineage of King David and, by extension, Jesus Christ.

In the prophetic literature, famines are often depicted as part of the judgments that accompany the Day of the Lord. Ezekiel 5:16 declares, "When I send against them the deadly arrows of famine to destroy you, I will intensify the famine and cut off your supply of bread." Such passages emphasize the seriousness of turning away from God and the dire consequences that follow.

The New Testament also references famine, notably in the context of the early church. Acts 11:28 recounts a prophecy by Agabus, who "stood up and predicted by the Spirit that a great famine would sweep across the whole world." This event prompts the disciples to provide aid to the believers in Judea, illustrating the Christian response of compassion and support in times of crisis.

In Revelation, famine is symbolically represented as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Revelation 6:5-6 describes the third horseman riding a black horse, holding a pair of scales, signifying scarcity and economic hardship. This imagery underscores the eschatological significance of famine as part of the end-times tribulations.

Throughout the Bible, famine is more than a mere physical deprivation; it is a spiritual metaphor for the consequences of sin and the need for reliance on God's provision. It serves as a reminder of human vulnerability and the importance of faithfulness to God's commands.Deuteronomy 28:53-57
And you shall eat the fruit of your own body, the flesh of your sons and of your daughters, which the LORD your God has given you, in the siege, and in the narrow place, with which your enemies shall distress you:
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Isaiah 5:13
Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honorable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.
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Isaiah 9:18-21
For wickedness burns as the fire: it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke.
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Isaiah 17:11
In the day shall you make your plant to grow, and in the morning shall you make your seed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow.
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Jeremiah 5:17
And they shall eat up your harvest, and your bread, which your sons and your daughters should eat: they shall eat up your flocks and your herds: they shall eat up your vines and your fig trees: they shall impoverish your fenced cities, wherein you trusted, with the sword.
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Jeremiah 14:1-6
The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth.
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Jeremiah 48:33
And joy and gladness is taken from the plentiful field, and from the land of Moab, and I have caused wine to fail from the winepresses: none shall tread with shouting; their shouting shall be no shouting.
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Lamentations 1:11,19
All her people sigh, they seek bread; they have given their pleasant things for meat to relieve the soul: see, O LORD, and consider; for I am become vile.
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Lamentations 2:11-22
My eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured on the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city.
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Lamentations 4:4-10
The tongue of the sucking child sticks to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaks it to them.
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Joel 1:17-20
The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered.
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The Misfortunes which Happened in Connection with These Things, in ...
... collected in one place those who were afflicted by the famine, throughout the ... the
Christians, having revealed in the events which have been described his anger ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter viii the misfortunes which happened.htm

The Last Siege of the Jews after Christ.
... as well as women and children, that perished by the sword, by famine, and by ...
fire,"all these things any one that wishes may find accurately described in the ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter v the last siege of.htm

Antioch
... of the famine relief, which the writer of Acts had either not known or thought it
unnecessary to recount.[6] According to this theory the visit described in ...
/.../lake/landmarks in the history of early christianity/iii antioch.htm

A Jealous God
... In Ezekiel we find the false god described as "the image of jealousy which provoketh
to jealousy ... Why did famine follow pestilence, and war succeed to famine? ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 9 1863/a jealous god.htm

That the King of Babylon Repented of Making Jehoiachin King, and ...
... Jerusalem, and besiege it again, and would destroy the people by famine, and carry ...
in for some time, while he suffered what I have already described unjustly. ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 7 that the king.htm

God's Dealings with the Earth During the Tribulation Period.
... This "pouring out of God's indignation" is described in numerous passages. ... scarcity
of food, and the very necessaries of life will be sold at famine prices. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the redeemers return/3 gods dealings with the.htm

Sin and Grace
... We should have known no war, nor pestilence, nor famine, nor would aught of sickness ...
The power that is to fight and overcome sin is ever described in the Word ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 54 1908/sin and grace.htm

Justinus' Triad of Principles; his Angelography Founded on this ...
... And when all things were created as has been described by Moses"both ... And when Phison
holds sway over places, famine, distress, and affliction prevail in that ...
/.../the refutation of all heresies/chapter xxi justinus triad of principles.htm

Ripe for Gathering
... God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread ... The tragedy of
that fruit-gathering is described with extraordinary grimness and force in the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/ripe for gathering.htm

Chapter xxvi
... text to the same effect, point to two different situations: here a famine, there
none ... of Genesis 7:18, 19 the increase of Isaac's prosperity is here described. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxvi.htm

What does the Bible say about famine? | GotQuestions.org

Was Joseph the same person as Imhotep in Egyptian history? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Rizpah in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Famine: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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