Original Word: מַמְּגֻרָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: mammgurah
Pronunciation: mam-meh-goo-RAH
Phonetic Spelling: (mam-meg-oo-raw')
KJV: barn
NASB: barns
Word Origin: [from H4048 (מָגַר - cast) (in the sense of depositing)]

1. a granary

barn

From magar (in the sense of depositing); a granary -- barn.

see HEBREW magar

Word Origin
from gur
Definition
granary, storehouse
NASB Translation
barns (1).

מַמְּגֻרוֺת noun feminine plural id., Joel 1:17 ("" אֹצָרוֺת; but ᵐ5 ληνοί, Me גתות)

Definition and Imagery

מַמְּגֻרָה denotes a granary or storehouse—a secure place where harvested grain is gathered, protected, and set apart for future use. In an agrarian society such a structure symbolized stability, provision, and the blessing of the Lord upon the land (compare Deuteronomy 28:8).

Biblical Context: Joel 1:17

Joel describes the devastating locust invasion that foreshadows a coming “day of the Lord.” The prophet laments, “The seeds lie shriveled beneath the clods; the storehouses are in ruins; the granaries are broken down, for the grain has withered” (Joel 1:17). The collapse of the מַמְּגֻרָה is not merely an economic disaster; it is a visible sign of divine judgment. Israel’s covenant disobedience resulted in the loss of the basic means of sustenance, underscoring that safety and prosperity ultimately depend on covenant faithfulness.

Historical and Agricultural Background

Ancient Near Eastern granaries were often circular or rectangular mud-brick structures with elevated floors to guard against moisture and vermin. After threshing, grain was stored in bulk, sealed with clay or packed straw, and accessed through narrow openings. A ruined granary therefore pointed to prolonged neglect or catastrophic loss—precisely the scene Joel paints.

Theological Significance

1. Covenant Blessing or Curse: The granary’s condition reflected the people’s spiritual state. When Israel obeyed, God promised their “barns” would be filled (Proverbs 3:10). When they rebelled, He warned the heavens would become bronze and the earth iron (Deuteronomy 28:23). Joel’s broken מַמְּגֻרָה visualizes the curse side of the covenant.
2. Human Frailty: A fortified storehouse cannot withstand divine judgment. The collapse of physical provision calls God’s people to humble dependence on Him rather than on accumulated resources.
3. Call to Repentance: Immediately after describing the ruined granaries, Joel summons priests, elders, and all inhabitants to fasting and supplication (Joel 1:13–14). Material loss becomes a spiritual alarm.

Intertextual Echoes

Though מַמְּגֻרָה appears only once, Scripture frequently speaks of barns and storehouses. Joseph’s granaries in Egypt preserved nations during famine (Genesis 41:48–49). Conversely, Jesus warns of the rich fool who said, “I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones” (Luke 12:18)—a man secure in grain yet bankrupt toward God. These passages amplify Joel’s message: grain security cannot substitute for covenant fidelity.

Eschatological Perspective

Joel’s locust-ruined granaries prefigure the ultimate day of the Lord. Just as physical grain failed in Joel’s day, earthly supplies will prove inadequate when God shakes the heavens and the earth (Hebrews 12:26). Only those who “call on the name of the Lord” will be saved (Joel 2:32).

Christological Fulfillment

Jesus Christ, the “bread of life” (John 6:35), embodies the provision symbolized by ancient granaries. Where the מַמְּגֻרָה of Joel stood empty, Christ offers abundant sustenance that never diminishes. In Him the curse of Joel 1 is reversed: “I will restore to you the years the locusts have eaten” (Joel 2:25).

Ministry Applications

1. Preaching: Joel 1:17 can anchor sermons on repentance, illustrating how misplaced confidence in material stores invites divine rebuke.
2. Counseling: Believers facing financial loss may find comfort in God’s sovereignty over provisions and His power to restore.
3. Stewardship Teaching: The passage warns against hoarding without honoring the Lord; generous, God-centered use of resources reflects trust in His ongoing care.
4. Missions: The emptiness of the granary can serve as a metaphor for spiritual famine among the nations, motivating gospel proclamation that offers the true Bread.

Practical Exhortations

• Cultivate gratitude when barns are full; cultivate repentance when they are empty.
• Hold earthly resources loosely, viewing them as tools for kingdom service.
• Look beyond temporal granaries to the eternal inheritance “kept in heaven” (1 Peter 1:4).

When the prophet showed Israel the shattered מַמְּגֻרָה, he was not only recording an agricultural catastrophe but summoning the nation—and every subsequent reader—to renew covenant loyalty, seek God’s mercy, and trust the One who alone fills every storehouse with everlasting abundance.

מַמְּגֻר֑וֹת ממגרות mam·mə·ḡu·rō·wṯ mammeguRot mamməḡurōwṯInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts