Throughout the Bible, famine appears as a result of disobedience, a test of faith, a tool for correction, and sometimes a sign pointing to future events. By studying bible verses about famine, believers gain wisdom on how God deals with nations, individuals, and the world during times of scarcity.
This post carefully examines forty powerful Scriptures that speak about famine, their meanings, and the lessons they teach. We will also answer two important questions: what does the Bible say about famine in the last days, and what are the reasons for famine in the Bible.
What Is Famine According to the Bible?
In biblical terms, famine refers to a prolonged period of severe lack of food, water, or resources necessary for survival. It is often associated with drought, war, pestilence, and divine judgment, but Scripture also shows that famine can serve as a turning point that leads people back to God.
Many bible verses about famine reveal that scarcity is never random. It carries spiritual meaning and calls for reflection, repentance, and reliance on God rather than human strength.
What Does the Bible Say About Famine in the Last Days?
Jesus clearly mentioned famine as one of the signs preceding the end times. In Matthew 24 and Luke 21, famine is grouped with wars, earthquakes, and plagues. These events are not meant to cause fear but to signal the need for spiritual readiness.
The Bible teaches that famine in the last days will:
- Affect many nations at once
- Test faith and endurance
- Create opportunities for compassion
- Confirm the urgency of repentance
When studying bible verses about famine, it becomes clear that end-time famine is not just physical but spiritual, marked by a lack of truth and righteousness.
Reasons for Famine in the Bible
Scripture gives clear reasons famine occurs. These reasons help believers understand the spiritual roots of scarcity.
- Disobedience to God: Repeated rebellion often led to famine (Deuteronomy 28).
- Idolatry: Turning from God resulted in withheld rain and crops.
- Social Injustice: Neglecting the poor brought consequences.
- Call to Repentance: Famine served as a wake-up call to return to God.
- Fulfillment of Prophecy: Some famines fulfilled God’s revealed plans.
These themes appear consistently throughout bible verses about famine, showing that scarcity often has a spiritual message attached.
40 Bible Verses About Famine
Here are 40 Bible verses about famine. They reflect famine as judgment, warning, consequence, and sometimes a backdrop for God’s mercy and provision.
- Genesis 12:10 – “And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.”
- Genesis 26:1 – “And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham…”
- Genesis 41:30 – “And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt…”
- Genesis 41:54 – “And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands…”
- Genesis 47:4 – “For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan…”
- Ruth 1:1 – “Now it has come to pass in the days when the judges ruled that there was a famine in the land…”
- 2 Samuel 21:1 – “Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year…”
- 1 Kings 8:37 – “If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpillars…”
- 1 Kings 17:1 – “As the LORD God of Israel liveth… there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.”
- 1 Kings 18:2 – “And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria.”
- 2 Kings 6:25 – “And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it…”
- 2 Kings 8:1 – “Then spake Elisha unto the woman… saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn: for the LORD hath called for a famine…”
- 1 Chronicles 21:12 – “Either three years’ famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes…”
- 2 Chronicles 6:28 – “If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locusts, or caterpillars…”
- Nehemiah 5:3 – “Some also there said, We have mortgaged our lands… to buy corn, because of the dearth.”
- Psalm 33:19 – “To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.”
- Psalm 37:19 – “They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.”
- Psalm 105:16 – “Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread.”
- Proverbs 28:3 – “A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food.”
- Isaiah 5:13 – “Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honorable men are famished…”
- Isaiah 14:30 – “And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety: and I will kill thy root with famine…”
- Isaiah 51:19 – “These two things come unto thee; who shall be sorry for thee? desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword…”
- Jeremiah 11:22 – “Behold, I will punish them: the young men shall die by the sword; their sons and their daughters shall die by famine.”
- Jeremiah 14:12 – “When they fast, I will not hear their cry… but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence.”
- Jeremiah 21:7 – “Afterward… I will deliver Zedekiah, king of Judah… into the hand of their enemies… and they shall smite them with the edge of the sword…”
- Jeremiah 24:10 – “And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them…”
- Jeremiah 29:17 – “Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence…”
- Jeremiah 32:36 – “Concerning this city… by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence…”
- Lamentations 2:20 – “Behold, O LORD, and consider to whom thou hast done this… shall the women eat their fruit…?”
- Lamentations 4:9 – “They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger…”
- Ezekiel 5:12 – “A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed…”
- Ezekiel 14:13 – “When the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof…”
- Ezekiel 14:21 – “How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine…”
- Amos 4:6 – “And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places…”
- Haggai 1:11 – “And I called for a drought upon the land… and upon men, and upon cattle…”
- Matthew 24:7 – “For nation shall rise against nation… and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in diverse places.”
- Mark 13:8 – “For nation shall rise against nation… and there shall be famines and troubles…”
- Luke 4:25 – “But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heavens was shut up for three years and six months…”
- Luke 15:14 – “And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.”
- Revelation 6:8 – “And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger…”
Lessons Believers Can Learn from Famine in Scripture
Here are enduring lessons believers can apply today:
- God remains sovereign in every season
- Obedience brings provision
- Repentance restores blessing
- Compassion matters deeply to God
- Faith must stand firm during lack
Studying bible verses about famine strengthens spiritual understanding and prepares believers to trust God regardless of circumstances.
Conclusion
Famine in Scripture is both a warning and a teacher. While it reveals the seriousness of sin and disobedience, it also highlights God’s mercy, provision, and power to restore. By studying these bible verses about famine, believers gain wisdom, hope, and confidence in God’s unfailing care.
Whether famine is physical, spiritual, or symbolic, God remains faithful to those who trust Him. Even in times of lack, His word stands sure.
May these bible verses about famine strengthen your faith, guide your understanding, and deepen your trust in God’s provision.
