Famine is a recurrent theme in the Bible, often appearing as both a literal and metaphorical phenomenon. In ancient times, famines were serious events that tested communities’ faith and dependence on God. In the Scriptures, famine can symbolize spiritual hunger and the need for God’s provision. The following verses explore famine from various perspectives, revealing deeper insights into human reliance on divine mercy, guidance, and provision.
Bible Verses about Famine
1. Genesis 12:10 – Abram in Egypt
“Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.” – Genesis 12:10
Cross-References
Genesis 26:1 – “Now there was a famine in the land, besides the previous famine in Abraham’s time, and Isaac went to Abimelek king of the Philistines in Gerar.”
2. Genesis 41:30 – Joseph’s Interpretation of Pharaoh’s Dreams
“But seven years of famine will follow them, then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land.” – Genesis 41:30
Cross-References
Genesis 45:6 – “For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping.”
Genesis 47:13 – “There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine.”
Acts 7:11 – “Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great suffering, and our ancestors could not find food.”
3. Deuteronomy 28:48 – Curses for Disobedience
“Therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the Lord sends against you. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you.” – Deuteronomy 28:48
Cross-References
Isaiah 3:1 – “See now, the Lord, the Lord Almighty, is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah both supply and support: all supplies of food and all supplies of water.”
4. Ruth 1:1 – Naomi’s Family Goes to Moab
“In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab.” – Ruth 1:1
Cross-References
1 Kings 17:1 – “Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, ‘As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.'”
5. 2 Samuel 21:1 – David Avenges the Gibeonites
“During the reign of David, there was a famine for three successive years; so David sought the face of the Lord. The Lord said, ‘It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death.'” – 2 Samuel 21:1
Cross-References
2 Samuel 24:13 – “So Gad went to David and said to him, ‘Shall there come on you three years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the one who sent me.’”
1 Chronicles 21:12 – “Three years of famine, three months of being swept away before your enemies, with their swords overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the Lord—days of plague in the land, with the angel of the Lord ravaging every part of Israel. Now then, decide how I should answer the one who sent me.”
6. 1 Kings 18:2 – Elijah and Obadiah
“So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria,” – 1 Kings 18:2
Cross-References
1 Kings 18:5 – “Ahab had said to Obadiah, ‘Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grass to keep the horses and mules alive so we will not have to kill any of our animals.'”
1 Kings 17:7 – “Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land.”
7. 2 Kings 4:38 – Elisha’s Miraculous Meal
“Elisha returned to Gilgal and there was a famine in that region. While the company of the prophets was meeting with him, he said to his servant, ‘Put on the large pot and cook some stew for these prophets.'” – 2 Kings 4:38
Cross-References
2 Kings 6:25 – “There was a great famine in the city; the siege lasted so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter of a cab of seed pods for five shekels.”
8. Jeremiah 14:1 – Drought, Famine, Sword
“This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought:” – Jeremiah 14:1
Cross-References
Jeremiah 14:13 – “But I said, ‘Alas, Sovereign Lord! The prophets keep telling them, ‘You will not see the sword or suffer famine. Indeed, I will give you lasting peace in this place.’'”
Jeremiah 15:2 – “And if they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says: ‘Those destined for death, to death; those for the sword, to the sword; those for famine, to famine; those for captivity, to captivity.'”
Jeremiah 16:4 – “They will die of deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried but will be like dung lying on the ground. They will perish by sword and famine, and their dead bodies will become food for the birds and the wild animals.”
9. Jeremiah 52:6 – The Fall of Jerusalem
“By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat.” – Jeremiah 52:6
Cross-References
2 Kings 25:3 – “By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat.”
10. Ezekiel 36:29 – Blessings for Israel
“I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you.” – Ezekiel 36:29
Cross-References
Hosea 2:21-22 – “In that day I will respond,” declares the Lord—“I will respond to the skies, and they will respond to the earth; and the earth will respond to the grain, the new wine and the olive oil, and they will respond to Jezreel.”
Matthew 6:11 – “Give us today our daily bread.”
Joel 2:21-24 – ‘Do not be afraid, land of Judah; be glad and rejoice. Surely the Lord has done great things! Do not be afraid, you wild animals, for the pastures in the wilderness are becoming green.”
11. Amos 8:11-12 – A Different Kind of Famine
“‘The days are coming,’ declares the Sovereign Lord, ‘when I will send a famine through the land—not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.'” – Amos 8:11-12
Cross-References
Isaiah 55:1 – “‘Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.”
Romans 10:17 – “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”
Amos 8:12 – “People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it.”
12. Matthew 24:7 – Signs of the End Times
“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.” – Matthew 24:7
Cross-References
Mark 13:8 – “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.”
13. Acts 11:28 – Agabus Predicts a Famine
“One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.)” – Acts 11:28
Cross-References
Acts 11:29 – “The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea.”
Acts 21:10 – “After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.”
2 Corinthians 8:14 – “At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality.”
While you’re here, why not explore our latest article on: Bible verses about Strength In Hard Times (With Cross-References)
14. James 5:17 – The Power of Prayer
“Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.” – James 5:17
Cross-References
1 Kings 18:42-45 – “So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. ‘Go and look toward the sea,’ he told his servant.”
Luke 4:25 – “I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land.”
15. Revelation 6:5-6 – The Third Seal: Famine
“When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, ‘Come!’ I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand.” – Revelation 6:5-6
Cross-References
Zechariah 6:2 – “The first chariot had red horses, the second black.”
16. Genesis 41:54 – Famine Strikes the Land
“and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other lands, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food.” – Genesis 41:54
Cross-References
Genesis 42:5 – “So Israel’s sons were among those who went to buy grain, for there was famine in the land of Canaan also.”
Psalm 105:16 – “He called down famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food.”
Nehemiah 5:3 – “Others were saying, ‘We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine.'”
17. Joel 1:10 – The Devastation of the Land
“The fields are ruined, the ground is dried up; the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, the olive oil fails.” – Joel 1:10
Cross-References
Joel 1:11-12 – “Despair, you farmers, wail, you vine growers; grieve for the wheat and the barley, because the harvest of the field is destroyed.”
Isaiah 24:4 – “The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers, the heavens languish with the earth.”
Jeremiah 14:5 – “Even the doe in the field deserts her newborn fawn because there is no grass.”
18. Ezekiel 5:16 – God’s Judgment through Famine
“When I shoot at you with my deadly and destructive arrows of famine, I will shoot to destroy you. I will bring more and more famine upon you and cut off your supply of food.” – Ezekiel 5:16
Cross-References
Amos 4:6 – “I gave you empty stomachs in every city and lack of bread in every town, yet you have not returned to me,” declares the Lord.”
19. Isaiah 5:13 – Spiritual Famine
“Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of understanding; those of high rank will die of hunger and the common people will be parched with thirst.” – Isaiah 5:13
Cross-References
Jeremiah 14:18 – “If I go into the country, I see those slain by the sword; if I go into the city, I see the ravages of famine. Both prophet and priest have gone to a land they know not.'”
20. Psalm 33:18-19 – God’s Protection and Provision
“But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.” – Psalm 33:18-19
Cross-References
Psalm 34:7 – “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.”
Matthew 6:26 – “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”
21. Ezekiel 6:11 – Famine and Sword
“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Strike your hands together and stamp your feet and cry out ‘Alas!’ because of all the wicked and detestable practices of the people of Israel, for they will fall by the sword, famine and plague.” – Ezekiel 6:11
Cross-References
Jeremiah 14:12-13 – “Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry; though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them.”
Jeremiah 44:13 – “I will punish those who live in Egypt with the sword, famine and plague, as I punished Jerusalem.”
Revelation 6:8 – “I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.”
22. Lamentations 4:9 – Dying of Famine
“Those killed by the sword are better off than those who die of famine; racked with hunger, they waste away for lack of food from the field.” – Lamentations 4:9
Cross-References
Lamentations 5:10 – “Our skin is hot as an oven, feverish from hunger.”
23. Job 5:20 – Deliverance from Famine
“In famine he will deliver you from death, and in battle from the stroke of the sword.” – Job 5:20
Cross-References
Psalm 33:19 – “To deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.”
Proverbs 10:3 – “The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.”
Isaiah 49:10 – “They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on them. He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.”
24. Isaiah 14:30 – The Poor and the Needy
“The poorest of the poor will find pasture, and the needy will lie down in safety. But your root I will destroy by famine; it will slay your survivors.” – Isaiah 14:30
Cross-References
Psalm 37:19 – “In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.”
Jeremiah 5:17 – “They will devour your harvests and food, devour your sons and daughters; they will devour your flocks and herds, devour your vines and fig trees.”
25. Luke 15:14 – The Prodigal Son
“After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.” – Luke 15:14
Cross-References
Luke 15:17 – “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!'”
Luke 21:11 – “There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.”
Romans 8:35 – “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?”
26. Ezekiel 14:13 – Judgment through Famine
“‘Son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its people and their animals,” – Ezekiel 14:13
Cross-References
Lamentations 2:20 – “Look, Lord, and consider: Whom have you ever treated like this? Should women eat their offspring, the children they have cared for?”
27. Deuteronomy 32:24 – Consequences for Disobedience
“I will send wasting famine against them, consuming pestilence and deadly plague; I will send against them the fangs of wild beasts, the venom of vipers that glide in the dust.” – Deuteronomy 32:24
Cross-References
Leviticus 26:25 – “And I will bring the sword on you to avenge the breaking of the covenant. When you withdraw into your cities, I will send a plague among you, and you will be given into enemy hands.”
Jeremiah 24:10 – “I will send the sword, famine and plague against them until they are destroyed from the land I gave to them and their ancestors.”
Ezekiel 5:17 – “I will send famine and wild beasts against you, and they will leave you childless. Plague and bloodshed will sweep through you, and I will bring the sword against you. I the Lord have spoken.”
28. Ezekiel 7:15 – The Sword, Famine, and Plague
“The sword is outside; plague and famine are inside. Those in the country will die by the sword; those in the city will be devoured by famine and plague.” – Ezekiel 7:15
Cross-References
Ezekiel 12:16 – “But I will spare a few of them from the sword, famine and plague, so that in the nations where they go they may acknowledge all their detestable practices. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
Jeremiah 21:9 – “Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague, but whoever goes out and surrenders to the Babylonians who are besieging you will live; they will escape with their lives.”
Ezekiel 5:12 – “A third of your people will die of the plague or perish by famine inside you; a third will fall by the sword outside your walls; and a third I will scatter to the winds and pursue with drawn sword.”
29. Zechariah 14:17 – No Rain for Disobedience
“If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no rain.” – Zechariah 14:17
Cross-References
Haggai 1:11 – “I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”
Deuteronomy 11:17 – “Then the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and he will shut up the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the Lord is giving you.”
Isaiah 5:6 – “I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it.”
30. 2 Kings 7:4 – Decision of the Lepers
“If we say, ‘We’ll go into the city’—the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die.” – 2 Kings 7:4
Cross-References
Jeremiah 38:2 – “This is what the Lord says: ‘Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague, but whoever goes over to the Babylonians will live. They will escape with their lives; they will live.'”
31. Ezekiel 4:16 – Jerusalem’s Famine
“He then said to me: ‘Son of man, I am about to cut off the food supply in Jerusalem. The people will eat rationed food in anxiety and drink rationed water in despair.'” – Ezekiel 4:16
Cross-References
Leviticus 26:26 – “When I cut off your supply of bread, ten women will be able to bake your bread in one oven, and they will dole out the bread by weight. You will eat, but you will not be satisfied.”
32. Hosea 13:16 – Samaria’s Consequence
“The people of Samaria must bear their guilt, because they have rebelled against their God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to the ground, their pregnant women ripped open.” – Hosea 13:16
Cross-References
Hosea 4:6 – “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. ‘Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.'”
Also check out this article on: Bible verses about Worrying About Money (With Cross-Reference)
Final Thought
The Bible provides a kaleidoscope of perspectives on famine, illustrating it as both a physical and spiritual phenomenon. Through scriptural accounts, we observe how famines often lead people to turn to God, seeking His provision, wisdom, and deliverance. These biblical narratives highlight the reality of human vulnerability and dependency on divine intervention. From the ancient struggles in Egypt to the prophetic illustrations of end-time famines, the severe conditions drive individuals and communities to reconsider their priorities, relationships, and faith. In reading about famines, it is clear that the deeper call is to recognize God as the ultimate provider and sustainer.
Moreover, the theme of famine in Scriptures serves as a reminder of God’s just character, both in issuing judgments and promises of restoration to His people. Through these biblical contexts, believers are encouraged to remain anchored in faith, trusting in God’s promises and provisions amidst trials, reaffirming that God’s grace is a wellspring of hope even in the most barren circumstances.