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Texts -- Joel 1:1-17 (NET)

Context
Introduction
1:1 This is the Lord’s message that was given to Joel the son of Pethuel :
A Locust Plague Foreshadows the Day of the Lord
1:2 Listen to this , you elders ; pay attention , all inhabitants of the land . Has anything like this ever happened in your whole life or in the lifetime of your ancestors ? 1:3 Tell your children about it, have your children tell their children , and their children the following generation . 1:4 What the gazam-locust left the ‘arbeh-locust consumed , what the ‘arbeh-locust left the yeleq-locust consumed , and what the yeleq-locust left the hasil-locust consumed ! 1:5 Wake up , you drunkards , and weep ! Wail , all you wine drinkers , because the sweet wine has been taken away from you. 1:6 For a nation has invaded our land . There are so many of them they are too numerous to count . Their teeth are like those of a lion ; they tear apart their prey like a lioness . 1:7 They have destroyed our vines ; they have turned our fig trees into mere splinters . They have completely stripped off the bark and thrown them aside ; the twigs are stripped bare .
A Call to Lament
1:8 Wail like a young virgin clothed in sackcloth , lamenting the death of her husband-to-be . 1:9 No one brings grain offerings or drink offerings to the temple of the Lord anymore. So the priests , those who serve the Lord , are in mourning . 1:10 The crops of the fields have been destroyed . The ground is in mourning because the grain has perished . The fresh wine has dried up ; the olive oil languishes . 1:11 Be distressed , farmers ; wail , vinedressers , over the wheat and the barley . For the harvest of the field has perished . 1:12 The vine has dried up ; the fig tree languishes – the pomegranate , date , and apple as well . In fact, all the trees of the field have dried up . Indeed , the joy of the people has dried up ! 1:13 Get dressed and lament , you priests ! Wail , you who minister at the altar ! Come , spend the night in sackcloth , you servants of my God , because no one brings grain offerings or drink offerings to the temple of your God anymore. 1:14 Announce a holy fast ; proclaim a sacred assembly . Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the temple of the Lord your God , and cry out to the Lord . 1:15 How awful that day will be! For the day of the Lord is near ; it will come as destruction from the Divine Destroyer . 1:16 Our food has been cut off right before our eyes ! There is no longer any joy or gladness in the temple of our God ! 1:17 The grains of seed have shriveled beneath their shovels . Storehouses have been decimated and granaries have been torn down , for the grain has dried up .

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Joel

    [nave] JOEL 1. Son of Samuel, 1 Sam. 8:2; 1 Chr. 6:33; 15:17. Called Vashni, 1 Chr. 6:28. 2. A Simeonite, 1 Chr. 4:35. 3. A Reubenite, 1 Chr. 5:4, 8. 4. A Gadite, 1 Chr. 5:12. 5. A Kohathite Levite, 1 Chr. 6:36. 6. Descendant...

  • Afflictions and Adversities

    [nave] AFFLICTIONS AND ADVERSITIES. List of Sub-Topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-Topics; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Benefits of; Benefits of, Illustrated; Consolation in; Deliverance from; Design of; Despondency in; Dispe...

  • Nation

    [nave] NATION Sins of, Isa. 30:1, 2. Chastised, Isa. 14:26, 27; Jer. 5:29; 18:6-10; 25:12-33; Ezek. 2:3-5; 39:23, 24; Dan. 7:9-12; 9:3-16; Hos. 7:12; Joel 1:1-20; Amos 9:9; Zeph. 3:6, 8. Perish, Psa. 9:17; Isa. 60:12. National a...

  • Locust

    [isbe] LOCUST - lo'-kust: The translation of a large number of Hebrew and Greek words: 1. Names: (1) 'arbeh from the root rabhah, "to increase" (compare Arabic raba', "to increase"). (2) sal`am, from obsolete [?] cal`am, "to swallo...
    [smith] a well-known insect, of the grasshopper family, which commits terrible ravages on vegetation in the countries which it visits. "The common brown locust is about three inches in length, and the general form is that of a grassh...
    [nave] LOCUST Authorized as food, Lev. 11:22; used as, Matt. 3:4; Mark 1:6. Plague of, Ex. 10:1-19; Psa. 105:34, 35. Devastation by, Deut. 28:38; 1 Kin. 8:37; 2 Chr. 7:13; Isa. 33:4; Joel 1:4-7; Rev. 9:7-10. Sun obscured by, Joe...

  • Minister

    [smith] This term is used in the Authorized Version to describe various officials of a religious and civil character. Its meaning, as distinguished from servant, is a voluntary attendant on another. In the Old Testament it is applied...
    [nave] MINISTER, a sacred teacher. Index of Sub-topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-topics; Call of; Character and Qualifications of; Charge Delivered to; Courage of; Duties of; Duties of the Church to; Emoluments of; Faithful, Instanc...

  • Famine

    [isbe] FAMINE - fam'-in (ra`abh; limos): 1. Natural Causes 2. Famines Mentioned 3. Divine Relations 4. Figurative Uses The common Old Testament word for "famine" is ra`abh; re`abhon also occurs (Gen 42:19,33; Ps 37:19), and kaphan ...
    [nave] FAMINE Pharaoh forewarned of, in dreams, Gen. 41. Described, Deut. 28:53-57; Isa. 5:13; 9:18-21; 17:11; Jer. 5:17; 14:1-6; 48:33; Lam. 1:11, 19; 2:11-22; 4:4-10; Joel 1:17-20. Sent as a judgment, Lev. 26:19-29; Deut. 28:23...

  • Pethuel

    [ebd] vision of God, the father of Joel the prophet (Joel 1:1).
    [isbe] PETHUEL - pe-thu'-el (pethu'el, "God's opening"): Father of Joel the prophet (Joel 1:1).
    [smith] (vision of God), the father of the prophet Joel. (Joel 1:1) (B.C. before 800.)
    [nave] PETHUEL, father of the prophet Joel, Joel 1:1.

  • JOEL (2)

    [isbe] JOEL (2) - (yo'el; Ioel): I. THE PROPHET II. THE BOOK 1. Literary Form 2. Outline of Contents 3. Interpretation (1) Literal (2) Allegorical 4. Indications of Date (1) Place in the Canon (2) Language and Style (3) Quotations ...

  • Caterpillar

    [ebd] the consumer. Used in the Old Testament (1 Kings 8:37; 2 Chr. 6:28; Ps. 78:46; Isa. 33:4) as the translation of a word (hasil) the root of which means "to devour" or "consume," and which is used also with reference to the lo...
    [isbe] CATERPILLAR - kat'-er-pil-er (chacil (Ps 78:46; Joel 1:4, etc.); yeleq (Ps 105:34 the King James Version, the American Standard Revised Version "grasshopper"; Jer 51:14,27 the King James Version; elsewhere "canker-worm")): A...
    [smith] The representative in the Authorized Version of the Hebrew word chasil and yelek . Chasil occurs in (1 Kings 8:37; 2 Chronicles 6:28; Psalms 78:46; Isaiah 33:4; Joel 1:4) and seems to be applied to a locust, perhaps in...
    [nave] CATERPILLAR Sent as a judgment, 1 Kin. 8:37; Psa. 78:46; Psa. 105:34; Jer. 51:27; Joel 1:4; 2:25.

  • Palmer-worm

    [ebd] (Heb. gazam). The English word may denote either a caterpillar (as rendered by the LXX.), which wanders like a palmer or pilgrim, or which travels like pilgrims in bands (Joel 1:4; 2:25), the wingless locusts, or the migrato...
    [isbe] PALMER-WORM - pam'-er-wurm (gazam; Septuagint kampe (Am 4:9; Joel 1:4; 2:25)): "Palmer-worm" means "caterpillar," but the insect meant is probably a kind of locust. See INSECTS; LOCUST.
    [nave] PALMER-WORM, Joel 1:4; 2:25; Amos 4:9.

  • PALESTINE, 1

    [isbe] PALESTINE, 1 - pal'-es-tin (pelesheth; Phulistieim, Allophuloi; the King James Version Joel 3:4 (the Revised Version (British and American) "Philistia"), "Palestina"; the King James Version Ex 15:14; Isa 14:29,31; compare Ps...

  • POMEGRANATE

    [ebd] i.e., "grained apple" (pomum granatum), Heb. rimmon. Common in Egypt (Num. 20:5) and Palestine (13:23; Deut. 8:8). The Romans called it Punicum malum, i.e., Carthaginian apple, because they received it from Carthage. It belo...
    [isbe] POMEGRANATE - pom'-gran-at, pom-gran'-at, pum'-gran-at (rimmon (tree and fruit); the Hebrew name is similar to the Arabic, Aramaic and Ethiopic; rhoa): 1. A Tree Characteristic of Palestine: One of the most attractive and mo...

  • Drink-offering

    [ebd] consisted of wine (Num. 15:5; Hos. 9:4) poured around the altar (Ex. 30:9). Joined with meat-offerings (Num. 6:15, 17; 2 Kings 16:13; Joel 1:9, 13; 2:14), presented daily (Ex. 29:40), on the Sabbath (Num. 28:9), and on feast...

  • Wine

    [ebd] The common Hebrew word for wine is yayin, from a root meaning "to boil up," "to be in a ferment." Others derive it from a root meaning "to tread out," and hence the juice of the grape trodden out. The Greek word for wine is ...
    [nave] WINE Made from grapes, Gen. 40:11; 49:11; Isa. 25:6; Jer. 40:10, 12; from pomegranates, Song 8:2. Kept in jars, Jer. 13:12; 48:12; in skins, Josh. 9:4, 13; Job 32:19; Matt. 9:17; Luke 5:37, 38; in bottles, Josh. 9:4, 13; Jo...

  • GARNER

    [ebd] (1.) Heb. 'otsar, a treasure; a store of goods laid up, and hence also the place where they are deposited (Joel 1:17; 2 Chr. 32:27, rendered "treasury"). (2.) Heb. mezev, a cell, storeroom (Ps. 144:13); Gr. apotheke, a place...
    [isbe] GARNER - gar'-ner (mazu; apotheke): "Garners," derived from zawah, "to gather," occurs in Ps 144:13; 'otsar is similarly translated in Joel 1:17. In the New Testament apotheke is twice translated "garner" (Mt 3:12; Lk 3:17)....

  • Cankerworm

    [ebd] (Heb. yelek), "the licking locust," which licks up the grass of the field; probably the locust at a certain stage of its growth, just as it emerges from the caterpillar state (Joel 1:4; 2:25). The word is rendered "caterpill...
    [nave] CANKERWORM, sent as a judgment, Joel 1:4; 2:25; Nah. 3:15, 16.

  • Apple

    [ebd] (Heb. tappuah, meaning "fragrance"). Probably the apricot or quince is intended by the word, as Palestine was too hot for the growth of apples proper. It is enumerated among the most valuable trees of Palestine (Joel 1:12), ...
    [nave] APPLE, a fruit, Prov. 25:11; Song 2:3, 5; 7:8; 8:5; Joel 1:12.

  • Worship

    [nave] WORSHIP, to be rendered to God only, Ex. 20:3; Deut. 5:7; 6:13; Matt. 4:10; Luke 4:8; Acts 10:26; 14:15; Col. 2:18; Rev. 19:10; 22:8. See: Homage. Of Jesus, See: Jesus, Worship of. Acceptable to God, Gen. 4:4; 8:21. Of th...

  • Agriculture

    [nave] AGRICULTURE Divine institution of, Gen. 2:15; 3:19, 23. Practiced by Cain, Gen. 4:2; Noah, Gen. 9:20; Elisha, 1 Kin. 19:19; David, 1 Chr. 27:26-31; Uzziah, 2 Chr. 26:10; Solomon, Eccl. 2:4-6. God to be acknowledged in, Jer...

  • Barn

    [isbe] BARN - barn (meghurah, "a granary," "fear," Hag 2:19; acam, "a storehouse," Prov 3:10; mammeghurah, "a repository," Joel 1:17; apotheke, Mt 6:26; 13:30; Lk 12:18,24): A place for the storing of grain, usually a dry cistern i...
    [nave] BARN, 2 Kin. 6:27; Job 39:12; Prov. 3:10; Joel 1:17; Hag. 2:19; Matt. 6:26; 13:30; Luke 12:18, 24. See: Garner.
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Arts

Hymns

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  • [Joe 1:15] Break, Day Of God, Oh Break
  • [Joe 1:15] Day Of The Lord Is At Hand, The

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The Midianites were Bedouin nomads and descendants of Abraham and Keturah (Gen. 25:2) who occupied the plains that bordered the Arabian desert to the east of Moab and Ammon. They were raiders who descended on the Israelites a...
  • We can understand why Mordecai reacted to Haman's decree so strongly (v. 1). Undoubtedly he felt personally responsible for this decree (cf. 3:2-5). However we should not interpret Mordecai's actions in verse 1 as a sign of g...
  • 30:4 This oracle concerns all the Israelites, those of both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms.30:5-6 A time of great terror, dread, and unrest was coming. Men would behave as though they were in labor; they would hold themse...
  • 36:1 The Lord sent a message to Jeremiah in the fourth year of King Jehoiakim's reign, sometime between April of 605 and April of 604 B.C. (cf. 25:1)36:2 Jeremiah was to write on a scroll (Heb. megillath sepher) all the proph...
  • The date of Joel is its largest introductory problem. There are four most likely possibilities. First, some scholars advocate an early pre-exilic dateduring the reign of King Jehoshaphat (872-848 B.C.) or possibly his grandso...
  • Joel's frequent references to Judah and Jerusalem suggest that he lived and ministered in the Southern Kingdom (cf. 1:2, 9, 13-14, 16, 23, 32; 2:1, 14-15, 17, 23; 3:1-8, 12, 14, 17-21)."Joel was a man of vitality and spiritua...
  • The Book of Joel contains a threefold vision.The first part of Joel's vision concerned a locust plague that had recently swept over the Promised Land. Joel prophesied about this plague because of the desolation that it had pr...
  • I. Introduction 1:1II. A past day of the Lord: a locust invasion 1:2-20A. An initial appeal 1:2-4B. A call to mourn 1:5-13C. A call to repent 1:14D. The significance of the plague 1:15-20III. A near future day of the Lord: a ...
  • The rest of chapter 1 describes the effects of a severe locust plague that had recently destroyed the agriculture of the land.
  • 1:2-3 Joel called on everyone, from the most respected ruling elders of the land (cf. 1 Sam. 30:26-31; 2 Sam. 19:11-15; 2 Kings 23:1; Ezra 10:8; Prov. 31:23; Jer. 26:17; Lam. 5:12, 14) to the ordinary inhabitants, to pay atte...
  • Joel called on four different entities to mourn the results of the locust invasion: drunkards (vv. 5-7), the land (vv. 8-10), farmers (vv. 11-12), and priests (v. 13). In each section there is a call to mourn followed by reas...
  • Joel called on the priests not only to mourn (v. 13) but also to assemble all the people at the temple for a solemn fast. Such fasts indicated national repentance in Israel's history (cf. 1 Sam. 7:6; Neh. 9:1-2; Jer. 36:9; Jo...
  • "This section moves much closer to the form of the descriptive lament found in the lamenting psalms than did the descriptions earlier in the chapter."141:15 The locust plague had destroyed (Heb. shadad) the fields and fruits ...
  • Joel had spoken briefly of a coming day of the Lord in 1:15, but now he said more about it.The term "the day of the Lord"seems to have arisen from the popular concept, in the ancient Near East, that a really great warrior kin...
  • The prophet ordered a trumpet (Heb. shophar, ram's horn) to be blown in Zion (Jerusalem), specifically on the temple mount, to sound an alarm (cf. Jer. 4:5-6; Ezek. 33:2-6).18This shophar was the ancient equivalent of an air ...
  • 2:12-13a Speaking for the Lord, Joel urged his hearers even now--even though judgment was threatened--to repent. However, he clarified that their repentance needed to be wholehearted, not just external. Fasting, weeping, and ...
  • Joel went beyond calling for personal heart-felt repentance to urging the people to assemble for a corporate expression of their sincere contrition.2:15-16 The prophet urged the blowing of the shophar in Zion again, but this ...
  • Having given His essential response to the people's repentance, the Lord now explained what He would do in more detail. This section is chiastic with the focus of emphasis on verses 21-24. Verses 19 and 26-27 promise a restor...
  • 2:28-29 After this, namely, after the deliverance from the northern invader just described, God promised to pour out His Spirit on all mankind without gender, age, class, or position distinction.29In Old Testament times God g...
  • 3:18 Joel continued to describe the future day of the Lord, but now he passed from the judgments of the Tribulation to the blessings of the Millennium. The mountains of Israel would be so full of grapevines that they could be...
  • 7:1 Sovereign Yahweh showed Amos a mass of locusts swarming in the springtime after the first harvest and before the second. The Lord was forming this swarm of locusts. The very first crops harvested in the spring went to fee...
  • Since we do not know who the writer was, other than that his name was Obadiah, it is very difficult to date this book and to determine where it came from."This shortest book in the Old Testament, consisting of only twenty-one...
  • This section, evidently another message that Nahum delivered concerning Nineveh's fall, begins by comparing it to the fall of another great city. Nahum proceeded to use many figures of speech to describe how various segments ...
  • The Book of Zephaniah has been called "a compendium of the oracles of the prophets."9This is true for two reasons. First, Zephaniah's general message is similar to that of most of the other writing prophets. Second, he used t...
  • What follows is the word that Yahweh gave to Zephaniah during the reign of King Josiah of Judah (640-609 B.C.). This "word"includes all that the Lord told the prophet that He also led him to record for posterity (cf. Hos. 1:1...
  • 2:10-11 The Israelites in Jerusalem and elsewhere were to rejoice because the Lord promised to intervene for them and to dwell among them. His return to Jerusalem would prompt the nations to come there and acknowledge Him as ...
  • This is the first of four messages that Zechariah received from the Lord that bear on the question just raised. That there were four separate messages seems clear since each one begins with the same preamble: "The word of the...
  • Paul followed his salutation with an expression of gratitude for his original readers, as he usually did in his epistles. In this case the focus of his thanksgiving was on God's grace in giving the Corinthians such great spir...
  • 9:1 Again John saw a "star"(cf. 6:13; 8:10), but this time the "star"was an intelligent being. If "fallen"(Gr. peptokota) has theological connotations, the "star"may refer to Satan (vv. 2, 11; cf. 1:20; Job. 38:7; Luke 10:18)...
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