1:2 Listen to this, you elders; 1
pay attention, 2 all inhabitants of the land.
Has anything like this ever happened in your whole life 3
or in the lifetime 4 of your ancestors? 5
2:29 Even on male and female servants
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
3:1 (4:1) 6 For look! In those 7 days and at that time
I will return the exiles 8 to Judah and Jerusalem. 9
1 sn Elders here refers not necessarily to men advanced in years, but to leaders within the community.
2 tn Heb “give ear.”
3 tn Heb “days.” The term “days” functions here as a synecdoche for one’s lifespan.
4 tn Heb “days.”
5 tn Heb “fathers.”
6 sn Joel 3:1 in the English Bible is 4:1 in the Hebrew text (BHS). See also the note at 2:28.
7 tc The MT and LXX read “in those days,” while MurXII reads “in that day.”
8 tc The Kethib reads אָשִׁיב (’ashiv, “return the captivity [captives]), while the Qere is אָשׁוּב (’ashuv, “restore the fortunes”). Many modern English versions follow the Qere reading. Either reading seems to fit the context. Joel refers to an exile of the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem in 3:2-6 and their return from exile in 3:7. On the other hand, 2:25-26 describes the reversal of judgment and restoration of the covenant blessings. However, the former seems to be the concern of the immediate context.
9 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.