26:7 to give you thanks, 1
and to tell about all your amazing deeds. 2
71:17 O God, you have taught me since I was young,
and I am still declaring 3 your amazing deeds.
71:18 Even when I am old and gray, 4
O God, do not abandon me,
until I tell the next generation about your strength,
and those coming after me about your power. 5
96:10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!
The world is established, it cannot be moved.
He judges the nations fairly.”
50:2 “Announce 6 the news among the nations! Proclaim it!
Signal for people to pay attention! 7
Declare the news! Do not hide it! Say:
‘Babylon will be captured.
Bel 8 will be put to shame.
Marduk will be dismayed.
Babylon’s idols will be put to shame.
Her disgusting images 9 will be dismayed. 10
3:9 Proclaim this among the nations:
“Prepare for a holy war!
Call out the warriors!
Let all these fighting men approach and attack! 11
3:10 Beat your plowshares 12 into swords,
and your pruning hooks 13 into spears! 14
Let the weak say, ‘I too am a warrior!’ 15
3:11 Lend your aid 16 and come,
all you surrounding nations,
and gather yourselves 17 to that place.”
Bring down, O Lord, your warriors! 18
3:12 Let the nations be roused and let them go up
to the valley of Jehoshaphat,
for there I will sit in judgment on all the surrounding nations.
1 tn Heb “to cause to be heard the sound of thanksgiving.”
2 tn The two infinitival forms (both with prefixed preposition -לְ, lamed) give the purpose for his appearance at the altar.
3 tn Heb “and until now I am declaring.”
4 tn Heb “and even unto old age and gray hair.”
5 tn Heb “until I declare your arm to a generation, to everyone who comes your power.” God’s “arm” here is an anthropomorphism that symbolizes his great strength.
6 tn The verbs are masculine plural. Jeremiah is calling on other unnamed messengers to spread the news.
7 tn Heb “Raise a signal flag.”
8 sn Bel was originally the name or title applied to the Sumerian storm god. During the height of Babylon’s power it became a title that was applied to Marduk who was Babylon’s chief deity. As a title it means “Lord.” Here it is a poetical parallel reference to Marduk mentioned in the next line.
9 tn The Hebrew word used here (גִּלּוּלִים, gillulim) is always used as a disdainful reference to idols. It is generally thought to have originally referred to “dung pellets” (cf. KBL 183 s.v. גִלּוּלִים). It is only one of several terms used in this way, such as “worthless things” (אַלִילִים, ’alilim), “vanities,” or “empty winds” (הֲבָלִים, havalim).
10 tn The verbs here are all in the tense that views the actions as though they were already done (the Hebrew prophetic perfect). The verbs in the next verse are a mixture of prophetic perfects and imperfects which announce future actions.
11 tn Heb “draw near and go up.”
12 sn Instead of referring to the large plow as a whole, the plowshare is simply the metal tip which actually breaks the earth and cuts the furrow.
13 sn This implement was used to prune the vines, i.e., to cut off extra leaves and young shoots (M. Klingbeil, NIDOTTE 1:1117-18). It was a short knife with a curved hook at the end sharpened on the inside like a sickle.
14 sn This conversion of farming instruments to instruments of war is the reverse of Isa 2:4 (cf. Mic 4:3), where military weapons are transformed into tools for farming. Isaiah describes a time of kingdom blessing and prosperity, whereas Joel describes a time of eschatological conflict and judgment.
15 sn The “weak” individual mentioned here is apparently the farmer who has little or no military prowess or prior fighting experience. Under ordinary circumstances such a person would be ill-prepared for assuming the role of a soldier. However, in the scene that Joel is describing here even the most unlikely candidate will become a participant to be reckoned with in this final conflict.
16 tn This Hebrew verb is found only here in the OT; its meaning is uncertain. Some scholars prefer to read here עוּרוּ (’uru, “arouse”) or חוּשׁוּ (khushu, “hasten”).
17 tc The present translation follows the reading of the imperative הִקָּבְצוּ (hiqqavÿtsu) rather than the perfect with vav (ו) consecutive וְנִקְבָּצוּ (vÿniqbbatsu) of the MT.
18 tc Some commentators prefer to delete the line “Bring down, O