Joel 2:23

2:23 Citizens of Zion, ¹  rejoice!

Be glad because of what the Lord your God has done! ² 

For he has given to you the early rains ³  as vindication.

He has sent ⁴  to you the rains –

both the early and the late rains ⁵  as formerly.

Joel 3:16

3:16 The Lord roars from Zion;

from Jerusalem ⁶  his voice bellows out. ⁷ 

The heavens ⁸  and the earth shake.

But the Lord is a refuge for his people;

he is a stronghold for the citizens ⁹  of Israel.

[2:23]  ¹ tn Heb “sons of Zion.”

[2:23]  ² tn Heb “be glad in the Lord your God.”

[2:23]  ³ tn Normally the Hebrew word הַמּוֹרֶה (hammoreh) means “the teacher,” but here and in Ps 84:7 it refers to “early rains.” Elsewhere the word for “early rains” is יוֹרֶה (yoreh). The phrase here הַמּוֹרֶה לִצְדָקָה (hammoreh litsdaqah) is similar to the expression “teacher of righteousness” (Heb., מוֹרֶה הַצֶּדֶק , moreh hatsedeq) found in the Dead Sea Scrolls referring to a particular charismatic leader, although the Qumran community seems not to have invoked this text in support of that notion.

[2:23]  ⁴ tn Heb “caused to come down.”

[2:23]  ⁵ sn For half the year Palestine is generally dry. The rainy season begins with the early rains usually in late October to early December, followed by the latter rains in March and April. Without these rains productive farming would not be possible, as Joel’s original readers knew only too well.

[3:16]  ⁶ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[3:16]  ⁷ tn Heb “he sounds forth his voice.”

[3:16]  ⁸ tn Or “the sky.” See the note on “sky” in 2:30.

[3:16]  ⁹ tn Heb “sons.”