Joel 2:5
Context2:5 They sound like 1 chariots rumbling 2 over mountain tops,
like the crackling 3 of blazing fire consuming stubble,
like the noise of 4 a mighty army 5 being drawn up for battle. 6
Joel 3:16
Context3:16 The Lord roars from Zion;
from Jerusalem 7 his voice bellows out. 8
The heavens 9 and the earth shake.
But the Lord is a refuge for his people;
he is a stronghold for the citizens 10 of Israel.
Joel 2:11
Context2:11 The voice of the Lord thunders 11 as he leads his army. 12
Indeed, his warriors 13 are innumerable; 14
Surely his command is carried out! 15
Yes, the day of the Lord is awesome 16
and very terrifying – who can survive 17 it?


[2:5] 1 tn Heb “like the sound of.”
[2:5] 2 tn Heb “jostling” or “leaping.” There is question whether this pictures chariots rumbling over the mountains (e.g., 2 Sam 6:14,16; 1 Chr 15:29; Nah 3:2) or the locusts flying – or “leaping” – over the mountains (e.g., Job 21:11); see BDB 955 s.v. רָקַד.
[2:5] 4 tn The phrase “the noise of” does not appear in the Hebrew, but is implied by the parallelism, so it has been supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
[2:5] 6 tn Heb “being arrayed of battle.”
[3:16] 7 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[3:16] 8 tn Heb “he sounds forth his voice.”
[3:16] 9 tn Or “the sky.” See the note on “sky” in 2:30.
[2:11] 13 tn Heb “the
[2:11] 14 tn Heb “before his army.”
[2:11] 15 tn Heb “military encampment.”
[2:11] 16 tn Heb “very large.”
[2:11] 17 tn Heb “he makes his word powerful.”
[2:11] 18 tn Or “powerful.” Heb “great.”
[2:11] 19 tn Heb “endure.” The MT and LXX read “endure,” while one of the Qumran manuscripts (4QXXIIc) has “bear.”