Joel 2:6

2:6 People ¹  writhe in fear when they see them. ² 

All of their faces turn pale with fright. ³ 

Joel 1:5

1:5 Wake up, you drunkards, ⁴  and weep!

Wail, all you wine drinkers, ⁵ 

because the sweet wine ⁶  has been taken away ⁷  from you. ⁸ 

Joel 2:12

An Appeal for Repentance

2:12 “Yet even now,” the Lord says,

“return to me with all your heart –

with fasting, weeping, and mourning.

Tear your hearts, ⁹ 

not just your garments!”

Joel 3:9

Judgment in the Valley of Jehoshaphat

3:9 Proclaim this among the nations:

“Prepare for a holy war!

Call out the warriors!

Let all these fighting men approach and attack! ¹⁰ 

Joel 3:11

3:11 Lend your aid ¹¹  and come,

all you surrounding nations,

and gather yourselves ¹²  to that place.”

Bring down, O Lord, your warriors! ¹³ 

Joel 1:2

A Locust Plague Foreshadows the Day of the Lord

1:2 Listen to this, you elders; ¹⁴ 

pay attention, ¹⁵  all inhabitants of the land.

Has anything like this ever happened in your whole life ¹⁶ 

or in the lifetime ¹⁷  of your ancestors? ¹⁸ 

Joel 1:12

1:12 The vine has dried up;

the fig tree languishes –

the pomegranate, date, and apple ¹⁹  as well.

In fact, ²⁰  all the trees of the field have dried up.

Indeed, the joy of the people ²¹  has dried up!

Joel 1:14

1:14 Announce a holy fast; ²² 

proclaim a sacred assembly.

Gather the elders and ²³  all the inhabitants of the land

to the temple of the Lord your God,

and cry out to the Lord.

Joel 1:19

1:19 To you, O Lord, I call out for help, ²⁴ 

for fire ²⁵  has burned up ²⁶  the grassy pastures, ²⁷ 

flames have razed ²⁸  all the trees in the fields.

Joel 2:1

The Locusts’ Devastation

2:1 Blow the trumpet ²⁹  in Zion;

sound the alarm signal on my holy mountain!

Let all the inhabitants of the land shake with fear,

for the day of the Lord is about to come.

Indeed, ³⁰  it is near! ³¹ 

Joel 3:12

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.

Joel 2:28

An Outpouring of the Spirit

2:28 (3:1) ³²  After all of this ³³ 

I will pour out my Spirit ³⁴  on all kinds of people. ³⁵ 

Your sons and daughters will prophesy.

Your elderly will have revelatory dreams; ³⁶ 

your young men will see prophetic visions.

Joel 2:32

2:32 It will so happen that

everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered. ³⁷ 

For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem ³⁸  there will be those who survive, ³⁹ 

just as the Lord has promised;

the remnant ⁴⁰  will be those whom the Lord will call. ⁴¹ 

Joel 3:2

3:2 Then I will gather all the nations,

and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. ⁴² 

I will enter into judgment ⁴³  against them there

concerning my people Israel who are my inheritance, ⁴⁴ 

whom they scattered among the nations.

They partitioned my land,

Joel 3:4

3:4 Why are you doing these things to me, Tyre and Sidon? ⁴⁵ 

Are you trying to get even with me, land of Philistia? ⁴⁶ 

I will very quickly repay you for what you have done! ⁴⁷ 

Joel 3:18

3:18 On that day ⁴⁸  the mountains will drip with sweet wine, ⁴⁹ 

and the hills will flow with milk. ⁵⁰ 

All the dry stream beds ⁵¹  of Judah will flow with water.

A spring will flow out from the temple ⁵²  of the Lord,

watering the Valley of Acacia Trees. ⁵³ 

[2:6]  ¹ tn Or “nations.”

[2:6]  ² tn Heb “before it.”

[2:6]  ³ tn Heb “all faces gather beauty”; or “all faces gather a glow.” The Hebrew word פָּארוּר (pa’rur) is found in the OT only here and in Nah 2:11. Its meaning is very uncertain. Some scholars associate it with a root that signifies “glowing”; hence “all faces gather a glow of dread.” Others associate the word with פָּרוּר (parur, “pot”); hence “all faces gather blackness.” Still others take the root to signify “beauty”; hence “all faces gather in their beauty” in the sense of growing pale due to fear. This is the view assumed here.

[1:5]  ⁴ sn The word drunkards has a double edge here. Those accustomed to drinking too much must now lament the unavailability of wine. It also may hint that the people in general have become religiously inebriated and are unresponsive to the Lord. They are, as it were, drunkards from a spiritual standpoint.

[1:5]  ⁵ sn Joel addresses the first of three groups particularly affected by the locust plague. In v. 5 he describes the effects on the drunkards, who no longer have a ready supply of intoxicating wine; in vv. 11-12 he describes the effects on the farmers, who have watched their labors come to naught because of the insect infestation; and in vv. 13-14 he describes the effects on the priests, who are no longer able to offer grain sacrifices and libations in the temple.

[1:5]  ⁶ tn Heb “over the sweet wine, because it.” Cf. KJV, NIV, TEV, NLT “new wine.”

[1:5]  ⁷ tn Heb “cut off” (so KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV); NAB “will be withheld.”

[1:5]  ⁸ tn Heb “your mouth.” This is a synecdoche of part (the mouth) for whole (the person).

[2:12]  ⁷ sn The figurative language calls for genuine repentance, and not merely external ritual that goes through the motions.

[3:9]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “draw near and go up.”

[3:11]  ¹³ 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”).

[3:11]  ¹⁴ 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.

[3:11]  ¹⁵ tc Some commentators prefer to delete the line “Bring down, O Lord, your warriors,” understanding it to be a later addition. But this is unnecessary. Contrary to what some have suggested, a prayer for the Lord’s intervention is not out of place here.

[1:2]  ¹⁶ sn Elders here refers not necessarily to men advanced in years, but to leaders within the community.

[1:2]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “give ear.”

[1:2]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “days.” The term “days” functions here as a synecdoche for one’s lifespan.

[1:2]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “days.”

[1:2]  ²⁰ tn Heb “fathers.”

[1:12]  ¹⁹ tn This Hebrew word וְתַפּוּחַ (vÿtappuakh) probably refers to the apple tree (so most English versions), but other suggestions that scholars have offered include the apricot, citron, or quince.

[1:12]  ²⁰ tn These words are not in the Hebrew text but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[1:12]  ²¹ tn Heb “the sons of man.”

[1:14]  ²² tn Heb “consecrate a fast” (so NASB).

[1:14]  ²³ tc The conjunction “and” does not appear in MT or LXX, but does appear in some Qumran texts (4QXII^c and 4QXII^g).

[1:19]  ²⁵ tn The phrase “for help” does not appear in the Hebrew, but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[1:19]  ²⁶ sn Fire here and in v. 20 is probably not to be understood in a literal sense. The locust plague, accompanied by conditions of extreme drought, has left the countryside looking as though everything has been burned up (so also in Joel 2:3).

[1:19]  ²⁷ tn Heb “consumed.” This entire line is restated at the end of v. 20.

[1:19]  ²⁸ tn Heb “the pastures of the wilderness.”

[1:19]  ²⁹ tn Heb “a flame has set ablaze.” This fire was one of the effects of the drought.

[2:1]  ²⁸ tn The word translated “trumpet” here (so most English versions) is the Hebrew שׁוֹפָר (shofar). The shophar was a wind instrument made from a cow or ram’s horn and used as a military instrument for calling people to attention in the face of danger or as a religious instrument for calling people to occasions of communal celebration.

[2:1]  ²⁹ tn Or “for.”

[2:1]  ³⁰ sn The interpretation of 2:1-11 is very difficult. Four views may be mentioned here. (1) Some commentators understand this section to be describing a human invasion of Judah on the part of an ancient army. The exact identity of this army (e.g., Assyrian or Babylonian) varies among interpreters depending upon issues of dating for the book of Joel. (2) Some commentators take the section to describe an eschatological scene in which the army according to some is human, or according to others is nonhuman (i.e., angelic). (3) Some interpreters argue for taking the section to refer to the potential advent in the fall season of a severe east wind (i.e., Sirocco) that would further exacerbate the conditions of the land described in chapter one. (4) Finally, some interpreters understand the section to continue the discussion of locust invasion and drought described in chapter one, partly on the basis that there is no clear exegetical evidence in 2:1-11 to suggest a shift of referent from that of chapter one.

[2:28]  ³¹ sn Beginning with 2:28, the verse numbers through 3:21 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 2:28 ET = 3:1 HT, 2:29 ET = 3:2 HT, 2:30 ET = 3:3 HT, 2:31 ET = 3:4 HT, 2:32 ET = 3:5 HT, 3:1 ET = 4:1 HT, etc., through 3:21 ET = 4:21 HT. Thus Joel in the Hebrew Bible has 4 chapters, the 5 verses of ch. 3 being included at the end of ch. 2 in the English Bible.

[2:28]  ³² tn Heb “Now it will be after this.”

[2:28]  ³³ sn This passage plays a key role in the apostolic explanation of the coming of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost recorded in Acts 2:17-21. Peter introduces his quotation of this passage with “this is that spoken by the prophet Joel” (Acts 2:16; cf. the similar pesher formula used at Qumran). The New Testament experience at Pentecost is thus seen in some sense as a fulfillment of this Old Testament passage, even though that experience did not exhaustively fulfill Joel’s words. Some portions of Joel’s prophecy have no precise counterpart in that experience. For example, there is nothing in the experience recorded in Acts 2 that exactly corresponds to the earthly and heavenly signs described in Joel 3:3-4. But inasmuch as the messianic age had already begun and the “last days” had already commenced with the coming of the Messiah (cf. Heb 1:1-2), Peter was able to point to Joel 3:1-5 as a text that was relevant to the advent of Jesus and the bestowal of the Spirit. The equative language that Peter employs (“this is that”) stresses an incipient fulfillment of the Joel passage without precluding or minimizing a yet future and more exhaustive fulfillment in events associated with the return of Christ.

[2:28]  ³⁴ tn Heb “all flesh.” As a term for humanity, “flesh” suggests the weakness and fragility of human beings as opposed to God who is “spirit.” The word “all” refers not to all human beings without exception (cf. NAB, NASB “all mankind”; NLT “all people”), but to all classes of human beings without distinction (cf. NCV).

[2:28]  ³⁵ tn Heb “your old men will dream dreams.”

[2:32]  ³⁴ tn While a number of English versions render this as “saved” (e.g., NIV, NRSV, NLT), this can suggest a “spiritual” or “theological” salvation rather than the physical deliverance from the cataclysmic events of the day of the Lord described in the context.

[2:32]  ³⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[2:32]  ³⁶ tn Heb “deliverance”; or “escape.” The abstract noun “deliverance” or “escape” probably functions here as an example of antimeria, referring to those who experience deliverance or escape with their lives: “escaped remnant” or “surviving remnant” (Gen 32:8; 45:7; Judg 21:17; 2 Kgs 19:30, 31; Isa 4:2; 10:20; 15:9; 37:31, 32; Ezek 14:22; Obad 1:17; Ezra 9:8, 13-15; Neh 1:2; 1 Chr 4:43; 2 Chr 30:6).

[2:32]  ³⁷ tn Heb “and among the remnant.”

[2:32]  ³⁸ tn The participle used in the Hebrew text seems to indicate action in the imminent future.

[3:2]  ³⁷ sn There is a play on words here. Jehoshaphat in Hebrew means “the Lord has judged,” and the next line in v. 2 further explicates this thought. The location of this valley is uncertain (cf. v. 12). Many interpreters have understood the Valley of Jehoshaphat to be the Kidron Valley, located on the east side of old Jerusalem. Since this is described as a scene of future messianic activity and judgment, many Jews and Muslims have desired to be buried in the vicinity, a fact attested to in modern times by the presence of many graves in the area. A variation of this view is mentioned by Eusebius, Onomasticon 1:10. According to this view, the Valley of Jehoshaphat is located in the Hinnom Valley, on the south side of the old city. Yet another view is held by many modern scholars, who understand the reference to this valley to be one of an idealized and nonliteral scene of judgment.

[3:2]  ³⁸ tn Heb “I will execute judgment.”

[3:2]  ³⁹ tn Heb “concerning my people and my inheritance Israel.”

[3:4]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “What [are] you [doing] to me, O Tyre and Sidon?”

[3:4]  ⁴¹ tn Or “districts.”

[3:4]  ⁴² tn Heb “quickly, speedily, I will return your recompense on your head.” This is an idiom for retributive justice and an equitable reversal of situation.

[3:18]  ⁴³ tn Heb “and it will come about in that day.”

[3:18]  ⁴⁴ tn Many English translations read “new wine” or “sweet wine,” meaning unfermented wine, i.e., grape juice.

[3:18]  ⁴⁵ sn The language used here is a hyperbolic way of describing both a bountiful grape harvest (“the mountains will drip with juice”) and an abundance of cattle (“the hills will flow with milk”). In addition to being hyperbolic, the language is also metonymical (effect for cause).

[3:18]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “seasonal streams.”

[3:18]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “house.”

[3:18]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “valley of Shittim.” The exact location of the Valley of Acacia Trees is uncertain. The Hebrew word שִׁטִּים (shittim) refers to a place where the acacia trees grow, which would be a very arid and dry place. The acacia tree can survive in such locations, whereas most other trees require more advantageous conditions. Joel’s point is that the stream that has been mentioned will proceed to the most dry and barren of locations in the vicinity of Jerusalem.