Joel 3:1

The Lord Plans to Judge the Nations

3:1 (4:1) ¹  For look! In those ²  days and at that time

I will return the exiles ³  to Judah and Jerusalem. ⁴ 

Joel 3:6

3:6 You sold Judeans and Jerusalemites to the Greeks,

removing them far from their own country. ⁵ 

Joel 3:8

3:8 I will sell your sons and daughters to ⁶  the people of Judah. ⁷ 

They will sell them to the Sabeans, ⁸  a nation far away.

Indeed, the Lord has spoken!

Joel 3:19

3:19 Egypt will be desolate

and Edom will be a desolate wilderness,

because of the violence they did to the people of Judah, ⁹ 

in whose land they shed innocent blood.

Joel 3:18

3:18 On that day ¹⁰  the mountains will drip with sweet wine, ¹¹ 

and the hills will flow with milk. ¹² 

All the dry stream beds ¹³  of Judah will flow with water.

A spring will flow out from the temple ¹⁴  of the Lord,

watering the Valley of Acacia Trees. ¹⁵ 

[3:1]  ¹ sn Joel 3:1 in the English Bible is 4:1 in the Hebrew text (BHS). See also the note at 2:28.

[3:1]  ² tc The MT and LXX read “in those days,” while MurXII reads “in that day.”

[3:1]  ³ 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.

[3:1]  ⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[3:6]  ⁵ tn Heb “border.”

[3:8]  ⁹ tn Heb “into the hand of.”

[3:8]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “the sons of Judah.”

[3:8]  ¹¹ sn The Sabeans were Arabian merchants who were influential along the ancient caravan routes that traveled through Arabia. See also Job 1:15; Isa 43:3; 45:14; Ps 72:10.

[3:19]  ¹³ tn Heb “violence of the sons of Judah.” The phrase “of the sons of Judah” is an objective genitive (cf. KJV “the violence against the children of Judah”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “violence done to the people of Judah”). It refers to injustices committed against the Judeans, not violence that the Judeans themselves had committed against others.

[3:18]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and it will come about in that day.”

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

[3:18]  ¹⁹ 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]  ²⁰ tn Or “seasonal streams.”

[3:18]  ²¹ tn Heb “house.”

[3:18]  ²² 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.