Joel 3:20

3:20 But Judah will reside securely forever,

and Jerusalem will be secure ¹  from one generation to the next.

Joel 3:1

The Lord Plans to Judge the Nations

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

I will return the exiles ⁴  to Judah and Jerusalem. ⁵ 

Joel 3:6

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

removing them far from their own country. ⁶ 

Joel 3:16-17

3:16 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.

The Lord’s Presence in Zion

3:17 You will be convinced ¹¹  that I the Lord am your God,

dwelling on Zion, my holy mountain.

Jerusalem ¹²  will be holy –

conquering armies ¹³  will no longer pass through it.

Joel 2:32

2:32 It will so happen that

everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered. ¹⁴ 

For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem ¹⁵  there will be those who survive, ¹⁶ 

just as the Lord has promised;

the remnant ¹⁷  will be those whom the Lord will call. ¹⁸ 

[3:20]  ¹ tn The phrase “will be secure” does not appear in the Hebrew, but are supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness.

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

[3:1]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[3:6]  ³ tn Heb “border.”

[3:16]  ⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[3:16]  ⁵ tn Heb “he sounds forth his voice.”

[3:16]  ⁶ tn Or “the sky.” See the note on “sky” in 2:30.

[3:16]  ⁷ tn Heb “sons.”

[3:17]  ⁵ tn Heb “know.”

[3:17]  ⁶ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[3:17]  ⁷ tn Heb “strangers” or “foreigners.” In context, this refers to invasions by conquering armies.

[2:32]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[2:32]  ⁸ 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]  ⁹ tn Heb “and among the remnant.”

[2:32]  ¹⁰ tn The participle used in the Hebrew text seems to indicate action in the imminent future.