Romans 15:5

15:5 Now may the God of endurance and comfort give you unity with one another ¹  in accordance with Christ Jesus,

Jeremiah 14:8

14:8 You have been the object of Israel’s hopes.

You have saved them when they were in trouble.

Why have you become like a resident foreigner ²  in the land?

Why have you become like a traveler who only stops in to spend the night?

Joel 3:16

3:16 The Lord roars from Zion;

from Jerusalem ³  his voice bellows out. ⁴ 

The heavens ⁵  and the earth shake.

But the Lord is a refuge for his people;

he is a stronghold for the citizens ⁶  of Israel.

Joel 3:1

The Lord Plans to Judge the Nations

3:1 (4:1) ⁷  For look! In those ⁸  days and at that time

I will return the exiles ⁹  to Judah and Jerusalem. ¹⁰ 

Joel 1:1

Introduction

1:1 This ¹¹  is the Lord’s message ¹²  that was given ¹³ 

to Joel ¹⁴  the son of Pethuel:

[15:5]  ¹ tn Grk “grant you to think the same among one another.”

[14:8]  ² tn It would be a mistake to translate this word as “stranger.” This word (גֵּר, ger) refers to a resident alien or resident foreigner who stays in a country not his own. He is accorded the privilege of protection through the common rights of hospitality but he does not have the rights of the native born or citizen. The simile here is particularly effective. The land was the Lord’s land; they were but resident foreigners and tenants on it (Lev 25:23). Jeremiah’s complaint here is particularly bold. For further information on the status of “resident foreigners” see IDB 4:397-99 s.v. “Sojourner.”

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

[3:16]  ⁴ tn Heb “he sounds forth his voice.”

[3:16]  ⁵ tn Or “the sky.” See the note on “sky” in 2:30.

[3:16]  ⁶ tn Heb “sons.”

[3:1]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ tc The MT and LXX read “in those days,” while MurXII reads “in that day.”

[3:1]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[1:1]  ⁵ sn The dating of the book of Joel is a matter of dispute. Some scholars date the book as early as the ninth century b.c., during the reign of the boy-king Joash. This view is largely based on the following factors: an argument from silence (e.g., the book of Joel does not mention a king, perhaps because other officials de facto carried out his responsibilities, and there is no direct mention in the book of such later Israelite enemies as the Assyrians, Babylonians, and Persians); inconclusive literary assumptions (e.g., the eighth-century prophet Amos in Amos 9:13 alludes to Joel 3:18); the canonical position of the book (i.e., it is the second book of the Minor Prophets); and literary style (i.e., the book is thought to differ in style from the postexilic prophetic writings). While such an early date for the book is not impossible, none of the arguments used to support it is compelling. Later dates for the book that have been defended by various scholars are, for example, the late seventh century or early sixth century or sometime in the postexilic period (anytime from late sixth century to late fourth century). Most modern scholars seem to date the book of Joel sometime between 400 and 350 b.c. For a helpful discussion of date see J. A. Thompson, “The Date of the Book of Joel,” A Light unto My Path, 453-64. Related to the question of date is a major exegetical issue: Is the army of chapter two to be understood figuratively as describing the locust invasion of chapter one, or is the topic of chapter two an invasion of human armies, either the Babylonians or an eschatological foe? If the enemy could be conclusively identified as the Babylonians, for example, this would support a sixth-century date for the book.

[1:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “the word of the Lord.”

[1:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “that was.” The term “given” does not appear in the Hebrew, but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity and smoothness.

[1:1]  ⁸ sn The name Joel means in Hebrew “the Lord is God.” There are a dozen or so individuals with this name in the OT.