Joel


The Day of the Lord - Past, Present, and Future


  Reading time approx 20 minutes

Read now
About this book 1 2 3

About Joel

Joel is the second of the twelve minor prophets. The name Joel means "the Lord is God." The book contains several short prophecies written in poetic form. The book is unique in several ways. First, it mentions the temple and Jerusalem, but no king. This has led some to believe that he is a later prophet, contemporary with Ezra and Nehemiah, in the time of the Second Temple. Second, it quotes or is associated with many other books of the Bible, such as Isaiah, Amos, Zephaniah, Nahum, Obadiah, Ezekiel, Malachi, and Exodus. Thirdly, no specific sin is mentioned, but the reader is assumed to be familiar with earlier prophets who have dealt more thoroughly with idolatry, injustice, and other social problems. Joel takes his cue from a contemporary disaster—a locust invasion that affected the entire economy, all of life, and even temple service. In addition to the locusts, the country also seems to have been hit by drought, see Joel 1:11-12, 17. Joel shows that God is behind everything and that God has the power to change the situation so that the country will be blessed again, but that the people need to examine themselves and repent.

Joel shows that everything that happens, God's judgment as well as God's blessing, is connected to the spiritual health of the people. God has the power to give rain at the right time so that the harvests will not fail, and thus the people can prosper and the temple can continue to function.

The army from the north is likened to locusts. The prophecy also deals with what will happen much later in the future at the end of time. God, who blesses the land with rain at the right time, will also pour out another kind of "rain" on his people, namely his own Spirit. A spiritual clarity that until now has only been given to a select few will become available to the whole people.

A recurring keyword is "the day of the Lord." The book contains perspectives on the past, present, and future.

Structure:
1. A previous day of the Lord, chapter 1
2. An imminent Day of the Lord, chapter 2
3. Repentance and God's response, chapter 2
4. A future Day of the Lord, chapter 3

Report a problem

Table of Contents

Table of Contents


Persons (9) BETA

Persons in Joel


Places (10)

Places in Joel


Unique Words (16)

Unique Words in Joel



  Written: 700s
(some date the book after the exile, 530-400 BC)
Covers the period: It is unclear when Joel was active, but he probably lived and worked in the Southern Kingdom sometime before the destruction of the temple. Many consider him to be one of the prophets of the 700s.

Author: Joel

Quoted: Joel 2:28–32 is first fulfilled in the Acts of the Apostles, see Acts 2:17–21.

Reading time: ca 20 minutes.

Total Word Count

957 words in the book (in the original text).

  Reading settings

Click the the gear icon in the menu for more settings. You can for example choose to hide chapter or verse numbers.

Tip! Click on a verse or chapter number in the text and you will see the exact hebrew words in an interlinear versionBETA where every word is linked to the Hebrew lexicon.

Reading view:

  Core Bible translation without expansions () or explanations [].
Text size:

Joel

Introduction

11The word of the Lord (Yahweh) that came to Joel [meaning: "The Lord is God"], son of Petuel. [Petuel means "God's mouth" and has to do with speaking prophetically. If he is the same person called Petachiah in 1 Chron. 24:16, Joel was the son of a priest.]

Lam. – the land is desolate

[The eighth plague in Egypt was locusts, see Ex. 10.] 2Hear this, all you elders,
    and listen (give your ear), all you inhabitants of the land.
Has this ever happened (taken place) in your days (during your lifetime)
    or even in the days of your fathers (the lifetime of your ancestors)?
 3 Tell your sons (children) about it,
    and your sons (children) to their sons (children)
    and their sons (children) to the next generation.
4What the biting locust [Hebr. gazam from the word "to bite"] has left
    the swarming locust has eaten [Hebr. arbeh, the most common word for a fully grown locust that can fly and swarm], and what the swarming locust has left
    has been eaten by the young locust [Hebr. jeleq, perhaps from the word "to lick," may refer to the first larval stage of locusts], and what the young grasshopper has left
    has been eaten by the consuming grasshopper [Hebr. chasil, from the word "to consume", the young grasshoppers that can jump but not yet fly]. [The verb "eaten" is repeated three times in this verse to emphasize the destruction. Four different types of locusts are mentioned, probably representing different stages in the locust's development. The point is that the fruit, the stalk, the leaves—yes, everything is eaten and destroyed.]

Wake up

5Wake up, you drinkers, and weep!
    Wail, all you wine drinkers,
    for [the fresh new] wine has been snatched away (cut off) from your mouths. 6For a foreign people has come up over (pagans have invaded) my land.
    Mighty, yes, without number (countless).
Their teeth are like the teeth of lions
    with fangs like a lioness.
7He [the foreign army] has destroyed my wine [which is a symbol of God's people]
    and has made sticks of my fig tree.
He has stripped the whole tree and thrown it down,
    its branches have been left white.
    [All kinds of trees with edible fruit are totally destroyed.]

Mourn

8Mourn like a virgin dressed in sackcloth
    for the husband of her youth.
    [A woman who has been widowed during the betrothal period between engagement and marriage.]
9Food offerings and drink offerings
    are gone (have been cut off) from the house of the Lord (Yahweh).
The priests [who] serve the Lord (Yahweh) mourn. 10The fields are desolate,
    the land mourns,
for the harvest has been destroyed,
    the new wine has dried up,
    the oil is running out (the fruit of the olive tree is failing).

Wail, farmers

11Be ashamed, you farmers,
    mourn, you vinedressers,
over the wheat and the barley,
    for the harvest of the fields has been lost. 12The wine is withering,
    the fig tree is withering (drying up),
the pomegranate tree, the date palm, and the apple tree,
    all the trees of the field are withered,
for joy has withered away
    from the sons of men (children).

Lament, priests

[The need is so great in the land that there is nothing to sacrifice.] 13Put on sackcloth and weep, you priests.
    Weep uncontrollably (howl and wail), you who serve at the altar.
Come and lie in sackcloth all night,
    you servants of the Lord (Elohim),
for food offerings and drink offerings
    are withheld (held back) from the house of the Lord (Elohim). [No one comes to the temple with offerings anymore.]

The day of the Lord is coming

14Proclaim a holy fast,
    call a solemn assembly,
the elders
    and all the inhabitants of the land,
to the house of the Lord your God (Yahweh Elohim)
    and cry out to the Lord (Yahweh).
15Alas (oh no), what a day!
    For the day of the Lord (Yahweh) is near.
    And like chaos (destruction, ruin) from the Almighty (Shaddai), it shall come.
16Has not the food been snatched away (cut off) before our eyes,
    and joy and gladness from the house of God (Elohim)?
 17The crops are shriveling
    under their dirty earthen mounds,
the barns are deserted,
    the granaries are torn down,
    because the harvest has withered away. 18How the animals groan!
    [Hear their lament.]
The herds are perplexed [wandering aimlessly, see Ex. 14:3]
    because they have no pasture;
    even the flocks of sheep suffer.
19To you, Lord (Yahweh), I cry out,
    because fire has consumed the pastures of the wilderness
    and flames have set the trees of the fields on fire.
 20Even the wild animals of the fields pant for you,
    because the waters of the riverbeds (wadis) have dried up
    and fire has consumed the pastures of the wilderness.

The imminent day of the Lord

An army like locusts from the north

[If Joel is an early prophet, this may be a warning of an Assyrian invasion. The Assyrians were known as fierce warriors and displayed innovative military skills that helped them expand their territory.] 21Blow the shofar (ram's horn) in Zion [the temple mount in Jerusalem]!
    Sound the alarm on my holy mountain!

Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble (shake, quake),
    for the day of the Lord (Yahweh) is coming,
it is indeed near.
     2A day of darkness and gloom,
    a day of clouds and thick darkness
spreading like blackness over the mountains.
    A great and mighty people,
since ancient times there has never been anything like this
    and there will never be again, from generation to generation.
3Before them, a fire devours (eats)
    and behind them, flames blaze.
Before them is the land like the garden of Eden
    and after them is a desolate wilderness,
    nothing escapes them (everything without exception is destroyed where they pass).
 4They appear to be like horses,
    and they run like riders. [Here, the prophet sees something that he cannot explain in words from the then known world, so instead he describes what he sees and compares it to the concepts of the time. Perhaps he sees modern tanks, but we do not know exactly what he is trying to describe. However, it is quite clear that the great and mighty people are some kind of army.] 5Like the sound of chariots
    they leap upon the mountain tops,
like crackling flames devouring stumps,
    like a mighty people arrayed (arranged in rows) for battle.
6Before them, people are filled with anxiety,
    everyone's faces turn ashen. 7They run like mighty warriors;
    they climb a wall like a soldier.
Each one moves, marching on his given path
    and does not stray from his course.
8One does not push the other.
    Each goes his own way.
They rush through the weapons (the defense)
    without being harmed or hindered.
9They rush into the city,
    they run on the walls,
they climb the houses
    and come through the windows like thieves.
10Before them, the ground shakes [like an earthquake],
    the heavens tremble,
the sun and moon are darkened,
    the stars withdraw their light. 11The Lord (Yahweh) raises his voice
    before his army.
His camp (his army) is very large,
    powerful is he who carries out his word [carries out the Lord's command].
Too great is the day of the Lord (Yahweh),
    very frightening.
Who can endure (survive) it?

Repent

12And even now the Lord (Yahweh) proclaims [as confirmation that the day of the Lord is near, see verses 1-11]:

Return [turn/repent] to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning (sorrow; Lam. lamentation). 13Tear your hearts,
    not [just] your clothes,
and turn to the Lord (Yahweh) your God (Elohim),
for he is gracious and merciful,
    slow to anger and abounding in (overflowing with) kindness (caring love) –
    and he refrains from (comforting sorrow – Hebr. nacham) evil.
[Quote from Ex. 34:6, after the events with the golden calf.]
 14Who knows, maybe he will change his mind (turn around)
    and let the blessing remain as a food offering and drink offering to the Lord (Yahweh) your God (Elohim). [The question "who knows" does not question whether God would be merciful and forgive sins when one repents—He does, the entire book of Joel exudes hope. The name Joel means "Yahweh is God." However, it is up to God's wisdom and omnipotence to decide whether the judgment should be carried out, postponed, or removed. The consequences of sin can sometimes have gone so far that God, in His goodness, must judge certain areas.] 15Blow the shofar (horn) in Zion [to gather for a holy assembly]!
    Proclaim a fast!
    Announce a solemn assembly!
 16Gather the people,
    sanctify the assembly,
call together the elders,
    gather the little children,
    even those who are still nursing.
May the bridegroom come out of his chamber and the bride out of her wedding canopy (bridal chamber, bed canopy). [According to Jewish tradition, the bride and groom did not need to participate in the daily prayer on their wedding day. In this spiritual emergency, Joel urges that there be no exceptions, everyone must come.] 17May the priests, the servants of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar and say:
    "Lord (Yahweh), spare your people and do not let your inheritance be mocked and become a proverb (saying) among the nations. Why should it be said among the nations, 'Where is their God (Elohim)?'"[In the courtyard of the priests stood the altar of burnt offering, and barely ten meters in front of it stood the porch that led into the temple building itself, see 1 Kings 6:3. The need is so great in the land that there is nothing left to sacrifice, see verse 14. Facing the holy temple, the priests are now urged to offer their tears in deep repentance and genuine conversion.]

The Lord's response

18Then the Lord (Yahweh) was seized with zeal (fervor, rapture) for his land,
    and compassion for his people.

Zeal describes the same strong feeling of love and jealousy that a husband feels when someone tries to seduce his wife. Israel is often likened to the Lord's wife, see Isa. 54:5. 19The Lord (Yahweh) answered his people:

Behold, I will send you grain, wine, and oil,
    and you shall be satisfied.
I will never again allow
    you to be humiliated among the nations.

20But I will remove the invader from the north far away from you,
    yes, I will banish him to a dry and desolate land,
his vanguard to the eastern sea [Dead Sea]
    and his rearguard to the western sea [Mediterranean Sea].
His stench will rise,
    yes, the stench from him will spread.

For he has done great things.
     21Do not fear, O land,
    be glad and rejoice,
for the Lord (Yahweh) has done great things.
     22Do not fear, you animals of the field,
    for the pastures of the wilderness have sprouted (greened),
the trees bear their fruit;
    the fig tree and the vine yield their strength.
    [The crops have recovered so that everything once again bears abundant fruit.]
 23Be glad, O children of Zion [Jerusalem],
    and rejoice in the Lord (Yahweh) your God (Elohim).
For he gives you the early rain (autumn rain, a teacher – Hebr. moreh)
    for your prosperity (righteousness),
yes, he will bring down rain for you,
    early rain (autumn rain) [which waters the seed]
    and late rain (spring rain) [which brings forth rich fruit] as before. [The long-awaited rain brings an end to the drought in the land, which is implied in Joel 1:17. The land can recover after the locust invasion. The autumn rains cause the seeds to sprout, and the spring rains come before the harvest and cause the grains to swell, resulting in a large harvest. The Hebrew word for autumn rain is moreh and can mean both autumn rain and teacher. The reason for the double meaning lies in the root of the word, jarah, which has to do with "shooting something out." A cloud "shoots out" raindrops toward the ground, and a teacher "shoots out words" to his students. Just as rain waters the earth, the teacher waters the soil of the listener's heart, compare Jesus' teaching about the sower in Matt. 13:3–10. Paul gives the example of how Apollos was a teacher who "watered," but God is responsible for the growth, see 1 Cor. 3:6.] 24The threshing floor shall be full of grain
    and the vats shall overflow with new wine and fresh oil.
25I will compensate you for the years that
    the locusts ate your crops,
        the young locust (Hebr. jeleq),
        the devouring locust (Hebr. chasil)
        and the biting locust (Hebr. gazam),
my great army that I sent among you.
26You shall eat your fill and be satisfied,
    and praise the name of the Lord your God (Yahweh Elohim),
    who has done these wonders for you.
Never again shall my people be put to shame. 27Then you will know that I am in Israel.
    Yes, I am the Lord your God (Yahweh Elohim),
    there is no other.
Never again shall my people be put to shame.

God's Spirit poured out

28After this [God's blessing over the land of Israel and deliverance from the northern kingdom, see verses 18-27], I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh [upon all people regardless of age, gender, or position]:
Your sons and daughters shall prophesy (speak inspired by God).
Your old men shall dream dreams.
Your young men shall see prophetic visions.
 29Even on servants and handmaids I will pour out my Spirit in those days. [This prophecy began to be fulfilled in Acts 2:16–21, and will be completely fulfilled when Jesus reigns in the millennial kingdom.]
 30I will show (produce) signs (spectacular changes) in the heavens (sky) and on the earth.
    Blood, fire, and pillars of smoke [on the earth, signifying war].
 31The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood [become red as blood].
    This shall happen before the day of the Lord comes, the great and terrible day.
 32And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on (invokes) the name of the Lord (Yahweh) [invites and calls upon him]
    shall be saved (redeemed; shall escape). [Jer. 33:3; Acts 2:21; Rom. 10:13]
For on Mount Zion [the temple mount] and in Jerusalem
    there shall be a saved remnant (those who escape; a remnant) [there shall be deliverance and a way out],
    just as the Lord (Yahweh) has said (promised),
and among the survivors [among the remnant there shall be]
    whom the Lord (Yahweh) calls [shall invite and call upon].

God will judge the nations—a future day of the Lord

31For behold, in those days and at that time,
    when I restore Judah and Jerusalem from exile,
 2I will gather all nations
    and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat [meaning "the Lord has judged," perhaps the Kidron Valley].
There I will judge them
    on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel,
whom they have scattered among the nations
    and divided up my land. 3They have cast lots for my people
    and sold a boy for a prostitute
    and sold a girl for wine, which they have drunk.
4And likewise, what are you to me, Tyre and Sidon and all the regions of Philistia? Do you want to repay me? Even if you want to repay me, I will quickly and smoothly send that repayment back over your own heads. 5For you have taken my silver and my gold and carried my precious treasures into your (idol) temples. 6You have sold the sons of Judah and the sons of Jerusalem to the Greeks in order to move them far away from their own borders.
7Behold, I will raise them up in the places where you have sold them, and I will send the retribution back upon your own heads. 8I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hands of the sons of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabians [a people from the south; Sheba was a grandson of Abraham who moved eastward, see Gen. 25:3, 6], to a land far away, for the Lord (Yahweh) has spoken.
9Proclaim this among the nations:
    Prepare for war.
Rally mighty warriors.
    Let the warriors advance and attack. 10Turn your plowshares into swords,
    and your pruning knives into spears.
Let the weak say,
    I am strong.
11Arise and come, all you nations around, and gather yourselves together.

The Lord (Yahweh) will bring down your mighty warriors.

12Let the nations rise up
    and go up to the valley of Jehoshaphat.
There I will sit
    and judge all the surrounding countries.
13Swing the sickle,
    for the harvest is ripe.
Come and tread,
    for the winepress is full,
    the vats overflow,
for their wickedness is great.
14Multitudes, yes, multitudes
    in the valley of decision.
The day of the Lord (Yahweh) is near
    in the valley of decision.
15The sun and moon will be darkened,
    and the stars will withdraw their shining. 16The Lord (Yahweh) roars (like a lion) from Zion [the temple mount in Jerusalem]
    and utters his voice from Jerusalem—
    the heavens and the earth shall tremble.
But the Lord (Yahweh) will be a refuge for his people
    and a stronghold (a safe place, a defense) for the children (sons) of Israel.
17Then you shall know that I am the Lord (Yahweh) your God (Elohim),
    who dwells in Zion [Jerusalem], my holy mountain.
Then Jerusalem shall be holy
    and no strangers shall ever pass through her again.

A new creation

18On that day, the mountains will drip with sweet wine
    and the hills will flow with milk
    and all the riverbeds (wadis) of Judah will flow with water.
A fountain shall flow from the house of the Lord (Yahweh)
    and water the valley of Shittim [on the east side of the Jordan River, just north of the Dead Sea].
 19Egypt (Hebr. Mitsrajim – 'the land of confinement') shall become a wasteland
    and Edom a fruitless desert
because of the lawlessness (violence, terror – Hebr. chamas) against the children of Judah (sons)
    because you have shed innocent blood in their land. 20But Judah shall be inhabited forever [there shall always be people living there]
    and Jerusalem from generation to generation. 21I will acquit them of their blood guilt
    which I have not previously forgiven.

And the Lord (Yahweh) dwells in Zion [the Temple Mount in Jerusalem].




© 2004-2026 The Core Bible
ta bort markör