Joel 2:9

9 In the city they rush forth; on the walls they run. Into the houses they climb up; through the windows they enter like [a] thief.

Joel 2:9 Meaning and Commentary

Joel 2:9

They shall run to and fro in the city
Leap about from place to place, as locusts do; see ( Isaiah 33:4 ) ; and as the Chaldeans did when they became masters of the city of Jerusalem; they ran about from place to place to seize upon their spoil and plunder: they shall run upon the wall;
which before they climbed, now they shall run upon, and go from tower to tower, as the Chaldeans did, and broke clown the walls and fortifications: they shall climb up upon the houses, and enter in at the windows, like
a thief;
so the locusts entered into the houses of the Egyptians, ( Exodus 10:6 ) ; and Pliny says ^F19, they will eat through everything, and even the doors of houses. Theodoret on the place observes, that not only this may be done by enemies, what is here said,

``but even [we have often seen] it done by locusts; for not only flying, but even creeping up the walls, they enter into houses at the windows.''

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FOOTNOTES:

F19 Nat. Hist. l. 11. c. 29.

Joel 2:9 In-Context

7 They run like mighty warriors, they scale the wall like men of war; each goes on its own way, and they do not swerve [from] their paths.

8 They do not jostle {one another}; each goes on its own trail; and through the falling weapons, they are not halted.

9 In the city they rush forth; on the walls they run. Into the houses they climb up; through the windows they enter like [a] thief.

10 {Before them} [the] earth quakes; [the] heavens tremble; [the] sun and [the] moon grow dark, and [the] stars {have withheld} their splendor

11 And Yahweh {utters} his voice before his army, because his encampment [is] very large; strong [is the] one who carries out his decree, for great [is] the day of Yahweh and exceedingly fearful. Who can endure it?

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew "wall"