Joel 2:13-23

13 And ¹rend your heart and not ²your garments." Now return to the LORD your God, For He is ³gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness And ⁴relenting of evil.

14 Who knows ⁵whether He will not turn and relent And leave a ⁶blessing behind Him, Even ⁷a grain offering and a drink offering For the LORD your God?

15 ⁸Blow a trumpet in Zion, ⁹Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly,

16 Gather the people, ¹⁰sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the ¹¹bridegroom come out of his room And the bride out of her bridal chamber.

17 Let the priests, the LORD'S ministers, Weep ¹²between the porch and the altar, And let them say, "¹³Spare Your people, O LORD, And do not make Your inheritance a ¹⁴reproach, A byword among the nations. Why should they among the peoples say, '¹⁵Where is their God?' "

Deliverance Promised

18 Then the LORD will be ¹⁶zealous for His land And will have ¹⁷pity on His people.

19 The LORD will answer and say to His people, "Behold, I am going to ¹⁸send you grain, new wine and oil, And you will be satisfied in full with them; And I will ¹⁹never again make you a reproach among the nations.

20 "But I will remove the ²⁰northern army far from you, And I will drive it into a parched and desolate land, And its vanguard into the ²¹eastern sea, And its rear guard into the ²²western sea. And its ²³stench will arise and its foul smell will come up, For it has done great things."

21 ²⁴Do not fear, O land, rejoice and be glad, For the LORD has done ²⁵great things.

22 Do not fear, beasts of the field, For the ²⁶pastures of the wilderness have turned green, For the tree has borne its fruit, The fig tree and the vine have yielded in full.

23 So rejoice, O ²⁷sons of Zion, And ²⁸be glad in the LORD your God; For He has ²⁹given you the early rain for your vindication. And He has poured down for you the rain, The early and ³⁰latter rain as before.

Read Chapter Compare

Images for Joel 2:13-23

Joel 2:13-23 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOEL 2

In this chapter a further account is given of the judgment of the locusts and caterpillars, or of those who are designed by them, Joe 2:1-11; the people of the Jews are called to repentance, humiliation, and fasting, urged from the grace and goodness of God, his jealousy and pity for his people, and the answer of prayer that might he expected from him upon this, even to the removal of the calamity, Joe 2:12-20; a prophecy of good things, both temporal and spiritual, in the times of the Messiah, is delivered out as matter and occasion of great joy, Joe 2:21-27; and another concerning the effusion of the Spirit, which was fulfilled an the day of Pentecost, Joe 2:28-29; and the chapter is concluded with the judgments and desolations that should come upon the land of Judea after this, for their rejection of Christ, though the remnant according to the election of grace should be delivered and saved from the general destruction, Joe 2:30-32.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 30

1. Psalms 34:18; Psalms 51:17; Isaiah 57:15
2. Genesis 37:34; 2 Samuel 1:11; Job 1:20; Jeremiah 41:5
3. Exodus 34:6
4. Jeremiah 18:8; Jeremiah 42:10; Amos 7:3, 6
5. Jeremiah 26:3; Jonah 3:9
6. Haggai 2:19
7. Joel 1:9, 13
8. Numbers 10:3; 2 Kings 10:20
9. Joel 1:14
10. 1 Samuel 16:5; 2 Chronicles 29:5
11. Psalms 19:5
12. 2 Chronicles 8:12; Ezekiel 8:16
13. Exodus 32:11, 12; Isaiah 37:20; Amos 7:2, 5
14. Psalms 44:13; Psalms 74:10
15. Psalms 42:10; Psalms 79:10; Psalms 115:2
16. Zechariah 1:14; Zechariah 8:2
17. Isaiah 60:10; Isaiah 63:9, 15
18. Jeremiah 31:12; Hosea 2:21, 22; Joel 1:10; Malachi 3:10
19. Ezekiel 34:29; Ezekiel 36:15
20. Jeremiah 1:14, 15
21. Zechariah 14:8
22. Deuteronomy 11:24
23. Isaiah 34:3; Amos 4:10
24. Isaiah 54:4; Jeremiah 30:10; Zephaniah 3:16, 17
25. Psalms 126:3; Joel 2:26
26. Psalms 65:12, 13
27. Psalms 149:2
28. Isaiah 12:2-6
29. Deuteronomy 11:14; Isaiah 41:16; Jeremiah 5:24; Habakkuk 3:18; Zechariah 10:7
30. Leviticus 26:4; Hosea 6:3; Zechariah 10:1

Footnotes 9

[a]. Or "was zealous"
[b]. Or "had pity"
[c]. Or "answered and said"
[d]. Lit "it"
[e]. Lit "their wealth"
[f]. I.e. autumn; or possibly "the teacher for righteousness"
[g]. I.e. autumn
[h]. I.e. spring
[i]. So with ancient versions; Heb "in the first"