Joel 2:7-17

7 They run like mighty men, They climb the wall like soldiers *; And they each ¹march in line, Nor do they deviate from their paths.

8 They do not crowd each other, They march everyone in his path; When they burst through the defenses, They do not break ranks.

9 They rush on the city, They run on the wall; They climb into the ²houses, They ³enter through the windows like a thief.

10 Before them the earth ⁴quakes, The heavens tremble, The ⁵sun and the moon grow dark And the stars lose their brightness.

11 The LORD ⁶utters His voice before ⁷His army; Surely His camp is very great, For ⁸strong is he who carries out His word. The ⁹day of the LORD is indeed great and very awesome, And ¹⁰who can endure it?

12 "Yet even now," declares the LORD, "¹¹Return to Me with all your heart, And with ¹²fasting, weeping and mourning;

13 And ¹³rend your heart and not ¹⁴your garments." Now return to the LORD your God, For He is ¹⁵gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness And ¹⁶relenting of evil.

14 Who knows ¹⁷whether He will not turn and relent And leave a ¹⁸blessing behind Him, Even ¹⁹a grain offering and a drink offering For the LORD your God?

15 ²⁰Blow a trumpet in Zion, ²¹Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly,

16 Gather the people, ²²sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the ²³bridegroom come out of his room And the bride out of her bridal chamber.

17 Let the priests, the LORD'S ministers, Weep ²⁴between the porch and the altar, And let them say, "²⁵Spare Your people, O LORD, And do not make Your inheritance a ²⁶reproach, A byword among the nations. Why should they among the peoples say, '²⁷Where is their God?' "

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Joel 2:7-17 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 27

1. Proverbs 30:27
2. Exodus 10:6
3. Jeremiah 9:21; John 10:1
4. Psalms 18:7; Joel 3:16; Nahum 1:5
5. Isaiah 13:10; Isaiah 34:4; Jeremiah 4:23; Ezekiel 32:7, 8; Joel 2:31; Joel 3:15; Matthew 24:29; Revelation 8:12
6. Psalms 46:6; Isaiah 13:4; Jeremiah 25:30; Joel 3:16
7. Joel 2:25
8. Jeremiah 50:34; Revelation 18:8
9. Jeremiah 30:7; Joel 1:15; Joel 2:1, 31; Joel 3:14; Zephaniah 1:14, 15; Revelation 6:17
10. Ezekiel 22:14; Malachi 3:2
11. Deuteronomy 4:29; Jeremiah 4:1, 2; Ezekiel 33:11; Hosea 12:6
12. Daniel 9:3
13. Psalms 34:18; Psalms 51:17; Isaiah 57:15
14. Genesis 37:34; 2 Samuel 1:11; Job 1:20; Jeremiah 41:5
15. Exodus 34:6
16. Jeremiah 18:8; Jeremiah 42:10; Amos 7:3, 6
17. Jeremiah 26:3; Jonah 3:9
18. Haggai 2:19
19. Joel 1:9, 13
20. Numbers 10:3; 2 Kings 10:20
21. Joel 1:14
22. 1 Samuel 16:5; 2 Chronicles 29:5
23. Psalms 19:5
24. 2 Chronicles 8:12; Ezekiel 8:16
25. Exodus 32:11, 12; Isaiah 37:20; Amos 7:2, 5
26. Psalms 44:13; Psalms 74:10
27. Psalms 42:10; Psalms 79:10; Psalms 115:2

Footnotes 3

[a]. Lit "in his ways"
[b]. Lit "fall"
[c]. Lit "weapon," probably "javelin"