Joel 2:10-21

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

11 The LORD raises His voice in the presence of His army. Indeed, His camp is very large, for mighty are those who obey His command. For the Day of the LORD is great and very dreadful. Who can endure it?

Return with All Your Heart

12 “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.”

13 So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. ^[a] And He relents from sending disaster.

14 Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave a blessing behind Him— grain and drink offerings for the LORD your God.

15 Blow the ram’s horn in Zion, consecrate a fast, proclaim a sacred assembly.

16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the aged, gather the children, even those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber.

17 Let the priests who minister before the LORD weep between the portico and the altar, saying, “Spare Your people, O LORD, and do not make Your heritage a reproach, an object of scorn among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”

Restoration Promised

18 Then the LORD became jealous for His land, and He spared His people.

19 And the LORD answered His people: “Behold, I will send you grain, new wine, and oil, and by them you will be satisfied. I will never again make you a reproach among the nations.

20 The northern army I will drive away from you, banishing it to a barren and desolate land, its front ranks into the Eastern Sea, ^[b] and its rear guard into the Western Sea. ^[c] And its stench will rise; its foul odor will ascend. For He has done great things.

21 Do not be afraid, O land; rejoice and be glad, for the LORD has done great things.

Joel 2:10-21 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Forms of the Hebrew chesed are translated here and in most cases throughout the Scriptures as loving devotion; the range of meaning includes love, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, and mercy, as well as loyalty to a covenant.
• [b]. That is, the Dead Sea
• [c]. That is, the Mediterranean Sea, also called the Great Sea