Joel 2

16. sanctify the congregation--namely, by expiatory rites and purification with water [CALVIN], ( Exodus 19:10 Exodus 19:22 ). MAURER translates, "appoint a solemn assembly," which would be a tautological repetition of Joel 2:15 .
elders . . . children--No age was to be excepted ( 2 Chronicles 20:13 ).
bridegroom--ordinarily exempted from public duties ( Deuteronomy 24:5 ; compare 1 Corinthians 7:5 1 Corinthians 7:29 ).
closet--or, nuptial bed, from a Hebrew root "to cover," referring to the canopy over it.

17. between the porch and . . . altar--the porch of Solomon's temple on the east ( 1 Kings 6:3 ); the altar of burnt offerings in the court of the priests, before the porch ( 2 Chronicles 8:12 ; compare Ezekiel 8:16 , Matthew 23:35 ). The suppliants thus were to stand with their backs to the altar on which they had nothing to offer, their faces towards the place of the Shekinah presence.
heathen should rule over them--This shows that not locusts, but human foes, are intended. The Margin translation, "use a byword against them," is not supported by the Hebrew.
wherefore should they say . . . Where is their God?--that is, do not for thine own honor's sake, let the heathen sneer at the God of Israel, as unable to save His people ( Psalms 79:10 , 115:2 ).

18. Then--when God sees His people penitent.
be jealous for his land--as a husband jealous of any dishonor done to the wife whom he loves, as if done to himself. The Hebrew comes from an Arabic root, "to be flushed in face" through indignation.

19. corn . . . wine . . . oil--rather, as Hebrew, "the corn . . . the wine . . . the oil," namely, which the locusts have destroyed [HENDERSON]. MAURER not so well explains, "the corn, &c., necessary for your sustenance." "The Lord will answer," namely, the prayers of His people, priests, and prophets. Compare in the case of Sennacherib, 2 Kings 19:20 2 Kings 19:21 .

20. the northern army--The Hebrew expresses that the north in relation to Palestine is not merely the quarter whence the invader comes, but is his native land, "the Northlander"; namely, the Assyrian or Babylonian (compare Jeremiah 1:14 Jeremiah 1:15 , Zephaniah 2:13 ). The locust's native country is not the north, but the south, the deserts of Arabia, Egypt, and Libya. Assyria and Babylon are the type and forerunner of all Israel's foes (Rome, and the final Antichrist), from whom God will at last deliver His people, as He did from Sennacherib ( 2 Kings 19:35 ).
face . . . hinder part--more applicable to a human army's van and rear, than to locusts. The northern invaders are to be dispersed in every other direction but that from which they had come: "a land barren and desolate," that is, Arabia-Deserta: "the eastern (or front) sea," that is, the Dead Sea: "the utmost (or hinder) sea," that is, the Mediterranean. In front and behind mean east and west; as, in marking the quarters of the world, they faced the east, which was therefore "in front"; the west was behind them; the south was on their right, and the north on their left.
stink--metaphor from locusts, which perish when blown by a storm into the sea or the desert, and emit from their putrefying bodies such a stench as often breeds a pestilence.
because he hath done great things--that is, because the invader hath haughtily magnified himself in his doings. Compare as to Sennacherib, 2 Kings 19:11-13 2 Kings 19:22 2 Kings 19:28 . This is quite inapplicable to the locusts, who merely seek food, not self-glorification, in invading a country.

21-23. In an ascending gradation, the land destroyed by the enemy, the beasts of the field, and the children of Zion, the land's inhabitants, are addressed, the former two by personification.
Lord will do great things--In contrast to the "great things" done by the haughty foe ( Joel 2:20 ) to the hurt of Judah stand the "great things" to be done by Jehovah for her benefit (compare Psalms 126:2 Psalms 126:3 ).

22. ( Zechariah 8:12 ). As before ( Joel 1:18 Joel 1:20 ) he represented the beasts as groaning and crying for want of food in the "pastures," so now he reassures them by the promise of springing pastures.

23. rejoice in the Lord--not merely in the springing pastures, as the brute "beasts" which cannot raise their thoughts higher ( Isaiah 61:10 , Habakkuk 3:18 ).
former rain . . . the rain . . . the former . . . the latter rain--The autumnal, or "former rain," from the middle of October to the middle of December, is put first, as Joel prophesies in summer when the locusts' invasion took place, and therefore looks to the time of early sowing in autumn, when the autumnal rain was indispensably required. Next, "the rain," generically, literally, "the showering" or "heavy rain." Next, the two species of the latter, "the former and the latter rain" (in March and April). The repetition of the "former rain" implies that He will give it not merely for the exigence of that particular season when Joel spake, but also for the future in the regular course of nature, the autumn and the spring rain; the former being put first, in the order of nature, as being required for the sowing in autumn, as the latter is required in spring for maturing the young crop. The Margin, "a teacher of righteousness," is wrong. For the same Hebrew word is translated "former rain" in the next sentence, and cannot therefore be differently translated here. Besides, Joel begins with the inferior and temporal blessings, and not till Joel 2:28 proceeds to the higher and spiritual ones, of which the former are the pledge.
moderately--rather, "in due measure," as much as the land requires; literally, "according to right"; neither too much nor too little, either of which extremes would hurt the crop (compare Deuteronomy 11:14 , Proverbs 16:15 , Jeremiah 5:24 ; is parallel to "in the first month," in the last clause (that is, "in the month when first it is needed," each rain in its proper season). Heretofore the just or right order of nature has been interrupted through your sin; now God will restore it.

24. The effect of the seasonable rains shall be abundance of all articles of food.

25. locust . . . cankerworm . . . caterpiller . . . palmer worm--the reverse order from Joel 1:4 , where by the full-grown consuming locust, but also what has been lost by the less destructive licking locust, and swarming locust, and gnawing locust.

26. never be ashamed--shall no longer endure the "reproach of the heathen ( Joel 2:17 ), [MAURER]; or rather, "shall not bear the shame of disappointed hopes," as the husbandmen had heretofore ( Joel 1:11 ). So spiritually, waiting on God, His people shall not have the shame of disappointment in their expectations from Him ( Romans 9:33 ).

27. know that I am in the midst of Israel--As in the Old Testament dispensation God was present by the Shekinah, so in the New Testament first, for a brief time by the Word made flesh dwelling among us ( John 1:14 ), and to the close of this dispensation by the Holy Spirit in the Church ( Matthew 28:20 ), and probably in a more perceptible manner with Israel when restored ( Ezekiel 37:26-28 ).
never be ashamed--not an unmeaning repetition from Joel 2:26 . The twice-asserted truth enforces its unfailing certainty. As the "shame" in Joel 2:26 refers to temporal blessings, so in this verse it refers to the spiritual blessings flowing from the presence of God with His people (compare Jeremiah 3:16 Jeremiah 3:17 , Revelation 21:3 ).

28. afterward--"in the last days" ( Isaiah 2:2 ) under Messiah after the invasion and deliverance of Israel from the northern army. Having heretofore stated the outward blessings, he now raises their minds to the expectation of extraordinary spiritual blessings, which constitute the true restoration of God's people ( Isaiah 44:3 ). Fulfilled in earnest ( Acts 2:17 ) on Pentecost; among the Jews and the subsequent election of a people among the Gentiles; hereafter more fully at the restoration of Israel ( Isaiah 54:13 , Jeremiah 31:9 Jeremiah 31:34 , Ezekiel 39:29 , Zechariah 12:10 ) and the consequent conversion of the whole world ( Isaiah 2:2 , 11:9 , 66:18-23 , Micah 5:7 , Romans 11:12 Romans 11:15 ). As the Jews have been the seedmen of the elect Church gathered out of Jews and Gentiles, the first Gospel preachers being Jews from Jerusalem, so they shall be the harvest men of the coming world-wide Church, to be set up at Messiah's appearing. That the promise is not restricted to the first Pentecost appears from Peter's own words: "The promise is (not only) unto you and to your children, (but also) to all that are afar off (both in space and in time), even as many as the Lord our God shall call" ( Acts 2:39 ). So here "upon all flesh."
I will pour out--under the new covenant: not merely, let fall drops, as under the Old Testament ( John 7:39 ).
my spirit--the Spirit "proceeding from the Father and the Son," and at the same time one with the Father and the Son (compare Isaiah 11:2 ).
sons . . . daughters . . . old . . . young--not merely on a privileged few ( Numbers 11:29 ) as the prophets of the Old Testament, but men of all ages and ranks. See Acts 21:9 , 1 Corinthians 11:5 , as to "daughters," that is, women, prophesying.
dreams . . . visions--( Acts 9:10 , 16:9 ). The "dreams" are attributed to the "old men," as more in accordance with their years; "visions" to the "young men," as adapted to their more lively minds. The three modes whereby God revealed His will under the Old Testament ( Numbers 12:6 ), "prophecy, dreams, and visions," are here made the symbol of the full manifestation of Himself to all His people, not only in miraculous gifts to some, but by His indwelling Spirit to all in the New Testament ( John 14:21 John 14:23 , 15:15 ). In Acts 16:9 , 18:9 , the term used is "vision," though in the night, not a dream. No other dream is mentioned in the New Testament save those given to Joseph in the very beginning of the New Testament, before the full Gospel had come; and to the wife of Pilate, a Gentile ( Matthew 1:20 , 2:13 , 27:19 ). "Prophesying" in the New Testament is applied to all speaking under the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, and not merely to foretelling events. All true Christians are "priests" and "ministers" of our God ( Isaiah 61:6 ), and have the Spirit ( Ezekiel 36:26 Ezekiel 36:27 ). Besides this, probably, a special gift of prophecy and miracle-working is to be given at or before Messiah's coming again.

29. And also--"And even." The very slaves by becoming the Lord's servants are His freemen ( 1 Corinthians 7:22 , Galatians 3:28 , Colossians 3:11 , 1:16 ). Therefore, in Acts 2:18 it is quoted, "My servants" and "My handmaidens"; as it is only by becoming the Lord's servants they are spiritually free, and partake of the same spirit as the other members of the Church.

30, 31. As Messiah's manifestation is full of joy to believers, so it has an aspect of wrath to unbelievers, which is represented here. Thus when the Jews received Him not in His coming of grace, He came in judgment on Jerusalem. Physical prodigies, massacres, and conflagrations preceded its destruction [JOSEPHUS, Wars of the Jews]. To these the language here may allude; but the figures chiefly symbolize political revolutions and changes in the ruling powers of the world, prognosticated by previous disasters ( Amos 8:9 , Matthew 24:29 , Luke 21:25-27 ), and convulsions such as preceded the overthrow of the Jewish polity. Such shall probably occur in a more appalling degree before the final destruction of the ungodly world ("the great and terrible day of Jehovah," compare Malachi 4:5 ), of which Jerusalem's overthrow is the type and earnest.

32. call on . . . name of . . . Lord--Hebrew, JEHOVAH. Applied to Jesus in Romans 10:13 (compare Acts 9:14 , 1 Corinthians 1:2 ). Therefore, Jesus is JEHOVAH; and the phrase means, "Call on Messiah in His divine attributes."
shall be delivered--as the Christians were, just before Jerusalem's destruction, by retiring to Pella, warned by the Saviour ( Matthew 24:16 ); a type of the spiritual deliverance of all believers, and of the last deliverance of the elect "remnant" of Israel from the final assault of Antichrist. "In Zion and Jerusalem" the Saviour first appeared; and there again shall He appear as the Deliverer ( Zechariah 14:1-5 ).
as the Lord hath said--Joel herein refers, not to the other prophets, but to his own words preceding.
call--metaphor from an invitation to a feast, which is an act of gratuitous kindness ( Luke 14:16 ). So the remnant called and saved is according to the election of grace, not for man's merits, power, or efforts ( Romans 11:5 ).