Joel 2:4

4 The soldiers look like horses. They run like war horses.

Joel 2:4 Meaning and Commentary

Joel 2:4

The appearance of them [is] as the appearance of horses
in their running, as Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it; they came with, as much swiftness and eagerness, with as much fierceness and courage, as horses rush into the battle. Bochart ^F8 has shown, from various writers, that the head of a locust is in shape like that of a horse; and Theodoret on the text observes, that whoever thoroughly examines the head of a locust will easily perceive that it is very like the head of a horse; see ( Revelation 9:7 ) . The Chaldeans are often represented as strong and mighty, fierce and furious, and riding on horses exceeding swift, ( Jeremiah 4:13 ) ( 5:15 ) ( Habakkuk 1:6-8 ) ; and as horsemen, so shall they run;
with great agility and swiftness. The particle "as" is observed by some, against those interpreters that apply this wholly to the enemies of the Jews, and not the locusts; and it seems indeed best to favour them; but Theodoret observes, that the "as" here may be taken, not as a note of similitude, but as used for the increase and vehemency of the expression.

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FOOTNOTES:

F8 Hierozoic. par. 2. l. 4. c. 5. p. 474, 475.

Joel 2:4 In-Context

2 It is a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and overcast skies. A large and mighty army will spread over the mountains like the dawn. Nothing like this has ever happened. Nothing like this will ever happen again.

3 In front of this army a fire burns. Behind it flames are blazing. In front of it the land is like the garden of Eden. Behind it the land is like a barren desert. Nothing escapes it!

4 The soldiers look like horses. They run like war horses.

5 As they leap on mountaintops, they sound like rattling chariots, like crackling fire burning up straw, and like a mighty army prepared for battle.

6 People are terrified in their presence. Every face turns pale.