Joel 2:6

6 At the sight of them, nations are in anguish; every face turns pale.

Joel 2:6 in Other Translations

6 Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.

6 Before them peoples are in anguish; all faces grow pale.

6 Fear grips all the people; every face grows pale with terror.

6 At the sight of this army, the people panic, faces white with terror.

6 At their presence the peoples are in anguish; all faces are waxed pale.

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

6 Nations writhe in horror before them; all faces turn pale.

6 When people see them, they tremble with fear. All of their faces turn pale.

Joel 2:6 Meaning and Commentary

Joel 2:6

Before their face the people shall be much pained
Or, "at their presence"; at the sight of them they shall be in pain, as a woman in travail; into such distress an army of locusts would throw them, since they might justly fear all the fruits of the earth would be devoured by them, and they should have nothing left to live upon; and a like consternation and pain the army of the Assyrians or Chaldeans upon sight filled them with, as they expected nothing but ruin and destruction from them: all faces shall gather blackness;
like that of a pot, as the word ^F13 signifies; or such as appears in persons dying, or in fits and swoons; and this here, through fear and hunger; see ( Nahum 2:10 ) ( Lamentations 4:8 ) ( 5:10 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F13 (rwrap) "fuliginem", Montanus; "luridum ollae colorem", Tigurine version, Tarnovius; "ollam pro nigore ollae", Drusius.

Joel 2:6 In-Context

4 They have the appearance of horses; they gallop along like cavalry.

5 With a noise like that of chariots they leap over the mountaintops, like a crackling fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army drawn up for battle.

6 At the sight of them, nations are in anguish; every face turns pale.

7 They charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. They all march in line, not swerving from their course.

8 They do not jostle each other; each marches straight ahead. They plunge through defenses without breaking ranks.

Cross References

• 1. S Isaiah 13:8
• 2. S Isaiah 29:22; Nahum 2:10