Joel 2:4

4 They look like horses, and 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.

---

FOOTNOTES:

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

Joel 2:4 In-Context

2 It will be a dark, gloomy day, cloudy and black. Like the light at sunrise, a great and powerful army will spread over the mountains. There has never been anything like it before, and there will never be anything like it again.

3 In front of them a fire destroys; in back of them a flame burns. The land in front of them is like the garden of Eden; the land behind them is like an empty desert. Nothing will escape from them.

4 They look like horses, and they run like war horses.

5 It is like the noise of chariots rumbling over the tops of the mountains, like the noise of a roaring fire burning dry stalks. They are like a powerful army lined up for battle.

6 When they see them, nations shake with fear, and everyone's face becomes pale.