Joel 3:14

14 Peoples, peoples in the valley of cutting down; for the day of the Lord is nigh in the valley of cutting down. (Peoples, peoples in the Valley of Doom, or the Valley of Judgement; for the day of the Lord is near in the Valley of Doom!)

Joel 3:14 Meaning and Commentary

Joel 3:14

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision
The same with the valley of Jehoshaphat before mentioned; which shows that not any valley of that name is intended, but a certain place so called from the judgments of God in it; and here named "the valley of decision", because here their judgment will be determined, as Kimchi and Jarchi; and at this time the controversy between God, and his people's enemies, will be decided, and at an end: or "the valley of concision", as the Vulgate Latin version; because in this place, and at this time, the nations gathered together in it will be cut to pieces: or, as others, "the valley of threshing" F16; because, as, in Jehoshaphat's time, the Moabites and Ammonites were threshed by the Jews in the valley of Berachah, to which the allusion is; so at this time the antichristian kings and their armies will be threshed and beaten, and destroyed by the men of Judah, God's professing people; see ( Micah 4:13 ) ; these seem to be the words of the prophet, breaking out into this pathetic exclamation, upon a sight of the vast multitudes gathered together in this valley, and slain in it; and the doubling of the word serves to express the prodigious number of them: and this shows that this prophecy refers either to the vast army of the Turks, under the name of Gog, and the great slaughter that will be made of them; and that this valley may be the same with the valley of Hamongog, that is, the valley of the multitude of Gog, where their multitude of slain shall be buried, ( Ezekiel 39:11 ) ; or to that vast carnage of the antichristian kings and their armies at Armageddon, ( Revelation 16:14 Revelation 16:16 ) ( 19:18-21 ) ; the Targum is,

``armies, armies, in the valley of the division of judgment:''
for the day of the Lord [is] near in the valley of decision;
that is, the great and terrible day of the Lord, to take vengeance on all the antichristian powers, both eastern and western, is nigh at hand, which will be done in this valley.
FOOTNOTES:

F16 (Uwrxh qmeb) "in valle triturationis", Piscatsr.

Joel 3:14 In-Context

12 Folks rise together, and goeth up into the valley of Jehoshaphat; for I shall sit there, to deem all folks in compass. (Let all the nations rise up, and go into the Valley of Doom, or the Valley of Judgement; for there I shall sit, and judge all the nations around them.)
13 Send ye sickles, either scythes, for [the] ripe corn waxed; come ye, and go ye down, for the presser is full; pressers be plenteous, for the malice of them is multiplied. (Send ye sickles, or scythes, for the grain is ripe, or the harvest is ready; come ye, and go ye down, for the winepress is full; yea, the winepresses be overflowing, for their malice, or their wickedness, is multiplied.)
14 Peoples, peoples in the valley of cutting down; for the day of the Lord is nigh in the valley of cutting down. (Peoples, peoples in the Valley of Doom, or the Valley of Judgement; for the day of the Lord is near in the Valley of Doom!)
15 The sun and the moon be made dark, and (the) stars withdraw their shining.
16 And the Lord shall roar from Zion, and shall give his voice from Jerusalem, and (the) heavens and (the) earth shall be moved; and the Lord is the hope of his people, and the strength of the sons of Israel (and the Lord is the hope of his people, and the defender of the Israelites).
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.