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Introduction to Joel                            

 

INTRODUCTION TO JOEL

In some Hebrew Bibles this prophecy is called "Sepher Joel" the Book of Joel; in the Vulgate Latin version the Prophecy of Joel; and in the Syriac version the Prophecy of the Prophet Joel; and the Arabic version the Prophet Joel; and so the Apostle Peter quotes him Acts 2:16. His name according to HillerusF1Onomast. Sacr. p. 856. signifies "the Lord is God"; but others derive it from lay which in "Hiphil" is lyawh and signifies "he willed acquiesced or is well pleased so Abarbinei; and hence Schmidt thinks it answers to Desiderius or Erasmus. According to IsidorusF2De Vita & Mart. Sanct. c. 4. he was born at Bethoron in the tribe of Reuben and died and was buried there; and so says Pseudo-EpiphaniusF3De Vita Proph. c. 14. . In what age he lived is not easy to say. Aben Ezra expressly affirms there is no way to know it; and so R. David GanzF4Tzemach David par. 1. fol. 14. 2. says his time we know not; and likewise Abarbinel. Some think he prophesied about the same time Hoses did after whom he is next placed; and so Mr. WhistonF5Chronological Tables cent. 7. and 8. and Mr. BedfordF6Scripture Chronology B. 6. c. 2. p. 646. make him to prophesy much about the same time with Isaiah and Hoses about eight hundred years before Christ; but in the Septuagint version this book is in the fourth order and not Hoses but Amos and Micah are placed before him; and so the author of JuchasinF7Fol. 12. 1 2. puts the prophets in this order first Hoses then Amos next Isaiah then Micah and after him Joel. Some of the Jewish writers as Jarchi Kimchi and Abendana relate make Joel contemporary with Elisha and say he prophesied in the lays of Jehoram the son of Ahab when the seven years' famine called for came upon the land 2 Kings 8:1. Both in Seder Olam Rabba and ZutaF8P. 55 105. Ed. Meyer. he is placed in the reign of Manasseh; and so in Hilchot Gedolot as Jarchi observes. And it seems indeed as if he prophesied after the ten tribes were carried captive which was in the sixth year of Hezekiah's reign since no mention is made of Israel but with respect to future times only of Judah and Jerusalem But be it when it will that he prophesied there is no doubt to be made of the authenticity of this book which is confirmed by the quotations of two apostles out of two: Peter and Paul Acts 2:16.

 

Commentator

John Gill (November 23 1697-October 14 1771) was an English Baptist a biblical scholar and a staunch Calvinist. Gill's relationship with hyper-Calvinism is a matter of academic debate.

He was born in Kettering Northamptonshire. In his youth he attended Kettering Grammar School mastering the Latin classics and learning Greek by age eleven. The young scholar continued self-study in everything from logic to Hebrew. His love for Hebrew would follow Gill throughout his life.

At the age of about twelve Gill heard a sermon from his pastor William Wallis on the text "And the Lord called unto Adam and said unto him where art thou?" (Genesis 3:9). The message stayed with Gill and eventually led to his conversion. It was not until seven years later that young John made a public profession when he was almost nineteen years of age.

His first pastoral work was as an intern assisting John Davis at Higham Ferrers in 1718 at age twenty one. He was subsequently called to pastor the Strict Baptist church at Goat Yard Chapel Horsleydown Southwark in 1719. In 1757 his congregation needed larger premises and moved to a Carter Lane St. Olave's Street Southwark. His pastorate lasted 51 years. This Baptist Church was once pastored by Benjamin Keach and would later become the New Park Street Chapel and then the Metropolitan Tabernacle pastored by Charles Spurgeon.

During Gill's ministry the church strongly supported the preaching of George Whitefield at nearby Kennington Common.

In 1748 Gill was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity by the University of Aberdeen. He was a profound scholar and a prolific author. His most important works are:

John Gill is the first major writing Baptist theologian. His work retains its influence into the twenty-first century. Gill's relationship with hyper-Calvinism in English Baptist life is a matter of debate. Peter Toon has argued that Gill was himself a hyper-Calvinist which would make Gill the father of Baptist hyper-Calvinism. Tom Nettles has argued that Gill was not a hyper-Calvinist himself which would make him merely a precursor and hero to Baptist hyper-Calvinists.

 

¢w¢w¡mJohn Gill¡¦s Exposition of the Bible¡n

 

New King James Version Bible NKJV

The NKJV was commissioned in 1975 by Thomas Nelson Publishers. One-hundred-and-thirty respected Bible scholars church leaders and lay Christians worked for seven years with the goal of updating the vocabulary and grammar of the King James Version while preserving the classic style of the of the 1611 version.

The task of updating the English of the KJV involved many changes in word order grammar vocabulary and spelling. One of the most significant features of the NKJV was its removal of the second person pronouns "thou" "thee" "ye " "thy " and "thine." Verb forms were also modernized in the NKJV (for example "speaks" rather than "speaketh").

 

Young¡¦s Literal Translation (YLT)

Young¡¦s Literal Translation was completed in 1898 by Robert Young who also compiled Young¡¦s Analytical Concordance. It is an extremely literal translation that attempts to preserve the tense and word usage as found in the original Greek and Hebrew writings. The online text is from a reprint of the 1898 edition as published by Baker Book House Grand Rapids Michigan. Obvious errors in spelling or inconsistent spellings of the same word were corrected in the online edition of the text. This text is Public Domain in the United States.