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Joel Chapter
Two
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO JOEL 2
In
this chapter a further account is given of the judgment of the locusts and
caterpillars
or of those who are designed by them
Joel 2:1; the
people of the Jews are called to repentance
humiliation
and fasting
urged
from the grace and goodness of God
his jealousy and pity for his people
and
the answer of prayer that might he expected from him upon this
even to the
removal of the calamity
Joel 2:12; a
prophecy of good things
both temporal and spiritual
in the times of the Messiah
is delivered out as matter and occasion of great joy
Joel 2:21; and
another concerning the effusion of the Spirit
which was fulfilled an the day
of Pentecost
Joel 2:28; and the
chapter is concluded with the judgments and desolations that should come upon
the land of Judea after this
for their rejection of Christ
though the remnant
according to the election of grace should be delivered and saved from the
general destruction
Joel 2:30.
Joel 2:1 Blow the
trumpet in Zion
And sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the
inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the Lord is coming
For
it is at hand:
YLT 1Blow ye a trumpet in Zion
And shout ye in My holy hill
Tremble do all inhabitants of the earth
For
coming is the day of Jehovah
for [it is] near!
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion
and sound an alarm in my holy
mountain
.... This is spoken to the priests
whose business it was to blow
the trumpets for calling solemn assemblies to meet in Zion
the temple built
there
called from thence the holy mountain of God. Here the trumpet is ordered
to be blown with a broken quivering voice
a tarantantara
to give notice of
approaching danger by the locusts
or those enemies signified by them
and to
prepare for it
and return to God by repentance;
let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; at the
judgments of God coming upon them
and the alarm of them:
for the day of the Lord cometh
for it is nigh at hand; the time
fixed by him to punish a wicked people
and to pour out his wrath and vengeance
on them; the day of his visitation
not in love
but in anger.
Joel 2:2 2 A
day of darkness and gloominess
A day of clouds and thick darkness
Like the
morning clouds spread over the mountains. A people come
great
and strong
The like of whom has never been; Nor will there ever be any such
after them
Even for many successive generations.
YLT 2A day of darkness and thick
darkness
A day of cloud and thick darkness
As darkness spread on the
mountains
A people numerous and mighty
Like it there hath not been from of
old
And after it there is not again -- till the years of generation and
generation.
A day of darkness and of gloominess
a day of clouds and of thick
darkness
.... Alluding to the gloomy and thick darkness caused by the
locusts
which sometimes come in prodigious numbers
like thick clouds
and
darken the air; so the land of Egypt was darkened by them
Exodus 10:15;
historians and travellers relate
as BochartF6Hierozoic. par. 2. l.
4. c. 5. p. 479. has shown
that these creatures will fly like a cloud
and
darken the heavens at noonday
cover the sun
and hinder the rays of it from
touching the earth; though all these phrases may be expressive of great
afflictions and calamities
which are often in Scripture signified by darkness
as prosperity is by light; see Isaiah 8:22;
as the morning spread upon the mountains; as the
morning light
when it first appears
diffuses itself in a moment throughout
the earth
and is first seen on the tops of the mountainsF7"Postera
vix summos spargebat lumine montes Orta dies----"
Virgil. Aeneid. 12. ;
so these locusts
and this calamity threatened
should suddenly and at once
come
and be spread over the whole land; and which could no more be resisted
than the morning light. The Vulgate Latin version renders it
in connection
with the next clause
"as the morning spread upon the mountains
a people
much and mighty"; but the accents will not admit of it; though it may seem
a little improper that the same thing should be as a dark day
and: the morning
light; wherefore Cocceius understands the whole of the day of Christ
which was
light to many nations
and darkness to the wicked Jews:
a great people and a strong; numerous and mighty
many in number
mighty in strength; so the locusts are represented as a nation
and people for might and multitude
Joel 1:6; an emblem
of the Chaldeans and Babylonians
who were a large and powerful people:
there hath not been ever the like
neither shall any more after it
even to the years
of many generations; that is
in the land of Judea; otherwise there might have been
the like before in other places
as in Egypt
and since in other countries.
Jarchi
Aben Ezra
and Kimchi
account for it thus; that it was never known
before or since
that four kinds of locusts came together; as for the plague of
Egypt
there was but one sort of them
they say; but it is best to understand
it of the like not having been in the same country: and such a numerous and
powerful army as that of the Chaldeans had not been in Judea
and made such
havoc and desolation as that did; nor would any hereafter
for many
generations
even until the Romans came and took away their place and nation.
Joel 2:3 3 A
fire devours before them
And behind them a flame burns; The land is
like the Garden of Eden before them
And behind them a desolate wilderness; Surely
nothing shall escape them.
YLT 3Before it consumed hath
fire
And after it burn doth a flame
As the garden of Eden [is] the land
before it
And after it a wilderness -- a desolation! And also an escape there
hath not been to it
A fire devoureth before them
and behind them aflame burneth
.... This is
not to be understood of the heat of the sun
or of the great drought that went
before and continued after the locusts; but of them themselves
which were like
a consuming fire; wherever they came
they devoured all green grass
herbs
and
leaves of trees
as fire does stubble; they sucked out the juice and moisture
of everything they came at
and what they left behind shrivelled up and
withered away
as if it had been scorched with a flame of fire: and so the
Assyrians and Chaldeans
they were an emblem of
destroyed all they met with
by fire and sword; cut up the corn and herbage for forage; and what they could
not dispense with they set fire to
and left it burning. Sanctius thinks this
refers to fire
which the Chaldeans worshipped as God
and carried before their
armies as a sacred and military sign; but this seems not likely:
the land is as the garden of Eden before them; abounding
with fields and vineyards
set with fruitful trees
planted with all manner of
pleasant plants
and all kind of corn growing upon it
and even resembling a
paradise:
and behind them a desolate wilderness; all green
grass eaten up
the corn of the field devoured
the vines and olives destroyed
the leaves and fruit of them quite gone
and the trees themselves barked; so
that there was just the same difference between this country before the
calamities described came upon it
and what it was after
as between the garden
of Eden
or a paradise
and the most desolate wilderness; such ravages were
made by the locusts
and by those they resembled:
yea
and nothing shall escape them; no herb: plant
or tree
could escape the locusts; nor any city
town
or village
nor scarce any
particular person
could escape the Chaldean army; but was either killed with
the sword
or carried captive
or brought into subjection. The Targum
interprets it of no deliverance to the ungodly.
Joel 2:4 4 Their
appearance is like the appearance of horses; And like swift steeds
so they
run.
YLT 4As the appearance of horses
[is] its appearance
And as horsemen
so they run.
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. BochartF8Hierozoic. par. 2. l. 4. c. 5. p. 474
475. 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;
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.
Joel 2:5 5 With
a noise like chariots Over mountaintops they leap
Like the noise of a flaming
fire that devours the stubble
Like a strong people set in battle array.
YLT 5As the noise of chariots
on the tops of the mountains they skip
As the noise of a flame of fire
devouring stubble
As a mighty people set in array for battle.
Like the noise of chariots on the tops of that mountains shall
they leap
.... The motion of the locusts is leaping from place to place;
for which the locusts have legs peculiarly made
their hindermost being the
longest; wherefore PlinyF9Nat. Hist. l. 11. c. 48. observes
that
insects which have their hindermost legs long leap locusts; to which agrees the
Scripture description of them: "which have legs above their feet
to leap
withal upon the earth; even those of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind"
Leviticus 11:21;
which words
as Dr. ShawF11Travels
p. 420. Ed. 2.
observes
may
bear this construction: "which have knees upon" or "above their hinder
legs
to leap withal upon the earth"; and he observes
that the הארבה
"locust"
has the two hindermost of its
legs or feet much stronger
larger
and longer
than any of the foremost; in
them the knee
or the articulation of the leg and thigh
is distinguished by a
remarkable bending or curvature
whereby it is able
whenever prepared to jump
to spring and raise itself with great force and activity; and this fitly
resembles the jumping of chariots on mountains and hills
which are uneven
and
usually have stones lie scattered about
which
with the chains and irons about
chariots
cause a great rattling; and the noise of locusts is compared to the
noise of these
which is represented as very great; some say it is to be heard
six miles off
as Remigius on the place; and Pliny saysF12Nat. Hist.
l. 11. c. 29.
they make such a noise with their wings when they fly
that
they are thought to be other winged fowls; see Revelation 9:9.
Chariots were made use of in war
and the Chaldeans are said to have chariots
which should come like a whirlwind
Jeremiah 4:13;
like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble; as they are
before compared to fire
and a flame of fire that devoured all things as easily
as the fire devours stubble
so here to the crackling noise of it; see Ecclesiastes 7:6;
as a strong people set in battle array: that is
as
the noise of a mighty army prepared for battle
just going to make the onset
when they lift up their voices aloud
and give a terrible shout; for this
clause
as the other two
refer to the noise made by the locusts in their
march; an emblem of the terribleness of the Chaldeans in theirs
who were heard
before they were seen.
Joel 2:6 6 Before
them the people writhe in pain; All faces are drained of color.[a]
YLT 6From its face pained are
peoples
All faces have gathered paleness.
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 wordF13פארור "fuliginem"
Montanus; "luridum ollae colorem"
Tigurine version
Tarnovius;
"ollam pro nigore ollae"
Drusius. signifies; or such as appears in
persons dying
or in fits and swoons; and this here
through fear and hunger; see
Nahum 2:10.
Joel 2:7 7 They
run like mighty men
They climb the wall like men of war; Every one marches in
formation
And they do not break ranks.
YLT 7As mighty ones they run
As
men of war they go up a wall
And each in his own ways they do go
And they
embarrass not their paths.
They shall run like mighty men
.... Like men of war
in
a hostile way
as soldiers run upon their enemy with undaunted courage and
bravery. Bochart from Pisidas describes the locusts' manner of fighting
who
says
they strike not standing
but running:
they shall climb the wall like men of war; scale the
walls of cities as besiegers do; walls and bulwarks cannot keep them out; all places
are accessible to them
walled cities
towns
yea
even houses
Exodus 10:6;
and they shall march everyone on his ways; in his proper
path
following one another
and keeping just distance:
and they shall not break their ranks; or
"pervert their ways"
as the word signifies in the Arabic language
as Aben Ezra
Kimchi
and Ben Melech
observe; that is
decline not from their
paths
as the Septuagint version; proceed in an orderly way
keep rank and
file; so they are said to go forth in bands
Proverbs 30:27; and
to encamp
Nahum 3:17. Jerom
on the text relates what he saw with his own eyes:
"this
we lately saw (says he) in this province (Palestine); for when swarms of
locusts came
and filled the air between heaven and earth
they flew in such
order
by the disposition and command of God
that they kept their place like
chequered squares in a pavement fixed by the hands of artificers; so as not to
decline a point
nor even I may say a nail's breadth;'
they
keep as exact order as if military discipline was known and observed by them.
Some render it
"they shall not ask their way"F14לא יעבטון ארח־תאם
"non interrogabunt isti ab illo de semitis suis"
some in
Vatablus
and others in Kimchi and Abendana. ; being unconcerned about it
moving on in a direct line securely.
Joel 2:8 8 They
do not push one another; Every one marches in his own column.[b] Though
they lunge between the weapons
They are not cut down.[c]
YLT 8And each his brother they
press not
Each in his way they go on
If by the missile they fall
they are
not cut off.
Neither shall one thrust another
.... Press upon another
thrust him out of his place
or push him forward
or any ways straiten and
distress him
or in the least hinder him in his progress:
they shall walk everyone in his path; or
"highway"F15במסלתו "per
aggerem suum"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator; "via elevata"
Drusius; "via strata sua"
Cocceius. ; everyone should have his path
and keep in it
and it should be as roomy to him as if he had a highway to walk
in by himself
and in which he could not err:
and when they shall fall upon the sword; on which they
would pitch without any fear or dread of it:
they shall not be wounded: or "cut to
pieces"F16יבצעו "verbum
significat discidit"
Amos ix. 1. Tarnovius
so Ben Melech. by it; it not
being easy for the sword to pierce and cut them
through the smoothness and
smallness of their bodies; see Revelation 9:9; and
besides
their numbers being so great
the loss of a few by the use of a sword
or a dart
or any such flying projectile
as the wordF17בעד שלח "per missile"
Cocceius; so Bochartus
Castalio
Drusius
Burkius; "super missile"
Montanus. signifies
would be of little consequence
and avail very little to
the utter rout
or cutting of them in pieces. Kimchi observes that the word
signifies haters of gain; and to this sense Jarchi explains it; and so the
Targum
"they
go to the place whither they are sent
they slay
and receive not mammon;'
they
are not
as other enemies
to be appeased by money
as Kimchi interprets it.
The Targum is
they are not to be bribed
as soldiers sometimes may be
and so
depart; see Isaiah 13:17; and
to this sense are other versionsF18"Non avari erunt"
Montanus; "nec lucro inhiant"
Tigurine version; "non studebunt
avaritiae"
so some in Vatablus. .
Joel 2:9 9 They
run to and fro in the city
They run on the wall; They climb into the houses
They
enter at the windows like a thief.
YLT 9In the city they run to and
fro
On the wall they run
Into houses they go up by the windows
They go in as
a thief.
They shall run to and fro in the city
.... Leap
about from place to place
as locusts do; see Isaiah 33:4; and as
the Chaldeans did when they became masters of the city of Jerusalem; they ran
about from place to place to seize upon their spoil and plunder:
they shall run upon the wall; which before they
climbed
now they shall run upon
and go from tower to tower
as the Chaldeans
did
and broke clown the walls and fortifications:
they shall climb up upon the houses
and enter in at the windows
like a thief; so the locusts entered into the houses of the Egyptians
Exodus 10:6; and
Pliny saysF19Nat. Hist. l. 11. c. 29.
they will eat through
everything
and even the doors of houses. Theodoret on the place observes
that
not only this may be done by enemies
what is here said
"but
even we have often seen it done by locusts; for not only flying
but
even creeping up the walls
they enter into houses at the windows.'
Joel 2:10 10 The
earth quakes before them
The heavens tremble; The sun and moon grow dark
And
the stars diminish their brightness.
YLT 10At their face trembled hath
the earth
Shaken have the heavens
Sun and moon have been black
And stars
have gathered up their shining.
The earth shall quake before them
.... The inhabitants of
it
because of the desolating judgments they bring with them
and those enemies
that are signified by them:
the heavens shall tremble; being obscured by them:
the sun and moon shall be dark; the locusts sometimes
come in such large numbers as to intercept the rays of the sun. PlinyF20Ibid.
(Nat. Hist. l. 11. c. 29.) says they sometimes darken it; and though some
thought they did not fly in the night
because of the cold; this he observes is
owing to their ignorance
not considering that they pass over wide seas to
distant countries; and this will account for it how the moon also may be
darkened by them
and the stars
as follows:
and the stars shall withdraw their shining; though all
this may be understood in a figurative sense of the great consternation that
all sorts of persons should be in at such calamities coming upon the land
either by locusts
or by enemies; as the king
queen
nobles
and the common
people of the land
signified by sun
moon
and stars
heaven and earth.
Joel 2:11 11 The
Lord gives voice
before His army
For His camp is very great; For strong is the One who
executes His word. For the day of the Lord is great and very
terrible; Who can endure it?
YLT 11And Jehovah hath given
forth His voice before His force
For very great [is] His camp
For mighty [is]
the doer of His word
For great [is] the day of Jehovah -- very fearful
And
who doth bear it?
And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army
.... Either
the army of the locusts
whom PlinyF21Ibid. (Nat. Hist. l. 11. c.
29.) calls "pestis deorum"
"the plague of the gods"; and
the Arabians frequently style them the army of God. It is a tradition of theirs
that locusts fell into the hands of Mahomet
with this inscription on their
backs and wings
"we
are the army of the most high God;'
and
because they were
for that reason Mahomet made a law that none should kill
them; See Gill on Revelation 9:3.
These creatures are certainly at his beck and command; he can "command the
locust to devour the land"
2 Chronicles 7:13;
which may be meant by his uttering his voice here; though Jarchi and Kimchi
interpret it of the Lord's giving notice of this judgment by his prophets
before it fame: or this may design the army of the Assyrians or Chaldeans
of
which the locusts were all emblem
and which were of the Lord's mustering together
and was at his command; and who is here represented as a General at the head of
his army
making a speech to them to animate and encourage them to the battle
and to give them the word of command when to begin the onset:
for his camp is very great; or numerous
as both the
locusts and Chaldeans were:
for he is strong that executeth his word; or
"strong is it"; namely
the camp and army of the locusts; which
though feeble in themselves
separately considered; yet being in such large
bodies
and the Lord at the head of them
and strengthened by him
were able to
fulfil his word; which he can make the least and meanest of his creatures do:
or the Assyrian or Chaldean army
which was both numerous and mighty: which the
Targum may refer unto
paraphrasing the words
"for
strong are the executors of his word:'
for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible
and who
can abide it? the day appointed by the Lord to take vengeance on the Jews for
sin; and this
being the day of his wrath
is very dreadful and intolerable; so
any season may be called
in which God remarkably pours down his wrath on men
of their sins; see Revelation 6:17.
Such was the time of Jerusalem's destruction
both by the Chaldeans and Romans.
Joel 2:12 12 “Now
therefore
” says the Lord
“Turn to Me with all your heart
With fasting
with weeping
and with
mourning.”
YLT 12And also now -- an
affirmation of Jehovah
Turn ye back unto Me with all your heart
And with
fasting
and with weeping
And with lamentation.
Therefore also now
saith the Lord
.... Before this terrible
and intolerable day
which is near at hand
comes; before these judgments and
calamities threatened take place
though just at hand; serious repentance is
never too late
now is the accepted time; see Luke 19:42;
turn ye even to me with all your heart; against whom
they had sinned
and who had prepared his army against them
and was at the
head of it
just ready to give the orders
and play his artillery upon them;
and yet suggests
that even now
that if they turned to the Lord by true
repentance
not
feignedly and hypocritically
but cordially and sincerely
with true hearts
and with their whole hearts
he was ready to receive and
forgive them. The Targum is
"turn
ye to my worship with all your heart:'
and with fasting
and with weeping
and with mourning; external signs
of inward grief and sorrow
testifying their hearty return to the Lord; which
though
without the heart
signify nothing
yet should be shown where hearty
repentance is
for the honour and glory of God.
Joel 2:13 13 So
rend your heart
and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God
For
He is gracious and merciful
Slow to anger
and of great kindness; And
He relents from doing harm.
YLT 13And rend your heart
and
not your garments
And turn back unto Jehovah your God
For gracious and
merciful [is] He
Slow to anger
and abundant in kindness
And He hath repented
concerning the evil.
And rend your heart
and not your garments
.... Which
latter used to be done in times of distress
either private or public
and as a
token of grief and sorrow
Genesis 37:34; nor
was it criminal or unlawful
the apostles themselves used it
Acts 14:14; nor is
it absolutely forbidden here
only comparatively
that they should rend their
hearts rather than their garments; or not their garments only
but their hearts
also; in like sense as the words in Hosea 6:6; are to
be taken as rending garments was only an external token of sorrow and might be
done hypocritically. Where no true repentance was
the Lord calls for that
rather than the other; and that they would show contrition of heart and
brokenness of spirit under a sense of sin
and in the view of pardoning grace
and mercy; which is here held forth
to influence godly sorrow and evangelical
repentance; the acts of which
flowing from faith in Christ are much more
acceptable to the Lord than any outward expressions of grief; see Psalm 51:17. The
Targum is
"remove
the wickedness of your heart but not with the rending of your meats;'
the
rending of the garment goes to the heart some say to the navelF23T.
Bab. Moed Katon
fol. 26. 2. :
and turn unto the Lord your God; consider him not as an
absolute God
and as an angry one
wrathful and inexorable; but as your
covenant God and Father as your God in Christ
ready to receive backsliding
sinners and prodigal sons; yea all sinners sensible of sin that flee to him for
mercy through Christ:
for be is gracious and merciful; he is the God
of all grace
and has laid up a fulness of it in Christ; and he gives it freely
to them that ask it of him without upbraiding them with their sins; he is rich
and plenteous in mercy
and ready to forgive; be delights in showing mercy
and
in them that hope in it; and this is no small encouragement to turn to the
Lord
and seek mercy of him: and
besides
he is
slow to anger; he is not hasty to stir it up
and show it;
he bears with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath; and his longsuffering to
his own people issues in their salvation: he waits to be gracious to them; and
though he may seem to be angry
he does not stir up all his wrath their sins
deserve nor does he retain anger for ever:
and of great kindness; both in a providential
way
and in a way of special grace through Christ; whom he has provided as a
Saviour
and sent him into the world as such
and saves sinners by obedience
sufferings
and death: these characters of God are taken out of Exodus 34:6; and
are admirably adapted to engage and encourage sensible souls to turn to the
Lord by acts of faith in him
and repentance towards him; see Isaiah 55:7; and it
is added
and repenteth him of the evil; which the sins of men
deserve; and he has threatened on account of them; not that he ever changes the
counsels of his will
but alters the course of his providence
and the manner of
his conduct towards men
according to his unalterable repentance otherwise does
not properly belong to God
Numbers 23:19; but
is ascribed to him after the manner of men; and is used to express his
compassion men; how ready he is to receive and forgive returning sinners and
not execute the threatened and deserved evil and to bestow all needful good;
see Jonah 3:10. The
Targum is
"and
he recalls his word from bringing on the evil.'
Joel 2:14 14 Who
knows if He will turn and relent
And leave a blessing behind Him— A
grain offering and a drink offering For the Lord your God?
YLT 14Who knoweth -- He doth turn
back
Yea -- He hath repented
And He hath left behind Him a blessing
A
present and libation of Jehovah your God?
Who knoweth if he will return and repent
.... Which
some understand of man
and of his returning and repentance; either thus
whosoever he be that knows the ways of repentance
he will return
and God will
repent of this evil: which sense is mentioned by Kimchi and Ben Melech: or he
that knoweth that iniquity is on him will return and repent; so Jarchi
with
which agrees the Targum
"he
that knows that sins are in him will return from them
and he shall obtain
mercy; and whoever repents
his sins shall be forgiven him;'
but
rather they are to be understood of God
as some in Kimchi
and paraphrase it
who knows? perhaps God may return; and this is the sense of Aben Ezra
and
seems to be most correct; and to be interpreted
either as carrying some doubt
in it; not as if it was questionable whether God will give pardon to repenting
sinners
but whether he will at once remove the present affliction and
chastisement; which may be thus expressed to check the presumption and awaken
the security of the people
and rouse them from their sluggishness and
stupidity: or rather as expressive of hope that God would return and change the
dispensation of his providence
and repent of the evil he had threatened
or
brought upon them; which might be justly grounded upon the character before
given of him
and that from the revelation of himself
and the proclamation of his
own perfections; see Jonah 3:9;
and leave a blessing behind him; meaning not behind God
himself
as if he was departed
or about to depart
for which there was no
great concern
provided he left a temporal blessing with them; but behind the
army of the locust
after that had made all the devastation it did: or rather
"cause to leave"; stop the locust in its progress
and not suffer it
to make a total desolation
but cause it to leave some of the fruits of the
earth behind it. So Aben Ezra gives the sense of the words
"perhaps
God will return
and cause the locust to leave a blessing;'
and
to the same purpose Jarchi
of which they make a meat offering and a drink
offering
as follows:
even a meat
offering and a drink offering to the Lord your God; at least
leave so much of the wheat
that a meat offering might be made of it; and so
many of the vines
as that so much wine might be produced by them as would
furnish out a drink offering to be offered to the Lord
agreeably to the laws
given about these; for which the greatest concern is expressed
this being cut
off and withheld from the house of the Lord
by reason of the present scarcity
Joel 1:9; which
shows a truly pious and religious mind
having more at heart the worship of God
than themselves and families.
Joel 2:15 15 Blow
the trumpet in Zion
Consecrate a fast
Call a sacred assembly;
YLT 15Blow ye a trumpet in Zion
Sanctify a fast -- proclaim a restraint.
Blow the trumpet in Zion
.... For the calling of
the people together to religious duties
which was one use of the silver
trumpets made for and blows by the priests
Numbers 10:2;
sanctify a fast
call a solemn assembly; See Gill on Joel 1:14.
Joel 2:16 16 Gather
the people
Sanctify the congregation
Assemble the elders
Gather the children
and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber
And the bride
from her dressing room.
YLT 16Gather the people
sanctify
an assembly
Assemble the aged
Gather infants and sucklings of the breasts
Go
out let a bridegroom from his inner chamber
And a bride out of her closet.
Gather the people
.... The common people
all the inhabitants
of the land
Joel 1:14; summon
them to meet together in the temple
in order to humble themselves before God
for their sins
and implore his mercy
and seek his face to remove his
judgments
or avert them:
sanctify the congregation; see that they are
sanctified and prepared for a fast
as the law directs in such cases; that they
may be clean and free from all ceremonial impurities; that their bodies and
clothes be washed
and that they abstain from their wives
and from all lawful
pleasures
as well as sinful ones:
assemble the elders; both in age and
authority; that they
by their presence and example
might influence others to
attend such a service:
gather the children and those that suck the breast; who were
involved in the common calamity and distress
were obliged to fasting and whose
cries might affect parents
and engage them the more to humiliation and
repentance for their sins
which brought such
miseries
not only upon
themselves
but upon their tender infants; and they might think their cries
would move the pity and compassion of God; all which is suggested in the note
of Kimchi:
let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber
and the bride out of
her closet; where they are adorning themselves and preparing for an
interview with each other; or where they are enjoying each other's embraces and
the pleasures of the matrimonial state. The sense is
let them put off their
nuptial robes
and deny themselves their lawful pleasures
and betake themselves
to fasting mourning
and prayer; see 1 Corinthians 7:5.
This refers to a custom among the Jews at the time of espousals when the
bridegroom and bride were introduced into the nuptial chamber
where the
marriage was completed; and
according to the Jewish writes it was not finished
before: the blessing of the bridegroom and bride did not complete the marriage
but the bringing of them into the chamber did; and then they were said to he
married
though as yet they had not cohabited and then
and not before a man
might enjoy his wifeF24Maimon. Hilchot Ishot
c. 10. sect. 2
4.
Schulchan Aruch
par. 2. Eben Hezer
c. 55. sect. 2
3. : and the marriage
chamber was nothing else but a linen cloth or garment spread upon four poles
over the head of the bridegroom and bride; this they called חופה
F25R. Elias Levita
Tishbi in חפה p. 119.
; the word is here rendered a "closet" and the same with the
"chamber"; and their leaving and coming out of this signifies their
abstaining from the lawful enjoyment of each other
which now they had a right
unto.
Joel 2:17 17 Let
the priests
who minister to the Lord
Weep between the porch
and the altar; Let them say
“Spare Your people
O Lord
And do not
give Your heritage to reproach
That the nations should rule over them. Why
should they say among the peoples
‘Where is their God?’”
YLT 17Between the porch and the
altar weep let the priests
ministrants of Jehovah
And let them say: `Have
pity
O Jehovah
on Thy people
And give not Thy inheritance to reproach
To
the ruling over them of nations
Why do they say among peoples
Where [is]
their God?'
Let the priests
the ministers of the Lord
weep between the porch
and the altar
.... Not the altar of incense which stood in the holy place; but
the altar of burnt offering
where the priests used to stand and do service;
but now having nothing to do of that kind
they are called upon to weep and
pray between that and the porch of the temple; where they might be seen and
heard by the people in the outward court which the porch led into: this is
thought by some to be the same situation with that between the temple and the
altar
Matthew 23:35;
and let them say
spare thy people
O Lord; they are
directed to plead
not in a way of justice
but mercy; that though it might be
just with God to destroy these people
who were called by his name; yet it is
entreated that he would not
but in mercy spare them
and not cut them off in
his sore displeasure
which the present judgment threatened them with: there
seems to be an argument for mercy suggested
in the relation these people stood
in to God
they are "thy people"
whom thou hast chosen
and who are
called by thy name; though this was also an aggravation of their sin; and the
same may be observed in what follows:
and give not thine heritage to reproach: the people
whom he had chosen for his inheritance
and the land of Canaan he had given to
them for an inheritance; both which would be given to reproach if such a famine
should ensue that they must be obliged to go into other countries for food:
that the Heathen should rule over them; as they
would
should they be forced to leave their own country
and settle in theirs
for the sake of food: or "to be a proverb"
or "byword
among
the Heathen"
as Jarchi. This clause Jerom thinks opens the mystery
and
explains who are meant by the mighty nation under the name of locusts
the
enemies of the Jews; though this does not necessarily follow
take the words in
either sense
as explained: it seems indeed very likely
that though the
locusts may be understood literally
yet may be considered as an emblem of the
Assyrian or Chaldean army
as we have all along observed; and
as the same
ancient writer observes
when we read of the locusts
we should think of the
Chaldeans
in which thought we may be confirmed by this clause:
wherefore should they say among the people
where is their
God? they boast of as their Creator and Benefactor
their Protector
and Defender
that gave them a land flowing with milk and honey
and abounding
with all blessings? what is become of that? and where is he now? which the
Gentiles would say in a reproaching blaspheming way
should they be reduced to
famine by the locusts
or fall into the hands of their enemies; than which kind
of reproach and blasphemy there is nothing more cutting to religious minds: see
Psalm 42:10; and
this
as well as the former is used as an argument with God for mercy. The
Targum is
"where
are they that are redeemed by the Word of your God?'
Joel 2:18 18 Then
the Lord
will be zealous for His land
And pity His people.
YLT 18And let Jehovah be zealous
for His land
And have pity on His people.
Then will the Lord be jealous for his land
.... Or
"zealous" for it; for the honour of it
and the good of its
inhabitants
and for the glory of his own name
it being the chief place in the
world for his worship and service; and his indignation will be moved against
those who have brought desolation on it:
and pity his people; as a father his
children
who had suffered much
and had been reduced to great distress by the
locusts
or by their enemies: this the prophet foretells would be done upon
their repentance
fasting
prayers
and tears; or
as some think
this is a
narrative of what had been done
and the prophet was a witness of; that the
people meeting together with their princess and priests
and humbling
themselves before the Lord
and crying to him
he expressed a zeal and
compassion for them
and delivered them out of their troubles; for though their
humiliation is not expressed
it may be understood and supposed
as doubtless
it was fact.
Joel 2:19 19 The
Lord will answer
and say to His people
“Behold
I will send you grain and new wine and oil
And
you will be satisfied by them; I will no longer make you a reproach among the
nations.
YLT 19Let Jehovah answer and say
to His people
`Lo
I am sending to you the corn
And the new wine
and the
oil
And ye have been satisfied with it
And I make you no more a reproach
among nations
Yea
the Lord will answer and say unto his people
.... By his
prophets
as Kimchi: or
"the Lord answered and said"F1ויען "et respondit"
Piscator
Drusius
Burkius.
; while they were praying and weeping
or as soon as they cried unto him; or
however
praying to him
they might assure themselves that he heard them
and
would answer them both by words and deeds:
behold
I will send you corn
and wine
and oil; that is
cause the earth to bring forth corn
as wheat and barley
and the vines and
olive trees to bring forth grapes and olives
from which wine and oil might be
made: this is
according to some interpreters
to be understood of an abundance
of spiritual blessings:
and ye shall be satisfied therewith; or
"with it";
with each and every of the above things
corn
wine
and oil; they should not
only have them
but have enough of them
even to satiety:
and I will no more make you a reproach among the Heathen; for want of
food
and as if forsaken of God. The Targum is
"and
I will not give you any more the reproaches of famine among the people;'
see
Joel 2:17.
Joel 2:20 20 “But
I will remove far from you the northern army
And will drive him away
into a barren and desolate land
With his face toward the eastern sea And his
back toward the western sea; His stench will come up
And his foul odor will
rise
Because he has done monstrous things.”
YLT 20And the northern I put far
off from you
And have driven him unto a land dry and desolate
With his face
unto the eastern sea
And his rear unto the western sea
And come up hath his
stink
And come up doth his stench
For he hath exerted himself to work.
But I will remove far off from you the northern army
.... The army
of the locusts
which came from the northern corner
as Aben Ezra and Kimchi;
and is the first sense Jarchi makes mention of; though he says their RabbinsF2Vid.
T. Bab. Succah
fol. 52. 1. interpret it of the evil imagination hid in the
heart of men; and the two seas
later mentioned
of the two temples
first and
second
destroyed by it; so
Kimchi says
they explain this verse of the days
of the Messiah
and observes
the same sense they give; but Jarchi mentions
another
according to which a people coming from the north are designed
even
the kings of Assyria; and with this agrees the Targum
which paraphrases it
"and
the people which come from the north I will remove far off from you;'
and
indeed locusts do not usually come from the north
but from the south
or from
the east; it was an east wind that brought the locusts into Egypt
Exodus 10:13;
though the word "northern" may be used of the locusts in the emblem
because the Assyrians or Chaldeans came from the north to Judea:
and will drive him into a land barren and desolate: where there
are no green grass
herbs
plants
and trees
to live upon
and so must starve
and die:
with his face towards the east sea; the front of this
northern army was towards the east sea
into which it was drove and fell; that
is
the sea of Chinnereth
or Gennesareth
the same with the lake of Tiberias
often mentioned in the New Testament; or the Salt sea
the same with the lake
Asphaltites
or Dead sea
which was where Sodom and Gomorrah formerly stood
as
is usually said; and both these were to the east of the land of Israel
as
Kimchi and Ben Melech observe; and so either of them might be called the
"eastern sea":
and his hinder part towards the utmost sea; the rear of
this army was towards the utmost sea
or hinder sea
as it is called in Zechariah 14:8; the
western sea
as Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret it
the same with the
Mediterranean sea
which lay to the west of the land of Israel; so the Egyptian
locusts were cast into the Red sea
Exodus 10:19; and
PlinyF3Nat. Hist. l. 11. c. 29. observes
that they are sometimes
taken away with a wind
and fall into seas and lakes
and adds
perhaps this
comes by chance; but what is here related came not by chance
but by the will
and providence of God:
and his stink shall come up
and his ill savour shall come up: that is
the
stink and ill savour of the locusts shall come
up out of the seas and lakes
into which they fell
and where they died and putrefied; or
being cast up from
thence upon the shares
gave a most noisome stench; so Jerom on the place says
"in
our times we have seen swarms of locusts cover the land of Judea
which upon
the wind rising have been driven into the first and last seas; that is
into
the Dead and Mediterranean seas; and when the shores of both seas have been
filled with heaps of dead locusts
which the waters have thrown up
their
rottenness and stench have been so very noxious as to corrupt the air
and
produce a pestilence among men and beasts;'
or
this may be understood of the fall and ruin of the enemies of the Jews
signified by these locusts; and some apply it to Sennacherib's army smote by
the angel
when there fell in one night a hundred and fourscore and five
thousand of them in the land of Israel
and lay unburied
2 Kings 19:35;
Theodoret interprets the seas of armies; the first sea of the army of the
Babylonians
by which Nineveh the royal seat of the Assyrians was destroyed;
and the other sea of the army of the Persians
who
under Cyrus
took Babylon
the metropolis of the Chaldean empire:
because he hath done great things; evil things
as the
Targum; either the locust
which had done much mischief to the fruits of the
earth; or the enemy
signified by it
who had behaved proudly
and done much
hurt to the inhabitants of Judea: or
"though he hath done great
things"F4כי הגדיל
לעשות "quamvis magna gesserit"
Gataker.
as some render it
yet all this shall come to him. Some interpret it of God
"for he (God) hath done"
or "will do
great things"F5"Quia
magnifica Jehovah agit"
Junius & Tremellius; "aget"
Piscator
Liveleus
Castalio. ; in the removing of the locusts
or in the
destruction of those enemies they represented
as is expressly said of him in Joel 2:21.
Joel 2:21 21 Fear
not
O land; Be glad and rejoice
For the Lord has done marvelous
things!
YLT 21Do not fear
O land! joy
and rejoice
For Jehovah hath exerted Himself to work.
Fear not
O land
.... O land of
Israel
as the Targum
and the inhabitants of it; neither of the locusts
who
had so terrified them
and had done so much mischief
and threatened more; nor
of their enemies
the Assyrians or Chaldeans
and their powerful armies
or any
other; but
on the contrary
be glad
and rejoice; at the removal of the
locusts
and at the destruction of their enemies:
for the Lord will do great things; good things
in
opposition to the evil things done by the locusts
as Aben Ezra
Kimchi
and
Ben Melech observe; or by the destroying army of the king of Assyria
by delivering
the Jews out of the Babylonish captivity; and in the times of the Maccabees
and especially in the times of Christ
which are quickly prophesied of in this
chapter; and which prophecies some interpreters begin here
it not being
unusual for the prophets to pass directly from things temporal to things
spiritual
and especially to the great deliverance and salvation by Christ
and
also by temporal blessings to design spiritual ones.
Joel 2:22 22 Do
not be afraid
you beasts of the field; For the open pastures are springing up
And the tree bears its fruit; The fig tree and the vine yield their strength.
YLT 22Do not fear
O cattle of
the field! For sprung forth have pastures of a wilderness
For the tree hath
borne its fruit
Fig-tree and vine have given their strength!
Be not afraid
ye beasts
of the field
.... Which before groaned
and were perplexed for want of
pasture
and cried because of the drought
Joel 1:18; perhaps
the Gentiles may be here designed
in the mystic and spiritual sense
in
distinction from the Jews
the children of Zion
in Joel 2:23;
for the pastures of the wilderness do spring; grass in
abundance springs up in them
and covers them
so that there was plenty of food
for the beasts of the field:
for the tree beareth her fruit; brings forth and bears
fruit suitable to it
agreeable to its nature:
the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength; send forth
their branches
put forth their buds
their leaves and fruit. This and the
preceding clause cannot be understood as a reason why the beasts of the field
should not be afraid
for they relate not to them
but to men; and may serve to
confirm the mystic sense of the words
as they may refer to the great
fruitfulness produced in the wilderness of the Gentile world
through the
preaching of the Gospel in the times of the Messiah; which are more clearly
pointed at in Joel 2:23; and
which were introduced with great outward peace and plenty; and the JewsF6T.
Bab. Cetubot
fol. 112. 2. by the tree bearing her fruit
in the preceding
clause
understand barren trees bearing fruit.
Joel 2:23 23 Be
glad then
you children of Zion
And rejoice in the Lord your God; For
He has given you the former rain faithfully
[d] And He
will cause the rain to come down for you— The former rain
And the latter rain
in the first month.
YLT 23And ye sons of Zion
joy
and rejoice
In Jehovah your God
For He hath given to you the Teacher for
righteousness
And causeth to come down to you a shower
Sprinkling and
gathered -- in the beginning.
Be glad then
ye children
of Zion
.... The people of the Jews
and especially the spiritual and
believing part of them; such as were born again
that were born of Zion
and
born in Zion
and brought up by her
and in her; the children of that Zion or
Jerusalem that is the mother of us all; and who were looking for the Messiah
and to whom it would be good news and glad tidings to hear of his coming
Zechariah 9:9;
and rejoice in the Lord your God; not in any creature or
creature enjoyment
but in the Lord. The Targum is
"in
the Word of the Lord your God;'
in
Christ the essential Word; see Philemon 3:3;
though rather Jehovah the Father
the giver and sender of Christ
is here
meant
because of what follows; and who is to be rejoiced in by his people
not
as an absolute God
but as in Christ
and as their covenant God and Father in
him; who has chosen them for himself
and is their portion and inheritance;
which are reasons sufficient why they should rejoice in him
and others follow:
for he hath given you the former rain moderately; or rather
"for he hath given you the teacher of righteousness"F7המורה לצדקה "doctorem
justitiae"
V. L. Pagninus
Montanus
Munster. ; to which agrees the Targum
"for
he hath returned to you your teacher in righteousness;'
and
so Jarchi paraphrases the words
and interprets them of the prophets in
general
"your
prophets that teach you to return unto me
that I may justify you;'
and
R. Japhet says that מורה signifies a prophet that
should teach them in the way of righteousness; not Isaiah
as Grotius; but the
King Messiah as Abarbinel interprets it; who is the teacher sent from God
and
given by him
as his presence with him
and the miracles done by him
sufficiently
prove
John 3:2; for which
he was abundantly qualified
being the omniscient God
and the Son of God that
lay in the bosom of his Father; is the Wisdom of God
as Mediator; had the
Spirit of wisdom on him
and the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hid in him;
and who is able to make his teachings effectual
and to qualify others for such
work. This office he performed personally on earth
both in a doctrinal way
and by way of example; and now executes it by his Spirit
and by his ministers:
and a "teacher of righteousness" he may be truly said to be; since he
not only taught the Gospel
the word of righteousness in general; but in
particular directed men to seek in the first place the righteousness of God
which is no other than his own; and pronounced those happy that hungered after
it: he declared he came to fulfil all righteousness
even the law for
righteousness; and taught men to believe in him for it
and to live righteously
and godly. Aben Ezra observes
that the phrase is the same with "the sun
of righteousness"
Malachi 4:2; which
is said of Christ the author of righteousness
who is our righteousness made so
by imputation
the Lord our righteousness: or
as here
"a teacher unto
or for righteousness"F8"Doctorem ad justitiam"
Tigurine version
Mercerus
Castalio
Drusius
Cocceius
Burkius.
all which
is matter of joy and gladness; see Isaiah 61:10;
and he will cause to come down for you the rain
the former rain
and the latter rain in the first month; alluding to the two
seasons of the year in which rain was given to the Jews; the former rain fell
in Marchesvan
which answers to our September and
October
part of each
at
their seedtime; and the latter in Nisan
the first month of their
ecclesiastical year
and answers to part of March and April
and fell some time
before their harvest; and these former and latter rains now fall about the same
time. So Dr. ShawF9Travels
tom. 2. par. 2. c. 1. p. 335. Ed. 2.
observes
that
"the
first rains in these countries (Syria
Phoenicia
and the Holy Land) usually
fall about the beginning of November; the latter sometimes in the middle
sometimes toward the end
of April:'
and
elsewhere he saysF11Ib. tom. 1. part 3. sect. 2. p. 137.
"in
Barbary the first rains fall some years in September
in others a month later;
the latter rains usually fall in the middle of April:'
and
the same traveller relatesF12Ib. tom. 2. part 2. c. 2. sect. 3. p.
377.
that
"upon
the coast (of Egypt) from Alexandria
all along to Damiata and Tineh
they have
their former and latter rains as in Barbary and the Holy Land.'
This
rain spiritually designs the doctrine of the Gospel
which is sometimes
compared to rain
Deuteronomy 32:2;
because as rain it comes from God
descends from heaven
is a divine gift
both
as to the ministry and experience of it; it tarries not for man
neither for
his desires nor deserts; falls according to divine direction
sometimes here
and sometimes there; is a great blessing
and brings many with it
revives
refreshes
and makes fruitful. Jerom interprets these two rains of the first
receiving of doctrine
and of a more perfect knowledge of it; as also of the
two Testaments
the Old and New: but it may be better interpreted of the
preaching of the Gospel by John the Baptist
and by Christ; or by Christ
and
then by his apostles; or of the first and second ministration of apostles
first to the Jews
then to the Gentiles; or of the coming of Christ in the
flesh
for the same word is used here as in the former clause
and of his
spiritual coming in the latter day
both which are compared to rain
Hosea 6:3.
Joel 2:24 24 The
threshing floors shall be full of wheat
And the vats shall overflow with new
wine and oil.
YLT 24And full have been the
floors [with] pure corn
And overflown have the presses [with] new wine and
oil.
And the floors shall be
full of wheat
.... The churches of Christ
which will now be in Judea
and in
the Gentile world
which are his "floors"
Matthew 3:12; and
which will be set up everywhere through the preaching of the Gospel
the
descent of the former and latter rain; these will be full of precious souls
gathered in
compared to wheat
and of the choice and excellent
doctrines of
the Gospel
and of all spiritual provisions
Matthew 13:30;
and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil; with the wine
of Gospel doctrine
and the oil of true grace; there shall be a flow
an
overflow
a redundancy of these
both in the ministers of the word and private
Christians
in whom the grace of God shall abound and superabound; see Romans 5:20.
Joel 2:25 25 “So
I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten
The
crawling locust
The consuming locust
And the chewing locust
[e] My great
army which I sent among you.
YLT 25And I have recompensed to
you the years That consume did the locust
the cankerworm
And the caterpillar
and the palmer-worm
My great force that I did send against you.
And I will restore to you
the years that the locust hath eaten
.... Or "I will
recompense to you the years"F13ושלמתי
לכם "et rependam vobis"
Junius &
Tremellius
Piscator
Vatablus
Tarnovius; "compensabo"
Grotius
Cocceius. ; give you fruitful ones
as a full compensation for those in which
the locust ate up the fruits of the earth for some years running:
the canker worm
and the caterpillar
and the palmer worm; of which see Joel 1:4;
my great army which I sent among you; as in Joel 2:11; the
Targum of the whole is
"and
I will recompense unto you good years
in the room of the years in which the
people
nations
and tongues
the governors and kingdoms of vengeance
spoiled
you
my great army which I sent among you;'
and
Kimchi observes
that the sense of the Targumist is
that this verse is a
prophecy of the days of the Messiah; as no doubt it is
in which the Lord has
done for his people
as Moses prayed he would
"make them glad
according to the days wherein he afflicted them
and the years
wherein they had seen evil"
Psalm 90:15; the
times of the Messiah
in which so many good things come to the people of God
are a sufficient recompence for what they endured in times past. Of the
Mahometan notion of locusts being the army of God; see Gill on Joel 2:11.
Joel 2:26 26 You
shall eat in plenty and be satisfied
And praise the name of the Lord your God
Who
has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame.
YLT 26And ye have eaten
eating
and being satisfied
And have praised the name of Jehovah your God
Who hath
dealt with you wonderfully
And not ashamed are My people to the age.
And ye shall eat in plenty
.... Or
"in eating eat"F14אכל־תאם אכול "comedetis comedendo"
Pagninus
Montanus;
"ceras"
Vatablus
Piscator
Tarnovius. ; most surely eat
and in
great abundance; which Hebraism not only denotes the certainty of a thing
but
the increase and abundance of it; see Genesis 22:17;
there is plenty of spiritual provisions held forth under the Gospel
dispensation: much in God
in his goodness
grace
and love
truth and
faithfulness; in his covenant
the blessings and promises of it: much in
Christ
who is compared to many things eatable; is called the Lamb of God
the
fatted calf
the hidden manna
the tree of life
and the bread of God;
everything in him
and that belongs to him
is food for faith; his flesh is
meat indeed
his blood is drink indeed; the fulness of grace in him; the
righteousness wrought out by him; the salvation he is the author of; upon all
which the believer lives by faith: much in the Gospel
and the doctrines of it
compared to honey for sweetness of taste; to milk for its nourishing nature
easiness of digestion
and the suitableness of it for babes; and to strong meat
fit for men: and there is groat plenty also in the ordinances of the Gospel
particularly in the Lord's supper
the feast of fat things
where saints are
invited to eat and drink abundantly; which eating is not a bare attendance on
outward ordinances
or a superficial taste of the things in them
but a feeding
upon them by faith
receiving and digesting them;
and be satisfied; eat to satiety; eat and be full
so as to
be entirely contented
and desire no other sort of food; thus saints
as
Naphtali
are satisfied with the favour and love of God
having a delightful
sensation of it
and a full persuasion of interest in it; with Christ as the
bread of life
so as not to hunger after other; with his righteousness
as not
to seek any other; and with his salvation
being so suitable to them; and with
the goodness and fatness of the Lord's house
his word and ordinances;
and praise the name of the Lord your God
that hath dealt
wondrously with you; acknowledge him to be the giver of all this spiritual food
and
that they are unworthy of it; ascribe it entirely to the grace of God
who has
done wonders for them; in wonderfully setting them apart for himself in eternal
election; in making such a well ordered covenant with them in Christ; in
sending him to be their Saviour and Redeemer; in calling them out of darkness
into marvellous light; in bestowing such love upon them
as to call them and
make them his children
and also heirs of him and eternal glory; see Psalm 22:26;
and my people shall never be ashamed; because they
shall always have food to eat; shall never be disappointed
when they rightly
apply for it in proper places and times; and not be like the troops of Tema
and companies of Sheba
Job 6:19; they
shall not be ashamed of their faith and hope
and expectation of good things
promised them; nor of the word and ordinances
and the profession they have
made of Christ in this world; nor shall they be ashamed at his coming; but
shall be placed at his right hand
and received into his kingdom
and shall be
led by him to fountains of living water
and be satisfied with pleasures for
evermore.
Joel 2:27 27 Then
you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the Lord your God And
there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame.
YLT 27And ye have known that in
the midst of Israel [am] I
And I [am] Jehovah your God
and there is none
else
And not ashamed are My people to the age.
And ye shall know that I am
in the midst of Israel
.... The presence of God among his people shall be so manifest
the tokens of it so clear
that it shall be easily known
by the impressions of
his love upon them; the teachings of his Spirit in them; the usefulness of the
word and ordinances to them; the spiritual and heavenly frame of soul they
shall be favoured with
and the savouriness of their conversation; this is the
blessing Christ has promised to Gospel ministers and churches
Matthew 28:20;
and that I am the Lord your God
and none else; that he is
their covenant God and Father
and acknowledge none else:
and my people shall never be ashamed; which is
repeated for the certainty of it; see Joel 2:26.
Joel 2:28 28 “And
it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your
sons and your daughters shall prophesy
Your old men shall dream dreams
Your
young men shall see visions.
YLT 28And it hath come to pass
afterwards
I do pour out My Spirit on all flesh
And prophesied have your sons
and your daughters
Your old men do dream dreams
Your young men do see
visions.
And it shall come to pass
afterward
.... After the teacher of righteousness has been sent
and a
plentiful rain of the Gospel has been let down in the land of Judea
in the
ministry of John the Baptist
Christ and his apostles
and such a comfortable
enjoyment of the blessings of grace in it
and the knowledge of God by it; and
after the wonderful work of redemption wrought by Christ. R. Jeshua in Aben
Ezra and Jarchi both say this prophecy refers to time to come; and Kimchi
observes
that the phrase is the same with "in the last days"; and so
the Apostle Peter quotes it
Acts 2:17; a
phrase
as the above writer observes
which always signifies the days of the
Messiah
to which he applies these words; and so do other Jewish writers
both
ancient and modernF15Zohar in Numb. fol. 99. 2. Bemidbar Rabba
sect. 15. fol. 219. 2. Debarim Rabba
sect. 6. fol. 242. 2. Abarbinel
Mashmia
Jeshua
fol. 9. 3. R. Isaac
Chizzuk Emunah
par. 1. p. 51. ; and there is no
doubt with us Christians that they belong to the times of Christ and his
apostles
since they are by an inspired writer said to be fulfilled in those
times
Acts 2:16; here
some begin a new chapter;
that I will pour
out my Spirit upon all flesh; not on such whose hearts are made tender as
flesh
according to Ezekiel 36:26; as
Jarchi; for the Spirit must be given first to make the heart such; nor only
upon men in the land of Israel
a place fit to prophesy in
as Aben Ezra and
Kimchi; but upon all men
as this phrase frequently signifies; see Isaiah 40:5; that
is
all sorts of men
Jews and Gentiles
men of all nations; and such there
were on the day of Pentecost
when the Spirit was poured down upon the
apostles
and the grace of the Spirit was given to many of all nations; though that
was only the beginning of the fulfilment of this prophecy
which quickly had a
further accomplishment in the Gentile world; and denotes the abundance of the
gifts of the Spirit
both extraordinary and ordinary
and of his grace
and the
blessings of it
bestowed on them;
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; as Agabus
Barnabas
Simeon
&c. and the four daughters of Philip the evangelist
Acts 11:28;
your old men shall dream dreams
your young men shall see visions; as Ananias
Peter
Paul
John
and others
some in their elder
some in their younger
years
Acts 9:10; though
prophecy
dreams
and visions
being the usual ways of conveying knowledge
here signify that the knowledge of men in Gospel times should be equal to
yea
exceed
whatever was communicated to men in the highest degree in former times:
John the Baptist was greater than any of the prophets
and yet the least in the
kingdom of heaven was greater than he
Luke 7:28.
Joel 2:29 29 And
also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My
Spirit in those days.
YLT 29And also on the
men-servants
and on the maid-servants
In those days I do pour out My Spirit.
And also upon the servants
and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour my Spirit. Men servants
and maidservants should partake of the gifts and grace of the Spirit in great
abundance; and many of them were effectually called by grace
through the
ministry of the word; and some servants became ministers of it; all which
appears from 1 Corinthians 7:21;
for that is not true what the JewsF16T. Bab. Sabbat
fol. 92. 1.
say
the Shechinah or divine Majesty does not rest but upon a wise man
and one
mighty and rich; or prophecy
as MaimonidesF17Moreh Nevochim
par.
2. c. 32. has it.
Joel 2:30 30 “And
I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars
of smoke.
YLT 30And I have given wonders in
the heavens
and in the earth
Blood and fire
and columns of smoke.
And I will show wonders in
the heavens and in the earth
.... This
and what follow
refer to the
prodigies seen in the air
and done in the earth
a little before the
destruction of JerusalemF18Vid. Joseph. De Bello Jud. l. 6. c. 5.
sect. 3. ; when in the air were seen comets and blazing stars
particularly one
in the form of a sword
hanging over Jerusalem
and appearances of armies
engaged in battle; and
on the earth
a flame was seen in the temple
and a
voice heard in it
saying
let us go hence; the doors of it opened of
themselves; an idiot went about
crying woe to the people
woe to the city
&c.
blood
and fire
and pillars of smoke;
"blood" may design the great slaughter of then by the Roman army in
the land of Judea
and by murders committed among themselves in the city of
Jerusalem
which were very horrible
and of great numbers; "fire"
the burning of towns and cities; though Kimchi interprets it of lightnings in
the heavens; and "pillars of smoke"
rising up in straightness and
height like palm trees
as the wordF19תמרות
עשן "palmas fumi"
Piscator
Cocceius.
signifies
vast quantities of it arising from cities and towns burnt. GussetiusF20Ebr.
Comment. p. 947. interprets this of the burning of the martyrs in the first
ages of Christianity
and of their spiritual affections
which ascended upwards
to God
and were grateful to him; see Song of Solomon 3:6.
Joel 2:31 31 The
sun shall be turned into darkness
And the moon into blood
Before the coming
of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
YLT 31The sun is turned to
darkness
and the moon to blood
Before the coming of the day of Jehovah
The
great and the fearful.
The sun shall be turned
into darkness
and the moon into blood
.... Not by eclipses
as
Aben Ezra; but by the clouds of smoke arising from the burning of towns and
cities
which would be so great as to obscure the sun
and through which the
moon would look like blood: or all
this may be understood in a figurative
sense of the change that should be made in the ecclesiastic and civil state of
the Jewish nation
signified by the "heavens" and "earth";
and particularly that their king or kingdom should be in a low
mean
and
distressed condition
designed by the sun; and the change of their priesthood
is signified by the "moon": so Vitringa on Isaiah 24:23;
interprets the "sun" here of King Agrippa
the last king of the Jews
in obscurity; and the "moon" of Ananias junior
the high priest
slain by the zealots:
before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come; not the fall
of Gog and Magog
as Kimchi; not the day of the last judgment
but of the
destruction of Jerusalem; not by the Chaldeans
but by the Romans; their last
destruction
which was very great and terrible indeed
and in which there was a
manifest appearance of the hand and power of God; see Malachi 4:1.
MaimonidesF21Moreh Nevochim
par. 2. c. 19. p. 271. interprets it of
the destruction of Sennacherib near Jerusalem; but if that sense is not
acceptable
he proposes that of the destruction of Gog and Magog
in the times
of the Messiah.
Joel 2:32 32 And
it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.
For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance
As the Lord has said
Among
the remnant whom the Lord
calls.
YLT 32And it hath come to pass
Every one who calleth in the name of Jehovah is delivered
For in mount Zion
and in Jerusalem there is an escape
As Jehovah hath said
And among the
remnants whom Jehovah is calling!
And it shall come to pass
that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered
.... Or
"saved"
as in Acts 2:21; from
those miseries and calamities before described
from the impending ruin and
destruction of the city; and so it was
that those that believed in Christ
that were in the city
had an intimation of it beforehand
and removed from
thence to a place called PellaF23Euseb. Eccl. Hist. l. 3. c. 5. p.
75.
and so escaped being involved in the common calamity: though this also
may be understood of a spiritual deliverance and salvation by Christ
from sin
Satan
and the world
and from the second death
and wrath to come
and out of
the hands of every enemy; which such share in who call on the name of the Lord
pray to him for grace and mercy
life and salvation
through Christ; that have
a spiritual knowledge of God in Christ
real and sincere desires after him
and
trust and confidence in him
which this phrase supposes; and which also
includes the whole worship of God
internal and external
performed in a
spiritual and evangelical manner; see Romans 10:13;
for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance
as the
Lord hath said; either by this prophet
or some others before him; see Psalm 14:7; this
cannot be understood literally of Mount Zion and Jerusalem
unless it be of
deliverance out of it; not in it
for Jerusalem was the seat of blood
confusion
and distress; but mystically of the church of Christ
often called
Zion and Jerusalem
Hebrews 12:22;
hither the deliverer came
here he is
and to be seen; from hence the word of
the Lord came
the Gospel of salvation
which proclaims deliverance to the
captives; here it is to be heard
met with
and found
Isaiah 2:3;
and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call; not merely
externally
by the outward ministry of the word; but internally
according to
his purpose
and by his grace
powerfully and effectually
to the special
blessings of grace here
and eternal glory hereafter: these are the remnant
according to the election of grace; the little flock to whom God gives the
kingdom; the few that enter in at the strait gate; the little city
and few men
in it
delivered by the poor wise man; these share in the deliverance of Zion
and shall be certainly and completely saved
with an everlasting salvation.
This may respect not only the remnant
or a small number of the Jews that
believed in Christ
upon his first coming
and the preaching of the Gospel by
his apostles
but the call and conversion of them in the latter day; which
sense connects the words better with the following chapter.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)