Joel1
English Standard Version
1The of the Lord that came to , the of :
2 this, you ; , all of the ! Has such a happened in your , in the of your ?
3 your of it, and let your tell their , and their to .
4What the , the has . What the , the hopping , and what the , the destroying .
5 , you , and , and , all you of , because of the , for it is off from your .
6For a has my , and ; its are ’ , and it of a .
7It has my and my ; it has off their and it down; their are .
8 like a for the of her .
9The and the are off from the of the Lord. The , the of the Lord.
10The are , the , the is , the , the .
11Be , O tillers of the ; , O , for the and the , because the of the has .
12The up; the . , , and , the of the are , and the of .
13Put on and , O ; , O of the . Go , pass the in , O of my ! Because and are from the of your .
14 a ; a . the and all the of the to the of the Lord your , and out to the Lord.
15 for the ! For the of the Lord is , and as from the it .
16Is not the our , and from the of our ?
17The the ; the are ; the are down because the has up.
18How the ! The of are because there is no for them; even the of .
19 , O Lord, I . has the of the , and has all the of the .
20Even the of the for you because the are , and has the of the .
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Joel 1.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: A plague of locusts. (1-7) . All sorts of people are called to lament it. (8-13) . They are to look to God. (14-20).
vv1-7
The most aged could not remember such calamities as were about to take place. Armies of insects were coming upon the land to eat the fruits of it. It is expressed so as to apply also to the destruction of the country by a foreign enemy, and seems to refer to the devastations of the Chaldeans. God is Lord of hosts, has every creature at his command, and, when he pleases, can humble and mortify a proud, rebellious people, by the weakest and most contemptible creatures. It is just with God to take away the comforts which are abused to luxury and excess; and the more men place their happiness in the gratifications of sense, the more severe temporal afflictions are upon them. The more earthly delights we make needful to satisfy us, the more we expose ourselves to trouble.
vv8-13
All who labour only for the meat that perishes, will, sooner or later, be ashamed of their labour. Those that place their happiness in the delights of sense, when deprived of them, or disturbed in the enjoyment, lose their joy; whereas spiritual joy then flourishes more than ever. See what perishing, uncertain things our creature-comforts are. See how we need to live in continual dependence upon God and his providence. See what ruinous work sin makes. As far as poverty occasions the decay of piety, and starves the cause of religion among a people, it is a very sore judgment. But how blessed are the awakening judgments of God, in rousing his people and calling home the heart to Christ, and his salvation!
vv14-20
The sorrow of the people is turned into repentance and humiliation before God. With all the marks of sorrow and shame, sin must be confessed and bewailed. A day is to be appointed for this purpose; a day in which people must be kept from their common employments, that they may more closely attend God's services; and there is to be abstaining from meat and drink. Every one had added to the national guilt, all shared in the national calamity, therefore every one must join in repentance. When joy and gladness are cut off from God's house, when serious godliness decays, and love waxes cold, then it is time to cry unto the Lord. The prophet describes how grievous the calamity. See even the inferior creatures suffering for our transgression. And what better are they than beasts, who never cry to God but for corn and wine, and complain of the want of the delights of sense? Yet their crying to God in those cases, shames the stupidity of those who cry not to God in any case. Whatever may become of the nations and churches that persist in ungodliness, believers will find the comfort of acceptance with God, when the wicked shall be burned up with his indignation.
Key Words
דָּבָר: a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
יוֹאֵל: Joel, the name of twelve Israelites
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
פְּתוּאֵל: Pethuel, an Israelite
שָׁמַע: to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
זָקֵן: old
אָזַן: to broaden out the ear (with the hand), i.e. (by implication) to listen
יָשַׁב: properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
אֶרֶץ: the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
אַחֲוָה: solution (of riddles)
Cross References
Joel 1Peter explicitly cites Joel and his prophecy on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Underlines the unprecedented scale of the locust plague, comparing it with the plague in Egypt.
Supported by JFB
Identical opening formula framing the prophet's divine mandate and reception of the Word.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The command to instruct children and future generations about God's mighty and terrible deeds.
Supported by JFB
The same fourfold list of devastating insects repeated in reverse order for final restoration.
Supported by JFB
Solomon similarly terms weak creatures like ants and locusts as a 'people' or 'nation'.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Translates the third insect category as 'rough caterpillars' in a military judgment context.
Supported by JFB
Parallel moral exhortation to awake from spiritual slumber and the stupor of worldly excess.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Describes the drying up of new wine and the silencing of merrymakers during judgment.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Repeats the urgent call for the priests to gird themselves in sackcloth and lament.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Identical prophetic call to sanctify a fast and assemble the people in repentance.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Direct thematic link establishing the immediate imminence of the dreaded 'day of the Lord'.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Locusts and blasting crops cited as standard covenantal judgments from the Lord.
Supported by Matthew Poole
John's apocalyptic locusts are described with the same terrifying detail of 'teeth of lions'.
Supported by JFB
Echoes how creation and dumb beasts groan under the burden of human sin.
Supported by Matthew Henry