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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
THE PROMISE
Joe_2:18 to Joe_3:21
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SECTION I
Annihilation of the Locust Army. Reparation of the Damage done by it, by a Rich Blessing
Joe_2:18-27
And will pity his people.
19 And Jehovah will answer and say unto his people,
Behold I will send you the corn,
The new wine, and the oil;
And ye shall be satisfied therewith,
And I will no longer make you
A reproach among the heathen.
20 And I will remove far from you the northern host,
And will drive him into a dry and desolate land;
His face (or his van) toward the east sea,
His rear towards the west sea.
And his stench shall arise,
And his ill savor shall ascend,
For He has done great things.
21 Fear not, O Land,
Be glad and rejoice,
For Jehovah hath done great things.
22 Fear not, ye beasts of the field!
For the pastures of the wilderness have sprung up,
The tree beareth her fruit,
The fig tree and the vine yield their strength.
23 O ye children of Zion rejoice and be glad
In Jehovah your God;
For He gives you the former rain in just measure,
And sends you, in showers, the early and the latter rain, as aforetime.
24 And the threshing floors shall be full of corn,
And the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
25 And I will restore (or replace) the years
Which the locust, the cankerworm, the caterpillar and the palmerworm have devoured,
My great army which I sent against you.
26 Then ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
And shall praise the name of Jehovah your God,
Who hath dealt wondrously with you.
And my people shall never be ashamed.
27 And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,
And I Jehovah am your God, and none else.
And my people shall never be ashamed.
Joe_2:18. Then will the Lord, etc. ÷ָðַà with ì = to be jealous for some one, i. e., to be zealous for his welfare out of love for him.
Joe_2:19-20. Renewed fertility is promised by the removal of the cause of the desolation. Behold I send you. This carries us back to Joe_1:10-11. ùָìַç ; because the growth of grain depends upon the fertilizing rain.
Joe_2:20. äַöְּôåֹðִé , not the northern of the E. V. and other versions, for the locusts never invade Palestine from the North, but the destroyer. The word comes from öָôåֹï , the name of the well-known Egyptian god Typhon, from whence also comes the ὁ ôõöùíéêüò (Act_27:14). [This is a fanciful and groundless rendering. The word occurs in one hundred and fifty other places in O. T., and in all of them its sense is clearly that given to it here by our E. V. The term äַöִּôåֹðִé , says Wünsche, according to the Masor. punctuation, can have no other sense than that of “northern,” or “northerner.” The allegorists use the word as a proof of their theory, that the Chaldœans, or Syrians are meant. But there is not either in what precedes or in what follows, the slightest trace of a hostile invasion of Judah by either of these nations. The word, therefore, must refer to the locusts. Nor is the designation of them as “northern” an arbitrary one, since their movements were wholly dependent on the wind.—F.] Into a land dry and desolate, one in which this army will find nothing to destroy, but will itself perish. The land referred to is the desert of Arabia, on the southern border of Judœa. The two ways in which the locusts would be destroyed are mentioned: they would be driven into the desert, and into the sea. Two seas are named, in which this army should perish, namely, the vanguard in the east or Dead Sea, the rear in the west or Mediterranean. We need not, however, suppose that the destruction of these two divisions of the locust army occurred at the same time.
[His stench. Jerome says of the locusts of Palestine, when the shores of both seas were filled with heaps of dead locusts which the waters had cast up, their stench and putrefaction were so noxious as to corrupt the air, so that a pestilence was produced among men and beasts. The same fact is attested by many modern travellers.—F.]
Joe_2:21-23. Fear not, O Land. As in Joel 1 the land and its inhabitants were called upon to mourn in view of coming judgments, so now they are called upon to rejoice over the destruction of the hosts that had laid waste the country. Here, the address is that of the prophet while in Joe_2:25 the Lord himself speaks. The subject and object of the joy are stated (Joe_2:21) in a general way. The latter is described in the words: Jehovah hath done great things. The perfect tense is here used like the German present, to denote an action, which being absolutely certain is thought of and presented as one already accomplished. What is here said of God’s doings is not to be limited to that special time or occasion, but expresses a universal truth.
Joe_2:22. Even the beasts of the field should no longer be afraid of wanting their supplies of food. The picture of blessing which begins with verdant pastures, ends with trees laden with fruit.
Joe_2:23. Men are called upon to rejoice. Children of Zion may be taken in a general sense for the inhabitants of Judah, since Zion represented Judah. The former or early rain. It fell after autumn, and seems to be so called from éָøָä , jecit, because its season was post jactam sementem. It was the chief need after the devastation and drought, and hence is named with special emphasis. The latter rain fell about harvest, towards the end of April. Hence its name from ìָ÷ַùׁ , collegit, áָøִàùׁåֹï corresponds to the àַçֲøֵéÎëֵð (Joe_3:1); the material blessings first, then the spiritual. Pusey: It may be, at the first, i. e., as soon as ever it is needed, or in contrast to the more extensive gifts afterwards; or, as at the first, i. e., all shall, upon their penitence, be restored as at the first. These lesser variations leave the sense of the whole the same, and all are supported by good authorities. It is still a reversal of the former sentence, that, whereas before the rivers of water were dried up, now the rains should come, each in his season.—F.] “The rain shall come down,” here specially opposed to the drought, but, perhaps also a symbol of blessing in general. [So far as this special act may be generalized, it may rather be said that it begets and keeps alive the consciousness that the Giver of all good is again in the midst of his people.—F.]
Joe_2:24-27. And the threshing floors,—my people shall never be ashamed.
The effects of the rain are first briefly, and then more fully described. The years,i. e., the product of the years which the locusts had devoured. The plural form of the word does not imply that the visitations of the locusts described in Joel 1 were in successive years; it only means that the results of a single visitation would be felt for several years, and that as long a time would be required to repair the mischief done by the locusts. The names of the four kinds of locusts given in Joel 1 are repeated here, only that the generic name àַøְáֶּä holds a prominent place.
Joe_2:26-27. A beautiful conclusion; it treats of the redemption of Israel from the heathen, and thereby of the vindication of God himself. This is the fundamental idea that repeatedly recurs. This conclusion forms the point of transition to the new and higher promises in Joel 3 which fully display the truth that “Jehovah is in the midst of Israel, that He is their God and none else,” and therefore that his people can never be put to shame. While this promise is in a negative form, it really includes much more than the literal sense of the words; it means that God’s people shall not only not be ashamed, but that they shall be glorified forever, and that all the powers of this world that have opposed them shall be utterly confounded.
[Henry: God will have an eye (1.) To his own honor, and the reputation of his covenant with Israel, by which He had conveyed to them that good land; now He will not suffer it to be despised or disparaged, but will be jealous for the land and its inhabitants, who had been praised as a happy people, and therefore must not lie open to reproach as a miserable people. (2.) To their distress. He will pity his people, and will restore them their former comforts.
Pusey: Before, God seemed set upon their destruction. It was his great army which was ready to destroy them; He was at their head giving the word. Now, He is full of tender love for them, which resents injuries done to them, as done to Himself.—F.]
Joe_2:19. I will send—corn. It is God who averts the failure of crops, and scarcity of food. These evils neither come nor cease by accident. God gives us our daily bread. He opens his hand, and we are satisfied with food.
Joe_2:20. I will remove the northern. When God has alarmed his people and brought them to repentance, He often pours out his wrath upon those who were his instruments in the infliction of chastisement.
Joe_2:21. Fear not. How kindly God can speak to the heart! How powerfully can He console! It is easy for Him to do great things.
[Pusey: Before, they were bidden to tremble; now they are bidden fear not. The enemy had done great things; now, the cause of joy is, that God had done great things; the almightiness of God overwhelming and sweeping over the might put forth to destroy.—F.]
Joe_2:23. Rejoice in the Lord. Joy in God is the right kind of joy. From Him comes every blessing. Yet how often do we receive joyfully enough the gift, without rejoicing in the Giver? Certainly he who does not know God, cannot rejoice in Him.
[Scott: The sons of Zion can never have so great a cause to fear, but they must still have a greater to “rejoice in the Lord.” He gives us all our comforts, and enables us to use them with thankful hearts. The wisdom, truth, and love of his dispensations toward us deserve our highest admiration; and He will never leave his people to be ashamed of their confidence in Him.—F.]
Joe_2:25. I will restore. How great is the bounty of God! It seems as if He were anxious to repair some injury which his preceding judgments had caused.
Joe_2:26. Ye shall be satisfied. What a blessed result of humiliation when our being satisfied and praising the Lord become and remain so united in us, that we can never again misuse God’s gifts to feed vain conceit, luxury, tyranny, but shall maintain unmoved fear, love, and trust in God.
[Pusey: It is of the punishment of God when men eat and are not satisfied; it is man’s sin that they are satisfied and do not praise God, but the more forget Him. And so God’s blessings become a curse to him. God promises to restore his gifts, and to give grace withal, that they should own and thank Him.—F.]
Joe_2:27. I am in the midst of Israel. Blessed is the people in the midst of whom the Lord dwells. Every fresh blessing should be a proof to us that God is in the midst of us. But we must be God’s people, if we would hope to have Him dwelling in the midst of us. He is only in the midst of Israel. God’s people can never be put to shame; therefore let us see that we belong to them.
[Henry: We should labor to grow in our acquaintance with God by all providences, both merciful and afflictive. When God gives to his people plenty and peace, He thereby gives them to understand that He is pleased with their repentance, that He has pardoned their sins.—F.]
Footnotes:
Joe_2:18.— ÷ָðַà with ì or á = to be jealous for some one out of love.
Joe_2:19.— ùָׁìַç , more lit., “am sending.”
Joe_2:19.— äַãָּâָï : the article is used to give prominence to the products which the Lord promises to send.
Joe_2:19.— ùְׂáַòְúֶּí àֹúéֹ . The sing. àֹúéֹ is here used collectively.
Joe_2:20.—“Northern.” Schmoller insists that äַöְôåֹðִé should be rendered “destroyer.” See Exeget. note on this ver.
Joe_2:20.— äִâִãִּéì ìַòַùׂåֹú , lit. “he has magnified to do.” Schmoller renders it: “er hat grossgethan.” The same phrase occurs in Joe_2:21, which shows that it cannot be taken in the sense of boasting. It is synonymous with the îַôְìִà ìòָùׂåú (Jdg_13:19), and òָùַׂä ìְäַôְìִéà , Joe_2:26.
Joe_2:22.—“Field.” ùָׂãַé is not the plur. for ùָׂãַéí but the sing. = ùָׂãֶä , according to the analogy of ùָׂãַé , Psa_96:12.
Joe_2:22.— ðָúַï äִéì , “give strength,” like the Lat. edere fiuctum. The metaphor is one in which the cause is put for the effect. Only used here and in Psa_1:4.
Joe_2:23.— äַîּåֹøֶä , “the early rain,” from éָøָä , jecit, perhaps because its season was post jactam sementem. Keil renders it “a teacher for righteousness.” But the word when so used is followed by á , more rarely by àֶì , or îִï . Ewald and Umbreit take îåֹøֶä in the sense of “early rain,” but render the phrase “rain for righteousness,” i. e., as a sign of their being again received into the divine righteousness. But this is a strained sense; better, “according to right,” i. e., in just measure, as the ground requires.
Joe_2:23.—“Aforetime.”: áָּøִàùׁåֹï . There seems to be an omission of ë . The Sept. render it êáèþò ἐìðñïóèåí ; the Syr., ut antea; the Vulg., sicut in principio. The Chald. and Arab. have the reading “as in the month Nisan.”
Joe_2:25.—The primary meaning of ùָׁìַí is “to be whole,” but it is here used in the sense of “replace, or make good.”
Joe_2:25.—“Years”, ùָּׁðִéí the plur. form used, perhaps, only in a poetic sense, as in Gen_21:7; Psa_45:9-10; 1Sa_17:43.
Joe_2:26.—“Eat in plenty,” lit., “eat an eating, or eat to eat,” etc. Wünsche renders it: “Und ihr werdet essen, essen und saTt werden.” The Heb. often has the infin. absol. as the object complement of the finite verb, which sometimes follows and sometimes precedes it.
Joe_2:27.—The å here indicates the logical consequence from what precedes.