Joel 2:21-23

Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.

Fear not, O land ... Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field ... Be glad then, ye children of Zion. In an ascending gradation, the land destroyed by the enemy, the beasts of the field, and the children of Zion, the land's inhabitants, are addressed, the former two by personification.

Be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things. In contrast to the "great things" done by the haughty foe (Joel 2:20) to the hurt of Judah, stand the "great things" to be done by Yahweh for her benefit (cf. Psalms 126:2).

Verse 22. Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit - (Zechariah 8:12). As before (Joel 1:18; Joel 1:20), he represented the beasts as groaning and crying for want of food in the "pastures," so now he re-assures them by the promise of springing pastures.

Verse 23. Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord - not merely in the springing pastures, as the brute "beasts" which cannot raise their thoughts higher, but "in the Lord" (Isaiah 61:10; Habakkuk 3:18).

For he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain. The autumnal, or "former rain," from the middle of October to the middle of December, is put first, as Joel prophesies in summer, when the locusts' invasion took place, and therefore looks to the time of early sowing in autumn, when the autumnal rain was indispensably required. Next, "the rain," generically [ geshem (H1653)], literally, the showering or heavy rain. Next, the two species of the latter. "the former and the latter rain" (in March and April). The repetition of "the former rain" implies that He will give it not merely for the exigence of that particular season when Joel spake, but also for the future in the regular course of nature, the autumn and the spring rain; the former being put first, in the order of nature, as being required for the sowing in autumn, as the latter is required in, spring for maturing the young crop. The margin, 'a teacher of righteousness' [ hamowreh (H4175) litsdaaqaah (H6666)], instead of "the former rain moderately," literally, 'according to righteousness,' has against it the objection that the same Hebrew word is translated "former rain" in the next sentence, and cannot therefore be differently translated here. Besides, Joel begins with the inferior and temporal blessings, and not until Joel 2:28 proceeds to the higher and spiritual ones, of which the former are the pledge.

Moderately - rather, 'in due measure,' as much, as the land requires-literally, 'according to right;' neither too much nor too little, either of which extremes would hurt the crop (cf. Deuteronomy 11:14; Proverbs 16:15; Jeremiah 5:24; note, Hosea 6:3). The phrase, 'in due measure,' in this clause, is parallel to 'in the first month,' in the last clause (i:e., 'in the month when first it is needed,' each rain in its proper season). Or else, "as at the first" (Isaiah 1:26; Hosea 2:15; Malachi 3:4). Heretofore the just or right order of nature has been interrupted through your sin; now God will restore it. Pusey, however, gives the following reasons for translating 'for He giveth you (or will give you) the Teacher unto righteousness' (i:e., the object of whose coming is righteousness; who brings in everlasting righteousness), (Daniel 9:1.)

(1) The great emphasis on the word, which is not used in the latter part of the verse where rain is spoken of [ 'et (H853) hamowreh (H4175)].

(2) The following clause, "and He maketh the rain to descend for you," according to Hebrew idiom [the waw (w) conversive], relates to a separate action, later in order of time than the former.

But if the former word, mowreh (H4175), meant early or "former" rain, both would mean the same thing. "Give" is so used of Messiah by Isaiah, "I have given Him a Witness to the peoples" (Isaiah 55:4). Thus the promise of Christ's coming precedes the promise of all other blessings. See my Introduction to Joel.