The word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Pethuel. Ver. 1. _The word of the Lord that came, &c._] See the note on Hosea 1:1, with whom Jerome and some other interpreters make this prophet a contemporary, for the likeness of argument; and that common canon of the Jewish doctors, that the pro... [ Continue Reading ]
Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers? Ver. 2. _Hear this, ye old men_] Who, as ye are fittest to hear serious discourses (Aristotle excludeth young men from his ethic lectures, because raw and rash: gre... [ Continue Reading ]
Tell ye your children of it, and [let] your children [tell] their children, and their children another generation. Ver. 3. _Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children_] Heb. Cipher them up diligently, after the manner of mathameticians; reckon up the several years with t... [ Continue Reading ]
That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten. Ver. 4. _That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten_] The palmerworm hath its name in Hebrew f... [ Continue Reading ]
Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth. Ver. 5. _Awake, ye drunkards_] Ye ale stakes, and suckers (Heb. Shiccorim), that pour in heady and intoxicating drinks, such as soon lay you to sleep, and (besides) take awa... [ Continue Reading ]
For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth [are] the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion. Ver. 6. _For a nation is come up upon my land_] A nation, _sc._ of vermin, by swarms, as Joel 2:9, called afterwards an army, Joel 2:11, and a people... [ Continue Reading ]
He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast [it] away; the branches thereof are made white. Ver. 7. _He hath laid my vine waste_] The prophet proceeds in aggravating the calamity, that he might make the people the more sensible. There is nothing in the w... [ Continue Reading ]
Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth. Ver. 8. _Lament like a virgin_] Our prophet hath done with his drunkards; and now applieth himself to the soberer sort, whom also he calleth to deep and downright mourning, in this case of common calamity; there being not any... [ Continue Reading ]
The meat offering and the drink offering is cut off from the house of the LORD; the priests, the LORD'S ministers, mourn. Ver. 9. _The meat offering and the drink offering is cut off_] _Periit libatio et oblatio._ This was the godly man's greatest grief, that there wanted matter of testifying their... [ Continue Reading ]
The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted: the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth. Ver. 10. _The field is wasted, the land mourneth_] The sacrifices are not only cut off for present, but little hopes left for the future; for the field, that common storehouse, that _horre... [ Continue Reading ]
Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen; howl, O ye vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley; because the harvest of the field is perished. Ver. 11. _Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen_] This repetition of his former exhortation is not needless; for man is a stout and stubborn creature; neither goeth anyt... [ Continue Reading ]
The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, [even] all the trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men. Ver. 12. _The vine is dried up, and the fig tree lanquisheth_] God cutteth you short... [ Continue Reading ]
Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God. Ver. 13. _Gird yourselves and lament, ye priests_] Be you priest, and first in t... [ Continue Reading ]
Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders [and] all the inhabitants of the land [into] the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD, Ver. 14. _Sanctify ye a fast_] Having humbled yourselves, preach repentance to others. That is the best sermon that is digged out of a ma... [ Continue Reading ]
Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD [is] at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come. Ver. 15. _Alas, for the day, &c._] Gr. Alas, Alas, Alas; the Vulgate Latin A, A, A, which a Lapide makes much ado about, to little purpose. _ For the day of the Lord_] That is, the day of... [ Continue Reading ]
Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, [yea], joy and gladness from the house of our God? Ver. 16. _Is not the meat cut off before your eyes_] Heb. before your eyes: and so it appeareth to be the prophet's speech, and not a form prescribed by him to the people, by adding the word (saying) to the... [ Continue Reading ]
The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered. Ver. 17. _The seed is rotten under their clods_] It lieth buried or drowned with excessive rain and moisture, corrupting the seed soon after it was sown: and that which was not... [ Continue Reading ]
_How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate._ Ver. 18. _How do the beasts groan_] The wild beasts groan in their kind. _The herds of cattle_] Home and tame beasts, as oxen, _ &c., are perplexed_] as not knowi... [ Continue Reading ]
O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field. Ver. 19. _O Lord, to thee will I cry_] I will, though others will not. I have called upon others to cry mightily unto thee, and to meet thee by repentance; bu... [ Continue Reading ]
The beasts of the field cry also unto thee: for the rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness. Ver. 20. _The beasts of the field cry also unto thee_] _Glocitant,_ a term taken from deer; they cry as they can, they cry by implication, imploring thine he... [ Continue Reading ]