(Hebrews 4). The Judgement on the heathen world, and the glorification of the people of God In the day when Jehovah restores Israel He will contend in judgement with all nations in the valley of Jehoshaphat for the wrongs which they have done to His people (Joel 3:1): especially will He mete out re... [ Continue Reading ]
_For_ The chapter is closely connected with Joel 2:28-32, _for_explaining how the faithful Israelites will be delivered (Joel 2:32); viz. on account of a judgement to be held upon the heathen world, which will have the effect of freeing the Israelites. _behold_ The particle, as often, draws attenti... [ Continue Reading ]
Part II. Chap. Joel 2:18 to Joel 3:21 Jehovah's answer to His people's prayer of penitence. He will remove from them the plague of locusts, and bestow upon them an abundance of both material and spiritual gifts (Joel 2:18-32); His judgment will alight only upon the nations who are their foes; His o... [ Continue Reading ]
_I will also gather_ I WILL GATHER: -also" is a misrendering of the Heb. idiom employed (cf. Amos 3:14). _the valley of Jehoshaphat_ as is shewn by the play upon the name, which, both here and in Joel 3:12, immediately follows, the place is chosen as the scene of Jehovah's judgement on account of it... [ Continue Reading ]
The reference is to the custom, common in ancient warfare, by which the conquerors divided amongst themselves the captives by lot, to deal with them afterwards as they pleased: and the Jewish prisoners were held by their captors so cheap that one who had received a boy as his lot sold him to a slave... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALSO _what_ ARE YE TO _me?_ i.e., apparently, _what would ye do to me?_the following words, _will ye repay_&c. explaining in what sense the question is meant. _all the_ DISTRICTS _of_ PHILISTIA] lit. _circles_, i.e. (probably) the districts ruled by the five -lords" of the Philistines: see Jos... [ Continue Reading ]
The Phoenicians and Philistines are here singled out as the nations which have sinned especially against Israel: they have not only enriched their own palaces with the plunder of Judah, but have also sold Judahite captives into slavery to the Greeks; a swift and just retribution is accordingly prono... [ Continue Reading ]
_my silver and my gold_ not necessarily the silver and the gold in the Temple (1 Kings 14:26; 2 Kings 14:14), but more generally what belonged to Jehovah, or His people, whether in the Temple, or in the public treasuries, or in private houses. _temples_ or _palaces_(Amos 8:3 _al_.), the abodes of t... [ Continue Reading ]
The Phoenicians had further played the part of slave-dealers, and had sold Judahite captives into the hands of the Greeks. The slave-traffic of the Phoenicians is often mentioned; they sometimes kidnapped women and children themselves, sometimes obtained slaves by purchase from uncivilized tribes, o... [ Continue Reading ]
_Behold, I_ AM STIRRING _them_ UP] i.e. arousing them into activity (Isaiah 13:17; Jeremiah 50:9, R.V.: Isaiah 41:2; Isaiah 41:25; Isaiah 45:13, A.V., R.V. render badly _raise up_), and enabling them to leave the land of their servitude. _and will return your_ DEED _upon your own head_ repeated fro... [ Continue Reading ]
The punishment, awarded according to the _Lex talionis_.... [ Continue Reading ]
_You_sold the children of Judah into slavery to a nation far off in the North West; _I_will sell your children into the hand of the Judahites, that they may sell them into slavery to a nation far off in the South East. _the_ MEN OF SHEBA] an important commercial nation of Arabia, described as a -son... [ Continue Reading ]
_Proclaim ye_ The words are addressed to those whose duty it would be to make such a proclamation (comp. on Amos 3:9), i.e. the heralds, whom the prophet pictures as ready to carry Jehovah's command to the nations. _this_ i.e. the following command. _Gentiles_ NATIONS, as Joel 3:2 (twice). SANCTIF... [ Continue Reading ]
After the digression on the Phoenicians and Philistines (Joel 3:4), the thought of Joel 3:1 is resumed; and the description of the judgement on the nations, announced in Joel 3:2, is continued. The heathen are invited to arm themselves, and advance for the great contest with Israel in the valley of... [ Continue Reading ]
The nations are to put forth all their strength: the implements of peace are to be transformed into weapons of war; even the weak is to take courage, and feel himself a warrior, "as is wont to happen when martial enthusiasm seizes a whole people" (Hitz.). _Beat_, &c. comp. Isaiah 2:4 (Micah 4:3), w... [ Continue Reading ]
_Assemble yourselves_ The word is found only here, and its meaning is very uncertain. A.V. follows LXX., Targ., Syr., Ibn Ezra, and Kimchi; but the rendering rests upon no philological basis, and is merely conjectured from the context. It is best to suppose an error in the text, and for עושו to read... [ Continue Reading ]
_Let the_ NATIONS _be_ STIRRED UP] corresponding to the _stir up_of Joel 3:9. _for there will I sit to judge all the_ NATIONS _round about_ Another, but a different play on the name _Jehoshaphat_: Jehovah no longer, as in Joel 3:2, stands (Isaiah 50:8) to litigate (נשפט) with the nations, but _sits_... [ Continue Reading ]
Jehovah's reply: the nations may assemble; He will be ready to meet them: already (Joel 3:13) He commands His ministers to begin the work of destruction.... [ Continue Reading ]
The execution of the sentence is represented under two figures, the reaping of a harvest, and the treading of grapes in the wine-press. Comp. the same figures in Revelation 14:15 f. and 19 f. _Put ye in_ The command is addressed to the -mighty ones" of Joel 3:11. _the sickle_ Heb. _maggâl_, only be... [ Continue Reading ]
The prophet already hears in spirit the distant hum of the multitudes thronging tumultously in the valley of decision. _Multitudes_ The Hebrew term is more picturesque than the English one, and suggests the confused noise or hum of a great throng. Cf. Isaiah 17:12 _a_(where the word _uproar_is the... [ Continue Reading ]
_The sun and the moon_ ARE BLACK; _and the stars_ WITHDRAW _their shining_ Preternatural signs of the approaching -day." The words are repeated _verbatim_from Joel 2:10 _b_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Jehovah draws near in a mighty storm; heaven and earth quake before Him: but His judgement lights only upon His foes; to His own people He proves Himself a stronghold and defence. AND JEHOVAH _shall roar_ FROM _Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem_ Borrowed _verbatim_from Amos 1:2, where see the... [ Continue Reading ]
In consequence of this deliverance Israel will know that Jehovah is its God, dwelling in its midst, and ready to succour it; Jerusalem also will no more be defiled by the presence in it of strangers. AND YE _shall know that I_am JEHOVAH _your God_ Cf. Ezekiel 38:23; Ezekiel 39:6-7; Ezekiel 39:22; E... [ Continue Reading ]
_in that day_ In the era beginning immediately after the judgement on the nations. Cf. on Amos 9:11. _the mountains shall drop down_ SWEET WINE, _and the hills shall flow_with _milk_ A hyperbolical description of the fertility of the soil (cf. Job 29:6). The words are evidently based upon Amos 9:13... [ Continue Reading ]
Israel's final prosperity. After the judgement upon the nations, the land of Judah will be blessed with preternatural fertility, and will enjoy for ever undisturbed peace, while that of her foes will become a desolate waste.... [ Continue Reading ]
The land of Judah's foes, on the contrary, will become a barren waste. Egypt and Edom are mentioned, probably, as typical examples of countries hostile to Israel. The threat in the case of Egypt is the more pointed, as it was in general well-irrigated by the waters of the Nile: it may have been per... [ Continue Reading ]
The prophet, continuing the thought of Joel 3:18, reverts again to the future lot of Judah. _shall_ SIT _for ever_ i.e. remain inhabited. A city, or country, when it continues to flourish and be inhabited, is said in Heb., by a personification, to _sit:_so Isaiah 13:20 (A.V. _be inhabited;_in the p... [ Continue Reading ]
AND _I will_ HOLD AS INNOCENT (R.V. _marg_.) _their blood which I have not_ HELD AS INNOCENT] By the desolation of Egypt and Edom, Jehovah will shew openly that the murdered Judahites (Joel 3:19 _b_) had suffered innocently. So long, namely, as He permitted their blood to remain unavenged, it might... [ Continue Reading ]