Joel 3:6

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, or purchased captives taken in war: cf. Amos 1:9; Ezekiel 27:13 1Ma 3:41, 2Ma 8:11, and the stories in Hom. Od.xiv. 288 ff., xv. 402 ff., Hdt. i. 1, ii. 54. In the classical period, Syrians were very common as slaves in Greece, and the designation probably included Jews as well (cf. Movers, Die Phönizierii. iii.75 ff.).

the Grecians Heb. Yewânîm, elsewhere in the sing. (collectively) Yâwân(Genesis 10:2; Genesis 10:4; Ezekiel 27:13; Ezekiel 27:19 (?); Isaiah 66:19; Zechariah 9:13; Daniel 8:21; Daniel 10:20; Daniel 11:2); i.e. the Ionians(Ἰάϝονες, in Homer constantly), the name by which the Greeks were regularly known among both the Hebrews, and other Eastern nations, on account, viz., of the fact that the Ionians (whose colonies extended over a large part of the W. coast of Asia Minor, and many of the Aegean islands) were most active commercially in ancient times, and hence were best known to other nations.

thatye might remove them far from their border in order to minimize the chances of their return. The real motive of the Phoenician slave-dealers was, no doubt, simply their own gain: but Joel represents pointedly the result of their action as though it were their design.