Joel 3:13

Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe,.... This is said to the mighty ones sent, the Christian princes, the executioners of God's vengeance on antichrist; the angels that will pour out the vials of his wrath on the antichristian states, compared to reapers, with a sharp sickle in their hands, to cut them down, as grain is cut when reaped; as the same states are compared to a harvest ripe, the measure of their sins being filled up, and the time of their destruction appointed for them come; see Revelation 14:15;

come, get ye down; to the valley: or "go tread ye" o; for another simile is made use of: the reference here is to the treading of clusters of grapes in the winepress, as appears by what follows: and so the Targum renders it,

"descend, tread their mighty men;''

in like manner Jarchi interprets it; and so the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, render it: and Dr. Pocock observes, that the word

in the Arabic language signifies to tread, as men tread grapes in a press: the reasons follow,

for the press is full; of clusters of the vine; or the valley is full of wicked men, compared unto them, destined to destruction:

the fats overflow; with the juice of grapes squeezed out, denoting the great effusion of blood that will be made; see

Revelation 14:18;

for their wickedness [is] great; is come to its height, reaches even to heaven, and calls aloud for vengeance; an end is come to it, and to the authors of it, Revelation 18:5. The Targum of the whole is,

"draw out the sword against them, for the time of their end is come; descend, tread their mighty men slain, as anything is trodden in a winepress; pour out their blood, for their wickedness is multiplied.''

o רדו πατειτε, "calcate", Sept. so Syr. Ar.