Joel 3:8

Yousold the children of Judah into slavery to a nation far off in the North West; Iwill 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" of Cush, Génesis 10:7, of Yoḳṭan, Génesis 10:28, and of Yoḳshan son of Ḳeṭurah, Génesis 25:3; celebrated for their wealth in gold, spices, and precious stones, 1 Reyes 10:2; 1 Reyes 10:10 (the Queen of Sheba), Jeremias 6:20; Ezequiel 27:22; Isaías 60:6; Salmo 72:15 (cf.

Joel 3:10), and for the trade which their caravans (Job 6:19) carried on, Ezequiel 27:22 f., Ezequiel 38:13.

The ancient geographers speak of Sabaeans in the S.W. of Arabia; and recently discovered inscriptions and other monuments shew that they were no mere trading-tribe, but a people inhabiting walled cities, possessing temples and other buildings, and enjoying a settled civilization. Sheba is mentioned also in the Assyrian inscriptions (K.A.T[49][50] pp. 92, 145 f.). The difference in the genealogies of Sheba is to be explained, probably, partly by the fact that (as in other cases) different theories were current respecting its ethnological affinities, partly by the fact that in Génesis 10:7; Génesis 25:3, if not also in Ezequiel 38:13, a Northern colony, in the neighbourhood of Dedan (S.E. of Edom), is referred to.

[49] .A.T.… Eb. Schrader, Die Keilinschriften und das A. T., ed. 2, 1883 (translated under the title The Cuneiform Inscriptions and the O. T. 1885, 1888). The references are to the pagination of the German, which is given on the margin of the English translation.

[50] … Eb. Schrader, Die Keilinschriften und das A. T., ed. 2, 1883 (translated under the title The Cuneiform Inscriptions and the O. T. 1885, 1888). The references are to the pagination of the German, which is given on the margin of the English translation.

far off comp. the corresponding verb (to make to be far off) in Joel 3:6: note also in Jeremias 6:20 -a far country" in parallelism with -Sheba."

for Jehovah hath spokenit] a solemn asseverative formula, found also Isaías 1:2; Isaías 22:25; Isaías 25:8; Abdías 1:18: so with the mouth of Jehovah, Isaías 1:20; Isaías 40:5; Isaías 58:14; Miqueas 4:4.