"inj;, but cf. Ges. ^"-' - *■"■^,K6. II, § 130, 3a, cstr. st. expresses mar-
shalled for battle, cf. on.ja ^^-jp 2 S. 13*', yu*? >m, Ps. 32».
6. For DTj? Ehr. suggests 0''yc which would be parall. to D'':a-S3, cj
Je. 4". This would remove the strongest objection to the genuineness
of the verse. — inND wap is a technical term for exhibiting signs of fear,
but its exact meaning is debated. The phrase occurs only here and
Na. 2". It is translated (a) all faces grow pale, Cred., Hi., Wii.,
RV., cf. Je. 306 pp-;:.S D'J2-'?3 •I3cnji; or (b) all faces grow red, crim-
son, Ew., Me., We., cf. sn^jfl D^anS 'jfl Is. 13^; or (c) all faces shall gather
blackness, AV., GASm. (a) assumes that rap = IDn as in v. >" 0^33131
en 1) -iDps, gaiher in, withdraw, but it is not used thus elsewhere, rap means
to collect, gather together, r\on to gather in, witMraw. (a) is therefore
contrary to usage, -miss is connected with inc pot, by (& B. Some
derive the meaning of blackness from this connection, others that of red-
ness. The latter is the more likely and (b) is the most probable translation.
all faces have gathered, acquired redness. SeeHpt., JBL., XXVI, p. 43
Others derive -inxa from isd, cf. BDB., and translate beauty or color
I02 JOEL
Ehr. translates every face betrays that which is within. Ginsburg: nng
^ip, (& ws irpdcTKaviia xi^t/jos seems to have read 3 with a noun for isap.
Pr io6 fp is translated (wrongly) by Kavna. — 7. nmn is omitted by Siev.
because of the metre and of the context, in which the climbing of the wall
is premature, cf. v. ^ It appears indeed to be due to dittog., the copy-
ist's eye lighting upon ncnSc after he had written i'?j;\ — nSj? is a military
term for marching, advancing. — ji^iDy would be lit. they borrow or lend,
but the explanation they do not lend their paths, i. e., each one main-
tains his own and does not allow another to take it, does not sound nat-
ural. And the difficulty of this term has long been felt. One ms. reads
ptajra'' nSi, another paSy^ n'^i, ® explains by p33>"D. (S iKKXivua-ap, §,
B declinabunt may point to an original jita^ (Gr.), or jnj^ (Siev.), or
jiniy.^^ (We., GASm., Marti). The last is the most probable. To read
pnjj," is not so advisable, because the reading in Mi. 7^ where it oc-
curs is dub., though the root meaning of P2U, to wind, weave, twist, is
well established. If Syr. 'abat means to be mixed up, entangled, as
van H. claims, and if it could be used with paths {cf. also Scholz: ver-
binden, complicare), why did § not use it in his translation? — ornms for
oriiniN. — 8. ppnT' (g d^^lerai, Aq. avvTpL^ei, S 6\i\pei. (& = some Heb.
mss. ppmi, M is correct. — naj is used here to avoid the repetition of
B'^N, nVoD is usually the artificially constructed road, here parall. to
omnnN and raii, GASm.: ^'high-road, as if defined and heaped up for
him alone." It is simply due to the desire to avoid the same term in close
succession that Joel uses here n'roc. — (S read Kara^apwd/xevoi iv rois
SirXots aiJrtD J/, apparently =Q'''7ra) Dn''S33 Di-jao, though Wii. thinks that iv
Tois SttXois airrwv is = TiSaD?. Van H. regards (I as containing the better
text and reads iprpsa, dans son equipement, Du. reads with his sword.
But on the whole M, is preferable, though perhaps not altogether correctly
preserved. — iSd^ nS^'n n^'^l (S Kal iv rots ^iXecnv avrwv ireaovvTaL, ap-
parently n^l for ^i'3, so Gr., Du. n^a- occurs only in late writings, Ne.
315 411. 17 2 Ch. 2310325 Jb. ^^^^ 36'=; it is significant that the parall. of 2 Ch,
23'* in 2 K. ii'i has d^^d instead. It is used collectively. Cf. Ar. sila-
hun, German, Geschoss, missile, 're: does not only mean to fall (uninten-
tionally) but also to throw oneself, plunge. nSsj'n i>'3 is similar to nj?3
a''jiSnn, v. ', through the weapons, i. e., they thrust themselves in between
the weapons, round about them, RV. H sed et per fenestras cadent is
due to Jerome's misunderstanding of his teacher's remark that (the
construction of) rhz'ry ij;^ is the same as DijiSnn nyj (v. ^), cf. Rahmer.
Du. translates, sie fallen mit Waffengewalt ein. Siev. divides differently,
joining p^S'' to r\'-z'n i;-3 and taking ^ho•^ with the foil., but tisS'' cannot
be spared in the previous line. — lyx^i from -j/ j;x3 to cut off, break off.
Usually it is thought that the obj., their course, is omitted, RV., though
Marti takes it absolutely in the sense that they burst through the weap-
ons and then close up their ranks at once so that there is no break. But
2"-" 103
it is very doubtful whether ij?X3' can mean this absolutely. (6 Kal ov (jlt]
avvreXea-dCxj-ii', crvvrpi.§^<Tovrai, B et non demolientur, note nSi, which
also many Heb. mss. have, and the pass., some Gk. mss. and 2 have the act.
AE., et al., explain it as equivalent to lyxs^ kS they are not wounded, so
AV., Gr. emends text thus. But this is contrary to the facts, ul con-
nects J'S3 with >'X3 gain, jiDD ^Sapn nSi a7id they take no money; this
is due to ®'s allegorical interpretation of the locusts. Ehr. transl.
and fall into the pond and are not drowned, comparing nStf with Ar.
salahun{7), and reading lyat?'. for ipsa^ But this is contrary to the
facts. Evidently what was meant is that nothing can stop them in their
march, neither weapons nor walls. Since it is doubtful whether 137x3'
abs. can express this it seems advisable to read â– tixJ7\ n'?! for i>'X3i kS
they are not stopped. Du. takes iijja, v. ', with iyx2>, they do not break
off at the city. — 9. ip^'' 1/ \>pi^ connected with P'^U' leg, to leg, scamper,
rush, they rush upon tlie city, 2, cf. Is. ^^i*. & they climb, Gr. emends ac-
cordingly ipp^ â– (/ pSo. But ppB" may mean this, without emendation, by
virtue of its connection with piB*, 3 as in DTiaa, they climb into the city.
One may question whether "i'j73 was then not rather i>|53 upon the wall,
but this is expressed in the next phrase pxT nDin3. The transl. they
rush upon the city is therefore preferable. (& iiriX^ixtJ/ovTai took iptr^ from
Aram, prj (Vol.). — 3:j3 generic pi., (B & correctly translate by pi.,
Gr. emends D'-ajjj. The comparison is not appropriate here, and 3jj3
is to be regarded as a later gloss (Du.).
INSERTION CONCERNING THE DAY OF YAHWEH
(2^«- ").
10-11. These verses are by the day of Yahweh interpolator
and do not belong to Joel's original description of the advance and
attack of the locusts. The interpolator connects the day of the
locusts so closely with that of Yahweh that they are practically
one. The locusts are here not the precursors and heralds of the
day of Yahweh but the terrible army which He uses to execute His
will on His great day. This raises, of course, at once the question
whether the interpolator regarded the locusts as real locusts or
rather as apocalyptic forces. See p. 50. The accompanying
cosmical phenomena here described are not caused by the locusts.
We have here no ordinary thunder-storm nor the frequently wit-
nessed darkening of the sky by a flight of locusts but the tremen-
dous convulsions and signs accompanying the day of Yahweh.
I04 JOEL
'"• '' Before them the earth trembles,
the heavens quake.
Sun and moon grow dark,
and the stars withdraw their splendour.
"• Afid Yahweh utters His voice
before His army.
For very great is His host
yea, powerful he that executes His word.
For great is the day of Yahweh and very awful.
And who can endure it ?"
Three strs., (i) and (2) consist of a pentameter + a hexameter each, (3) of a
hexameter. They may all together form only one str.
10. Before them the earth trembles, the heavens quake. Preceded
and accompanied by these great manifestations the locusts ap-
proach. They are not due to them. To heighten the fear and
deepen the awe, the earth as well as the heavens tremble. The
heavens are thought of as a solid vault, cf. Am. 8^ 2 S. 22^ Is.
13^*. The sun and the moon grow dark, and the stars withdraw
their brightness, 4^^ A terrible thunder-storm accompanies the
earthquake on this "day of clouds and deep darkness," 2^. — 11.
And Yahweh utters His voice in awful thunder peals, for the
thunder is His voice, sometimes also the rumbling and roar-
ing of the earthquake; but here it is evidently the thunder, cj.
Am. r" Hb. a^**- " Ps. i8" 46^ The locusts are called His army,
cf. v. ^^, and the agent or executor of His word or purpose. Before
them He thunders as if to enhance the awful noise of the tramp of
His vast army. They are coming on His great and exceedingly ter-
rible day. The day is so awful that the prophet wonders who may
endure it, cf. Mai. f- ^^ Je. 10^". Evidently the literal locusts are
lost sight of here, and they are no longer heralds or precursors of
Yahweh's day, but the agents of His will.
CALL TO HEARTFELT REPENTANCE (2'==-").
12-14. This call to repentance originally followed directly upon
V. ^ As it now stands it is connected with the interpolation of the
day of Yahweh, and was intended by the interpolator to be taken
2^'-" I05
as a call to repent even now, before it was too late, though the day
of Yahweh has not only been heralded but actually begun, in order
that the judgment of Yahweh may yet be averted. Cf. the sim-
ilar interpolation in i^^. But the verses themselves give no hint
of such an intention on the part of Joel. It is the extreme of the
calamity to which the locust swarms might reduce them, cj. v. "^,
that he seeks to avert by Yahweh's gracious intervention which he
hopes to secure by the earnest, whole-hearted penitence of the
people. Of the day of Yahweh he does not speak.
•'• Yet even now, is Yahweh's oracle,
Turn unto Me with all your heart,
With fasting and weeping and mourning,
"• but rend your hearts and not your garments!
And return to Yahweh your God,
for gracious is He and compassionate.
Long-suffering and plenteous in love,
and relents of the evil.
"• Who knows but He will turn and relent,
and leave behind Him a blessing,
(For) meal-offerings and libations
to Yahweh your God ?
Three strs., (i) and (2) consist of two hexameters, each, (3) of a hexameter -f-
a tetrameter.
12. But even now he believes that the worst may be averted. The
locust swarms are working terrible havoc. But in his spirit Joel
feels the stirring of the proph. impulse to summon the people, in
Yahweh's own name. Even now, says Yahweh, turn unto Me
with your whole heart! "vnth the entire force of your moral pur-
pose" (Dr.). The heart is not only the seat of the emotions, but
also of the intellect and the will. In Deuteronomy and with your
whole soul is usually added. It is important to note the stress laid
on this whole-hearted repentance because Joel joins to this inner
requirement all the external signs of penitence, fasting, weeping
and lamenting, which characterise the day of contrition also in
Est. 4^. He does not speak of the sins of the people at all, but he
appeals to the general feeling of sinfulness which expresses itself
in these modes of penitence. — 13. But while he endorses these ex-
ternal modes he insists on the repentance of the heart, rend your
io6 JOEL
hearts rather titan your garments ! While he differs, e. g., from Amos
and Isaiah in valuing the cult, he is no mere ritualist. He recog-
nises the need of deep, sincere repentance and presses it home in
this striking manner. Cf. Je. 4^ Ps. 51^^ Ez. 36^^ Zc. f^. Rending
of the garments was a sign of grief, cf. Lev. 13"^ Je. 36^^ But it
might be only outward and formal. That is not enough. So far
Yahweh had spoken. Now the prophet expands and interprets
this call. And turn to Yahweh your God, for He is gracious and
full of compassion, slow to anger and of great loving kindness. The
reason for hope even in extremis lies in the wonderfully gracious
character of Yahweh. The prophet uses the famous old phrase,
cf Ex. 34^ which was used ever again, e. g., Ps. 86^^ 103^ 145^ Ne.
9^^ Instead of and truth which is added in Ex. 34^, both Joel and
Jon. 4^ read and repenteth of the evil, which he intended to bring
upon the people. This is given here as one of Yahweh's attri-
butes, also in Jon. 4^, and implies, as Je. 18^ 26^- ^^- ^^ Jon. 3*° show,
that He always does this when certain conditions are fulfilled. So
it has become characteristic of Him. On the basis of this gra-
cious compassion of Yahweh the prophet builds his hope. — 14. It
is not absolutely certain, but who knows He may turn, from His
purpose of judgment, and repent and show His compassion, and
leave behind Him, as He turns back, a blessing in the tangible form
of renewed fertility, so that the daily sacrifices, the meal-offering
and the drink-offering, may be continued and thus the ordinary
means of intercourse with Yahweh be insured.
10. mp mil tt'Ott' om. by some Gk. mss. — 11. (S in l(Txvpa epya \6ycjv
avrov v\2-\ r\u-;jp_ aixy^ >3, due to dittog. of d, translating sg. freely by pi.
— N11J (& iwKpavrii U illustris, as if from hn-i. — m^'^t (B ((Ttoll Uavbi air^,
Aq. e viro/iivcL avTTjv, H sufficiens. — 12 :^r\'$ aji (5 koX vxiv B nunc ergo,
but this is too weak, and eixn now 1 though the danger is so great. Ger-
man: und auch jetzt noch. — nin' onj (g adds 6 debs vfiQv. — ijj ais", cf.
Am. 4« Ho. 14-. — Some Heb. mss. S> H om. 1 before oixa, some mss.
om. prep. 3 in ^OJai and noDDJi, Some Gk. mss. add /ca2 iv aiKKi^} after
D1S3. — 13. Sni rather than, cf. Ehr. onji prtc, not pf . with waw subord.
(Hi.), for V. " describes God's character, v. '< speaks of the possibility
of pardon. In v. " onji pf. with waw conj. — 14. -jdji nnjo stand in ap-
position to nana, which is a little harsh. AE., Ki.: ^Dji nmn udd )v;^-y.
Gr. proposes •\o:^ nn:-*^. If S did not stand in the orig. it was surely
meant. ddihSn (B vi^^", M correct, cf. v. ",
I07
THE GREAT PENITENTIAL ASSEMBLY AND ITS
PRAYER FOR MERCY (2^^").
15-17. These verses are usually regarded as a reiterated appeal,
cf. V. \ to hold a solemn service of penitence and contrition in the
temple. But another interpretation is perhaps more likely. Evi-
dently V. ^* presupposes that the people have followed the prophet's
exhortation to repentance. But this is nowhere expressly said
in our text. To assume it, while not impossible, is not quite
so easy, because we have narrative in v. ^^ not proph. address.
Why did the narrator omit this? Was it after all so self-evident?
There is thus a break between v. ^^ and v. ^l It is somewhat
strange, as Me. urged, that such a holy assembly to which even
the suckling babes are summoned should have been demanded by
the proph. But it does not seem impossible. Again it is somewhat
strange that the particular place where the priests are to weep (!)
and to pray should have been pointed out and assigned to them
(Hi.), together with the specific formula of prayer which they are
to use. But this is not inexplicable either. Hi. believed, there-
fore, that the narrative of the people's repentance began with v. ^^
Joel describing it in the present tense and continmng in v. ^^ in the
past. But clearly it would be preferable to point the various tenses
as narrative tenses in the past, which can be done without changing
a single consonant. This removes some difficulties, but it puts
the lacuna between v. ^^ and v. ^^ There is then not so serious a
break, it is true, but nevertheless a real one. It seems that we must
go one step further and assume that the narrative begins with v.
and not with v. ^\ With v. ^* the proph. address comes to an ef-
fective close and a new section begins with v. ^^ If v. '^ is really the
description of how the proph. demand was carried out, it does not
tell us enough, for it speaks only of what the priests, and not at all
of what the people did. V. " points, therefore, beyond itself and in-
dicates that vv. ^^- ^^ are also description. As a description of what
actually happened the assembly in which even the suckling babes
were present is entirely in order. — This necessitates the punctua-
tion of the verbs as perfects not as imperatives. And here an ob-
lo8 JOEL
jection must be faced by pointing out that the staccato form of de-
scription, so unusual in Heb., corresponds altogether to the style
of Joel in i^'^^ 2^"". The brief, abrupt sentences, unconnected by
particles, are admirably adapted to bring before our imagination
the quick action taken by priests and people. They blew the horn
in Zion, they sanctified a fast, called a solemn assembly, etc. — Now
everything is in order. There is no break between v. " and v. ^^,
or between v. ^° and v. ". Nothing is to be supplied in thought.
The description of the calling of the assembly and of its character,
of the place where the priests wept and prayed, as well as the form-
ula of their prayer and Yahweh's answer — all this is exactly as we
should desire it. And no change, even of a single consonant, is
necessary for this.
"• They blew the horn in Zion,
they sanctified a fast,
They called a solemn assembly,
"• they gathered the people.
They consecrated the congregation,
they assembled the old men.
They gathered the babes,
even the infants at the breast.
The bridegroom came forth from his nuptial chamber,
and the bride from her bridal pavilion.
•'• Between the porch and the altar
the priests were weeping.
The ministers of Yahweh, and said,
"Spare, O Yahweh, Thy people!
"And do not make Thy heritage a reproach,
a by- word among the peoples!
"Why should they say among the nations,
'Where is their God?' "
It is doubtful whether w. i6- is are more than one str., but they may consist of
two, as printed here. V. " also may be either one or two strs. As represented
above, (i) consists of a pentameter -f a tetrameter, (2) of two tetrameters + a
pentameter, (3) of a pentameter -\- a hexameter, (4) of two pentameters. Note
the staccato style in (i) and (2).
15. Cf. 2^ and i". — 16. Though the subject is indefinite, it is
evidently the priests who gathered the people, they sanctified, pre-
2"' " I09
pared everything for an assembly, a solemn cultic meeting. They
assembled the old men, gathered the children, even those that sucked
the breasts. Everybody was brought to the temple, young and old,
to make the appeal to Yahweh as strong as possible. Ace. to
Jon. 4^* Yahweh is moved to pity by the many children who can-
not yet make moral distinctions. The old men are mentioned with
the children and the babes, not as officials but because they might
perhaps under ordinary circumstances not go to the temple on ac-
count of their age. But they came, their age and infirmity silently
appealing for mercy. Everybody came, even the bridegroom and
the bride, who felt least inclined to mourn and to weep and who
ordinarily were excused from many functions and duties, cf. Dt.
24^; ace. to Berakhoth 2^, also from saying the prescribed prayers on
their wedding day and even to the end of the following Sabbath if
the marital function had not been fulfilled before. The bridegroom
came out of his nuptial chamber, and the bride out of her bridal
pavilion, in which their marriage was to be consmnmated. — 17.
In the inner court, between the porch at the east end of the temple,
I K. 6^ and the great altar of burnt-offering in front of it, i K.
8^^ 2 Ch. 8^^ with their faces turned toward the sanctuary, cf.
Ez. 8^® per contra, the priests, the ministers of Yahweh, i**- ", were
weeping in genuine contrition. A similar scene is recorded in
I Mac. 7^^, And the priests went in and stood before the altar and the
sanctuary and wept and said. . . . The prayer of the priests is
given. Spare thy people, O Yahweh, And do not make thine in-
heritance a reproach and a by-word among the nations ! Why should
they say among the peoples. Where is their God ? They appeal to
Yahweh to spare them because they are His people and His in-
heritance, cf. Dt. 9^"- ^^ and try to move Yahweh to intervene on
their behalf because His non-interference will be interpreted falsely
by the nations, cf. Ex. 32'^ Nu. 14^^-'* Dt. 9'^ They will begin to
doubt Yahweh's efficiency and to mock Israel and Yahweh Him-
self by contemptuously asking, Where is their God ? They see no
evidence of His power. This appeal is constantly made in post-
exilic times, cf. Ps. 42^- " 79^° 115^ Mi. 7*°. Yahweh's glorious
name will be profaned by this taunt. — If the interpretation of
vv. ^^'" as narrative, rather than as a reiterated appeal, holds good
no JOEL
vv. ^^ ^- simply continue the narrative, and there is an interesting
parallel not only to v. ^* but to vv. ^"® in Judith 4"'^^ Since ch. i
contains a later address than ch. 2, the description of the assembly
and its result, vv. ^^^-j belongs really in point of time after ch. i,
and not directly after 2^-". The prayer of the priests which does
not mention the locusts whose approach and arrival had been so
vividly portrayed in 2^ ^- is quite in line with this observation. And
so is the promise in v. *^ If vv. ^^ ^- were the direct continuation
of vv. ^ ^- we should expect an ardent prayer for the removal of the
locusts before the whole harvest was destroyed. In vv. ^^^' the
emphasis lies on the restoration of the fertility of the land. The
removal of the locusts, v. ^°, comes in almost incidentally. Some
have regarded v. ^" as an insertion which did not belong to the
original text.
YAHWEH'S ANSWER AND PROMISE OF RELIEF AND
RESTORATION (2^'-'"- =="• ''^).
This is the direct continuation of the narrative of w. '^â– ". The
tenses are narrative tenses and cannot be interpreted as referring
to the future.
's- Then Yahweh became jealous for His land,
and had pity on His people.
«»• And Yahweh answered and said to His people.
Behold, I will send you
corn and new wine and oil.
And ye shall be satisfied therewith. —
And I will not make you again
a reproach among the nations.
20- And the northerner I will remove far from you,
and will drive him into a dry and waste land,
His van into the eastern sea,
and his rear into the western.
And stench and foul smell of him will arise,
for I will do great things.
*5- And I will restore unto you the rich fruits
which the swarmer has eaten,
2'»-=" III
The lapper, the finisher and the shearer,
[My great army] which I sent among you.
"• And you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied.
Four strs., (i) introductory, consisting of a pentameter and a tetrameter, (2)
of a hexameter + a dimeter -\- a hexameter, (3) of three hexameters, (4) of two
hexameters + a trimeter.
18. The priests had appealed on behalf of the people to Yah-
weh's love and to the honour of His holy name. Aiid Yahweh be-
came jealous far His land. Strong and deep emotions were aroused
in Him. He cannot bear to have His land and people treated thus
scornfully by the nations nor the honour of His name defiled. A nd
He had pity on His people, whom He after all loved as His own,
though he had to discipline them. — 19. And Yahweh answered and
said to His people, most likely through His prophet, because His
answer is quoted in direct form. Others believe that Yahweh
spoke directly to His people, not in words, however, but in deeds,
by removing the plague. Behold, I will send to you (directly) corn
and new wine and fresh oil, of which they had been deprived by the
locusts, i'", and of which they stood in such need, and (you shall
have it in such abundance that) you shall be satisfied with it. And
I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations, which they
had become as a result of their direful condition, cf. v. ". — 20. And
as for the northerner, by this Joel must mean, if indeed he wrote
this word, the locust swarm which contrary to all precedents had
come from the north, for it is the fate of the locust swarm that is
now described. It seems likely, however, that the term north-
erner which conjures up those dark prophecies concerning the ene-
my from the north of whom Je. i^^ and Ez. 38"- ^^ 39^ had spoken
and who had become a fixed feature of later eschatology is due to
the interpolator of the day of Yahweh who slightly changed, as in
V. ", the original text, in which Joel had spoken of the locust
swarm. The removal of the locust swarm is mentioned after the
promise of restored fertility of the land had been given. It does not
appear to be the most pressing need at the time, as we should have
expected if w. *"° told what happened directly after the address of
2^^-. Butwesawthat 2^^- are an earlier address than i'^-, and that
215 ff . iqW jjjg story of the end of the plague and not of an episode,
112 JOEL
upon which the worse disaster described in i^ ^- was yet to follow.