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Joel 1-3
New English Translation

Introduction

1 This[a] is the Lord’s message that came to Joel[b] the son of Pethuel:

A Locust Plague Foreshadows the Day of the Lord

2 Listen to this, you elders;[c]
pay attention,[d] all inhabitants of the land.
Has anything like this ever happened in your whole life[e]
or in the lifetime[f] of your ancestors?[g]
3 Tell your children[h] about it,
have your children tell their children,
and their children the following generation.[i]
4 What the gazam-locust left the ‘arbeh-locust consumed,[j]
what the ‘arbeh-locust left the yeleq-locust consumed,
and what the yeleq-locust left the hasil-locust consumed.[k]
5 Wake up, you drunkards,[l] and weep!

Wail, all you wine drinkers,[m]
because the sweet wine[n] has been taken away[o] from you.[p]
6 For a nation[q] has invaded[r] my land,
mighty and without number.
Their teeth are lion’s teeth;
they have the fangs of a lioness.[s]
7 They[t] have destroyed my vines;[u]
they have turned my fig trees into mere splinters.
They have completely stripped off the bark[v] and thrown it aside;
the twigs are stripped bare.[w]

A Call to Lament

8 Wail[x] like a young virgin[y] clothed in sackcloth,
lamenting the death of[z] her husband to be.[aa]
9 No one brings grain offerings or drink offerings
to the temple[ab] of the Lord anymore.[ac]
So the priests, those who serve the Lord, are in mourning.
10 The crops of the fields[ad] have been destroyed.[ae]
The ground is in mourning because the grain has perished.
The fresh wine has dried up;
the olive oil languishes.
11 Be distressed,[af] farmers;
wail, vinedressers, over the wheat and the barley.
For the harvest of the field has perished.
12 The vine has dried up;
the fig tree languishes—
the pomegranate, date, and apple[ag] as well.
In fact,[ah] all the trees of the field have dried up.
Indeed, the joy of the people[ai] has dried up!
13 Get dressed[aj] and lament, you priests.

Wail, you who minister at the altar.
Come, spend the night in sackcloth, you servants of my God,
because no one brings grain offerings or drink offerings
to the temple of your God anymore.[ak]
14 Announce a holy fast;[al]
proclaim a sacred assembly.
Gather the elders and[am] all the inhabitants of the land
to the temple of the Lord your God,
and cry out to the Lord.
15 How awful that day will be![an]
For the day of the Lord is near;
it will come as destruction from the Divine Destroyer.[ao]
16 Our food has been cut off right before our eyes![ap]
There is no longer any joy or gladness in the temple of our God.[aq]
17 The grains of seed[ar] have shriveled beneath their shovels.[as]
Storehouses have been decimated,
and granaries have been torn down,
because the grain has dried up.
18 Listen to the cattle groan![at]
The herds of livestock wander around in confusion[au]
because they have no pasture.
Even the flocks of sheep are suffering.
19 To you, O Lord, I call out for help,[av]

for fire[aw] has burned up[ax] the pastures of the wilderness,
flames have razed[ay] all the trees in the fields.
20 Even the wild animals[az] cry out to you,[ba]
for the river beds[bb] have dried up;
fire has destroyed[bc] the pastures of the wilderness.[bd]

The Locusts’ Devastation

2 Blow the trumpet[be] in Zion;
sound the alarm signal on my holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land shake with fear,
for the day of the Lord is about to come.
Indeed,[bf] it is near![bg]
2 It will be[bh] a day of dreadful darkness,[bi]
a day of foreboding storm clouds,[bj]
like blackness[bk] spread over the mountains.
It is a huge and powerful army[bl]—
there has never been anything like it ever before,
and there will not be anything like it for many generations to come![bm]
3 Like fire they devour everything in their path;[bn]

a flame blazes behind them.
The land looks like the Garden of Eden[bo] before them,
but behind them there is only a desolate wilderness—
for nothing escapes them![bp]
4 They look like horses;[bq]
they charge ahead like war horses.
5 They sound like[br] chariots rumbling[bs] over mountain tops,
like the crackling[bt] of blazing fire consuming stubble,
like the noise of[bu] a mighty army[bv] being drawn up for battle.[bw]
6 People[bx] writhe in fear when they see them.[by]
All their faces turn pale with fright.[bz]
7 They[ca] charge[cb] like warriors;
they scale walls like soldiers.[cc]
Each one proceeds on his course;
they do not alter[cd] their path.
8 They do not jostle one another;[ce]
each of them marches straight ahead.[cf]
They burst through[cg] the city defenses[ch]
and do not break ranks.
9 They rush into[ci] the city;
they scale[cj] its walls.
They climb up into the houses;
they go in through the windows like a thief.
10 The earth quakes[ck] before them;[cl]
the sky reverberates.[cm]
The sun and the moon grow dark;
the stars refuse to shine.[cn]
11 The voice of the Lord thunders[co] as he leads his army.[cp]
Indeed, his warriors[cq] are innumerable;[cr]
Surely his command is carried out![cs]
Yes, the day of the Lord is awesome[ct]
and very terrifying—who can survive[cu] it?

An Appeal for Repentance

12 “Yet even now,” the Lord says,
“return to me with all your heart—
with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
13 Tear your hearts,[cv]
not just your garments.”
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is merciful and compassionate,
slow to anger and boundless in loyal love[cw]—often relenting from calamitous punishment.[cx]
14 Who knows?
Perhaps he will be compassionate and grant a reprieve,[cy]
and leave blessing in his wake[cz]—
a meal offering and a drink offering for you to offer to the Lord your God![da]
15 Blow the trumpet[db] in Zion.

Announce a holy fast;
proclaim a sacred assembly.
16 Gather the people;
sanctify an assembly!
Gather the elders;
gather the children and the nursing infants.
Let the bridegroom come out from his bedroom
and the bride from her private quarters.[dc]
17 Let the priests, those who serve the Lord, weep
from the vestibule all the way back to the altar.[dd]
Let them say, “Have pity, O Lord, on your people;
please do not turn over your inheritance to be mocked,
to become a proverb[de] among the nations.
Why should it be said[df] among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’

The Lord’s Response

18 Then the Lord became zealous[dg] for his land;
he had compassion on his people.
19 The Lord responded[dh] to his people,
“Look! I am about to restore your grain[di]
as well as fresh wine and olive oil.
You will be fully satisfied.[dj]
I will never again make you an object of mockery among the nations.
20 I will remove the one from the north[dk] far from you.
I will drive him out to a dry and desolate place.
Those in front will be driven eastward into the Dead Sea,[dl]
and those in back westward into the Mediterranean Sea.[dm]
His stench will rise up as a foul smell.”[dn]
Indeed, the Lord[do] has accomplished great things!
21 Do not fear, my land.

Rejoice and be glad,
because the Lord has accomplished great things!
22 Do not fear, wild animals.[dp]
For the pastures of the wilderness are again green with grass.
Indeed, the trees bear their fruit;
the fig tree and the vine yield to their fullest.[dq]
23 Citizens of Zion,[dr] rejoice!
Be glad because of what the Lord your God has done![ds]
For he has given to you the early rains[dt] as vindication.
He has sent[du] to you the rains—
both the early and the late rains[dv] as formerly.
24 The threshing floors are full of grain;
the vats overflow with fresh wine and olive oil.
25 I will make up for the years[dw]
that the ‘arbeh-locust[dx] consumed your crops[dy]—
the yeleq-locust, the hasil-locust, and the gazam-locust—
my great army[dz] that I sent against you.
26 You will have plenty to eat,
and your hunger will be fully satisfied;[ea]
you will praise the name of the Lord your God,
who has acted wondrously in your behalf.
My people will never again be put to shame.
27 You will be convinced that I am in the midst of Israel.
I am the Lord your God; there is no other.
My people will never again be put to shame.

An Outpouring of the Spirit

28 (3:1)[eb] After all of this[ec]
I will pour out my Spirit[ed] on all kinds of people.[ee]
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your elderly will have prophetic dreams;[ef]
your young men will see visions.
29 Even on male and female servants
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
30 I will produce portents both in the sky[eg] and on the earth—
blood, fire, and columns of smoke.
31 The sunlight will be turned to darkness
and the moon to the color of blood,[eh]
before the day of the Lord comes—
that great and terrible day!
32 It will so happen that
everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered.[ei]
For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who survive,[ej]
just as the Lord has promised;
the remnant[ek] will be those whom the Lord will call.[el]

The Lord Plans to Judge the Nations

3 (4:1)[em] For look! In those[en] days and at that time
I will return the exiles[eo] to Judah and Jerusalem.
2 Then I will gather all the nations,
and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.[ep]
I will enter into judgment[eq] against them there
concerning my people Israel who are my inheritance,[er]
whom they scattered among the nations.
They partitioned my land,
3 and they cast lots for my people.
They traded[es] a boy for a prostitute;
they sold a little girl for wine so they could drink.[et]
4 Why are you doing these things to me, Tyre and Sidon?[eu]
Are you trying to get even with me, land of Philistia?[ev]
If you are, I will very quickly repay you for what you have done![ew]
5 For you took my silver and my gold
and brought my precious valuables to your own palaces.[ex]
6 You sold Judeans and Jerusalemites to the Greeks,
removing them far from their own country.[ey]
7 Look! I am rousing them from that place to which you sold them.
I will repay you for what you have done![ez]
8 I will sell your sons and daughters to[fa] the people of Judah.[fb]
They will sell them to the Sabeans,[fc] a nation far away.
Indeed, the Lord has spoken.

Judgment in the Valley of Jehoshaphat

9 Proclaim this among the nations:
“Prepare for a holy war!
Call out the warriors!
Let all these fighting men approach and attack![fd]
10 Beat your plowshares[fe] into swords,
and your pruning hooks[ff] into spears.[fg]
Let the weak say, ‘I too am a warrior!’[fh]
11 Lend your aid[fi] and come,
all you surrounding nations,
and gather yourselves[fj] to that place.”
Bring down, O Lord, your warriors![fk]
12 “Let the nations be roused and let them go up
to the Valley of Jehoshaphat,
for there I will sit in judgment on all the surrounding nations.
13 Rush forth with[fl] the sickle, for the harvest is ripe!
Come, stomp the grapes,[fm] for the winepress is full!
The vats overflow.
Indeed, their evil is great!”[fn]
14 Crowds, great crowds are in the Valley of Decision,

for the day of the Lord is near in the Valley of Decision![fo]
15 The sun and moon are darkened;
the stars withhold[fp] their brightness.
16 The Lord roars from Zion;
from Jerusalem his voice bellows out.[fq]
The heavens[fr] and the earth shake.
But the Lord is a refuge for his people;
he is a stronghold for the citizens[fs] of Israel.

The Lord’s Presence in Zion

17 “You will be convinced[ft] that I the Lord am your God,
dwelling on Zion, my holy mountain.
Jerusalem will be holy—
conquering armies[fu] will no longer pass through it.
18 “On that day[fv] the mountains will drip with sweet wine,[fw]
and the hills will flow with milk.[fx]
All the dry stream beds[fy] of Judah will flow with water.
A spring will flow out from the temple[fz] of the Lord,
watering the Valley of Acacia Trees.[ga]
19 Egypt will be desolate
and Edom will be a desolate wilderness,
because of the violence they did to the people of Judah,[gb]
in whose land they shed innocent blood.
20 But Judah will reside securely forever,
and Jerusalem will be secure[gc] from one generation to the next.
21 I will avenge[gd] their blood that I had not previously acquitted.
It is the Lord who dwells in Zion!

Footnotes

  1. Joel 1:1 sn The dating of the book of Joel is a matter of dispute. Some scholars date the book as early as the ninth century b.c., during the reign of the boy-king Joash. This view is largely based on the following factors: an argument from silence (e.g., the book of Joel does not mention a king, perhaps because other officials de facto carried out his responsibilities, and there is no direct mention in the book of such later Israelite enemies as the Assyrians, Babylonians, and Persians); inconclusive literary assumptions (e.g., the eighth-century prophet Amos in Amos 9:13 alludes to Joel 3:18); the canonical position of the book (i.e., it is the second book of the Minor Prophets); and literary style (i.e., the book is thought to differ in style from the postexilic prophetic writings). While such an early date for the book is not impossible, none of the arguments used to support it is compelling. Later dates for the book that have been defended by various scholars are, for example, the late seventh century or early sixth century or sometime in the postexilic period (anytime from late sixth century to late fourth century). Most modern scholars seem to date the book of Joel sometime between 400 and 350 b.c. For a helpful discussion of date see J. A. Thompson, “The Date of the Book of Joel,” A Light unto My Path, 453-64. Related to the question of date is a major exegetical issue: Is the army of chapter two to be understood figuratively as describing the locust invasion of chapter one, or is the topic of chapter two an invasion of human armies, either the Babylonians or an eschatological foe? If the enemy could be conclusively identified as the Babylonians, for example, this would support a sixth-century date for the book.
  2. Joel 1:1 sn The name Joel means in Hebrew “the Lord is God.”
  3. Joel 1:2 sn Elders here refers not necessarily to men advanced in years but to leaders within the community.
  4. Joel 1:2 tn Heb “give ear.”
  5. Joel 1:2 tn Heb “days.” The term “days” functions here as a synecdoche for one’s lifespan.
  6. Joel 1:2 tn Heb “days.”
  7. Joel 1:2 tn Heb “fathers.”
  8. Joel 1:3 tn Heb “sons.” This word occurs several times in this verse.
  9. Joel 1:3 sn The circumstances that precipitated the book of Joel surrounded a locust invasion in Palestine that was of unprecedented proportions. The locusts had devastated the country’s agrarian economy, with the unwelcome consequences extending to every important aspect of commercial, religious, and national life. To further complicate matters, a severe drought had exhausted water supplies, causing life-threatening shortages for animal and human life (see v. 20). Locust invasions occasionally present significant problems in Palestine in modern times. The year 1865 was commonly known among Arabic-speaking peoples of the Near East as sent el jarad, “year of the locust.” The years 1892, 1899, and 1904 witnessed significant locust invasions in Palestine. But in modern times there has been nothing equal in magnitude to the great locust invasion that began in Palestine in February of 1915. This modern parallel provides valuable insight into the locust plague the prophet Joel points to as a foreshadowing of the day of the Lord. For an eyewitness account of the 1915 locust invasion of Palestine see J. D. Whiting, “Jerusalem’s Locust Plague,” National Geographic 28 (December 1915): 511-50.
  10. Joel 1:4 tn Or “has eaten.” This verb is repeated three times in v. 4 to emphasize the total devastation of the crops by this locust invasion.
  11. Joel 1:4 tn The four Hebrew terms used in this verse are of uncertain meaning. English translations show a great deal of variation in dealing with these: (1) For גָּזָם (gazam) KJV has “palmerworm,” NEB “locust,” NAB “cutter,” NASB “gnawing locust,” NIV “locust swarm,” NKJV “chewing locust,” NRSV and NLT “cutting locust(s),”and NIrV “giant locusts”; (2) for אַרְבֶּה (ʾarbeh) KJV has “locust”; NEB “swarm”; NAB “locust swarm”; NASB, NKJV, NRSV, and NLT “swarming locust(s); NIV “great locusts”; and NIrV “common locusts”; (3) for יֶלֶק (yeleq) KJV has “cankerworm,” NEB “hopper,” NAB “grasshopper,” NASB “creeping locust,” NIV and NIrV “young locusts,” NKJV “crawling locust,” and NRSV and NLT “hopping locust(s)”; and (4) for חָסִיל (khasil) KJV has “caterpillar,” NEB “grub,” NAB “devourer,” NASB and NLT “stripping locust(s),” NIV and NIrV “other locusts,” NKJV “consuming locust,” and NRSV “destroying locust.” It is debated whether the Hebrew terms describe different species of locusts or similar insects, describe different developmental stages of the same species, or are virtual synonyms. While the last seems more likely, given the uncertainty over their exact meaning the present translation has transliterated the Hebrew terms in combination with the word “locust.”sn Four different words for “locust” are used in this verse. It is uncertain whether these words represent different life-stages of the locusts, or whether virtual synonyms are being used to underscore the severity of damage caused by the relentless waves of locust invasion. The latter seems more likely. Many interpreters have understood the locust plagues described here to be symbolic of invading armies that will devastate the land, but the symbolism could also work the other way, with real plagues of locusts described in the following verses as an invading army.
  12. Joel 1:5 sn The word drunkards has a double edge here. Those accustomed to drinking too much must now lament the unavailability of wine. It also may hint that the people in general have become religiously inebriated and are unresponsive to the Lord. They are, as it were, drunkards from a spiritual standpoint.
  13. Joel 1:5 sn Joel addresses the first of three groups particularly affected by the locust plague. In v. 5 he describes the effects on the drunkards, who no longer have a ready supply of intoxicating wine; in vv. 11-12 he describes the effects on the farmers, who have watched their labors come to naught because of the insect infestation; and in vv. 13-14 he describes the effects on the priests, who are no longer able to offer grain sacrifices and libations in the temple.
  14. Joel 1:5 tn Heb “over the sweet wine, because it.” Cf. KJV, NIV, TEV, NLT “new wine.”
  15. Joel 1:5 tn Heb “cut off” (so KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV); cf. NAB “will be withheld.”
  16. Joel 1:5 tn Heb “your mouth.” This is a synecdoche of part (the mouth) for whole (the person).
  17. Joel 1:6 sn As becomes increasingly clear in what follows, this nation is to be understood figuratively. It refers to the locust invasion as viewed from the standpoint of its methodical, destructive advance across the land (BDB 156 s.v. גּוֹי 2). This term is used figuratively to refer to animals one other time (Zeph 2:14).
  18. Joel 1:6 tn Heb “has come up against.”
  19. Joel 1:6 tn Heb “its incisors are those of a lioness.” The sharp, cutting teeth are metonymical for the action of tearing apart and eating prey. The language is clearly hyperbolic. Neither locusts nor human invaders literally have teeth of this size. The prophet is using exaggerated and picturesque language to portray in vivid terms the enormity of the calamity. English versions vary greatly on the specifics. KJV has, “cheek teeth”; ASV, “jaw-teeth”; NAB, “molars”; and NASB, NIV, and NRSV, “fangs.”
  20. Joel 1:7 tn Heb “it.” The Hebrew describes the locust swarm as a collective singular throughout vv. 6-7. The translation opts for plural forms envisioning the many locusts at work in order to better fit the descriptions from an English point of view.
  21. Joel 1:7 tn Both “vines” and “fig trees” are singular in the Hebrew text, but are regarded as collective singulars. Either the prophet speaks in the first person singular about his own vine in order to personalize the description, or we hear the voice of God speaking, and “my vine” and “my fig tree” do double duty to both represent the foliage being destroyed as well as the nation.
  22. Joel 1:7 tn Heb “it has completely stripped it bare.”
  23. Joel 1:7 tn Heb “grow white.”sn Once choice leafy vegetation is no longer available to them, locusts have been known to consume the bark of small tree limbs, leaving them in an exposed and vulnerable condition. It is apparently this whitened condition of limbs that Joel is referring to here.
  24. Joel 1:8 sn The verb is feminine singular, raising a question concerning its intended antecedent. A plural verb would be expected here, the idea being that all the inhabitants of the land should grieve. Perhaps Joel is thinking specifically of the city of Jerusalem, albeit in a representative sense. The choice of the feminine singular verb form has probably been influenced to some extent by the allusion to the young widow in the simile of v. 8.
  25. Joel 1:8 tn Or “a young woman” (TEV, CEV). See the note on the phrase “husband to be” in the next line. The word בְּתוּלָה (betulah) can be used as a technical term for “virgin” but often just refers to a young woman, perhaps to a woman who has not had children.
  26. Joel 1:8 tn Heb “over the husband of her youth.” The death of the husband is implied by the wailing.
  27. Joel 1:8 sn Heb “the husband of her youth.” The woman described here may already be married, so the reference is to the death of a husband rather than a fiancé (a husband-to-be). Either way, the simile describes a painful and unexpected loss to which the national tragedy Joel is describing may be compared.
  28. Joel 1:9 tn Heb “house.” So also in vv. 13, 14, 16.
  29. Joel 1:9 tn Heb “grain offering and drink offering are cut off from the house of the Lord.”
  30. Joel 1:10 tn Heb “the field has been utterly destroyed.” The term “field,” a collective singular for “fields,” is a metonymy for crops produced by the fields.
  31. Joel 1:10 tn Joel uses intentionally alliterative language in the phrases שֻׁדַּד שָׂדֶה (shuddad sadeh, “the field is destroyed”) and אֲבְלָה אֲדָמָה (ʾavelah ʾadamah, “the ground is in mourning”).
  32. Joel 1:11 tn Heb “embarrassed”; or “be ashamed.”
  33. Joel 1:12 tn This Hebrew word וְתַפּוּחַ (vetappuakh) probably refers to the apple tree (so most English versions), but other suggestions that scholars have offered include the apricot, citron, or quince.
  34. Joel 1:12 tn These words are not in the Hebrew text but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
  35. Joel 1:12 tn Heb “the sons of man.”
  36. Joel 1:13 tn Heb “put on.” There is no object present in the Hebrew text, but many translations assume “sackcloth” to be the understood object of the verb “put on.” Its absence in the Hebrew text of v. 13 is probably due to metrical considerations. The meter here is 3 + 3, and that has probably influenced the prophet’s choice of words.
  37. Joel 1:13 tn Heb “for grain offering and drink offering are withheld from the house of your God.”
  38. Joel 1:14 tn Heb “consecrate a fast” (so NASB).
  39. Joel 1:14 tc The conjunction “and” does not appear in MT or LXX but does appear in some Qumran texts (4QXIIc and 4QXIIg).
  40. Joel 1:15 tn Heb “Alas for the day!”
  41. Joel 1:15 tn There is a wordplay in Hebrew here with the word used for “destruction” (שׁוֹד, shod) and the term used for God (שַׁדַּי, shadday). The exact meaning of “Shaddai” in the OT is somewhat uncertain, although the ancient versions and many modern English versions tend to translate it as “Almighty” (e.g., Greek παντοκράτωρ [pantokratōr], Latin omnipotens). Here it might be rendered “Destroyer,” with the thought being that “destruction will come from the Divine Destroyer,” which should not be misunderstood as a reference to the destroying angel. The name “Shaddai” (outside Genesis and without the element “El” [“God”]) is normally used when God is viewed as the sovereign king who blesses/protects or curses/brings judgment. The name appears in the introduction to two of Balaam’s oracles (Num 24:4, 16) of blessing upon Israel. Naomi employs the name when accusing the Lord of treating her bitterly by taking the lives of her husband and sons (Ruth 1:20-21). In Ps 68:14; Isa 13:6; and the present passage, Shaddai judges his enemies through warfare, while Ps 91:1 depicts him as the protector of his people. In Ezek 1:24 and 10:5 the sound of the cherubim’s wings is compared to Shaddai’s powerful voice. The reference may be to the mighty divine warrior’s battle cry that accompanies his angry judgment.
  42. Joel 1:16 tn Heb “Has not the food been cut off right before our eyes?” This rhetorical question expects an affirmative answer; the question has been translated as an affirmation for the sake of clarity and emphasis.
  43. Joel 1:16 tn Heb “joy and gladness from the house of our God?” Verse 16b is a continuation of the rhetorical question begun in v. 16a but has been translated as an affirmative statement to make the meaning clear. The words “There is no longer any” are not in the Hebrew text but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
  44. Joel 1:17 tn Heb “seed.” The phrase “the grains of” does not appear in the Hebrew but has been supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity and smoothness.
  45. Joel 1:17 tc This line is textually uncertain. The MT reads, “the seed shrivels in their shovels/clods.” One Qumran manuscript (4QXXIIc) reads, “the heifers decay in [their] s[talls].” LXX reads, “the heifers leap in their stalls.”tn These two lines of v. 17 comprise only four words in the Hebrew; three of the four are found only here in the OT. The translation and meaning are rather uncertain. A number of English versions render the word translated “shovels” as “clods,” referring to lumps of soil (e.g., KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
  46. Joel 1:18 tn Heb “how the cattle groan!”
  47. Joel 1:18 tn Heb “the herds of cattle are confused.” The verb בּוּךְ (bukh, “be confused”) sometimes refers to wandering aimlessly in confusion (cf. Exod 14:3).
  48. Joel 1:19 tn The phrase “for help” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
  49. Joel 1:19 sn Fire here and in v. 20 is probably not to be understood in a literal sense. The locust plague, accompanied by conditions of extreme drought, has left the countryside looking as though everything has been burned up (so also in Joel 2:3).
  50. Joel 1:19 tn Heb “consumed.” This entire line is restated at the end of v. 20.
  51. Joel 1:19 tn Heb “a flame has set ablaze.” This fire was one of the effects of the drought.
  52. Joel 1:20 tn Heb “beasts of the field.”
  53. Joel 1:20 tn Heb “long for you.” Animals of course do not have religious sensibilities as such; they do not in any literal sense long for Yahweh. Rather, the language here is figurative (metonymy of cause for effect). The animals long for food and water (so BDB 788 s.v. עָרַג), the ultimate source of which is Yahweh.
  54. Joel 1:20 tn Heb “sources of water.”
  55. Joel 1:20 tn Heb “consumed.”
  56. Joel 1:20 tn Heb “the pastures of the wilderness.”
  57. Joel 2:1 tn The word translated “trumpet” here (so most English versions) is the Hebrew שׁוֹפָר (shofar). The shophar was a wind instrument made from a cow or ram’s horn and used as a military instrument for calling people to attention in the face of danger or as a religious instrument for calling people to occasions of communal celebration.
  58. Joel 2:1 tn Or “for.”
  59. Joel 2:1 sn The interpretation of 2:1-11 is very difficult. Four views may be mentioned here. (1) Some commentators understand this section to be describing a human invasion of Judah on the part of an ancient army. The exact identity of this army (e.g., Assyrian or Babylonian) varies among interpreters depending upon issues of dating for the book of Joel. (2) Some commentators take the section to describe an eschatological scene in which the army according to some is human, or according to others is nonhuman (i.e., angelic). (3) Some interpreters argue for taking the section to refer to the potential advent in the fall season of a severe east wind (i.e., Sirocco) that would further exacerbate the conditions of the land described in chapter one. (4) Finally, some interpreters understand the section to continue the discussion of locust invasion and drought described in chapter one, partly on the basis that there is no clear exegetical evidence in 2:1-11 to suggest a shift of referent from that of chapter one.
  60. Joel 2:2 tn The phrase “It will be” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness and style.
  61. Joel 2:2 tn Heb “darkness and gloom.” These two terms probably form a hendiadys here. This picture recalls the imagery of the supernatural darkness in Egypt during the judgments of the exodus (Exod 10:22). These terms are also frequently used as figures (metonymy of association) for calamity and divine judgment (Isa 8:22; 59:9; Jer 23:12; Zeph 1:15). Darkness is often a figure (metonymy of association) for death, dread, distress and judgment (BDB 365 s.v. חשֶׁךְ 3).
  62. Joel 2:2 tn Heb “a day of cloud and darkness.”
  63. Joel 2:2 tc The present translation here follows the proposed reading שְׁחֹר (shekhor, “blackness”) rather than the MT שַׁחַר (shakhar, “morning”). The change affects only the vocalization; the Hebrew consonants remain unchanged. Here the context calls for a word describing darkness. The idea of morning or dawn speaks instead of approaching light, which does not seem to fit here. The other words in the verse (e.g., “darkness,” “gloominess,” “cloud,” “heavy overcast”) all emphasize the negative aspects of the matter at hand and lead the reader to expect a word like “blackness” rather than “dawn.” However, NIrV paraphrases the MT nicely: “A huge army of locusts is coming. They will spread across the mountains like the sun when it rises.”
  64. Joel 2:2 tn Heb “A huge and powerful people”; cf. KJV, ASV “a great people and a strong.” Many interpreters understand Joel 2 to describe an invasion of human armies, whether in Joel’s past or near future (e.g., the Babylonian invasion of Palestine in the sixth century b.c., depending on the dating of the book), or in an eschatological setting. Others view the language of this chapter referring to “people” and “armies” as a metaphorical description of the locusts of chapter one (cf. TEV “The great army of locusts advances like darkness”). Typically, “day of the Lord” language relates to a future event, so the present-tense language of chapter 1 may look ahead.
  65. Joel 2:2 tn Heb “it will not be repeated for years of generation and generation.”
  66. Joel 2:3 tn Heb “a fire devours before it.”
  67. Joel 2:3 tn Heb “like the garden of Eden, the land is before them.” Gen 2:8-9 is clear that Eden is more of an orchard (“all kinds of trees”), but the translation retains “Garden of Eden” here because the phrase has now become a metaphor for the bounty, beauty, and fertility of the land, and as such is much more familiar to modern readers.
  68. Joel 2:3 tn Heb “and surely a survivor there is not for it.” The antecedent of the pronoun “it” is apparently עַם (ʿam, “people”) of v. 2, which seems to be a figurative way of referring to the locusts and describes ants and rock badgers in Prov 30:25-26. K&D 26:191-92 thought that the antecedent of this pronoun was “land,” but the masculine gender of the pronoun does not support this.
  69. Joel 2:4 tn Heb “Like the appearance of horses [is] its appearance.”sn The fact that a locust’s head resembles a miniature replica of a horse’s head has often been noticed. For example, the German word for locust (Heupferd, “hay horse”) and the Italian word as well (cavaletta, “little horse”) are based on this similarity in appearance.
  70. Joel 2:5 tn Heb “like the sound of.”sn The repetition of the word of comparison (“like”) in vv. 4-7 should not go unnoticed. The author is comparing the locust invasion to familiar aspects of human invasion. If the preposition has its normal force here, it is similarity and not identity that is intended. In other words, locusts are being likened to human armies, but human armies are not actually present. On the other hand, this Hebrew preposition is also on occasion used to indicate exactitude, a function described by grammarians as kaph veritatis.
  71. Joel 2:5 tn Heb “jostling” or “leaping.” There is question whether this pictures chariots rumbling over the mountains (e.g., 2 Sam 6:14, 16; 1 Chr 15:29; Nah 3:2) or the locusts flying—or “leaping”—over the mountains (e.g., Job 21:11); see BDB 955 s.v. רָקַד.
  72. Joel 2:5 tn Heb “sound.”
  73. Joel 2:5 tn The phrase “the noise of” does not appear in the Hebrew, but is implied by the parallelism, so it has been supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
  74. Joel 2:5 tn Heb “people.”
  75. Joel 2:5 tn Heb “being arrayed of battle.”
  76. Joel 2:6 tn Or “nations.”
  77. Joel 2:6 tn Heb “before it.”
  78. Joel 2:6 tn Heb “all faces gather beauty”; or “all faces gather a glow.” The Hebrew word פָּארוּר (paʾrur) is found in the OT only here and in Nah 2:11. Its meaning is very uncertain. Some scholars associate it with a root that signifies “glowing”; hence, “all faces gather a glow of dread.” Others associate the word with פָּרוּר (parur, “pot”); hence, “all faces gather blackness.” Still others take the root to signify “beauty”; hence, “all faces gather in their beauty,” in the sense of growing pale due to fear. This is the view assumed here.
  79. Joel 2:7 sn Since the invaders are compared to warriors, this suggests that they are not actually human but instead an army of locusts.
  80. Joel 2:7 tn Heb “run.”
  81. Joel 2:7 tn Heb “men of battle.”
  82. Joel 2:7 tc The translation reads יְעַבְּתוּן (yeʿabbetun) for MT יְעַבְּטוּן (yeʿabbetun). The verb found in MT (עָבַט, ʿavat) means “take or give a pledge” (cf. Deut 15:6, 8; 24:10) and does not fit the context. Some scholars have proposed various emendations: (1) יְעַוְּתוּן (yeʿavvetun, “they make crooked”); (2) יָטּוּן (yattun, “they turn aside”); (3) יָעַוּוּן (yaʿavvun, “they err”); and (4) יְעַבְּתוּן (adopted in the present translation) from the root I עָבַת (ʿavat, “to twist, pervert”) or II עָבַת (ʿavat, “to change, abandon”). KBL adopt the latter option, but the only biblical evidence for this is the problematic reference in Joel 2:7. Another option is to view it as a variant of the root חבט (khavat, “turn aside from”), a meaning attested for the Arabic cognate. The difference in spelling would be due to the interchange of the guttural letters khet (ח) and ayin (ע). This may lay behind LXX rendering ἐκκλίνωσιν (ekklinōsin; cf. Syriac Peshitta: nstwn and Vg: declinabunt). See S. F. Whitley, “ʿbt in Joel 2, 7, ” Bib 65 (1984): 101-2.
  83. Joel 2:8 tn “each one does not crowd his brother.”
  84. Joel 2:8 tn Heb “each warrior walks in his own course.”
  85. Joel 2:8 tn Heb “they fall upon.” This line has been interpreted in two different ways: (1) although they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded (KJV), or (2) when they “burst through” the city’s defenses, they will not break ranks (RSV, NASB, NIV, NIrV).
  86. Joel 2:8 tn Heb “missile” or “javelin.” This term appears to function as a synecdoche for the city’s defenses as a whole (cf. NASB, NIV, TEV). Some scholars instead understand the reference to be an aqueduct by which the locusts (or armies) entered the city.
  87. Joel 2:9 tn Heb “dart about in.”
  88. Joel 2:9 tn Or “they run upon its wall.”
  89. Joel 2:10 sn Witnesses of locust invasions have described the visual effect of large numbers of these creatures crawling over one another on the ground. At such times the ground is said to appear to be in motion, creating a dizzying effect on some observers. The reference in v. 10 to the darkening of the sun and moon probably has to do with the obscuring of visibility due to large numbers of locusts swarming in the sky.
  90. Joel 2:10 tn Heb “before it.”
  91. Joel 2:10 tn Heb “trembles.”
  92. Joel 2:10 tn Heb “gather their brightness.”
  93. Joel 2:11 tn Heb “the Lord gives his voice.”
  94. Joel 2:11 tn Heb “before his army.”
  95. Joel 2:11 tn Heb “military encampment.”
  96. Joel 2:11 tn Heb “very large.”
  97. Joel 2:11 tn Heb “he makes his word powerful.”
  98. Joel 2:11 tn Or “powerful.” Heb “great.”
  99. Joel 2:11 tn Heb “endure.” The MT and LXX read, “endure,” while one of the Qumran manuscripts (4QXXIIc) has, “bear.”
  100. Joel 2:13 sn The figurative language calls for genuine repentance and not merely external ritual that goes through the motions.
  101. Joel 2:13 tn Heb “and great of loyal love.”
  102. Joel 2:13 tn Heb “and he relents from calamity.”
  103. Joel 2:14 tn Heb “turn” or “turn back.”
  104. Joel 2:14 tn Heb “leave a blessing behind him.”
  105. Joel 2:14 tn The phrase “for you to offer” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
  106. Joel 2:15 tn See the note on this term in 2:1.
  107. Joel 2:16 sn Mosaic law allowed men recently married, or about to be married, to be exempt for a year from certain duties that were normally mandatory, such as military obligation (cf. Deut 20:7; 24:5). However, Joel pictures a time of such urgency that normal expectations must give way to higher requirements.
  108. Joel 2:17 tn Heb “between the vestibule and the altar.” The vestibule was located at the entrance of the temple, and the altar was located at the other end of the building. So “between the vestibule and the altar” is a merism referring to the entire structure. The priestly lament permeates the entire house of worship.
  109. Joel 2:17 tn For the MT reading לִמְשָׁל (limshol, an infinitive, “to rule”), one should probably instead read לְמָשָׁל (lemashal, a noun, “to a byword”). While the consonantal Hebrew text permits either, the context suggests that the concern here is more a fear of abandonment by God to ongoing economic depression than a fear of the potential political subjugation of Israel (cf. v. 19). The possibility that the form in the MT is an infinitive construct of the denominative verb II מָשַׁל (mashal, “to utter a proverb”) does not seem likely because of the following preposition (Hebrew בְּ [be], rather than עַל [’al]).
  110. Joel 2:17 tn Heb “Why will they say?”
  111. Joel 2:18 tn The time-frame entertained by the verbs of v. 18 constitutes a crux interpretum in this chapter. The Hebrew verb forms used here are preterites with vav consecutive and are most naturally understood as describing a past situation. However, some modern English versions render these verbs as futures (e.g., NIV, NASB), apparently concluding that the context requires a future reference. According to Joüon 2:363 §112.h, n.1 Ibn Ezra explained the verbs of Joel 2:18 as an extension of the so-called prophetic perfect; as such, a future fulfillment was described with a past tense as a rhetorical device lending certainty to the fulfillment. But this lacks adequate precedent and is very unlikely from a syntactical standpoint. It seems better to take the verbs in the normal past sense of the preterite. This would require a vantage point for the prophet at some time after the people had responded favorably to the Lord’s call for repentance and after the Lord had shown compassion and forgiveness toward his people, but before the full realization of God’s promises to restore productivity to the land. In other words, it appears from the verbs of vv. 18-19 that at the time of Joel’s writing this book the events of successive waves of locust invasion and conditions of drought had almost run their course and the people had now begun to turn to the Lord.
  112. Joel 2:19 tn Heb “answered and said.”
  113. Joel 2:19 tn Heb “Look! I am sending grain to you.” The participle used in the Hebrew text seems to suggest imminent action.
  114. Joel 2:19 tc One of the Qumran manuscripts (4QXXIIc) inserts “and you will eat” before “and you will be fully satisfied,” the latter phrase being the reading of the MT and LXX.
  115. Joel 2:20 sn The allusion to the one from the north is best understood as having locusts in view. It is not correct to say that this reference to the enemy who came form the north excludes the possibility of a reference to locusts and must be understood as human armies. Although locust plagues usually approached Palestine from the east or southeast, the severe plague of 1915, for example, came from the northeast.
  116. Joel 2:20 tn Heb “his face to the eastern sea.” In this context the eastern sea is probably the Dead Sea.
  117. Joel 2:20 tn Heb “and his rear to the western sea.” The western sea refers to the Mediterranean Sea.
  118. Joel 2:20 sn Heb “and his foul smell will ascend.” The foul smell probably refers to the unpleasant odor of decayed masses of dead locusts. The Hebrew word for “foul smell” is found only here in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word for “stench” appears only here and in Isa 34:3 and Amos 4:10. In the latter references it refers to the stench of dead corpses on a field of battle.
  119. Joel 2:20 tn The Hebrew text does not have “the Lord.” Two interpretations are possible. This clause may refer to the enemy described in the immediately preceding verses, in which case it would have a negative sense: “he has acted in a high-handed manner.” Or it may refer to the Lord, in which case it would have a positive sense: “the Lord has acted in a marvelous manner.” This is clearly the sense of the same expression in v. 21, where in fact “the Lord” appears as the subject of the verb. It seems best to understand the clause the same way in both verses.
  120. Joel 2:22 tn Heb “beasts of the field.”
  121. Joel 2:22 tn Heb “their strength.” The trees and vines will produce a maximum harvest, in contrast to the failed agricultural conditions previously described.
  122. Joel 2:23 tn Heb “sons of Zion.”
  123. Joel 2:23 tn Heb “be glad in the Lord your God.”
  124. Joel 2:23 tn Normally the Hebrew word הַמּוֹרֶה (hammoreh) means “the teacher,” but here and in Ps 84:7 it refers to “early rains.” Elsewhere the word for “early rains” is יוֹרֶה (yoreh). The phrase here הַמּוֹרֶה לִצְדָקָה (hammoreh litsdaqah) is similar to the expression “teacher of righteousness” (Heb., מוֹרֶה הַצֶּדֶק, moreh hatsedeq) found in the Dead Sea Scrolls referring to a particular charismatic leader, although the Qumran community seems not to have invoked this text in support of that notion.
  125. Joel 2:23 tn Heb “caused to come down.”
  126. Joel 2:23 sn For half the year Palestine is generally dry. The rainy season begins with the early rains usually in late October to early December, followed by the latter rains in March and April. Without these rains productive farming would not be possible, as Joel’s original readers knew only too well.
  127. Joel 2:25 tn Heb “I will restore to you the years.”sn The plural years suggests that the plague to which Joel refers was not limited to a single season. Apparently the locusts were a major problem over several successive years. One season of drought and locust invasion would have been bad enough. Several such years would have been devastating.
  128. Joel 2:25 sn The same four terms for locust are used here as in 1:4, but in a different order. This fact creates some difficulty for the notion that the four words refer to four distinct stages of locust development.
  129. Joel 2:25 tn The term “your crops” does not appear in the Hebrew but has been supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity and smoothness.
  130. Joel 2:25 sn Here Joel employs military language to describe the locusts. In the prophet’s thinking this invasion was far from being a freak accident. Rather, the Lord is pictured here as a divine warrior who leads his army into the land as a punishment for past sin and as a means of bringing about spiritual renewal on the part of the people.
  131. Joel 2:26 tn Heb “you will surely eat and be satisfied.”
  132. Joel 2:28 sn Beginning with 2:28, the verse numbers through 3:21 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 2:28 ET = 3:1 HT, 2:29 ET = 3:2 HT, 2:30 ET = 3:3 HT, 2:31 ET = 3:4 HT, 2:32 ET = 3:5 HT, 3:1 ET = 4:1 HT, etc., through 3:21 ET = 4:21 HT. Thus Joel in the Hebrew Bible has 4 chapters, the 5 verses of ch. 3 being included at the end of ch. 2 in the English Bible.
  133. Joel 2:28 tn Heb “Now it will be after this.”
  134. Joel 2:28 sn This passage plays a key role in the apostolic explanation of the coming of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost recorded in Acts 2:17-21. Peter introduces his quotation of this passage with “this is that spoken by the prophet Joel” (Acts 2:16; cf. the similar pesher formula used at Qumran). The New Testament events at Pentecost are thus seen in some sense as a fulfillment of this Old Testament passage, even though that experience did not exhaustively fulfill Joel’s words. Some portions of Joel’s prophecy have no precise counterpart in that experience. For example, there is nothing in the events recorded in Acts 2 that exactly corresponds to the earthly and heavenly signs described in Joel 3:3-4. But inasmuch as the messianic age had already begun and the “last days” had already commenced with the coming of the Messiah (cf. Heb 1:1-2), Peter was able to point to Joel 3:1-5 as a text that was relevant to the advent of Jesus and the bestowal of the Spirit. The equative language that Peter employs (“this is that”) stresses an incipient fulfillment of the Joel passage without precluding or minimizing a yet future and more exhaustive fulfillment in events associated with the return of Christ.
  135. Joel 2:28 tn Heb “all flesh.” As a term for humanity, “flesh” suggests the weakness and fragility of human beings as opposed to God, who is “spirit.” The word “all” refers not to all human beings without exception (cf. NAB, NASB “all mankind,” NLT “all people”), but to all classes of human beings without distinction (cf. NCV).
  136. Joel 2:28 tn Heb “your old men will dream dreams.” In context these are prophetic visions, messages from God, as are the visions mentioned in the next line.
  137. Joel 2:30 tn Or “in the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky,” depending on the context.
  138. Joel 2:31 tn Heb “to blood,” but no doubt this is intended to indicate by metonymy the color of blood rather than the substance itself. The blood-red color suggests a visual impression here—something that could be caused by fires, volcanic dust, sandstorms, or other atmospheric phenomena.
  139. Joel 2:32 tn Or “escape.” The Hebrew form may be passive or middle. While a number of English versions render this as “saved” (e.g., NIV, NRSV, NLT), this can suggest a “spiritual” or “theological” salvation rather than the physical deliverance from the cataclysmic events of the day of the Lord described in the context. The LXX renders as σωθήσεται (sōthēsetai), which is traditionally rendered as “will be saved.”
  140. Joel 2:32 tn Heb “deliverance”; or “escape.” The abstract noun “deliverance” or “escape” probably functions here as an example of antimeria, referring to those who experience deliverance or escape with their lives: “escaped remnant” or “surviving remnant” (Gen 32:8; 45:7; Judg 21:17; 2 Kgs 19:30, 31; Isa 4:2; 10:20; 15:9; 37:31, 32; Ezek 14:22; Obad 1:17; Ezra 9:8, 13-15; Neh 1:2; 1 Chr 4:43; 2 Chr 30:6).
  141. Joel 2:32 tn Heb “and among the remnant.”
  142. Joel 2:32 tn The participle used in the Hebrew text seems to indicate action in the imminent future.
  143. Joel 3:1 sn Joel 3:1 in the English Bible is 4:1 in the Hebrew text (BHS). See also the note at 2:28.
  144. Joel 3:1 tc The MT and LXX read, “in those days,” while MurXII reads, “in that day.”
  145. Joel 3:1 tc The Kethib has אָשִׁיב (ʾashiv, “I will return the captivity [captives]”), while the Qere is אָשׁוּב (ʾashuv, “I will restore the fortunes”). Many modern English versions follow the Qere reading. Either reading seems to fit the context. Joel refers to an exile of the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem in 3:2-6 and their return from exile in 3:7. On the other hand, 2:25-26 describes the reversal of judgment and restoration of the covenant blessings. However, the former seems to be the concern of the immediate context.
  146. Joel 3:2 sn There is a play on words here. Jehoshaphat in Hebrew means “the Lord has judged,” and the next line in v. 2 further explicates this thought. The location of this valley is uncertain (cf. v. 12). Many interpreters identified the Valley of Jehoshaphat as the Kidron Valley, located between old Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives. They supposed it was the “Valley of Berachah [“blessing”],” where King Jehoshaphat defeated his enemies (2 Chr 20:26). Since this is described as a scene of future messianic activity and judgment, many Jews and Muslims have desired to be buried in the Kidron vicinity, and there are many graves in the area. A variation of this view, mentioned by Eusebius (Onomasticon 1:10), is the Hinnom Valley, on the south side of the old city, perhaps as a “valley of slaughter” (Jer 7:31-32; 19:5-6). Many modern scholars think Joel’s valley is part of an idealized and nonliteral scene of judgment. Another theory is that there is no reference to the ancient king but to the eschatalogical judgment to occur in the Valley of Esdraelon (Armageddon: Ezek 39:11; Rev 16:16-17; cf. Joel 3:12-21).
  147. Joel 3:2 tn Heb “I will execute judgment.”
  148. Joel 3:2 tn Heb “concerning my people and my inheritance Israel.”
  149. Joel 3:3 tn Heb “gave.”
  150. Joel 3:3 sn Heb “and they drank.” Joel vividly refers to a situation where innocent human life has little value; its only worth is its use in somehow satisfying selfish appetites of wicked people who have control over others (cf. Amos 2:6 and 8:6).
  151. Joel 3:4 tn Heb “What [are] you [doing] to me, O Tyre and Sidon?”
  152. Joel 3:4 tn Or “districts.”
  153. Joel 3:4 tn Heb “quickly, speedily, I will return your recompense on your head.” This is an idiom for retributive justice and an equitable reversal of situation.
  154. Joel 3:5 tn Or perhaps, “temples.”
  155. Joel 3:6 tn Heb “border.”
  156. Joel 3:7 tn Heb “I will return your recompense on your head.”
  157. Joel 3:8 tn Heb “into the hand of.”
  158. Joel 3:8 tn Heb “the sons of Judah.”
  159. Joel 3:8 sn The Sabeans were Arabian merchants who were influential along the ancient caravan routes that traveled through Arabia. See also Job 1:15; Isa 43:3; 45:14; Ps 72:10.
  160. Joel 3:9 tn Heb “draw near and go up.”
  161. Joel 3:10 sn Instead of referring to the large plow as a whole, the plowshare is simply the metal tip which actually breaks the earth and cuts the furrow.
  162. Joel 3:10 sn This implement was used to prune the vines, i.e., to cut off extra leaves and young shoots (M. Klingbeil, NIDOTTE 1:1117-18). It was a short knife with a curved hook at the end sharpened on the inside like a sickle.
  163. Joel 3:10 sn This conversion of farming instruments to instruments of war is the reverse of Isa 2:4 (cf. Mic 4:3), where military weapons are transformed into tools for farming. Isaiah describes a time of kingdom blessing and prosperity, whereas Joel describes a time of eschatological conflict and judgment.
  164. Joel 3:10 sn The “weak” individual mentioned here is apparently the farmer who has little or no military prowess or prior fighting experience. Under ordinary circumstances such a person would be ill-prepared for assuming the role of a soldier. However, in the scene that Joel is describing here even the most unlikely candidate will become a participant to be reckoned with in this final conflict.
  165. Joel 3:11 tn This Hebrew verb is found only here in the OT; its meaning is uncertain. Some scholars prefer to read here עוּרוּ (ʿuru, “arouse”) or חוּשׁוּ (khushu, “hasten”).
  166. Joel 3:11 tc The present translation follows the reading of the imperative הִקָּבְצוּ (hiqqavetsu) rather than the perfect with vav (ו) consecutive וְנִקְבָּצוּ (veniqbatsu) of the MT.
  167. Joel 3:11 tc Some commentators prefer to delete the line, “Bring down, O Lord, your warriors,” understanding it to be a later addition. But this is unnecessary. Contrary to what some have suggested, a prayer for the Lord’s intervention is not out of place here.
  168. Joel 3:13 tn Heb “send.”
  169. Joel 3:13 tn Heb “go down” or “tread.” The Hebrew term רְדוּ (redu) may be from יָרַד (yarad, “to go down”) or from רָדָה (radah, “have dominion,” here in the sense of “to tread”). If it means “go down,” the reference would be to entering the vat to squash the grapes. If it means “tread,” the verb would refer specifically to the action of those who walk over the grapes to press out their juice. The phrase “the grapes” is supplied in the translation for clarity.
  170. Joel 3:13 sn The immediacy of judgment upon wickedness is likened to the urgency required for a harvest that has reached its pinnacle of development. When the harvest is completely ripe, there can be no delay by the reapers in gathering the harvest. In a similar way, Joel envisions a time when human wickedness will reach such a heightened degree that there can be no further stay of divine judgment (cf. the “fullness of time” language in Gal 4:4).
  171. Joel 3:14 sn The decision referred to here is not a response on the part of the crowd but the verdict handed out by the divine judge.
  172. Joel 3:15 tn Heb “gather in.”
  173. Joel 3:16 tn Heb “he sounds forth his voice.”
  174. Joel 3:16 tn Or “the sky.” See the note on “sky” in 2:30.
  175. Joel 3:16 tn Heb “sons.”
  176. Joel 3:17 tn Heb “know.”
  177. Joel 3:17 tn Heb “strangers” or “foreigners.” In context, this refers to invasions by conquering armies.
  178. Joel 3:18 tn Heb “and it will come about in that day.”
  179. Joel 3:18 tn Many English translations read “new wine” or “sweet wine,” meaning unfermented wine, i.e., grape juice.
  180. Joel 3:18 sn The language used here is a hyperbolic way of describing both a bountiful grape harvest (“the mountains will drip with juice”) and an abundance of cattle (“the hills will flow with milk”). In addition to being hyperbolic, the language is also metonymical (effect for cause).
  181. Joel 3:18 tn Or “seasonal streams.”
  182. Joel 3:18 tn Heb “house.”
  183. Joel 3:18 tn Heb “Valley of Shittim.” The exact location of the Valley of Acacia Trees is uncertain. The Hebrew word שִׁטִּים (shittim) refers to a place where the acacia trees grow, which would be a very arid and dry place. The acacia tree can survive in such locations, whereas most other trees require more advantageous conditions. Joel’s point is that the stream that has been mentioned will proceed to the most dry and barren of locations in the vicinity of Jerusalem.
  184. Joel 3:19 tn Heb “violence of the sons of Judah.” The phrase “of the sons of Judah” is an objective genitive (cf. KJV “the violence against the children of Judah,” NAB, NIV, NRSV “violence done to the people of Judah”). It refers to injustices committed against the Judeans, not violence that the Judeans themselves had committed against others.
  185. Joel 3:20 tn The phrase “will be secure” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness.
  186. Joel 3:21 tc The present translation follows the reading וְנִקַּמְתִּי (veniqqamti, “I will avenge”) rather than וְנִקֵּתִי (veniqqeti, “I will acquit”) of the MT.
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Zephaniah 1-3
New English Translation

Introduction

1 This is the Lord’s message that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah during the time of[a] Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah:

The Lord’s Day of Judgment is Approaching

2 “I will destroy[b] everything from the face of the earth,” says the Lord.
3 “I will destroy people and animals;
I will destroy the birds in the sky
and the fish in the sea.
(The idolatrous images of these creatures will be destroyed along with evil people.)[c]
I will remove[d] humanity from the face of the earth,” says the Lord.
4 “I will attack[e] Judah
and all who live in Jerusalem.
I will remove[f] from this place every trace of Baal worship,[g]
as well as the very memory[h] of the pagan priests.[i]
5 I will remove[j] those who worship the stars in the sky from their rooftops,[k]
those who swear allegiance to the Lord[l] while taking oaths in the name of[m] their ‘king,’[n]
6 and those who turn their backs on[o] the Lord
and do not want the Lord’s help or guidance.”[p]
7 Be silent before the Sovereign Lord,[q]
for the Lord’s day of judgment[r] is almost here.[s]
The Lord has prepared a sacrificial meal;[t]
he has ritually purified[u] his guests.
8 “On the day of the Lord’s sacrificial meal,
I will punish the princes[v] and the king’s sons,
and all who wear foreign styles of clothing.[w]
9 On that day I will punish all who leap over the threshold,[x]
who fill the house of their master[y] with wealth taken by violence and deceit.[z]
10 On that day,” says the Lord,
“a loud cry will go up[aa] from the Fish Gate,[ab]
wailing from the city’s newer district,[ac]
and a loud crash[ad] from the hills.
11 Wail, you who live in the market district,[ae]
for all the merchants[af] will disappear[ag]
and those who count money[ah] will be removed.[ai]
12 At that time I will search through Jerusalem with lamps.
I will punish the people who are entrenched in their sin,[aj]
those who think to themselves,[ak]
‘The Lord neither rewards nor punishes.’[al]
13 Their wealth will be stolen
and their houses ruined!
They will not live in the houses they have built,
nor will they drink the wine from the vineyards they have planted.
14 The Lord’s great day of judgment[am] is almost here;
it is approaching very rapidly!
There will be a bitter sound on the Lord’s day of judgment;
at that time warriors will cry out in battle.[an]
15 That day will be a day of God’s anger,[ao]
a day of distress and hardship,
a day of devastation and ruin,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and dark skies,
16 a day of trumpet blasts[ap] and battle cries.[aq]
Judgment will fall on[ar] the fortified cities and the high corner towers.
17 I will bring distress on the people[as]
and they will stumble[at] like blind men,
for they have sinned against the Lord.
Their blood will be poured out like dirt;
their flesh[au] will be scattered[av] like manure.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them
in the day of the Lord’s angry judgment.
The whole earth[aw] will be consumed by his fiery wrath.[ax]
Indeed,[ay] he will bring terrifying destruction[az] on all who live on the earth.”[ba]

The Prophet Warns the People

2 Bunch yourselves together like straw,[bb] you undesirable[bc] nation,
2 before God’s decree becomes reality[bd] and the day of opportunity disappears like windblown chaff,[be]
before the Lord’s raging anger[bf] overtakes[bg] you—
before the day of the Lord’s angry judgment overtakes you!
3 Seek the Lord’s favor,[bh] all you humble people[bi] of the land who have obeyed his commands![bj]
Strive to do what is right![bk] Strive to be humble![bl]
Maybe you will be protected[bm] on the day of the Lord’s angry judgment.

Judgment on Surrounding Nations

4 Indeed,[bn] Gaza will be deserted[bo]
and Ashkelon will become a heap of ruins.[bp]
Invaders will drive away the people of Ashdod by noon,[bq]
and Ekron will be overthrown.[br]
5 Beware, you who live by the sea, the people who came from Crete.[bs]
The Lord’s message is against you, Canaan, land of the Philistines:
“I will destroy everyone who lives there!”[bt]
6 The seacoast[bu] will be used as pasture lands[bv] by the shepherds
and as pens for their flocks.
7 Those who are left from the kingdom of Judah[bw] will take possession of it.[bx]
By the sea[by] they[bz] will graze,
in the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down in the evening,
for the Lord their God will intervene for them[ca] and restore their prosperity.[cb]
8 “I have heard Moab’s taunts
and the Ammonites’ insults.
They[cc] taunted my people
and verbally harassed those living in Judah.[cd]
9 Therefore, as surely as I live,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel,
“be certain that Moab will become like Sodom
and the Ammonites like Gomorrah.
They will be overrun by weeds,[ce]
filled with salt pits,[cf]
and permanently desolate.
Those of my people who are left[cg] will plunder their belongings;[ch]
those who are left in Judah[ci] will take possession of their land.”
10 This is how they will be repaid for their arrogance,[cj]
for they taunted and verbally harassed[ck] the people of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
11 The Lord will terrify them,[cl]
for[cm] he will weaken[cn] all the gods of the earth.
All the distant nations will worship the Lord in their own lands.[co]
12 “You[cp] Ethiopians[cq] will also die by my sword!”[cr]
13 The Lord[cs] will attack the north[ct]
and destroy Assyria.
He will make Nineveh a heap of ruins;
it will be as barren[cu] as the desert.
14 Flocks and herds[cv] will lie down in the middle of it,
as well as every kind of wild animal.[cw]
Owls[cx] will sleep in the tops of its support pillars;
they will hoot through the windows.[cy]
Rubble will cover the thresholds;[cz]
even the cedar work[da] will be exposed to the elements.[db]
15 This is how the once-proud city will end up—
the city that was so secure.[dc]
She thought to herself,[dd] “I am unique! No one can compare to me!”[de]
What a heap of ruins she has become, a place where wild animals live!
Everyone who passes by her taunts her[df] and shakes his fist.[dg]

Jerusalem is Corrupt

3 Beware to the filthy,[dh] stained city;
the city filled with oppressors![di]
2 She is disobedient;[dj]
she has refused correction.[dk]
She does not trust the Lord;
she has not sought the advice of[dl] her God.
3 Her princes[dm] are as fierce as roaring lions;[dn]
her rulers[do] are as hungry as wolves in the desert,[dp]
who completely devour their prey by morning.[dq]
4 Her prophets are proud;[dr]
they are deceitful men.
Her priests have defiled what is holy;[ds]
they have broken God’s laws.[dt]
5 The just Lord resides[du] within her;
he commits no unjust acts.[dv]
Every morning he reveals[dw] his justice.
At dawn he appears without fail.[dx]
Yet the unjust know no shame.

The Lord’s Judgment will Purify

6 “I destroyed[dy] nations;
their walled cities[dz] are in ruins.
I turned their streets into ruins;
no one passes through them.
Their cities are desolate;[ea]
no one lives there.[eb]
7 I thought,[ec] ‘Certainly you will respect[ed] me!
Now you will accept correction!’
If she had done so, her home[ee] would not be destroyed[ef]
by all the punishments I have threatened.[eg]
But they eagerly sinned
in everything they did.[eh]
8 Therefore you must wait patiently[ei] for me,” says the Lord,
“for the day when I attack and take plunder.[ej]
I have decided[ek] to gather nations together
and assemble kingdoms,
so I can pour out my fury on them—
all my raging anger.
For[el] the whole earth will be consumed
by my fiery anger.
9 Know for sure that I will then enable
the nations to give me acceptable praise.[em]
All of them will invoke the Lord’s name when they pray,[en]
and will worship him in unison.[eo]
10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia,[ep]
those who pray to me, my dispersed people,[eq]
will bring me tribute.
11 In that day you[er] will not be ashamed of all your rebelliousness against me,[es]
for then I will remove from your midst those who proudly boast,[et]
and you will never again be arrogant on my holy hill.
12 I will leave in your midst a humble and meek group of people,[eu]
and they will find safety in the Lord’s presence.[ev]
13 The Israelites who remain[ew] will not act deceitfully.
They will not lie,
and a deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouths.
Indeed, they will graze peacefully like sheep[ex] and lie down;
no one will terrify them.”
14 Shout for joy, Daughter Zion![ey]
Shout out, Israel!
Be happy and boast with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has removed the judgment against you;[ez]
he has turned back your enemy.
Israel’s king, the Lord, is in your midst!
You no longer need to fear disaster.
16 On that day they will say[fa] to Jerusalem,
“Don’t be afraid, Zion!
Your hands must not be paralyzed from panic![fb]
17 The Lord your God is in your midst;
he is a warrior who can deliver.
He takes great delight in you;[fc]
he renews you by his love;[fd]
he shouts for joy over you.”[fe]
18 “As for those who grieve because they cannot attend the festivals—
I took them away from you;
they became tribute and were a source of shame to you.[ff]
19 Look, at that time I will deal with those who mistreated you.
I will rescue the lame sheep[fg]
and gather together the scattered sheep.
I will take away their humiliation
and make the whole earth admire and respect them.[fh]
20 At that time I will lead you—
at the time I gather you together.[fi]
Be sure of this![fj] I will make all the nations of the earth respect and admire you[fk]
when you see me restore you,”[fl] says the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Zephaniah 1:1 tn Heb “in the days of.”
  2. Zephaniah 1:2 tc The consonantal text repeats אסף אסף with the vowels for the Qal infinitive absolute of אָסַף (ʾasaf, “gather up, retract”) followed by a Hiphil first person jussive form of סוּף (suf, “come to an end”). A similar combination appears in Jer 8:13, but it is textually disputed based on the LXX. Here a literal translation might be, “Withdrawing, I will bring to an end.” While this English rendering may sound reasonable, this is very unusual Hebrew grammar and the small number of similar cases are textually disputed. Some prefer to emend the text so that the infinitive and finite form of the verb are from the same root and same stem. Some render as “I will certainly sweep away” (NIV, ESV, Holman), probably assuming a Hiphil of אָסַף, though this root does not otherwise occur in the Hiphil, and if it did, it should mean “I will remove” (NASB). HALOT includes a Qal stem gloss “to destroy” (HALOT 74 qal 4), but this meaning is applied only to this example and one other textually disputed reference, that is, the dictionary’s gloss is merely accommodating this problem and is not evidence. Read as Hiphil forms of סוּף, the text would mean “I will certainly bring to an end,” which is conceptually similar to destroying. For a discussion of proposals see J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 167, 169.
  3. Zephaniah 1:3 tn Heb “And the stumbling blocks [or, “ruins”] with the evil”; or “the things that make the evil stumble.” The line does not appear in the original form of the LXX; it may be a later scribal addition. The present translation assumes the “stumbling blocks” are idolatrous images of the aforementioned animals, birds, and fish. See J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 167, and Adele Berlin, Zephaniah (AB), 73-74.
  4. Zephaniah 1:3 tn Heb “cut off.”
  5. Zephaniah 1:4 tn Heb “I will stretch out my hand against,” is an idiom for hostile action.
  6. Zephaniah 1:4 tn Heb “cut off.”
  7. Zephaniah 1:4 tn Heb “the remnant of Baal.”
  8. Zephaniah 1:4 tn Heb “name.” Here the “name” is figurative for the memory of those who bear it.
  9. Zephaniah 1:4 tc Heb “of the pagan priests with the priests.” The first word (כְּמָרִים, kemarim) refers to idolatrous priests in its two other appearances in the OT (2 Kgs 23:5, Hos 10:5), while the second word (כֹּהֲנִים, kohanim) is the normal term for “priest” and is used of both legitimate and illegitimate priests in the OT. It is likely that the second term, which is omitted in the LXX, is a later scribal addition to the Hebrew text, defining the extremely rare word that precedes (see J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah [OTL], 167-68; cf. also NEB, NRSV). Some argue that both words are original; among the modern English versions that include both are NASB and NIV. Possibly the first word refers to outright pagan priests, while the second has in view once-legitimate priests of the Lord who had drifted into idolatrous practices. Another option is found in Adele Berlin, who translates, “the idolatrous priests among the priests,” understanding the second word as giving the general category of which the idolatrous priests are a part (Zephaniah [AB 25A], 75).
  10. Zephaniah 1:5 tn The words “I will remove” are repeated from v. 4b for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text vv. 4b-6 contain a long list of objects for the verb “I will remove” in v. 4b. In the present translation a new sentence was begun at the beginning of v. 5 in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences.
  11. Zephaniah 1:5 tn Heb “those who worship on their roofs the host of heaven.” The “host of heaven” included the sun, moon, planets, and stars, all of which were deified in the ancient Near East.
  12. Zephaniah 1:5 tc The MT reads, “those who worship, those who swear allegiance to the Lord.” The original form of the LXX omits the phrase “those who worship”; it may have been accidentally repeated from the preceding line. J. J. M. Roberts prefers to delete as secondary the phrase “those who swear allegiance” (J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah [OTL], 168).
  13. Zephaniah 1:5 tn Heb “those who swear by.”
  14. Zephaniah 1:5 tn The referent of “their king” is unclear. It may refer sarcastically to a pagan god (perhaps Baal) worshiped by the people. Some English versions (cf. NEB, NASB, NRSV) prefer to emend the text to “Milcom,” the name of an Ammonite god (following some LXX mss, Syriac, and Vulgate) or “Molech,” a god to whom the Israelites offered their children (cf. NIV, NLT). For a discussion of the options, see Adele Berlin, Zephaniah (AB 25A), 75-77.
  15. Zephaniah 1:6 tn Heb “turn back from [following] after.”
  16. Zephaniah 1:6 tn Heb “who do not seek the Lord and do not inquire of him.” The present translation assumes the first verb refers to praying for divine help and the second to seeking his revealed will through an oracle. Note the usage of the two verbs in 2 Chr 20:3-4.
  17. Zephaniah 1:7 tn Heb “Lord Yahweh.”
  18. Zephaniah 1:7 tn Heb “the day of the Lord.”sn The origin of the concept of “the day of the Lord” is uncertain. It may have originated in the ancient Near Eastern idea of the sovereign’s day of conquest, where a king would boast that he had concluded an entire military campaign in a single day (see D. Stuart, “The Sovereign’s Day of Conquest,” BASOR 221 [1976]: 159-64). In the OT the expression is applied to several acts of divine judgment, some historical and others still future (see A. J. Everson, “The Days of Yahweh,” JBL 93 [1974]: 329-37). In the OT the phrase first appears in Amos (assuming that Amos predates Joel and Obadiah), where it seems to refer to a belief on the part of the northern kingdom that God would intervene on Israel’s behalf and judge the nation’s enemies. Amos affirms that the Lord’s day of judgment is indeed approaching, but he declares that it will be a day of disaster, not deliverance, for Israel. Here in Zephaniah, the “day of the Lord” includes God’s coming judgment of Judah, as well as a more universal outpouring of divine anger.
  19. Zephaniah 1:7 tn Or “near.”
  20. Zephaniah 1:7 tn Heb “a sacrifice.” This same word also occurs in the following verse.sn Because a sacrificial meal presupposes the slaughter of animals, it is used here as a metaphor of the bloody judgment to come.
  21. Zephaniah 1:7 tn Or “consecrated” (ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
  22. Zephaniah 1:8 tn Or “officials” (NRSV, TEV); NLT “leaders.”
  23. Zephaniah 1:8 sn The very dress of the royal court, foreign styles of clothing, revealed the degree to which Judah had assimilated foreign customs.
  24. Zephaniah 1:9 sn The point of the statement all who hop over the threshold is unclear. A ritual or superstition associated with the Philistine god Dagon may be in view (see 1 Sam 5:5).
  25. Zephaniah 1:9 tn The referent of “their master” is unclear. The king or a pagan god may be in view.
  26. Zephaniah 1:9 tn Heb “who fill…with violence and deceit.” The expression “violence and deceit” refers metonymically to the wealth taken by oppressive measures.
  27. Zephaniah 1:10 tn The words “will go up” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  28. Zephaniah 1:10 sn The Fish Gate was located on Jerusalem’s north side (cf. 2 Chr 33:14; Neh 3:3; 12:39).
  29. Zephaniah 1:10 tn Heb “from the second area.” This may refer to an area northwest of the temple where the rich lived (see Adele Berlin, Zephaniah [AB 25A], 86; cf. NASB, NRSV “the Second Quarter”; NIV “the New Quarter”).
  30. Zephaniah 1:10 tn Heb “great breaking.”
  31. Zephaniah 1:11 tn Heb “in the Mortar.” The Hebrew term מַכְתֵּשׁ (makhtesh, “mortar”) is apparently here the name of a low-lying area where economic activity took place.
  32. Zephaniah 1:11 tn Or perhaps “Canaanites.” Cf. BDB 489 s.v. I and II כְּנַעֲנִי. Translators have rendered the term either as “the merchant people” (KJV, NKJV), “the traders” (NRSV), “merchants” (NEB, NIV), or, alternatively, “the people of Canaan” (NASB).
  33. Zephaniah 1:11 tn Or “be destroyed.”
  34. Zephaniah 1:11 tn Heb “weigh out silver.”
  35. Zephaniah 1:11 tn Heb “be cut off.” In the Hebrew text of v. 11b the perfect verbal forms emphasize the certainty of the judgment, speaking of it as if it were already accomplished.
  36. Zephaniah 1:12 tn Heb “who thicken on their sediment.” The imagery comes from wine making, where the wine, if allowed to remain on the sediment too long, will thicken into syrup. The image suggests that the people described here were complacent in their sinful behavior and interpreted the delay in judgment as divine apathy.
  37. Zephaniah 1:12 tn Heb “who say in their hearts.”
  38. Zephaniah 1:12 tn Heb “The Lord does not do good nor does he do evil.”
  39. Zephaniah 1:14 tn Heb “The great day of the Lord.” The words “of judgment” are supplied in the translation here and later in this verse for clarity. See the note on the expression “day of judgment” in v. 7.
  40. Zephaniah 1:14 tn Heb “the sound of the day of the Lord, bitter [is] one crying out there, a warrior.” The present translation does four things: (1) It takes מַר (mar, “bitter”) with what precedes (contrary to the accentuation of the MT). (2) It understands the participle צָרַח (tsarakh, “cry out in battle”) as verbal with “warrior” as its subject. (3) It takes שָׁם (sham, “there”) in a temporal sense, meaning “then, at that time.” (4) It understands “warrior” as collective.
  41. Zephaniah 1:15 tn Heb “a day of wrath.” The word “God’s” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
  42. Zephaniah 1:16 tn Heb “a ram’s horn.” By metonymy the Hebrew text mentions the trumpet (“ram’s horn”) in place of the sound it produces (“trumpet blasts”).
  43. Zephaniah 1:16 sn This description of the day of the Lord consists of an initial reference to anger, followed by four pairs of synonyms. The joining of synonyms in this way emphasizes the degree of the characteristic being described. The first two pairs focus on the distress and ruin that judgment will bring; the second two pairs picture this day of judgment as being very dark (darkness) and exceedingly overcast (gloom). The description concludes with the pairing of two familiar battle sounds, the blast on the ram’s horn (trumpet blasts) and the war cries of the warriors (battle cries).
  44. Zephaniah 1:16 tn Heb “against.” The words “judgment will fall” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  45. Zephaniah 1:17 tn “The people” refers to mankind in general (see vv. 2-3) or more specifically to the residents of Judah (see vv. 4-13).
  46. Zephaniah 1:17 tn Heb “walk.”
  47. Zephaniah 1:17 tn Some take the referent of “flesh” to be more specific here; cf. NEB (“bowels”), NAB (“brains”), NIV (“entrails”).
  48. Zephaniah 1:17 tn The words “will be scattered” are supplied in the translation for clarity based on the parallelism with “will be poured out” in the previous line.
  49. Zephaniah 1:18 tn Or “land” (cf. NEB). This same word also occurs at the end of the present verse.
  50. Zephaniah 1:18 tn Or “passion”; traditionally, “jealousy.”
  51. Zephaniah 1:18 tn Or “for.”
  52. Zephaniah 1:18 tn Heb “complete destruction, even terror, he will make.”
  53. Zephaniah 1:18 tn It is not certain where the Lord’s words end and the prophet’s words begin. It is possible that Zephaniah begins speaking in the middle of v. 17 or at the beginning of v. 18 (note the third person pronouns referring to the Lord).
  54. Zephaniah 2:1 tn The Hebrew text combines a Hitpolel imperative of קָשַׁשׁ (qashash) with a Qal imperative of the same root. Elsewhere this root appears in the polel stem with the meaning “gather stubble.” Zephaniah’s command is ironic, implying the people are like stubble or straw. As such, they are vulnerable to the Lord’s fiery judgment that will quickly consume them (see 1:18). See Adele Berlin, Zephaniah (AB 25A), 96.
  55. Zephaniah 2:1 tn Some relate this word to an Aramaic cognate meaning “to be ashamed.” With the negative particle it would then mean “unashamed” (cf. NIV “shameful”; NRSV “shameless”). However, elsewhere in biblical Hebrew the verb means “to desire,” or with the negative particle “undesirable.” Cf. also NEB “unruly.”
  56. Zephaniah 2:2 tn Heb “before the giving birth of a decree.” For various alternative readings, see J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 187-88.
  57. Zephaniah 2:2 tn The second half of the line reads literally, “like chaff it passes by a day.” The translation above assumes the “day” is the brief time God is giving the nation to repent. The comparison of this quickly passing opportunity to chaff is consistent with the straw imagery of v. 1.
  58. Zephaniah 2:2 tn Heb “the fury of the anger of the Lord.” The synonyms are combined to emphasize the extreme degree of the Lord’s anger.
  59. Zephaniah 2:2 tn Heb “comes upon.” This phrase occurs twice in this verse.
  60. Zephaniah 2:3 tn Heb “seek the Lord,” but “favor” seems to be implied from the final line of the verse.
  61. Zephaniah 2:3 tn Or “poor.” The precise referent of this Hebrew term is unclear. The word may refer to the economically poor or to the spiritually humble.
  62. Zephaniah 2:3 tn The present translation assumes the Hebrew term מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) here refers to God’s covenantal requirements and is a synonym for the Law. The word can mean “justice” and could refer more specifically to the principles of justice contained in the Law. In this case the phrase could be translated, “who have promoted the justice God demands.”
  63. Zephaniah 2:3 tn Heb “Seek what is right.”
  64. Zephaniah 2:3 tn Heb “Seek humility.”
  65. Zephaniah 2:3 tn Heb “hidden.” Cf. NEB “it may be that you will find shelter”; NRSV “perhaps you may be hidden.”
  66. Zephaniah 2:4 tn Or “for” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).
  67. Zephaniah 2:4 tn There is a sound play here in the Hebrew text: the name Gaza (עַזָּה, ’azzah) sounds like the word translated “deserted” (עֲזוּבָה, ’azuvah).
  68. Zephaniah 2:4 tn Or “a desolate place.”
  69. Zephaniah 2:4 tn Heb “[As for] Ashdod, at noon they will drive her away.”sn The reference to noon may suggest a sudden, quick defeat (see Jer 6:4; 15:8).
  70. Zephaniah 2:4 tn Heb “uprooted.” There is a sound play here in the Hebrew text: the name “Ekron” (עֶקְרוֹן, ’eqron) sounds like the word translated “uprooted” (תֵּעָקֵר, te’aqer).
  71. Zephaniah 2:5 tn Heb “Kerethites,” a people settled alongside the Philistines in the coastal areas of southern Palestine (cf. 1 Sam 30:14; Ezek 25:16). They originally came from the island of Crete.
  72. Zephaniah 2:5 tn Heb “I will destroy you so there is no inhabitant [remaining].”
  73. Zephaniah 2:6 tn The NIV here supplies the phrase “where the Kerethites dwell” (“Kerethites” is translated in v. 5 as “the people who came from Crete”) as an interpretive gloss, but this phrase is not in the MT. The NAB likewise reads “the coastland of the Cretans,” supplying “Cretans” here.
  74. Zephaniah 2:6 tn The Hebrew phrase here is נְוֹת כְּרֹת (nevot kerot). The first word is probably a plural form of נָוָה (navah, “pasture”). The meaning of the second word is unclear. It may be a synonym of the preceding word (cf. NRSV “pastures, meadows for shepherds”); there is a word כַּר (kar, “pasture”) in biblical Hebrew, but elsewhere it forms its plural with a masculine ending. Some have suggested the meaning “wells” or “caves” used as shelters (cf. NEB “shepherds’ huts”); in this case, one might translate, “The seacoast will be used for pasturelands; for shepherds’ wells/caves.”
  75. Zephaniah 2:7 tn Heb “the remnant of the house of Judah.”
  76. Zephaniah 2:7 tn Or “the coast will belong to the remnant of the house of Judah.”
  77. Zephaniah 2:7 tc Heb “on them.” But there is no clear antecedent to match the masculine plural pronoun. It is preferable to emend the text from עֲלֵיהֶם (ʿalehem) to עַל־הַיָּם (ʿal hayyam, “by the sea”). This emendation assumes a transposition of letters and then an improper word division in the MT (cf. NEB “They shall pasture their flocks by the sea”). See J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 192.
  78. Zephaniah 2:7 tn The referent of the pronominal subject (“they”) is unclear. It may refer (1) to the shepherds (in which case the first verb should be translated, “pasture their sheep,” cf. NEB), or (2) to the Judahites occupying the area, who are being compared to sheep (cf. NIV, “there they will find pasture”).
  79. Zephaniah 2:7 tn Or “will care for them.”
  80. Zephaniah 2:7 tn Traditionally, “restore their captivity,” i.e., bring back their captives. This followed the understanding of the LXX and other versions (cf. KJV “turn away their captivity”). The Hebrew tradition is mixed, the consonantal text implies the reading שְׁבוּת (shevut) but it is vocalized as if שְׁבִית (shevit). It is more likely the noun means “fortunes” (HALOT 1386 s.v. שְׁבִית, שְׁבוּת) as in the expression “restore their fortunes” (cf. NEB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
  81. Zephaniah 2:8 tn Heb “who.” A new sentence was begun here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  82. Zephaniah 2:8 tn Heb “and they made great [their mouth?] against their territory.” Other possible translation options include (1) “they enlarged their own territory” (cf. NEB) and (2) “they bragged about [the size] of their own territory.”
  83. Zephaniah 2:9 tn The Hebrew text reads מִמְשַׁק חָרוּל (mimshaq kharul, “[?] of weeds”). The meaning of the first word is unknown. The present translation (“They will be overrun by weeds”) is speculative, based on the general sense of the context. For a defense of “overrun” on linguistic grounds, see R. D. Patterson, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah (WEC), 347. Cf. NEB “a pile of weeds”; NIV “a place of weeds”; NRSV “a land possessed by nettles.”
  84. Zephaniah 2:9 tn The Hebrew text reads וּמִכְרֵה־מֶלַח (umikhreh melakh, “and a [?] of salt”). The meaning of the first word is unclear, though “pit” (NASB, NIV, NRSV; NKJV “saltpit”), “mine,” and “heap” (cf. NEB “a rotting heap of saltwort”) are all options. The words “filled with” are supplied for clarification.
  85. Zephaniah 2:9 tn Or “The remnant of my people.”
  86. Zephaniah 2:9 tn Heb “them.” The actual object of the plundering, “their belongings,” has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  87. Zephaniah 2:9 tn Heb “[the] nation.” For clarity the “nation” has been specified as “Judah” in the translation.
  88. Zephaniah 2:10 tn Heb “this is for them in place of their arrogance.”
  89. Zephaniah 2:10 tn Heb “made great [their mouth?] against” (cf. the last phrase of v. 8).
  90. Zephaniah 2:11 tn Heb “will be awesome over [or, “against”] them.”
  91. Zephaniah 2:11 tn Or “certainly.”
  92. Zephaniah 2:11 tn The meaning of this rare Hebrew word is unclear. If the meaning is indeed “weaken,” then this line may be referring to the reduction of these gods’ territory through conquest (see Adele Berlin, Zephaniah [AB 25A], 110-11). Cf. NEB “reduce to beggary”; NASB “starve”; NIV “when he destroys”; NRSV “shrivel.”
  93. Zephaniah 2:11 tn Heb “and all the coastlands of the nations will worship [or, “bow down”] to him, each from his own place.”
  94. Zephaniah 2:12 sn Though there is no formal introduction, these words are apparently spoken by the Lord (note my sword).
  95. Zephaniah 2:12 tn Heb “Cushites.” This is traditionally assumed to refer to people from the region south of Egypt, i.e., Nubia or northern Sudan, referred to as “Ethiopia” by classical authors (not the more recent Abyssinia).
  96. Zephaniah 2:12 tn Heb “Also you Cushites, who lie dead by my sword.”
  97. Zephaniah 2:13 tn Heb “He”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  98. Zephaniah 2:13 tn Heb “he will stretch out his hand against the north.”
  99. Zephaniah 2:13 tn Or “dry.”
  100. Zephaniah 2:14 tn Heb “flocks.” The Hebrew word can refer to both flocks of sheep and herds of cattle.
  101. Zephaniah 2:14 tn Heb “[and] all the wild animals of a nation.” How גוֹי (goy, “nation”) relates to what precedes is unclear. It may be an unusual expression or need emendation to another word. See J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 193.
  102. Zephaniah 2:14 tn The Hebrew text reads here גַּם־קָאַת גַּם־קִפֹּד (gam qaʾat gam qippod). The term קָאַת refers to some type of bird (see Lev 11:18; Deut 14:17) that was typically found near ruins (Isa 34:11); one of the most common translations is “owl” (cf. NEB “horned owl”; NIV, NRSV “desert owl”; contra NASB “pelican”). The term קִפֹּד may also refer to a type of bird (cf. NEB “ruffed bustard”; NIV, NRSV “screech owl”). Some suggest a rodent may be in view (cf. NASB “hedgehog”); this is not unreasonable, for a rodent or some other small animal would be able to sleep in the tops of pillars which would be lying in the ruins of the fallen buildings.
  103. Zephaniah 2:14 tn Heb “a sound will sing in the window.” If some type of owl is in view, “hoot” is a more appropriate translation (cf. NEB, NRSV).
  104. Zephaniah 2:14 tn Heb “rubble [will be] on the threshold.” “Rubble” translates the Hebrew word חֹרֶב (khorev, “desolation”). Some emend to עֹרֵב (ʿorev, “raven”) following the LXX and Vulgate; Adele Berlin translates, “A voice shall shriek from the window—a raven at the sill” (Zephaniah [AB 25A], 104).
  105. Zephaniah 2:14 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word translated “cedar work” (so NASB, NRSV) is unclear; NIV has “the beams of cedar.”
  106. Zephaniah 2:14 tn Heb “one will expose.” The subject is probably indefinite, though one could translate, “for he [i.e., God] will lay bare.”
  107. Zephaniah 2:15 tn Heb “This is the proud city, the one that lives securely.” “This” refers to the previous description of how the city will turn out.
  108. Zephaniah 2:15 tn Heb “the one who says in her heart [or mind].”
  109. Zephaniah 2:15 tn Heb “I [am], and besides me there is no other.”
  110. Zephaniah 2:15 tn Heb “hisses”; or “whistles.”
  111. Zephaniah 2:15 sn Hissing (or whistling) and shaking the fist were apparently ways of taunting a defeated foe or an object of derision in the culture of the time.
  112. Zephaniah 3:1 tn The present translation assumes מֹרְאָה (morʾah) is derived from רֹאִי (roʾi, “excrement”; see Jastrow 1436 s.v. רֳאִי). The following participle, “stained,” supports this interpretation (cf. NEB “filthy and foul”; NRSV “soiled, defiled”). Another option is to derive the form from מָרָה (marah, “to rebel”); in this case the term should be translated “rebellious” (cf. NASB, NIV “rebellious and defiled”). This idea is supported by v. 2. For discussion of the two options, see HALOT 630 s.v. I מרא and J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 206.
  113. Zephaniah 3:1 sn The following verses show that Jerusalem, personified as a woman (“she”), is the referent.
  114. Zephaniah 3:2 tn Heb “she has not listened to a voice.” Refusing to listen is equated with disobedience.
  115. Zephaniah 3:2 tn Heb “she has not received correction.” The Hebrew phrase, when negated, refers elsewhere to rejecting verbal advice (Jer 17:23; 32:33; 35:13) and refusing to learn from experience (Jer 2:30; 5:3).
  116. Zephaniah 3:2 tn Heb “draw near to.” The translation assumes that the expression “draw near to” refers to seeking God’s will (see 1 Sam 14:36).
  117. Zephaniah 3:3 tn Or “officials.”
  118. Zephaniah 3:3 tn Heb “her princes in her midst are roaring lions.” The metaphor has been translated as a simile (“as fierce as”) for clarity.
  119. Zephaniah 3:3 tn Traditionally “judges.”
  120. Zephaniah 3:3 tn Heb “her judges [are] wolves of the evening,” that is, wolves that prowl at night. The translation assumes an emendation to עֲרָבָה (ʿaravah, “desert”). For a discussion of this and other options, see Adele Berlin, Zephaniah (AB 25A), 128. The metaphor has been translated as a simile (“as hungry as”) for clarity.
  121. Zephaniah 3:3 tn Heb “they do not gnaw [a bone] at morning.” The precise meaning of the line is unclear. The statement may mean these wolves devour their prey so completely that not even a bone is left to gnaw by the time morning arrives. For a discussion of this and other options, see Adele Berlin, Zephaniah (AB 25A), 129.
  122. Zephaniah 3:4 sn Applied to prophets, the word פֹּחֲזִים (pokhazim, “proud”) probably refers to their audacity in passing off their own words as genuine prophecies from the Lord (see Jer 23:32).
  123. Zephaniah 3:4 tn Or “defiled the temple.”sn These priests defiled what is holy by not observing the proper distinctions between what is ritually clean and unclean (see Ezek 22:26).
  124. Zephaniah 3:4 tn Heb “they treated [the] law violently.”
  125. Zephaniah 3:5 tn The word “resides” is supplied for clarification.
  126. Zephaniah 3:5 tn Or “he does no injustice.”
  127. Zephaniah 3:5 tn Heb “gives”; or “dispenses.”
  128. Zephaniah 3:5 tn Heb “at the light he is not missing.” Note that NASB (which capitalizes pronouns referring to Deity) has divided the lines differently: “Every morning He brings His justice to light; // He does not fail.”
  129. Zephaniah 3:6 tn Heb “cut off.”
  130. Zephaniah 3:6 tn Heb “corner towers”; NEB, NRSV “battlements.”
  131. Zephaniah 3:6 tn This Hebrew verb (צָדָה, tsadah) occurs only here in the OT, but its meaning is established from the context and from an Aramaic cognate.
  132. Zephaniah 3:6 tn Heb “so that there is no man, without inhabitant.”
  133. Zephaniah 3:7 tn Heb “said.”
  134. Zephaniah 3:7 tn Or “fear.” The second person verb form (“you will respect”) is feminine singular, indicating that personified Jerusalem is addressed. sn God’s judgment of the nations (v. 6) was an object lesson for Israel’s benefit.
  135. Zephaniah 3:7 tn Or “dwelling place.”
  136. Zephaniah 3:7 tn Heb “cut off.”
  137. Zephaniah 3:7 tn Heb “all which I have punished her.” The precise meaning of this statement and its relationship to what precedes are unclear.
  138. Zephaniah 3:7 tn Heb “But they got up early, they made corrupt all their actions.” The phrase “they got up early” probably refers to their eagerness to engage in sinful activities.
  139. Zephaniah 3:8 tn The second person verb form (“you must wait patiently”) is masculine plural, indicating that a group is being addressed. Perhaps the humble individuals addressed earlier (see 2:3) are in view. Because of Jerusalem’s sin, they must patiently wait for judgment to pass before their vindication arrives.
  140. Zephaniah 3:8 tn Heb “when I arise for plunder.” The present translation takes עַד (ʿad) as “plunder.” Some, following the LXX, repoint the term עֵד (ʿed) and translate, “as a witness” (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV). In this case the Lord uses a legal metaphor to picture himself as testifying against his enemies. Adele Berlin takes לְעַד (leʿad) in a temporal sense (“forever”) and translates “once and for all” (Zephaniah [AB 25A], 133).
  141. Zephaniah 3:8 tn Heb “for my decision is.”
  142. Zephaniah 3:8 tn Or “certainly.”
  143. Zephaniah 3:9 tn Heb “Certainly [or perhaps, “For”] then I will restore to the nations a pure lip.” sn I will then enable the nations to give me acceptable praise. This apparently refers to a time when the nations will reject their false idol-gods and offer genuine praise to the one true God.
  144. Zephaniah 3:9 tn Heb “so that all of them will call on the name of the Lord.”
  145. Zephaniah 3:9 tn Heb “so that [they] will serve him [with] one shoulder.”
  146. Zephaniah 3:10 tn Or “Nubia”; Heb “Cush.” “Cush” is traditionally assumed to refer to the region south of Egypt, i.e., Nubia or northern Sudan, referred to as “Ethiopia” by classical authors (not the more recent Abyssinia).
  147. Zephaniah 3:10 tn Heb “those who pray to me, the daughter of my dispersed ones.” The meaning of the phrase is unclear. For a discussion of various options see Adele Berlin, Zephaniah (AB 25A), 134-35.sn It is not certain if those who pray to me refers to the converted nations or to God’s exiled covenant people.
  148. Zephaniah 3:11 sn The second person verbs and pronouns are feminine singular, indicating that personified Jerusalem is addressed here.
  149. Zephaniah 3:11 tn Heb “In that day you will not be ashamed because of all your actions, [in] which you rebelled against me.”
  150. Zephaniah 3:11 tn Heb “the arrogant ones of your pride.”
  151. Zephaniah 3:12 tn Heb “needy and poor people.” The terms often refer to a socioeconomic group, but here they may refer to those who are humble in a spiritual sense.
  152. Zephaniah 3:12 tn Heb “and they will take refuge in the name of the Lord.” sn Safety in the Lord’s presence. From the time the Lord introduced his special covenant name (Yahweh) to Moses, it served as a reminder of his protective presence as Israel’s faithful deliverer.
  153. Zephaniah 3:13 tn Or “the remnant of Israel.”
  154. Zephaniah 3:13 tn The words “peacefully like sheep” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  155. Zephaniah 3:14 sn This phrase is used as an epithet for the city and the nation. “Daughter” may seem extraneous in English but consciously joins the various epithets and metaphors of Israel and Jerusalem as a woman, a device used to evoke sympathy from the reader.
  156. Zephaniah 3:15 tn Heb “your judgments,” that is, “the judgments directed against you.” The translation reflects the implications of the parallelism.
  157. Zephaniah 3:16 tn Heb “it will be said.” The passive construction has been translated as active for stylistic reasons.
  158. Zephaniah 3:16 tn Heb “your hands must not go limp.”
  159. Zephaniah 3:17 tn Heb “he rejoices over you with jubilation.” The term שִׂמְכָּה (simkah) can mean joy or the expression of joy. In light of the last line of the verse, this line may imply shouts of joy.
  160. Zephaniah 3:17 tc The MT reads, “he remains silent in his love,” a Hiphil form of the stative verb חָרַשׁ (kharash, “to be silent, deaf”). But this does not make sense in light of the expressions of joy in the preceding and following lines. All other cases of the Hiphil of this verb mean to act silently, maintain silence, or the like. This is normal for stative verbs in the Hiphil, where they often mean to behave with the attribute expressed by the root. Some commentators appeal to Job 11:3 as a possible causative use, “Should your boasting silence men?” But in fact the verse should be understood as “should men remain silent at your boasts?” The LXX reads “he will renew you with his love,” implying יְחַדֵּשׁ (yekhaddesh), a Piel from the root חָדַשׁ (khadash, “to make new, restore”). This assumes the confusion of ד (dalet) and ר (resh) in the MT. The direct object “you” should be understood either through ellipsis or by possible haplography, with the כ (kaf) having been dropped before the similar looking ב (bet) beginning the next word. Renewal is a fitting concept after judgment (cf. Lam 5:21).
  161. Zephaniah 3:17 tn Heb “he rejoices over you with a shout of joy.”
  162. Zephaniah 3:18 tn Heb “The ones grieving from an assembly I gathered from you they were, tribute upon her, a reproach.” Any translation of this difficult verse must be provisional at best. The present translation assumes three things: (1) The preposition מִן (min) prefixed to “assembly” is causal (the individuals are sorrowing because of the assemblies or festivals they are no longer able to hold). (2) מַשְׂאֵת (masʾet) means “tribute” and refers to the exiled people being treated as the spoils of warfare (see R. D. Patterson, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah [WEC], 385-86). (3) The third feminine singular suffix refers to personified Jerusalem, which is addressed earlier in the verse (the pronominal suffix in “from you” is second feminine singular). For other interpretive options see Adele Berlin, Zephaniah (AB 25A), 146.
  163. Zephaniah 3:19 tn The word “sheep” is supplied for clarification. As in Mic 4:6-7, the exiles are here pictured as injured and scattered sheep whom the divine shepherd rescues from danger.
  164. Zephaniah 3:19 tn Heb “I will make them into praise and a name, in all the earth, their shame.” The present translation assumes that “their shame” specifies “them” and that “name” stands here for a good reputation.
  165. Zephaniah 3:20 tn In this line the second person pronoun is masculine plural, indicating that the exiles are addressed.
  166. Zephaniah 3:20 tn Or “for.”
  167. Zephaniah 3:20 tn Heb “I will make you into a name and praise among all the peoples of the earth.” Here the word “name” carries the nuance of “good reputation.”
  168. Zephaniah 3:20 tn Heb “when I restore your fortunes to your eyes.” See the note on the phrase “restore them” in 2:7.
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