ESV Global Study Bible :: Footnotes for Joel 2

2:1–17 Army Invasion: The Arrival of the Day of the Lord. Joel describes the coming of an army, whose arrival may yet be prevented by a wholehearted return to the Lord. Verses 1–11 describe the coming of this great army, and vv. 12–17 describe the command to return to the Lord.

Joel 2:1 Zion is the place of the Lord’s throne. The name can refer to the temple area or to all of Jerusalem.

Joel 2:3 Fire devours . . . flame burns. The army is associated with destructive fire. like the garden of Eden . . . a desolate wilderness. The destructive power of this “great . . . people” (v. 2) can only be compared to the devastation of God’s original creation by mankind’s fall (Genesis 3).

Joel 2:4–5 like . . . horses. Joel compares the threatened locust plague to a powerful army.

Joel 2:7–9 they do not swerve. . . . They do not jostle. This army cannot be moved from its assigned course.

Joel 2:10 quakes before them . . . tremble. . . . darkened. Only the day of the Lord could produce this effect on the earth. In many cases in the Prophets, the Hebrew verb for “tremble” was associated with the end of the age and God’s final judgment.

Joel 2:11 utters his voice. Thunder is associated with the events of v. 10. his army. The force that brings such dread and terror is under God’s command. He who executes probably refers to the army, which carries out the Lord’s command.

Joel 2:12 Yet even now . . . return. There is still time for the people to repent.

Joel 2:13 Rend your hearts is an expression of internal anguish. This response, along with wholehearted devotion (v. 12), is similar to the circumcised heart described in Deut. 30:6.

Joel 2:14 Who knows. The sovereign God acts according to his own purposes. Turn and relent suggests that the Lord, in keeping with his revealed character, will bring blessing instead of disaster.

Joel 2:16 Consecrate the congregation. As in 1:14, all members of the community assemble for worship, preparing to call upon the Lord with a fast. Even nursing infants and newlyweds are required to participate.

Joel 2:17 The place of prayer was between the entrance to the temple and the altar. Your people is an appeal to God’s covenantal care for his people. A byword means a common saying, often used in scorn. See also esv footnote.

Joel 2:18–3:21 The Mercy of the Lord and Judgment against the Nations. The change from prophetic utterances to more of a conversational tone marks the beginning of the second half of Joel.

2:18–32 Mercy: The Lord Responds by Restoring His People. The Lord answers the prayer of v. 17. He restores the reputation of his people (vv. 18–20), the land (vv. 21–27), and his presence through pouring out the Spirit (vv. 28–32).

Joel 2:18 jealous. Jealousy here is a deep devotion that leads the Lord to intervene, saving his people for the sake of his own glory.

Joel 2:20 The northerner is probably a final apocalyptic enemy of Israel. The words vanguard . . . rear guard show that destruction is complete and final.

Joel 2:21 The “foul smell” (v. 20) of corpses is all that remains of the great enemy. This contrasts with the great things done by the Lord, whose acts of salvation are the reason for the command to fear not.

Joel 2:22 The Hebrew verb represented by are green is found elsewhere in Scripture only at Gen. 1:11. Perhaps Joel wants his readers to imagine the restoration of the land to an Eden-like state.

Joel 2:25 Being human often means bearing loss. Yet the same Lord who brings disaster when his people sin is also the Lord of mercy and abundant grace. He is fully able to give back what was taken: I will restore to you.

Joel 2:27 You shall know. The great purpose of the nation’s trauma is that they will know God’s presence, know that he is the covenant-keeping God, and know that he will remove their shame.

Joel 2:28–29 pour out my Spirit. Just as God will send life-giving rain (vv. 18–27), so also will he pour out his Spirit on his people in the future. all flesh. All God’s people will share this experience. All will prophesy and dream dreams and see visions.

Joel 2:30–31 Some scholars believe that the events of judgment described here, which did not take place at Pentecost (see notes on Acts 2:17; 2:19–21), will still take place sometime in the future, at the return of Christ. Others believe that these verses should be understood as prophetic symbolism for God’s judgment, and that no specific literal fulfillment is intended.

Joel 2:32 everyone. Salvation is extended beyond the devastation caused by the locusts. calls on the name. Paul quotes this in Rom. 10:13. He understood these verses to describe events in the messianic age, when Jews and Gentiles alike would be saved.