Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Joel 1:13
Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withheld from the house of your God.
13 15. The cessation of the daily sacrifices again occupies the prophet’s thought; and he turns to the priests, bidding them not mourn only ( Joe 1:9), but clothe themselves in sackcloth, and proclaim a day of public fast and humiliation. The occasion, namely, is not one for grief only: it is one which calls also for penitence and prayer; such a calamity is a judgement, not merely betokening God’s present anger with His people, but awakening the apprehension of sorer judgements in the future, which it behoves the nation, by timely penitence, if possible to avert.
Gird yourselves ] viz. with sackcloth ( Joe 1:8), as the R.V. supplies. So Isa 32:11.
lament ] wail (see on Amo 5:16). A different word from the unusual one so rendered in Joe 1:8.
ministers of the altar ] cf. ministers of the sanctuary, Eze 45:4.
lie all night in sackcloth ] as Ahab did, when he humbled himself before Elijah (1Ki 21:27). The sackcloth would be a token not only of grief, but also of penitence (1 Ki. l.c.; Neh 9:1; Jon 3:5-6); and the mention of it leads on accordingly to the thought of Joe 1:14.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Gird yourselves – that is, with haircloth, as is elsewhere expressed Isa 22:12; Jer 4:8; Jer 6:26. The outward affliction is an expression of the inward grief, and itself excites to further grief. This their garment of affliction and penitence, they were not to put off day and night. Their wonted duty was to offer up sacrifice for their own sins and the sins of the people Heb 7:27, and to entreat God for them. This their office the prophet calls them to discharge day and night; to come into the court of the temple, and there, where God showed Himself in majesty and mercy, lie all night prostrate before God, not at ease, but in sackcloth. He calls to them in the Name of his God, Ye ministers of my God; of Him, to whom, whosoever forsook Him, he himself was faithful. : The prophets called the God of all, their own God, being united to Him by singular love and reverential obedience, so that they could say, God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever Psa 73:26. He calls Him, further, their God, (your God) in order to remind them of His special favor to them, and their duty to Him who allowed them to call Him their God.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Joe 1:13-14
Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar.
Ministerial duty in the time of dire national calamity
The prophet now directs his message to the priests of Judah, and intimates that the calamity which had befallen their nation had a deep moral significance to which they should give earnest heed, and which should awaken them to immediate activity.
I. That in times of national calamity the ministerial office becomes of the highest importance. It is evident that Joel regarded the office of the priest as of the highest importance in these times of dread calamity. He had called the drunkards from their slumber, but they could do nothing to avert the immediate danger. He had made known to the husbandmen the extent of their loss, but they could not render much aid in the terrible crisis; but now he turns to the priests, and urges upon them the duty of initiating and guiding the nation to a reformed life. He knew that they would be more likely than any other class of men to help him in this arduous work. And why?
1. Because the ministerial office wields a great social influence, and is therefore competent to initiate moral reformation.
2. Because the ministerial office is supposed to seek the general good of men, and will therefore be credited with lofty motive in seeking moral reformation.
3. Because the ministerial office touches the springs of the inner life of a nation, and can therefore infuse healing remedy.
II. That in time of national calamity the ministerial office should be repentant in its inmost soul. Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God.
1. Then the ministerial office should be characterised by quick energy. The priests of Judah were to gird themselves. They were to hasten at once to the duty required by the circumstances of the nation and by the retribution of God. This was no time for indifference or sloth; their best energies were required.
2. Then the ministerial office should be characterised by deep sorrow. The priests of Judah were to lament and put on tokens of deep grief; they were to robe themselves in sackcloth. Their outward attire was to be indicative of their inward feeling of repentance before God.
3. Then the ministerial office should be characterised by untiring watchfulness. The priests of Judah were to lie all night in sackcloth and give themselves to prayer; their tears of repentance were not to be wiped away by the gentle hand of sleep.
4. Then the ministerial office should be characterised by true humility. We can readily imagine that the priests of Judah would experience a sense of humiliation as they gazed upon the neglected temple worship, and they would bow in abasement before the Lord of the temple.
III. That in times of national calamity the ministerial office must endeavour to awaken the people to the initial acts of reformation. Sanctify ye a fast, etc.
1. They proclaim a fast. The priests of Judah were to proclaim a fast, and they were also to sanctify it. A mere abstinence from food is of little service before God unless it be accompanied by those thoughts and devotions of the soul which alone can hallow it.
2. They call an assembly. The prophet commands that all the nation should be called and gathered into the temple, that public prayer might be added to private abstinence. It appears that fasting was always connected with a solemn convocation; the confession and humiliation of men must be unanimous and open. Humiliation for sin must not be confined to secrecy and solitude, but must be made in the great congregation, that the law which has been openly broken may be openly honoured, and that the ways of God may be justified before men.
3. They urge to supplication. The putting on of sackcloth by the priests, the abstaining from food by the people, the coming into the temple, would avail nothing unless it all were joined with earnest supplication; hence the assembled worshippers are urged to cry unto the Lord.
Lessons:–
1. That the ministerial office should exert its best energy to prevent moral apostasy in the nation.
2. That in times of such apostasy it must give an example of true repentance.
3. That in such times it should initiate the necessary worship in order to avert the Divine displeasure. (J. S. Exell, M. A.)
Sanctify ye a fast.—
On fast day
Fasting has, in all ages and among all nations, been an exercise much in use in times of mourning and affliction. There is no example of fasting before the time of Moses. And he enjoins only one fast, on the solemn day of expiation. After the time of Moses examples of fasting were very common among the Jews. It does not appear from the practice of our Saviour and His disciples that He instituted any particular fast, or enjoined any to be kept out of pure devotion. Fasting has, in itself, this peculiar good, that it provokes attention, by interrupting ordinary habits; the flow of business and pleasure is on a sudden stopt; the world is thrown into gloom, and a certain solemnity of thought obtruded upon those whose outward senses must be influenced before their inward hearts can be moved. The object, then, of this day is to confess our sins, and to repent of them. The object of the ministers of the Gospel is, to state what those sins are, what are their consequences, and how they may be avoided. Sins may be considered under a twofold division. Those which individuals always commit, which are the consequence of our fallen state, and inseparable from our fallen nature. Those which are the result of any particular depravity, existing in a greater degree at this time than at any other, or in this country than among any other people. As to the first class of sins, it is right to remind mankind of those imperfections, inherent in their nature, lest they should relax from the exertions of which they are really capable. Coming to that part of our conduct which is variable, to that small and contracted sphere in which it is allotted to us to do better or to do worse, begin with the subject of religion. Here may be noticed that prodigious increase of sectaries, of all ranks and descriptions, which are daily springing up in this kingdom. These men seem to think that the spirit of religion consists in a certain fervid irritability of mind. They are always straining at gnats, always suspecting happiness, degrading the majesty of the Gospel. The moment fanatical men hear anything plain and practical introduced into religion, then they say this is secular, this is worldly, this is moral, this is not of Christ. But the only way to know Christ is not to make our notions His notions, or to substitute any conjectures of our own as to what religion ought to be for an humble and faithful inquiry of what it is. There is a contrary excess in matters of religion not less fatal than fanaticism, and still more common. That languor and indifference upon serious subjects which characterises so great a part of mankind; not speculative disbelief, not profligate scoffing against religion, not incompliance with the ceremonies it enjoins; but no penetration of Christianity into the real character, little influence of the Gospel upon the daily conduct; a cold, careless, unfruitful belief. Lot it be our care to steer between these opposite extremes; to be serious without being enthusiastic; to be reasonable without being cold. Alike to curb the excesses of those who have zeal without discretion, and to stimulate the feelings of others who have conformity without zeal; remembering always that every thing intended to endure must be regulated by moderation, discretion, and knowledge. (J. Smith, M. A.)
An extraordinary fast
It must have been in the kingdom of Judah what the drought of Ahabs reign had been in the kingdom of Israel. It was a day of Divine judgment, a day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness. The harsh blast of the consecrated rams horn called an assembly for an extraordinary fast. Not a soul was to be absent. All were there stretched in front of the altar. The altar itself presented the dreariest of all sights, a hearth without its sacred fire, a table spread without its sacred feast. The priestly caste, instead of gathering as usual upon its steps and platform, were driven, as it were, to the farther space; they turned their backs to the dead altar, and lay prostrate, gazing towards the Invisible Presence within the sanctuary. Instead of the hymns and music, which, since the time of David, had entered into their prayers, there was nothing heard but the passionate sobs, and the loud dissonant howls such as only an eastern hierarchy could utter. Instead of the mass of white mantles, which they usually presented, they were wrapped in black goats hair sackcloth, twisted round them; not with the brilliant sashes of the priestly attire, but with a rough girdle of the same texture, which they never unbound night or day. What they wore of their common dress was rent asunder or cast off. With bare breasts they waved their black drapery towards the temple, and shrieked aloud, Spare Thy people, O Lord! (Dean Stanley.)
The duty, object, and method of keeping a public fast
Unusual duties require unusual preparation.
I. The duty of keeping a public fast. It is enjoined on due occasions by God Himself. In Joels time what was the occasion? It was a famine. How strikingly it is described. The Word of God repeatedly declares that such a calamity is sent on nations as a punishment for national sins. When God sends a famine in punishment for our sins He Himself calls for humiliation and fasting. This duty has been recognised from time to time. As in the days of Joshua, the Judges, Samuel, Jehoshaphat, Ezra, etc. There is nothing in the New Testament to set the duty aside. We have no instance of a Christian nation fasting, but we have no instance of a nation having become Christian.
II. The object of a fast day. Not to provide opportunity for seeking our own pleasure. Not substituting food equally or more pleasant, even by way of change. Some call it fasting to deny themselves food in one form, to take it in another, with equal or greater zest. Fasting is not an end in itself, but a means conducive to an end. The object is, humiliation for sin in order to pardon and justification. Therefore ministers must aim to arouse the national conscience. There must be humiliation in order to reflection; the deepest contrition of heart for sin, in order to turning wholly to God, with faith in the revelation of Himself in the Gospel and in all His grace, mercy, long-suffering, loving-kindness, and readiness to forgive and save, through Jesus Christ. And we must determine on reformation. A fast is worthless without that desirable end.
III. The method of keeping a public fast. No formal rules can be laid down. The rights of conscience and private judgment must be respected.
1. Sanctify the day. Set it apart from all common uses. And seek grace to sanctify it aright.
2. Attend in a right spirit on public worship, joining in public humiliation and united confession.
3. There should be special and appropriate prayer, both at home, and at church.
4. Make special gifts to the poor.
5. Specially honour Christ as Mediator. He can feel for the hungry, the famishing, the dying. He can pity poor perishing sinners. Let Him come between, and intercede with His own effectual intercession, and the famine shall cease. (John Hambleton, M. A.)
Public fasting
The priests are commanded to appoint a solemn and public fast, that so all ranks of persons, both rulers and people, being called to the Temple, may solemnly pour out their prayers before God.
1. Private mourning and humiliation is not enough under public calamities, but there ought also to be general humiliation, by the solemn convening of all ranks, to mourn in a public way.
2. Fasts and humiliations, especially such as are public, should not be rashly gone about, but with due preparation and upstirring for so solemn a service.
3. For the right discharge of such a duty it is requisite that men be sensible of their former abuse of mercies.
4. Exercises of humiliation will not be acceptable to God unless they be seasoned and managed with faith and affection to God. (George Hutcheson.)
The great fast
We have observed abundance of tears shed for the destruction of the fruits of the earth by the locusts, now here we have those tears turned into the right channel, that of repentance and humiliation before God. The judgment was very heavy, and here they are directed to own the hand of God in it, His mighty hand, and to humble themselves under it.
I. A proclamation issued out for a general fast. The priests are ordered to appoint one; they must not only mourn themselves, but they must call upon others to mourn too. Under public judgments there ought to be public humiliations. With all the marks of sorrow and shame sin must be confessed and bewailed, the righteousness of God must be acknowledged and His favour implored. Observe what is to be done by a nation at such a time.
1. A day is to be appointed for this purpose, a day of restraint (marg.), a day in which people must be restrained from their other ordinary business, and from all bodily refreshments.
2. It must be a fast, a religious abstaining from meat and drink, further than is of absolute necessity. Hereby we own ourselves unworthy of our necessary food, and that we have forfeited it, and deserve to be wholly deprived of it; we punish ourselves and mortify the body, which has been the occasion of sin; we keep it in a frame fit to serve the soul in serving God, and, by the appetites craving food, the desires of the soul towards that which is better than life, and all the supports of it, are excited.
3. There must be a solemn assembly. All had contributed to the national guilt, all shared in the national calamity, and therefore they must all join in the professions of repentance.
4. They must come together in the temple, because that was the house of prayer, and there they might hope to meet with God.
5. They must sanctify this fast, must observe it, in a religious manner, with sincere devotion.
6. They must cry unto the Lord. To Him they must make their complaint and offer up their supplication.
II. Some considerations suggested to induce them to proclaim this fast, and to observe it strictly.
1. God was beginning a controversy with them. It is time to cry unto the Lord,. for the day of the Lord is at hand. Either they mean the continuance and consequences of this present judgment which they now saw but breaking in upon them, or some greater judgments which this was but a preface to. Therefore cry to God, for–
(1) The day of His judgment is very near.
(2). It will be very terrible.
2. They saw themselves already under the tokens of His dis: pleasure.
(1) Let them look into their own houses, and there was no plenty there, as there used to be.
(2) Let them look into Gods house, and see the effects of the judgment there.
3. The prophet returns to describe the grievousness of the calamity, in some particulars of it.
(1) The caterpillars have devoured the corn.
(2) The cattle, too, perish for want of grass.
III. The prophet stirs them up to cry to God, with the consideration of the examples given them for it.
1. His own example. O Lord! to Thee will I cry.
2. The example of the inferior creatures. When they groan by reason of their calamity, He is pleased to interpret it as if they cried to Him; much more will He put a favourable construction upon the groanings of His own children, though sometimes so feeble that they cannot be uttered. (Matthew Henry.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Gird yourselves; bind your mourning sackcloth close to you with a girdle, that it may be more troublesome to the flesh; for though in Hebrew it is only gird, the phrase is well known in the Scripture, on these occasions, to include sackcloth, as what is girded on the mourner, and sackcloth is expressly mentioned Joe 1:8, and in many other places, Isa 15:3; Jer 4:8; Lam 2:10; Eze 7:18; 27:31.
Lament; weep bitterly, as they do who mourn for the dead, lament over your dead joys; let it be a hearty grief, as that of Abraham for Sarah, Gen 23:2, of Jacobs children and friends sorrowing for his death, Ge 1 10, or of Israel lamenting their brave judge, 1Sa 28:3. Ye priests; that you may be example to others, and because they had, as observed yet. 9, a double cause to mourn, one more than the rest of the people.
Howl: see Joe 1:5.
Ye ministers of the altar: they were the Lords ministers, Joe 1:9; now ministers of the altar, they served the Lord in the things of the altar.
Lie all night; the case needs a continued fasting, weeping, and supplication in the most humble posture, and with all the tokens of an afflicted spirit. The priests should above others mourn; if they mourn in the day, the priests should mourn night and day.
My God, who, having sent me to speak to you in his name, doth call you to this, that he may pardon and bless you. when you repent.
The meat-offering, & c.: see Joe 1:9.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13. Gird yourselvesnamely,with sackcloth; as in Isa 32:11,the ellipsis is supplied (compare Jer4:8).
lament, ye priestsasit is your duty to set the example to others; also as the guilt wasgreater, and a greater scandal was occasioned, by your sin to thecause of God.
comethe Septuagint,“enter” the house of God (compare Joe1:14).
lie all night in sackclothsoAhab (1Ki 21:27).
ministers of my God(1Co 9:13). Joel claimsauthority for his doctrine; it is in God’s name and by His missionI speak to you.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests,…. Prepare and be ready to raise up lamentation and mourning; or gird yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn in that, as Aben Ezra and Kimchi supply the words; see Jer 4:8;
howl, ye ministers of the altar; who served there, by laying on and burning the sacrifices, or offering incense:
come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God; that is, come into the house of the Lord, as Kimchi; into the court of the priests, and there lie all night, in the sackcloth girded with; putting up prayers to God, with weeping and lamentations, that he would avert the judgments that were come or were coming upon theme:
for the meat offering and the drink offering are withholden from the house of your God; [See comments on Joe 1:9].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The affliction is not removed by mourning and lamentation, but only through repentance and supplication to the Lord, who can turn away all evil. The prophet therefore proceeds to call upon the priests to offer to the Lord penitential supplication day and night in the temple, and to call the elders and all the people to observe a day of fasting, penitence, and prayer; and then offers supplication himself to the Lord to have compassion upon them (Joe 1:19). From the motive assigned for this appeal, we may also see that a terrible drought had been associated with the devastation by the locusts, from which both man and beast had endured the most bitter suffering, and that Joel regarded this terrible calamity as a sign of the coming of the day of the Lord. Joe 1:13. “Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests; howl, ye servants of the altar; come, pass the night in sackcloth, ye servants of my God: for the meat-offering and drink-offering are withdrawn from the house of your God. Joe 1:14. Sanctify a fast, call out an assembly, assemble the elders, all ye inhabitants of the land, at the house of Jehovah your God, and cry to Jehovah.” From what follows we must supply bassaqqm (with sackcloth) to chigru (gird yourselves). Gird yourselves with mourning apparel, i.e., put it on (see Joe 1:8). In this they are to pass the night, to offer supplication day and night, or incessantly, standing between the altar and the porch (Joe 2:17). “Servants of my God,” i.e., of the God whose prophet I am, and from whom I can promise you a hearing. The reason assigned for this appeal is the same as for the lamentation in Joe 1:9. But it is not the priests only who are to pray incessantly to the Lord; the elders and all the people are to do the same. , to sanctify a fast, i.e., to appoint a holy fast, a divine service of prayer connected with fasting. To this end the priests are to call an atsarah , i.e., a meeting of the congregation for religious worship. Atsarah , or atsereth , , is synonymous with in Lev 23:36 (see the exposition of that passage). In what follows, is attached to ; and the latter is not a vocative, but an accusative of the object. On the other hand, is an accus. loci, and dependent upon . , to cry, used of loud and importunate prayer. It is only by this that destruction can still be averted.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Now the Prophet begins to exhort the people to repentance. Having represented them as grievously afflicted by the hand of God, he now adds that a remedy was at hand, provided they solicited the favor of God; and at the same tine he denounces a more grievous punishment in future; for it would not have been enough that they had been reminded of their calamities and evils, except they also feared in time to come. Hence the Prophet, that he might the more move them, says, that the hand of God was still stretched out, and that there was something worse nigh at hand, except they of themselves anticipated it. This is the purport of the whole. I now come to the words.
Be girded, lament and howl, he says, ye priests, the ministers of the altar The verb חגרו chegeru may be explained in two ways. Some understand it thus “Gird yourselves with sackcloth; ” for shortly after he says with sackcloth, or in sackcloth. But we may take it as simply meaning, gird yourselves, that is, Hasten; for this metaphorical expression often occurs. As to the drift of the passage, there is but little difference, whether we read, “Gird yourselves with sackcloth,” or, “Hasten.” And he addresses the priests, though a common and general exhortation to the whole people afterwards follows. But as God made them the leaders of his people, it behaved them to afford others an example. It is the common duty of all the godly to pray for and to further the salvation of their brethren; but it is a duty especially enjoined on the ministers of the word and on pastors. So also, when God calls those to repentance who preside over others, they ought to lead the way, and for two reasons; — first, because they have not been in vain chosen by the Lord for this end, that they might outshine others, and be as luminaries; — secondly, because they who bear any public office ought to feel a double guilty when the Lord visits public sins with judgment. Private men indeed sin; but in pastors there is the blame of negligence, and still more, when they deviate even the least from the right way, a greater offense is given. Rightly then does the Prophet begin with the priests, when he bids the whole people to repent. And he not only bids them to put on sackcloth, but commands them also, as we shall see, to proclaim a fast, and then to call an assembly: ye priests, he says, be girded, and put on sackcloth, wail, howl, and pass the night in sackcloth; and then he calls them the ministers of the altar and the ministers of God, but in a different sense; for the Prophet does not substitute the altar for God, as he would thus have formed an idol; but they are called the ministers of the altar, because they offered there sacrifices to God. They are indeed with strict propriety the ministers of God; but as the priests, when they sacrificed, stood in the presence of God, and as the altar was to them as it were the way of access to him, they are called the ministers of the altar. He calls them, at the same time, the ministers of God, and, as it has been stated, they are properly so called.
But he says here אלהי alei (my God.) The iod, my, is by some omitted, as if it were a servile letter, but redundant. I, however, doubt not but that the Prophet here mentions Him as his God; for he thus intended to claim more authority for his doctrine. His concern or his contest was with the whole people; and they, no doubt, in their usual ways proudly opposed against him the name of God as their shield. “What! are we not the very people of God?” Hence the Prophet, in order to prove this presumption false, sets forth God as being on his side. He therefore says, ‘The ministers of my God.’ Had any one objected and said, that he was in common the God of the whole people, the Prophet had a ready answer, — “I am specially sent by Him, and sustain his person, and plead the cause which he has committed to me: He is then my God and not yours.” We now then see the Prophet’s meaning in this expression. He now adds, for cut off is offering and libation from the house of our God. He confesses Him at the same time to be their God with reference to the priesthood; for nothing, we know, was presumptuously invented by the Jews, as the temple was built by Godly command, and sacrifices were offered according to the rule of the law. He then ascribes to the priesthood this honor, that God ruled in the temple; for God, as we have already said, approved of that worship as having proceeded from his word: and to this purpose is that saying of Christ, ‘We know what we worship.’ But yet the priests did not rightly worship God; for though their external rites were according to the command of God, yet as their hearts were polluted, it is certain that whatever they did was repudiated by God, until, being touched with the fear of his judgment, they fled to his mercy, as the Prophet now exhorts them to do.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
CRITICAL NOTES.]
Joe. 1:13.] A summons to repentance. Priests] first; they have been negligent, and must set the example of penitence. Sackcloth] Outward garments must indicate inward grief (Isa. 32:11; Jer. 4:8).
Joe. 1:14. Sanctify] Set apart, hallow days of fasting. Solemn assem.] Lit. proclaim a restraint, i.e. let young and old cease manual labour to fast and pray (2Ch. 20:3-13). Elders] in office and age. Cry] Not a mere formal fast, but intense and earnest prayer for mercy and help.
MINISTERS OF THE SANCTUARY AN EXAMPLE OF PENITENCE AND PIETY IN THE DAY OF CALAMITY.Joe. 1:13-14
The fourth call is to priests of the temple, who are first to humble themselves in private as a preparation for public confession. A fast must be appointed, and they must lead the princes and people in solemn prayer before Almighty God. When judgment begins at the house of God, penitence should begin also, for priests are often the first and greatest cause of sorrow.
I. They must mourn for sin. Lament and howl. In all true penitence there will be a due sense of guilt. Physical evil may cause sorrow, the destruction of vegetation and vineyards may create lamentation; but moral evil compels us to feel guilty; and justice cries for punishment.
1. Mourn in sackcloth. Gird yourselves. Outward garments are of no avail without inward contrition. We must rend our hearts, not our garments. Yet by outward acts we must incite others, testify our abject condition before God, and renounce all carnal customs and delights. For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl; for the fierce anger of the Lord is not turned back from us.
2. Mourn continually. Come, lie all night in sackcloth. Day and night was the temple service. So there must not be occasional grief, but lamentation without intermission. Guilt often disturbs the sleep of night, and men lie not at ease, but in sorrow. Instead of going to rest and employing the night in Psalmody, many have more reason to confess their sins and deprecate the wrath of God. All the night make I my bed to swim: I water my couch with tears.
3. Mourn with others. All classes, the princes, and elders, and all the people, were to mourn universally. Chiefs in authority, and elders in sanctity and grey hairs, were to form one band and lament with one heart and voice. The example of old men must stimulate the young to repentance; and the authority of priests must urge others to the fear and worship of God. All had contributed to national guilt, all were equally exposed, and all must join together in national humiliation. The more public and prevalent, the more pleasing and acceptable to God is national sorrow. Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God and wept, and sat there before the Lord (Jdg. 20:26; 2Ch. 30:3; Jon. 3:5; Jon. 3:7-8).
II. They must sanctify a fast. Sanctify ye a fast.
1. Universal cessation from labour. The day must be fixed, set apart and solemnly observed. Proclaim a restraint, let manual labour cease, and hallow the fast with acts of devotion and fruits meet for repentance. No servile work must be done, the time must be consecrated, like the Sabbath, not to eating, and drinking, and seeking pleasure, but to supplication and obedience.
2. Universal worship. The elders and all the inhabitants were to assemble in the house of God. England did well to observe a day of thanksgiving for the restoration of the Prince of Wales. What a spectacle to continental nations! Fasting without devotion was only a form of sorrow. Festive joys must give place to religious worship. Fasting must be connected with the mortification of the flesh, the contrition of the spirit, and humiliation in the house of God. Here all were commanded to repair to confess their guilt and obey their laws. The house of God is the house of prayer; the place in which he has put his name, and the centre of Divine influence and Christian friendship. Here the world loses its charms, trials are forgotten, the mind is elevated, and sympathies meet and mingle into bliss. I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually (1Ki. 9:3). What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, in this house. Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place (1Ki. 8:38; 2Ch. 6:33).
3. Universal supplication. And cry unto the Lord. (a) Supplication must be united. All must not merely be present, but all must join together in prayer. Attendance must be devout, the time must be spent before God, not in gazing at men. United prayer has power with God and influence upon men. It is thus that heaven is taken by violence and national calamities averted. (b) Supplication must be earnest. Cry unto the Lord. It is not a listless, irreverent prayer, but a loud earnest cry. No formal customary supplication will suffice; the distress is great, the routine of life and worship must be disregarded, and the cry must be with impassioned earnestness and repetition. Cold prayers are a mockery and never climb to heaven. So long as the light shines bright and the fires of devotion and desires flame out, says Jeremy Taylor, so long the mind of a man stands close to the altar and waits upon the sacrifice; but as the fires die and desires decay, so the mind steals away and walks abroad. We are taken from the fields to the sanctuary in this picture. A train of priests, clothed in sackcloth and worn with vigils, stand between the porch and the altar, weeping and making supplication to God; a large assembly, led by the elders, gather round them, bend their heads in passionate grief, and unite in earnest cry for mercy and deliverance. Priest and peasant, kings and princes, old and young, bow in confession, petition, and humiliation before their Maker, and thus own their dependence and set an example to others. Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord.
ILLUSTRATIONS TO CHAPTER 1
Joe. 1:13-14. Ministers. A country parson fighting against the devil in his parish has nobler ideas than Alexander had [Adam]. Example works more than precept; for words without practice are but counsels without effect. But when we do as we say, we illustrate and confirm the rule which we prescribe. Men believe more by the eyes than by the ears, says Seneca.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
THE EXTENT . . . VIVID, ARRESTING (contd)
TEXT: Joe. 1:13-20
13
Gird yourselves with sackcloth, and lament, ye priests; wail, ye ministers of the altar; come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meal-offering and the drink-offering are withholden from the house of your God.
14
Sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the old men and all the inhabitants of the land unto the house of Jehovah your God, and cry unto Jehovah.
15
Alas for the day! for the day of Jehovah is at hand, and as destruction from the Almighty shall it come.
16
Is not the food cut off before our eyes, yet, joy and gladness from the house of our God?
17
The seeds rot under their clods; the gardens are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the grain is withered.
18
How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.
19
O Jehovah, to thee do I cry; for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field.
20
Yea, the beasts of the field pant unto thee; for the water brooks are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.
QUERIES
a.
What is sackcloth and why put it on to mourn?
b.
Why sanctify a fast?
c.
What is the day of Jehovah and how was it at hand?
PARAPHRASE
You priests, servants at Gods altar, put on mourning clothing, even that which is made from hair, and mourn. And not only in the daytime are you to mourn but even while you are performing the services in the temple at night you are to lie before the altar weeping and lamenting, Be sorrowful and pray because there is no grain or wine for this has caused the offerings in the house of God to cease. Declare a period of fasting and call a solemn meeting of the elders and all the people of the land. Call everyone to the temple of God and there let the priests pray with supplications, crying unto the Lord, for this is a woeful day! The day of the Lord is upon us and it is destruction from the Almighty! The cutting off of all food and the cessation of joyful offerings in the house of God proves to our very eyes that the day of the Lord is destruction upon us for we have been unfaithful. Indeed, the drought is so terrible the seed just lately sown rots in the plowed earth for lack of moisture; the granaries are empty and are rotting away; the barns are falling to pieces from disuse. Even the dumb animals groan because of their suffering. The cattle and sheep are bewildered with fear and hunger because they have no pasture. To Thee, O Lord, I Joel, cry for help for both man and beast. The burning heat of the drought has consumed the meadows of the wilderness and has even burned up all the trees. The animals, in their panting, are crying for help from Thee, O Lord, because they have no water to drinkthe drought has dried up all the brooks and burned up all the pastures.
SUMMARY
The extremity of the people of Judah, in both locust plague and drought, is so severe that even the dumb beasts are groaning and pant under the Lord!
COMMENT
Joe. 1:13 GIRD YOURSELVES . . . LIE ALL NIGHT IN SACKCLOTH . . . MEAL-OFFERING WITHHOLDEN FROM THE HOUSE OF YOUR GOD; Again Joel takes up that which was so impressive to him in Joe. 1:9the cessation of the offerings due to the complete absence of materials with which to make the offerings. It would not have been so calamitous that the people had suffered the loss of physical necessities, but when they were forced to stop presenting their intercessory offerings it indicated that their access to Jehovah, their covenant God, had been interrupted. It would be as disastrous as telling a Christian he could no longer pray or sing praises or in any manner worship the Lord. So the priests are instructed to put on the customary clothing for mourning and penitence called sackcloth in our translation. It was a coarse material woven from goats and camels hair and thus of dark color. Sacks were also made from this coarse material and thus it is called sackcloth. It was not a full garment but more probably a cloth just large enough to wrap around the loins and tie in the front in a knot. They are told they must make their penitent supplications to the Lord day and night without ceasing. The text indicates they should, in some way, prostrate themselves before the great altar in the temple. They are to pray with loud crying (wailinglamenting) unto God,
Joe. 1:14 SANCTIFY A FAST . . . CALL ALL THE INHABITANTS OF THE LAND . . . AND CRY UNTO JEHOVAH; The prophet now instructs the priests to officially consecrate a specific period of fasting. Fasting is a religious exercise whereby the demands of the flesh are subordinated to a concentration upon the spiritual. A fast was a time dedicated to afflicting the soulappetites (Lev. 16:29-31; Lev. 23:27-29). A solemn assembly is also to be gathered. There was no occasion for festive mood now! The elders were undoubtedly called to testify that no such calamity had ever before happened and that this surely must be from God. All the people are instructed to make supplication to the Lord. This statement presupposes, of course, that they will do so in an attitude of repentance.
Joe. 1:15 ALAS FOR THE DAY! FOR THE DAY OF JEHOVAH IS AT HAND, AND AS DESTRUCTION FROM THE ALMIGHTY SHALL IT COME. In prophetic literature, the Day of Jehovah generally denotes my great manifestation of Gods power in judgment or redemption. Sometimes, as here in Joel, the prophet denoted a great, calamitous judgment as the Day of Jehovah which had the purpose of calling the covenant people to repentance and purity. Sometimes, and more often than most realize, the prophet, as in Mal. 3:1-6, speaks of the ultimate crisis in the history of Gods kingdom which is to involve the overthrow of all opposition and the complete triumph of righteousness (cf. Isa. 2:2-5; Joe. 2:28Joe. 3:21; Amo. 9:11 ff; Zechariah 14, etc.) which refers to the culminating work of Christ the Redeemer in His atoning death, justifying resurrection and His establishment of the church. This was THE DAY OF JEHOVAH when Jehovah brought all men under judgment and at the same time provided for all men redemption. This awaits only the consummation at the Lords second coming. The absence of perspective is very conspicuous when the prophets write of The Day of Jehovah. Chronology is largely disregarded and the Day of Jehovah is seen looming up as the immediate background of every great crisis in which the covenant nation may, be involved. The great Day of Jehovah when the Messiah shall appear in judgment and redemption (Malachi 3, etc.) is definitely bereft of chronological perspective as far as the prophets are concerned. They did not know what person or time was indicated by the Spirit of Christ within them when predicting the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glory. And, in fact, God did not tell them exactly when these things were to be fulfilled. There are inspired guidelines, however, (already referred to more than once, especially in our introductory Interpreting The Prophets), statements of Jesus and the apostles as to the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies. One thing is certain in prophetic literaturethe Day of Jehovah is surely coming! The steps by which the goal is to be reached are only gradually revealed in the actual march of Gods providential works of redemption and judgment. The Day of Jehovah is a day of judgment and redemptionprimarily a day of judgment. Not only upon the heathen nations, but, due to the absolute righteousness of God, includes judgment upon all sin. God judges even the children of favor and privilege when they sin (Amo. 5:18). His judgment is a purifying, refining instrument in order that a remnant might be saved (cf. Isa. 6:13; Amo. 9:9; Zep. 3:13-20). Gentile nations are used by God as instruments on His Day of Judgment, yet they too shall be judged by Him. And, consequently, even a remnant of the Gentiles will turn to Jehovah as a result of the Day of Jehovah. For further comment on the Day of Jehovah see comments on Oba. 1:15 in this volume. What Joel here wants the people of Judah to understand is that the Day of Jehovah is as destruction from the Almighty. The Jews were persuaded, because of their special relation to Jehovah, that the Day of Jehovah was intended to be judgment and destruction upon the Gentiles but victory and conquest and world dominion for the Israelites. They refused to accept the preaching of the prophets that God was holding them responsible for their sins (cf. Zep. 1:12; Mal. 2:17; Amos 6; Eze. 8:12).
Joe. 1:16 IS NOT THE FOOD CUT OFF . . . JOY AND GLADNESS FROM THE HOUSE OF OUR GOD? Joel, in asking these questions, is actually interpreting for the people the meaning of the calamities that have come upon them. He asks rhetorically, Can you not see, even from the fact that contact with God has been cut off, that God is visiting us with judgment? It was no longer possible to offer even the least offering to God in the templethere simply was no produce from field or vineyard by which man could commune with His God.
Joe. 1:17 THE SEEDS ROT . . .; THE GARNERS . . . DESOLATE, THE BARNS . . . BROKEN; The grain seed shrivels up and crumbles into dust for lack of rain. The granaries, storehouses where the people stored their grain, stood deserted and unused. The barns, another type of storage place, also used to house animals sometimes, were actually falling apart from disuse. Even the grain that might have been saved and not sown was withering and becoming unusable because of the extreme drought.
Joe. 1:18-20 . . . THE BEASTS GROAN . . . ARE PERPLEXED . . . MADE DESOLATE . . . PANT UNTO THEE; FOR THE WATER BROOKS ARE DRIED UP . . . FIRE HATH DEVOURED THE PASTURES OF THE WILDERNESS. The cattle and sheep are dumbfounded (perplexed) and bewildered. They are dying of starvation and thirst. Hunger and fear grips them but being dumb animals they can only groan. The prophet personally implores the Lord on behalf of these suffering beasts.
Lange says, That this latter event (locust plague and drought) should be made the theme of a prophetic discourse, is no way surprising, because Holy Scripture teaches us that all public calamities are divine dispensations designed to awaken men to a sense of their sins, and to bring them to repentance. But as terrible as this plague and drought is and as devastating upon the material means of subsistence as it is, Joels main concern is that it has caused a cessation of all sacrifices and offerings in the Temple of God. These services and the Temple were visible signs and pledges of Gods dwelling in the midst of Israel as His people. When these services ceased it was a sign that God had withdrawn His covenant pledge and presence. In Eze. 11:22-25 the glory of the Lord departed from Jerusalem until after the captivity of the Jews. So here, the absence of worship signifies the absence of covenant relation with God. And now, in chapter two, Joel entreats the people and the priests to repent and call upon God for forgiveness and restoration of covenant relationship. Joel, in striking figures, describes the activities by which the people should make their repentance known to God.
First, he reiterates the announcement that Jehovah God is the Executor of this call to repentance. God, using natural agents (secondary causes), is the First Cause behind their extremities. In the first part of chapter two (Joe. 2:1-11) the prophet creates a literary masterpiece. A vivid, moving picture of words is painted describing Gods armythe locusts.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(13) Gird yourselves, and lament.The priests are exhorted to commence preparations for a national humiliation, beginning with themselves; for the visitation touches them in a vital part: they have no sacrifices to offer to the Lord.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
13, 14. The affliction is not removed by lamentation and mourning; on the contrary, in the prophet’s mind it is but beginning. To him it is a sign of the approaching day of Jehovah, a day of terror to Israel because of the people’s rebellion against God. There is but one means to drive away the present calamity and to avert the one still in the future, namely, repentance and supplication. The prophet, therefore, proceeds to call upon the priests and the people to institute a day of fasting and prayer; in 13, 14 the weeping priests (Joe 1:9) are exhorted to put off their festal garments and clothe themselves in the garment of mourning sackcloth and, as the spiritual leaders, to gather the people to a solemn assembly, for prayer and penitence (compare Isa 32:12).
Gird yourselves With sackcloth (8). The wearing of sackcloth by the priests, dressed ordinarily in their peculiar festal garments, would add solemnity to the occasion.
Lament Not the common Hebrew word (8), but the verb used elsewhere especially of mourning for the dead; therefore expressive of intense grief. LXX., “smite yourselves” (Isa 32:12) that is, upon the breast. Among the ancients external expressions of grief were much more common than among more highly civilized peoples, though their grief was not necessarily more real or intense. Ordinarily grief was expressed by the tearing of the outer garment (Joe 2:13), the smiting of the breast, the wringing of the hands, deep sighs and loud wailing. Certainly to the prophet these external expressions were only to symbolize the heart-sorrow (Joe 2:13).
Ministers of the altar Parallel to “Jehovah’s ministers” (Joe 1:9; compare Eze 45:4). Wearing the sackcloth the priests are to come to the temple and there lie all night The verb means not necessarily “lie,” but also simply “remain.” That seems to be the thought here; the prophets are to wear the sackcloth and offer supplications, without interruption day or night, as long as the condition of the land calls for such service (Joe 2:17; compare 1Ki 21:27; 2Ki 19:1).
Ministers (or, servants) of my God The God whom I serve, in whose name I speak, and “from whom I can promise you a hearing.” The reason for this appeal is the same as that for the lamentation in Joe 1:9 the cessation of the daily sacrifice, which is regarded as the greatest calamity. To this personal appeal is added an earnest exhortation that the priests should arrange for a public day of penitence and prayer in order that the people might be impressed more strongly with the belief that the national calamity was a punishment from God, and that a return to him in sincerity of heart was the only means of turning it aside.
Sanctify In the use of the verb qaddesh in this connection appears the primary meaning of the verb, to set apart, that is, from that which is profane; hence, appoint.
A fast Fasting in a religious sense is the voluntary abstinence from food, expressive of sorrow and penitence. The origin of the custom is not quite clear from the Old Testament, though it was very widespread. It was practiced during the period of mourning (1Sa 31:13; 2Sa 1:12), especially on the occasion of great calamities (Jdg 20:26; 1Sa 7:6; 2Sa 12:16); for it was thought that in this manner the divine favor could be secured. Fasting was to symbolize a spiritual condition, the earnest yearning, of the heart which finds expression in right doing (Joe 2:13; Isaiah 58). In the later period this inner, spiritual significance was lost sight of, and it was thought that the painstaking observance of the form was sufficient to secure the desired ends. It is this overemphasis of the external which accounts for passages such as Mat 11:18-19; Mat 15:11; Mat 17:21.
Call a solemn assembly Extend the call to a public religious gathering, an hour of prayer. It is interesting to compare with this passage Isa 1:13; Amo 5:21. Everyone is to participate in these solemn exercises. Elders [“old men”] Since a distinction is made between old men and all the inhabitants of the land, it is probable, if not certain, that the old men are the elders in an official sense (Gen 50:7; Jos 9:11, etc.; not so in Joe 1:2; Joe 2:16). The elders, while holding official positions, were in religious matters subject to the priests. Kuenen, Merx, and others give a different meaning to the passage; they regard elders as a vocative, inhabitants as the object: the elders are to gather the inhabitants. But the first interpretation is to be preferred. The purpose of it all is to cry to Jehovah from the depths of the heart, that he may have mercy, remove the present calamity, and withhold the further blow.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Prescribing Fasting and Penitence
v. 13. Gird yourselves, v. 14. Sanctify ye a fast, v. 15. Alas for the day! v. 16. Is not the meat cut off before our eyes? v. 17. The seed is rotten under their clods, v. 18. How do the beasts groan! v. 19. O Lord, to Thee will I cry; for the fire, v. 20. The beasts of the field,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
There is a vast degree of elegance in these expressions, as well as earnestness; the priests the ministers of the Lord are first called upon, and then all the people. The sackcloth to lie down in, the howling and woe of the Lord’s priests, strongly represent and set forth, under types and figures, the desolated state of souls under sin.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Joe 1:13 Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God.
Ver. 13. Gird yourselves and lament, ye priests ] Be you priest, and first in the practice of humiliation: be you an example of the believers in word, in conversation, &c., 1Ti 4:12 , a pattern of piety, . Si vis ne flere, &c. If others shall lament, you must begin to them; and say, as Abimolech did to his soldiers, “What ye have seen me do, make haste and do likewise,” Jdg 9:48 ; and as St Paul doth to his Philippians, “Those things which ye have both learned and received, and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace shall be with you,” Phi 4:9 .
For the meat offering and the drink offering, &c.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Joe 1:13-20
13Gird yourselves with sackcloth
And lament, O priests;
Wail, O ministers of the altar!
Come, spend the night in sackcloth
O ministers of my God,
For the grain offering and the drink offering
Are withheld from the house of your God.
14Consecrate a fast,
Proclaim a solemn assembly;
Gather the elders
And all the inhabitants of the land
To the house of the LORD your God,
And cry out to the LORD.
15Alas for the day!
For the day of the LORD is near,
And it will come as destruction from the Almighty.
16Has not food been cut off before our eyes,
Gladness and joy from the house of our God?
17The seeds shrivel under their clods;
The storehouses are desolate,
The barns are torn down,
For the grain is dried up.
18How the beasts groan!
The herds of cattle wander aimlessly
Because there is no pasture for them;
Even the flocks of sheep suffer.
19To You, O LORD, I cry;
For fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness
And the flame has burned up all the trees of the field.
20Even the beasts of the field pant for You;
For the water brooks are dried up
And fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness.
Joe 1:13 O priests. . .O ministers of the altar. . .O ministers of my God The fourth group addressed are the leaders of the cultus. They are encouraged to repent and turn to God because the removal of agricultural blessings was related to Israel’s spiritual problems.
Notice the IMPERATIVES related to repentance:
1. gird (i.e., with sackcloth) – BDB 291, KB 291, Qal IMPERATIVE
2. lament – BDB 704, KB 763, Qal IMPERATIVE
3. wail – this is a repeat from Joe 1:5; Joe 1:11!
Also in this same verse are two more IMPERATIVES, which are a call to spend the night in mourning in the temple.
1. come – BDB 97, KB 112, Qal IMPERATIVE
2. spend the night in sackcloth – BDB 533, KB 529, Qal IMPERATIVE
Repentance was to be initiated by the priests themselves. There was nothing to offer God! He had taken everything Himself!
Joe 1:14 Consecrate a fast,
Proclaim a solemn assembly;
Gather the elders The priest must (three IMPERATIVES) call the people to a holy convocation of repentance:
1. consecrate a fast, BDB 872, KB 1073, Piel IMPERATIVE, cf. Joe 2:15; Jos 7:13
2. proclaim a solemn assembly, BDB 894, KB 1128, Qal IMPERATIVE, cf. Joe 2:15; 1Ki 21:9; 1Ki 21:12; Jer 36:9; Jon 3:5
3. gather the elders (i.e. all the inhabitants of the land), BDB 62, KB 74, Qal IMPERATIVE, cf. Joe 1:2
4. cry out to the LORD, BDB 277, KB 277, Qal IMPERATIVE, cf. Jdg 3:9; Jdg 3:15; Jdg 6:6-7; Jdg 10:10; 1Sa 7:8-9; 1Sa 12:8; 1Sa 12:10; 1Sa 15:11; 2Ch 20:9; Psa 107:13; Psa 107:19
Joel is calling on Israel to do what she had done again and again in the past: call out to her God. He will forgive, deliver, and restore (cf. Joe 2:12-14). Sin is not a permanent barrier, but stubborn unbelief and intransigence is! God is waiting to act, but His people must act first in repentance and contrition. Biblical faith is a relationship. It involves initial and continuing
1. repentance
2. faith
3. obedience
4. perseverance!!
Joe 1:15 Alas for the day This INTERJECTION (BDB 13), usually translated alas, is found
1. by itself, Jdg 11:35; 2Ki 3:10; 2Ki 6:5; 2Ki 6:15
2. connected to Adon YHWH, Jos 7:7; Jdg 6:22; Jer 1:6; Jer 4:10; Jer 14:13; Jer 32:17; Eze 4:14; Eze 9:8; Eze 11:13; Eze 21:5
3. in Joel uniquely to for the day, which denotes the day of YHWH, which can be for blessing or judgment. The use of also clearly shows here it relates unexpectedly to God’s judgment of His own people!
4. both Isaiah (i.e. Isa 13:6; Isa 13:9) and Ezekiel (i.e. Eze 7:19; Eze 13:5; Eze 30:2) use the phrase, the day of the LORD, but without Alas (cf. Joe 2:1; Joe 2:11; Joe 2:31; Joe 3:14)
For the day of the LORD is near This is the eschatological phrase which is so common in the prophets (cf. Isa 2:12; Isa 13:6; Isa 13:9; Isa 22:5; Isa 34:8; Jer 46:10; Eze 7:10; Eze 13:5; Eze 30:3; Amo 5:18-20; Zep 1:7; Zep 1:14-18; Oba 1:15; and Zec 14:1). It denotes God’s breaking into His world for judgment (i.e., temporarily and eschatologically). This allusion is found in Eze 30:2-3 and Isa 13:6, where it is addressed to Babylon and she is told to wail for the coming of this day! It is usually addressed to foreigners, but the shocking account here and in Jer 30:7 is that it is addressed to God’s people. God was not only absent from them, but actively against them!
The concept of a day on which humans meet God face to face and give an account of their actions (i.e., eschatological judgment) has been affected by progressive revelation. In the OT God’s visitation could be either
1. temporal
2. at the end (eschatological)
Also it could be for blessing as well as judgment. In the NT the focus of God’s judgment shifts from human performance of the covenant to personal faith (i.e., a new heart, a new mind, a new spirit, cf. Jer 31:31-34; Eze 36:22-38) which issues in covenant obedience. The goal is still a people who reflect YHWH’s character so that a world that does not know YHWH can come to know Him. Both OT and NT involve faith and repentance, but the focus has shifted from human performance to Messianic performance. Gratitude, not merit, motivates obedience! A national covenant has been universalized to an offer to all the sons and daughters of Adam! The first step is belief, not parentage (i.e., family, tribe). The national covenant of Moses has transitioned to the international covenant of the gospel!
Judgment is still an eschatological event, but the basis of that judgment has changed (i.e., Rom 3:18-31)! And the focus is now on unbelievers vs. believers. There will still be an evaluation and reward ceremony (i.e., 2Co 5:10).
And it will come as destruction from the Almighty The term Almighty is the term Shaddai (BDB 994, first found in Gen 17:1, but very common in Job; only twice in Psalms). The etymology of this term is uncertain, but from the Septuagint and the Vulgate tradition it seems to mean the Omnipotent One or the Almighty. See Special Topic: Names for Deity at Oba 1:1.
There is a play on the word destruction and the word Almighty. In Hebrew the two words are Shod and Shaddai (cf. David Hubbard, Joel and Amos, p. 50).
Joe 1:16 joy This term (BDB 162 I) is often associated with worship at the central shrine (cf. Deu 12:6-7; Psa 43:4). YHWH has taken away His gift of fertility and, therefore, the sacrifices and offerings have ceased (cf. Joe 1:9; Joe 1:13). The Israelites came to God’s temple, but not to rejoice but to cry out for forgiveness and mercy because of their covenant rebellion (cf. Joe 1:13-14; Joe 1:19-20).
Joe 1:17 There are four words in this verse that occur only here in the entire OT. This has made translation very difficult (cf. Twenty-six Translations of the Holy Bible, published by AMG, for a variety of translations).
1. seeds, BDB 825, possibly stored seeds for the next planting
2. shrivel, BDB 721, KB 783, Qal PERFECT
3. clods (lit. shovels), BDB 175
4. barns, BDB 158
There is an interesting alternate understanding of the first two rare words. For many years the Septuagint’s translation, the heifers have leaped in their mangers, sounded so different from the MT until a similar translation of this verse was found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, the heifers decay in their mangers.
The details of many poetic texts are uncertain, but the larger context, cognate languages, ancient versions, and parallel passages from the Bible help moderns understand the main truths of the ancient inspired text. Inerrancy at the word level is problematic, but at the truth level is possible.
Joe 1:17-18 contains five Niphal stem VERBS. YHWH is bringing the consequences of covenant disobedience! We reap what we sow (in this case, there is nothing to reap).
Joe 1:18 How the beasts groan All life is affected by human sin (cf. Genesis 3; Rom 8:18-25). This includes animal and plant life. Joe 1:18 implies that a drought preceded the locust plague (cf. Joe 1:20; Deu 28:22). In history these two often occur together.
NASB, TEVflocks of sheep suffer
NKJVflocks of sheep suffer your punishment
NRSVflocks of sheep are dazed
NJBflocks of sheep bear punishment too
The VERB’s (BDB 79, KB 95, Niphal PERFECT) basic meaning is bear guilt or bear iniquity. It is used predominantly in the Qal stem and in the books of Leviticus and Numbers.
It appears in the Niphal stem only twice (here and Psa 5:10), but the meaning is the same. It is possible that the land and flocks bear the guilt of their human (i.e., Israelite) inhabitants. This is reflected in Genesis 3 and Rom 8:18-25 (the curse, cf. Rev 22:3). This truth is reflected in the cursing and blessing section of Deuteronomy 27-29. How we live affects our land!
Joe 1:19-20 This is a lament prayer formula that Joel gives to the priests to be prayed, along with the people, possibly at the called fast of Joe 1:13-14. YHWH is willing to forgive and restore if His people are responsive to Him (faith) and obedient (covenant).
Joe 1:19 fire has devoured the pastures This same allusion to fire is used in Joe 2:5. It is either a metaphor of destruction or it refers to the redness on the underside of the wings of the locust. As they move en masse it looks like a red dawn or a coming fire.
Joe 1:20 Even the beasts of the field pant for Thee See Psa 42:1 where the word pant means great desire (BDB 788, KB 881, Qal IMPERFECT). Again Joel uses personification to heighten the picture of devastation! Humans cry out (Joe 1:19), domestic beasts groan (Joe 1:18), and beasts of the field pant (Joe 1:20)!
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought provoking, not definitive.
1. What is the date of Joel?
2. Are the locusts literal, symbolic or eschatological and why?
3. What is the theological reason for the locust invasion?
4. Explain and define the phrase the day of the LORD as it used in the OT and in the NT.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
ministers of the altar. Reference to Pentateuch (Exo 30:20). App-92.
lie all night, &c. The symbol of mourning; p. 2Sa 12:16.
God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Joe 1:13-20
THE EXTENT . . . VIVID, ARRESTING (contd)
TEXT: Joe 1:13-20
The extremity of the people of Judah, in both locust plague and drought, is so severe that even the dumb beasts are groaning and pant under the Lord!
Joe 1:13 GIRD YOURSELVES . . . LIE ALL NIGHT IN SACKCLOTH . . . MEAL-OFFERING WITHHOLDEN FROM THE HOUSE OF YOUR GOD; Again Joel takes up that which was so impressive to him in Joe 1:9-the cessation of the offerings due to the complete absence of materials with which to make the offerings. It would not have been so calamitous that the people had suffered the loss of physical necessities, but when they were forced to stop presenting their intercessory offerings it indicated that their access to Jehovah, their covenant God, had been interrupted. It would be as disastrous as telling a Christian he could no longer pray or sing praises or in any manner worship the Lord. So the priests are instructed to put on the customary clothing for mourning and penitence called sackcloth in our translation. It was a coarse material woven from goats and camels hair and thus of dark color. Sacks were also made from this coarse material and thus it is called sackcloth. It was not a full garment but more probably a cloth just large enough to wrap around the loins and tie in the front in a knot. They are told they must make their penitent supplications to the Lord day and night without ceasing. The text indicates they should, in some way, prostrate themselves before the great altar in the temple. They are to pray with loud crying (wailing-lamenting) unto God.
Zerr: Joe 1:13. Gird yourselves means for them to be prepared in mind for what was to come. It could not indicate that they were to prepare a defence against the enemy, for it had been declared many times that the invasion was bound to come, and that it would be according to the Lord’s decree. The rest of the verse is the same as several of the preceding ones as to the general devastation to come on the land.
Joe 1:14 SANCTIFY A FAST . . . CALL ALL THE INHABITANTS OF THE LAND . . . AND CRY UNTO JEHOVAH; The prophet now instructs the priests to officially consecrate a specific period of fasting. Fasting is a religious exercise whereby the demands of the flesh are subordinated to a concentration upon the spiritual. A fast was a time dedicated to afflicting the soul-appetites (Lev 16:29-31; Lev 23:27-29). A solemn assembly is also to be gathered. There was no occasion for festive mood now! The elders were undoubtedly called to testify that no such calamity had ever before happened and that this surely must be from God. All the people are instructed to make supplication to the Lord. This statement presupposes, of course, that they will do so in an attitude of repentance.
Zerr: Joe 1:14. The law of Moses did not require fasting as a regular practice, but on special occasions the Lord called for it, and the present is one of them. Most of the gatherings had been turned into mere formalities that left no beneficial results upon the minds of the people. Now the Lord calls for them to sanctify a fast, which means to put on a season of fasting that, is holy because it is sincere and observed from respect for God, The leaders were to assemble the people in the temple because that was the lawful place for public worship and prayers to God, They were to cry unto the Lord because of the great, tniqutty of the land, and the distress that it was going to bring upon it as a punishment.
Joe 1:15 ALAS FOR THE DAY! FOR THE DAY OF JEHOVAH IS AT HAND, AND AS DESTRUCTION FROM THE ALMIGHTY SHALL IT COME. In prophetic literature, the Day of Jehovah generally denotes my great manifestation of Gods power in judgment or redemption. Sometimes, as here in Joel, the prophet denoted a great, calamitous judgment as the Day of Jehovah which had the purpose of calling the covenant people to repentance and purity. Sometimes, and more often than most realize, the prophet, as in Mal 3:1-6, speaks of the ultimate crisis in the history of Gods kingdom which is to involve the overthrow of all opposition and the complete triumph of righteousness (cf. Isa 2:2-5; Joe 2:28-Joe 3:21; Amo 9:11 ff; Zechariah 14, etc.) which refers to the culminating work of Christ the Redeemer in His atoning death, justifying resurrection and His establishment of the church. This was THE DAY OF JEHOVAH when Jehovah brought all men under judgment and at the same time provided for all men redemption. This awaits only the consummation at the Lords second coming. The absence of perspective is very conspicuous when the prophets write of The Day of Jehovah. Chronology is largely disregarded and the Day of Jehovah is seen looming up as the immediate background of every great crisis in which the covenant nation may, be involved. The great Day of Jehovah when the Messiah shall appear in judgment and redemption (Malachi 3, etc.) is definitely bereft of chronological perspective as far as the prophets are concerned. They did not know what person or time was indicated by the Spirit of Christ within them when predicting the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glory. And, in fact, God did not tell them exactly when these things were to be fulfilled. There are inspired guidelines, however, (already referred to more than once, especially in our introductory Interpreting The Prophets), statements of Jesus and the apostles as to the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies. One thing is certain in prophetic literature-the Day of Jehovah is surely coming! The steps by which the goal is to be reached are only gradually revealed in the actual march of Gods providential works of redemption and judgment. The Day of Jehovah is a day of judgment and redemption-primarily a day of judgment. Not only upon the heathen nations, but, due to the absolute righteousness of God, includes judgment upon all sin. God judges even the children of favor and privilege when they sin (Amo 5:18). His judgment is a purifying, refining instrument in order that a remnant might be saved (cf. Isa 6:13; Amo 9:9; Zep 3:13-20). Gentile nations are used by God as instruments on His Day of Judgment, yet they too shall be judged by Him. And, consequently, even a remnant of the Gentiles will turn to Jehovah as a result of the Day of Jehovah. For further comment on the Day of Jehovah see comments on Oba 1:15 in this volume. What Joel here wants the people of Judah to understand is that the Day of Jehovah is as destruction from the Almighty. The Jews were persuaded, because of their special relation to Jehovah, that the Day of Jehovah was intended to be judgment and destruction upon the Gentiles but victory and conquest and world dominion for the Israelites. They refused to accept the preaching of the prophets that God was holding them responsible for their sins (cf. Zep 1:12; Mal 2:17; Amos 6; Eze 8:12).
Zerr: Joe 1:15. Say of the Lord denotes that the calamity about to be inflicted upon the nation would be by the decree Of Him.
Joe 1:16 IS NOT THE FOOD CUT OFF . . . JOY AND GLADNESS FROM THE HOUSE OF OUR GOD? Joel, in asking these questions, is actually interpreting for the people the meaning of the calamities that have come upon them. He asks rhetorically, Can you not see, even from the fact that contact with God has been cut off, that God is visiting us with judgment? It was no longer possible to offer even the least offering to God in the temple-there simply was no produce from field or vineyard by which man could commune with His God.
Zerr: Joe 1:16. The word for meat is defined in the lexicon as food’ because it refers to anything that may be eaten, The prediction is that there was to be a shortage of necessary supplies, Such a condition would render the exercises of God that were in His house a time of solemnity instead of joy and gladness.
Joe 1:17 THE SEEDS ROT . . .; THE GARNERS . . . DESOLATE, THE BARNS . . . BROKEN; The grain seed shrivels up and crumbles into dust for lack of rain. The granaries, storehouses where the people stored their grain, stood deserted and unused. The barns, another type of storage place, also used to house animals sometimes, were actually falling apart from disuse. Even the grain that might have been saved and not sown was withering and becoming unusable because of the extreme drought.
Zerr: Joe 1:17. These conditions are to he understood in the same light as such verses as Joe 1:9-12. Whether it was ail to come literally or figuratively, ihe cause of it was the evil conduct of the nation.
Joe 1:18-20 . . . THE BEASTS GROAN . . . ARE PERPLEXED . . . MADE DESOLATE . . . PANT UNTO THEE; FOR THE WATER BROOKS ARE DRIED UP . . . FIRE HATH DEVOURED THE PASTURES OF THE WILDERNESS. The cattle and sheep are dumbfounded (perplexed) and bewildered. They are dying of starvation and thirst. Hunger and fear grips them but being dumb animals they can only groan. The prophet personally implores the Lord on behalf of these suffering beasts.
Zerr: Joe 1:18. This is more along the same line as the preceding verse. Joe 1:19, Hath ordinarily would denote a condition already present, but whether it was ail history or part prophecy, the point is that God was angry because of the iniquity of His people and determined to punish them. Joe 1:20, The beast could not intelligently cry unto God, but their cry would be caused by His visitation of judgment upon the land as a chastisement for the unfaithfulness of its inhabitants
Lange says, That this latter event (locust plague and drought) should be made the theme of a prophetic discourse, is no way surprising, because Holy Scripture teaches us that all public calamities are divine dispensations designed to awaken men to a sense of their sins, and to bring them to repentance. But as terrible as this plague and drought is and as devastating upon the material means of subsistence as it is, Joels main concern is that it has caused a cessation of all sacrifices and offerings in the Temple of God. These services and the Temple were visible signs and pledges of Gods dwelling in the midst of Israel as His people. When these services ceased it was a sign that God had withdrawn His covenant pledge and presence. In Eze 11:22-25 the glory of the Lord departed from Jerusalem until after the captivity of the Jews. So here, the absence of worship signifies the absence of covenant relation with God. And now, in chapter two, Joel entreats the people and the priests to repent and call upon God for forgiveness and restoration of covenant relationship. Joel, in striking figures, describes the activities by which the people should make their repentance known to God. First, he reiterates the announcement that Jehovah God is the Executor of this call to repentance. God, using natural agents (secondary causes), is the First Cause behind their extremities. In the first part of chapter two (Joe 2:1-11) the prophet creates a literary masterpiece. A vivid, moving picture of words is painted describing Gods army-the locusts.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Gird: Joe 1:8, Joe 1:9, Joe 2:17, Jer 4:8, Jer 9:10, Eze 7:18
ye ministers: 1Co 9:13, Heb 7:13, Heb 7:14
lie: 2Sa 12:16, 1Ki 21:27, Jon 3:5-8
ye ministers: Isa 61:6, 1Co 4:1, 2Co 3:6, 2Co 6:4, 2Co 11:23
for: Joe 1:9, Lev 2:8-10, Num 29:6
Reciprocal: Exo 29:40 – a drink Lev 23:13 – the drink Num 6:15 – drink Num 28:7 – to be poured Num 29:22 – drink offering 1Ki 8:35 – confess 2Ch 6:26 – if they pray Neh 9:1 – children Psa 69:11 – I made Isa 13:6 – Howl ye Isa 22:12 – call Isa 37:2 – General Jer 36:9 – they Jer 48:33 – caused Eze 21:12 – howl Dan 9:3 – with Hos 9:4 – shall not Hos 9:5 – in Joe 1:5 – weep Joe 1:16 – the meat Joe 2:14 – even Amo 8:3 – the songs Mic 2:4 – and lament Zep 1:11 – Howl Zec 11:3 – a voice Mal 1:9 – beseech Jam 5:1 – weep
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Joe 1:13. Gird yourselves means for them to be prepared in mind for what was to come. It could not indicate that they were to prepare a defence against
the enemy, for it had been declared many times that the invasion was bound to come, and that it would be according to the Lord’s decree. The rest of the verse is the same as several of the preceding ones as to the general devastation to come on the land.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Joe 1:13. Gird yourselves Namely, with sackcloth; and lament, ye priests Because the meat-offerings and drink-offerings were cut off: see Joe 1:9. Lie all night in sackcloth Let those priests, whose turn it is to keep the night-watches in the temple, cover themselves with sackcloth, as is usual in times of the greatest calamity; and let them not put it off when they betake themselves to rest, but sleep in sackcloth instead of their ordinary garments.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Joe 1:13-20. A Call for a Fast and Solemn Intercession.The prophet bids the priests, clothed in the garb of mourners, come into the Temple and lament night and day. Let them institute with the appropriate ritual a fast, and summon a solemn gathering of the community. The awful plight of the land suggests the thought that the locusts are but harbingers of the dreaded Day of Yahweh (Amo 5:18-20). Nothing less can be portended when the joyous sacrifices are interrupted by the blight and drought which have destroyed vegetation, and brought hunger and thirst to the cattle so that even they appeal dumbly to Yahweh.
Joe 1:15. Shaddai (mg.): this rare title for Yahweh is chosen for the sake of assonance with destruction (shodh); it is perhaps equivalent to the Babylonian Divine title, adua = my Rock.
Joe 1:16. meat: render, food.
Joe 1:17-18 a. Heb. is very difficult, containing many strange forms. Possibly, using suggestions from LXX, emend to The mules stand abashed by their mangers; waste lie the store-houses, broken down the barns, because the corn has failed; what have we to put in them!
Joe 1:18. made desolate: cf. the English use of desolated in the sense appalled.
Joe 1:19. I: probably emend to they.wilderness: not a barren desert, but more like what we understand by steppe or veldt.
Joe 1:20. the water brooks are dried up: this seems to show that the blight and scorching heat are additional woes, and not simply a poetical description of the havoc wrought by the locusts.
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible
1:13 {h} Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God.
(h) He shows that the only means to avoid God’s wrath, and to have all things restored, is true repentance.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The prophet turned again to the priests (cf. Joe 1:9) and urged them to lament in sackcloth because the grain and wine used in their offerings were no longer available. Joel’s second call to the priests underlines the tragedy of curtailed worship in Judah’s life. Since there were no offerings to bring to the Lord, the nation could not approach Him as He had directed at the very time she needed Him most. This closing reference to priests in this section contrasts with the opening reference to drunkards (Joe 1:5-7), from the most ungodly to the most godly (ideally). This merism has the effect of including all the citizens of Judah in Joel’s call. Joel’s reference to "my God" and "your God" in this verse ties him closely to the priests; their concerns and their relationship to Yahweh were ideally the same.