Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Joel 2:21
Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.
21. O land ] more exactly, O ground; i.e. the soil which until now has been “mourning” (Joe 1:10) under the sore visitation.
for Jehovah hath done great things ] exactly the same phrase as in Joe 2:20, the past tense, however, being here the “prophetic past” (comp. on Amo 5:2), and describing in reality what Jehovah will do. For the application of the phrase to Jehovah, see Psa 126:2-3.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
21 27. The prophet here speaks himself; and developing in jubilant tones the promise of Joe 2:19-20, first of all ( Joe 2:21-23) bids in turn the land, the beasts of the field, and the children of Zion, exult on account of the deliverance vouchsafed by Jehovah; and then ( Joe 2:24-27) proceeds to dilate upon the felicity which His people will subsequently enjoy.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Fear not, O land – Before, they were bidden to tremble Joe 2:1, now they are bidden, fear not; before, to turn in weeping, fasting and mourning; now, to bound for joy and rejoice; before, the land mourned; now, the land is bidden to rejoice. The enemy had done great things; now the cause of joy is that God had done great things; the Almightiness of God overwhelming and sweeping over the might put forth to destroy. It is better rendered, the Lord hath done great things. If Joel includes herein Gods great doings yet to come, he speaks of them as, in the purpose of God, already in being; or he may, in this verse, presuppose that this new order of Gods mercies has begun, in the destruction of the Pagan foe.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Joe 2:21
Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things.
The influence of a repentant soul upon the universe at large
I. There is a tendency in the influence of a repentant soul to bring back to the material universe the forfeited joy it was destined to possess. Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things. The land is here said to have been in the mend of fear. It had abundant cause for terror. It had been stricken by the retributive hand of God. All its produce had been destroyed. It was desolate. It was yet threatened with more awful agencies of destruction. Sin has made the material universe to tremble. The mood of man is reflected in the material things by which he is surrounded; they reflect the terror of sin and the joy of repentance. Let man obey God, and Eden is a garden of the Lord. Let him disobey God, and earth becomes the abode of Satan. Let man be redeemed, and the earth begins to smile. Let man be glorified, and there is no more curse. When the race is saved, the Lord will do great things in nature. He will entirely change her moods. When the new earth dawns, she will know no fear.
II. There is a tendency in the influence of a repentant soul to render more fruitful the beneficent operations of nature. Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig-tree and the vine do yield their strength And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.
1. There is peace. Man has in his soul the key to the quietude of the universe; when his soul is at peace with God, then the entire world is at rest.
2. There is growth. When man is at peace with God, then the earth is most potent in the exercise of its vitalities. The fruits of the earth are not far removed from the fruits of the Spirit.
3. There is super abundance. When man turns to God, the earth in superabundant blessing turns to man. When repentant in soul our cup runneth over. Nature is rich in treasure to the pure in heart. Repentance is a good friend to commerce.
III. There is a tendency in the influence of a repentant soul to cause a spirit of holy satisfaction to rest upon the world. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and My people shall never be ashamed.
1. There is true enjoyment. Man shall eat in plenty. Nature shall not refuse to supply his want.
2. Here is real satisfaction. Not merely shall nature supply the need of man, but shall appropriately satisfy it.
3. Here is devout praise. The gifts of nature shall awaken men to holy thanksgiving. This is an ideal state of society. Thus will it be when all souls repose in the love of the eternal God.
IV. There is a tendency in the influence of a repentant soul to awaken men to a more thoughtful recognition of the presence of God in the midst of life. And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else. When a nation is given over to a sinful method of life, it has no recognition of God in its midst. It forgets Him. But repentance opens the eye of the moral nature and renders it keen in vision, so that it sees God. To see God in the midst of life is the supreme joy of the pure soul, because all things around partake of the lustre of His presence. This gives a solemn view of life. Lessons–
1. That the joy of the universe is conditioned by the moral sentiments of man.
2. That a pure soul is often the most enriched by nature.
3. That God is in the midst of a repentant humanity. (J. S. Exell, M. A.)
A years ministry
A prophecy of national adversity, a call to national repentance, and a promise of national blessing, are the three great topics of Joels prophetic ministry. The last is represented by the text. The adversity, the repentance, and the blessing indicate a Divine order. If there is reason to fear that days of darkness and gloominess are settling down upon our own land, let not the Israel of God despair; the people and the elders shall assemble before God; lift up the voice of penitential confession, and cry in faith; the vows of a covenanted land shall be remembered and renewed, and the light of Gods countenance shall scatter the darkness. Fear not, O land . . . the Lord will do great things. The great things of the Lords doing comprehend the mission of the Saviour in the fulness of the time; the subsequent mission of His Holy Spirit; the millennial glory; and the final triumph of truth and righteousness in the world. Looking far beyond the intervening clouds of calamity and penitential sorrow, we behold a glory; and by faith we can hear from the distant future, in the trumpet-tongued voice of some messenger of the Lord, that consoling prophecy of the worlds last resting-time of love. Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things. (T. Easton.)
Antidotes against the operation of desponding fear
Unto his beloved country Joel is not only the messenger of its misery, but the herald of its prosperity.
I. The promise of doing great things as an antidote to fear. The fear implied is desponding and unreasonable fear.
1. The causes and occasions of such fear are,–the enterprises of the gates of hell, the tyranny of the man of sin, the wrath of the kings of the earth, the bulwarks of superstition, the efficacy of delusion, the battering-rams of infidelity, and the fierce contentions for: dominion of empire with empire, and kingdom with kingdom.
2. Exemplify the strength and sufficiency of the antidote to this fear, in the promise of doing great things. Apply to the above several occasions and causes of the fear.
3. Enforce the caveat entered against this fear with the promise. In order that the strength and sufficiency of the antidote may be felt in experience, read the record of the great things which the Lord hath done: believe the promises of the great things which He will do; assure yourselves that before the Church be swallowed up by the world, the great things which He hath done shall be done over again; and observe that the caveat against desponding fear is entered, and its antidote prescribed and recommended, under the authority of the Lord who is both the doer and the promiser.
II. The promise of doing great things, which is the ground of the admonition, is an excitation to express the joy for which the admonition is given. Mention some great things which the Lord will do. Protect the reformed faith, furnish a ministry to preach it, raise out of every generation professors to hold it, reconcile the remnant of the seed of Abraham, gather in the fulness of the Gentiles, fill the earth with His glory, crush the insurrection of the last days, rend the heavens and come down, raise and judge the dead, dissolve the frame of the world, present the whole Church faultless in the presence of His glory, and reign over it for ever. Consider the nature of the joy for which the admonition is given, and unto which the promise of doing these great things is an excitement. The Father of glory is the fountain of it; the Saviour of the world is the medium of it; the Spirit of holiness is the author of it; the Scriptures of truth are the means of it; the city of God is the cistern in which it collects; the congregations of the citizens are the openings at which it breaks forth; and their lives the plains over which it flows. Then let us provoke ourselves to rejoice in His goodness and truth and power. In our island the Lord hath done great things, is doing great things, and according to our hope will do great things.
III. Excitation to rejoice needs to be accompanied with instruction concerning the expression of our joy. We shall set before your faith some expressions of joy which correspond to the admonition, and by which it ought to be honoured in the city of God. Particularly, by observing the works of the Lord in the administrations of providence; adoring His glory breaking forth in these works; honouring His name appearing in them with the obedience of faith; trusting in His promises; praying for the performance of the promises which remain yet to be fulfilled; and waiting for the performance of these promises. Then take care to express your joy in each of these forms distinctly. (A. Shanks.)
The Divine response to the challenge of evil
I. Our attention is arrested first by the great things of sin and judgment. Some scholars give the text and context literal interpretations; they construe it to mean that in consequence of the sins of Israel God will send upon the land swarms of locusts which shall destroy every green thing. Others give the text an allegorical interpretation. They say that God threatens to let loose upon Israel a fierce invading army, which like a swarm of locusts will eat up the nation. Be this as it may, the chapter unmistakably sets forth the terrible, devouring power of sin, and the retributions which arise out of sin, and this is a warning that all generations ought to consider and respect. The swarming locusts remind us of the multitudinousness of evil. Evil envelops us, attacks us, torments us on every side. You may crush a locust, you may crush a score, you may crush a thousand, it makes no appreciable difference, myriads more crowd in hungrily, and give you the sense of hopelessness. So the evils that afflict the world are manifold, and it seems useless to resist them; practically they are infinite and overwhelming. What a picture this chapter gives of the fiery energy, the swiftness, the restlessness, the practical irresistibility of the locusts! The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen so shall they run. Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble. So there is an awful wrathfulness, facility, and effectiveness about evil passions, evil movements, and evil things. It takes a century to build up an oak, but the lightning flash blasts it in a moment. Again, these locusts remind us of the pervasiveness of evil. They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall; they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief. You cannot exclude evil; it penetrates everywhere, it defiles everything. It mocks at personal vigilance. The black locusts swarm on all the roses of our pleasure, they devour the golden fruits of our industry, they strip the vine and fig-tree of our domestic felicity, they defile the pomegranates and palms of our sacred places. These locusts suggest another terrible aspect of evil, namely, that it expresses a certain law, order, and government. They shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks. The New Testament makes this clear, that the world of iniquity is a realm of government. Finally, the locusts symbolise the destructiveness of sin. The land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness. We cannot to-day look upon this world without feeling how awful sin is, and how terrible its consequences are. How painful are the aspects of the world beyond Christendom, how painful,, the scenes on which we look! Sin has magnified itself to do great things, and it has done them. It has boasted itself against nature, and filled the earth with disorder, cruelty, and anguish. It has boasted itself against man, and covered him with dishonour, pierced him with misery, dug his grave. It has boasted itself against God, spoiling His works, thwarting His purpose, grieving Him at His heart. It has done great things. It is doing them, it is preparing to do them. We often stand appalled in the presence of evil; we are awed by it, staggered by it. There is something in it that is so mysterious, immeasurable, unfathomable, unaccountable. All our efforts to arrest it seem ridiculous. Scientists identify it with the cosmical force. Philosophers recognise in it the authority of necessity. Reformers and educationists faint as they struggle against the sea-power of evil. And the religious worker often feels the terrible chill of despondency and despair.
II. We dwell upon the great things of the Divine grace. Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things. The adversary has magnified himself, vaunted himself, to do great things, and God responds to his challenge: I, the Lord, will do great things; I will show that My strength prevails against the rage of evil, I will drive the locusts into the sea, I will destroy the destroyer, and bring his work to a perpetual end.
1. Let us notice the wonderful way in which God limits evil. But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate., with his face towards the cast sea, and his hinder part towards the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things. If we look into nature we see that limits have ever been put to the destructive forces. The geologists tell us this. The wild, terrible, murderous dragons of the primitive age were held in check. According to the theory of some scientists, the stronger animals invariably destroy the weaker, but, if that be so, how is it that these awful primeval monsters, all teeth and claws, did not take possession of the earth and keep possession? It is certain that they did not; palaeontology answers us that the best armed species are those which have almost always disappeared. There were laws and forces which hedged in the wildest elements, and gave security and permanence to the weaker but nobler races. And we to-day see the same restraints put upon the noxious things of nature. The naturalist makes this clear. In New Guinea is a venomous bird known as the Bird of Death. Its bite causes excruciating pain, blindness, and lockjaw. No person bitten by it, it is asserted, has recovered, and death comes within a few hours. How is it that this bird of bad omen has not multiplied and taken possession of the forests? How is it that the birds of Paradise manage to survive by its side? Or, to come nearer home, how is it that the hawk does not exterminate the sweet singers of our woods? The devil plant of the Mississippi is most fatal; ii kills insects and cattle, and rich meadow lands shrivel at its insidious approach as if they had been touched with fire. How is it that the infernal thing remains within certain regions? In Nicaragua is the vampire vine, which seems literally to drain the blood of every living-thing, which comes within its deathdealing touch. How is it that this vampire vine does not prevail, and drive out the vine whose purple clusters make glad the heart of man? One of the old kings had a garden planted solely with poison flowers; how is it that the whole earth has not become such a garden? The fact is, there is a vigilant, benign law, a balance of nature, which keeps these formidable growths within limit beyond which they cannot pass, and, instead of sickly colours, vile odours, and deadly poisons dominating the panorama, the landscape is full of loveliness, fragrance, and health. The octopus, the alligator, the shark threaten the seas, but the same law prevails there that prevails on the land, shielding whatsoever passeth through the depth of the seas. And the physiologist tells us the same story. One would expect that diseases of the blood and brain would be transmitted from one generation to another, until the whole race would become infected, and the earth degenerate into a lazar house; but the physiologist answers us that there is a limit to the transmission of abnormal characteristics. And if you look into history you are taught exactly the same lesson. The Pharaohs, the Neros, the Attilas, the Mahomets, the Tamerlanes, the Alvas, the Napoleons now and again threaten civilisation; it lies helpless and bleeding at their feet; but the historian shows that there is always a rock on which their Armadas suffer shipwreck, a Moscow in which their armies perish. And it is thus to-day in this world of ours. All about us are horrible things, infectious literature, vile institutions, degrading practices, which threaten the very life of the nation. And prowling around are thousands of selfish, cruel monsters, ready to prey on their helpless fellows. It is a mystery that they do not eat us up. But they do not. Just as there is a secret law circumscribing the shark, the vampire, the corpse plant, the upas, so Gods eye is upon the drinking, saloon, the infamous press, the gambling club, the camera obscura of lust, the prize ring, the opium den, and all the rest of the terrible things which menace civilisation, and the proud, raging waves of hell foaming out their own shame are broken on unseen, mystic sands which God has fixed as the bounds over which they may not pass. He limits one bad thing by another bad thing; He limits one bad thing by a thing less bad; He limits all bad things by the golden ring of His perfect sovereign government.
2. But God does not merely intend to limit evil; He designs the full triumph of righteousness. It is not enough that He should restrain the force and fury of the devil within given breakwaters; He means to confound evil, to abolish it. Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord hath done great things. And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten. The Lord hath done great things in the direction of this absolute victory. The Gospel is a revelation of great things. The advent of our Lord; His personal moral glory; His ministry; His passion; His atoning death; His resurrection; His ascension into heaven; His sending forth of the Holy Spirit; His session at the right hand of God,–these are the mighty accomplished facts of redemption which justify our boast that the Lord hath done great things. Over against the destructive things and methods of wickedness He has put a great salvation which was first spoken by the Lord, and which was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him. And in its application the great salvation has vindicated its name. At once in the actual world the first evangelists proved its efficacy. The great things of God at once assert themselves against the great things of darkness, against the rulers of this world. And is not Christianity the great force that overcomes evil in the world of to-day? It is the saving power in the heathen world. And here at home the great things of the Gospel are the hope of society. Not!ling goes to the root of the evil we bemoan but the doctrines of the Gospel; nothing really grapples with sin but the power of grace; nothing creates amongst us a living, organic righteousness except the truth and love and power of God in Jesus Christ. And it will continue to save and bless. Do not lose heart, do not be overwhelmed by the vision of evil. (W. L. Watkinson.)
Gracious promises
These promises are applied and amplified. Application is made to the land, that it should not fear, but rejoice seeing God was to do eat things; and to the beasts, that they should lay aside their fear, since the earth was to be blessed with pasture and fruit. Learn–
1. The Lord would have His promises and comforts applied to them to whom they are given, for their refreshment.
2. Gods kindness to penitents will be such, as not only to refresh themselves, but to gladden and refresh their land, their beasts, and all in their kind.
3. Penitents are instrumental to draw down blessings on themselves and on what they enjoy.
4. Gods care of the earth, and of the very cattle, may assure penitents of His respects to them.
5. God, when He pleaseth, can make fears end in joy, and the hope thereof should bring joy, when fear is vet on.
6. Gods great power who promiseth, and who hath given proof thereof in executing threatenings, may guard against fear, and afford ground of hope, were the thing promised never so great and difficult.
7. God can, and in due time will remove the fears of His people, by giving actual proofs of His love, for so are they encouraged by the promises made to the beasts for their sake and good. (George Hutcheson.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 21. Fear not – for the Lord will do great things.] The words are repeated from the preceding verse; Jehovah will do great things in driving them away, and supernaturally restoring the land to fertility.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Fear not, O land. In Joe 2:10, the land is said to quake at the approach of this devouring army; now at the approach of mercy it is encouraged, and commanded not to fear; by the same figure and in the same sense, it should not fear now as before it did quake.
Be glad and rejoice: this tells us that fear not was a meosis; shout for joy, express the greatest confidence.
For the Lord, who is your God whom you seek, who by me assureth you it is his gracious purpose to do great things for your good,
will do great things: either this explains that last clause, Joe 2:20, or is antitheton to it; the locusts, Gods messengers and servants. did great things against, but now God will recall these, and do great things for Israel.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
21-23. In an ascendinggradation, the land destroyed by the enemy, the beasts ofthe field, and the children of Zion, the land’sinhabitants, are addressed, the former two by personification.
Lord will do great thingsIncontrast to the “great things” done by the haughty foe (Joe2:20) to the hurt of Judah stand the “great things” tobe done by Jehovah for her benefit (compare Psa 126:2;Psa 126:3).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Fear not, O land,…. O land of Israel, as the Targum, and the inhabitants of it; neither of the locusts, who had so terrified them, and had done so much mischief, and threatened more; nor of their enemies, the Assyrians or Chaldeans, and their powerful armies, or any other; but, on the contrary,
be glad, and rejoice; at the removal of the locusts, and at the destruction of their enemies:
for the Lord will do great things; good things, in opposition to the evil things done by the locusts, as Aben Ezra, Kimchi, and Ben Melech observe; or by the destroying army of the king of Assyria, by delivering the Jews out of the Babylonish captivity; and in the times of the Maccabees, and especially in the times of Christ, which are quickly prophesied of in this chapter; and which prophecies some interpreters begin here, it not being unusual for the prophets to pass directly from things temporal to things spiritual, and especially to the great deliverance and salvation by Christ, and also by temporal blessings to design spiritual ones.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
This promise is carried out still further in what follows; and Joel summons the earth (Joe 2:21), the beasts of the field (Joe 2:22), and the sons of Zion (Joe 2:23) to joy and exultation at this mighty act of the Lord, by which they have been delivered from the threatening destruction. Joe 2:21. “Fear not, O earth! exult and rejoice: for Jehovah doeth great things! Joe 2:22. Fear ye not, O beasts of the field! for the pastures of the desert become green, for the tree bears its fruit; fig-tree and vine yield their strength. Joe 2:23. And ye sons of Zion, exult and rejoice in the Lord your God; for He giveth you the teacher for righteousness, and causes to come down to you a rain-fall, early rain and latter rain, first of all.” The soil had suffered from the drought connected with the swarms of locusts (Joe 1:9); the beasts of the field had groaned on account of the destruction of all the plants and vegetation of every kind (Joe 1:18); the men had sighed over the unparalleled calamity that had befallen both land and people. The prophet here calls to all of them not to fear, but to exult and rejoice, and gives in every case an appropriate reason for the call. In that of the earth, he introduces the thought that Jehovah had done great things – had destroyed the foe that did great things; in that of the beasts, he points to the fresh verdure of the pastures, and the growth of the fruit upon the trees; in that of men, he lays stress upon a double fact, viz., the gift of a teacher for righteousness, and the pouring out of a plentiful rain. In this description we have to notice the rhetorical individualizing, which forms its peculiar characteristic, and serves to explain not only the distinction between the earth, the beasts of the field, and the sons of Zion, but the distribution of the divine blessings among the different members of the creation that are mentioned here. For, so far as the fact itself is concerned, the threefold blessing from God benefits all three classes of the earthly creation: the rain does good not only to the sons of Zion, or to men, but also to animals and to the soil; and so again do the green of the pastures and the fruits of the trees; and lastly, even the not only blesses the earth, but also the beasts and men upon it. It is only through overlooking this rhetorico-poetical distribution, that any one could infer from Joe 2:22, that because the fruits are mentioned here as the ordinary food of animals, in direct contrast to Gen 1:28-29, where the fruit of the trees is assigned to men for food, the beasts of the field signify the heathen. The perfects in the explanatory clauses of these three verses are all to be taken alike, and not to be rendered in the preterite in Joe 2:21, and in the present in Joe 2:22 and Joe 2:23. The perfect is not only applied to actions, which the speaker looks upon from his own standpoint as actually completed, as having taken place, or as things belonging to the past, but to actions which the will or the lively fancy of the speaker regards as being as good as completed, in other words, assumes as altogether unconditional and certain, and to which in modern languages we should apply the present (Ewald, 135, a, etc.). The latter is the sense in which it is used here, since the prophet sets forth the divine promise as a fact, which is unquestionably certain and complete, even though its historical realization has only just begun, and extends into the nearer or more remote future. The divine act over which the prophet calls upon them to rejoice, is not to be restricted to the destruction of those swarms of locusts that had at that time invaded Judah, and the revivification of drying nature, but is an act of God that is being constantly repeated whenever the same circumstances occur, or whose influence continues as long as this earth lasts; since it is a tangible pledge, that to all eternity, as is stated in Joe 2:26, Joe 2:27, the people of the Lord will not be put to shame. The “sons of Zion” are not merely the inhabitants of Zion itself, but the dwellers in the capital are simply mentioned as the representatives of the kingdom of Judah. As the plague of locusts fell not upon Jerusalem only, but upon the whole land, the call to rejoicing must refer to all the inhabitants of the land (Joe 1:2, Joe 1:14). They are to rejoice in Jehovah, who has proved Himself to be their God by the removal of the judgment and the bestowal of a fresh blessing.
This blessing is twofold in its nature. He gives them . From time immemorial there has been a diversity of opinion as to the meaning of these words. Most of the Rabbins and earlier commentators have followed the Chaldee and Vulgate, and taken moreh in the sense of “teacher;” but others, in no small number, have taken it in the sense of “early rain,” e.g., Ab. Ezra, Kimchi, Tanch., Calvin, and most of the Calvinistic and modern commentators. But although moreh is unquestionably used in the last clause of this verse in the sense of early rain; in every other instance this is called yoreh (Deu 11:14; Jer 5:24); for Psa 84:7 cannot be brought into the account since the meaning is disputed. Consequently the conjecture is a very natural one, that in the last clause of the verse Joel selected the form moreh , instead of yoreh , to signify early rain, simply on account of the previous occurrence of hammoreh in the sense of “teacher,” and for the sake of the unison. This rendering of hammoreh is not only favoured by thee article placed before it, since neither moreh = yoreh (early rain), nor the corresponding and tolerably frequent malqosh (latter rain), ever has the article, and no reason can be discovered why moreh should be defined by the article here if it signified early rain; but it is decisively confirmed by the following word , which is quite inapplicable to early rain, since it cannot mean either “in just measure,” or “at the proper time,” or “in becoming manner,” as ts e daqah is only used in the ethical sense of righteousness, and is never met with sensu physico , neither in 2Sa 19:29; Neh 2:20, nor in Psa 23:3 and Lev 19:36, where moreover occurs. For (in the Psalm) are not straight or right ways, but ways of righteousness (spiritual ways); and although , , are no doubt really correct scales and weight-stones, this is simply because they correspond to what is ethically right, so that we cannot deduce from this the idea of correct measure in the case of the rain. Ewald and Umbreit, who both of them recognise the impossibility of proving that ts e daqah is used in the physical sense of correctness or correct measure, have therefore adopted the rendering “rain for justification,” or “for righteousness;” Ewald regarding the rain as a sign that they are adopted again into the righteousness of God, whilst Umbreit takes it as a manifestation of eternal righteousness in the flowing stream of fertilizing grace. But apart from the question, whether these thoughts are in accordance with the doctrine of Scripture, they are by no means applicable here, where the people have neither doubted the revelation of the righteousness of God, nor prayed to God for justification, but have rather appealed to the compassion and grace of God in the consciousness of their sin and guilt, and prayed to be spared and rescued from destruction (Joe 2:13, Joe 2:17). By the “teacher for righteousness,” we are to understand neither the prophet Joel only (v. Hofmann), nor the Messiah directly (Abarbanel), nor the idea teacher or collective body of messengers from God (Hengstenberg), although there is some truth at the foundation of all these suppositions. The direct or exclusive reference to the Messiah is at variance wit the context, since all the explanatory clauses in vv. 21-23 treat of blessings or gifts of God, which were bestowed at any rate partially at that particular time. Moreover, in v. 23, the sending of the rain-fall is represented by (imperf. c. Vav cons.), if not as the consequence of the sending of the teacher for righteousness, at any rate as a contemporaneous event. These circumstances apparently favour the application of the expression to the prophet Joel. Nevertheless, it is by no means probable that Joel describes himself directly as the teacher for righteousness, or speaks of his being sent to the people as the object of exultation. No doubt he had induced the people to turn to the Lord, and to offer penitential supplication for His mercy through his call to repentance, and thereby effected the consequent return of rain and fruitful seasons; but his address and summons would not have had this result, if the people had not been already instructed by Moses, by the priests, and by other prophets before himself, concerning the ways of the Lord. All of these were teachers for righteousness, and are included under hammoreh . Still we must not stop at them. As the blessings of grace, at the reception of which the people were to rejoice, did not merely consist, as we have just observed, in the blessings which came to it at that time, or in Joel’s days, but also embraced those which were continually bestowed upon it by the Lord; we must not exclude the reference to the Messiah, to whom Moses had already pointed as the prophet whom the Lord would raise up unto them, and to whom they were to hearken (Deu 18:18-19), but must rather regard the sending of the Messiah as the final fulfilment of this promise. This view answers to the context, if we simply notice that Joel mentions here both the spiritual and material blessings which the Lord is conveying to His people, and then in what follows expounds the material blessings still further in Joe 2:23-27, and the spiritual blessings in Joe 2:28-32 and ch. 3. They are both of them consequences of the gift of the teacher for righteousness.
Hence the expansion of the earthly saving gifts is attached by with Vav cons. Joel mentions first of all geshem , a rain-fall, or plentiful rain for the fertilizing of the soil and then defines it more exactly as early rain, which fell in the autumn at the sowing time and promoted the germination and growth of the seed, and latter rain, which occurred in the spring shortly before the time of harvest and brought the crops to maturity (see at Lev 26:3). , in the beginning, i.e., first (= in Gen 33:2, just as is used in Lev 9:15 for in Num 10:13), not in the first month (Chald., etc.), or in the place of , as before (lxx, Vulg., and others). For corresponds to in Joe 2:28 (Heb 3:1), as Ewald, Meier, and Hengstenberg admit. First of all the pouring out of a plentiful rain (an individualizing expression for all kinds of earthly blessings, chosen here with reference to the opposite of blessing occasioned by the drought); and after that, the pouring out of the spiritual blessing (Joel 2:28-3:21).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Here he shows that God would have his turn to exalt himself, which the Assyrian presumptuously attempted to do. For God seems for a time to lie still, when he withholds himself, when he puts not forth his power, but waits to see the tendency of the insane conspiracies and the Satanic madness of those who rise up against him and his Church. But having for a time thus restrained himself, he at length comes forth; and this is what the Prophet means when he says, God has highly exalted himself to do his purpose. The Assyrian first attempted this; but now the Lord in his turn will raise up himself. God indeed could have done this before, but he would not; and we see this to be his usual mode of proceeding, to connive at the presumption of men, till the ripened time comes which he has predetermined; and then he dissipates in a moment their enterprises.
God, then, has now nobly exalted himself; therefore rejoice and exult, O Land. But he says first, Fear not, O Land; and then, Exult and rejoice For it was necessary, in the first place, to remove the fear with which the minds of all were now seized. The Prophet, then, begins with consolation; for the Jews could have hardly entertained any joy, except the fear that oppressed them was first shaken off. Hence the Prophet maintains due order by saying, “Fear not, O Land, but rather exult and rejoice.” He afterwards subjoins —
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
CRITICAL NOTES.]
Joe. 2:21. Fear not] as in ch. 1, on account of judgments, but rejoice in the destruction of the hosts.
Joe. 2:22.] Verdant pastures and trees laden with fruit shall be given. Beasts of the field shall no longer want.
Joe. 2:23. Rain] The former moderately, lit. according to right, i.e. in due measure, not in extremes to injure (Deu. 11:14; Pro. 16:15). The rain] Generically, showers. The latter rain] to mature the crops; rain in season, rain in opposition to drought, and rain a type of all blessings.
Joe. 2:24-27.] Effects of the rainabundance of all kinds of food; reparation of damage by locusts; redemption of Israel from the heathen; vindication of God and gratitude for his grace.
HOMILETICS
THE GREAT THINGS OF GOD.Joe. 2:21-27
The locusts seemed to exult in the ruin they caused; but Jehovah doomed them to destruction, recovered the land from barrenness, and crowned it with beauty. The enemy had done great things against them; now God would do great things for them. No longer wasted fields and withered harvests. Joy is to succeed sorrow. The blessings are to be wide as the judgments, and man and beasts are to rejoice in the restoration of fruitful seasons and spiritual privileges.
I. Great temporal blessings. The seed shall be prosperous, and the vine give her fruit; the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens their dew again (Zec. 8:12).
1. Copious rain. The plague of locusts and of drought had caused the land to mourn. The garden of Eden had become a desolate wilderness. The only hope of recovery was in abundant and copious rain. Rain is promised by words multiplied in wonderful emphasis. First, showers in general, then in due season, early and latter rain for autumn and spring. Rain in mercy and moderation. God sends or withholds the rain in sovereign wisdom. It comes not by chance, but Divine commission. It is given in due measure, and sent in special direction. He causes it to rain upon one city, and not upon another.
2. Fruitful seasons. The pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig-tree and the vine do yield their strength. Grass will spring, tender herbs bud, and fruit-trees yield their fruit. Living pastures shall satisfy groaning beasts, and universal fear shall give place to universal joy. God never left us without witness of his goodness and mercy, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.
3. Replenished granaries. And the floors shall be full of wheat, &c. Barns shall no longer fall into decay, but wine, grain, and oil shall be given in abundance. Every trace of ruin shall disappear. I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten. The devastation of former years shall be undone. Threefold blessings shall benefit the three departments of nature. The parched ground shall robe itself in living verdure, flowers adorn the field, and trees rustle with foliage. The herds of oxen and flocks of sheep shall no longer roam in agony and distress. Husbandmen, vine-dressers, and ministers of the altar must cease to weep, rejoice in God, and eat their bread in gratitude. Your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time; and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely (Lev. 26:5).
II. Great spiritual blessings. And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, &c.
1. Restoration of national praise. Through the sins of the people and the consequent judgments of God, sacrifices had ceased to be offered and joy had been cut off from the temple (ch. Joe. 1:16). The loss of religious privileges is a most grievous calamity. There is no place like the house of God to Christians. They prefer Jerusalem above their chief joy. Loss of bread is nothing to loss of the worship of God. It is a loss of social help and natural influence. Worship is mans greatest dignity and supreme good. When a nation gives praise to God they reap the highest enjoyments. They shall praise the Lord that seek him; your heart shall live for ever.
2. Manifestation of Divine presence. Ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel. Men do not always know, nations do not often recognize God. In prosperity and plenty they forget him. Harvests are expected as a matter of course. Human ingenuity and natural laws produce results. Creation is a mere machine without maker and controller. Thus the blessings of God are received in a forgetful, selfish spirit. But God interrupts the sequence of events, judgments are sent, to bring nations to regard Him. He withdraws his presence and permits plagues to bring them to repentance. Are not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us? The heathen taunts, Where is their God? But God is sought in distress and found, and loving fellowship is restored. God is in the midst of the nation; she shall not be moved; God shall help her, and that right early.
3. Revival of national joy. Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God. Israel were not only to rejoice in God, but in God as the Lord their God. The world may be unable to rejoice, but God shall have their share of gladness. God promises and puts joy into their hearts; a joy greater than that created by corn and wine. Abundant crops and splendid seasons give uncertain gladness; but the manifestation of Gods presence is a source of pure and permanent joy. In thy presence is fulness of joy. Better empty barns than forsaken temples. Joy unspeakable and full of glory is the heritage and honour of that nation with whom God delights to dwell. For, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
A Deity believed is joy begun;
A Deity adored is joy advanced;
A Deity beloved is joy matured;
Each branch of piety delight inspires.
4. Deliverance from national shame. And my people shall never be ashamed. Pitied, delivered, and honoured, the people would be free from reproach. Gods honour is linked with our honour, though we suffer reproach for a time; if we be ashamed of our sins against God, we shall never be ashamed to glory in him. He will never render his grace and purpose void. By the performance of his word and the destruction of his foe he will wipe away all dishonour. In Christ especially are these words realized. He suffers when we suffer, and relieves in poverty and tribulation. In him God returns to men, and turns again the captivity of Zion. Then we sing and cease to fear; we obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
HOMILETIC HINTS AND OUTLINES
Joe. 2:23. Rain a symbol of spiritual blessings. I. Their source. He hath given you, he will cause to come down. The laws of nature and heathen gods do not bestow rain. It comes from heaven (Act. 14:17; Isa. 55:10). II. Their method of bestowment.
1. In due season. The influence of the Spirit, like early rain in seed-time, waters instruction given, and like latter rain matures the soul in growth, and ripens it for heaven.
2. In rich abundance. Like copious showers, blessings shall descend and flow down to men. III. Their blessed results.
1. Barren land rejoices. Pastures revive and trees bring forth fruit. The little hills shout and sing for joy (Psa. 65:12-13). Gospel blessings refresh thirsty souls and quicken desolate churches.
2. Gods people are glad. Be glad then, ye children of Zion. Joy springs from their hearts and harvests are reaped from their labours.
By heavens influence, corn and plants do spring;
Gods showers of grace do make his valleys sing.
Joe. 2:26. Spiritual feasting.
1. The guests. Ye shall eat. Gods people shall never want, though sometimes poor and persecuted.
2. The provision. Not mere temporal blessings (Joe. 2:24); but joy in Gods presence, all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus. Plenty of it; not the least scarcity.
3. The result. (a) Satisfaction. Be satisfied. Nothing but this will satisfy. The meek shall eat and be satisfied (Psa. 22:26). (b) Praise. And praise the name of the Lord. Thanksgiving shall come after the fast. They shall never die of grief. Immortal joys shall be their portion. Whosoever eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
I. The wondrous dealing of God. Israel in the wilderness and Israel delivered from the plague a type of Gods dealings with us. He smites by wonders and he recovers by wonders. God hath dealt wondrously with you.
1. In the bounties of nature. How wonderful to quicken the earth and send the beauties of spring, to give sunshine and shower, bread and sustenance, manna from heaven and waters from the rock.
2. In the blessings of providence. (a) Common mercies. Health and habitations. Thousands worse off than you. Many in poverty, prison, and disgrace. You have a goodly heritage among men. (b) Special mercies. Removal of family reproach and personal shame, deliverance from sickness and judgment. You are a wonder to many (Psa. 71:7).
3. In the gifts of grace. (a) In the gift of Christ. Wondrous love, &c. (b) In the gift of the Holy Spirit to enlighten and teach. (c) In continued grace to renew and strengthen. Thy love to me was wonderful. II. The consequent gratitude of man. Praise the name of the Lord your God.
1. By acknowledging your obligations. Your God.
2. By remembering his works. Israel forgat God even at the Red Sea, the most signal spot of their pilgrimage. Talk ye of all his wondrous works.
3. By obeying his word. Show your gratitude in practical conduct. Let lips and life praise the Lord. The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad.
ILLUSTRATIONS TO CHAPTER 2
Joe. 2:22-25. It is too clear for either argument or illustration, that if you change the moral character of any country from ignorance to intelligence, from indolence to industry, from intemperance to self-discipline, from sensualness to spirituality, from enmity to love, that the whole material region in which they live may abound with plentifulness and beauty. Such a change throughout the whole human population to-day will give to all a new heaven and earth [Dr Thomas].
Joe. 2:26-27. In the midst. It was to induce this devout and thankful recognition of the Divine presence that the judgment had been sent. Dulled by routine, blinded by use and wont, the Jews had come to regard the succession of the seasons and the bounty of the year in a hard mechanical way, as though Nature were a mere engine or machine. It was to convince them of his presence in Nature, to make them pure, strong, and happy, that God interrupted the usual sequence of events, first by disasters over which they had no control; by plagues (literally blows), which they understood as judgments; and then by acts of grace and good will, which they understood as signs of his returning favour. Terrified by disasters, and attracted by blessings which seemed to them answers to repentance and prayer, as they ate and were satisfied, the people praised the name of Jehovah their God, who had dealt wondrously with them; they felt, they acknowledged that he was in the midst of them, in their fields and in their vineyards as well as in the temple, and that Jehovah was their God and none else, since only he could send them rain and fruitful seasons, and fill their hearts with gladness [Samuel Cox].
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
(21) Fear not, O land . . .The sentence of the reversal of judgment has gone forth, and all natureanimate and inanimate, rational and irrationalwhich had been included in the curse is summoned to rejoice in the blessing vouchsafed by the Lord.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
21. Land In Joe 1:10, it is represented as mourning; now the danger is past, therefore, it is time for rejoicing. The land rejoices when it greens and brings forth abundant harvest.
Jehovah will do great things R.V., “hath done.” The same phrase as that applied to the locusts in Joe 2:20
(Psa 126:2-3). The great thing is the change of purpose and the destruction of the foe that “had done great things.” The tense is the so-called prophetic perfect; the deliverance is not yet accomplished, but to the prophet it is as good as accomplished, since Jehovah has decided upon Joe 2:22.
Beasts They had groaned on account of the destruction of all vegetation (Joe 1:18; Joe 1:20); all is changed now, food will no longer be wanting.
Pastures Devoured by the fire (Joe 1:19).
Do spring They bring forth new grass (Gen 1:11-12; Psa 23:2). The tenses as in Joe 2:21. The beasts are called upon to rejoice because the trees bear fruit once more.
The tree beareth her fruit The fruit bearing of the trees, especially of the vine and fig, has no direct bearing on the happiness of the beasts; but they are to enter into sympathy with the inhabitants and rejoice with them over the new fertility. There is, however, another reason for their rejoicing. In Joe 1:20, the water brooks are described as dried up, producing great suffering among the beasts. Without water there can be no vegetation. On the other hand, vegetation presupposes plenty of water, and new growth of the trees implies abundance of water to relieve the thirst of the beasts; therefore, they may well rejoice.
Yield their strength They produce fruit, not sparingly as in the past, but in accord with their full powers.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Joe 2:21. Fear not, O land, &c. In the former part of this prophesy the land is elegantly represented as mourning, the beasts groaning, and the herds of cattle as greatly distressed; the rivers of water as dried up, and the pastures of the wilderness as all consumed. In the same elegant strain the prophet calls upon the land to rejoice, and the beasts of the field to be glad; because the rain should descend, the trees yield their increase, the earth its plenty, and every thing minister to the joy and comfort of the inhabitants: so that though the threatening ran, that the land (which looked, before the locusts invaded it, like the garden of Eden) should appear behind them like a desolate wilderness; the blessing intimated upon their repentance is, that the desolate wilderness should be again turned into a garden of Eden, and abound with every thing for usefulness and pleasure. See the Observations, p. 23.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Here comes in what all along seems to have been intimated, how gracious the Lord would deal with his people. This is ever the case. When the Lord is coming forth to bless, he puts his people to pray. And let the Reader never overlook the cause: namely, the Lord’s jealousy for his land, his love to his people. And all this with an eye to Christ, the first and only pre-disposing cause in the salvation of Zion.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Joe 2:21 Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.
Ver. 21. Fear not, O land ] O red earth, or O tilled land, that hast lain bedridden, as it were under the heavy curse of God, ever since the fall of Adam; and wast never beautiful on cheerful since that time, Gen 3:17 . Thou that hast lately been under that great and very terrible day of the Lord, Joe 2:11 , who hath made bloody wales upon thy back, and laid thee as a desolate wilderness, Joe 2:3 , to thy great grief and terror, cheer up now, and fear not thine inhabitants are penitents, and repentance hath turned their crosses into comforts as scarlet pulls out the teeth of a serpent; as wine draweth a nourishing virtue from the flesh of vipers, as the philosopher’s stone, they say, turns all into gold. See 1Pe 1:7 . God will turn all thy sadness into gladness: neither shalt thou any more lie to those that manure thee (as the Scripture phrase is, Hab 3:17 ), that is, disappoint and frustrate their expectation; but “thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee,” Deu 33:29 . Spem mentita seges (Virg.). Victum seges aegra negabat (Horat.).
For the Lord will do great things
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Joe 2:21-27
21Do not fear, O land, rejoice and be glad,
For the LORD has done great things.
22Do not fear, beasts of the field,
For the pastures of the wilderness have turned green,
For the tree has borne its fruit,
The fig tree and the vine have yielded in full.
23So rejoice, O sons of Zion,
And be glad in the LORD your God;
For He has given you the early rain for your vindication.
And He has poured down for you the rain,
The early and latter rain as before.
24The threshing floors will be full of grain,
And the vats will overflow with the new wine and oil.
25Then I will make up to you for the years
That the swarming locust has eaten,
The creeping locust, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust,
My great army which I sent among you.
26You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied
And praise the name of the LORD your God,
Who has dealt wondrously with you;
Then My people will never be put to shame.
27Thus you will know that I am in the midst of Israel,
And that I am the LORD your God,
And there is no other;
And My people will never be put to shame.
Joe 2:21-27 These verses describe YHWH’s assurance of restoration and abundant fertility. The regular cycles of rain and harvest will return. YHWH’s presence is His greatest gift (cf. Joe 2:27). The covenant with Israel is restored!
Notice the commands:
1. do not fear, Joe 2:21, BDB 431, KB 432, Qal IMPERFECT (negated) but used in a JUSSIVE sense, FEMININE SINGULAR (Israel)
2. rejoice, Joe 2:21, BDB 162, KB 189, Qal IMPERFECT, FEMININE SINGULAR (Israel)
3. be glad, Joe 2:21, BDB 970, KB 1333, Qal IMPERATIVE, FEMININE SINGULAR (Israel)
4. do not fear, Joe 2:22, same as Joe 2:21, but here MASCULINE PLURAL (the beasts of the field)
5. rejoice, Joe 2:23, same as Joe 2:21, MASCULINE PLURAL (sons of Zion)
6. be glad, Joe 2:32, same as Joe 2:21, MASCULINE PLURAL (sons of Zion)
Joe 2:21 O land This verse is a personification (three imperatives) of the Promised Land. It had been devastated by YHWH’s judgment on His people’s sin, but now it is being restored and renewed (cf. Rom 8:18-25).
Joe 2:22 beasts of the field As the land was personified in Joe 2:21, now it is the beasts of the field. Fertility has been restored to
1. pastures
2. fruit trees
3. grapes
Joe 2:23 O sons of Zion This refers to the people of Jerusalem. The land and beasts are not to fear and the populace is to rejoice and be glad at YHWH’s forgiveness and restoration.
the early rain There are three rainy seasons in Palestine:
1. October – November, which begins the end of the dry season (i.e., June – September)
2. December – February, which are the regular heavy rains. This is the period when the largest amount of rain comes to Palestine.
3. March – May, which marks the end of the wet season. The warmer temperatures and the moisture cause abundant crops (cf. Joe 2:24). When they stop, harvest begins.
These two rainy periods (#1, #3) are referred to several times in the Bible:
1. Deu 11:14 (Deu 28:12)
2. Jer 5:24 (Jer 3:3)
3. Hos 6:3
4. Joe 2:23
5. Jas 5:7
It is their timing that is crucial!
NASB, NRSVthe early rain for your vindication
NKJVthe former rain faithfully
TEVthe right amount of autumn rain
NJBautumn rain as justice demands
LXXfood fully
PESHITTAfood of righteousness
REBfood in due measure
NIVthe autumn rains in righteousness
NABthe teacher of justice
The term early rain (BDB 435 I, cf. Psa 84:6) has the same Hebrew letters as teacher (BDB 435 II, cf. Job 36:22; Pro 5:13; Isa 30:20[twice]). This phrase is the source of the Essene community’s eschatological leader, the teacher of righteousness.
The lexicon KB has three terms listed for this same root:
1. archers, 560 I, cf. 1Sa 31:3; 2Sa 11:24
2. rain, 560 II
3. teacher, 560 III
There is real confusion over how to translate this phrase:
1. the context seems to fit a literal understanding of the early rain because of the agricultural contextual setting from Joe 2:21-26, (also Kimchi and Calvin)
2. the Septuagint and Peshitta translate the word as food
3. the translation teacher of righteousness is supported by the Targums, the Zadokite fragment, the Vulgate and many early church fathers (cf. NAB)
4. because the term vindication or righteousness (BDB 842) is used in this phrase, some commentators have thought that it does not relate to literal rain, but to the promised rain of the Mosaic covenant (i.e., to the rain of righteousness, blessings for covenant faithfulness, cf. Deuteronomy 28).
See Special Topic below.
SPECIAL TOPIC: RIGHTEOUSNESS
Joe 2:25 Are the locusts God’s judgment, or are they a symbol of a future invading foreign army? The answer is yes! Prophecy regularly takes a current event and projects it into a future setting. YHWH uses natural means to cause His people to repent; if they do not, more severe judgments are certain!
Joe 2:26 And praise the name of the LORD your God The VERB praise (BDB 237 II; KB 248, Piel PERFECT) is the source of the Hallel Psalms (cf. 113-118). It basically means to shout for joy, usually denoting a time of corporate worship (i.e., Psa 148:5).
The name is an idiomatic way of referring to the person. The Israelites are praising YHWH for His restored covenant blessings, which means the ancient covenant has been restored!
The phrase the LORD your God is a covenantal phrase. The Mosaic covenant, with its blessings and responsibilities, has been restored. He is their God and they are His people!
My people will never be put to shame The shame (BDB 101, KB 116, Qal IMPERFECT) refers to crop failure (i.e., Jer 12:13). This shame can refer to
1. agriculture (here)
2. military (cf. Isa 45:14-17)
In this specific context it seems to be agricultural, but in light of the larger context of chapters 1-2, it could be military.
This is one of the benefits of being in covenant with YHWH (cf. Joe 2:27). It is meant to be an everlasting promise (cf. Isa 45:17), but it is conditional on repentance, obedience, and perseverance (i.e., Jer 6:15 [thrice]; Jer 8:12 [thrice]).
Joe 2:27 I am in the midst of Israel What a tremendous covenant promise (cf. Joe 3:17; Joe 3:21)! In the wilderness God’s presence was noted by the Shekinah Cloud of Glory, in the conquest by the Ark of the Covenant, and in the book of the Revelation by the throne of God. This is what the Messianic title Emmanuel means (God with us)!
there is no other This expresses the biblical affirmation of monotheism. It is first introduced in Deuteronomy (cf. Deu 4:35; Deu 4:39; Deu 5:7; Deu 6:4-5). It is fully developed in Isaiah (cf. Isa 43:9-13; Isa 44:6; Isa 44:8; Isa 45:5-6; Isa 45:18; Isa 45:21-22; Isa 48:16; Jer 2:11; Jer 5:7; Jer 5:10; Hos 13:4; Joe 2:27). It is reaffirmed in the NT (cf. Rom 3:30; 1Co 8:4; 1Co 8:6; 1Ti 2:5; Jas 2:19). See Special Topic: Monotheism .
It is this truth that makes Israel’s faith unique among all the religions of the ancient world.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Fear not. Figure of speech Apostrophe. App-6.
land = soil. Hebrew. ‘adamah. See note on Joe 1:10.
will do great things. Greater than the foe himself (Joe 2:20).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fear: Gen 15:1, Isa 41:10, Isa 54:4, Jer 30:9, Jer 30:10, Zep 3:16, Zep 3:17, Zec 8:15
be glad: Psa 65:12, Psa 65:13, Psa 96:11, Psa 96:12, Psa 98:8, Isa 35:1, Isa 44:23, Isa 55:12, Hos 2:21
for: Joe 2:20, Deu 4:32, 1Sa 12:16, 1Sa 12:24, Psa 71:19, Psa 126:1-3, Jer 33:3
Reciprocal: Psa 65:11 – thy paths Isa 30:23 – shall he Joe 2:26 – that Heb 6:7 – the earth
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Joe 2:21. Such inanimate things as land cannot literally rejoice, yet the language is directly addressed to it. In that respect it is like the passage in Eze 36:6-15. The thought is to be transferred to the people who are to inhabit and enjoy the land, and who will be able to rejoice because of the benefits that the Lord promises to be-stow upon It.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Joe 2:21-22. Fear not, O land, &c. In the former part of this prophecy the land is elegantly represented as mourning, the beasts groaning, and the herds of cattle as greatly distressed; the rivers of water dried up, and the pastures of the wilderness as all consumed. In the same elegant strain he calls upon the land to rejoice, and the beasts of the field to be glad; because the rain should descend, the trees yield their increase, the earth its plenty, and every thing minister to the joy and comfort of the inhabitants: so that though the threatening ran, that the land (which looked, before the locusts invaded it, like the garden of Eden) should appear behind them like a desolate wilderness; the blessing intimated upon their repentance is, that the desolate wilderness should be again turned into a garden of Eden, and abound with every thing for usefulness and pleasure. For the Lord will do great things God will magnify himself, and show his power as much in acts of mercy as he did before in the strokes of his justice. Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field As the cattle and the wild beasts had their share in the dearth, (chap. Joe 1:18; Joe 1:20,) so now even they shall receive comfort, in the return of plenty. The fig-tree and the vine do yield their strength That is, bear fruit according to their kind, in great abundance.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Joel called on the land, personified to represent its people, to rejoice because the Lord had done great things (in contrast to the enemy army, Joe 2:20). The NIV interpreted the last line of Joe 2:20 as referring to the Lord, but it probably refers to the invading army, as the NASB, AV, and RSV translated it. Specifically, he had delivered His people from a much larger and more powerful enemy invasion, assuming the Judahites’ repentance. The animals too could stop fearing because God’s blessing had returned to the land. Green pastures had replaced brown, and trees and vines had again become abundantly fruitful rather than dry and lifeless (cf. Joe 1:7; Joe 1:10-12; Joe 1:19). Fall and spring rains, signs of divine blessing (cf. Deu 11:14), had replaced drought, so the Lord’s people could again rejoice rather than grieving (cf. Joe 1:5; Joe 1:8; Joe 1:11; Joe 1:13; Joe 1:20). The 1978 NIV translation "a teacher for righteousness" (Joe 2:23) is better rendered "the autumn rains for your righteousness." [Note: See Kapelrud, p. 116; or Patterson, p. 254.] The threshing floors would be full of grain and the vats would overflow with new wine and oil (cf. Joe 1:17).