And they have cast lots – They treated Gods people as of no account, and delighted in showing their contempt toward them. They chose no one above another, as though all alike were worthless. They cast lots, it is said elsewhere, upon their honorable men Nah 3:10, as a special indignity, above captivity or slavery. A girl they sold for an evenings revelry, and a boy they exchanged for a nights debauch.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 3. Have given a boy for a harlot] To such wretched circumstances were the poor Jews reduced in their captivity, that their children were sold by their oppressors; and both males and females used for the basest purposes. And they were often bartered for the necessaries or luxuries of life. Or this may refer to the issue of the Chaldean war in Judea, where the captives were divided among the victors. And being set in companies, they cast lots for them: and those to whom they fell sold them for various purposes; the boys to be slaves and catamites, the girls to be prostitutes; and in return for them they got wine and such things. I think this is the meaning of the text.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

It was customary with conquerors to divide the captives by lot, and so did these enemies of the Jews, Ob 11; and so did the Chaldeans on the captive Ninevites, Nah 3:10; though this was grievous, yet it was the common lot of captives.

Have given a boy for an harlot; either procured a boy to bestow on some harlot or other which they kept, or gave a boy, instead of money, the price of an harlot to be enjoyed by lewd soldiers.

And sold a girl; a young girl, which, being captive, fell to their lot, they have valued at a base, low price, and sold

for wine, that they might drink; so much as at one sitting one of them could drink; or perhaps for one draught of wine, when the barbarous soldier was dry or minded to be drunk.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

3. cast lots for my peoplethatis, divided among themselves My people as their captives by lot.Compare as to the distribution of captives by lot (Oba 1:11;Nah 3:10).

given a boy for . . .harlotInstead of paying a harlot for her prostitution inmoney, they gave her a Jewish captive boy as a slave.

girl for wineSovalueless did they regard a Jewish girl that they would sell her fora draught of wine.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

And they have cast lots for my people,…. Not only parted their land, but cast lots for their persons, Or played at dice for them, how many captives each soldier should have, and which should be their share and property: ninety seven thousand Jews, Josephus d says, were carried captive by the Romans, who, very probably, cast lots for them, as was usual in such cases; see Na 3:10;

and have given a boy for a harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink; either they gave a boy to be prostituted to natural lusts, in lieu of a whore; and a girl to be debauched for a bottle of wine: or they gave a boy for the price of a whore, as the Targum and Kimchi interpret it; that is, they gave a boy, instead of money, to a whore, to lie with her, as the eunuch was given to Thais; and they gave a girl to the wine merchant for as much wine as they could drink at one sitting. These phrases both express their uncleanness and intemperance, and also the low price and value they set upon their captives; and is applicable enough to the Papists, notorious for the same abominable lusts.

d De Bello Jud. l. 6. c. 9. sect. 3.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

There follows now another indignity still greater; for they cast lot on God’s people, — On my people they have cast lot, and prostituted a boy for a harlot, and a girl have they sold for wine, that they might drink. By these words the Prophet enhances the injury done them; for the Jews had been reproachfully treated. Some measure of humanity is mostly shown when men are sold; but the Prophet here complains in the person of God, that the Jews had been exposed to sale, as though they were the off scourings of mankind, and of no account. They have cast lots he says; and this was to show contempt; and the Prophet expresses more clearly what he meant, and says, that a boy had been given for a harlot, and a girl for wine. Some consider the Prophet as saying, that boys were prostituted to base and scandalous purposes; but I prefer another view, — that the enemies sold them for a mean price to gratify their gluttony, or their lust; as though the Prophet had said, that the Jews had to endure a grievous reproach by being set to sale, as they say, and that at the lowest price. He farther adds another kind of contempt; for whatever price the enemies procured by selling, they spent it either on harlot or on feasting. We hence see that a twofold injury is here mentioned, — the Jews had been so despised as not to be regarded as men, and had been sold not for the usual prices, but had been disposed of in contempt by their enemies almost for nothing; — and the other reproach was, that the price obtained for them was afterwards spent on gluttony and whoredom: yet this people was sacred to God. Now this contumelious treatment, the Prophet says, God would not endure, but would avenge such a wrong as if done to himself. This is then the meaning.

But the reason which induces me thus to interpret the Prophet is because he says that a girl was sold for wine, as the boy for a harlot; and the construction of the Prophet’s words is the same. It is indeed certain that in the latter clause the Prophet meant nothing else but that the price was wickedly spent for vile and shameful purposes; then the former clause must be understood in the same way. Let us proceed —

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

(3) Cast lots . . .The nations who oppressed and carried away the Jews treated them as chattels, cast lots for the possession of them as slaves, and purchased a nights revelry or other indulgence with the captives they had taken.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

Joe 3:3. And they have cast lots for my people That is, “They have divided my captive people by lot among themselves, according to the laws of war then in use among mankind.” See Nah 3:10. Obad. Joe 3:11. They have given a boy for a harlot; that is to say, they gave a boy as the price of a harlot; and a girl for wine; that is, as the price of wine. They put both boys and girls to the most infamous uses: the boys to wait on their harlots; the girls to be ruined by their sellers of wine. The boys are given as a reward for gratifying their vile passions, and the girls as the price of their intemperance. See Chandler.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Joe 3:3 And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.

Ver. 3. And they have cast lots for my people ] Impiously and imperiously domineering over them as those rude soldiers that cast the dice upon our Saviour’s coat, at his passion. It was ordinary to divide by lots the enemies they had taken in the fight, Nah 3:10 Oba 1:11 Lam 3:53 Jdg 5:30 ; but at base rates thus to sell God’s people ignominiously, and that to satisfy their lewd lusts – this was unsufferable.

And have given a boy for an harlot ] Heb. that boy, as afterwards that girl, with an emphasis; a son and daughter of Israel, those earthly angels Angli quasi Angeli, the English boys just as angels, as Gregory the Great once said of the English boys presented to him. “Thou hast slain my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire,” said God not without very great indignation, to their idolatrous parents, Eze 16:21 . His they were more than theirs, by virtue of the covenant he had made with that people; hence Deu 14:1 , “Ye are the children of the Lord your God,” and can he bear with your misusages? “Should he deal with our sister as a harlot?” said they with courage (as the great Zaijn, in Zonah, importeth) Gen 34:31 . So here, should they give a boy such a boy, for a harlot? that is, for the hire of a harlot, and to gratify such abhorred filths? In the reign of Henry II of France, A.D. 1554 many precious sons of Zion were burned there for religion, not without the indignation of honest men, who knew that the diligence used against those poor people was not for any piety or religion, but to satiate the covetousness of Diana Valentina, the king’s mistress, to whom he had given all the confiscations of goods made in the kingdom for cause of heresy.

And sold a girl for wine, that they might drink ] “The wine of violence,” Pro 4:17 ; “drink and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more,” Jer 25:27 ; worthy, therefore, to be served as that drunken Turk was by that severe bashaw who caused a ladleful of boiling lead to be poured down his throat. God will turn a worse cup down their wide gullets one day, Psa 11:6 Quorum vivere est bibere, and whose profane proverb it is, Bibere et sudare, est vita Cardiaci To drink and to sweat is the life of the heart. But what a heathenish baseness is that of the Papists, besides a horrible abuse of God’s holy ordinance, that at Rome a Jewish maid may not be admitted into the stews of whoredom unless she will first be baptized. Espensaeus, a modest Papist, writeth it, not without detestation.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

they have, &c. This describes past sufferings. Compare Oba 1:16. Nah 3:11.

wine. Hebrew. yayin. App-27.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

2Ch 28:8, 2Ch 28:9, Amo 2:6, Oba 1:11, Nah 3:10, Rev 18:13

Reciprocal: Deu 28:68 – there ye shall Eze 16:33 – give Eze 24:6 – let no Eze 27:13 – the persons Joe 3:6 – have ye Amo 4:1 – Bring Amo 8:6 – General Mic 1:7 – for

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Joe 3:3. This verse pertains to the disrespect that the heathen nations had imposed on the people of God. They treated them as if they were mere items of personal property which could he handled solely for their value in a business transaction.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

Joe 3:3. They have cast lots for my people It was customary with conquerors, in those days, to divide the captives, taken in war, among themselves by lot, and so did these enemies of the Jews. And have given a boy for a harlot By this is meant, that they exchanged, or gave away, Jewish boys, instead of money, for harlots. And sold a girl for wine, that they might drink For a draught of wine, as it were; that is, at a very vile and low rate. These instances are mentioned, to signify the contempt in which these enemies of the Jews held the worshippers of the true God; they parted with them, when they had taken them captives, upon the vilest terms, as setting little or no value upon them. In Mingrelia, according to Sir John Chardin, they sell captive children for provisions and for wine: see Harmer vol. 2. p. 374.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

3:3 And they have cast lots for my people; and have {c} given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.

(c) That which the enemy received for the sale of my people, they bestowed upon harlots and drink.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes