13<\/strong>. And rent your heart, and not your garments<\/em> ] The rending of garments was an expression of exceptional emotion, whether of grief, or terror, or horror, upon occasion of some specially overwhelming misfortune (see e.g. Gen 37:29<\/span>; Gen 37:34<\/span>; Gen 44:13<\/span>; Num 14:6<\/span>; Jdg 11:35<\/span>; 2Sa 1:2<\/span>; 2Sa 3:31<\/span>; 1Ki 21:27<\/span>; 2Ki 5:7-8 ; 2Ki 11:14<\/span>; 2Ki 19:1<\/span>; 2Ki 22:11<\/span>; Ezr 9:3<\/span>; Est 4:1<\/span>): deep, however, as the grief was, which thus found expression, the prophet demands, for sin, a deeper grief still, one viz. which should, speaking figuratively, rend<\/em> the hard and stony (Eze 36:26<\/span>; Zec 7:12<\/span>) heart, and make it pervious to godlike thoughts and emotions. Comp. the ‘broken and crushed (contrite) heart’ of Psa 51:17<\/span>; and the figure of the circumcision of the heart, Deu 10:16<\/span>, Jer 4:4<\/span>. Fasting, like other external ordinances (cf. on Amo 5:21<\/span> f.), was liable to degenerate into an unspiritual form (see Isa 58:3<\/span> b<\/em>, 4<\/span>, 5<\/span>; Zec 7:5<\/span>); and the prophet insists accordingly, with earnestness, on the spiritual conditions which must accompany it, if it is to be a reality. Comp. especially the eloquent development of the same theme in Isa 58:3-12<\/span>, where the true fast, in which Jehovah delights, is said to consist in acts of mercy, philanthropy, and liberality. See also Mat 6:16-18<\/span>; and Sir 34:26 .<\/p>\n gracious and<\/em> full of compassion<\/strong>, slow to anger, and of great kindness<\/em> ] Almost verbatim<\/em> from Exo 34:6<\/span> (the great declaration of Jehovah’s character, made to Moses): similarly Psa 86:15<\/span>; Psa 103:8<\/span>; Psa 145:8<\/span>, Jon 4:2<\/span> b<\/em>, Neh 9:17<\/span>; comp. also the first two epithets in Num 14:18<\/span>; Psa 111:4<\/span>; Neh 9:31<\/span>; 2Ch 30:9<\/span>.<\/p>\n and repenteth him of the evil<\/em> ] So also Jon 4:2<\/span> b<\/em>. The evil meant is that which He has threatened to bring upon an individual or a nation. The implicit condition of Jehovah’s repentance is, of course, the prior repentance of the individual or nation concerned, and their unreserved abandonment of their evil way: see Jer 18:5-12<\/span>; Jon 3:10<\/span>. (Other motives are, however, sometimes assigned for Jehovah’s repentance, as Exo 32:12-14<\/span>; Amo 7:2-3<\/span>; Amo 7:5-6<\/span>; cf. 2Sa 24:16<\/span>.)<\/p>\n And rend your hearts and not your garments – <\/B>that is, not your garments only (see the note at Hos 6:6<\/span>). The rending of the clothes was an expression of extraordinary uncontrollable emotion, chiefly of grief, of terror, or of horror. At least, in Holy Scripture it is not mentioned as a part of ordinary mourning, but only upon some sudden overpowering grief, whether public or private . It was not used on occasion of death, unless there were something very grievous about its circumstances. At times it was used as an outward expression, one of deep grief, as when the leper was commanded to keep his clothes rent Lev 13:45<\/span>, or when David, to express his abhorrence at the murder of Abner, commanded all the people with him, rend your clothes; Ahab used it, with fasting and haircloth, on Gods sentence by Elijah and obtained a mitigation of the temporal punishment of his sin; Jeremiah marvels that neither the king, Jehoiakim, nor any of his servants, rent their garments Jer 36:24<\/span>, on reading the roll containing the woes which God had by him pronounced against Judah. The holy garments of the priests were on no occasion to be rent Lev 10:6<\/span>; Lev 21:10<\/span>; (probably because the wholeness was a symbol of perfection, from where care was to be taken that the ephod should not accidentally be torn Exo 28:32<\/span>; Exo 39:23<\/span>) so that the act of Caiaphas was the greater hypocrisy Mat 26:65<\/span>; Mar 14:63<\/span>.<\/P> He used it probably to impress his own blasphemous accusation on the people, as for a good end, the Apostles Paul and Barnabas rent their Act 14:14<\/span> clothes, when they heard that, after the cure of the impotent man, the priest of Jupiter with the people would have done sacrifice unto them. Since then apostles used this act, Joel plainly doth not forbid the use of such outward behavior, by which their repentance might be expressed, but only requires that it be done not in outward show only, but accompanied with the inward affections. : The Jews are bidden then to rend their hearts rather than their garments, and to set the truth of repentance in what is inward, rather than in what is outward. But since the rending of the garments was the outward sign of very vehement grief, it was no commonplace superficial sorrow, which the prophet enjoined, but one which should pierce and rend the inmost soul, and empty it of its sins and its love for sin. : Any very grieving thing is said to cut ones heart, to cut him to the heart.<\/P> A truly penitent heart is called a broken and a contrite heart. Such a penitent rends and rips up by a narrow search the recesses of the heart, to discover the abominations thereof, and pours out before God the diseased and perilous stuff pent up and festering there, expels the evil thoughts lodged in it, and opens it in all things to the reception of divine grace. This rending is no other than the spiritual circumcision to which Moses exhorts. Whence of the Jews, not thus rent in heart, it is written in Jeremiah, All the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart Jer 9:26<\/span>. This rending then is the casting out of the sins and passions.<\/P> And turn unto the Lord your God – <\/B>God owns Himself as still their God, although they had turned and were gone from Him in sin and were alienated from Him. To Him, the true, Unchangeable God, if they returned, they would find Him still their God. Return, ye backsliding children, I will heal your backsliding, God saith by Jeremiah; Behold, Israel answers, we come unto Thee, for Thou art the Lord our God Jer 3:22<\/span>.<\/P> For He is very gracious and very merciful – <\/B>Both these words are intensive. All the words, very gracious, very merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, are the same and in the same order as in that revelation to Moses, when, on the renewal of the two tables of the law, the Lord descended in the cloud and proclaimed the name of the Lord Exo 34:5-6<\/span>). The words are frequently repeated, showing how deeply that revelation sunk in the pious minds of Israel. They are, in part, pleaded to God by Moses himself Num 14:18<\/span>; David, at one time, pleaded them all to God Psa 85:1-13<\/U><\/span> :15; elsewhere he repeats them of God, as in this place Psa 103:8<\/span>; Psa 145:8<\/span>. Nehemiah, in praising God for His forgiving mercies, prefixes the title, God of pardons Neh 9:17<\/span>, and adds, and Thou forsakedst them not; as Joel, for the special object here, adds, and repenteth Him of the evil. A Psalmist, and Hezekiah in his message to Isaiah, and Nehemiah in the course of that same prayer, repeat the two words of intense mercy, very gracious and very merciful Psa 111:4<\/span>; 2Ch 30:9<\/span>; Neh 9:31<\/span>, which are used of God only, except once by that same Psalmist Psa 112:4<\/span>, with the express object of showing how the good man conformeth himself to God. The word very gracious expresses Gods free love, whereby He sheweth Himself good to us; very merciful expresses the tender yearning of His love over our miseries (see the note at Hos 2:19<\/span>); great kindness, expresses Gods tender love, as love.<\/P> He first says, that God is slow to anger or long-suffering, enduring long the wickedness and rebellion of man, and waiting patiently for the conversion and repentance of sinners. Then he adds, that God is abundant in kindness, having manifold resources and expedients of His tender love, whereby to win them to repentance. Lastly He is repentant of the evil. The evil which lie foretells, and at last inflicts, is (so to speak) against His Will, Who willeth not that any should perish, and, therefore, on the first tokens of repentance He repenteth Him of the evil, and doeth it not.<\/P> The words rendered, of great kindness, are better rendered elsewhere, abundant, plenteous in goodness, mercy Exo 34:6<\/span>; Psa 86:15<\/span>; Psa 103:8<\/span>. Although the mercy of God is in itself one and simple, yet it is called abundant on account of its divers effects. For God knoweth how in a thousand ways to succor His own. Whence the Psalmist prays, According to the multitude of Thy mercies, turn Thou unto me Psa 25:7<\/span>, Psa 25:16<\/span>. According to the multitude of Thy tender mercies, do away mine offences Psa 51:1<\/span>.<\/P> <\/p>\n Verse 13. Rend your heart<\/B><\/I>] Let it not be merely a rending of your garments<\/I>, but let your hearts<\/I> be truly contrite. Merely external<\/I> worship and hypocritical pretensions<\/I> will only increase the evil, and cause God to meet you with heavier judgments.<\/P> <\/P> For he<\/B><\/I> is <\/B>gracious<\/B><\/I>] Good and benevolent in his own nature.<\/P> <\/P> Merciful<\/B><\/I>] Pitying and forgiving, as the effect of goodness<\/I> and benevolence<\/I>.<\/P> <\/P> Slow to anger<\/B><\/I>] He is not easily provoked to punish, because he is gracious<\/I> and merciful<\/I>.<\/P> <\/P> Of great kindness<\/B><\/I>] Exuberant goodness to all them that return to him.<\/P> <\/P> And repenteth him of the evil.<\/B><\/I>] Is ever ready to change<\/I> his purpose<\/I> to destroy<\/I>, when he finds the culprit willing to be saved<\/I>. See Clarke on Ex 34:6<\/span>; “<\/I>Ex 34:7<\/I><\/span>“<\/I>.<\/P> <\/p>\n Rend your heart; <\/B>lay them open, as chirurgeons lay open putrefying sores that they may be thoroughly cleansed; remove iniquity from your heart, as the Chaldee paraphrast. <\/P> And not your garments; <\/B>as hypocrites do, who in sudden or great troubles easily stoop to tear a loose garment, but hardly are brought to rend their hearts: what God expecteth most they cannot be persuaded to, but what he careth least for they are ready to do. Be not such hypocrites before God, who cannot be mocked, nor spare them who dare do it: let your garments escape if you please; but your hearts, break them, circumcise them, Deu 10:16<\/span>. <\/P> Turn unto the Lord your God; <\/B>in repenting keep hope alive, look to God as your God, who by covenant hath promised to stow you mercy on your repenting and turning to him, Deu 13:17<\/span>; 30:8<\/span>,9<\/span>; Isa 55:7<\/span>; Jer 31:19<\/span>,20<\/span>; 32:38-10<\/span>. <\/P> He is gracious; <\/B>gentle, easy to be entreated, and ready to forgive the guilty. <\/P> Merciful; <\/B>compassionate, and ready to show pity and relieve the indigent: you are both guilty and afflicted; return to your God, who is gracious to pardon your guilt, and merciful to relieve your miseries. <\/P> Slow to anger; <\/B>who hath spared, doth still spare, and waits purposely that you might have time to repent, and turn and live. <\/P> Of great kindness:<\/B> your provocations are many and great, yet return, for his mercy is great, his kindnesses are many. <\/P> And repenteth him of the evil; <\/B>not as man, but as becometh his own holy, just, and immutable nature, he turneth from executing the fierceness of his wrath, Jer 18:7-10<\/span>. Be wise and obedient, and follow my counsel, repent and make your peace with God. <\/P> <\/p>\n 13.<\/B> Let there be the inwardsorrow of heart, and not the mere outward manifestation of it by”rending the garment” (Jos7:6<\/span>). <\/P> the evil<\/B>the calamitywhich He had threatened against the impenitent.<\/P><\/p>\n And rend your heart, and not your garments<\/strong>,…. Which latter used to be done in times of distress, either private or public, and as a token of grief and sorrow, Ge 37:34<\/span>; nor was it criminal or unlawful, the apostles themselves used it, Ac 14:14<\/span>; nor is it absolutely forbidden here, only comparatively, that they should rend their hearts rather than their garments; or not their garments only, but their hearts also; in like sense as the words in Ho 6:6<\/span>; are to be taken as rending garments was only an external token of sorrow and might be done hypocritically. Where no true repentance was, the Lord calls for that, rather than the other; and that they would show contrition of heart and brokenness of spirit under a sense of sin, and in the view of pardoning grace and mercy; which is here held forth, to influence godly sorrow and evangelical repentance; the acts of which, flowing from faith in Christ are much more acceptable to the Lord than any outward expressions of grief; see Ps 51:17<\/span>. The Targum is,<\/p>\n “remove the wickedness of your heart but not with the rending of your meats;”<\/p>\n the rending of the garment goes to the heart some say to the navel w:<\/p>\n and turn unto the Lord your God<\/strong>; consider him not as an absolute God, and as an angry one, wrathful and inexorable; but as your covenant God and Father as your God in Christ, ready to receive backsliding sinners and prodigal sons; yea all sinners sensible of sin that flee to him for mercy through Christ:<\/p>\n for be [is] gracious and merciful<\/strong>; he is the God of all grace, and has laid up a fulness of it in Christ; and he gives it freely to them that ask it of him without upbraiding them with their sins; he is rich and plenteous in mercy, and ready to forgive; be delights in showing mercy, and in them that hope in it; and this is no small encouragement to turn to the Lord, and seek mercy of him: and, besides, he is<\/p>\n slow to anger<\/strong>; he is not hasty to stir it up, and show it; he bears with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath; and his longsuffering to his own people issues in their salvation: he waits to be gracious to them; and, though he may seem to be angry, he does not stir up all his wrath their sins deserve nor does he retain anger for ever:<\/p>\n and of great kindness<\/strong>; both in a providential way, and in a way of special grace through Christ; whom he has provided as a Saviour, and sent him into the world as such, and saves sinners by obedience sufferings, and death: these characters of God are taken out of<\/p>\n Ex 34:6<\/span>; and are admirably adapted to engage and encourage sensible souls to turn to the Lord by acts of faith in him, and repentance towards him; see Isa 55:7<\/span>; and it is added,<\/p>\n and repenteth him of the evil<\/strong>; which the sins of men deserve; and he has threatened on account of them; not that he ever changes the counsels of his will, but alters the course of his providence, and the manner of his conduct towards men, according to his unalterable repentance otherwise does not properly belong to God, Nu 23:19<\/span>; but is ascribed to him after the manner of men; and is used to express his compassion men; how ready he is to receive and forgive returning sinners and not execute the threatened and deserved evil and to bestow all needful good; see Jon 3:10<\/span>. The Targum is,<\/p>\n “and he recalls his word from bringing on the evil.”<\/p>\n w T. Bab. Moed Katon, fol. 26. 2.<\/p>\n He then subjoins, Rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn to Jehovah your God. The Prophet again repeats that we ought to deal sincerely with God; for all those ceremonies, by which men imagine that they discharge their duties, are mere mockeries, when they are not preceded by a pure and sincere heart. But as they were wont under mournful circumstances to rend their garments, he therefore says, “God has become now insensible to these customs; for with regard to men, ye are ceremonious enough, and more than enough: ye indeed rend your garments, and thus draw pity from men, and yet your heart remains whole, there is no rending, no opening; Rend then your heart, ” that is, “Leave off thus to mock God, as ye have been wont to do, and begin with your heart.” It is indeed certain that the orientals were given to many ceremonies; but the vice the Prophet here condemns in the Jews is natural as it were to all men; so that every one of us is inclined to hypocrisy, and has need of having his attention drawn to the sincerity of the heart. We must then remember that this truth is to be set forth at all times and to all nations. Let any one search himself and he will find that he labors under this evil, — that he would rather reed his garment than his heart. And since the Jews usually observed this custom, the Prophet does not without reason deride it, and say, that it was of no account with God except they rent their hearts. But when he bids them to rend their hearts and not their garments, though he seems to repudiate that external practice, he does not yet distinctly condemn it, but intimates that it was a lawful thing, provided the heart was rent. Now this expression, Rend the heart, ought not to be deemed harsh, for it is to be referred to the external practice: when they rent the garments, they made themselves naked before God and put off all ornaments; but he wished them to be displeased with themselves, and rather to make bare the heart itself. The heart of hypocrites, we know, is wrapped up, and they ever have recourse to hiding places, that they may avoid the presence of God. Then the similitude is most suitable, when the Prophet bids them to rend the heart. Besides, the passage is clear enough, and needs not many remarks; it means, that God regards the real feeling of the heart, as it is said in Jeremiah [Jer 4:14<\/span> ]; he is not content with ocular obedience, such as men exhibit, but he would have us to deal with him in sincerity and truth. <\/p>\n Hence he repeats again, Turn to Jehovah your God. Here the Prophet shows, from what God is, that men foolishly and grossly deceive themselves when they would please God with their ceremonies: “What!” he says, “have you to do with a child?” For the import of the words is this, — “When an offense against man is to be removed, ye anxiously come to him: now when ye perceive that God is angry with you, ye think that he will be propitious to you, if ye only trifle with him; can God bear such a reproach?” We hence see what the Prophet means when he says, Turn to Jehovah your God; that is, “Remember that you have not to do with a block of wood or with a stone, but with your God, who searches hearts, and whom mortals can by no crafts deceive ” The same is said by Jeremiah, ‘Israel, if thou turnest, turn to me,’ (Jer 4:1<\/span>\ud83d\ude09 that is, “Pretend not to turn by circuitous courses and windings, but come in a direct way, and with a real feeling of heart, for I am he who calls thee ” So also now the Prophet says, Turn to Jehovah your God <\/p>\n Then follows the promise of pardon, For he is propitious and merciful. We have already said that repentance is preached in vain, except men entertain a hope of salvation; for they can never be brought to fear God truly, unless they trust in him as their Father, as it is stated in Psa 130:4<\/span> ‘With thee is propitiation that thou mayest be feared.’ Hence, whenever the Prophets were anxious to effect anything by their doctrine, while exhorting the people to repentance, they joined to the invitation “Come,” the second part, “Ye shall not come in vain.” This “Come,” comprehends all exhortations to repentance; “Ye shall not come in vain,” includes this testimony respecting God’s grace, that He will never reject miserable sinners, provided they return to him with the heart. The Prophet then now engaged on this second head; God, he says, is propitious and merciful. And this connection is to be observed by us; for as Satan fills us with insensibility when God invites us, so also he draws us away into despair when God denounces judgment, when he shows that it is not time for sleep. “What good will you gain?” Thus Satan by his craft disheartens us, that we may labor in vain, when we seek to be reconciled to God. Hence, whenever Scripture exhorts us to repentance, let us learn to join this second part, “God invites us not in vain.” If then we return to him, he will be instantly inclined to grant forgiveness; for he wills not that miserable men should labor in vain or be tormented. This is the benefit of which the Prophet speaks when he says that God is propitious and merciful. <\/p>\n He afterwards adds, that he is slow to wraths and abundant in goodness. These testimonies respecting God occur often in other places; and all the Prophets, as well as David, have borrowed these declarations from Eph 2:6<\/span>; where the nature of God is described; and He is said there to be propitious and merciful, slow to wrath, and abundant in goodness. Though there is no need of dwelling longer on these words, as we perceive the Prophet’s design; yet more extended remarks will not be superfluous since the Prophet so much at large recommends the mercy of God. Though men too much indulge themselves in security, yet when God calls them to himself, they are not able to receive his favor; though he may testify twice or thrice that he will be propitious to them, yet he cannot persuade them but with great difficulty. This is the reason why the Prophet, after having said that God is propitious and merciful, adds, that he is slow to wrath, and abundant in goodness; it was, that the Jews might overcome their distrust, and that however much despair might keep them back, they might not yet hesitate to come to God, seeing that he declares himself to be so merciful. <\/p>\n He at last adds, He will repent of the evil. The Prophet here not only describes the nature of God, but goes further and says, that God, who is by nature placable, will not remain fixed in his purpose, when he sees people returning to him in sincerity; but that he suffers himself to be turned to show favor, so as to remit the punishment which he had previously denounced. And it is a mode of speaking which often occurs in Scripture, that God repents of evil; not that he really changes his purpose, but this is said according to the apprehensions of men: for God is in himself immutable, and is said to turn from his, purpose, when he remits to man the punishment he has previously threatened. Whatever proceeds from God’s mouth ought to be regarded as an inviolable decree; and yet God often threatens us conditionally, and though the condition be not expressed it is nevertheless to be understood: but when he is pacified to us and relaxes the punishment, which was in a manner already decreed according to the external word, he is then said to repent. And we know, that as we do not apprehend God such as he is, he is therefore described to us in such a way as we can comprehend, according to the measure of our infirmity. Hence God often puts on the character of men, as though he were like them; and as this mode of speaking is common, and we have spoken of it elsewhere, I now pass it by more briefly. It follows — <\/p>\n (13) Repenteth him of the evil<\/strong>i.e.,<\/em> in the sense that of His own will He would not the death of a sinner. The judgments of God, like His mercies, are conditional. As the Lord repented (i.e.,<\/em> grieved) that He had made Saul king over Israel, and revoked the appointment, so now He repenteth Him of the evil which will fall on His people if impenitent. If they will repent, it may be He will do it not.<\/p>\n Joe 2:13<\/span><\/em><\/strong>. <\/strong>And rend your heart, <\/em><\/strong>&c.<\/strong> The rending of garments was used by almost all the ancients, as a token of deepest sorrow. The expression before us is a proper Hebraism; and the truest sense of it is, Rend your hearts, and not your garments only. <\/em>The prophet does not forbid the external appearances of grief and mourning, but on the contrary requires them; as is plain from the foregoing verse, and the 16th and 17th. But he cautions them against an external, hypocritical show of sorrow, and exhorts them to rend their hearts, <\/em>that is, to cherish that broken and contrite spirit, <\/em>that sincere and unfeigned repentance for their sins, from which the rending of their garments ought to proceed, with which it should be accompanied. See Hos 6:6<\/span>. We might close this verse at the words, Of great kindness; <\/em>and begin the 14th thus, And he that repents him of iniquity, how knows he, but he <\/em>[God<\/em>] may return, and repent, and may cause a blessing to be left after him, even a bread-offering, <\/em>&c. But Dr. Chandler reads the 14th verse, Who knows but he <\/em>[God<\/em>] will return and repent, and cause to leave so much plenty behind him, that there may be a meat-offering and a drink-offering to Jehovah your God? <\/em>However, Houbigant thinks all this is harsh; and accordingly he renders the verse, Who will consider, return, and repent, that he may leave him a blessing, <\/em>&c. <\/p>\n Joe 2:13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he [is] gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.<\/p>\n Ver. 13. And rend your heart and not your garments<\/strong> ] i.e.<\/em> not your garments only, which was gestus perturbationis<\/em> among the Jews, a gesture usual with them, to set forth the greatness of their grief and displeasure; as, 1. At funerals and loss of friends, as Gen 37:34<\/span> Gen 37:2<\/span> . In case of blasphemy, as 2Ki 18:37<\/span> 2Ki 18:3<\/span> . In time of common calamity, Est 4:1<\/span> . Tum pius Aeneas humeris abseindere vestem Auxilioque vocare Deos, et tendere palmas<\/em> (Virg.). Godly sorrow for sin should exceed all other sorrows whatsoever, both in intention and extension; the whole soul sending continual streams into it out of every faculty. And hence it is that the prophet here calleth upon them to rend, and as it were to discontinuate their hearts. Cor integram cor scissum,<\/em> the broken heart is the only sound heart; and to rend the garment, and not the heart, is as very a fraud as that of players, who seem to wound themselves, but do not; and make a show of thrusting themselves through their bodies, but the sword passeth only through their clothes. Stage players can act to the life those whom they impersonate; yea, outstrip them in outward actions; so do hypocrites the true Christian. Doth good Josiah melt at the menaces of the law, and weep, and rend his clothes, and humble himself? 2Ch 34:27<\/span> ; wicked Ahab will also, in like case, rend his clothes, put sackcloth upon his flesh, fast, lie in sackcloth, and go softly and heavily, as sorrowful men and mourners use to do, 1Ki 21:27<\/span> . Doth the publican fix his eyes on the ground? those hypocrites in Isaiah will hang down their heads as bulrushes. Doth holy Timothy weaken his constitution with religious abstinence? the false Pharisee will not only weaken his constitution, but wither and disfigure his complexion, , that he may appear to men to fast, Mat 6:16<\/span> . Such pains men will be at for applause, for a little stinking breath, which yet cannot blow one cold blast upon them when they shall be frying in hell for their seemingness. “Rend, therefore, your hearts,” saith the prophet; “break up your fallow ground, circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the filthy foreskin of your hearts,” Jer 4:3-4<\/span> , “wash them from wickedness, that ye may be saved,” Joe 2:14<\/span> . Be ye active, and voluntaries in your sorrows for sin. Virtus nolentium nulla est,<\/em> feigned and forced grief is nothing worth. Judas grieved, confessed, restored, and yet miscarried. He went not forth, as Peter, to weep bitterly; he did not cast himself into heaviness, as Jas 4:9-10<\/span> . It was fired out of him, as sweet water out of roses; it was squeezed out of him, as verjuice out of crabs. God’s people are commanded to afflict themselves with voluntary sorrows, Lev 16:31<\/span> ; to loathe themselves for all their abominations, Eze 6:9<\/span> , to mortify the deeds of the body by the spirit, Rom 8:13<\/span> , to do it with their own hands; and not to give over the practice of it till they feel their hearts to ache and quake within them, yea, to fall asunder in their bosoms, like drops of water. See all this done by David, after he had numbered the people, 2Sa 24:10<\/span> . Some shadow of it we have in the example of Epaminondas, the Theban general, who the next day after the victory and triumph went drooping and hanging down his head: and being asked, why he did so? he answered, Yesterday I felt myself too much tickled with vain glory: therefore I correct myself for it today. But we have a better example in holy David, “whose heart smote him,” saith the text, 2Sa 24:10<\/span> , and made him smart inwardly. He was not yet smitten, either by God’s hand or the prophet’s reproach (as afterwards), but his sanctified conscience did its orifice of a faithful monitor and household chaplain; his heart misgave him. Bee masters tell us that those are the best hives that make the greatest noise. Sure it is that that is the best conscience that suffers not a man to sleep in sin. David’s heart smote him. But for what? for numbering the people. It was for his own sin, for a small, for a secret sin, for a failing in the manner only. David knew that a man may die as well of an inward bleeding as of an outward hurt. The good soul is oft afflicted for failings in that holy duty which others applaud and extol. “And David said unto the Lord”: he could not rest till he had opened his mind unto him by confession and supplication, and so got a vent to his troubled spirit: as when a sore is opened there is ease immediately. To God, therefore, he addresseth himself, not to men (as Judas did and Papists do, and many among us, being in pain of conscience, will rather shark for ease than sue for pardon), and acknowledgeth with aggravation the iniquity of his sin, Psa 32:3<\/span> , the sinfulness of it, as Paul’s expression is, Rom 7:13<\/span> (for sin is so vile that he could call it no worse than by its own name), “I have sinned greatly in that I have done”: his sin swelled like a toad in his eyes, and he spat it out of his mouth with utmost indignation. He confesseth sorrowfully, but not desperately, as Judas; for he both cries for pardon, “Take away the iniquity” (for as for the punishment how he stood affected, see Rom 7:17<\/span> : “Let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and my father’s house”), and concludeth himself God’s servant, yea, proveth himself so (as some godly learned think), by those following words, “For I have done foolishly”; q.d.<\/em> If I deserve not to be called God’s servant in regard of my late sin (and indeed God calls him but plain David, Joe 2:12<\/span> , “Go and say to David,” not to my servant David, as at other times), yet at least in regard of my later service of confession joined with reformation; for now I see “I have done very foolishly,” who once thought I had done wondrous wisely and politicly. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n And turn unto the Lord your God<\/strong> ] Of turning to God see at large the note on Zec 1:3<\/span> . Here it is prescribed as a remedy against God’s wrath, and pressed again and again, to show the necessity of doing it, or we are utterly undone. So elsewhere, “Turn you, turn you, why will you die? except ye repent, ye must needsly perish.” Aut poenitendum aut pereundum,<\/em> either you must turn on earth or burn in hell; be born again, or ye cannot enter the kingdom of God, Joh 3:3<\/span> . Heaven was too hot to hold the apostate angels. And although the devil could get into paradise, yet no unclean thing ever got into heaven. No dirty dog may trample on that golden pavement. The pure in heart only can see God, as whole eyes can look upon the sunbeams, and as transparent bodies receive the light. “Turn you,” therefore, “unto the Lord.” If a man see a lion or a burning fire before him he will make some shift to turn another way. So here, biasse,<\/em> for there is no safety in going forward; since our God is a consuming fire, and as a roaring lion will tear and rend the caul of our hearts in sunder, Hos 13:8<\/span> , if we rend not our hearts and turn unto him. By turning may well be here meant reformation, that repentance from sin, as humiliation, before required, is in Scripture called repentance for sin, for it is not enough to mourn unless we mend also, to bewail our wickedness, but we must embrace better courses, Jer 26:13 Isa 1:16 Mat 3:8<\/span> Rom 12:9<\/span> ; Rom 13:11 Eph 4:22<\/span> . God for this cause gives us the light of nature and Scripture, besides other means, and time enough. Had he given us but one prophet only, and but forty days, as he dealt by Nineveh, we should have done it as they did. How much more now that we abound with leisure (read Jezebel’s sin and sentence, Rev 2:21 ), and have so many prophets rising up early and speaking to us. “Turn ye again now every one from his evil way,” Jer 25:4-5<\/span> . What will become of us if we refuse to be reclaimed, hate to be healed? This one prophet here fills his mouth with arguments, Job 23:4<\/span> . First, it is not to a tyrant or a stranger that you are exhorted to turn, but to the Lord your God, to him that is your head, husband, father, who hates putting away, having once betrothed you to himself in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in tender mercies, Hos 2:19<\/span> . Next, this Lord our God is, for his sweet and patient nature, here set forth, to be gracious, and will therefore love you freely, Hos 14:4<\/span> ; merciful, and will therefore pity your misery; slow to anger, or not apt to snuff, but a master of his wrath, Nah 1:2<\/span> , Bagnal Chemah,<\/em> and one that can bear more than any other whatsoever, Mic 7:17<\/span> . <\/p>\n <\/p>\n And of great kindness<\/strong> ] Or much in goodness, doing good to the evil and unthankful, as our Saviour yokes them. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n And repenteth him of the evil<\/strong> ] A little punishment being enough to a father for a great fault, Pro peccato magno paululum supplicii satis esto patri<\/em> (Terent.). Where note, that God’s repentance is not a change of his will, but of his work only; and so he repents for his people when he seeth their power is gone, Deu 32:36<\/span> ; when there is dignus vindice nodus,<\/em> an extremity fit for Divine power to interpose, when the enemies are ready to devour the Church, or Satan to swallow down God’s child in despair, his bowels work, he can hold no longer, but cries, Save my child, save my Church, &c., Jer 31:20<\/span> ; then he sends out his mandamus<\/em> trust for deliverance, Psa 44:4<\/span> ; then he comes with his non obstante,<\/em> as Psa 106:8 Isa 57:15<\/span> . Now who would not return to such a God? and what heart can resist such powerful rhetoric? A heap of words we have here, taken for the most part out of Exo 34:6<\/span> , and all to draw out faith and encourage those that have any mind to look toward God. It is no such easy thing to believe, as fond folk conceit, and to comfort a conscience cast down in the sense of sin and fear of wrath is no less difficult, saith Luther, than to raise the dead from the grave. If men fear they shall fail of mercy upon their return to God, either they will fall into dedolency or despair. But persuade them once of the goodness of God, and it will lead them to repentance, Rom 2:4<\/span> . Let them see that in their Father’s house is bread enough, and they will home immediately; that God will abundantly pardon, and he shall have suitors great store, Isa 55:7<\/span> . The sweet and gracious nature of God should be as a perpetual picture in our hearts, and an effectual motive to make men turn unto him.<\/p>\n rend your heart. Compare Psa 34:18; Psa 51:17. <\/p>\n your garments. Ref, to Pentateuch (Gen 37:34). App-92. God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4. <\/p>\n he is gracious, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Exo 34:6, Exo 34:7. Num 14:18). App-92. Compare 2Ch 30:9. Neh 9:17, Neh 9:31. Psa 86:5, Psa 86:15; Psa 103:8; Psa 145:8. <\/p>\n kindness = grace. <\/p>\n repenteth. Figure of speech Anthropopatheia. App-6. <\/p>\n evil. Hebrew. raa. App-44. <\/p>\n repenteth <\/p>\n (See Scofield “Zec 8:14”). <\/p>\n rend: Here the word “rend” is used only once, but with two significations; in the former sentence it is used figuratively; in the latter literally – the heart not being rent in the same sense in which garments are rent. 2Ki 22:19, Psa 34:18, Psa 51:17, Isa 57:15, Isa 66:2, Eze 9:4, Mat 5:3, Mat 5:4 <\/p>\n your garments: Gen 37:29, Gen 37:34, 2Sa 1:11, 1Ki 21:27, 2Ki 5:7, 2Ki 6:30, 2Ki 22:11, Job 1:20, Isa 58:5, Mat 6:16-18, 1Ti 4:8 <\/p>\n for: Exo 34:6, Exo 34:7, Num 14:18, Psa 86:5, Psa 86:15, Psa 145:7-9, Jon 4:2, Mic 7:18, Rom 2:4, Rom 5:20, Rom 5:21, Eph 2:4 <\/p>\n slow: Neh 9:17, Psa 103:8, Nah 1:3, Jam 1:19, Jam 1:20 <\/p>\n and repenteth: Psa 106:45, Jer 18:7, Jer 18:8, Amo 7:2-6, Jon 4:2 <\/p>\n Reciprocal: Exo 32:14 – General Lev 13:45 – his clothes Num 14:6 – rent their clothes Deu 4:30 – if thou Deu 30:2 – return unto Jos 7:26 – So the Lord 1Sa 7:3 – return 2Sa 1:2 – clothes 2Sa 24:16 – repented 2Ch 6:38 – return 2Ch 34:19 – that he rent Psa 90:13 – Return Psa 119:59 – turned Ecc 3:7 – time to rend Isa 31:6 – Turn Isa 58:4 – shall not fast as ye do this day Jer 4:8 – gird Jer 42:10 – for I Lam 3:40 – turn Eze 18:30 – Repent Hos 12:6 – turn Hos 14:1 – return Jon 3:9 – General Jon 3:10 – and God repented Zep 2:3 – it may Act 3:19 – be Act 8:22 – if Act 9:35 – turned Jam 5:11 – the Lord is<\/p>\n Joe 2:13. Rend your heart and not your garments. It was a customary action in times of great distress or anxiety for a person to grasp his gar-ment and tear it. This performance was acceptable to God when it was done with sincerity of heart. But since it was purely a physical or mechanical movement, a man conld perform it as successfully while his heart was cor-rupt, as he could when be was pure in heart. Hence the exhortation of the words Italicized, which means to correct the heart before going through the outward motion of rending the garment.<\/p>\n 2:13 And {i} rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he [is] gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.<\/p>\n (i) Mortify your affections and serve God with pureness of heart, and not with ceremonies.<\/p>\n If they did, they could count on Him being gracious, compassionate, patient, loyal to them, and willing to withhold punishment (cf. Exo 34:6; Neh 9:17; Psa 103:8; Psa 143:8; Jon 4:2). Their genuine repentance might-Yahweh is still sovereign-move Him to turn from His previously intended course of action and bless, rather than curse, them (cf. Mal 3:7). Agricultural blessings would signal a reversal of His judgment in the recent locust invasion, and they would then be able to offer grain and wine to the Lord again (cf. Joe 1:9; Joe 1:13).<\/p>\n "Some dismiss biblical references to God ’relenting’ from judgment as anthropomorphic, arguing that an unchangeable God would never change his mind once he has announced his intentions. While it is true that God will not deviate from an announced course of action once he has issued a formal, unconditional decree (see Num 23:19; 1Sa 15:29; Psa 110:4), he is often depicted as ’changing his mind’ in contexts where he has given only a warning or made a conditional statement about what he will do. Since Joe 2:13 lists God’s capacity to ’change his mind’ as one of his fundamental attributes (see also Jon 4:2), one cannot dismiss this characteristic as anthropomorphic." [Note: Chisholm, Handbook of . . ., p. 372. See also idem, "Does God Change His Mind?" Bibliotheca Sacra 152:608 (October-December 1995):387-99; and Thomas L. Constable, Talking to God: What the Bible Teaches about Prayer, pp. 147-48.] <\/span><\/p>\n And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he [is] gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 13. And rent your heart, and not your garments ] The rending of garments was an expression of exceptional emotion, whether … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Joel 2:13”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22335","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22335"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22335\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22335"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22335"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"