Yoel 3:1

The Lord Plans to Judge the Nations

3:1 (4:1) ¹  For look! In those ²  days and at that time

I will return the exiles ³  to Judah and Jerusalem. ⁴ 

Yoel 2:6

2:6 People ⁵  writhe in fear when they see them. ⁶ 

All of their faces turn pale with fright. ⁷ 

Yoel 2:29

2:29 Even on male and female servants

I will pour out my Spirit in those days.

Yoel 2:12

An Appeal for Repentance

2:12 “Yet even now,” the Lord says,

“return to me with all your heart –

with fasting, weeping, and mourning.

Tear your hearts, ⁸ 

not just your garments!”

Yoel 3:18

3:18 On that day ⁹  the mountains will drip with sweet wine, ¹⁰ 

and the hills will flow with milk. ¹¹ 

All the dry stream beds ¹²  of Judah will flow with water.

A spring will flow out from the temple ¹³  of the Lord,

watering the Valley of Acacia Trees. ¹⁴ 

[3:1]  ¹ sn Joel 3:1 in the English Bible is 4:1 in the Hebrew text (BHS). See also the note at 2:28.

[3:1]  ² tc The MT and LXX read “in those days,” while MurXII reads “in that day.”

[3:1]  ³ tc The Kethib reads אָשִׁיב (’ashiv, “return the captivity [captives]), while the Qere is אָשׁוּב (’ashuv, “restore the fortunes”). Many modern English versions follow the Qere reading. Either reading seems to fit the context. Joel refers to an exile of the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem in 3:2-6 and their return from exile in 3:7. On the other hand, 2:25-26 describes the reversal of judgment and restoration of the covenant blessings. However, the former seems to be the concern of the immediate context.

[3:1]  ⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[2:6]  ⁵ tn Or “nations.”

[2:6]  ⁶ tn Heb “before it.”

[2:6]  ⁷ tn Heb “all faces gather beauty”; or “all faces gather a glow.” The Hebrew word פָּארוּר (pa’rur) is found in the OT only here and in Nah 2:11. Its meaning is very uncertain. Some scholars associate it with a root that signifies “glowing”; hence “all faces gather a glow of dread.” Others associate the word with פָּרוּר (parur, “pot”); hence “all faces gather blackness.” Still others take the root to signify “beauty”; hence “all faces gather in their beauty” in the sense of growing pale due to fear. This is the view assumed here.

[2:12]  ⁸ sn The figurative language calls for genuine repentance, and not merely external ritual that goes through the motions.

[3:18]  ⁹ tn Heb “and it will come about in that day.”

[3:18]  ¹⁰ tn Many English translations read “new wine” or “sweet wine,” meaning unfermented wine, i.e., grape juice.

[3:18]  ¹¹ sn The language used here is a hyperbolic way of describing both a bountiful grape harvest (“the mountains will drip with juice”) and an abundance of cattle (“the hills will flow with milk”). In addition to being hyperbolic, the language is also metonymical (effect for cause).

[3:18]  ¹² tn Or “seasonal streams.”

[3:18]  ¹³ tn Heb “house.”

[3:18]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “valley of Shittim.” The exact location of the Valley of Acacia Trees is uncertain. The Hebrew word שִׁטִּים (shittim) refers to a place where the acacia trees grow, which would be a very arid and dry place. The acacia tree can survive in such locations, whereas most other trees require more advantageous conditions. Joel’s point is that the stream that has been mentioned will proceed to the most dry and barren of locations in the vicinity of Jerusalem.