Introduction to Joel Table of Contents Joel, son of Phatuel, seems to have prophesied sometime around 400 BCE. We have little information to go on regarding his setting, other than internal evidence in the text. The following is a The Book of Joel sample of the evidence: • Joel mentions a temple that is standing and actively used. translated from The Vulgate • He refers to priests as the people’s leaders, rather than kings. • He mentions Greeks (3:6). • He uses the names Israel and Judah interchangeably. Joel’s prophecy describes a ©2008, John G. Cunyus ferocious plague of locusts, All Rights to the English which has destroyed the land’s Translation Reserved crops. He likens this plague to www.JohnCunyus.com the coming “Lord’s day,” Latin text from “The Latin when God will judge nations. Vulgate.” Biblia Sacra Iuxta J oe l ’ s prophecy also Vulgatam Versionem, Fourth anticipates a day of restoration Revised Edition, edited by Roger and blessing, which will come Gryson, © 1994 Deutsche upon God’s people. Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart. Used by permission. The book itself is a call to The Book of Joel, 2 repentance and faithfulness on The Book of Joel the part of all who accept its Table of Content message. Its descriptions of conflicts between Israel and Joel 1:1 verbum Domini Palestinians seem remarkably quod factum est ad Iohel current, at the time of this filium Fatuhel translation (January 2009). The timelessness of Joel’s The Lord’s word, which message is aided by its vivid came to Joel, Phatuel’s son. i m a g e r y , t h e o l o gi c a l imagination, and fervent hope 1:2 audite hoc senes et for a God-centered future. auribus percipite omnes habitatores terrae si factum est istud in diebus vestris aut in diebus patrum vestrorum Hear this, elders, and perceive with ears, all the land’s inhabitants, whether this was done in your days or in your fathers’ days. 1:3 super hoc filiis vestris narrate et filii vestri filiis suis et filii eorum generationi alterae Tell your children about this, and your children their children, and their children another generation. 1:4 residuum erucae comedit The Book of Joel, 3 lucusta et residuum lucustae 1:7 posuit vineam meam in comedit bruchus et residuum desertum et ficum meam bruchi comedit rubigo decorticavit nudans spoliavit eam et proiecit albi facti sunt What the worm left, the rami eius locust has eaten. And what the locust left, the insect has It has placed my vine in eaten. And what the insect desert, and has adorned my left, blight has eaten. fig tree. It has stripped it naked, and thrown it down. 1:5 expergescimini ebrii et Its branches have become flete et ululate omnes qui white. bibitis vinum in dulcedine quoniam periit ab ore vestro 1:8 plange quasi virgo accincta sacco super virum Come out from drunkenness, pubertatis suae and weep and wail, all who drink wine in sweetness, Wail like a virgin wearing because it has perished from mourning clothes over the your mouth! husband of her youth! 1:6 gens enim ascendit super 1:9 periit sacrificium et terram meam fortis et libatio de domo Domini innumerabilis dentes eius ut luxerunt sacerdotes ministri dentes leonis et molares eius Domini ut catuli leonis Sacrifice has ceased, and For a people is coming up drink offering from the over my land, mighty and Lord’s house. Priests have numberless. Its teeth are like grieved, the Lord’s ministers! lions’ teeth, and its molars like lions’ cubs. 1:10 depopulata est regio luxit humus quoniam The Book of Joel, 4 devastatum est triticum 1:13 accingite vos et confusum est vinum elanguit plangite sacerdotes ululate oleum ministri altaris ingredimini cubate in sacco ministri Dei The region is depopulated. mei quoniam interiit de domo The ground mourns, because Dei vestri sacrificium et the wheat is devastated. The libatio vine is ruined. The oil is sick. Clothe yourselves and weep, priests! Wail, altars’ 1:11 confusi sunt agricolae ministers! Go in and lie ululaverunt vinitores super down in mourning’s clothes, frumento et hordeo quia my God’s ministers, because periit messis agri sacrifice and drink offering have ceased from your God’s Farmers are upset. Vineyard house! workers have wailed over grain and barley, because the 1:14 sanctificate ieiunium field’s harvest has perished. vocate coetum congregate senes omnes habitatores 1:12 vinea confusa est et terrae in domum Dei vestri et ficus elanguit malogranatum clamate ad Dominum et palma et malum et omnia ligna agri aruerunt quia Sanctify a fast. Call an confusum est gaudium a filiis assembly. Gather the elders, hominum all the land’s inhabitants, into our God’s house. And cry The vine is ruined and the fig out to the Lord! tree is sick. Pomegranate and palm and apple and all the 1:15 a a a diei quia prope field’s trees have dried up, est dies Domini et quasi because joy is ruined among vastitas a potente veniet men’s children. The Book of Joel, 5 Ah, ah, ah, for the day, bellowed because there is no because the Lord’s day is pasture for them. Yet even near! And it comes like flocks of sheep have devastation from the mighty! perished! 1:16 numquid non coram 1:19 ad te Domine clamabo oculis vestris alimenta quia ignis comedit speciosa perierunt de domo Dei nostri deserti et flamma succendit laetitia et exultatio omnia ligna regionis Hasn’t food ceased before I will cry out to You, Lord, our eyes, joy and exultation because fire has devoured the from our God’s house? desert’s beauty, and flame has burned up all the region’s 1:17 conputruerunt iumenta trees! in stercore suo demolita sunt horrea dissipatae sunt 1:20 sed et bestiae agri apothecae quoniam confusum quasi area sitiens imbrem est triticum suspexerunt ad te quoniam exsiccati sunt fontes aquarum Cattle have rotted in their et ignis devoravit speciosa filth! The storehouse is deserti demolished! The wine cellars are emptied, because Yet even the field’s beasts the wheat is ruined! have looked up to You, like land thirsting for rain – for 1:18 quid ingemuit animal springs of water have dried mugierunt greges armenti up, and fire has devoured the quia non est pascua eis sed et desert’s beauty. greges pecorum disperierunt Why has the animal groaned? The herd’s flocks have The Book of Joel, 6 Joel 2:1 canite tuba in Sion 2:3 ante faciem eius ignis ululate in monte sancto meo vorans et post eum exurens conturbentur omnes flamma quasi hortus habitatores terrae quia venit voluptatis terra coram eo et dies Domini quia prope est post eum solitudo deserti neque est qui effugiat eum Sound the trumpet in Sion! Howl on my holy mountain! Fire goes devouring before its Let all the land’s inhabitants face, and after it burning be troubled, because the flames! The land before it is Lord’s day is coming – like desires’ garden, and after because it is near! it deserted wasteland! Nor is there anyone who may flee 2:20 dies tenebrarum et it! caliginis dies nubis et turbinis quasi mane 2:4 quasi aspectus equorum expansum super montes aspectus eorum et quasi populus multus et fortis equites sic current similis ei non fuit a principio et post eum non erit usque in Their faces are like horses’ annos generationis et faces. And like cavalry, so generationis they will run. A day of shadows and gloom, 2:5 sicut sonitus a day of clouds and tornados! quadrigarum super capita A great and mighty people is montium exilient sicut sonitus spread out like morning over flammae ignis devorantis the mountains! And from stipulam velut populus fortis the beginning none was like praeparatus ad proelium it! And after it none will be, even in years of generations They will burst forth like the and generations! sound of four-horse chariots over the mountains’ summits, The Book of Joel, 7 like the sound of flaming fire Each one will not crowd his devouring stubble, like a brother. They will walk in its mighty people prepared for street. Yet they will fall even battle! through windows and not be destroyed. 2:6 a facie eius cruciabuntur populi omnes vultus 2:9 urbem ingredientur in redigentur in ollam muro current domos conscendent per fenestras Peoples will be tortured intrabunt quasi fur before its face. All expressions will be driven They will go through the city. back into a jar. They will run on the wall. They will let themselves 2:7 sicut fortes current quasi down into houses. They will viri bellatores ascendent come through windows like a murum vir in viis suis thief. gradietur et non declinabunt a semitis suis 2:10 a facie eius contremuit terra moti sunt caeli sol et Like mighty ones, they will luna obtenebrati sunt et run. Like strong warriors, stellae retraxerunt they will climb a wall. The splendorem suum man will advance in his ways. And they will not turn The land has trembled before aside from their paths. its face. Skies are shaken. Sun and moon are shadowed 2:8 unusquisque fratrem over, and stars have drawn suum non coartabit singuli in back their splendor. calle suo ambulabunt sed et per fenestras cadent et non 2:11 et Dominus dedit demolientur vocem suam ante faciem exercitus sui quia multa sunt The Book of Joel, 8 nimis castra eius quia fortia et facientia verbum eius And tear your hearts and not magnus enim dies Domini et your garments!1 And be terribilis valde et quis converted to the Lord your sustinebit eum God, because He is kind and compassionate, patient and of And the Lord gave His voice many mercies, and superior before His army’s face, to ill will! because its camps are overwhelmingly great, 2:14 quis scit si convertatur because they are mighty, et ignoscat et relinquat post working His word.