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Joel 2

KJV · Chapter 2/3

1Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

2A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.

3A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.

4The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.

5Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.

6Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.

7They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks:

8Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.

9They 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.

10The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:

11And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?

12Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:

13And 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.

14Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God?

15Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:

16Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.

17Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?

18Then will the Lord be jealous for his land, and pity his people.

19Yea, the Lord will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen:

20But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.

21Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things.

22Be 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.

23Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.

24And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.

25And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

26And 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.

27And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.

28And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

29And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

30And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

31The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.

32And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Joel expands the image of the locust plague into an even greater army approaching on the 'Day of the LORD,' but offers hope: if the people truly repent from the heart, God promises to restore all that was lost and pour out His Spirit on everyone.

Explanation

The description of the locust army as an invading cavalry ('like horsemen, so shall they run') serves as a bridge to a greater prophetic image: the 'Day of the LORD,' a recurring theme among the prophets that represents both immediate judgment and a definitive future event. The appeal to 'rend your heart, and not your garments' (v.13) contrasts external ritual mourning (tearing clothes) with genuine inner repentance, which is what truly matters to God. The promise of material restoration ('I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten') and spiritual restoration (pouring out the Spirit on 'all flesh') is one of the most quoted passages of the Old Testament. Today's application: no loss is so great that sincere repentance cannot begin to reverse it.

Fun facts

  • Verse 28 ('I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh') is quoted directly by the apostle Peter in Acts 2:17-21 on the day of Pentecost, to explain what was happening when the disciples received the Holy Spirit.
  • The phrase 'rend your heart, and not your garments' became a classic expression in the Judeo-Christian tradition for distinguishing outward, showy religiosity from genuine repentance.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Joel 2:1A military alarm: blow the trumpet in Zion to warn that 'the day of the Lord' is coming, a decisive moment of judgment.
  2. Joel 2:2Describes the locust army as darker and greater than anything ever seen before or that will ever be seen again — the worst event on record.
  3. Joel 2:3The land was like the garden of Eden before the plague passed through, and turns into a desert afterward — nothing escapes this total destruction.
  4. Joel 2:4The locusts are compared to war horses and horsemen — the same visual and audible effect as a genuine invading army.
  5. Joel 2:5The noise of the swarm is compared to the rumble of chariots and the crackle of fire — the sound of an army marching in formation.
  6. Joel 2:6The fear is so great that people's faces turn pale, like soot from a pot — visible terror on the face of everyone who sees the plague coming.
  7. Joel 2:7The plague advances with almost military discipline, each insect keeping its own rank without swerving, like well-trained soldiers scaling a wall.
  8. Joel 2:8The military image continues: they advance in perfect order, without colliding with one another, immune even to the defenses raised to stop them.
  9. Joel 2:9The plague invades everything — city, walls, houses — even coming in through the windows, like a thief who leaves no place safe.
  10. Joel 2:10Cosmic language of judgment: the earth quaking, the heavens trembling, the sun and moon darkened — the gravity of the event compared to the end of the world.
  11. Joel 2:11The chapter's central revelation: this locust 'army' is commanded by the Lord Himself — He is behind the punishment, and no one can endure that day.
  12. Joel 2:12After describing the judgment, God changes His tone and calls the people to sincere repentance, with genuine fasting and weeping.
  13. Joel 2:13'Rend your heart, and not your garments' contrasts with the ancient custom of tearing one's clothes as a sign of mourning or repentance; God is saying He wants real inward change, not just the outward gesture.
  14. Joel 2:14Even without an absolute guarantee, there is hope that God will relent and still leave enough resources to resume the offerings at the temple.
  15. Joel 2:15Repeats the call to the trumpet and the fast, now as a practical summons to collective repentance, no longer as a danger alarm.
  16. Joel 2:16The fast must include everyone, no exceptions — even newlyweds must interrupt their honeymoon to join the collective plea.
  17. Joel 2:17The priests are to intercede publicly, asking God to spare the people so that neighboring nations will not mock them by asking where the God of Israel is.
  18. Joel 2:18The turning point of the book: God responds to the people's repentance with zeal for the land and compassion for those who live in it.
  19. Joel 2:19A concrete promise of restoration: wheat, wine, and oil back in abundance, ending the people's shame before the other nations.
  20. Joel 2:20God promises to drive 'the northern army' — likely the plague or an invading army pictured as coming from the north — far away, destroying it for good.
  21. Joel 2:21God speaks directly to the devastated land, calling it to rejoice because the restoration is already guaranteed.
  22. Joel 2:22Even the wild animals, which suffered in chapter 1, are told not to fear anymore: the pastures and the trees will bear fruit again.
  23. Joel 2:23The 'former rain' and the 'latter rain' are the two rains of Israel's farming calendar: the former at planting time (autumn) and the latter near harvest (spring); promising both means promising a complete harvest, start to finish.
  24. Joel 2:24An image of complete abundance: threshing floors full of wheat and vats overflowing with wine and oil, the exact opposite of the famine at the start of the book.
  25. Joel 2:25A famous promise: God will 'restore' the years the plague destroyed, openly admitting it was He Himself who sent that insect 'army' as punishment.
  26. Joel 2:26The people will eat until they are satisfied and praise God for what He has done — the shame of the famine will be left behind for good.
  27. Joel 2:27The restoration proves that God is present among His people, and that there is no other God — reinforcing the certainty of this promise.
  28. Joel 2:28This promise to pour out the Spirit 'upon all flesh' — sons, daughters, old men, young men, even servants — is quoted by Peter in the book of Acts, on the day of Pentecost, as fulfilled there; it's one of the most revisited texts of the Old Testament.
  29. Joel 2:29Continues the promise of the outpoured Spirit, extending it explicitly to menservants and maidservants — no one is left out, not even those of lower social standing.
  30. Joel 2:30Dramatic signs in the sky and on earth will accompany this 'day of the Lord' — part of the same prophecy Peter later quotes in Acts 2.
  31. Joel 2:31'The sun into darkness, and the moon into blood' are poetic images of cosmic upheaval, a common way at the time to describe how serious a decisive judgment from God was, without necessarily describing a literal eclipse.
  32. Joel 2:32A central promise, also quoted in Acts 2 and by Paul in Romans: whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, no matter who they are.

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