The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV
Page 418
10:12 o Jer. 4:3
10:12 p Hos. 6:3
10:13 q (Job 4:8; Prov. 22:8; Gal. 6:7, 8)
Hosea 11
11:1 a Matt. 2:15
11:1 b Ex. 4:22, 23
11:1 1 Or youth
11:2 c 2 Kin. 17:13–15
11:2 2 So with MT, Vg.; LXX Just as I called them; Tg. interprets as I sent prophets to a thousand of them.
11:2 3 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX from My face
11:3 d Deut. 1:31; 32:10, 11
11:3 e Ex. 15:26
11:3 4 Some Heb. mss., LXX, Syr., Vg. My arms
11:4 f Lev. 26:13
11:4 g Ex. 16:32; Ps. 78:25
11:4 5 Lit. cords of a man
11:4 6 Lit. jaws
11:7 h Jer. 3:6, 7; 8:5
11:7 7 The prophets
11:7 8 Or upward
11:8 i Jer. 9:7
11:8 j Gen. 14:8; 19:24, 25; Deut. 29:23
11:8 9 Lit. turns over
11:9 k Num. 23:19
11:9 10 Or enter a city
11:10 l Is. 31:4; (Joel 3:16); Amos 1:2
11:11 m Is. 11:11; 60:8; Hos. 7:11
11:11 n Ezek. 28:25, 26; 34:27, 28
11:12 11 Or holy ones
Hosea 12
12:1 a Job 15:2, 3; Hos. 8:7
12:1 b 2 Kin. 17:4; Hos. 8:9
12:1 c Is. 30:6
12:1 1 ruin
12:1 2 Or treaty
12:2 d Hos. 4:1; Mic. 6:2
12:2 3 A legal complaint
12:3 e Gen. 25:26
12:3 f Gen. 32:24–28
12:4 g (Gen. 28:12–19; 35:9–15)
12:5 h Ex. 3:15
12:6 i Hos. 14:1; Mic. 6:8
12:7 j Prov. 11:1; Amos 8:5; Mic. 6:11
12:7 4 Or merchant
12:8 k Ps. 62:10; Hos. 13:6; Rev. 3:17
12:9 l Lev. 23:42
12:10 m 2 Kin. 17:13; Jer. 7:25
12:10 5 Or parables
12:10 6 Lit. by the hand
12:11 n Hos. 6:8
12:11 o Hos. 9:15
12:11 7 worthless
12:12 p Gen. 28:5; Deut. 26:5
12:12 q Gen. 29:20, 28
12:13 r Ex. 12:50, 51; 13:3; Ps. 77:20; Is. 63:11, 12; Mic. 6:4
12:14 s Ezek. 18:10–13
12:14 t Dan. 11:18; Mic. 6:16
Hosea 13
13:2 1 Or those who offer human sacrifice
13:2 2 Worship with kisses
13:3 a Ps. 1:4; Is. 17:13; Dan. 2:35
13:4 b Is. 43:11
13:4 c Is. 43:11; 45:21, 22; (1 Tim. 2:5)
13:5 d Deut. 2:7; 32:10
13:5 e Deut. 8:15
13:5 3 Cared for you
13:5 4 Lit. droughts
13:6 f Deut. 8:12, 14; 32:13–15; Jer. 5:7
13:7 g Lam. 3:10; Hos. 5:14
13:7 h Jer. 5:6
13:8 i 2 Sam. 17:8; Prov. 17:12
13:8 5 Lit. beast of the field
13:9 6 Lit. it or he destroyed you
13:9 7 Lit. in your help
13:10 j Deut. 32:38
13:10 k 1 Sam. 8:5, 6
13:10 8 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. Where is your king?
13:11 l 1 Sam. 8:7; 10:17–24
13:12 m Deut. 32:34, 35; Job 14:17; (Rom. 2:5)
13:13 n Is. 13:8; Mic. 4:9, 10
13:14 o (1 Cor. 15:54, 55)
13:14 p Jer. 15:6
13:14 9 Lit. hand
13:14 10 Or Sheol
13:14 11 LXX where is your punishment?
13:14 12 Or Sheol
13:14 13 LXX where is your sting?
13:15 q Gen. 41:6; Jer. 4:11, 12; Ezek. 17:10; 19:12
13:16 r 2 Kin. 18:12
13:16 s 2 Kin. 15:16
13:16 14 LXX shall be disfigured
Hosea 14
14:1 a Hos. 12:6; (Joel 2:13)
14:2 b (Ps. 51:16, 17; Hos. 6:6; Heb. 13:15)
14:2 1 Lit. bull calves; LXX fruit
14:3 c Hos. 7:11; 10:13; 12:1
14:3 d (Ps. 33:17); Is. 31:1
14:3 e Ps. 10:14; 68:5
14:4 f Jer. 14:7
14:4 g (Eph. 1:6)
14:5 h Job 29:19; Prov. 19:12; Is. 26:19
14:5 2 Lit. bud or sprout
14:5 3 Lit. strike
14:6 i Ps. 52:8; 128:3
14:6 j Gen. 27:27
14:6 4 Lit. go
14:7 k Dan. 4:12
14:7 5 Lit. bud or sprout
14:7 6 Lit. remembrance
14:8 l (John 15:4)
14:9 m (Ps. 111:7, 8; Prov. 10:29); Zeph. 3:5
Introduction to Joel
Title
The Greek Septuagint (LXX) and Latin Vulgate (Vg.) versions follow the Hebrew Masoretic Text (MT), titling this book after Joel the prophet, the recipient of the message from God (1:1). The name means “the LORD is God” and refers to at least a dozen men in the OT. Joel is referred to only once in the NT (Acts 2:16-21).
Author and Date
The author identified himself only as “Joel the son of Pethuel” (1:1). The prophecy provides little else about the man. Even the name of his father is not mentioned elsewhere in the OT. Although he displayed a profound zeal for the temple sacrifices (1:9; 2:13-16), his familiarity with pastoral and agricultural life and his separation from the priests (1:13, 14; 2:17) suggest he was not a Levite. Extrabiblical tradition records that he was from the tribe of Reuben, from the town of Bethom or Bethharam, located NE of the Dead Sea on the border of Reuben and Gad. The context of the prophecy, however, hints that he was a Judean from the Jerusalem vicinity, since the tone of a stranger is absent.
Dating the book relies solely on canonical position, historical allusions, and linguistic elements. Because of: 1) the lack of any mention of later world powers (Assyria, Babylon, or Persia); 2) the fact that Joel’s style is like that of Hosea and Amos rather than of the post-Exilic prophets; and 3) the verbal parallels with other early prophets (Joel 3:16/Amos 1:2; Joel 3:18/Amos 9:13), a late ninth century B.C. date, during the reign of Joash (ca. 835–796 B.C.), seems most convincing. Nevertheless, while the date of the book cannot be known with certainty, the impact on its interpretation is minimal. The message of Joel is timeless, forming doctrine which could be repeated and applied in any age.
Background and Setting
Tyre, Sidon, and Philistia had made frequent military incursions into Israel (3:2ff.). An extended drought and massive invasion of locusts had stripped every green thing from the Land and brought severe economic devastation (1:7-20), leaving the southern kingdom weak. This physical disaster gives Joel the illustration for God’s judgment. As the locusts were a judgment on sin, God’s future judgments during the Day of the LORD will far exceed them. In that day, God will judge His enemies and bless the faithful. No mention is made of specific sins, nor is Judah rebuked for idolatry. Yet, possibly due to a calloused indifference, the prophet calls them to a bona fide repentance, admonishing them to “rend your heart, and not your garments” (2:13).
Historical and Theological Themes
The theme of Joel is the Day of the LORD. It permeates all parts of Joel’s message, making it the most sustained treatment in the entire OT (1:15; 2:1; 2:11; 2:31; 3:14). The phrase is employed 19 times by 8 different OT authors (Is. 2:12; 13:6, 9; Ezek. 13:5; 30:3; Joel 1:15; 2:1, 11, 31; 3:14; Amos 5:18 [2x],20; Obad. 15; Zeph. 1:7, 14 [2x]; Zech. 14:1; Mal. 4:5). The phrase does not have reference to a chronological time period, but to a general period of wrath and judgment uniquely belonging to the LORD. It is exclusively the day which unveils His character—mighty, powerful, and holy, thus terrifying His enemies. The Day of the LORD does not always refer to an eschatological event; on occasion it has a near historical fulfillment, as seen in Ezek. 13:5, where it speaks of the Babylonian conquest and destruction of Jerusalem. As is common in prophecy, the near fulfillment is a historic event upon which to comprehend the more distant, eschatological fulfillment.
The Day of the Lord is frequently associated with seismic disturbances (e.g., 2:1-11; 2:31; 3:16), v
iolent weather (Ezek. 13:5ff.), clouds and thick darkness (e.g., 2:2; Zeph. 1:7ff.), cosmic upheaval (2:3, 30), and as a “great and very terrible” (2:11) day that would “come as destruction from the Almighty” (1:15). The latter half of Joel depicts time immediately prior to and subsequent to the Day of the Lord in terms of promise and hope. There will be a pouring out of the Spirit on all flesh, accompanied by prophetic utterances, dreams, visions (2:28, 29), as well as the coming of Elijah, an epiphany bringing restoration and hope (Mal. 4:5, 6). As a result of the Day of the Lord there will be physical blessings, fruitfulness, and prosperity (2:21ff.; 3:16-21). It is a day when judgment is poured out on sinners that subsequently leads to blessings on the penitent, and reaffirmation of God’s covenant with His people. See note on 1 Thess. 5:2.
Interpretive Challenges
It is preferable to view chap. 1 as describing an actual invasion of locusts that devastated the Land. In chap. 2, a new level of description meets the interpreter. Here the prophet is projecting something beyond the locust plague of chap. 1, elevating the level of description to new heights, with increased intensity that is focused on the plague and the immediate necessity for true repentance. The prophet’s choice of similes, such as “like the appearance of horses” (2:4) and “like mighty men” (2:7), suggests that he is still using the actual locusts to illustrate an invasion which can only be the massive overtaking of the final Day of the LORD.
A second issue confronting the interpreter is Peter’s quotation from Joel 2:28–32 in Acts 2:16–21. Some have viewed the phenomena of Acts 2 and the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 as the fulfillment of the Joel passage, while others have reserved its fulfillment to the final Day of the LORD only—but clearly Joel is referring to the final terrible Day of the LORD. The pouring out of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was not a fulfillment, but a preview and sample of the Spirit’s power and work to be released fully and finally in the Messiah’s kingdom after the Day of the LORD. See note on Acts 2:16–21.
Outline
Following 1:1, the contents of the book are arranged under 3 basic categories. In the first section (1:2–20) the prophet describes the contemporary Day of the LORD. The land is suffering massive devastation caused by a locust plague and drought. The details of the calamity (1:2–12) are followed by a summons to communal penitence and reformation (1:13–20).
The second section (2:1-17) provides a transition from the historical plague of locusts described in chap. 1 to the eschatological Day of the LORD in 2:18-3:21. Employing the contemporary infestation of locusts as a backdrop, the prophet, with an increased level of intensity, paints a vivid and forceful picture of the impending visitation of the LORD (2:1-11) and, with powerful and explicit terminology, tenaciously renews the appeal for repentance (2:12-17).
In the third section (2:18—3:21), the LORD speaks directly, assuring His people of His presence among them (2:27; 3:17, 21). This portion of the book assumes that the repentance solicited (2:12–17) had occurred and describes the Lord’s zealous response (2:18, 19a) to their prayer. Joel 2:18–20 forms the transition in the message from lamentation and woe to divine assurances of God’s presence and the reversal of the calamities, with 2:19b, 20 introducing the essence and nature of that reversal. The LORD then gives 3 promises to assure the penitents of His presence: material restoration through the divine healing of their land (2:21–27), spiritual restoration through the divine outpouring of His Spirit (2:28–32), and national restoration through the divine judgment on the unrighteous (3:1–21).
I. Day of the LORD Experienced: Historical (1:1-20)
A. Source of the Message (1:1)
B. Command to Contemplate the Devastation (1:2-4)
C. Completeness of the Devastation (1:5-12)
D. Call to Repent in Light of the Devastation (1:13-20)
II. Day of the LORD Illustrated: Transitional (2:1-17)
A. Alarm Sounds (2:1)
B. Army Invades (2:2-11)
C. Admonition to Repent (2:12-17)
III. Day of the LORD Described: Eschatological (2:18-3:21)
A. Introduction (2:18-20)
B. Material Restoration (2:21-27)
C. Spiritual Restoration (2:28-32)
D. National Restoration (3:1-21)
The Book of
JOEL
Joel 1
The Locust Plague in Judah
1The word of the LORD that came to aJoel the son of Pethuel.
The Land Laid Waste
(Ex. 10:1–20)
2Hear this, you elders,
And give ear, all you inhabitants of the land!
b Has anything like this happened in your days,
Or even in the days of your fathers?
3c Tell your children about it,
Let your children tell their children,
And their children another generation.
4d What the chewing 1locust left, the eswarming locust has eaten;
What the swarming locust left, the crawling locust has eaten;
And what the crawling locust left, the consuming locust has eaten.
5Awake, you fdrunkards, and weep;
And wail, all you drinkers of wine,
Because of the new wine,
g For it has been cut off from your mouth.
6For ha nation has come up against My land,
Strong, and without number;
i His teeth are the teeth of a lion,
And he has the fangs of a 2fierce lion.
7He has jlaid waste My vine,
And 3ruined My fig tree;
He has stripped it bare and thrown it away;
Its branches are made white.
8k Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth
For lthe husband of her youth.
9m The grain offering and the drink offering
Have been cut off from the house of the LORD;
The priests nmourn, who minister to the LORD.
10The field is wasted,
o The land mourns;
For the grain is ruined,
p The new wine is dried up,
The oil fails.
11q Be ashamed, you farmers,
Wail, you vinedressers,
For the wheat and the barley;
Because the harvest of the field has perished.
12r The vine has dried up,
And the fig tree has withered;
The pomegranate tree,
The palm tree also,
And the apple tree—
All the trees of the field are withered;
Surely sjoy has withered away from the sons of men. Day of the Lord
Mourning for the Land
13t Gird yourselves and lament, you priests;
Wail, you who minister before the altar;
Come, lie all night in sackcloth,
You who minister to my God;
For the grain offering and the drink offering
Are withheld from the house of your God.
14u Consecrate a fast,
Call va sacred assembly;
Gather the elders
And wall the inhabitants of the land
Into the house of the LORD your God,
And cry out to the LORD.
15x Alas for the day!
For ythe day of the LORD is at hand;
It shall come as destruction from the Almighty.
16Is not the food zcut off before our eyes,
a Joy and gladness from the house of our God?
17The seed shrivels under the clods,
Storehouses are in shambles;
Barns are broken down,
For the grain has withered.
18How bthe animals groan!
The herds of cattle are restless,
Because they have no pasture;
Even the flocks of sheep 4suffer punishment.
19O LORD, cto You I cry out;
For dfire has devoured the 5open pastures,
And a flame has burned all the trees of the field.
20The beasts of the field also ecry out to You,
For fthe water brooks are dried up,
And fire has devoured the 6open pastures.
Joel 2
The Day of the LORD
1Blow athe 1trumpet in Zion,
And bsound an alarm in My holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble;
For cthe day of the LORD is coming,
For it is at hand:
2d A day of darkness and gloominess,
A day of clouds and thick darkness,
Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains.
e A people come, great and strong,
f The like of whom has never been;
Nor will there ever be any such after them,
Even for many successive generations.
3A fire devours before them,
And behind them a flame burns;
The land is like gthe Garden of Eden before them,
h And behind them a desolate wilderness;
Surely nothing shall escape them.
4i Their appearance is like the appearance of horses;
And like 2swift steeds, so they run.
5j With a noise like chariots
Over mountaintops they leap,
Like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble,
Like a strong people set in battle array.
6Before them the people writhe in pain;
k All faces 3are drained of color.
7They run like mighty men,
They climb the wall like men of war;
Every one marches in formation,
And they do not break lranks.
8They do not push one another;
Every one marches in his own 4column.
Though they lunge between the weapons,
They are not 5cut down.
9They run to and fro in the city,
They run on the wall;
They climb into the houses,
They menter at the windows nlike a thief.
10o The earth quakes before them,
The heavens tremble;
p The sun and moon grow dark,
And the stars diminish their brightness.
11q The LORD gives voice before His army,
For His camp is very great;
r For strong is the One who executes His word.
For the sday of the LORD is great and very terrible;
t Who can endure it?
A Call to Repentance
12“Now, therefore,” says the LORD,