JOEL

1 From this is inferred that this prophecy appertains likewise to the state of the New Testament, spoken of in the end of the previous chapter, in both places (according to the manner of the prophets) by expressions borrowed from the state of the Old Testament, as may be seen in Joel 2:28, 32, and here in this verse, and in the sequel.

2 That is, when I shall deliver My church by the Messiah and punish her enemies, especially and perfectly toward the end of the world, and when the enemies shall together make themselves ready with all their might to extinguish God’s church. See verses 9, 10, 11, 12, this being typified and represented by the deliverance of the Jews out of Babel, and God’s vengeance against their enemies.

3 That is, the enemies of My church, counted as heathens; and therefore Jews as well as Gentiles; for, the Jews have been the first and most bitter enemies of Christ and of the church of the New Testament. See Psalm 2:1; Acts 4:25, 26, 27; 6:12, 13, etc.

4 That is, in the place of My judgment, which may be called a valley in regard of the heavens (as we are wont to say, this earthly vale of misery, etc.) wherein God is said to inhabit and Christ sits in glory at the right hand of His Father, and from where He sends down His angels for the destruction of His enemies, verse 11. But this seems altogether to have respect to the history in 2 Chronicles 20, when God, in the time of pious king Jehoshaphat, upon the prayer of that king and his people, even before their eyes, though without any assistance or co-operation of theirs, by His own power and the ministry of His angels, judged and destroyed that great multitude of enemies, which came marching on against Judah, in the valley of Berachah, or of praise; so called from the praise and thanks, which then and there was offered up to God by the church, for that great and wonderful defeat of their enemies. See 2 Chron. 20:12, 16, 22, 26, with the annotation. Thus (the LORD implies) shall I likewise in the last times judge and punish all the enemies of My church before her own eyes, for which she shall give Me praise and thanks. The Hebrew name Jehoshaphat signifies the LORD’S doom or judgment, or, the LORD judgeth; and it seems to be explained here by the words subjoined, there I will plead with them; which is the reason why some take the word josaphat here to be not a proper name, but read thus: the valley of the LORD’S judgment. Others conceive that between Jerusalem and mount Olivet, from where our Savior ascended up to heaven, there was a certain valley called the valley of Josaphat, but of this there is no certainty. See Zech. 14:4, 5.

5 See Deut. 32 on verse 9.

6 That is, My church, the spiritual Israel, consisting of believing Jews and Gentiles. See Gal. 6:16.

7 Namely, among themselves, as a prey. Compare Dan. 11:39.

8 See Joel 1 on verse 6.

9 Allocating by lot the conquered and captured ones of My people to each other, and esteemed and treated them so unworthily and basely unto satisfaction of their wicked sensualities, as follows.

10 Some think that the Hebrew word signifies meat in this place.

11 That ye have treated My people, land and sanctuary so hostile? Have either I or they done you wrong, that you may pretend to avenge such a thing? God wants to say: Not in the least, it is mere ungodly hatred and enmity which you have and conduct against Me, to Whom touches and affects the evil, which one inflicts upon My church. Other, what are ye by me? Or, what will ye against me? That is, what value should I make of you then, seeing ye deal so basely and unworthily with My people? Or, what would ye be able to attempt or prevail against Me? Hebr. what ye to me? or with, by, against me?

12 Compare Amos 1:7, 8, 9. The Syrians, Zidonians and Philistines were situated next to the land of the Jews, along the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea, and were very bitter enemies of God’s people. Yet by those we are to understand all the enemies of the church, as also the punishment threatened unto these, respects their enemies in general. Thus by Moab Isa. 25:10 and below verse 19 by Egypt and Edom, and by Edom alone in Obadiah, etc. are likewise understood all other churches’ enemies.

13 Of My temple, or also (as some) of My people and of My land, as God is wont to speak.

14 Of the idols, to honor them with My goods, and thus to revile Me.

15 The vessels of My temple or jewels of My people. All this is spoken according to the style of the Old Testament, whereby is represented all manner of scorn and violence, which the enemies of God’s church would inflict on account of His pure worship. See on verse 1.

16 Hebr. Jevanim, of Javan. See Gen. 10 on verse 2.

17 As I shall deliver My people out of Babel and other places where they were scattered, as such will I deal likewise with My church in general, and punish her enemies.

18 I shall dispose that all this shall come upon them for My people’s sake, as if they did it themselves; and moreover deliver up in general unto My church all her enemies, that they judge and condemn them. See on verse 11; Psalm 50 on verse 6.

19 See Gen. 10 on verse 7.

20 Other, for to carry to a, etc.

21 Compare Joel 2:32.

22 Thus God speaks here (in a deriding manner) to all the enemies of His church, as if He would have said: Do the best ye can, bring all your power together, acquit yourselves like men of valor, ye shall experience therewith as follows. Compare Isa. 8:9, 10; Jer. 46:3, 4; Ezek. 38; 7, 9, etc.

23 See Jer. 6 on verse 4.

24 In order that you may not come short of weapons which you would possibly use against My church. See the promise to the contrary for the church of God in Isa. 2:4; Micah 4:3.

a cutting blades of a plough

25 A fervent prayer of the prophet due to anxiety over this great violence of all the enemies, against which he finds no comfort but in God. Compare Joel 1:19, and see of such another allocution of God Isa. 63:14; Hosea 11:3, etc.; Zech. 14:5.

26 The holy angels, so called and commended by reason of their power and might Psalm 78:25; 103:20, and whose service God was wont to make use of in the protection of His church and the destruction of her enemies. Compare 2 Chron. 20:22, with the annotation there. Some understand: to assist God in the judgment, together with His saints. Compare Psalm 50 on verse 6. Both is the duty of the angels. And this the prophet opposes here against the valiant men of the enemy, verse 9, as if he would have said: Lord, if the enemy do all they can, do Thou likewise what Thou art able to do. Other, there the LORD shall lay down your mighty ones, that is, defeat, destroy (that is, every one of all these hostile nations).

27 Or, let the nations, etc., for, etc. Or, The nations shall be stirred up and come up or ascend, etc.

28 See on verse 2.

29 As King and Judge of the world. See Psalm 9:4; 29:10; 55:19; by My Son Jesus Christ, John 5:22; Acts 17:31.

30 Cut down and thresh, that is, destroy them, cast them in the fire. These are the words of God to His valiant ones, mentioned in verse 11. Compare Mat. 13:30, 39; Rev. 14:15, 19.

b Rev. 14:15.

31 Their sins are ripe for judgment, the measure is full (compare Gen. 15:17; 18:21, with the annotations), the appointed time and day of My judgment is at hand.

32 Of grapes, to be trodden and pressed, that is, the great press of God’s wrath, into which all the wicked shall be thrown, is full. See Rev. 14:19, and compare Isa. 63:3.

33 Or, manifold; this explains the preceding similitudes.

34 That is, (exclaimed by way of astonishment) O how very great multitudes of people shall come, or gather together! Or, how full shall it be everywhere of defeated and slain enemies, having regard to the previous verse. Compare 2 Chron. 20:24, etc.; Isa. 66:24, and see similar doubling of words Gen. 14:10; Deut. 16:20; Ezek. 13:10, in the annotations. Other, tumults, tumults, or, noise, noise; stir, stir.

35 Understand the aforementioned valley of Jehoshaphat, so called, because the enemies of God’s people would there be threshed, that is, trodden down and broken in pieces. This agrees well with the previous verse where God had said: Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe, whereupon the threshing follows; and so the Hebrew word charuts is taken for the using of the threshing instrument, which was customary at that time, Isa. 28:27; Amos 1:3, and in the like manner as here Isa. 41:15. Compare also herewith Isa. 25:10; Jer. 51:33; Hab. 3:12. Yet in regard of the given word it also signifies incise, and further decided; or, precisely appointed, determined, arrested, it is here translated by some the valley of concision, that is, of destruction, or the valley of the precise appointed, summoned judgment, as if one said, of the arrest, of the precise sentence; in a good sense also. See of this signification of the Hebrew word Job 14:5; Isa. 10:22, 23; Dan. 9:26, 27; 11:36.

36 Spoken prophetically and in respect of God, as if the judgment were at the door. Compare 2 Peter 3:8, 9; Rev. 1:1.

c Joel 2:10, 31.

37 As Joel 2:10. See there. The prophet implies that all the signs are there which shall go before the day of the Lord.

38 Out of His church shall He cause His holy Gospel to be heard all over the world, with the announcing of His dreadful judgments upon all the disobedient, which shall not be brought to pass without the commotion of the entire world. Compare the phrase with Isa. 31:4, 5; Hosea 11:10, with the annotation. Likewise Hag. 2:6, 7; Heb. 12:26.

39 In all the aforesaid dreadful troubles and judgments of God.

40 That is, of His church.

41 That is, My church (whereof the faithful of those times were fellow members) shall realize, experience. Compare Joel 2:27.

42 As verse 21; Joel 2:32.

43 That is, completely holy, then perfectly sanctified. See verse 21; Rev. 21:2. And also purified of the troublesome society of all unholy and profane goats and hypocrites, who are none of Christ, and have not His Spirit, as follows.

44 See Zech. 14:12; Mat. 7:23; 13:30; 25:32, 46; Rev. 21:27. They shall also not be vexed anymore further by any enemy.

d Rev. 21:27.

45 By these and the following sweet and figurative expressions is portrayed the very blessed state of the church under the Kingdom of Christ, especially of the triumphant church in His Kingdom of glory, when God shall perform perfectly, begun here in this life, His word of grace and be all in all. Compare Amos 9:13.

e Amos 9:13.

46 See Isa. 49:10; Ezek. 47:1, etc.; Zech. 14:8, with the annotations. Likewise Rev. 22:1.

47 Situated at the east side of Jordan, in the plains of the Moabites, over against Jericho, near the Salt Sea, or Dead Sea (see Gen. 14 on verse 3), which waters were deadly, and by reason thereof the adjoining countries dry and barren. Compare Ezek. 47:1, 2, 3, where it is said that the waters ran likewise eastward out of the house of the LORD, and see of the place Shittim (Hebr. Schittim) Num. 22:1, compared with Num. 25:1; 33:49; Joshua 2:1; Micah 6:5. Other, the valley of the choice cedars, that is, of the church. Compare Psalm 92:12, 13 and see Exod. 25 on verse 5; Isa. 41:19.

48 See on verse 4.

49 As Joel 2:3.

50 Hebr. for the cruelty or violence of the children of Judah, that is, which they have shown to Judah. Compare the phrase with Jer. 2:2, and see the annotation there.

51 Or, shall be inhabited. See Jer. 17 on verse 6. Understand by Judah, Jerusalem and Zion, God’s church. Compare Joel 2:32.

52 Hebr. unto or in generation and generation.

53 That is, I will sanctify them perfectly, cleansing them from all sinful pollution, which at first (in this life) I had not done completely. Compare Ezek. 16:6, 9; Hosea 12:15, with the annotations, and see above verse 17. Some apply this to the grace of God shown to the Gentiles, who in foretimes were strangers to God’s covenant, Eph. 2:12. Other, I will declare them blood-guiltless, that I had not declared guiltless, that is, I shall make it then to appear by My judgment, that they were guiltlessly put to death, who were put to death for My sake, whereas before I had deferred Mine anger, and kept Myself silent as such. Compare verse 19; Rev. 6:10.

54 Compare Ezek. 48:35; Zech. 2:10, 11; Rev. 21:3, 22; 22:3.