Logos Bible Study

Joel 3:9–14

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Judgment in the Valley of Jehoshaphat

3:9Proclaim this among the nations:

“Prepare for a holy war!

Call out the warriors!

Let all these fighting men approach and attack!19

3:10Beat your plowshares20 into swords,

and your pruning hooks21 into spears!22

Let the weak say, ‘I too am a warrior!’23

3:11Lend your aid24 and come,

all you surrounding nations,

and gather yourselves25 to that place.”

Bring down, O Lord, your warriors!26

3:12Let the nations be roused and let them go up

to the valley of Jehoshaphat,

for there I will sit in judgment on all the surrounding nations.

3:13Rush forth with27 the sickle, for the harvest is ripe!

Come, stomp the grapes,28 for the winepress is full!

The vats overflow.

Indeed, their evil is great!29

3:14Crowds, great crowds are in the valley of decision,

for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision!30

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Footnotes

  1. 19 Heb “draw near and go up.”
  2. 20 Instead of referring to the large plow as a whole, the plowshare is simply the metal tip which actually breaks the earth and cuts the furrow.
  3. 21 This implement was used to prune the vines, i.e., to cut off extra leaves and young shoots (M. Klingbeil, 1:). It was a short knife with a curved hook at the end sharpened on the inside like a sickle.
  4. 22 This conversion of farming instruments to instruments of war is the reverse of Isa 2:4 (cf. Mic 4:3), where military weapons are transformed into tools for farming. Isaiah describes a time of kingdom blessing and prosperity, whereas Joel describes a time of eschatological conflict and judgment.
  5. 23 The “weak” individual mentioned here is apparently the farmer who has little or no military prowess or prior fighting experience. Under ordinary circumstances such a person would be ill-prepared for assuming the role of a soldier. However, in the scene that Joel is describing here even the most unlikely candidate will become a participant to be reckoned with in this final conflict.
  6. 24 This Hebrew verb is found only here in the OT; its meaning is uncertain. Some scholars prefer to read here עוּרוּ (’uru, “arouse”) or חוּשׁוּ (khushu, “hasten”).
  7. 25 The present translation follows the reading of the imperative הִקָּבְצוּ (hiqqavétsu) rather than the perfect with vav (ו) consecutive וְנִקְבָּצוּ (véniqbbatsu) of the .
  8. 26 Some commentators prefer to delete the line “Bring down, O Lord, your warriors,” understanding it to be a later addition. But this is unnecessary. Contrary to what some have suggested, a prayer for the Lord’s intervention is not out of place here.
  9. 27 Heb “send.”
  10. 28 Heb “go down” or “tread.” The Hebrew term רְדוּ (rédu) may be from יָרַד (yarad, “to go down”) or from רָדָה (radah, “have dominion,” here in the sense of “to tread”). If it means “go down,” the reference would be to entering the vat to squash the grapes. If it means “tread,” the verb would refer specifically to the action of those who walk over the grapes to press out their juice. The phrase “the grapes” is supplied in the translation for clarity.
  11. 29 The immediacy of judgment upon wickedness is likened to the urgency required for a harvest that has reached its pinnacle of development. When the harvest is completely ripe, there can be no delay by the reapers in gathering the harvest. In a similar way, Joel envisions a time when human wickedness will reach such a heightened degree that there can be no further stay of divine judgment (cf. the “fullness of time” language in Gal 4:4).
  12. 30 The decision referred to here is not a response on the part of the crowd, but the verdict handed out by the divine judge.

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Proclaim this among the nations:

Consecrate for war;

stir up the mighty men.

Let all the men of war draw near;

let them come up.

Beat your plowshares into swords,

and your pruning hooks into spears;

let the weak say, “I am a warrior.”

Hasten and come,

all you surrounding nations,

and gather yourselves there.

Bring down your warriors, O Lord.

Let the nations stir themselves up

and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;

for there I will sit to judge

all the surrounding nations.

Put in the sickle,

for the harvest is ripe.

Go in, tread,

for the winepress is full.

The vats overflow,

for their evil is great.

Multitudes, multitudes,

in the valley of decision!

For the day of the Lord is near

in the valley of decision.

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Proclaim this among the nations:

Prepare for war!

Rouse the warriors!

Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.

Beat your plowshares into swords

and your pruning hooks into spears.

Let the weakling say,

“I am strong!”

Come quickly, all you nations from every side,

and assemble there.

Bring down your warriors, Lord!

“Let the nations be roused;

let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat,

for there I will sit

to judge all the nations on every side.

Swing the sickle,

for the harvest is ripe.

Come, trample the grapes,

for the winepress is full

and the vats overflow—

so great is their wickedness!”

Multitudes, multitudes

in the valley of decision!

For the day of the Lord is near

in the valley of decision.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Proclaim this among the nations:

Prepare for holy war;

rouse the warriors;

let all the men of war advance and attack!

Beat your plows into swords

and your pruning knives into spears.

Let even the weakling say, “I am a warrior.”

Come quickly, all you surrounding nations;

gather yourselves.

Bring down your warriors there, Lord.

Let the nations be roused

and come to the Valley of Jehoshaphat,

for there I will sit down

to judge all the surrounding nations.

Swing the sickle

because the harvest is ripe.

Come and trample the grapes

because the winepress is full;

the wine vats overflow

because the wickedness of the nations is extreme.

Multitudes, multitudes

in the valley of decision!

For the day of the Lord is near

in the valley of decision.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

Say to the nations far and wide:

“Get ready for war!

Call out your best warriors.

Let all your fighting men advance for the attack.

Hammer your plowshares into swords

and your pruning hooks into spears.

Train even your weaklings to be warriors.

Come quickly, all you nations everywhere.

Gather together in the valley.”

And now, O Lord, call out your warriors!

“Let the nations be called to arms.

Let them march to the valley of Jehoshaphat.

There I, the Lord, will sit

to pronounce judgment on them all.

Swing the sickle,

for the harvest is ripe.

Come, tread the grapes,

for the winepress is full.

The storage vats are overflowing

with the wickedness of these people.”

Thousands upon thousands are waiting in the valley of decision.

There the day of the Lord will soon arrive.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Proclaim this among the nations:

Prepare for war!

Stir up the mighty warriors;

let them approach and come up;

let all the men of war approach.

Beat your cutting tools of iron into swords

and your pruning hooks into spears;

let the weakling say, ‘I am a mighty warrior!’

Hurry and come,

all the nations, from all around,

and gather yourselves there.

Bring down your mighty warriors, O Yahweh!

Let the nations be roused and let them come up

to the valley of Jehoshaphat,

for there I will sit to judge

all the nations from all around.

Send forth the sickle,

for the harvest is ripe!

Go tread,

for the winepress is full!

The vats overflow,

because their evil is great!

Commotion, commotion

in the valley of decision!

For the day of Yahweh is near

in the valley of decision!

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles;

Prepare war, wake up the mighty men,

Let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:

Beat your plowshares into swords,

And your pruninghooks into spears:

Let the weak say, I am strong.

Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen,

And gather yourselves together round about:

Thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord.

Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat:

For there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.

Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe:

Come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow;

For their wickedness is great.

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision:

For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.

Public Domain