the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
Click here to join the effort!
Bible Dictionaries
Joel
Fausset's Bible Dictionary
or ("Jehovah is God".)
1. Samuel's oldest son (1 Samuel 8:2; 1 Chronicles 6:28 (read "the firstborn (Joel) and the second (Vashni) Abiah"), 1 Chronicles 6:33; 1 Chronicles 15:17). Father of Heman the singer. He and his brother Abiah were judges in Beersheba, when their father was too old to go on circuit. Their bribery and perversion of justice occasioned the cry for a monarchy.
2. Joel, a corruption of Shaul (1 Chronicles 6:24; 1 Chronicles 6:36).
3. Of the twelve minor prophets. Son of Pethuel. The many (Joel 1:14; Joel 2:1; Joel 2:15; Joel 2:22; Joel 3:1-2; Joel 3:6; Joel 3:16-21) references to Judah and Jerusalem and the temple imply that his ministry was in the southern kingdom. "Israel," when mentioned (Joel 3:2), represents the whole twelve tribes. Date. The position of his book in the Hebrew canon between Hosea and Amos implies that he was Hosea's contemporary, slightly preceding Amos who at Tekoa probably heard him, and so under the Spirit reproduces his words (Joel 3:16, compare Amos 1:2). The sentiment and language of the three prophets correspond. The freshness of style, the absence of allusion to the great empires Assyria and Babylon, and the mention of Tyre, Sidon, and the Philistines (Joel 3:4) as God's executioners of judgment on Israel, accord with an early date, probably Uzziah's reign or even Joash's reign.
No mention is made of the Syrians who invaded Judah in the close of the reign of Joash of Judah (2 Kings 12:17-18; 2 Chronicles 24:23-25), but that was an isolated event and Syria was too far N. to trouble Judah permanently. The mention of "the valley of Jehoshaphat" (Joel 3:12) alludes to Jehoshaphat's victory (2 Chronicles 20), the earnest of Israel's future triumph over the pagan; though occurring long before, it was so great an event as to be ever after a pledge of God's favor to His people. Chap. 1 describes the ravages caused by locusts, a scourge foretold by Moses (Deuteronomy 28:38-39) and by Solomon (1 Kings 8:37; 1 Kings 8:46).
The second chapter makes them symbols of foreign foes who would destroy all before them. So Revelation 9:1-12; Amos 7:1-4. Their teeth like those "of lions" (Joel 1:6), their assailing cities (Joel 2:6-9), and a flame of fire being their image (Joel 1:19-20; Joel 2:3; Joel 2:5), and their finally being driven eastward, westward ("the utmost sea," the Mediterranean), and southward ("a land barren," etc.), whereas locusts are carried away by wind in one direction only, all favor the symbolical meaning. They are plainly called "the pagan" (Joel 2:17), "the northern (a quarter from whence locusts do not come) army" (Joel 2:20), "all the nations" (Joel 3:2), "strangers" (Joel 3:17). Their fourfold invasion is to be the last before Jehovah's glorious deliverance (Joel 2:18-20, etc.) in answer to His people's penitent prayer (Joel 2:12-17).
ARRANGEMENT.
I. Joel 1-2:17 the fourfold invasion answering to the four successive world empires, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome. Each of the four species of locusts in Hebrew letters represents the exact number of years that each empire oppressed, until they had deprived the Jews of all their glory (J. C. Reichardt). Gazare, the first, "the palmerworm," represents the 50 years of Babylon's oppression, from the temple's destruction by Nebuchadnezzar (588 B.C.) to Babylon's overthrow by Cyrus (538 B.C.). Arbeh, the second, "the locust," represents Persia's 208 years' sway over the Jews, from 538 to 330 B.C., when Persia fell before Alexander the Great.
Yelequ, the third, "the cankerworm," represents 140 years of the Graeco-Macedonian oppression, from 330 to 190 B.C., when Antiochus the Jews' great enemy was defeated by the Roman, Lucius Scipio. Chasil, "the caterpillar," the fourth, represents the 108 years of the Romans' oppression, beginning with their minion Herod the Great, an Idumean stranger, 38 B.C., and ending A.D. 70 with the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. The whole period thus comprises that between the destruction of the first and the second temple; and the calamities which befell the Jews by the four world empires in that period are those precisely which produced the ruin under which they are still groaning, and form the theme of their Kinoth or songs of lamentation. This first portion ends in a call to thorough and universal repentance.
II. Joel 2:18-29. Salvation announced to the repentant people, and restoration of all they lost, and greater blessings added.
III. Joel 2:30-3:21. Destruction of the apostate nations confederate against Israel on the one hand; and Jehovah's dwelling as Israel's God in Zion, and Judah abiding for ever, on the other, so that fountains of blessing from His house shall flow, symbolized by waters, milk, and new wine. References to the law, on which all the prophets lean, occur: Joel 2:13, compare Exodus 34:6; Exodus 32:14; Exodus 2:28, compare Numbers 11:29, fulfilled in the pentecostal outpouring of the Spirit in part (Acts 2:16; Acts 2:21; Acts 21:9; John 7:39), but awaiting a further fulfillment just before Israel's restoration, when "the Spirit shall be poured upon all flesh" (of which the outpouring on all classes without distinction of race is the earnest: Acts 2:28; Acts 2:38; Romans 10:12-13; Zechariah 12:10; Joel 2:23). Also Joel 3:19-21, compare Deuteronomy 32:42-43, the locusts, of which it is written "there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be" (Joel 2:2, compare Exodus 10:14).
Pusey translates Joel 2:23 ("the former rain moderately") "He hath given you (in His purpose) the Teacher unto righteousness," namely, who" shall bring in everlasting righteousness" (Daniel 9). This translation is favored by the emphasis on et hamoreh , not found in the latter part of the verse where rain is meant; the promise of Christ's coming thus stands first, as the source of "rain" and all other blessings which follow; He is God's gift, "given" as in Isaiah 55:4. Joel's style is pure, smooth, rhythmical, periodic, and regular in its parallelisms; strong as Micah, tender as Jeremiah, vivid as Nathan, and sublime as Isaiah. Take as a specimen (Joel 2) his graphic picture of the terrible aspect of the locusts, their rapidity, irresistible progress, noisy din, and instinct-taught power of marshaling their forces for devastation.
4. 1 Chronicles 4:35; 1 Chronicles 4:41-43.
5. 1 Chronicles 5:4.
6. 1 Chronicles 5:11-12.
7. 1 Chronicles 7:3-4.
8. 1 Chronicles 11:38; in 2 Samuel 23:36 IGAL.
9. 1 Chronicles 15:7; 1 Chronicles 15:11-12; 1 Chronicles 23:8; 1 Chronicles 26:22.
10. 1 Chronicles 27:20.
11. 2 Chronicles 29:12; 2 Chronicles 29:15.
12. Ezra 10:19; Ezra 10:43.
13. Nehemiah 11:3-4; Nehemiah 11:9.
These files are public domain.
Fausset, Andrew R. Entry for 'Joel'. Fausset's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/fbd/j/joel.html. 1949.
