A Call to National Repentance
Joel 2:12-17
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Joe.2.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וגם: CONJ
- עתה: ADV
- נאם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- שבו: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,pl
- עדי: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בכל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לבבכם: NOUN,m,sg,poss
- ובצום: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ובבכי: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ובמספד: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Jonah 3:5-10 (thematic): Nineveh's public fast, sackcloth and repentance echo Joel's call to return to the LORD with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
- Daniel 9:3 (verbal): Daniel turns to God with prayer, supplication, fasting, sackcloth, and ashes—language closely paralleling Joel's prescribed acts of penitence.
- 2 Chronicles 7:14 (thematic): The summons for God's people to humble themselves, pray and turn from sin so God will heal the land parallels Joel's call to heartfelt repentance.
- Isaiah 55:6-7 (thematic): The exhortation to seek the LORD, return to him, and receive mercy mirrors Joel's appeal to return with all your heart.
- Psalm 51:17 (thematic): The emphasis on a broken and contrite heart as acceptable worship complements Joel's stress on inward repentance accompanying fasting and mourning.
Alternative generated candidates
- And now—declares the LORD—return to me with all your heart; with fasting, with weeping, with mourning.
- And now—declares the LORD—return to me with all your heart; with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.
Joe.2.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וקרעו: VERB,qal,imp,2,pl
- לבבכם: NOUN,m,sg,poss
- ואל: CONJ+PREP
- בגדיכם: NOUN,m,pl,suff-2mp
- ושובו: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,pl
- אל: NEG
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אלהיכם: NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,2,m,pl
- כי: CONJ
- חנון: ADJ,m,sg
- ורחום: CONJ+ADJ,m,sg
- הוא: PRON,3,m,sg
- ארך: ADJ,m,sg
- אפים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ורב: CONJ+ADJ,m,sg
- חסד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ונחם: VERB,niphal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- על: PREP
- הרעה: NOUN,f,sg,def
Parallels
- Exodus 34:6-7 (verbal): God’s self-develaration lists the same core attributes — merciful/gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love/mercy — language echoed nearly verbatim in Joel 2:13.
- Jonah 4:2 (quotation): Jonah explicitly quotes the description of God as 'compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love,' directly reflecting the wording and theological point of Joel 2:13.
- Psalm 103:8 (verbal): The psalm uses the same terminology ('The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger') affirming the covenantal portrait of God’s mercy that Joel appeals to in calling for repentance.
- Numbers 14:18 (thematic): Speaks of the LORD being slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and forgiving iniquity — a theological parallel emphasizing divine patience and willingness to relent from sending punishment when people repent.
Alternative generated candidates
- Rend your hearts and not your garments; return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and he relents from sending disaster.
- Rend your heart and not your garments; return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and he relents from bringing disaster.
Joe.2.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מי: PRON,interr,sg
- יודע: VERB,qal,ptc,ms,sg
- ישוב: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ונחם: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- והשאיר: CONJ+VERB,hifil,perf,3,m,sg
- אחריו: PREP,3,m,sg
- ברכה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מנחה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ונסך: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ליהוה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
- אלהיכם: NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,2,m,pl
Parallels
- Joel 2:13 (structural): Immediate context: call to return because the LORD is gracious, merciful, slow to anger—frames the hope that God may 'turn and relent'.
- Exodus 32:14 (verbal): Same verb-form and theological idea—'the LORD relented/changed his mind' after Israel's actions (YHWH relenting from announced disaster).
- Jonah 3:10 (thematic): God 'saw their deeds that they turned from their evil way' and 'relented'—narrative example of divine mercy following repentance, paralleling Joel's hope.
- Jeremiah 18:8 (verbal): Uses the conditional formula ('If that nation I warned repents... I will relent') closely matching Joel's speculation that God may turn and relent.
- 2 Chronicles 7:14 (thematic): Promise that if the people 'humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways,' God will 'hear from heaven, forgive, and heal'—parallel theme of restoration following repentance.
Alternative generated candidates
- Who knows whether he will turn and relent and leave behind a blessing—a grain offering and a libation to the LORD your God?
- Who knows—may he turn and relent, and leave behind him a blessing: a grain offering and a libation to the LORD your God?
Joe.2.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- תקעו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- שופר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בציון: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- קדשו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- צום: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- קראו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- עצרה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
Parallels
- Joel 1:14 (verbal): Direct verbal parallel within Joel — both verses call to 'sanctify a fast' and 'call a solemn assembly,' echoing the same liturgical summons.
- Numbers 10:1-10 (structural): Gives the cultic rules for sounding trumpets to summon the community and signal sacred assemblies and movements, providing the canonical precedent for Joel's command to 'blow the trumpet'.
- Leviticus 23:24-25 (verbal): Commands a holy convocation and a trumpet blast on the appointed festival day (the Feast of Trumpets), paralleling Joel’s linkage of trumpet, sanctification, and assembly.
- Psalm 81:3 (thematic): Calls for blowing the trumpet at the new moon and feast — thematically parallel in using trumpet blasts to mark sacred times and communal worship.
- Leviticus 25:9 (thematic): Requires sounding the jubilee trumpet to proclaim a solemn, covenantal celebration for the community, resonating with Joel’s use of the trumpet to call a sacred assembly.
Alternative generated candidates
- Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly.
- Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly.
Joe.2.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אספו: VERB,qal,imp,2,pl
- עם: PREP
- קדשו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- קהל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- קבצו: VERB,qal,imp,2,mp
- זקנים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- אספו: VERB,qal,imp,2,pl
- עוללים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- וינקי: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- שדים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- יצא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- חתן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מחדרו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- וכלה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- מחפתה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,3,f,sg
Parallels
- Joel 1:14 (structural): Same book and motif — call to 'sanctify a fast' and 'proclaim a solemn assembly', framing communal summons and cultic response.
- Joel 2:15 (structural): Immediate context — continues the summons with cultic actions (blowing the trumpet, holy convocation), showing verses 15–17 form a single liturgical summons.
- Deuteronomy 31:12 (verbal): Both prescribe assembling the entire community, explicitly including children and others normally considered secondary participants, to hear/participate in a public act.
- Numbers 11:16 (thematic): Command to 'gather... the elders' parallels Moses' instruction to assemble elders for communal leadership/decision-making — similar use of elders as representatives.
- Isaiah 62:5 (thematic): Uses bridegroom/bride imagery to describe communal or covenantal relationship; Joel's mention of bridegroom and bride underscores universal summons by invoking nuptial images.
Alternative generated candidates
- Gather the people; consecrate the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children and those nursing at the breasts; let the bridegroom come forth from his room and the bride from her chamber.
- Assemble the people; consecrate the congregation; gather the elders; bring together the children and nursing infants; let the bridegroom come forth from his chamber and the bride from her bridal room.
Joe.2.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- בין: PREP
- האולם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ולמזבח: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יבכו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- הכהנים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- משרתי: NOUN,m,pl,cs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ויאמרו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,pl
- חוסה: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- על: PREP
- עמך: NOUN,m,sg,suff-2m
- ואל: CONJ+PREP
- תתן: VERB,qal,imprf,2,_,sg
- נחלתך: NOUN,f,sg,abs,2,m
- לחרפה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- למשל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- גוים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- למה: ADV
- יאמרו: VERB,qal,imprf,3,m,pl
- בעמים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- איה: ADV,interr
- אלהיהם: NOUN,m,pl,abs+3mp
Parallels
- Joel 1:13 (structural): Same book—priests and ministers of the altar are called to put on sackcloth and mourn over the devastation (a parallel liturgical summons to lament in the sanctuary).
- Psalm 79:10 (verbal): Lament over national disgrace uses nearly identical rhetoric: pleading that the nations not ask 'Where is their God?' and appealing for God to not make His heritage a reproach.
- 1 Samuel 1:9-11 (thematic): Hannah's bitter weeping and prayer at the entrance of the tabernacle/temple parallels the image of an individual or officiant weeping and pleading before God within the sacred precincts.
- Nehemiah 1:4-11 (thematic): Communal lament and petition: Nehemiah sits, fasts and prays for mercy and restoration, appealing to God’s reputation and asking that Israel not be made a reproach among the nations—similar concerns and motifs as Joel 2:17.
Alternative generated candidates
- Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep and say, O LORD, spare your people; do not make your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, Where is their God?
- Between the vestibule and the altar the priests, the servants of the LORD, wept and said, 'O LORD, have mercy on your people; do not let your inheritance become a reproach among the nations—why should they say among the peoples, "Where is their God?"'
And now—declares the LORD—return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.
Rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love; he relents from calamity.
Who knows whether he will turn and relent, and leave behind a blessing—a grain offering and a libation for the LORD your God?
Blow the trumpet in Zion; proclaim a fast; call a solemn assembly.
Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders; gather the children and nursing infants; let the bridegroom come out from his room and the bride from her chamber.
Between the porch and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep and say, 'Spare, O LORD, your people; do not make your heritage a reproach or a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, "Where is their God?"'