TITLE. The word of the LORD. Therefore not Joel's. This is the Divine key to the book Joel's pen, but not Joel's words, Compare Acts 1:16 for a similar fact concerning David. the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah . App-4 . Joel = Jehovah [is] GOD. the son of Pethuel. This does not imply that Pethuel was a prophet. It merely distinguishes this Joel from others of the same name. read more
This whole chapter (Joel 1:1-20) relates to a terrible and destructive locust plague that came upon Israel, particularly Judah, a disaster so overwhelming that no escape was possible. The fact of it is dramatically stated (Joel 1:1-4); the prophet's admonition to the people is given in three terse commandments: (1) "Awake ..." (Joel 1:5-7), (2) "Lament" (Joel 1:8-12), and (3) "Gird yourselves with sackcloth ..." (Joel 1:13-14). Despite the fact of these appeals being directed to three different... read more
1. Joel—meaning, "Jehovah is God." son of Pethuel—to distinguish Joel the prophet from others of the name. Persons of eminence also were noted by adding the father's name. read more
I. INTRODUCTION 1:1Yahweh’s word (message) came to Joel (lit. "Yahweh is God"), the son of Pethuel. ("Elijah" also means "Yahweh is God.") Therefore what follows demands careful attention and appropriate response. We do not know anything about Joel or Pethuel’s personal backgrounds, even when they lived. This title does not tell where they lived either, though references that follow suggest that Joel lived in Judah. Hosea, Micah, and Zephaniah introduced their prophecies similarly. read more
The Coming of the Locusts a Harbinger of the Day of the LordAfter the title (Joel 1:1), the prophet announces an unheard of and long to be remembered ruin, wrought by locusts (Joel 1:2-4), and summons the users of wine to bewail the destruction of vineyards (Joel 1:5-7). He calls for lamentation, like that of a widowed bride, over the loss of sacrificial offerings, and wasted fields and orchards (Joel 1:8-12). He commands the priests to lament and to appoint a fast and a meeting for prayer... read more
(1) Joel.—Compounded of Jehovah—El, the composite title of the God of Revelation and of Nature, which is the subject of Psalms 19:0. It was a favourite name among the Jews, and was borne by an ancestor of Samuel, who gave it to his elder son. There is nothing known of the personal history of Joel the prophet, except the name of his father, Pethuel, or—LXX.—Bethuel. read more
The Message of the Book of Joel Joel 1:1 The book of Joel, as we have it, consists of two parts. I. A violent plague of locusts had visited the land, and from this destruction the Prophet saw nothing to save the people but repentance. In his call to repentance we notice four suggestions. a. He discovers to the people the condition of affairs. He challenges them to say whether, in the memory of anyone living, a crisis of such importance had arisen. b. He bids them wait for the desolation that... read more
Analysis and Annotations I. THE PLAGUE OF LOCUSTS II. THE COMING DAY OF THE LORD: THE RUIN, THE REPENTANCE AND THE RESTORATION III. THE EVENTS OF THE DAY OF THE LORD: ISRAEL’S ENEMIES JUDGED AND THE KINGDOM ESTABLISHED I. THE PLAGUE OF LOCUSTS CHAPTER 1 1. The prophet’s appeal (Joel 1:1-4 ) 2. The call to the drunkards (Joel 1:5-7 ) 3. The call to the people and the priests (Joel 1:8-14 ) 4. The day of the Lord and the suffering land (Joel 1:15-18 ) 5. The prayer of the prophet... read more
The word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Pethuel. The Argument - The Prophet Joel first rebukes those of Judah, that being now punished with a great plague of famine, still remain obstinate. Secondly, he threatens greater plagues, because they grow daily to a more hardness of heart and rebellion against God in spite of his punishments. Thirdly, he exhorts them to repentance, showing that it must be earnest, and proceed from the heart, because they had grievously offended God. And in... read more
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Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Joel 1:1-20
1:1-2:11 THE GREAT LOCUST PLAGUEEffects of the plague (1:1-20)So devastating is the current locust plague, that even the oldest people cannot remember anything like it. The whole countryside has been stripped bare. Joel tells the people to pass the story of the plague on to their children and grandchildren, so that it will not be forgotten (1:1-4). Those who have greedily lived for their own pleasure are punished. They will no longer get drunk with wine, because the locusts have destroyed the... read more