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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joel 3:9-17

What the psalmist had long before ordered to be said among the heathen (Ps. 96:10) the prophet here will have in like manner to be published to all nations, That the Lord reigns, and that he comes, he comes to judge the earth, as he had long been judging in the earth. The notice here given of God's judging the nations may have reference to the destruction of Sennacherib, Nebuchadnezzar, Antiochus, and to the Antichrist especially, and all the proud enemies of the Christian church; but some of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joel 3:9

Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles ,.... This decree of God, concerning the deliverance of his church; and the destruction of their enemies; which is to be proclaimed among them, to the terror of them, and the comfort of God's people, encouraging them to the battle, since they might be sure of victory; for the prophet here returns to give an account of the armies to be gathered together, and to be destroyed in the valley of Jehoshaphat, as appears from Joel 3:12 ; and to this end heralds... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joel 3:10

Beat your ploughshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears ,.... Let not only soldiers, and such as have been trained up in military discipline, appear in the field on this occasion; but let husbandmen and vinedressers leave their fields and vineyards, and turn their instruments of husbandry and vinedressing into weapons of war; let them not plead want of armour, but convert these to such uses: on the contrary, when this battle will be over, swords shall be beaten into... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joel 3:11

Assemble yourselves ,.... From divers parts into one place: "be ye gathered"; or "gather yourselves together", as the Targum and Kimchi; get together in a body, muster up all the forces you can collect together, Jarchi, from Menachem, by the change of a letter, renders it, "make ye haste"; lose time in preparing for this battle; get men, and arms for them, as fast as you can; be as expeditious as possible: and come, all ye Heathen ; antichristian nations, Mahometan or Papal; which... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joel 3:12

Let the Heathen be awakened, and come to the valley of Jehoshaphat ,.... That is, let the enemies of Christ and his church be aroused from that state of security in which they are, and prepare for their own defence; for in such a state the antichristian powers will be before their destruction; see Revelation 18:7 ; let them bestir themselves, and exert all the rigour and strength they have; let them come in high spirits against the people of God; let them invade the holy land, and come... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joel 3:9

Prepare war - Let all the enemies of God and of his people join together; let them even call all the tillers of the ground to their assistance, instead of laboring in the field; let every peasant become a soldier. Let them turn their agricultural implements into offensive weapons, so that the weak, being well armed, may confidently say, I am strong: yet, when thus collected and armed, Jehovah will bring down thy mighty ones; for so the clause in Joel 3:11 ; should be rendered. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joel 3:12

Let the heathen be wakened - The heathen shall be wakened. The valley of Jehoshaphat - Any place where God may choose to display his judgments against his enemies. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Joel 3:9

Verse 9 Some think these words were announced lest the people, being terrified by their evils, should become wholly dejected; and they elicit this meaning, — that God placed this dreadful spectacle of evils before their eyes, that the Jews might prepare and strengthen themselves for enduring them; that though nations should everywhere rise up, they might yet abide arm in the hope, that God would be the defender of his own Church. But the Prophet, I doubt not, continues the same discourse, and... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Joel 3:10

Verse 10 He afterwards adds, Beat your plowshares into swords. When Isaiah and Micah prophesied of the kingdom of Christ, they said, ‘Beat your swords into pruninghooks, and your spears into plowshares’, (Isaiah 2:4.) This sentence is now inverted by Joel. The words of Isaiah and Micah were intended figuratively to show that the world would be at peace when Christ reconciled men to God, and taught them to cultivate brotherly kindness. But the Prophet says here, that there would be turbulent... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Joel 3:11

Verse 11 At length he concludes, There will Jehovah overthrow thy mighty ones. Though the Prophet uses the singular number, “thy ”, he no doubt refers to the whole earth; as though he said, “Whatever enemies there may be to my people, I will cut them down, however strong they may be.” We now perceive that everything the Prophet has hitherto said has been for this end — to show, that God takes care of the safety of his Church, even in its heaviest afflictions, and that he will be the avenger of... read more

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