Joel 2:1

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Joel 2:1

Joel 2:1. Blow ye the trumpet in Zion The prophet, having in the preceding chapter described the locusts and caterpillars as a mighty army sent by God, in pursuance of this metaphor now exhorts the people to prepare to meet them, in the same terms as if they were alarmed to oppose an enemy, which was always done by the sound of the trumpet. Danger is proclaimed in this way, Ezekiel 33:3; Ezekiel 33:5; Hosea 5:8; Amos 3:6. Natural means were wont to be used, to prevent the devastations of... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Joel 2:1-11

An army of locusts (2:1-11)Joel now pictures the approaching swarms of locusts as a person in Jerusalem sees them. He compares them to an enemy army and commands the watchman on the city wall to blow the trumpet to warn the city’s inhabitants of the attack. The swarms are so thick that they look like black clouds as they sweep down over the mountains (2:1-2). They spread over the countryside like an uncontrollable bushfire, turning healthy farmlands into barren wastes (3). People are terrified.... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Joel 2:1

Zion . See App-68 . sound an alarm. Ref to Pentateuch (Numbers 10:5 , Numbers 10:9 ). App-92 , My. Note the Pronoun, and see notes on Joel 1:6 , Joel 1:7 . holy mountain = mountain of My sanctuary. holy. See note on Exodus 3:5 . the day of the LORD. See notes on Joel 1:15 . This is the subject of the book. Compare Obadiah 1:15 .Zephaniah 1:14 , Zephaniah 1:15 . the LORD . Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 . read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Joel 2:1

This chapter begins with the announcement that "the day of Jehovah cometh," and the summons of all of the people to a solemn convocation in the presence of God (Joel 2:1-3). There is a strong eschatological overtone in Joel 2:1, a note which is echoed again and again in the chapter. "The eschatological warning already sounded in Joel 1:15 is several times repeated (Joel 2:1,2,10,11)."[1] "A more terrific judgment than that of the locusts is foretold, under imagery drawn from that of the... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Joel 2:1

Joel 2:1. Blow ye the trumpet, &c.— The prophet in the preceding chapter describes the locusts as the army of God; and now, in pursuance of the same metaphor, exhorts the people to prepare to meet them, in the same terms as if they were alarmed to oppose an enemy, which was always done by the sound of the trumpet. The trumpet in Zephaniah is the same which sounds in Joel; and therefore both proclaim the same event;—the destruction of Jerusalem under Nebuchadnezzar. See Zephaniah 2:1-2. The... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Joel 2:1

1. Blow . . . trumpet—to sound an alarm of coming war (Numbers 10:1-10; Hosea 5:8; Amos 3:6); the office of the priests. Joel 1:15 is an anticipation of the fuller prophecy in this chapter. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Joel 2:1-2

1. The nearness of the army 2:1-2The prophet ordered a trumpet (Heb. shophar, ram’s horn) to be blown in Zion (Jerusalem), specifically on the temple mount, to sound an alarm (cf. Jeremiah 4:5-6; Ezekiel 33:2-6). Sometimes "Zion" refers to Jerusalem in the eschaton, but other times it is simply a poetic synonym for Jerusalem. Joel used it in the latter sense here. This shophar was the ancient equivalent of an air raid siren. The day of the Lord was coming, and all the inhabitants of the city... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Joel 2:1-11

A. The invading army 2:1-11The Lord revealed that an army of human beings rather than locusts would soon assail Jerusalem. He described this army at length to stress the danger that His people faced and to motivate them to repent. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Joel 2:1-27

III. A NEAR FUTURE DAY OF THE LORD: A HUMAN INVASION 2:1-27Joel had spoken briefly of a coming day of the Lord in Joel 1:15, but now he said more about it.The term "the day of the Lord" seems to have arisen from the popular concept, in the ancient Near East, that a really great warrior king could consummate an entire military campaign in one single day. [Note: See Douglas Stuart, "The Sovereign’s Day of Conquest," Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 220/21 (December 1975,... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Joel 2:1-32

Repentance followed by RestorationJoel 2:1-17 are another description of the locust plague. An alarm is sounded as though the Day of Jehovah had come (Joel 2:1-3). The advance of the locusts into the city is described under the figure of an invading army (Joel 2:4-11). A message to the penitent is given from Jehovah (Joel 2:12-14), and a call is issued for a fast of supplication (Joel 2:15-17). Then follow the announcements that Jehovah has had pity on His people, and that He will remove the... read more

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