Joel 3:4-8

4-8. The prophet turns aside for a moment to address the nations who had been especially hostile to the Jews; he points out their special wrongdoings and promises to them swift and righteous retribution for their crimes. Tyre, Zidon [“Sidon”] The two chief cities of Phoenicia; both are extremely old, Sidon being commonly, though perhaps wrongly, considered the older (Genesis 10:15). Tyre was situated originally on the mainland, but to protect it against invaders it was transferred to a neighboring rocky island. Tyre was nearer to Israel than Sidon; this fact and the ever-increasing power of the city account for the priority of Tyre in the great majority of Old Testament passages in which the two are named together. Here the two cities stand for all Phoenicia.

Coasts of Palestine Better, R.V., “regions of Philistia.” The territory in southwest Canaan, about fifty miles long and fifteen miles wide, divided among five chief cities; independent in time of peace, ordinarily united in time of war. “Regions,” literally, circles, probably refers to this division. The Philistines were exceedingly hostile to the Jews throughout their entire history, from the time of the Exodus on.

What have ye to do with me? R.V., “what are ye to me?” This question, which is addressed to the nations, is left uncompleted, but it is taken up again and explained in the following question. The translation in the margin of R.V. brings out the thought best: “will ye repay a deed of mine, or will ye do aught unto me? swiftly and speedily will I return your deed upon your own head.” Explain your hostile attitude toward my people. Have I done any wrong to you which you would avenge by assailing my people, or is this attack upon them without any provocation? A rhetorical question, to which but one answer can be given: There is nothing to avenge, no occasion for an attack upon my people. But, if you think that you have an occasion that demands retaliation, let me warn you that I will, and that speedily, bring back your doings upon your own head (Obadiah 1:15; Lamentations 3:64; Psalms 7:16).

Joel 3:5-6 explain what these nations have done to Jehovah: they have stolen his silver and gold and filled their temples with his precious things, and his children they have sold as slaves.

My silver… my gold,… my goodly pleasant things Not exclusively the things stolen from the temple, but also those taken from the palaces and homes of the rich. These things belong to Jehovah, because they are the possessions of his people. In ancient times plundering always followed the conquest of a city (1 Kings 14:26; 2 Kings 14:14). The temple was rich in golden vessels, the palaces full of jewels and valuables of every kind; these the enemies put into their own temples The Hebrew word means palace as well as temple (Isaiah 13:22; Amos 8:3; Proverbs 30:28). Those who insist on an early date for Joel regard this a reference to the invasion of the Philistines and Arabs (2 Chronicles 21:16 ff.); but there the Phoenicians are not mentioned. Neither do we know of a postexilic event to which this accusation could apply. It is impossible, therefore, to say with certainty what invasion is in the prophet’s mind. The historical books of the Old Testament do not give a record of all the events in the history of Israel; especially concerning postexilic times is our knowledge very limited. Not only Jehovah’s possessions but also his people have they maltreated.

Sold As slaves.

The Grecians Not the inhabitants of a city in Arabia Felix (Credner), nor Yawan in Yemen (Hitzig), but the Grecians; literally, Ionians (Genesis 10:2; Isaiah 66:19; Ezekiel 27:13; Ezekiel 27:19, etc.). The slave traffic of the Phoenicians is frequently mentioned in the Old Testament and in post-biblical writings (Amos 1:9; Ezekiel 27:13; 1Ma 3:41 ). That the Phoenicians and the Greeks had commercial intercourse at a very early period is attested by Greek writers; that slave trade may have been carried on at that early period cannot be denied; that an extensive slave trade between these nations was carried on in postexilic times is certain. In the fifth century B.C., and later, Syrian slaves and that would include Jewish were sought after in Greece.

Far from their border So that there would be no possibility of returning. Such separation from home would be a severe blow to the Jews who thought of a foreign country and a foreign nation as unclean. The prophet may have in mind the distant western colonies of the Ionians.