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Selected Verse: Joel 3:9 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Joe 3:9	Strong Concordance	Proclaim [07121] ye this among the Gentiles [01471]; Prepare [06942] war [04421], wake up [05782] the mighty men [01368], let all the men [0582] of war [04421] draw near [05066]; let them come up [05927]:
	King James	Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
The nations hostile to Israel are summoned by Jehovah to "come up" (this phrase is used because Jerusalem was on a hill) against Jerusalem, not that they may destroy it, but to be destroyed by the Lord (Eze. 38:7-23; Zac 12:2-9; Zac 14:2-3). Prepare war--literally, sanctify war: because the heathen always began war with religious ceremonies. The very phrase used of Babylon's preparations against Jerusalem (Jer 6:4) is now used of the final foes of Jerusalem. As Babylon was then desired by God to advance against her for her destruction, so now all her foes, of whom Babylon was the type, are desired to advance against her for their own destruction.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

The nations hostile to Israel are summoned by Jehovah to "come up" (this phrase is used because Jerusalem was on a hill) against Jerusalem, not that they may destroy it, but to be destroyed by the Lord (Eze. 38:7-23; Zac 12:2-9; Zac 14:2-3).

Prepare war--literally, sanctify war: because the heathen always began war with religious ceremonies. The very phrase used of Babylon's preparations against Jerusalem (Jer 6:4) is now used of the final foes of Jerusalem. As Babylon was then desired by God to advance against her for her destruction, so now all her foes, of whom Babylon was the type, are desired to advance against her for their own destruction.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles - God having before said that He would "gather all nations," now, by a solemn irony, bids them prepare, if, by any means, they can fight against Him. So in Isaiah; "Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand, for God is with us" (Isa 8:9-10; see also Ezek. 38:7-23). Prepare - Literally, "hallow, war." To "hallow war" was to make it holy, either in appearance or in truth, as the prophet bade them, "sanctify a fast," i. e., keep it holily. So God calls the Medes, whom He employed against Babylon, "My sanctified ones" Isa. 13, and bids, "sanctify the nations against her" Jer 51:27; and the enemies of Judah encourage themselves, "sanctify ye war against her" Jer 6:4; and Micah says, that whosover bribed not the false prophets, "they sanctify war against him" Mic 3:5, i. e., proclaim war against him in the Name of God. The enemies of God, of His people, of His truth, declare war against all, in the Name of God. The Jews would have stoned our Lord for blasphemy, and, at the last, they condemned Him as guilty of it. "He hath spoken blasphemy. What further need have we of witttesses? behold, now ye have heard His blasphemy" Mat 26:65. And He foretold to His disciples, "Whosoever killeth you, will think he doeth God service" Joh 16:2. Stephen was persecuted for speaking "blasphemous words against Moses and against God, this holy place and the law" Act 6:11, Act 6:13. Paul was persecuted for "persuading people to worship God contrary to the law and polluting this holy place" Act 18:13; Act 21:28; Act 24:6. Antichrist shall set himself up as God, "so that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God shewing himself that he is God" Th2 2:4. Heretics and unbelievers declaim against the Gospel, as though it, and not themselves, were opposed to the holiness and Majesty and love of God. The Gnostics of old spake against the Creator in the Name of God. Arians affected reverence for the glory of God , being, on their own mis-belief, idolaters or polytheists . The Apollinarians charged the Church with ascribing to our Lord a sinful soul, as though the soul must needs be such , find themselves held the Godhead to have been united to a soulless, and so a brute, nature. Manichaeans accused her of making God the author of evil, and themselves, as do Pantheists now, invented a god who sinned . Novatians and Donatists accused the Church of laxity. Pelagians charged her with denying the perfectibility of man's nature, themselves denying the grace whereby it is perfected. Muhammed arrayed the truth of the Unity of God against His Being in Three Persons, and fought against the truth as idolatry. Some now array "Theism," i. e., truths as to God which they have stolen from Holy Scripture, against the belief in God as He has revealed Himself. Indeed, no imposture ever long held its ground against truth, unless it masked itself under some truth of God which it perverted, and so "hallowed" its "war" against God in the Name of God. Wake up the mighty men - Arouse them, as if their former state had been a state of sleep; arouse all their dormant powers, all within them, that they may put forth all their strength, if so be they may prevail against God. Let all the men of war draw near - , as if to contend, and close, as it were, with God and His people (see Sa1 17:41. Sa2 10:13), as, on the other hand, God says, "I will come near to you to judgment" (Mal 3:5; see Isa 41:1; Isa 50:8). "Let them come up" into His very presence. Even while calling them to fulfill this their vain purpose of striving with God, the prophet keeps in mind, into whose presence they are summoned, and so calls them to "come up," as to a place of dignity.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]

Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles - God having before said that He would "gather all nations," now, by a solemn irony, bids them prepare, if, by any means, they can fight against Him. So in Isaiah; "Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand, for God is with us" (Isa 8:9-10; see also Ezek. 38:7-23).

Prepare - Literally, "hallow, war." To "hallow war" was to make it holy, either in appearance or in truth, as the prophet bade them, "sanctify a fast," i. e., keep it holily. So God calls the Medes, whom He employed against Babylon, "My sanctified ones" Isa. 13, and bids, "sanctify the nations against her" Jer 51:27; and the enemies of Judah encourage themselves, "sanctify ye war against her" Jer 6:4; and Micah says, that whosover bribed not the false prophets, "they sanctify war against him" Mic 3:5, i. e., proclaim war against him in the Name of God. The enemies of God, of His people, of His truth, declare war against all, in the Name of God. The Jews would have stoned our Lord for blasphemy, and, at the last, they condemned Him as guilty of it. "He hath spoken blasphemy. What further need have we of witttesses? behold, now ye have heard His blasphemy" Mat 26:65. And He foretold to His disciples, "Whosoever killeth you, will think he doeth God service" Joh 16:2.

Stephen was persecuted for speaking "blasphemous words against Moses and against God, this holy place and the law" Act 6:11, Act 6:13. Paul was persecuted for "persuading people to worship God contrary to the law and polluting this holy place" Act 18:13; Act 21:28; Act 24:6. Antichrist shall set himself up as God, "so that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God shewing himself that he is God" Th2 2:4. Heretics and unbelievers declaim against the Gospel, as though it, and not themselves, were opposed to the holiness and Majesty and love of God. The Gnostics of old spake against the Creator in the Name of God. Arians affected reverence for the glory of God , being, on their own mis-belief, idolaters or polytheists . The Apollinarians charged the Church with ascribing to our Lord a sinful soul, as though the soul must needs be such , find themselves held the Godhead to have been united to a soulless, and so a brute, nature.

Manichaeans accused her of making God the author of evil, and themselves, as do Pantheists now, invented a god who sinned . Novatians and Donatists accused the Church of laxity. Pelagians charged her with denying the perfectibility of man's nature, themselves denying the grace whereby it is perfected. Muhammed arrayed the truth of the Unity of God against His Being in Three Persons, and fought against the truth as idolatry. Some now array "Theism," i. e., truths as to God which they have stolen from Holy Scripture, against the belief in God as He has revealed Himself. Indeed, no imposture ever long held its ground against truth, unless it masked itself under some truth of God which it perverted, and so "hallowed" its "war" against God in the Name of God.

Wake up the mighty men - Arouse them, as if their former state had been a state of sleep; arouse all their dormant powers, all within them, that they may put forth all their strength, if so be they may prevail against God.

Let all the men of war draw near - , as if to contend, and close, as it were, with God and His people (see Sa1 17:41. Sa2 10:13), as, on the other hand, God says, "I will come near to you to judgment" (Mal 3:5; see Isa 41:1; Isa 50:8). "Let them come up" into His very presence. Even while calling them to fulfill this their vain purpose of striving with God, the prophet keeps in mind, into whose presence they are summoned, and so calls them to "come up," as to a place of dignity.

The Scofield Bible Commentary, by Cyrus Ingerson Scofield, [1917]
Prepare war Verses 9-14 (Joe 3:9-14) refer to Armageddon; verses 15, 16 (Joe 3:15-16) are parallel with (Joe 2:30-32). From verses 9 to 16 (Joe 3:9-16), we have a resume of (Joe 2:9-32).

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
Fulfilment of the judgment upon all the heathen predicted in Joe 3:2. Compare the similar prediction of judgment in Zac 14:2. The call is addressed to all nations to equip themselves for battle, and march into the valley of Jehoshaphat to war against the people of God, but in reality to be judged by the Lord through His heavenly heroes, whom He sends down thither. Joe 3:9. "Proclaim ye this among the nations; sanctify a war, awaken the heroes, let all the men of war draw near and come up! Joe 3:10. Forge your coulters into swords, and your vine-sickles into spears: let the weak one say, A hero am I. Joe 3:11. Hasten and come, all ye nations round about, and assemble yourselves! Let thy heroes come down thither, O Jehovah! Joe 3:12. The nations are to rise up, and come into the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there shall I sit to judge all the heathen round about." The summons to prepare for war (Joe 3:9) is addressed, not to the worshippers of Jehovah or the Israelites scattered among the heathen (Cyr., Calv., Umbreit), but to the heathen nations, though not directly to the heroes and warriors among the heathen, but to heralds, who are to listen to the divine message, and convey it to the heathen nations. This change belongs to the poetical drapery of thought, that at a sign from the Lord the heathen nations are to assemble together for war against Israel. קדּשׁ מלחמה does not mean "to declare war" (Hitzig), but to consecrate a war, i.e., to prepare for war by sacrifices and religious rites of consecration (cf. Sa1 7:8-9; Jer 6:4). העירוּ: waken up or arouse (not wake up) the heroes from their peaceful rest to battle. With יגּשׁוּ the address passes over from the second person to the third, which Hitzig accounts for on the ground that the words state what the heralds are to say to the nations or heroes; but the continuance of the imperative kōttū in Joe 3:10 does not suit this. This transition is a very frequent one (cf. Isa 41:1; Isa 34:1), and may be very simply explained from the lively nature of the description. עלה is here applied to the advance of hostile armies against a land or city. The nations are to summon up all their resources and all their strength for this war, because it will be a decisive one. They are to forge the tools of peaceful agriculture into weapons of war (compare Isa 2:4 and Mic 4:3, where the Messianic times of peace are depicted as the turning of weapons of war into instruments of agriculture). Even the weak one is to rouse himself up to be a hero, "as is generally the case when a whole nation is seized with warlike enthusiasm" (Hitzig). This enthusiasm is expressed still further in the appeal in Joe 3:11 to assemble together as speedily as possible. The ἁπ. λεγ. עוּשׁ is related to חוּשׁ, to hasten; whereas no support can be found in the language to the meaning "assemble," adopted by the lxx, Targ., etc. The expression כּל־הגּוים by no means necessitates our taking these words as a summons or challenge on the part of Joel to the heathen, as Hitzig does; for this can be very well interpreted as a summons, with which the nations call one another to battle, as the following ונקבּצוּ requires; and the assumption of Hitzig, Ewald, and others, that this form is the imperative for הקּבצוּ, cannot be sustained from Isa 43:9 and Jer 50:5. It is not till Joe 3:11 that Joel steps in with a prayer addressed to the Lord, that He will send down His heavenly heroes to the place to which the heathen are flowing together. Hanchath an imper. hiph., with pathach instead of tzere, on account of the guttural, from nâchath, to come down. The heroes of Jehovah are heavenly hosts, or angels, who execute His commands as gibbōrē khōăch (Psa 103:20, cf. Psa 78:25). This prayer is answered thus by Jehovah in Joe 3:12 : "Let the nations rise up, and come into the valley of Jehoshaphat, for there will He hold judgment upon them." יעורוּ corresponds to העירוּ in Joe 3:9; and at the close, "all the heathen round about" is deliberately repeated. Still there is no antithesis in this to "all nations" in Joe 3:2, as though here the judgment was simply to come upon the hostile nations in the neighbourhood of Judah, and not upon all the heathen universally (Hitzig). For even in Joe 3:2 כל הגוים are simply all the heathen who have attacked the people of Jehovah - that is to say, all the nations round about Israel. Only these are not merely the neighbouring nations to Judah, but all heathen nations who have come into contact with the kingdom of God, i.e., all the nations of the earth without exception, inasmuch as before the last judgment the gospel of the kingdom is to be preached in all the world for a testimony to all nations (Mat 24:14; Mar 13:10). It is to the last decisive judgment, in which all the single judgments find their end, that the command of Jehovah to His strong heroes refers. Joe 3:13. "Put ye in the sickle; for the harvest is ripe: come, tread, for the win-press is full, the vats overflow: for their wickedness is great." The judgment is represented under the double figure of the reaping of the fields and the treading out of the grapes in the wine-press. The angels are first of all summoned to reap the ripe corn (Isa 17:5; Rev 14:16), and then commanded to tread the wine-presses that are filled with grapes. The opposite opinion expressed by Hitzig, viz., that the command to tread the wine-presses is preceded by the command to cut off the grapes, is supported partly by the erroneous assertion, that bâshal is not applied to the ripening of corn, and partly upon the arbitrary assumption that qâtsı̄r, a harvest, stands for bâtsı̄r, a vintage; and maggâl, a sickle (cf. Jer 50:16), for mazmērâh, a vine-dresser's bill. But bâshal does not mean "to boil," either primarily or literally, but to be done, or to be ripe, like the Greek πέσσω, πέπτω, to ripen, to make soft, to boil (see at Exo 12:9), and hence in the piel both to boil and roast, and in the hiphil to make ripe of ripen (Gen 40:10), applied both to grapes and corn. It is impossible to infer from the fact that Isaiah (Isa 16:9) uses the word qâtsı̄r for the vintage, on account of the alliteration with qayits, that this is also the meaning of the word in Joel. But we have a decisive proof in the resumption of this passage in Rev 14:15 and Rev 14:18, where the two figures (of the corn-harvest and the gathering of the grapes) are kept quite distinct, and the clause כּי בשׁל קציר is paraphrased and explained thus: "The time is come for thee to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe." The ripeness of the corn is a figurative representation of ripeness for judgment. Just as in the harvest - namely, at the threshing and winnowing connected with the harvest - the grains of corn are separated from the husk, the wheat being gathered into the barns, the husk blown away by the wind, and the straw burned; so will the good be separated from the wicked by the judgment, the former being gathered into the kingdom of God for the enjoyment of eternal life, - the latter, on the other hand, being given up to eternal death. The harvest field is the earth (ἡ γῆ, Rev 14:16), i.e., the inhabitants of the earth, the human race. The ripening began at the time of the appearance of Christ upon the earth (Joh 4:35; Mat 9:38). With the preaching of the gospel among all nations, the judgment of separation and decision (ἡ κρίσις, Joh 3:18-21) commenced; with the spread of the kingdom of Christ in the earth it passes over all nations; and it will be completed in the last judgment, on the return of Christ in glory at the end of this world. Joel does not carry out the figure of the harvest any further, but simply presents the judgment under the similar figure of the treading of the grapes that have been gathered. רדוּ, not from yârad, to descend, but from râdâh, to trample under foot, tread the press that is filled with grapes. השׁיקוּ היקבים is used in Joe 2:24 to denote the most abundant harvest; here it is figuratively employed to denote the great mass of men who are ripe for the judgment, as the explanatory clause, for "their wicked (deed) is much," or "their wickedness is great," which recals Gen 6:5, clearly shows. The treading of the wine-press does not express the idea of wading in blood, or the execution of a great massacre; but in Isa 63:3, as well as in Rev 14:20, it is a figure denoting an annihilating judgment upon the enemies of God and of His kingdom. The wine-press is "the wine-press of the wrath of God," i.e., "what the wine-press is to ordinary grapes, the wrath of God is to the grapes referred to here" (Hengstenberg on Rev 14:19). The execution of this divine command is not expressly mentioned, but in Joe 3:14. the judgment is simply depicted thus: first of all we have a description of the streaming of the nations into the valley of judgment, and then of the appearance of Jehovah upon Zion in the terrible glory of the Judge of the world, and as the refuge of His people. Joe 3:14. "Tumult, tumult in the valley of decision: for the day of Jehovah is near in the valley of decision." Hămōnı̄m are noisy crowds, whom the prophet sees in the Spirit pouring into the valley of Jehoshaphat. The repetition of the word is expressive of the great multitude, as in Kg2 3:16. עמק החרוּץ not valley of threshing; for though chârūts is used in Isa 28:27 and Isa 41:15 for the threshing-sledge, it is not used for the threshing itself, but valley of the deciding judgment, from chârats, to decide, to determine irrevocably (Isa 10:22; Kg1 20:40), so that chârūts simply defines the name Jehoshaphat with greater precision. כּי קרוב וגו (compare Joe 1:15; Joe 2:1) is used here to denote the immediate proximity of the judgment, which bursts at once, according to Joe 3:15.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

Fulfilment of the judgment upon all the heathen predicted in Joe 3:2. Compare the similar prediction of judgment in Zac 14:2. The call is addressed to all nations to equip themselves for battle, and march into the valley of Jehoshaphat to war against the people of God, but in reality to be judged by the Lord through His heavenly heroes, whom He sends down thither. Joe 3:9. "Proclaim ye this among the nations; sanctify a war, awaken the heroes, let all the men of war draw near and come up! Joe 3:10. Forge your coulters into swords, and your vine-sickles into spears: let the weak one say, A hero am I. Joe 3:11. Hasten and come, all ye nations round about, and assemble yourselves! Let thy heroes come down thither, O Jehovah! Joe 3:12. The nations are to rise up, and come into the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there shall I sit to judge all the heathen round about." The summons to prepare for war (Joe 3:9) is addressed, not to the worshippers of Jehovah or the Israelites scattered among the heathen (Cyr., Calv., Umbreit), but to the heathen nations, though not directly to the heroes and warriors among the heathen, but to heralds, who are to listen to the divine message, and convey it to the heathen nations. This change belongs to the poetical drapery of thought, that at a sign from the Lord the heathen nations are to assemble together for war against Israel. קדּשׁ מלחמה does not mean "to declare war" (Hitzig), but to consecrate a war, i.e., to prepare for war by sacrifices and religious rites of consecration (cf. Sa1 7:8-9; Jer 6:4). העירוּ: waken up or arouse (not wake up) the heroes from their peaceful rest to battle. With יגּשׁוּ the address passes over from the second person to the third, which Hitzig accounts for on the ground that the words state what the heralds are to say to the nations or heroes; but the continuance of the imperative kōttū in Joe 3:10 does not suit this. This transition is a very frequent one (cf. Isa 41:1; Isa 34:1), and may be very simply explained from the lively nature of the description. עלה is here applied to the advance of hostile armies against a land or city. The nations are to summon up all their resources and all their strength for this war, because it will be a decisive one. They are to forge the tools of peaceful agriculture into weapons of war (compare Isa 2:4 and Mic 4:3, where the Messianic times of peace are depicted as the turning of weapons of war into instruments of agriculture). Even the weak one is to rouse himself up to be a hero, "as is generally the case when a whole nation is seized with warlike enthusiasm" (Hitzig). This enthusiasm is expressed still further in the appeal in Joe 3:11 to assemble together as speedily as possible. The ἁπ. λεγ. עוּשׁ is related to חוּשׁ, to hasten; whereas no support can be found in the language to the meaning "assemble," adopted by the lxx, Targ., etc. The expression כּל־הגּוים by no means necessitates our taking these words as a summons or challenge on the part of Joel to the heathen, as Hitzig does; for this can be very well interpreted as a summons, with which the nations call one another to battle, as the following ונקבּצוּ requires; and the assumption of Hitzig, Ewald, and others, that this form is the imperative for הקּבצוּ, cannot be sustained from Isa 43:9 and Jer 50:5. It is not till Joe 3:11 that Joel steps in with a prayer addressed to the Lord, that He will send down His heavenly heroes to the place to which the heathen are flowing together. Hanchath an imper. hiph., with pathach instead of tzere, on account of the guttural, from nâchath, to come down. The heroes of Jehovah are heavenly hosts, or angels, who execute His commands as gibbōrē khōăch (Psa 103:20, cf. Psa 78:25). This prayer is answered thus by Jehovah in Joe 3:12 : "Let the nations rise up, and come into the valley of Jehoshaphat, for there will He hold judgment upon them." יעורוּ corresponds to העירוּ in Joe 3:9; and at the close, "all the heathen round about" is deliberately repeated. Still there is no antithesis in this to "all nations" in Joe 3:2, as though here the judgment was simply to come upon the hostile nations in the neighbourhood of Judah, and not upon all the heathen universally (Hitzig). For even in Joe 3:2 כל הגוים are simply all the heathen who have attacked the people of Jehovah - that is to say, all the nations round about Israel. Only these are not merely the neighbouring nations to Judah, but all heathen nations who have come into contact with the kingdom of God, i.e., all the nations of the earth without exception, inasmuch as before the last judgment the gospel of the kingdom is to be preached in all the world for a testimony to all nations (Mat 24:14; Mar 13:10).

It is to the last decisive judgment, in which all the single judgments find their end, that the command of Jehovah to His strong heroes refers. Joe 3:13. "Put ye in the sickle; for the harvest is ripe: come, tread, for the win-press is full, the vats overflow: for their wickedness is great." The judgment is represented under the double figure of the reaping of the fields and the treading out of the grapes in the wine-press. The angels are first of all summoned to reap the ripe corn (Isa 17:5; Rev 14:16), and then commanded to tread the wine-presses that are filled with grapes. The opposite opinion expressed by Hitzig, viz., that the command to tread the wine-presses is preceded by the command to cut off the grapes, is supported partly by the erroneous assertion, that bâshal is not applied to the ripening of corn, and partly upon the arbitrary assumption that qâtsı̄r, a harvest, stands for bâtsı̄r, a vintage; and maggâl, a sickle (cf. Jer 50:16), for mazmērâh, a vine-dresser's bill. But bâshal does not mean "to boil," either primarily or literally, but to be done, or to be ripe, like the Greek πέσσω, πέπτω, to ripen, to make soft, to boil (see at Exo 12:9), and hence in the piel both to boil and roast, and in the hiphil to make ripe of ripen (Gen 40:10), applied both to grapes and corn. It is impossible to infer from the fact that Isaiah (Isa 16:9) uses the word qâtsı̄r for the vintage, on account of the alliteration with qayits, that this is also the meaning of the word in Joel. But we have a decisive proof in the resumption of this passage in Rev 14:15 and Rev 14:18, where the two figures (of the corn-harvest and the gathering of the grapes) are kept quite distinct, and the clause כּי בשׁל קציר is paraphrased and explained thus: "The time is come for thee to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe." The ripeness of the corn is a figurative representation of ripeness for judgment. Just as in the harvest - namely, at the threshing and winnowing connected with the harvest - the grains of corn are separated from the husk, the wheat being gathered into the barns, the husk blown away by the wind, and the straw burned; so will the good be separated from the wicked by the judgment, the former being gathered into the kingdom of God for the enjoyment of eternal life, - the latter, on the other hand, being given up to eternal death. The harvest field is the earth (ἡ γῆ, Rev 14:16), i.e., the inhabitants of the earth, the human race. The ripening began at the time of the appearance of Christ upon the earth (Joh 4:35; Mat 9:38). With the preaching of the gospel among all nations, the judgment of separation and decision (ἡ κρίσις, Joh 3:18-21) commenced; with the spread of the kingdom of Christ in the earth it passes over all nations; and it will be completed in the last judgment, on the return of Christ in glory at the end of this world. Joel does not carry out the figure of the harvest any further, but simply presents the judgment under the similar figure of the treading of the grapes that have been gathered. רדוּ, not from yârad, to descend, but from râdâh, to trample under foot, tread the press that is filled with grapes. השׁיקוּ היקבים is used in Joe 2:24 to denote the most abundant harvest; here it is figuratively employed to denote the great mass of men who are ripe for the judgment, as the explanatory clause, for "their wicked (deed) is much," or "their wickedness is great," which recals Gen 6:5, clearly shows. The treading of the wine-press does not express the idea of wading in blood, or the execution of a great massacre; but in Isa 63:3, as well as in Rev 14:20, it is a figure denoting an annihilating judgment upon the enemies of God and of His kingdom. The wine-press is "the wine-press of the wrath of God," i.e., "what the wine-press is to ordinary grapes, the wrath of God is to the grapes referred to here" (Hengstenberg on Rev 14:19).

The execution of this divine command is not expressly mentioned, but in Joe 3:14. the judgment is simply depicted thus: first of all we have a description of the streaming of the nations into the valley of judgment, and then of the appearance of Jehovah upon Zion in the terrible glory of the Judge of the world, and as the refuge of His people. Joe 3:14. "Tumult, tumult in the valley of decision: for the day of Jehovah is near in the valley of decision." Hămōnı̄m are noisy crowds, whom the prophet sees in the Spirit pouring into the valley of Jehoshaphat. The repetition of the word is expressive of the great multitude, as in Kg2 3:16. עמק החרוּץ not valley of threshing; for though chârūts is used in Isa 28:27 and Isa 41:15 for the threshing-sledge, it is not used for the threshing itself, but valley of the deciding judgment, from chârats, to decide, to determine irrevocably (Isa 10:22; Kg1 20:40), so that chârūts simply defines the name Jehoshaphat with greater precision. כּי קרוב וגו (compare Joe 1:15; Joe 2:1) is used here to denote the immediate proximity of the judgment, which bursts at once, according to Joe 3:15.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
This - These things which I will do to the enemies of God's people. The Gentiles - The Assyrians, Chaldeans, and Grecians successively. Prepare war - Make ready for wars against the enemies of my people.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
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 Joe 3:11 should be rendered.

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⁴ Prepare [06942] ye war [04421] against her; arise [06965], and let us go up [05927] at noon [06672]. Woe [0188] unto us! for the day [03117] goeth away [06437], for the shadows [06752] of the evening [06153] are stretched out [05186].

² For I will gather [0622] all nations [01471] against Jerusalem [03389] to battle [04421]; and the city [05892] shall be taken [03920], and the houses [01004] rifled [08155], and the women [0802] ravished [07901] [07693]; and half [02677] of the city [05892] shall go forth [03318] into captivity [01473], and the residue [03499] of the people [05971] shall not be cut off [03772] from the city [05892].
³ Then shall the LORD [03068] go forth [03318], and fight [03898] against those nations [01471], as when [03117] he fought [03898] in the day [03117] of battle [07128].

² Behold, I will make [07760] Jerusalem [03389] a cup [05592] of trembling [07478] unto all the people [05971] round about [05439], when they shall be in the siege [04692] both against Judah [03063] and against Jerusalem [03389].
³ And in that day [03117] will I make [07760] Jerusalem [03389] a burdensome [04614] stone [068] for all people [05971]: all that burden [06006] themselves with it shall be cut in pieces [08295] [08295], though all the people [01471] of the earth [0776] be gathered together [0622] against it.
⁴ In that day [03117], saith [05002] the LORD [03068], I will smite [05221] every horse [05483] with astonishment [08541], and his rider [07392] with madness [07697]: and I will open [06491] mine eyes [05869] upon the house [01004] of Judah [03063], and will smite [05221] every horse [05483] of the people [05971] with blindness [05788].
⁵ And the governors [0441] of Judah [03063] shall say [0559] in their heart [03820], The inhabitants [03427] of Jerusalem [03389] shall be my strength [0556] in the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635] their God [0430].
⁶ In that day [03117] will I make [07760] the governors [0441] of Judah [03063] like an hearth [03595] of fire [0784] among the wood [06086], and like a torch [03940] of fire [0784] in a sheaf [05995]; and they shall devour [0398] all the people [05971] round about [05439], on the right hand [03225] and on the left [08040]: and Jerusalem [03389] shall be inhabited [03427] again in her own place, even in Jerusalem [03389].
⁷ The LORD [03068] also shall save [03467] the tents [0168] of Judah [03063] first [07223], that the glory [08597] of the house [01004] of David [01732] and the glory [08597] of the inhabitants [03427] of Jerusalem [03389] do not magnify [01431] themselves against Judah [03063].
⁸ In that day [03117] shall the LORD [03068] defend [01598] the inhabitants [03427] of Jerusalem [03389]; and he that is feeble [03782] among them at that day [03117] shall be as David [01732]; and the house [01004] of David [01732] shall be as God [0430], as the angel [04397] of the LORD [03068] before [06440] them.
⁹ And it shall come to pass in that day [03117], that I will seek [01245] to destroy [08045] all the nations [01471] that come [0935] against Jerusalem [03389].

⁸ He is near [07138] that justifieth [06663] me; who will contend [07378] with me? let us stand [05975] together [03162]: who is mine adversary [01167] [04941]? let him come near [05066] to me.

¹ Keep silence [02790] before me, O islands [0339]; and let the people [03816] renew [02498] their strength [03581]: let them come near [05066]; then let them speak [01696]: let us come near [07126] together [03162] to judgment [04941].

⁵ And I will come near [07126] to you to judgment [04941]; and I will be a swift [04116] witness [05707] against the sorcerers [03784], and against the adulterers [05003], and against false [08267] swearers [07650], and against those that oppress [06231] the hireling [07916] in his wages [07939], the widow [0490], and the fatherless [03490], and that turn aside [05186] the stranger [01616] from his right, and fear [03372] not me, saith [0559] the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635].

¹³ And Joab [03097] drew nigh [05066], and the people [05971] that were with him, unto the battle [04421] against the Syrians [0758]: and they fled [05127] before [06440] him.

⁴¹ And the Philistine [06430] came [03212] on [01980] and drew near [07131] unto David [01732]; and the man [0376] that bare [05375] the shield [06793] went before [06440] him.

⁴ Who [3588] opposeth [480] and [2532] exalteth [5229] himself above [1909] all [3956] that is called [3004] God [2316], or [2228] that is worshipped [4574]; so [5620] that he [846] as [5613] God [2316] sitteth [2523] in [1519] the temple [3485] of God [2316], shewing [584] himself [1438] that [3754] he is [2076] God [2316].

⁶ Who [3739] also [2532] hath gone about [3985] to profane [953] the temple [2411]: [2532] whom [3739] we took [2902], and [2532] would [2309] have judged [2919] according [2596] to our [2251] law [3551].

²⁸ Crying out [2896], Men [435] of Israel [2475], help [997]: This [3778] is [2076] the man [444], that teacheth [1321] all [3956] men every where [3837] against [2596] the people [2992], and [2532] the law [3551], and [2532] this [5126] place [5117]: and [5037] further [2089] brought [1521] Greeks [1672] also [2532] into [1519] the temple [2411], and [2532] hath polluted [2840] this [5127] holy [40] place [5117].

¹³ Saying [3004], [3754] This [3778] fellow persuadeth [374] men [444] to worship [4576] God [2316] contrary [3844] to the law [3551].

¹³ And [5037] set up [2476] false [5571] witnesses [3144], which said [3004], This [5127] man [444] ceaseth [3973] not [3756] to speak [2980] blasphemous [989] words [4487] against [2596] this [3778] holy [40] place [5117], and [2532] the law [3551]:

¹¹ Then [5119] they suborned [5260] men [435], which said [3004], [3754] We have heard [191] him [846] speak [2980] blasphemous [989] words [4487] against [1519] Moses [3475], and [2532] against God [2316].

² They shall put [4160] you [5209] out of the synagogues [656]: yea [235], the time [5610] cometh [2064], that [2443] whosoever [3956] killeth [615] you [5209] will think [1380] that he doeth [4374] God [2316] service [2999].

⁶⁵ Then [5119] the high priest [749] rent [1284] his [846] clothes [2440], saying [3004], [3754] He hath spoken blasphemy [987]; what [5101] further [2089] need [5532] have we [2192] of witnesses [3144]? behold [2396], now [3568] ye have heard [191] his [846] blasphemy [988].

⁵ Thus saith [0559] the LORD [03068] concerning the prophets [05030] that make my people [05971] err [08582], that bite [05391] with their teeth [08127], and cry [07121], Peace [07965]; and he that putteth [05414] not into their mouths [06310], they even prepare [06942] war [04421] against him.

²⁷ Set ye up [05375] a standard [05251] in the land [0776], blow [08628] the trumpet [07782] among the nations [01471], prepare [06942] the nations [01471] against her, call together [08085] against her the kingdoms [04467] of Ararat [0780], Minni [04508], and Ashchenaz [0813]; appoint [06485] a captain [02951] against her; cause the horses [05483] to come up [05927] as the rough [05569] caterpillers [03218].

⁹ Associate [07489] yourselves, O ye people [05971], and ye shall be broken in pieces [02865]; and give ear [0238], all [03605] ye of far [04801] countries [0776]: gird [0247] yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces [02865]; gird [0247] yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces [02865].
¹⁰ Take [05779] counsel [06098] together [05779], and it shall come to nought [06565]; speak [01696] the word [01697], and it shall not stand [06965]: for God [0410] is with us.

⁹ They shall run to and fro [08264] in the city [05892]; they shall run [07323] upon the wall [02346], they shall climb up [05927] upon the houses [01004]; they shall enter in [0935] at the windows [02474] like a thief [01590].
¹⁰ The earth [0776] shall quake [07264] before [06440] them; the heavens [08064] shall tremble [07493]: the sun [08121] and the moon [03394] shall be dark [06937], and the stars [03556] shall withdraw [0622] their shining [05051]:
¹¹ And the LORD [03068] shall utter [05414] his voice [06963] before [06440] his army [02428]: for his camp [04264] is very [03966] great [07227]: for he is strong [06099] that executeth [06213] his word [01697]: for the day [03117] of the LORD [03068] is great [01419] and very [03966] terrible [03372]; and who can abide [03557] it?
¹² Therefore also now, saith [05002] the LORD [03068], turn [07725] ye even to me with all your heart [03824], and with fasting [06685], and with weeping [01065], and with mourning [04553]:
¹³ And rend [07167] your heart [03824], and not your garments [0899], and turn [07725] unto the LORD [03068] your God [0430]: for he is gracious [02587] and merciful [07349], slow [0750] to anger [0639], and of great [07227] kindness [02617], and repenteth [05162] him of the evil [07451].
¹⁴ Who knoweth [03045] if he will return [07725] and repent [05162], and leave [07604] a blessing [01293] behind [0310] him; even a meat offering [04503] and a drink offering [05262] unto the LORD [03068] your God [0430]?
¹⁵ Blow [08628] the trumpet [07782] in Zion [06726], sanctify [06942] a fast [06685], call [07121] a solemn assembly [06116]:
¹⁶ Gather [0622] the people [05971], sanctify [06942] the congregation [06951], assemble [06908] the elders [02205], gather [0622] the children [05768], and those that suck [03243] the breasts [07699]: let the bridegroom [02860] go forth [03318] of his chamber [02315], and the bride [03618] out of her closet [02646].
¹⁷ Let the priests [03548], the ministers [08334] of the LORD [03068], weep [01058] between the porch [0197] and the altar [04196], and let them say [0559], Spare [02347] thy people [05971], O LORD [03068], and give [05414] not thine heritage [05159] to reproach [02781], that the heathen [01471] should rule over [04910] them: wherefore should they say [0559] among the people [05971], Where is their God [0430]?
¹⁸ Then will the LORD [03068] be jealous [07065] for his land [0776], and pity [02550] his people [05971].
¹⁹ Yea, the LORD [03068] will answer [06030] and say [0559] unto his people [05971], Behold, I will send [07971] you corn [01715], and wine [08492], and oil [03323], and ye shall be satisfied [07646] therewith: and I will no more make [05414] you a reproach [02781] among the heathen [01471]:
²⁰ But I will remove far off [07368] from you the northern [06830] army, and will drive [05080] him into a land [0776] barren [06723] and desolate [08077], with his face [06440] toward the east [06931] sea [03220], and his hinder part [05490] toward the utmost [0314] sea [03220], and his stink [0889] shall come up [05927], and his ill savour [06709] shall come up [05927], because he hath done [06213] great things [01431].
²¹ Fear [03372] not, O land [0127]; be glad [01523] and rejoice [08055]: for the LORD [03068] will do [06213] great things [01431].
²² Be not afraid [03372], ye beasts [0929] of the field [07704]: for the pastures [04999] of the wilderness [04057] do spring [01876], for the tree [06086] beareth [05375] her fruit [06529], the fig tree [08384] and the vine [01612] do yield [05414] their strength [02428].
²³ Be glad [01523] then, ye children [01121] of Zion [06726], and rejoice [08055] in the LORD [03068] your God [0430]: for he hath given [05414] you the former rain [04175] moderately [06666], and he will cause to come down [03381] for you the rain [01653], the former rain [04175], and the latter rain [04456] in the first [07223] month.
²⁴ And the floors [01637] shall be full [04390] of wheat [01250], and the fats [03342] shall overflow [07783] with wine [08492] and oil [03323].
²⁵ And I will restore [07999] to you the years [08141] that the locust [0697] hath eaten [0398], the cankerworm [03218], and the caterpiller [02625], and the palmerworm [01501], my great [01419] army [02428] which I sent [07971] among you.
²⁶ And ye shall eat [0398] in plenty [0398], and be satisfied [07646], and praise [01984] the name [08034] of the LORD [03068] your God [0430], that hath dealt [06213] wondrously [06381] with you: and my people [05971] shall never [05769] be ashamed [0954].
²⁷ And ye shall know [03045] that I am in the midst [07130] of Israel [03478], and that I am the LORD [03068] your God [0430], and none else: and my people [05971] shall never [05769] be ashamed [0954].
²⁸ And it shall come to pass afterward [0310], that I will pour out [08210] my spirit [07307] upon all flesh [01320]; and your sons [01121] and your daughters [01323] shall prophesy [05012], your old men [02205] shall dream [02492] dreams [02472], your young men [0970] shall see [07200] visions [02384]:
²⁹ And also upon the servants [05650] and upon the handmaids [08198] in those days [03117] will I pour out [08210] my spirit [07307].
³⁰ And I will shew [05414] wonders [04159] in the heavens [08064] and in the earth [0776], blood [01818], and fire [0784], and pillars [08490] of smoke [06227].
³¹ The sun [08121] shall be turned [02015] into darkness [02822], and the moon [03394] into blood [01818], before [06440] the great [01419] and the terrible [03372] day [03117] of the LORD [03068] come [0935].
³² And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call [07121] on the name [08034] of the LORD [03068] shall be delivered [04422]: for in mount [02022] Zion [06726] and in Jerusalem [03389] shall be deliverance [06413], as the LORD [03068] hath said [0559], and in the remnant [08300] whom the LORD [03068] shall call [07121].

⁹ Proclaim [07121] ye this among the Gentiles [01471]; Prepare [06942] war [04421], wake up [05782] the mighty men [01368], let all the men [0582] of war [04421] draw near [05066]; let them come up [05927]:
¹⁰ Beat [03807] your plowshares [0855] into swords [02719], and your pruninghooks [04211] into spears [07420]: let the weak [02523] say [0559], I am strong [01368].
¹¹ Assemble [05789] yourselves, and come [0935], all ye heathen [01471], and gather yourselves together [06908] round about [05439]: thither cause thy mighty ones [01368] to come down [05181], O LORD [03068].
¹² Let the heathen [01471] be wakened [05782], and come up [05927] to the valley [06010] of Jehoshaphat [03092]: for there will I sit [03427] to judge [08199] all the heathen [01471] round about [05439].
¹³ Put [07971] ye in the sickle [04038], for the harvest [07105] is ripe [01310]: come [0935], get you down [03381]; for the press [01660] is full [04390], the fats [03342] overflow [07783]; for their wickedness [07451] is great [07227].
¹⁴ Multitudes [01995], multitudes [01995] in the valley [06010] of decision [02742]: for the day [03117] of the LORD [03068] is near [07138] in the valley [06010] of decision [02742].
¹⁵ The sun [08121] and the moon [03394] shall be darkened [06937], and the stars [03556] shall withdraw [0622] their shining [05051].
¹⁶ The LORD [03068] also shall roar [07580] out of Zion [06726], and utter [05414] his voice [06963] from Jerusalem [03389]; and the heavens [08064] and the earth [0776] shall shake [07493]: but the LORD [03068] will be the hope [04268] of his people [05971], and the strength [04581] of the children [01121] of Israel [03478].

³⁰ And I will shew [05414] wonders [04159] in the heavens [08064] and in the earth [0776], blood [01818], and fire [0784], and pillars [08490] of smoke [06227].
³¹ The sun [08121] shall be turned [02015] into darkness [02822], and the moon [03394] into blood [01818], before [06440] the great [01419] and the terrible [03372] day [03117] of the LORD [03068] come [0935].
³² And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call [07121] on the name [08034] of the LORD [03068] shall be delivered [04422]: for in mount [02022] Zion [06726] and in Jerusalem [03389] shall be deliverance [06413], as the LORD [03068] hath said [0559], and in the remnant [08300] whom the LORD [03068] shall call [07121].

¹⁵ The sun [08121] and the moon [03394] shall be darkened [06937], and the stars [03556] shall withdraw [0622] their shining [05051].
¹⁶ The LORD [03068] also shall roar [07580] out of Zion [06726], and utter [05414] his voice [06963] from Jerusalem [03389]; and the heavens [08064] and the earth [0776] shall shake [07493]: but the LORD [03068] will be the hope [04268] of his people [05971], and the strength [04581] of the children [01121] of Israel [03478].

¹⁵ The sun [08121] and the moon [03394] shall be darkened [06937], and the stars [03556] shall withdraw [0622] their shining [05051].

¹ Blow [08628] ye the trumpet [07782] in Zion [06726], and sound an alarm [07321] in my holy [06944] mountain [02022]: let all the inhabitants [03427] of the land [0776] tremble [07264]: for the day [03117] of the LORD [03068] cometh [0935], for it is nigh at hand [07138];

¹⁵ Alas [0162] for the day [03117]! for the day [03117] of the LORD [03068] is at hand [07138], and as a destruction [07701] from the Almighty [07706] shall it come [0935].

⁴⁰ And as thy servant [05650] was busy [06213] here and there, he was gone [0369]. And the king [04428] of Israel [03478] said [0559] unto him, So shall thy judgment [04941] be; thyself hast decided [02782] it.

²² For though thy people [05971] Israel [03478] be as the sand [02344] of the sea [03220], yet a remnant [07605] of them shall return [07725]: the consumption [03631] decreed [02782] shall overflow [07857] with righteousness [06666].

¹⁵ Behold, I will make [07760] thee a new [02319] sharp [02742] threshing [04173] instrument having [01167] teeth [06374]: thou shalt thresh [01758] the mountains [02022], and beat them small [01854], and shalt make [07760] the hills [01389] as chaff [04671].

²⁷ For the fitches [07100] are not threshed [01758] with a threshing instrument [02742], neither is a cart [05699] wheel [0212] turned about [05437] upon the cummin [03646]; but the fitches [07100] are beaten out [02251] with a staff [04294], and the cummin [03646] with a rod [07626].

¹⁶ And he said [0559], Thus saith [0559] the LORD [03068], Make [06213] this valley [05158] full of ditches [01356].

¹⁴ Multitudes [01995], multitudes [01995] in the valley [06010] of decision [02742]: for the day [03117] of the LORD [03068] is near [07138] in the valley [06010] of decision [02742].

¹⁹ And [2532] the angel [32] thrust in [906] his [846] sickle [1407] into [1519] the earth [1093], and [2532] gathered [5166] the vine [288] of the earth [1093], and [2532] cast [906] it into [1519] the great [3173] winepress [3025] of the wrath [2372] of God [2316].

²⁰ And [2532] the winepress [3025] was trodden [3961] without [1854] the city [4172], and [2532] blood [129] came [1831] out of [1537] the winepress [3025], even unto [891] the horse [2462] bridles [5469], by the space of [575] a thousand [5507] and six hundred [1812] furlongs [4712].

³ I have trodden [01869] the winepress [06333] alone; and of the people [05971] there was none [0376] with me: for I will tread [01869] them in mine anger [0639], and trample [07429] them in my fury [02534]; and their blood [05332] shall be sprinkled [05137] upon my garments [0899], and I will stain [01351] all my raiment [04403].

⁵ And GOD [03068] saw [07200] that the wickedness [07451] of man [0120] was great [07227] in the earth [0776], and that every imagination [03336] of the thoughts [04284] of his heart [03820] was only [07535] evil [07451] continually [03117].

²⁴ And the floors [01637] shall be full [04390] of wheat [01250], and the fats [03342] shall overflow [07783] with wine [08492] and oil [03323].

¹⁸ He that believeth [4100] on [1519] him [846] is [2919] not [3756] condemned [2919]: but [1161] he that believeth [4100] not [3361] is condemned [2919] already [2235], because [3754] he hath [4100] not [3361] believed [4100] in [1519] the name [3686] of the only begotten [3439] Son [5207] of God [2316].
¹⁹ And [1161] this [3778] is [2076] the condemnation [2920], that [3754] light [5457] is come [2064] into [1519] the world [2889], and [2532] men [444] loved [25] darkness [4655] rather [3123] than [2228] light [5457], because [1063] their [846] deeds [2041] were [2258] evil [4190].
²⁰ For [1063] every one [3956] that doeth [4238] evil [5337] hateth [3404] the light [5457], neither [2532] [3756] cometh [2064] to [4314] the light [5457], lest [3363] his [846] deeds [2041] should be reproved [1651].
²¹ But [1161] he that doeth [4160] truth [225] cometh [2064] to [4314] the light [5457], that [2443] his [846] deeds [2041] may be made manifest [5319], that [3754] they are [2076] wrought [2038] in [1722] God [2316].

³⁸ Pray ye [1189] therefore [3767] the Lord [2962] of the harvest [2326], that [3704] he will send forth [1544] labourers [2040] into [1519] his [846] harvest [2326].

³⁵ Say [3004] not [3756] ye [5210], There [3754] are [2076] yet [2089] four months [5072], and [2532] then cometh [2064] harvest [2326]? behold [2400], I say [3004] unto you [5213], Lift up [1869] your [5216] eyes [3788], and [2532] look on [2300] the fields [5561]; for [3754] they are [1526] white [3022] already [2235] to [4314] harvest [2326].

¹⁶ And [2532] he that sat [2521] on [1909] the cloud [3507] thrust in [906] his [846] sickle [1407] on [1909] the earth [1093]; and [2532] the earth [1093] was reaped [2325].

¹⁸ And [2532] another [243] angel [32] came [1831] out [1537] from the altar [2379], which had [2192] power [1849] over [1909] fire [4442]; and [2532] cried [5455] with a loud [3173] cry [2906] to him that had [2192] the sharp [3691] sickle [1407], saying [3004], Thrust in [3992] thy [4675] sharp [3691] sickle [1407], and [2532] gather [5166] the clusters [1009] of the vine [288] of the earth [1093]; for [3754] her [846] grapes [4718] are fully ripe [187].

¹⁵ And [2532] another [243] angel [32] came [1831] out of [1537] the temple [3485], crying [2896] with [1722] a loud [3173] voice [5456] to him that sat [2521] on [1909] the cloud [3507], Thrust in [3992] thy [4675] sickle [1407], and [2532] reap [2325]: for [3754] the time [5610] is come [2064] for thee [4671] to reap [2325]; for [3754] the harvest [2326] of the earth [1093] is ripe [3583].

⁹ Therefore I will bewail [01058] with the weeping [01065] of Jazer [03270] the vine [01612] of Sibmah [07643]: I will water [07301] thee with my tears [01832], O Heshbon [02809], and Elealeh [0500]: for the shouting [01959] for thy summer fruits [07019] and for thy harvest [07105] is fallen [05307].

¹⁰ And in the vine [01612] were three [07969] branches [08299]: and it was as though it budded [06524], and her blossoms [05322] shot forth [05927]; and the clusters [0811] thereof brought forth ripe [01310] grapes [06025]:

⁹ Eat [0398] not of it raw [04995], nor sodden [01310] [01311] at all with water [04325], but roast [06748] with fire [0784]; his head [07218] with his legs [03767], and with the purtenance [07130] thereof.

¹⁶ Cut off [03772] the sower [02232] from Babylon [0894], and him that handleth [08610] the sickle [04038] in the time [06256] of harvest [07105]: for fear [06440] of the oppressing [03238] sword [02719] they shall turn [06437] every one [0376] to his people [05971], and they shall flee [05127] every one [0376] to his own land [0776].

¹⁶ And [2532] he that sat [2521] on [1909] the cloud [3507] thrust in [906] his [846] sickle [1407] on [1909] the earth [1093]; and [2532] the earth [1093] was reaped [2325].

⁵ And it shall be as when the harvestman [07105] gathereth [0622] the corn [07054], and reapeth [07114] the ears [07641] with his arm [02220]; and it shall be as he that gathereth [03950] ears [07641] in the valley [06010] of Rephaim [07497].

¹³ Put [07971] ye in the sickle [04038], for the harvest [07105] is ripe [01310]: come [0935], get you down [03381]; for the press [01660] is full [04390], the fats [03342] overflow [07783]; for their wickedness [07451] is great [07227].

¹⁰ And [2532] the gospel [2098] must [1163] first [4412] be published [2784] among [1519] all [3956] nations [1484].

¹⁴ And [2532] this [5124] gospel [2098] of the kingdom [932] shall be preached [2784] in [1722] all [3650] the world [3625] for [1519] a witness [3142] unto all [3956] nations [1484]; and [2532] then [5119] shall the end [5056] come [2240].

² I will also gather [06908] all nations [01471], and will bring them down [03381] into the valley [06010] of Jehoshaphat [03092], and will plead [08199] with them there for my people [05971] and for my heritage [05159] Israel [03478], whom they have scattered [06340] among the nations [01471], and parted [02505] my land [0776].

¹² Let the heathen [01471] be wakened [05782], and come up [05927] to the valley [06010] of Jehoshaphat [03092]: for there will I sit [03427] to judge [08199] all the heathen [01471] round about [05439].

²⁵ Man [0376] did eat [0398] angels [047]' food [03899]: he sent [07971] them meat [06720] to the full [07648].

²⁰ Bless [01288] the LORD [03068], ye his angels [04397], that excel [01368] in strength [03581], that do [06213] his commandments [01697], hearkening [08085] unto the voice [06963] of his word [01697].

¹¹ Assemble [05789] yourselves, and come [0935], all ye heathen [01471], and gather yourselves together [06908] round about [05439]: thither cause thy mighty ones [01368] to come down [05181], O LORD [03068].

⁵ They shall ask [07592] the way [01870] to Zion [06726] with their faces [06440] thitherward [02008], saying, Come [0935], and let us join [03867] ourselves to the LORD [03068] in a perpetual [05769] covenant [01285] that shall not be forgotten [07911].

⁹ Let all the nations [01471] be gathered [06908] together [03162], and let the people [03816] be assembled [0622]: who among them can declare [05046] this, and shew [08085] us former things [07223]? let them bring forth [05414] their witnesses [05707], that they may be justified [06663]: or let them hear [08085], and say [0559], It is truth [0571].

³ And he shall judge [08199] among many [07227] people [05971], and rebuke [03198] strong [06099] nations [01471] afar off [07350]; and they shall beat [03807] their swords [02719] into plowshares [0855], and their spears [02595] into pruninghooks [04211]: nation [01471] shall not lift up [05375] a sword [02719] against nation [01471], neither shall they learn [03925] war [04421] any more.

⁴ And he shall judge [08199] among the nations [01471], and shall rebuke [03198] many [07227] people [05971]: and they shall beat [03807] their swords [02719] into plowshares [0855], and their spears [02595] into pruninghooks [04211]: nation [01471] shall not lift up [05375] sword [02719] against nation [01471], neither shall they learn [03925] war [04421] any more.

¹ Come near [07126], ye nations [01471], to hear [08085]; and hearken [07181], ye people [03816]: let the earth [0776] hear [08085], and all that is therein [04393]; the world [08398], and all things that come forth [06631] of it.

¹⁰ Beat [03807] your plowshares [0855] into swords [02719], and your pruninghooks [04211] into spears [07420]: let the weak [02523] say [0559], I am strong [01368].

⁸ And the children [01121] of Israel [03478] said [0559] to Samuel [08050], Cease [02790] not to cry [02199] unto the LORD [03068] our God [0430] for us, that he will save [03467] us out of the hand [03027] of the Philistines [06430].
⁹ And Samuel [08050] took [03947] a [0259] sucking [02461] lamb [02924], and offered [05927] it for a burnt offering [05930] wholly [03632] unto the LORD [03068]: and Samuel [08050] cried [02199] unto the LORD [03068] for Israel [03478]; and the LORD [03068] heard [06030] him.

¹⁰ Beat [03807] your plowshares [0855] into swords [02719], and your pruninghooks [04211] into spears [07420]: let the weak [02523] say [0559], I am strong [01368].