Joel 2:16
in Joel 2Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the aged, gather the children, even those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
gather the people, sanctify the assembly, assemble the old men, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts; let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
KJV
Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
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This verse in Joel 2
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
MAURER translates, "appoint a solemn assembly," which would be a tautological repetition of Joe 2:15. elders . . . children--No age was to be excepted (2Ch 20:13). bridegroom--ordinarily exempted from public duties (De 24:5; compare 1Co 7:5, 29). closet--or, nuptial bed, from a Hebrew root "to cover," referring to the canopy over it.
This site's exposition
Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast
on Joel 2:15-17
The call to fast repeats 1:14 almost word for word but widens its guest list, the bridegroom out of his chamber and the bride out of her closet, exempting no one from the assembly, not even a household on its wedding day. Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar places the intercessors at the one spot between the people's court and God's own altar, pleading spare thy people rather than merely leading a ritual. The closing question, wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God, appeals to the Lord's own reputation among the nations, an argument the commentators trace to Moses' intercession after the golden calf at Exodus 32:12.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
He addressed them piously. "Have you not read," he said, "what divine authority has prescribed to a sinful people through the prophet: 'Be converted to me with all your heart, in fasting and in weeping,' and a little later: 'Sanctify a fast,' he says, 'call …
(Verse 15 and following) Blow the trumpet in Zion: sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the people: sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and those who still nurse at the breast. Let the bridegroom come out of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet: between the porch and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep and say: Spare, O Lord (Vulgate adds, spare), your people, and do not let your heritage become a reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why do they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?' LXX: Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and nursing babes; let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, and the bride from her dressing room. Between the vestibule and the altar, let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep and say: 'Spare Your people, O Lord, and do not give Your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'" } Still he exhorts them to repentance, before the enemy army comes. Above, he said: Blow the trumpet in Zion, wail on my holy mountain, and so on, because the day of the Lord is coming, the day of darkness and gloom, the day of clouds and whirlwinds, announcing to you a numerous and powerful people that will come, which will overthrow your possessions and cities. Now because I am kind and merciful, patient, and abundant in mercy, I again command and say: Blow the trumpet in Zion, and preach repentance to the peoples; sanctify the fasting, preach healing, or gathering, of which we have already spoken: gather the people, so that the one who had sinned by being dispersed, having been gathered, may cease to sin. […]
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
The children - Though they understand little what is done, yet their cities ascend, and God with pity looks on their tears. These that suck - Their cries and tears may perhaps move the congregation to more earnest supplication to God for mercy.
Gather the people,....
A promise that, upon their repentance, God would remove the judgment, would repair the breaches made upon them by it, and restore unto them plenty of all good things,
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Gather the children - Let all share in the humiliation, for all must feel the judgment, should it come. Let no state nor condition among the people be exempted. The elders, the young persons, the infants, the bridegroom, and the bride; let all leave their houses, and go to the temple of God.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Sanctify the congregation - o: “Do what in you lies, by monishing, exhorting, threatening, giving the example of a holy life, that the whole people present itself holy before its God” , “lest your prayers be hindered, and a little leaven corrupt the whole lump.” Assemble the elders - o: “The judgment concerned all; all then were to join in seeking mercy from God. None were on any pretence to be exempted; not the oldest, whose strength was decayed, or the youngest, who might seem not yet of strength.” The old also are commonly freer from sin and more given to prayer. Gather the children - o: “He Who feedeth the young ravens when they cry, will not neglect the cry of poor children. He assigns as a reason, why it were fitting to spare Nineveh, the “six-score thousand persons that could not discern between their right hand and their left” Jon 4:11. The sight of them who were involved in their parents’ punishment could not but move the parents to greater earnestness. So when Moab and Ammon 2Ch 20:1-4, 2Ch 20:13, a great multitude, came against Jehoshaphat, he proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah, and Judah gathered themselves together to ask help of the Lord; even out of all the cities of Judah, they came to seek the Lord. […]
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אִסְפוּ־ | ʾisfu- | gather | H622 → | 200 times |
| עָ֞ם | ʾam | [the] people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| קַדְּשׁ֤וּ | kadeshu | consecrate | H6942 → | 171 times |
| קָהָל֙ | kahal | an assembly | H6951 → | |
| קִבְצ֣וּ | kivtzu | gather | H6908 → | 127 times |
| זְקֵנִ֔ים | zekenim | [the] elders | H2205 → | 178 times |
| אִסְפוּ֙ | ʾisfu | gather | H622 → | 200 times |
| עֽוֹלָלִ֔ים | olalim | children | H5768 → | |
| וְיֹנְקֵ֖י | veyonekei | and suckling-children of | H3243 → | |
| שָׁדָ֑יִם | shadayim | breasts | H7699 → | |
| יֵצֵ֤א | yetze' | let him go out | H3318 → | |
| חָתָן֙ | chatan | [the] bridegroom | H2860 → | |
| מֵֽחֶדְר֔וֹ | mechedro | from room his | H2315 → | |
| וְכַלָּ֖ה | vekhalah | and [the] bride | H3618 → | |
| מֵחֻפָּתָֽהּ׃ | mechupatah | from chamber her | H2646 → |
אִסְפוּ־gather
ʾisfu-H622 →200 times
עָ֞ם[the] people
ʾamH5971 →1873 times
קַדְּשׁ֤וּconsecrate
kadeshuH6942 →171 times
קָהָל֙an assembly
kahalH6951 →
קִבְצ֣וּgather
kivtzuH6908 →127 times
זְקֵנִ֔ים[the] elders
zekenimH2205 →178 times
אִסְפוּ֙gather
ʾisfuH622 →200 times
עֽוֹלָלִ֔יםchildren
olalimH5768 →
וְיֹנְקֵ֖יand suckling-children of
veyonekeiH3243 →
שָׁדָ֑יִםbreasts
shadayimH7699 →
יֵצֵ֤אlet him go out
yetze'H3318 →
חָתָן֙[the] bridegroom
chatanH2860 →
מֵֽחֶדְר֔וֹfrom room his
mechedroH2315 →
וְכַלָּ֖הand [the] bride
vekhalahH3618 →
מֵחֻפָּתָֽהּ׃from chamber her
mechupatahH2646 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Chronicles 29:5“Listen to me, O Levites,” he said. “Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the house of the LORD, the God of your fathers. Remove from the Holy Place every impurity.
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 35:6
Slaughter the Passover lambs, consecrate yourselves, and make preparations for your fellow countrymen to carry out the word of the LORD given by Moses.”
- 1 Corinthians 3:16–17
Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
- 1 Chronicles 15:12
And he said to them, “You are the heads of the Levitical families. You and your relatives must consecrate yourselves so that you may bring the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel,…
- 2 Chronicles 35:6
Through
1 Corinthians 7:5Do not deprive each other, except by mutual consent and for a time, so you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again, so that Satan will not tempt you through your lack…
it leads to
- Exodus 19:15
“Be prepared for the third day,” he said to the people. “Do not draw near to a woman.”
- Exodus 19:15
Through
1 Samuel 16:5“In peace,” he replied. “I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
it leads to
- Leviticus 20:7–8
Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, because I am the LORD your God.
- Joshua 3:5
Then Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.”
- Exodus 19:10
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes
- Joshua 7:13
Get up and consecrate the people, saying, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Among you, O Israel, there are things devoted to destruction. You cannot…
- Leviticus 20:7–8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies10
About Joel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Eugippius, THE LIFE OF ST. SEVERIN 12; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Joel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.