Skip to content
mannafest.faith
Read

Joel 2:20

in Joel 2

The northern army I will drive away from you, banishing it to a barren and desolate land, its front ranks into the Eastern Sea, and its rear guard into the Western Sea. And its stench will rise; its foul odor will ascend. For He has done great things.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

but I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive it into a land barren and desolate, its forepart into the eastern sea, and its hinder part into the western sea; and its stench shall come up, and its ill savor shall come up, because it hath done great things.

KJV

But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.

⋯

This verse in Joel 2

Commentary

11 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

I will remove far off from you the northern army - “That is, the locusts; which might enter Judea by the north, as Circassia and Mingrelia abound with them. Or the locusts may be thus called, because they spread terror like the Assyrian armies, which entered Judea by the north. See Zep 2:13.” - Newcome.

This site's exposition

Then will the Lord be jealous for his land

on Joel 2:18-20

Then will the Lord be jealous for his land marks the turn the whole chapter has been driving toward, a tense the older commentators read as the Lord's response following directly from the repentance just called for. The answer of corn, wine, and oil restores exactly what 1:10 named as lost, the plague's inventory reversed item for item. The northern army driven into a land barren and desolate has drawn readings across the centuries, older writers commonly identifying it with the locust host itself blown out toward the sea, and other commentators reading a real invading army, human or otherwise, the positions named without either side claiming certainty the text does not give.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

Cassiodorus

EXPOSITION OF THE PSALMS 36:35 · Written before 585.

proposed

Joel, the prophet, offers evidence about [the devil] with these words: "And I will remove far off from you the northern one, and I will drive him into the land thirsty and desert, and I shall expel his face into the nearest sea and his …

A commentator

Jerome

Commentary on Joel · Written before 420.

proposed

(Verse 18 and following) The Lord was zealous for His land, and spared His people. And the Lord answered and said to His people: Behold, I will send you grain and wine and oil, and you will be filled with them, and I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations. And I will remove him who is from the north far away from you, and I will drive him into a dry and desolate land: his face will be towards the eastern sea, and his end towards the western sea.

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Ishodad of Merv

COMMENTARY ON JOEL · Written before 850.

proposed

"I will remove the northerner," both the Assyrian and Babylonian. Someone may ask, "Since for its position Babylon is not situated north of Jerusalem, why does God say through the prophet, 'I will remove the northerner far from you' and 'Out of the north evil …

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

When Egypt was eased of the plague of locusts they were carried away to the Red Sea, Exod. x. Note, When an affliction has done its work it shall be removed in mercy, as the locusts of Canaan were from a penitent people, not as the locusts of Egypt were removed, in wrath, from an impenitent prince, only to make room for another plague.

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

proposed

The northern army - That part of the locusts which are toward the north. With his face - The van of this army shall be driven into the dead sea, east of Jerusalem.
4 more voices on this verse

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

But I will remove far off from you the northern army,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

A prediction of the setting up of the kingdom of the Messiah in the world, by the pouring out of the Spirit in the latter days,

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

the northern army--The Hebrew expresses that the north in relation to Palestine is not merely the quarter whence the invader comes, but is his native land, "the Northlander"; namely, the Assyrian or Babylonian (compare Jer 1:14, 15;

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens

And I will remove far off from you the northern army - God speaks of the human agent under the figure of the locusts, which perish in the sea; yet so as to show at once, that He did not intend the locust itself, nor to describe the mode in which He should overthrow the human oppressor. He is not speaking of the locust itself, for the Northern is no name for the locust which infested Palestine, since it came from the south; nor would the destruction of the locust be in two opposite seas, since they are uniformly driven by the wind into the sea, upon whose waves they alight and perish, but the wind would not carry them into two opposite seas; nor would the locust perish in a “barren and desolate” land, but would fly further; nor would it be said of the locust that he was destroyed, Because he had done great things . But He represents to us, how this enemy should be driven quite out of the bounds of His people, so that he should not vex them more, but perish. The imagery is from the holy land. The “East sea” is the Dead Sea, once the fertile “vale of Siddim” Gen 14:3, , “in which sea were formerly Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim, until God overthrew them.” This, in the Pentateuch, is called “the salt sea” Gen 14:3; Num 34:3, Num 34:12, or “the sea of the plain,” or “desert” (Deu 3:17; Deu 4:49; Jos 3:16; Jos 12:3; Jos 15:25; Jos 18:19; also in 2Ki 14:25), explained in Deuteronomy and Joshua to be “the salt sea” Deut. 3; Josh. 3; 12; Ezekiel calls it “the East sea” Eze 47:18, and in Numbers it is said of it, “your south border shall be the salt sea eastward” Num 34:3. The utmost, or rather, the “hinder sea” Deu 11:24; Deu 34:2 (i. […]

The words behind it

25 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וְֽאֶת־and <obj.>

    veetH853 →10935 times

  • הַצְּפוֹנִ֞יthe northerner[s]

    hatzefoniH6830 →

  • אַרְחִ֣יקI will remove far away

    ʾarchikH7368 →

  • מֵעֲלֵיכֶ֗םfrom with <the> you

    mealeikhemH5921 →5755 times

  • וְהִדַּחְתִּיו֮and I will drive away it

    vehidachtivH5080 →

  • אֶל־into

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • אֶ֣רֶץa land

    ʾeretzH776 →2504 times

  • צִיָּ֣הdry

    tziyahH6723 →

  • וּשְׁמָמָה֒and desolation

    ushemamahH8077 →57 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • פָּנָ֗יוface its

    panavH6440 →2123 times

  • אֶל־into

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • הַיָּם֙the sea

    haiyamH3220 →

  • הַקַּדְמֹנִ֔י<the> eastern

    hakadmoniH6931 →

  • וְסֹפ֖וֹand end its

    vesofoH5490 →

  • אֶל־into

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • הַיָּ֣םthe sea

    haiyamH3220 →

  • הָאַֽחֲר֑וֹן<the> western

    haacharonH314 →

  • וְעָלָ֣הand it will go up

    vealahH5927 →890 times

  • בָאְשׁ֗וֹstench its

    vaeshoH889 →

  • וְתַ֙עַל֙and it will go up

    vetaalH5927 →890 times

  • צַחֲנָת֔וֹfoul smell its

    tzachanatoH6709 →

  • כִּ֥יfor

    kiH3588 →4482 times

  • הִגְדִּ֖ילhe has made great

    higdilH1431 →

  • לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃to do

    laasotH6213 →2628 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

18 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Zechariah 14:8And on that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it toward the Eastern Sea and the other half toward the Western Sea, in summer and winter alike.7 worksJoel 2:21Do not be afraid, O land; rejoice and be glad, for the LORD has done great things.6 worksIsaiah 34:3Their slain will be left unburied, and the stench of their corpses will rise; the mountains will flow with their blood.5 worksMalachi 3:11I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your land, and the vine in your field will not fail to produce fruit,” says the LORD of Hosts.5 worksAmos 4:10“I sent plagues among you like those of Egypt; I killed your young men with the sword, along with your captured horses. I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camp, yet you did not return to Me,” declares the LORD.4 worksDeuteronomy 11:24Every place where the sole of your foot treads will be yours. Your territory will extend from the wilderness to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the Western Sea.4 works
The other 12 cross-references, with their words ▾
Ezekiel 39:12–16For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land.3 worksExodus 10:19And the LORD changed the wind to a very strong west wind that carried off the locusts and blew them into the Red Sea. Not a single locust remained anywhere in Egypt.3 worksEzekiel 47:18On the east side the border will run between Hauran and Damascus, along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel, to the Eastern Sea and as far as Tamar. This will be the eastern boundary.3 worksJoel 2:2–11a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like the dawn overspreading the mountains a great and strong army appears, such as never was of old, nor will ever be in ages to come.2 worksJeremiah 1:14–15Then the LORD said to me, “Disaster from the north will be poured out on all who live in the land.2 worksJoel 1:4–6What the devouring locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust has left, the young locust has eaten; and what the young locust has left, the destroying locust has eaten.2 worksExodus 8:14They were piled into countless heaps, and there was a terrible stench in the land.2 worksIsaiah 9:18For wickedness burns like a fire that consumes the thorns and briers and kindles the forest thickets which roll upward in billows of smoke.2 worksDaniel 11:45He will pitch his royal tents between the sea and the beautiful holy mountain, but he will meet his end with no one to help him.2 worksExodus 5:21“May the LORD look upon you and judge you,” the foremen said, “for you have made us a stench before Pharaoh and his officials; you have placed in their hand a sword to kill us!”2 worksEzekiel 47:7–8When I arrived, I saw a great number of trees along both banks of the river.1 works2 Kings 8:13“But how could your servant, a mere dog, do such a monstrous thing?” said Hazael. And Elisha answered, “The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Aram.”1 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Zechariah 14:8

    And on that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it toward the Eastern Sea and the other half toward the Western Sea, in summer and winter alike.

    it leads to

    • Revelation 22:1–2

      Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb

    • John 7:38

      Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him.’”

    • John 4:14

      But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”

    • John 4:10

      Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God and who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

    • Revelation 7:16–17

      ‘Never again will they hunger, and never will they thirst; nor will the sun beat down upon them, nor any scorching heat.’

  • Through

    Deuteronomy 11:24

    Every place where the sole of your foot treads will be yours. Your territory will extend from the wilderness to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the Western Sea.

    it leads to

    • Joshua 14:9

      On that day Moses swore to me, saying, ‘Surely the land on which you have set foot will be an inheritance to you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD…

    • Genesis 15:18–21

      On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates—

    • Exodus 23:31

      And I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the Euphrates. For I will deliver the inhabitants into your hand, and you…

Where this verse is studied

About Joel

Joel: the study guide →Read Joel 2 →
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, The Twelve Minor Prophets; Cassiodorus, EXPOSITION OF THE PSALMS 36:35; Edward Bouverie Pusey, The Minor Prophets: A Commentary; Ishodad of Merv, COMMENTARY ON JOEL; 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.

Read on in Joel 2 →