Joel 3:11
in Joel 3Come quickly, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves. Bring down Your mighty ones, O LORD.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Haste ye, and come, all ye nations round about, and gather yourselves together: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Jehovah.
KJV
Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord.
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This verse in Joel 3
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Rather, Joel speaks of God's really "mighty ones" in contrast to the self-styled "mighty men" (Joe 3:9; Isa 13:3; compare Da 10:13). AUBERLEN remarks: One prophet supplements the other, for they all prophesied only "in part." What was obscure to one was revealed to the other; what is briefly described by one is more fully so by another.
This site's exposition
Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles
on Joel 3:9-12
Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles, prepare war deliberately inverts the plowshares oracle shared by Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 4:3, beat your swords into plowshares, and your spears into pruninghooks, turning the vision of peace back into a summons to battle, the same reversal aimed at the nations that the earlier prophets aim toward Israel's own future. Let the weak say, I am strong is read by the older writers as either the nations' own false bravado marching to its own doom or an ironic command, the reading stated without settling which. Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about names the valley's purpose plainly, a courtroom rather than merely a battlefield, the Lord himself seated as judge over every nation gathered.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Whoever is protected by these weapons is always defended from the enemy's spears and devastation and will not be led as a captive and a slave, bound in the chains of the ravagers, to the territory of hostile thoughts. Nor will he hear through the prophet, "Why have you grown old in a foreign land?"
(V. 9 et seq.) Cry out these things ((or: Cry out this)) among the nations: sanctify war, awaken the strong. Let all men of war come near and ascend. Convert your plows into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, 'I am strong.' Burst forth and come, all you nations around, and gather together, there the Lord will cause your strong ones ((or: his strong ones)) to fall. LXX: Proclaim these things ((or: Proclaim this)) among the nations: sanctify war, arouse fighters, bring and ascend all men of war.
The Medieval Church1 voice
"Beat your plowshares," that is, change your farm implements into weapons. In fact, after coming back from captivity, they would have been poor, but then they would have acquired wealth at the expense of the house of Gog.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
When the hour of God's judgment shall come effectual methods shall be taken to gather all nations to the battle of that great day of God Almighty, Rev. xvi. It seems to be here spoken ironically: " Proclaim you this among the Gentiles; let all the forces of the nations be summoned to join in confederacy against God and his people." It is like that, Isa. vii.
When they bring their forces into the field, let God bring his, let the archangel's trumpet sound a charge, to call together his mighty ones, that is, his angels. Perhaps it is with reference to this that Christ's coming from heaven at the last day is said to be with his mighty angels, 2 Thess. i.
2 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Assemble yourselves,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Once more all the enemies of God are summoned together. “Assemble yourselves,” (Others in the same sense render, “Haste ye,) and come, all ye pagan, round about,” literally “from round about,” i. e., from every side, so as to compass and hem in the people of God, and then, when the net had been, as it were, drawn closer and closer round them, and no way of escape is left, the prophet prays God to send His aid; “thither cause Thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord.” Against “the mighty ones” of the earth, or “the weak” who “say” they are “mighty,” (the same word is used throughout,) there “come down the mighty ones of God.” The “mighty ones of God,” whom He is prayed to “cause to come down,” i. e., from heaven, can be no other than the mighty angels, of whom it is said, they “are mighty in strength” Psa 103:20 (still the same word,) to whom God gives “charge over” Psa 91:11. His own, “to keep” them “in all” their “ways,” and one of whom, in this place, killed “one hundred and fourscore and five thousand” 2Ki 19:35 of the Assyrians. So our Lord saith, “The Son of man shall send forth His Angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them that do iniquity” Mat 13:41.
The words behind it
10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ע֣וּשׁוּ | ʾushu | hurry | H5789 → | |
| וָבֹ֧אוּ | vavou | and come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| כָֽל־ | khol- | O all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַגּוֹיִ֛ם | hagoyim | the nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| מִסָּבִ֖יב | misaviv | from round about | H5439 → | |
| וְנִקְבָּ֑צוּ | venikbatzu | and they will gather | H6908 → | 127 times |
| שָׁ֕מָּה | shamah | there <towards> | H8033 → | 834 times |
| הַֽנְחַ֥ת | hanchat | bring down | H5181 → | |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | O Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| גִּבּוֹרֶֽיךָ׃ | giboreikha | warriors your | H1368 → | 158 times |
ע֣וּשׁוּhurry
ʾushuH5789 →
וָבֹ֧אוּand come
vavouH935 →2568 times
כָֽל־O all
khol-H3605 →5413 times
הַגּוֹיִ֛םthe nations
hagoyimH1471 →561 times
מִסָּבִ֖יבfrom round about
misavivH5439 →
וְנִקְבָּ֑צוּand they will gather
venikbatzuH6908 →127 times
שָׁ֕מָּהthere <towards>
shamahH8033 →834 times
הַֽנְחַ֥תbring down
hanchatH5181 →
יְהוָ֖הO Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
גִּבּוֹרֶֽיךָ׃warriors your
giboreikhaH1368 →158 times
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
Zephaniah 3:8Therefore wait for Me,” declares the LORD, “until the day I rise to testify. For My decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them My indignation—all My burning anger.…
it leads to
- Zephaniah 1:18
Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the Day of the LORD’s wrath. The whole earth will be consumed by the fire of His jealousy.” For indeed, He…
- Joel 3:2
I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning My people, My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among…
- Micah 7:7
But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.
- Psalms 27:14
Wait patiently for the LORD; be strong and courageous. Wait patiently for the LORD!
- 2 Peter 3:10
But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid…
- Zephaniah 1:18
Through
Micah 4:12But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD or understand His plan, for He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
it leads to
- Isaiah 55:8
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
- Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.
- Romans 11:33–34
O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!
- Isaiah 55:8
About Joel
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, The Twelve Minor Prophets; 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 Cassian, CONFERENCE 7:5.8–9; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.