Joel 3:4
in Joel 3Now what do you have against Me, O Tyre, Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Are you rendering against Me a recompense? If you retaliate against Me, I will swiftly and speedily return your recompense upon your heads.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Yea, and what are ye to me, O Tyre, and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? will ye render me a recompense? and if ye recompense me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompense upon your own head.
KJV
Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine? will ye render me a recompence? and if ye recompense me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompence upon your own head;
⋯
This verse in Joel 3
Commentary
9 notes on this verse(Verse 4-6.) But what do you want with me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Will you retaliate against me? If you retaliate against me, I will quickly repay you for your actions upon your own heads. For you have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried off my precious treasures into your temples. You have sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, in order to remove them far from their own land. LXX: What have I to do with you, Tyre and Sidon, and all the Galilee of the Gentiles?
This site's exposition
what have ye to do with me, O Tyre
on Joel 3:4-8
Yea, and what have ye to do with me indicts Tyre, Zidon, and Palestine by name for temple robbery and slave trading, silver and gold carried into their own temples and Judah's children sold to the Grecians, the Ionian slave markets of the eastern Mediterranean the commentators identify behind the reference. Swiftly and speedily will I return your recompence upon your own head states the principle of measure for measure as explicitly as anywhere in the Twelve, the same law Obadiah names for Edom. The reversal promised, selling the traders' own sons and daughters to the Sabeans, a people far off, matches the crime to its punishment in kind, the far country that received Judah's children now receiving the traders' own.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
2 ), shall not be passed by. Note, Little persecutors shall be called to an account as well as great ones; and, though they could not do much mischief, shall be reckoned with according to the wickedness of their endeavors and the mischief they would have done. The sitting of this court for judgment.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number+unbalanced-parens
Devices are devised against the quiet in the land, and those offended and harmed that are harmless and inoffensive: Will you render me a recompence? " Can they pretend that either God or his people have done them any injury, for which they may justify themselves by the law of retaliation in doing them these mischiefs?
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine?.... The Tyrians, Zidonians, and Philistines, were near neighbours of the Jews, and implacable enemies to them; and are here put for the enemies of the true church of Christ, the Papists and Turks, and in whose possession those places now are: these are addressed by the Lord, inquiring or demanding the reason of their ill usage of him and his people: "what have ye to do with me?" to be called by my name, or accounted my people?
Of God's judging all nations when the measure of their iniquity is full, and appearing publicly, to the everlasting confusion of all impenitent sinners and the everlasting comfort of all his faithful servants,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
What have ye to do with me - Why have the Syrians and Sidonians joined their other enemies to oppress my people? for they who touch my people touch me. Will ye render me a recompense? - Do you think by this to avenge yourselves upon the Almighty? to retaliate upon God! Proceed, and speedily will I return your recompense; I will retaliate.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
what have ye to do with me--Ye have no connection with Me (that is, with My people: God identifying Himself with Israel); I (that is, My people) have given you no cause of quarrel, why then do ye trouble Me (that is, My people)?
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Yea, and what have ye to do with Me? - Literally, “and also, what are ye to Me?” The words, “And also,” show that this is something additional to the deeds of those before spoken of. Those, instanced before, were great oppressors, such as dispersed the former people of God and “divided their land.” In addition to these, God condemns here another class, those who, without having power to destroy, harass and vex His heritage. The words, “what are ye to Me?” are like that other phrase, “what is there to thee and me?” (Jos 22:24, etc; Mat 8:29, ...), i. e., what have we in common? These words, “what are ye to Me?” also declare, that those nations had no part in God. God accounts them as aliens, “what are ye to Me?” Nothing. But the words convey, besides, that they would, unprovoked, have to do with God, harassing His people without cause. They obtruded themselves, as it were, upon God and His judgments; they challenged God; they thrust themselves in, to their destruction, where they had no great temptation to meddle, noticing, but inbred malice, to impel them. This was, especially, the character of the relations of Tyre and Zidon and Philistia with Israel. They were allotted to Israel by Joshua, but were not assailed . On the contrary, “the Zidonians” are counted among those who “oppressed” Israel, and “out of” whose “hand” God “delivered” him, when he “cried” to God Jdg 10:12. The Philistines were the unwearied assailants of Israel in the days of the Judges, and Saul, and David Jdg 13:1; 1 Sam. 4; 13; 17; 1Sa 23:1; 1 Sam. 30; 1Sa 31:1-13; during 40 years Israel was given into the hands of the Philistines, until God delivered them by Samuel at Mizpeh. When David was king of all Israel, the Philistines still acted on the offensive, and lost Gath and her towns to David in an offensive war 2Sa 5:17-25; 2Sa 8:1; 1Ch 18:1; 2Sa 21:18; 2Sa 13:9-16. […]
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
shall turn to darkness —to embarrass those who prostrate themselves to the sun.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
And it shall come to pass that whoever shall call etc. as.. said —And where did He say it? (Deut.:10), “And all the peoples of the earth shall see that the Name of the Lord is called on you.” [from Mechilta, Ex.:25]
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְ֠גַם | vegam | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| מָה־ | mah- | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| אַתֶּ֥ם | ʾatem | [are] you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| לִי֙ | li | to me | ||
| צֹ֣ר | tzor | O Tyre | H6865 → | |
| וְצִיד֔וֹן | vetzidon | and Sidon | H6721 → | |
| וְכֹ֖ל | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| גְּלִיל֣וֹת | gelilot | [the] territories of | H1552 → | |
| פְּלָ֑שֶׁת | pelashet | Philistia | H6429 → | |
| הַגְּמ֗וּל | hagemul | ¿ <the> recompense | H1576 → | 19 times |
| אַתֶּם֙ | ʾatem | [are] you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| מְשַׁלְּמִ֣ים | meshalemim | repaying | H7999 → | |
| עָלָ֔י | ʾalai | to me | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| וְאִם־ | veim- | and or? | H518 → | |
| גֹּמְלִ֤ים | gomelim | making recompense | H1580 → | |
| אַתֶּם֙ | ʾatem | [are] you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| עָלַ֔י | ʾalai | to me | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| קַ֣ל | kal | swift | H7031 → | |
| מְהֵרָ֔ה | meherah | quickly | H4120 → | |
| אָשִׁ֥יב | ʾashiv | I will return | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| גְּמֻלְכֶ֖ם | gemulkhem | recompense your | H1576 → | 19 times |
| בְּרֹאשְׁכֶֽם׃ | beroshekhem | on head your | H7218 → | 599 times |
וְ֠גַםand also
vegamH1571 →769 times
מָה־what?
mah-H4100 →752 times
אַתֶּ֥ם[are] you
ʾatemH859 →1094 times
לִי֙to me
li
צֹ֣רO Tyre
tzorH6865 →
וְצִיד֔וֹןand Sidon
vetzidonH6721 →
וְכֹ֖לand all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
גְּלִיל֣וֹת[the] territories of
gelilotH1552 →
פְּלָ֑שֶׁתPhilistia
pelashetH6429 →
הַגְּמ֗וּל¿ <the> recompense
hagemulH1576 →19 times
אַתֶּם֙[are] you
ʾatemH859 →1094 times
מְשַׁלְּמִ֣יםrepaying
meshalemimH7999 →
עָלָ֔יto me
ʾalaiH5921 →5755 times
וְאִם־and or?
veim-H518 →
גֹּמְלִ֤יםmaking recompense
gomelimH1580 →
אַתֶּם֙[are] you
ʾatemH859 →1094 times
עָלַ֔יto me
ʾalaiH5921 →5755 times
קַ֣לswift
kalH7031 →
מְהֵרָ֔הquickly
meherahH4120 →
אָשִׁ֥יבI will return
ʾashivH7725 →1056 times
גְּמֻלְכֶ֖םrecompense your
gemulkhemH1576 →19 times
בְּרֹאשְׁכֶֽם׃on head your
beroshekhemH7218 →599 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
Isaiah 59:18So He will repay according to their deeds: fury to His enemies, retribution to His foes, and recompense to the islands.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 17:10
I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve.
- Isaiah 63:6
I trampled the nations in My anger; in My wrath I made them drunk and poured out their blood on the ground.”
- Matthew 16:27
For the Son of Man will come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done.
- Romans 2:6
God “will repay each one according to his deeds.”
- Jeremiah 17:10
Through
Jeremiah 47:4For the day has come to destroy all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every remaining ally. Indeed, the LORD is about to destroy the Philistines, the remnant from the coasts…
it leads to
- Amos 9:7
“Are you not like the Cushites to Me, O children of Israel?” declares the LORD. “Did I not bring Israel up from the land of Egypt, the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Arameans from…
- Isaiah 20:6
And on that day the dwellers of this coastland will say, ‘See what has happened to our source of hope, those to whom we fled for help and deliverance from the king of Assyria!…
- Amos 9:7
Through
Isaiah 34:8For the LORD has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion.
it leads to
- Isaiah 63:4
For the day of vengeance was in My heart, and the year of My redemption had come.
- Isaiah 61:2
to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of our God’s vengeance, to comfort all who mourn,
- Isaiah 63:4
About Joel
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Joel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.