Joel 1
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Chapter 1
Chapter Overview:
Verses:
The unheard of judgment of caterpillars and locusts, ver. 1 - 7.
All sorts us people are called on to lament it, ver. 8 - 13.
And to humble themselves before God, 14 - 20.
| 1:1 | Came to Joel - Probably in the latter end of Jeroboam the second's reign over Israel and in the days of Uzziah, over Judah. |
| 1:2 | Old men - The oldest among you, who can remember things done many years ago. |
| 1:4 | Palmer - worm - Four sorts of insects, are here mentioned, which succeeded each other, and devoured all that might be a support to the Jews, whence ensued a grievous famine. |
| 1:5 | Is cut off - Suddenly cut off even when you are ready to drink it, and totally cut off by these devouring vermin. |
| 1:6 | A nation - An innumerable multitude of locusts and caterpillars, called a nation here, as Solomon calls the conies and the ant, Proverbs 30:25 ,26, and perhaps a prognostick of a very numerous and mightynation, that ere long will invade Judah. Strong - Mighty in power, and undaunted in courage, if you refer it to the Assyrian or Babylonians; if to those vermin, they are, though each weak by itself, yet in those multitudes, strong and irresistible. A great lion - Such waste as lions make, these the locusts do, and the Assyrians will make. |
| 1:8 | The husband of her youth - Espoused to her, but snatched away by an untimely death. |
| 1:9 | The drink - offering - By the destruction of the vines, all wine (out of which they ought to offer the drink - offering) failed. |
| 1:10 | The corn - The wheat and barley, is eaten up in its greenness.Dried up - The drought was so great, that the vines were withered, and all their hopes of new wine cut off. The oil - The olive - trees.Languisheth - This is a plain account of the reason why the priests were called to mourn, and why the meal - offering and drink - offering were cut off. |
| 1:11 | Be ye ashamed - This is a just cause why you should lament and enquire why God is so displeased with you. |
| 1:14 | Sanctify ye - Ye priests, set apart a day wherein to afflict yourselves, confess your sins, and sue out your pardon.Into the house - The courts of the temple, where the people were wont to pray. |
| 1:15 | The day of the Lord - A day of greater trouble than yet they felt, troubles which God will heap upon them.Shall it come - Unless fasting, prayers and amendment prevent. |
| 1:16 | Cut off - Devoured by locusts, or withered with drought. |
| 1:17 | Laid desolate - Run to ruin because the owners discouraged with the barrenness of the seasons, would not repair them. |
| 1:19 | The fire - The immoderate heats. The wilderness - The world, only means places not ploughed, and less inhabited than others. |
| 1:20 | Cry - They utter their complaints, their sad tones, they have a voice to cry, as well as an eye to look to God. |