Joel 3:13

13 Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full and the vats overflow— so great is their wickedness!”

Joel 3:13 in Other Translations

13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.

13 Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Go in, tread, for the winepress is full. The vats overflow, for their evil is great.

13 Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread the grapes, for the winepress is full. The storage vats are overflowing with the wickedness of these people.”

13 "Swing the sickle - the harvest is ready. Stomp on the grapes - the winepress is full. The wine vats are full, overflowing with vintage evil.

13 Put ye in the sickle; for the harvest is ripe: come, tread ye; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great.

13 Cut them down like grain. The harvest is ripe. Stomp on them as you would stomp on grapes. The winepress is full. The vats overflow. The nations are very wicked.

13 Swing the sickle because the harvest is ripe. Come and trample [the grapes] because the winepress is full; the wine vats overflow because the wickedness of the nations is great.

13 My soldiers, swing your sickles. The nations are ripe for harvest. Come. Stomp on them as if they were grapes. Crush them until the winepress of my anger is full. Do it until the wine spills over from the places where it is stored. The nations have committed far too many sins!"

Joel 3:13 Meaning and Commentary

Joel 3:13

Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe
This is said to the mighty ones sent, the Christian princes, the executioners of God's vengeance on antichrist; the angels that will pour out the vials of his wrath on the antichristian states, compared to reapers, with a sharp sickle in their hands, to cut them down, as grain is cut when reaped; as the same states are compared to a harvest ripe, the measure of their sins being filled up, and the time of their destruction appointed for them come; see ( Revelation 14:15 ) ; come, get ye down;
to the valley: or "go tread ye" ^F15; for another simile is made use of: the reference here is to the treading of clusters of grapes in the winepress, as appears by what follows: and so the Targum renders it,

``descend, tread their mighty men;''

in like manner Jarchi interprets it; and so the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, render it: and Dr. Pocock observes, that the word <arabic> in the Arabic language signifies to tread, as men tread grapes in a press: the reasons follow, for the press is full;
of clusters of the vine; or the valley is full of wicked men, compared unto them, destined to destruction: the fats overflow;
with the juice of grapes squeezed out, denoting the great effusion of blood that will be made; see ( Revelation 14:18-20 ) ( Revelation 19:15 Revelation 19:18 Revelation 19:20 ) ; for their wickedness [is] great;
is come to its height, reaches even to heaven, and calls aloud for vengeance; an end is come to it, and to the authors of it, ( Revelation 18:5 ) . The Targum of the whole is,

``draw out the sword against them, for the time of their end is come; descend, tread their mighty men slain, as anything is trodden in a winepress; pour out their blood, for their wickedness is multiplied.''

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FOOTNOTES:

F15 (wdr) (pateite) , "calcate", Sept. so Syr. Ar.

Joel 3:13 In-Context

11 Come quickly, all you nations from every side, and assemble there. Bring down your warriors, LORD!

12 “Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side.

13 Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full and the vats overflow— so great is their wickedness!”

14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

15 The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine.

Cross References

• 1. Mark 4:29
• 2. S Isaiah 17:5; S Hosea 6:11; Matthew 13:39; Revelation 14:15-19
• 3. S Jeremiah 25:30
• 4. S Judges 6:11; S Revelation 14:20