2:1 Blow the trumpet 1 in Zion;
sound the alarm signal on my holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land shake with fear,
for the day of the Lord is about to come.
Indeed, 2 it is near! 3
2:14 Who knows?
Perhaps he will be compassionate and grant a reprieve, 4
and leave blessing in his wake 5 –
a meal offering and a drink offering for you to offer to the Lord your God! 6
2:19 The Lord responded 7 to his people,
“Look! I am about to restore your grain 8
as well as fresh wine and olive oil.
You will be fully satisfied. 9
I will never again make you an object of mockery among the nations.
2:26 You will have plenty to eat,
and your hunger will be fully satisfied; 10
you will praise the name of the Lord your God,
who has acted wondrously in your behalf.
My people will never again be put to shame.
2:27 You will be convinced that I am in the midst of Israel.
I am the Lord your God; there is no other.
My people will never again be put to shame.
3:17 You will be convinced 11 that I the Lord am your God,
dwelling on Zion, my holy mountain.
Jerusalem 12 will be holy –
conquering armies 13 will no longer pass through it.
1 tn The word translated “trumpet” here (so most English versions) is the Hebrew שׁוֹפָר (shofar). The shophar was a wind instrument made from a cow or ram’s horn and used as a military instrument for calling people to attention in the face of danger or as a religious instrument for calling people to occasions of communal celebration.
2 tn Or “for.”
3 sn The interpretation of 2:1-11 is very difficult. Four views may be mentioned here. (1) Some commentators understand this section to be describing a human invasion of Judah on the part of an ancient army. The exact identity of this army (e.g., Assyrian or Babylonian) varies among interpreters depending upon issues of dating for the book of Joel. (2) Some commentators take the section to describe an eschatological scene in which the army according to some is human, or according to others is nonhuman (i.e., angelic). (3) Some interpreters argue for taking the section to refer to the potential advent in the fall season of a severe east wind (i.e., Sirocco) that would further exacerbate the conditions of the land described in chapter one. (4) Finally, some interpreters understand the section to continue the discussion of locust invasion and drought described in chapter one, partly on the basis that there is no clear exegetical evidence in 2:1-11 to suggest a shift of referent from that of chapter one.
4 tn Heb “turn” or “turn back.”
5 tn Heb “leave a blessing behind him.”
6 tn The phrase “for you to offer” does not appear in the Hebrew, but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
7 tn Heb “answered and said.”
8 tn Heb “Look! I am sending grain to you.” The participle used in the Hebrew text seems to suggest imminent action.
9 tc One of the Qumran manuscripts (4QXXIIc) inserts “and you will eat” before “and you will be fully satisfied” (the reading of the MT, LXX).
10 tn Heb “you will surely eat and be satisfied.”
11 tn Heb “know.”
12 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
13 tn Heb “strangers” or “foreigners.” In context, this refers to invasions by conquering armies.