joel Summary and Overview

Jehovah is his God. (1.) The oldest of Samuel's two sons appointed by him as judges in Beersheba (1 Sam. 8:2). (See VASHNI (n/a).) (2.) A descendant of Reuben (1 Chr. 5:4,8). (3.) One of David's famous warriors (1 Chr. 11:38). (4.) A Levite of the family of Gershom (1 Chr. 15:7, 11). (5.) 1 Chr. 7:3. (6.) 1 Chr. 27:20. (7.) The second of the twelve minor prophets. He was the son of Pethuel. His personal history is only known from his book.

(to whom Jehovah is God). 1. Eldest son of Samuel the prophet, #1Sa 8:2; 1Ch 6:33; 15:17| and father of Heman the singer. (B.C. 1094.) 2. In #1Ch 6:36| Authorized Version, Joel seems to be merely a corruption of Shaul in ver. 24. 3. A Simeonite chief. #1Ch 4:35| 4. A descendant of Reuben. Junius and Tremellius make him the son of Hanoeh, while others trace his descent through Carmi. #1Ch 5:4| (B.C. before 1092.) 5. Chief of the Gadites, who dwelt in the land of Bashan. #1Ch 5:12| (B.C. 782.) 6. The son of Izrahiah, of the tribe of Issachar. #1Ch 7:3| 7. The brother of Nathan of Zobah, #1Ch 11:38| and one of David's guard. 8. The chief of the Gershomites in the reign of David. #1Ch 15:7,11| 9. A Gershonite Levite in the reign of David, son of Jehiel, a descendant of Laadan, and probably the same as the preceding. #1Ch 23:8; 26:22| (B.C. 1014.) 10. The son of Pedaiah, and a chief of the half-tribe of Manasseh west of Jordan, in the reign of David. #1Ch 27:20| (B.C. 1014.) 11. A Kohathite Levite in the reign of Hezekiah. #2Ch 29:12| (B.C. 726.) 12. One of the sons of Nebo, who returned with Ezra, and had married a foreign wife. #Ezr 10:43| (B.C. 459.) 13. The son of Zichri, a Benjamite. #Ne 11:9| 14. The second of the twelve minor prophets, the son of Pethuel, probably prophesied in Judah in the reign of Uzziah, about B.C. 800. The book of Joel contains a grand outline of the whole terrible scene, which was to be depicted more and more in detail by subsequent prophets. The proximate event to which the prophecy related was a public calamity, then impending on Judah, of a two-plague of locusts --and continuing for several years. The prophet exhorts the people to turn to God with penitence, fasting and prayer; and then, he says, the plague shall cease, and the rain descendent in its season, and the land yield her accustomed fruit. Nay, the time will be a most joyful one; for God, by the outpouring of his Spirit, will extend the blessings of true religion to heathen lands. The prophecy is referred to in Acts 2.

JO'EL (Jehovah is his God). 1. The first-born of Samuel. 1 Sam 8:2; 1 Chr 6:33; 1 Chr 15:17. By a curious error his name is given as Vashni, which means "second," in 1 Chr 6:28, the word Joel having dropped out. The verse, therefore, should read "The first-born Joel, and the second Abiah." 2. A Simeonite chief. 1 Chr 4:35. 3. A Reubenite. 1 Chr 5:4, 1 Chr 5:8. 4. A Gadite chief. 1 Chr 5:12. 5. A Kohathite, 1 Chr 6:36, but probably merely a corruption of Shaul in 1 Chr 6:24. 6. One of Issachar's posterity. 1 Chr 7:3. 7. One of David's heroes; called Igal in 2 Sam 23:36; 1 Chr 11:38. 8. A Gershonite chief. 1 Chr 15:7, 1 Chr 15:11. 9. The Gershonite appointed with his brother over the treasures of the house of the Lord. 1 Chr 23:8; 1 Chr 26:22. 10. A Manassite chief on the west of Jordan. 1 Chr 27:20. 11. A Kohathite in Hezekiah's reign. 2 Chr 29:12. 12. One who had a foreign wife. Ezr 10:43. 13. The Benjamite overseer of those of his tribe and that of Judah who lived in Jerusalem. Neh 11:9. 14. The son of Pethuel, one of the minor prophets. Nothing is recorded of his personal history but the most likely conjectures assign him to the reign of Uzziah and make him reside in Judah. Joel, Book of. It may be divided into two parts: I. Joel 1:1-2:17 describes a sore judgment which is to come upon the land, and grounds upon it a call to repentance. II. Joel 2:18-3:21 contains the blessings which Jehovah will confer upon the chosen people, and announces when the Messiah has come, the outpouring of the Spirit and the complete conquest of Judah over her foes, resulting in absolute and unbreakable peace. The second chapter contains a prophecy of a terrible plague of locusts, but a symbolical use is made of the incursion to foretell the attack of Judah's foes. Joel's style is classical; "it is elegant and perspicuous, and at the same time nervous, animated, and sublime." - Ayre. The fulfilment of his Messianic prophecies is noticed in the N.T. Acts 2:16-21; Rom 10:13.

= "Jehovah is God". Paul under the Spirit quoting it with the formula "it is written"(Job 5:13). Our Lord in Matthew 24:28 refers to Job 29:30; compare also James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:6, with Job 22:29; Romans 11:34,35 with Job 15:8; Jeremiah 20:14,15, endorses Job 3:3; Isaiah 19:5; Job 14:11; Psalm 37; Psalm 73, discuss the same problem as Job. Proverbs 8 develops Job's description of wisdom in Job 28. It stands among the hagiographa (ketuwbim , "sacred writings") in the threefold division "the law, the prophets, and the psalms," or hagiographa, of which the Psalms are a leading book (Luke 24:44). D IVISIONS . To each of the three friends three speeches are assigned; Job is allowed a reply to each of the three. Eliphaz the oldest leads; Zophar at his third turn fails to speak, virtually owning himself defeated (Job 27). Therefore, Job continues his reply which forms three speeches: Job 26; Job 27; Job 28; Job 29-31. Elihu (Job 32-37) is allowed four speeches. Jehovah makes three addresses (Job 38-41). Thus throughout there is a tripartite division. The whole consists of three parts: the prologue, poem, and epilogue. The poem three: (1) Job's dispute with his three friends; (2) Elihu's address; (3) Jehovah's. The epilogue has three parts: Job' s justification, reconciliation with his friends, and restoration. The speakers regularlyadvance from less to greater vehemence. The explicitness (Job 14:14; 19:25) of Job's anticipation of the resurrection, as contrasted with the obscurity on the subject in the early books of Old Testament, is due to Job's enjoyment of the divine vision (Job 38:1; 42:5). The revelations outside of Israel, being few, needed to be the more explicit. Balaam's prophecy (Numbers 24:17) was clear enough to lead the wise men of the East by the star (Matthew 2). In the age before the written law God left not Himself without witnesses, e.g. Melchizedek, Job, Jethro. Job only dimly realized the Spirit-designed significancy of his own words (1 Peter 1:11,12). Even Asaph, who had in David's psalms (Psalm 16:10; 17:15) plain prophecies of a future retribution in the body to the righteous and to the wicked, still felt the difficulty as regards God's government here in this present time (Psalm 73). "Prosperity is the blessing of Old Testament, adversity that of N. T. ... Yet even in Old Testament the pencil of the Holy Spirit has laboured more in describing Job's afflictions than Solomon's persons, in Ezekiel 14:14,16-20. James (James 5:11) refers to Job as an example of patience, which he would hardly do were Job an imaginary person. Persons and places are specified as they would not be in an allegory. The exact doubling of his possessions after restoration is probably the nearest round number given, as is often the case in books undoubtedly historical. The arguments of the speeches were substantially those given, the studied number and poetic form were given by the sacred writer under the Holy Spirit. Job lived 140 years after his trials; and nothing is more natural than that he should at leisure mould into form the arguments of the momentous debate for the edification of the church. The debate occupied several sittings with intervals of a day or more between them. The number of speeches assigned to each was arranged by preconcerted agreement, so that none spoke out of his turn. see UZ means a light sandy soil (Gesenius). It was probably N. of Arabia Deserta, between Israel and the Euphrates; called Ausitai by Ptolemy (Geogr. 19). In Genesis 22:21 Uz is son of Nahor, Abraham's brother. Another Uz in Genesis 10:23 was grandson of Shem and son of Aram; the latter is probably the source of the name, as the Aramaeaus dwelt between the Euphrates and Tigris. The sons of Shem dwelt in "a mount of the East" (Genesis 10:30), answering to "men of the East" (Job 1:3). Rawlinson says Uz is the prevailing name of the country at the Euphrates'mouth, where the Chaldees mentioned in Job 1 resided. The Idumean quarter however, and Arabia, would agree better withMoses' finding it during his exile in Midian. Moreover, Eliphaz is an Idumean name so is "Temanite" (Genesis 36:4,15). "Shuhite" answers to Sycca in Arabia Deserta. Eusebius fixes Job's time as being two ages before Moses. Besides the arguments for this above, others are the number of oxen and rams sacrificed seven, as in Balaam's case; this agrees with a time before the law defined God's will otherwise. Also the writing he speaks of is the most ancient, sculpture (Job 20:23,24); "printed" means engraven, "pen" a graver, Riches were then cattle. The Hebrew "piece of money"is rather a lamb. T HE W RITER . The thought, imagery, and manners accord with what we should expect from an Arab emir. Job in his speeches shows himself more competent to compose the book than Elihu, to whom Lightfoot attributes it. The style is distinct from that of Moses. Its inspiration is attested by 1. Samuel's oldest son (1 Samuel 8:2; 1 Chronicles 6:28 (read "the firstborn (Joel) and the second (Vashni) Abiah"), 33; 15:17). Father of Heman the singer. He and his brother Abiah were judges in Beersheba, when their father was too old to go on circuit. Their bribery and perversion of justice occasioned the cry for a monarchy. 2. Joel, a corruption of Shaul (1 Chronicles 6:24,36). 3. Of the twelve minor prophets. Son of Pethuel. The many (Joel 1:14; 2:1,15,22; 3:1,2,6,16-21) references to Judah and Jerusalem and the temple imply that his ministry was in the southern kingdom. "Israel," when mentioned (Joel 3:2), represents the whole twelve tribes. Date. The position of his book in the Hebrew canon between Hosea and Amos implies that he was Hosea's contemporary, slightly preceding Amos who at Tekoa probably heard him, and so under the Spirit reproduces his words (Joel 3:16, compare Amos 1:2). The sentiment and language of the three prophets correspond. The freshness of style, the absence of allusion to the great empires Assyria and Babylon, and the mention of Tyre, Sidon, and the Philistines (Joel 3:4) as God's executioners of judgment on Israel, accord with an early date, probably Uzziah's reign or even Joash's reign. No mention is made of the Syrians who invaded Judah in the close of the reign of Joash of Judah (2 Kings 12:17,18; 2 Chronicles 24:23-25), but that was an isolated event and Syria was too far N. to trouble Judah permanently. The mention of "the valley ofJehoshaphat" (Joel 3:12) alludes to Jehoshaphat's victory (2 Chronicles 20), the earnest of Israel's future triumph over the pagan; though occurring long before, it was so great an event as to be ever after a pledge of God's favor to His people. Chap. 1 describes the ravages caused by locusts, a scourge foretold by Moses (Deuteronomy 28:38,39) and by Solomon (1 Kings 8:37,46). The second chapter makes them symbols of foreign foes who would destroy all before them. So Revelation 9:1-12; Amos 7:1-4. Their teeth like those "of lions" (Joel 1:6), their assailing cities (2:6-9), and a flame of fire being their image (Joel 1:19,20; 2:3,5), and their finally being driven eastward, westward ("the utmost sea," the Mediterranean), and southward ("a land barren," etc.), whereas locusts are carried away by wind in one direction only, all favor the symbolical meaning. They are plainly called "the pagan" (Joel 2:17), "the northern (a quarter from whence locusts do not come) army" (Joel 2:20), "all the nations"(Joel 3:2), "strangers" (Joel 3:17). Their fourfold invasion is to be the last before Jehovah's glorious deliverance (Joel 2:18-20, etc.) in answer to His people's penitent prayer (Joel 2:12-17). A RRANGEMENT . I. Joel 1-2:17 the fourfold invasion answering to the four successive world empires, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome. Each of the four species of locusts in Hebrew letters represents the exact number of years that each empire oppressed, until they had deprived the Jews of all their glory (J. C. Reichardt). Gazare, the first, "the palmerworm," represents the 50 years of Babylon's oppression, from the temple's destruction by Nebuchadnezzar (588 B.C.) to Babylon's overthrow by Cyrus (538 B.C.). Arbeh, the second, "the locust,"represents Persia's 208 years' sway over the Jews, from 538 to 330 B.C., when Persia fell before Alexander the Great. Yelequ, the third, "the cankerworm," represents 140 years of the Graeco-Macedonian oppression, from 330 to 190 B.C., when Antiochus the Jews' great enemy was defeated by the Roman, Lucius Scipio. Chasil, "the caterpillar," the fourth, represents the 108 years of the Romans' oppression, beginning with their minion Herod the Great, an Idumean stranger, 38 B.C., and ending A. D. 70 with the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. The whole period thus comprises that between the destruction of the first and the second temple; and the calamities which befell the Jews by the four world empires in that period are those precisely which produced the ruin under which they are stillgroaning, and form the theme of their Kinoth or songs of lamentation. This first portion ends in a call to thorough and universal repentance. II. Joel 2:18-29. Salvation announced to the repentant people, and restoration of all they lost, and greater blessings added. III. Joel 2:30-3:21. Destruction of the apostate nations confederate against Israel on the one hand; and Jehovah's dwelling as Israel's God in Zion, and Judah abiding for ever, on the other, so that fountains of blessing from His house shall flow, symbolized by waters, milk, and new wine. References to the law, on which all the prophets lean, occur: Joel 2:13, compare Exodus 34:6; 32:14; 2:28, compare Numbers 11:29, fulfilled in the pentecostal outpouring of the Spirit in part (Acts 2:16,21; 21:9; John 7:39), but awaiting a further fulfillment just before Israel's restoration, when "the Spirit shall be poured upon all flesh" (of which the outpouring on all classes without distinction of race is the earnest: Acts 2:28,38; Romans 10:12,13; Zechariah 12:10; Joel 2:23). Also Joel 3:19-21, compare Deuteronomy 32:42,43, the locusts, of which it is written "there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be" (Joel 2:2, compare Exodus 10:14). Pusey translates Joel 2:23 ("the former rain moderately") "He hath given you (in His purpose) the Teacher unto righteousness," namely, who" shall bring in everlasting righteousness" (Daniel 9). This translation is favored by the emphasis on et hamoreh , not found in the latter part of the verse where rain is meant; the promise of Christ's coming thus stands first, as the source of "rain" and all other blessings which follow; He is God's gift, "given" as in Isaiah 55:4. Joel's style is pure, smooth, rhythmical, periodic, and regular in its parallelisms; strong as Micah, tender as Jeremiah, vivid as Nathan, and sublime as Isaiah. Take as a specimen (Joel 2) his graphic picture of the terrible aspect of the locusts, their rapidity, irresistible progress, noisy din, and instinct-taught power of marshaling their forces for devastation. 4. 1 Chronicles 4:35,41-43. 5. 1 Chronicles 5:4. 6. 1 Chronicles 5:11,12. 7. 1 Chronicles 7:3,4. 8. 1 Chronicles 11:38; in 2 Samuel 23:36 IGAL. 9. 1 Chronicles 15:7,11,12; 23:8; 26:22. 10. 1 Chronicles 27:20. 11. 2 Chronicles 29:12,15. 12. Ezra 10:19,43. 13. Nehemiah 11:3,4,9.