Joel 3
Big idea: The final movement turns outward to the nations. "In those days," when Yahweh restores Judah's fortunes, he will gather all nations to "the valley of Jehoshaphat" ("Yahweh judges") to be tried for scattering his people, dividing his land, and trading Judah's children away (vv. 1-8). The nations are summoned to war — "beat your plowshares into swords" — only to be reaped like a ripe harvest and trodden like grapes in the winepress of wrath (vv. 9-16). "Multitudes in the valley of decision!" But for his own people Yahweh is a refuge; Zion becomes holy, the mountains drip new wine, and Judah is inhabited forever while Egypt and Edom lie desolate (vv. 17-21).
Chapter 3 completes the day of Yahweh begun in chapter 2 — the darkened sun and moon return (3:15 = 2:10), and the salvation of "whoever calls" (2:32) is now secured as Zion's everlasting refuge. The judgment of the nations answers the reproach the priests feared in 2:17 ("Where is their God?") and vindicates the people God pitied, ending the book in the permanence of Zion where Yahweh dwells.
3:1-3 — Judgment in the valley of Jehoshaphat
"In those days... when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem," Yahweh will gather all nations to "the valley of Jehoshaphat" and enter into judgment with them there. The charge: they scattered his people Israel among the nations, divided up his land, cast lots for his people, and traded human beings for trifles — "a boy for a prostitute," "a girl for wine."
1 “For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 I will gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will execute judgment on them there for my people, and for my heritage, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations. They have divided my land, 3 and have cast lots for my people, and have given a boy for a prostitute, and sold a girl for wine, that they may drink.
3:4-8 — Tyre, Sidon, Philistia: repayment
Yahweh turns to specific offenders — Tyre, Sidon, and "all the regions of Philistia": "Will you repay me?" Whatever they intend, he will "swiftly and speedily return" their deeds on their own heads, for they plundered his silver and gold, carried his treasures into their temples, and sold the children of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks to send them far from home. So he will reverse it: he will stir up those they sold, sell the offenders' own sons and daughters to Judah, who will sell them to distant Sheba — "for Yahweh has spoken it."
4 “Yes, and what are you to me, Tyre and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Will you repay me? And if you repay me, I will swiftly and speedily return your repayment on your own head. 5 Because you have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried my finest treasures into your temples, 6 and have sold the children of Judah and the children of Jerusalem to the sons of the Greeks, that you may remove them far from their border. 7 Behold, I will stir them up out of the place where you have sold them, and will return your repayment on your own head; 8 and I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hands of the children of Judah, and they will sell them to the men of Sheba, to a faraway nation, for Yahweh has spoken it.”
3:9-11 — Prepare for war: summon the nations
A herald's cry goes out to the nations — but ironically, it summons them to their own doom: "Prepare for war! Stir up the mighty men... Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears" (a deliberate reversal of Isaiah's and Micah's peace vision). Let even the weak boast "I am strong." Let all the surrounding nations hurry and gather — and then the prophet prays: "Cause your mighty ones to come down there, Yahweh."
9 Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war! Stir up the mighty men. Let all the warriors draw near. Let them come up. 10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’ 11 Hurry and come, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves together.” Cause your mighty ones to come down there, Yahweh.
3:12-13 — The harvest of judgment
Yahweh takes his seat: "Let the nations arouse themselves and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations." The command to reap follows: "Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread, for the wine press is full, the vats overflow, for their wickedness is great." Judgment is pictured as harvest and vintage — the nations gathered and trodden.
12 “Let the nations arouse themselves, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. 13 Put in the sickle; for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread, for the wine press is full, the vats overflow, for their wickedness is great.”
3:14-16 — The valley of decision; Yahweh a refuge
"Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of Yahweh is near in the valley of decision." Once more the sun and moon are darkened and the stars withhold their light (as in 2:10). "Yahweh will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem"; the heavens and earth shake — "but Yahweh will be a refuge to his people, and a stronghold to the children of Israel."
14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of Yahweh is near in the valley of decision. 15 The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. 16 Yahweh will roar from Zion, and thunder from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth will shake; but Yahweh will be a refuge to his people, and a stronghold to the children of Israel.
3:17-18 — Zion holy; the mountains drip wine
The outcome of judgment is knowledge and holiness: "you will know that I am Yahweh, your God, dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain," and Jerusalem will be holy, with no strangers passing through her again. "In that day" the picture turns to overflowing abundance: the mountains will "drop down sweet wine," the hills "flow with milk," the brooks of Judah run with water, and a fountain will flow from Yahweh's house to water the valley of Shittim.
17 “So you will know that I am Yahweh, your God, dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain. Then Jerusalem will be holy, and no strangers will pass through her any more. 18 It will happen in that day, that the mountains will drop down sweet wine, the hills will flow with milk, all the brooks of Judah will flow with waters; and a fountain will flow out from Yahweh’s house, and will water the valley of Shittim.
3:19-21 — Egypt desolate, Judah forever
A final contrast seals the book. Egypt will become a desolation and Edom a desolate wilderness for "the violence done to the children of Judah," whose innocent blood they shed. "But Judah will be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation." And the closing word: "I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed, for Yahweh dwells in Zion" — God avenges his people and dwells among them for good.
19 Egypt will be a desolation and Edom will be a desolate wilderness, for the violence done to the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land. 20 But Judah will be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. 21 I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed, for Yahweh dwells in Zion.”
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).