Yoel
A Bible study by Jan kapteyn
The first Chapter
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Not much is known about the prophet Yoel (Joel). There are various opinions about the time in which he was living.
Looking at the classic Hebrew style and other items we could say that he probably was pre exile.
He lived in Judah and probably prophesied in Jerusalaim. From his way of addressing the priesthood, we could deduct that he himself was a priest. His name means Yahuweh is El.Many commentators have tried to pinpoint the time of Yoel by looking for records of locust plagues. They have not understood the context. Yoel is not prophesying about a coming locust plague, no he is using the well-known phenomena of a locust plague as an illustration for the coming devastation by locust resembling armies.
His prophecy is a warning against the coming judgments en an inducement to believe the promises of Yahuweh about salvation and the destruction of Israel's enemies. As such it is very relevant to our times.
Again I will use my literal translation of the Hebrew, keeping the Hebrew structure of the text, to stimulate contemplation, and to show that different interpretations are possible from what the majority of translations use.
Verse 1
Word-Yahuweh which she was to Yoel son of Petuel.
The name Petuel, which could mean, 'open to El' does not appear anywhere else in the tanakh.
The Hebrew text makes Word and Yahuweh synonym. Word is connected to Yahuweh and Yahuweh is connected to word.
Verse 2
Hear this the elders, listen all dwellers of the land, has been this during your days? and the case during the days of your fathers?
Yoel starts by seeking attention for what is to come saying that it will be something neither they nor their forebears have experienced.
This excludes the possibility of a reference to a locust plague in the days of Yoel. As the following text declares, the warning is for a future generation.
Verse 3.
On her, to your children declare and your children to their children and their children to generation following.
'On her,' this relates to the Word-Yahuweh from verse 1.
We see that the Hebrew uses the female form to indicate the Word-Yahuweh. The Hebrew used, indicates that the Word-Yahuweh will be applicable to all the future generations.
Verse 4.
what left the breeding Locust eat the swarming Locust and what left the swarming Locust eat the young Locust and what left the young Locust eat the finishing Locust.
Locusts have varying generations or phases. The young Locust who changes in a state of breeding Locust which then changes in swarming Locusts.
Yoel illustrates with this, in his day's and his country well known phenomena, that various army attacks on the country shall leave it devastated. Locusts resemble armies because they seem to be organized like human armies.
Verse 5
Wake up drunkards and weep and wail all drinkers of wine, upon sweet wine that to be cut off from your mouth.
Apparently the people in Yoel's time were pre occupied with having a good time and enjoying the wine however, it is going to change as the following verses imply.
Verse 6.
Because nation to go up upon my land, mighty and without number his teeth, teeth of a lion and fangs roaring lion (belong) to him.
Remember verse 1? This is the Word-Yahuweh to Yoel. My land says Yahuweh. From Isa. 14:25; Jer. 2:7; 16:18; Ezek. 36:5; 38:16 and other references in the Tanakh we know that the Land Israel belongs to Yahuweh. Lev. 25:23 tells us that the Israelites share the country with Yahuweh. Something the present Israeli government should remember.
In Yoel's days Lions were still a menace and people did not need to use their imagination to call up a picture of a roaring lion that puts his teeth in his prey.
Verse 7
Set My vine to waste and my fig tree to splintering stripping off completely, cast off to make white her branches.
The vine and the fig tree were symbols of Israel's security, 1Kings 4:25; 2Kings 18:31: Mic. 4:4; Zech 3:10. Israel is called a vine, Psalm. 80:8-16; Jer.2:21; Hos.10:1.
The destruction of Israel is also pictured as the destruction of the vine tree, Isa.5:1-17; Jer.8:13; Ezek.15:1-8.
Here Yoel implies that their security and well being shall be taken away, but also the destruction of Israel.
Verse 8
Wail like virgin dressed in sackcloth for husband of her Youth.
Dressing in sackcloth would be a sign of despair. The virgin would have lost her first husband before the marriage was consumed, either by being ditched or because he passed away.
Yoel suggests that they wail, because the promised relation with their master shall not come to pass.
Verse 9.
Cut off sacrifice and drink offer from house Yahuweh to lament the priests servers Yahuweh.
The priests who are attending to Yahuweh will lament the fact that the services in the Temple, the house of Yahuweh are cut off. The Hebrew suggest a sudden unexpected stopping of all services.
Yoel is still relating the effects of the foreign armies that shall devastate the land and so he continues.
Verse 10.
To be devastated field lament soil because to be devastated grain to be dried up new wine to decay the fresh oil.
Because of those armies the land can not be cultivated and the produce can not be used and dries up and withers.
Verse 11.
Dry up workers of the land wail vinedressers over wheat and over barley because perish crop (of the) field.
Verse 12.
The vine to dry up and the fig tree to decay pomegranate tree also palm tree and apple tree , all trees he field to be dried up because to dry up joy from sons of the land.
This is still a warning of things to come to them. To us looking back at history these things were fulfilled.
The once fertile land of Israel has been for a long time a waste land where nothing much did grow, until the Jews returned to the land. However, once more we might expect this to happen in the end times when the armies of the world march towards Yeruselaim.
Verse 13.
Gird and lament the priests wail servers of the altar come spend the night in sackcloth servers of my El, because to be withheld from house of your El sacrifice and drink offer.
From this we could conclude that Yoel was pre exile. Only once has this happened and it is once again to happen. When the Jews went into exile the Beyth Yahuweh was still standing but the temple service was stopped. Next time the services were stopped because the Beyth Yahuweh was destroyed by the Romans and therefore falls outside this prophecy because it was not withheld from the Beyth Yahuweh because it did not exist.
However, there is going to be again an occurrence of this when we read the prophecy of Daniel in Dan.9:27. This will be in the end time just before the restoration of Israel by Yahuweh after the day of Yahuweh, to which Yoel is going to refer.
Verse 14.
Set apart a fasting call assembly, gather elders all dwellers of the land Beyth Yahuweh your El and cry for help to Yahuweh.
Contrary to what most of the translations read, the Hebrew states that the elders have to gather all the inhabitants for an assembly at the Beyth Yahuweh to call upon Yahuweh for help.
This does not tally with the pre exile because it was the King who called out the people. Here there is no king but the Elders, which depicts the situation at present in Israel and as it most likely will be in the end times.
Verse 15
A ha (alas) about the day, because near day Yahuweh and like devastation from almighty to come.
The day of Yahuweh could be pointing to the day that Yahuweh shall come to destroy the enemies of Israel, (Malachi 14) but it does not necessarily have to be that day. Any day which brings a special action from Yahuweh could be called day (of) Yahuweh.
Verse 16
Has not before your eyes food been cut off from beyth our El gladness and rejoicing.
Again, literal translation does not always make sense, neither do many translations. Reading the Hebrew whilst thinking in Hebrew automatically implies to us that the food disappeared while we are watching and the gladness and rejoicing that is supposed to accompany the Temple service disappears.
Since there is no record of this happening in Yoel's days, this must be directed to a future generation that exist while a Temple is standing.
Verse 17.
Waste away seed under their shovels desolated store houses torn down granaries while withered wheat.
Verse 18.
How moaning beast confused herds of cattle since there is not pasture to them all herds of the small cattle suffer punishment.
Again is put emphasis on the total desolation of agriculture and animal husbandry.
Verse 19.
To you Yahuweh I start crying for help because fire consumed meadows uninhabited land and flame burned all the wood of the field.
Further on in Yoel we read about the armies that burn down everything in their path.
Verse 20.
All animals (of the) field started to gasp for air to you because dried up channels of water and fire consumes meadows the uninhabited land.
Yoel did not relate an experience he had at the time but he put himself in the place and circumstances of a future happening to relate what they were going to experience. He has done this to get the attention of his audience. From here on he is going to elaborate more on the coming events.