Joel 2:17

Joel 2:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?
• New International Version (NIV)Let the priests, who minister before the Lord, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’ ”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep and say, "Spare your people, O Lord, and make not your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'"
• New King James Version (NKJV)Let the priests, who minister to the Lord, Weep between the porch and the altar; Let them say, “Spare Your people, O Lord, And do not give Your heritage to reproach, That the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’ ”

Context of Joel 2:17

15Blow a trumpet in Zion [warning of impending judgment], Dedicate a fast [as a day of restraint and humility], call a solemn assembly. 16Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the bridegroom come out of his room And the bride out of her bridal chamber. [No one is excused from the assembly.] Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, Weep between the porch and the altar, And let them say, “Have compassion and spare Your people, O Lord, And do not make Your inheritance (Israel) an object of ridicule, Or a [humiliating] byword among the [Gentile] nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’ ” 18Then the Lord will be jealous for His land [ready to defend it since it is rightfully and uniquely His] And will have compassion on His people [and will spare them]. 19The Lord will answer and say to His people, “Behold, I am going to send you grain and new wine and oil, And you will be satisfied in full with them; And I will never again make you an object of ridicule among the [Gentile] nations.

Joel 2:17 word by word

בֵּ֤ין הָאוּלָם֙ וְלַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ יִבְכּוּ֙ הַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔ים מְשָׁרְתֵ֖י יְהוָ֑ה וְֽיֹאמְר֞וּ ח֧וּסָה יְהוָ֣ה עַל־עַמֶּ֗ךָ וְאַל־תִּתֵּ֨ן נַחֲלָתְךָ֤ לְחֶרְפָּה֙ לִמְשָׁל־בָּ֣ם גּוֹיִ֔ם לָ֚מָּה יֹאמְר֣וּ בָֽעַמִּ֔ים אַיֵּ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Let the priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• the ministersשָׁרַתshârath · to ministerH8334
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• weepבָּכָהbâkâh · to weepH1058
• between the porchאוּלָם'ûlâm 'ûlâm · PorticoH197
• and the altarמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
• and let them sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Spareחוּסchûs · to pityH2347
• thy peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• and giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: makeH5414
• not thine heritageנַחֲלָהnachălâh · inheritanceH5159
• to reproachחֶרְפָּהcherpâh · reproachH2781
• that the heathenגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
• should rule overמָשַׁלmâshal · to ruleH4910
• their Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430

Cross-references for Joel 2:17

• Joel 1:9The [daily] grain offering and the drink offering are cut off From the house of the Lord; The priests mourn Who minister to the Lord.
• 1 Kings 6:3The porch in front of the main room of the house (temple) was twenty cubits long, corresponding to the width of the house, and its depth in front of the house was ten cubits.
• 2 Chronicles 8:12Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of the Lord which he had built in front of the porch [of the temple],
• Ezekiel 8:16So He brought me to the inner court of the Lord’s house. And behold, at the entrance to the temple of the Lord, between the porch (vestibule, portico) and the [bronze] altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs to the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east; and they were bowing down toward the east and worshiping the sun.
• Matthew 23:35so that on you will come the guilt of all the blood of the righteous shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah [the priest], the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
• Hosea 14:2Take the words [confessing your guilt] with you and return to the Lord. Say to Him, “Take away all our wickedness; Accept what is good and receive us graciously, So that we may present the fruit of our lips (gratitude).
• Exodus 32:11But Moses appeased and entreated the Lord his God, and said, “Lord, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?
• Exodus 34:9And he said, “If now I have found favor and lovingkindness in Your sight, O Lord, let the Lord, please, go in our midst, though it is a stiff-necked (stubborn, rebellious) people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your possession.”
• Deuteronomy 9:16And I saw that you had indeed sinned against the Lord your God. You had made for yourselves a molten calf (idol). You had turned aside quickly from the way which the Lord had commanded you.
• Isaiah 37:20Now, O Lord our God, save us from his hand so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know and fully realize that You alone, Lord, are God.”
• Isaiah 64:9Do not be angry beyond measure, O Lord, Do not remember our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing] forever. Now look, consider, for we are all Your people.
• Daniel 9:18O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and look at our desolations and the city which is called by Your name; for we are not presenting our supplications before You because of our own merits and righteousness, but because of Your great mercy and compassion.
• Amos 7:2And when the locusts had finished eating the plants of the land, then I said, “O Lord God, please forgive! How can Jacob stand, For he is so small [that he cannot endure this]?”
• Malachi 1:9“But now will you not entreat God’s favor, that He may be gracious to us? With such an offering from your hand [as an imperfect animal for sacrifice], will He show favor to any of you?” says the Lord of hosts.
• Psalms 44:10You make us turn back from the enemy, And those who hate us have taken spoil for themselves.
• Psalms 74:10O God, how long will the adversary scoff? Is the enemy to revile Your name forever?

Commentaries on Joel 2:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Let the priests - weep between the porch and the altar - The altar of burnt-offerings stood before the porch of the temple, 2 Chronicles 8:12, and between them there was an open space of fifteen or twenty cubits. It was there that the priests prostrated themselves on such occasions. It was into this place that the priests brought the sacrifice or victim of atonement; and where the high priest laid his hands on the head of the victim confessing his sins…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar - The porch in this, Solomon‘s temple, was in fact a tower, in front of the holy of holies, of the same breadth with the temple, namely, 20 cubits, and its depth half its breadth, namely, 10 cubits 1 Kings 6:3, and its height 120 cubits, the whole “overlaid within with pure gold” 2 Chronicles 3:4. The brass altar for burnt-offerings stood in front of it 2 Chronicles 8:12. The…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-27Verses 15-27 The priests and rulers are to appoint a solemn fast. The sinner's supplication is, Spare us, good Lord. God is ready to succour his people; and he waits to be gracious. They prayed that God would spare them, and he answered them. His promises are real answers to the prayers of faith; with him saying and doing are not two things. Some understand these promises figuratively, as pointing to gospel grace, and as fulfilled in the abundant comforts…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17Spare Your people, O LORD: Gathered at the temple, the religious leaders and everyone else could only do one thing in their desperate situation. The religious leaders wanted the people to ask for God's mercy and compassion.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. between the porch and ... altar--the porch of Solomon's temple on the east (1Ki 6:3); the altar of burnt offerings in the court of the priests, before the porch (2Ch 8:12; compare Eze 8:16; Mt 23:35). The suppliants thus were to stand with their backs to the altar on which they had nothing to offer, their faces towards the place of the Shekinah presence. heathen should rule over them--This shows that not locusts, but human foes, are intended. The…Read the comment

Topics related to Joel 2:17

• Church
• Intercession
• Israel, Prophecies Concerning
• Judgments
• Minister, Christian
• Prayer
• Repentance
• Worship

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Darkness
• Fat
• Pour
• Rend
• Reproach
• Thrust
• Eschatology of the Old Testament
• Intercession

Commentaries on Joel 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings