Joel 2:14

Joel 2:14 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God?
• New International Version (NIV)Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing— grain offerings and drink offerings for the Lord your God.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God?
• New King James Version (NKJV)Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him— A grain offering and a drink offering For the Lord your God?

Context of Joel 2:14

12Even now — this is the Lord’s declaration — turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning. 13Tear your hearts, not just your clothes, and return to the Lord your God. For he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in faithful love, and he relents from sending disaster. Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave a blessing behind him, so you can offer a grain offering and a drink offering to the Lord your God. 15Blow the ram’s horn in Zion! Announce a sacred fast; proclaim a solemn assembly. 16Gather the people; sanctify the congregation; assemble the aged; gather the infants, even babies nursing at the breast. Let the groom leave his bedroom, and the bride her honeymoon chamber.

Joel 2:14 word by word

מִ֥י יוֹדֵ֖עַ יָשׁ֣וּב וְנִחָ֑ם וְהִשְׁאִ֤יר אַֽחֲרָיו֙ בְּרָכָ֔ה מִנְחָ֣ה וָנֶ֔סֶךְ לַיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Who knowethיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• he will returnשׁוּבshûb · to return: repentH7725
• and repentנָחַםnâcham · to be sorry: relentH5162
• and leaveשָׁאַרshâ'ar · to remainH7604
• a blessingבְּרָכָהberâkâh · blessingH1293
• behindאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• a meat offeringמִנְחָהminchâh · offeringH4503
• and a drink offeringנֶ֫סֶךְnesek nêsek · drink offeringH5262
• unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• your Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430

Cross-references for Joel 2:14

• Exodus 32:30The following day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a grave sin. Now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I will be able to atone for your sin.”
• Joshua 14:12Now give me this hill country the Lord promised me on that day, because you heard then that the Anakim are there, as well as large fortified cities. Perhaps the Lord will be with me and I will drive them out as the Lord promised.”
• 1 Samuel 6:5Make images of your tumors and of your mice that are destroying the land. Give glory to Israel’s God, and perhaps he will stop oppressing you, your gods, and your land.
• 2 Samuel 12:22He answered, “While the baby was alive, I fasted and wept because I thought, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let him live.’
• 2 Kings 19:4Perhaps the Lord your God will hear all the words of the royal spokesman, whom his master the king of Assyria sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke him for the words that the Lord your God has heard. Therefore, offer a prayer for the surviving remnant.’”
• Amos 5:15Hate evil and love good; establish justice at the city gate. Perhaps the Lord, the God of Armies, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
• Jonah 1:6The captain approached him and said, “What are you doing sound asleep? Get up! Call to your god. Maybe this god will consider us, and we won’t perish.”
• Jonah 3:9Who knows? God may turn and relent; he may turn from his burning anger so that we will not perish.
• Zephaniah 2:3Seek the Lord, all you humble of the earth, who carry out what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be concealed on the day of the Lord’s anger.
• 2 Timothy 2:25instructing his opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God will grant them repentance leading them to the knowledge of the truth.
• Isaiah 65:8The Lord says this: “As the new wine is found in a bunch of grapes, and one says, ‘Don’t destroy it, for there’s some good in it,’ so I will act because of my servants and not destroy them all.
• Haggai 2:19Is there still seed left in the granary? The vine, the fig, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yet produced. But from this day on I will bless you.”
• Joel 1:9Grain and drink offerings have been cut off from the house of the Lord; the priests, who are ministers of the Lord, mourn.

Commentaries on Joel 2:14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14Who knoweth if he will return - He may yet interpose and turn aside the calamity threatened, and so far preserve the land from these ravagers, that there will be food for men and cattle, and a sufficiency of offerings for the temple service. Therefore: -Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14Who knoweth if He will return - God has promised forgiveness of sins and of eternal punishment to those who turn to Him with their whole heart. Of this, then, there could be no doubt. But He has not promised either to individuals or to Churches, that He will remit the temporal punishment which He had threatened. He forgave David the sin. Nathan says, “The Lord also hath put away thy sin.” But he said at the same time, “the sword shall never depart from…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14Who knows?: Joel’s simple question acknowledges God's complete control (see also Jonah 3:9). God does not have to restore us just because we perform certain rituals. Forgiveness comes only through divine grace, but Joel knew that God was willing to forgive (Joel 2:13).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1414. leave ... a meat offering and a drink offering--that is, give plentiful harvests, out of the first-fruits of which we may offer the meat and drink offering, now "cut off" through the famine (Joe 1:9, 13, 16). "Leave behind Him": as God in visiting His people now has left behind Him a curse, so He will, on returning to visit them, leave behind Him a blessing.Read the comment

Topics related to Joel 2:14

• Israel, Prophecies Concerning

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Drink Offering
• Meat Offering
• Darkness
• Drinkoffering
• Fat
• Pour
• Rend
• Reproach

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