Joel 2:16

Joel 2:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
• New International Version (NIV)Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber.
• English Standard Version (ESV)gather the people. Consecrate the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, And the bride from her dressing room.

Context of Joel 2:16

14Who 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. Gather 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. 17Let the priests, the Lord’s ministers, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, “Have pity on your people, Lord, and do not make your inheritance a disgrace, an object of scorn among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’” 18Then the Lord became jealous for his land and spared his people.

Joel 2:16 word by word

אִסְפוּ־עָ֞ם קַדְּשׁ֤וּ קָהָל֙ קִבְצ֣וּ זְקֵנִ֔ים אִסְפוּ֙ עֽוֹלָלִ֔ים וְיֹנְקֵ֖י שָׁדָ֑יִם יֵצֵ֤א חָתָן֙ מֵֽחֶדְר֔וֹ וְכַלָּ֖ה מֵחֻפָּתָֽהּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Gatherאָסַף'âsaph · to gatherH622
• the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• sanctifyקָדַשׁqâdash · to consecrate: consecateH6942
• the congregationקָהָלqâhâl · assemblyH6951
• assembleקָבַץqâbats · to gatherH6908
• the eldersזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
• the childrenעוֹלֵל‛ôlêl ‛ôlâl · infantH5768
• and those that suckיָנַקyânaq · to suckleH3243
• the breastsשַׁדshad shôd · breastH7699
• let the bridegroomחָתָןchâthân · son-in-lawH2860
• go forthיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• of his chamberחֶ֫דֶרcheder · chamberH2315
• and the brideכַּלָּהkallâh · daughter-in-law: brideH3618
• out of her closetחֻפָּהchûppâh · canopyH2646

Cross-references for Joel 2:16

• Exodus 19:10and the Lord told Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes
• Joshua 7:13“Go and consecrate the people. Tell them to consecrate themselves for tomorrow, for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There are things that are set apart among you, Israel. You will not be able to stand against your enemies until you remove what is set apart.
• 1 Samuel 16:5“In peace,” he replied. “I’ve come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
• 2 Chronicles 29:5He said to them, “Hear me, Levites. Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the temple of the Lord, the God of your ancestors. Remove everything impure from the holy place.
• 2 Chronicles 30:17for there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves, and so the Levites were in charge of slaughtering the Passover lambs for every unclean person to consecrate the lambs to the Lord.
• 2 Chronicles 35:6Slaughter the Passover lambs, consecrate yourselves, and make preparations for your brothers to carry out the word of the Lord through Moses.”
• Job 1:5Whenever a round of banqueting was over, Job would send for his children and purify them, rising early in the morning to offer burnt offerings for all of them. For Job thought, “Perhaps my children have sinned, having cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular practice.
• Joel 1:14Announce a sacred fast; proclaim a solemn assembly! Gather the elders and all the residents of the land at the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.
• Deuteronomy 29:10“All of you are standing today before the Lord your God — your leaders, tribes, elders, officials, all the men of Israel,
• 2 Chronicles 20:13All Judah was standing before the Lord with their dependents, their wives, and their children.
• Jonah 3:7Then he issued a decree in Nineveh: By order of the king and his nobles: No person or animal, herd or flock, is to taste anything at all. They must not eat or drink water.
• Zechariah 12:11On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning of Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.
• Matthew 9:15Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests be sad while the groom is with them? The time will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
• 1 Corinthians 7:5Do not deprive one another — except when you agree for a time, to devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again; otherwise, Satan may tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

Commentaries on Joel 2:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Gather the children - Let all share in the humiliation, for all must feel the judgment, should it come. Let no state nor condition among the people be exempted. The elders, the young persons, the infants, the bridegroom, and the bride; let all leave their houses, and go to the temple of God.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Sanctify the congregation - o“Do what in you lies, by monishing, exhorting, threatening, giving the example of a holy life, that the whole people present itself holy before its God”, “lest your prayers be hindered, and a little leaven corrupt the whole lump.” Assemble the elders - o“The judgment concerned all; all then were to join in seeking mercy from God. None were on any pretence to be exempted; not the oldest, whose strength was decayed, or 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. 16bridegroom … and the bride: Newlyweds were exempt from most civic duties in ancient Israel (see Deuteronomy 24:5; Luke 14:20). However, in this emergency, everyone would be called to the temple to pray to God.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. sanctify the congregation--namely, by expiatory rites and purification with water [Calvin], (Ex 19:10, 22). Maurer translates, "appoint a solemn assembly," which would be a tautological repetition of Joe 2:15. elders ... children--No age was to be excepted (2Ch 20:13). bridegroom--ordinarily exempted from public duties (De 24:5; compare 1Co 7:5, 29). closet--or, nuptial bed, from a Hebrew root "to cover," referring to the canopy over it.Read the comment

Topics related to Joel 2:16

• Church
• Government
• Israel, Prophecies Concerning
• Repentance
• Worship

In the dictionaries

• Darkness
• Fat
• Pour
• Rend
• Reproach
• Thrust
• Canopy
• Chamber
• Closet
• Eschatology of the Old Testament

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