Christian Standard Bible
Joel 3:2
2I will gather all the nations and take them to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. I will enter into judgment with them there because of my people, my inheritance Israel. The nations have scattered the Israelites in foreign countries and divided up my land.
Joel 3:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.
- New International Version (NIV)I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will put them on trial for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel, because they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land.
- English Standard Version (ESV)I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land,
- New King James Version (NKJV)I will also gather all nations, And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; And I will enter into judgment with them there On account of My people, My heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; They have also divided up My land.
Context of Joel 3:2
1Yes, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and take them to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. I will enter into judgment with them there because of my people, my inheritance Israel. The nations have scattered the Israelites in foreign countries and divided up my land. 3They cast lots for my people; they bartered a boy for a prostitute and sold a girl for wine to drink. 4And also: Tyre, Sidon, and all the territories of Philistia — what are you to me? Are you paying me back or trying to get even with me? I will quickly bring retribution on your heads.
Read all of Joel 3Joel 3:2 word by word
וְקִבַּצְתִּי֙ אֶת־כָּל־הַגּוֹיִ֔ם וְה֣וֹרַדְתִּ֔ים אֶל־עֵ֖מֶק יְהֽוֹשָׁפָ֑ט וְנִשְׁפַּטְתִּ֨י עִמָּ֜ם שָׁ֗ם עַל־עַמִּ֨י וְנַחֲלָתִ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר פִּזְּר֣וּ בַגּוֹיִ֔ם וְאֶת־אַרְצִ֖י חִלֵּֽקוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- I will also gatherקָבַץqâbats · to gatherH6908
- all nationsגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- and will bring them downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
- into the valleyעֵ֫מֶק‛êmeq · Valley (Of Kidron)H6010
- of Jehoshaphatיְהוֹשָׁפָטyehôshâphâţ · (Valley of) JehoshaphatH3092
- and will pleadשָׁפַטshâphaţ · to judgeH8199
- with them there for my peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- my heritageנַחֲלָהnachălâh · inheritanceH5159
- Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- whom they have scatteredפָּזַרpâzar · to scatterH6340
- and partedחָלַקchâlaq · to divideH2505
- my landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
Cross-references for Joel 3:2
- Zephaniah 3:8Therefore, wait for me — this is the Lord’s declaration — until the day I rise up for plunder. For my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, in order to pour out my indignation on them, all my burning anger; for the whole earth will be consumed by the fire of my jealousy.
- Zechariah 14:2I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem for battle. The city will be captured, the houses looted, and the women raped. Half the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be removed from the city.
- Revelation 16:14For they are demonic spirits performing signs, who travel to the kings of the whole world to assemble them for the battle on the great day of God, the Almighty.
- Revelation 19:19Then I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and against his army.
- Revelation 20:8and will go out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle. Their number is like the sand of the sea.
- Joel 3:12Let the nations be roused and come to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit down to judge all the surrounding nations.
- 2 Chronicles 20:26They assembled in the Valley of Beracah on the fourth day, for there they blessed the Lord. Therefore, that place is still called the Valley of Beracah today.
- Ezekiel 39:11“‘Now on that day I will give Gog a burial place there in Israel — the Travelers’ Valley east of the Sea. It will block those who travel through, for Gog and all his hordes will be buried there. So it will be called Hordes of Gog Valley.
- Zechariah 14:4On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. The Mount of Olives will be split in half from east to west, forming a huge valley, so that half the mountain will move to the north and half to the south.
- Isaiah 66:16For the Lord will execute judgment on all humanity with his fiery sword, and many will be slain by the Lord.
- Ezekiel 38:22I will execute judgment on him with plague and bloodshed. I will pour out torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and burning sulfur on him, as well as his troops and the many peoples who are with him.
- Amos 1:11The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Edom for three crimes, even four, because he pursued his brother with the sword. He stifled his compassion, his anger tore at him continually, and he harbored his rage incessantly.
- Obadiah 1:10You will be covered with shame and destroyed forever because of violence done to your brother Jacob.
- Zechariah 12:3On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who try to lift it will injure themselves severely when all the nations of the earth gather against her.
- Revelation 11:18The nations were angry, but your wrath has come. The time has come for the dead to be judged and to give the reward to your servants the prophets, to the saints, and to those who fear your name, both small and great, and the time has come to destroy those who destroy the earth.
- Revelation 16:6Because they poured out the blood of the saints and the prophets, you have given them blood to drink; they deserve it!
Commentaries on Joel 3:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2The valley of Jehoshaphat - There is no such valley in the land of Judea; and hence the word must be symbolical. It signifies the judgment of God, or Jehovah judgeth; and may mean some place (as Bp. Newcome imagines) where Nebuchadnezzar should gain a great battle, which would utterly discomfit the ancient enemies of the Jews, and resemble the victory which Jehoshaphat gained over the Ammonites, Moabites, and Edomites, 2 Chronicles 20:22-26. And parted my…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2I will gather all nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat - It may be that the imagery is furnished by that great deliverance which God gave to Jehoshaphat, when “Ammon and Moab and Edom come against” him, “to cast God‘s people out of” His “possession,” which “He gave” them “to inherit” 2 Chronicles 20:11, and Jehoshaphat appealed to God, “O our God, wilt Thou not judge them?” and God said, “the battle is not yours but God‘s,” and God…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-3The Lord would gather the armies of the world (literally all the nations) in the valley of Jehoshaphat. This valley is not related to King Jehoshaphat of Judah (1 Kings 22:41). Instead, it means “the valley where the Lord judges.” It is the place where God would decide the fate of the nations (see Joel 3:14). The sins of the nations included driving God’s covenant people into exile. They also included abusing helpless boys and girls by selling them as…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. Parallel to Zec 14:2, 3, 4, where the "Mount of Olives" answers to the "Valley of Jehoshaphat" here. The latter is called "the valley of blessing" (Berachah) (2Ch 20:26). It lies between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives and has the Kedron flowing through it. As Jehoshaphat overthrew the confederate foes of Judah, namely, Ammon, Moab, &c. (Psa 83:6-8), in this valley, so God was to overthrow the Tyrians, Zidonians, Philistines, Edom, and Egypt, with a…Read the comment
Topics related to Joel 3:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Joel 3
- 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
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