English Standard Version
Joel 2:5
5As with the rumbling of chariots, they leap on the tops of the mountains, like the crackling of a flame of fire devouring the stubble, like a powerful army drawn up for battle.
Joel 2:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.
- New International Version (NIV)With a noise like that of chariots they leap over the mountaintops, like a crackling fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army drawn up for battle.
- New King James Version (NKJV)With a noise like chariots Over mountaintops they leap, Like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble, Like a strong people set in battle array.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Look at them as they leap along the mountaintops. Listen to the noise they make—like the rumbling of chariots, like the roar of fire sweeping across a field of stubble, or like a mighty army moving into battle.
Context of Joel 2:5
3Fire devours before them, and behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them, but behind them a desolate wilderness, and nothing escapes them. 4Their appearance is like the appearance of horses, and like war horses they run. As with the rumbling of chariots, they leap on the tops of the mountains, like the crackling of a flame of fire devouring the stubble, like a powerful army drawn up for battle. 6Before them peoples are in anguish; all faces grow pale. 7Like warriors they charge; like soldiers they scale the wall. They march each on his way; they do not swerve from their paths.
Read all of Joel 2Joel 2:5 word by word
כְּק֣וֹל מַרְכָּב֗וֹת עַל־רָאשֵׁ֤י הֶֽהָרִים֙ יְרַקֵּד֔וּן כְּקוֹל֙ לַ֣הַב אֵ֔שׁ אֹכְלָ֖ה קָ֑שׁ כְּעַ֣ם עָצ֔וּם עֱר֖וּךְ מִלְחָמָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Like the noiseקוֹלqôl qôl · voice: soundH6963
- of chariotsמֶרְכָּבָהmerkâbâh · chariotH4818
- on the topsרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: topH7218
- of mountainsהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
- shall they leapרָקַדrâqad · to skip aboutH7540
- of a flameלַ֫הַבlahab · flameH3851
- of fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
- that devourethאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- the stubbleקַשׁqash · stubbleH7179
- as a strongעָצוּם‛âtsûm ‛âtsûm · mightyH6099
- peopleעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
- set in battleמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
- arrayעָרַךְ‛ârak · to arrangeH6186
Cross-references for Joel 2:5
- Nahum 2:3The shield of his mighty men is red; his soldiers are clothed in scarlet. The chariots come with flashing metal on the day he musters them; the cypress spears are brandished.
- Nahum 3:2The crack of the whip, and rumble of the wheel, galloping horse and bounding chariot!
- Revelation 9:9they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle.
- Isaiah 5:24Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root will be as rottenness, and their blossom go up like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
- Isaiah 30:30And the Lord will cause his majestic voice to be heard and the descending blow of his arm to be seen, in furious anger and a flame of devouring fire, with a cloudburst and storm and hailstones.
- Matthew 3:12His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
- Joel 2:2a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains a great and powerful people; their like has never been before, nor will be again after them through the years of all generations.
Commentaries on Joel 2:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Like the noise of chariots - Bochart also remarks: - "The locusts fly with a great noise, so as to be heard six miles off, and while they are eating the fruits of the earth, the sound of them is like that of a flame driven by the wind." Ibid., p. 478.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Like the noise of chariots on the tops of the mountains shall they leap - The amazing noise of the flight of locusts is likened by those who have heard them, to all sorts of deep sharp rushing sounds. One says, “their noise may be heard six miles off.” Others, “within a hundred paces I heard the rushing noise occasioned by the flight of so many million of insects. When I was in the midst of them, it was as loud as the dashing of the waters occasioned by…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-5Their appearance is like that of horses: The similarity between locusts and horses (see also Revelation 9:7) emphasizes the image of locusts as an army. With a sound like that of chariot: A swarm of locusts can make an extremely loud noise that is hard to endure.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. Like the noise of chariots--referring to the loud sound caused by their wings in motion, or else the movement of their hind legs. on the tops of mountains--Maurer connects this with "they," that is, the locusts, which first occupy the higher places, and thence descend to the lower places. It may refer (as in English Version) to "chariots," which make most noise in crossing over rugged heights.Read the comment
Topics related to Joel 2:5
In the dictionaries
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries