God’s Word Translation
Joel 2:31
31The sun will become dark, and the moon will become as red as blood before the terrifying day of the Lord comes.”
Joel 2:31 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.
- New International Version (NIV)The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
- English Standard Version (ESV)The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
Context of Joel 2:31
29In those days I will pour my Spirit on servants, on both men and women. 30I will work miracles in the sky and on the earth: blood, fire, and clouds of smoke. The sun will become dark, and the moon will become as red as blood before the terrifying day of the Lord comes.” 32Then whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Those who escape will be on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem. Among the survivors will be those whom the Lord calls, as the Lord has promised.
Read all of Joel 2Joel 2:31 word by word
הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ יֵהָפֵ֣ךְ לְחֹ֔שֶׁךְ וְהַיָּרֵ֖חַ לְדָ֑ם לִפְנֵ֗י בּ֚וֹא י֣וֹם יְהוָ֔ה הַגָּד֖וֹל וְהַנּוֹרָֽא׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- The sunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁshemesh · sunH8121
- shall be turnedהָפַךְhâphak · to overturnH2015
- into darknessחֹ֫שֶׁךְchôshek · darknessH2822
- and the moonיָרֵחַyârêach · moonH3394
- into bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
- beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- the greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
- and the terribleיָרֵאyârê' · to fearH3372
- dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
Cross-references for Joel 2:31
- Joel 2:10The earth quakes in their presence, and the sky shakes. The sun and the moon turn dark, and the stars no longer shine.
- Joel 3:1“In those days and at that time, I will bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem.
- Isaiah 13:9The day of the Lord is going to come. It will be a cruel day with fury and fierce anger. He will make the earth desolate. He will destroy its sinners.
- Isaiah 34:4All the stars in the sky will rot. The heavens will be rolled up like a scroll. The stars will fall like leaves from a grapevine, like green figs from a fig tree.
- Matthew 24:29“Immediately after the misery of those days, the sun will turn dark, the moon will not give light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the universe will be shaken.
- Matthew 27:45At noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.
- Mark 13:24“Now, after the misery of those days, the sun will turn dark, the moon will not give light,
- Luke 21:25“Miraculous signs will occur in the sun, moon, and stars. The nations of the earth will be deeply troubled and confused because of the roaring and tossing of the sea.
- Revelation 6:12I watched as the lamb opened the sixth seal. A powerful earthquake struck. The sun turned as black as sackcloth made of hair. The full moon turned as red as blood.
- Zephaniah 1:14The frightening day of the Lord is near. It is near and coming very quickly. Listen! Warriors will cry out bitterly on the day of the Lord.
- Malachi 4:1“Certainly the day is coming! It will burn like a furnace. All arrogant people and all evildoers will be ⌞like⌟ straw. The day that is coming will burn them up completely,” says the Lord of Armies. “It won’t leave a single root or branch.
Commentaries on Joel 2:31
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 31The sun shall be turned into darkness - The Jewish polity, civil and ecclesiastical, shall be entirely destroyed. Before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come - In the taking and sacking of Jerusalem, and burning of the temple, by the Romans, under Titus, the son of Vespasian. This was, perhaps, the greatest and most terrible day of God's vengeance ever shown to the world, or that ever will be shown, till the great day of the general judgment…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 31Before the great and terrible Day of the Lord come - o“The days of our life are our days wherein we do what we please; that will be the “Day of the Lord,” when He, our Judge, shall require the account of all our doings. It will be “great,” because it is the horizon of time and eternity; the last day of time, the beginning of eternity. It will put an end to the world, guilt, deserts, good or evil. It will be “great,” because in it great things will be…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 28-32Verses 28-32 The promise began to be fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out, and it was continued in the converting grace and miraculous gifts conferred on both Jews and Gentiles. The judgments of God upon a sinful world, only go before the judgment of the world in the last day. Calling on God supposes knowledge of him, faith in him, desire toward him, dependence on him, and, as evidence of the sincerity of all this…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 30-31When God pours out his Spirit in the future, there will be signs and wonders. Blood, fire, and smoke, along with the darkening of the sun and moon, will show God's coming judgment (see Joel 2:10; Mark 13:24; Revelation 6:12).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 30-3130-31. As Messiah's manifestation is full of joy to believers, so it has an aspect of wrath to unbelievers, which is represented here. Thus when the Jews received Him not in His coming of grace, He came in judgment on Jerusalem. Physical prodigies, massacres, and conflagrations preceded its destruction [Josephus, Wars of the Jews]. To these the language here may allude; but the figures chiefly symbolize political revolutions and changes in the ruling…Read the comment
Topics related to Joel 2:31
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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