God’s Word Translation
Joel 3:12
12Wake up, you nations. Come to the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.
Joel 3:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.
- New International Version (NIV)“Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Let the nations stir themselves up and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.
Context of Joel 3:12
10Hammer your plowblades into swords and your pruning shears into spears. Weaklings should say that they are warriors. 11Hurry from every direction, and gather there, all you nations. O Lord, bring your soldiers. Wake up, you nations. Come to the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. 13Cut them down like grain. The harvest is ripe. Stomp on them as you would stomp on grapes. The winepress is full. The vats overflow. The nations are very wicked. 14There are many, many people in the valley of decision. The day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.
Read all of Joel 3Joel 3:12 word by word
יֵע֙וֹרוּ֙ וְיַעֲל֣וּ הַגּוֹיִ֔ם אֶל־עֵ֖מֶק יְהֽוֹשָׁפָ֑ט כִּ֣י שָׁ֗ם אֵשֵׁ֛ב לִשְׁפֹּ֥ט אֶת־כָּל־הַגּוֹיִ֖ם מִסָּבִֽיב׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Let the heathenגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- be wakenedעוּר‛ûr · to rouseH5782
- and come upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- to the valleyעֵ֫מֶק‛êmeq · Valley (Of Kidron)H6010
- of Jehoshaphatיְהוֹשָׁפָטyehôshâphâţ · (Valley of) JehoshaphatH3092
- for there will I sitיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- to judgeשָׁפַטshâphaţ · to judgeH8199
- round aboutסָבִיבsâbîyb sebîybâh · aroundH5439
Cross-references for Joel 3:12
- Joel 3:2I will gather all the nations. I will bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. I will judge them there. They scattered the Israelites, the people who belong to me, among the nations. They divided my land.
- 2 Chronicles 20:26On the fourth day they gathered in the valley of Beracah. Because they thanked the Lord there, that place is still called the valley of Beracah [Thanks] today.
- Ezekiel 39:11“ ‘When that day comes, I will give Gog a burial place in Israel. It will be in Travelers Valley, east of the Dead Sea. It will block those who travel ⌞through the valley⌟. Gog and his whole army will be buried there. So it will be called the valley of Gog’s troops.
- Zechariah 14:4On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, just east of Jerusalem. The Mount of Olives will be split in two, forming a very large valley from east to west. Half of the mountain will move toward the north, and the other half will move toward the south.
- Psalms 2:8Ask me, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance and the ends of the earth as your own possession.
- Psalms 7:6Arise in anger, O Lord. Stand up against the fury of my attackers. Wake up, my God. You have already pronounced judgment.
- Psalms 76:8From heaven you announced a verdict. The earth was fearful and silent
- Psalms 96:13in the Lord’s presence because he is coming. He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness and its people with his truth.
- Psalms 98:9in the Lord’s presence because he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice and its people with fairness.
- Psalms 110:5The Lord is at your right side. He will crush kings on the day of his anger.
- Isaiah 2:4Then he will judge disputes between nations and settle arguments between many people. They will hammer their swords into plowblades and their spears into pruning shears. Nations will never fight against each other, and they will never train for war again.
- Isaiah 3:13The Lord takes his place in the courtroom. He stands to judge his people.
- Ezekiel 30:3The day is near. The day of the Lord is near. It will be a gloomy day, a time of trouble for the nations.
- Micah 4:3Then he will judge disputes between many people and settle arguments between many nations far and wide. They will hammer their swords into plowblades and their spears into pruning shears. Nations will never fight against each other, and they will never train for war again.
- Revelation 19:11I saw heaven standing open. There was a white horse, and its rider is named Faithful and True. With integrity he judges and wages war.
Commentaries on Joel 3:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Let the heathen be wakened - The heathen shall be wakened. The valley of Jehoshaphat - Any place where God may choose to display his judgments against his enemies.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Let the pagan be awakened - This emphatic repetition of the word, “awaken,” seems intended to hint at the great awakening, to Judgment, when they “who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, being awakened” from the sleep of death. Another word is used of “awakening”. On the destruction of antichrist it is thought that the general Judgment will follow, and “all who are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of Man and shall come forth” John…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-17Verses 9-17 Here is a challenge to all the enemies of God's people. There is no escaping God's judgments; hardened sinners, in that day of wrath, shall be cut off from all comfort and joy. Most of the prophets foretell the same final victory of the church of God over all that oppose it. To the wicked it will be a terrible day, but to the righteous it will be a joyful day. What cause have those who possess an interest in Christ, to glory in their Strength…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12The battle will occur in the valley of Jehoshaphat (see study note on Joel 3:2–3), where the Lord will judge everyone.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. See Joe 3:2. judge all the heathen round about--that is, all the nations from all parts of the earth which have maltreated Israel; not merely, as Henderson supposes, the nations round about Jerusalem (compare Psa 110:6; Is 2:4; Mi 4:3, 11-13; Zep 3:15-19; Zec 12:9; 14:3-11; Mal 4:1-3).Read the comment
Topics related to Joel 3:12
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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