Joel 2:14

Joel 2:14 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God?
• New International Version (NIV)Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing— grain offerings and drink offerings for the Lord your God.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God?
• New King James Version (NKJV)Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him— A grain offering and a drink offering For the Lord your God?

Context of Joel 2:14

12“Yet even now,” the Lord says, “return to me with all your heart – with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Tear your hearts, not just your garments!” 13Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and boundless in loyal love – often relenting from calamitous punishment. Who knows? Perhaps he will be compassionate and grant a reprieve, and leave blessing in his wake – a meal offering and a drink offering for you to offer to the Lord your God! 15Blow the trumpet in Zion. Announce a holy fast; proclaim a sacred assembly! 16Gather the people; sanctify an assembly! Gather the elders; gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the bridegroom come out from his bedroom and the bride from her private quarters.

Joel 2:14 word by word

מִ֥י יוֹדֵ֖עַ יָשׁ֣וּב וְנִחָ֑ם וְהִשְׁאִ֤יר אַֽחֲרָיו֙ בְּרָכָ֔ה מִנְחָ֣ה וָנֶ֔סֶךְ לַיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Who knowethיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• he will returnשׁוּבshûb · to return: repentH7725
• and repentנָחַםnâcham · to be sorry: relentH5162
• and leaveשָׁאַרshâ'ar · to remainH7604
• a blessingבְּרָכָהberâkâh · blessingH1293
• behindאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• a meat offeringמִנְחָהminchâh · offeringH4503
• and a drink offeringנֶ֫סֶךְnesek nêsek · drink offeringH5262
• unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• your Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430

Cross-references for Joel 2:14

• Exodus 32:30The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a very serious sin, but now I will go up to the Lord – perhaps I can make atonement on behalf of your sin.”
• Joshua 14:12Now, assign me this hill country which the Lord promised me at that time! No doubt you heard at that time that the Anakites live there in large, fortified cities. But, assuming the Lord is with me, I will conquer them, as the Lord promised.”
• 1 Samuel 6:5You should make images of the sores and images of the mice that are destroying the land. You should honor the God of Israel. Perhaps he will release his grip on you, your gods, and your land.
• 2 Samuel 12:22He replied, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept because I thought, ‘Perhaps the Lord will show pity and the child will live.
• 2 Kings 19:4Perhaps the Lord your God will hear all these things the chief adviser has spoken on behalf of his master, the king of Assyria, who sent him to taunt the living God. When the Lord your God hears, perhaps he will punish him for the things he has said. So pray for this remnant that remains.’”
• Amos 5:15Hate what is wrong, love what is right! Promote justice at the city gate! Maybe the Lord, the God who commands armies, will have mercy on those who are left from Joseph.
• Jonah 1:6The ship’s captain approached him and said, “What are you doing asleep? Get up! Cry out to your god! Perhaps your god might take notice of us so that we might not die!”
• Jonah 3:9Who knows? Perhaps God might be willing to change his mind and relent and turn from his fierce anger so that we might not die.”
• Zephaniah 2:3Seek the Lord’s favor, all you humble people of the land who have obeyed his commands! Strive to do what is right! Strive to be humble! Maybe you will be protected on the day of the Lord’s angry judgment.
• 2 Timothy 2:25correcting opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God will grant them repentance and then knowledge of the truth
• Isaiah 65:8This is what the Lord says: “When juice is discovered in a cluster of grapes, someone says, ‘Don’t destroy it, for it contains juice.’ So I will do for the sake of my servants – I will not destroy everyone.
• Haggai 2:19The seed is still in the storehouse, isn’t it? And the vine, fig tree, pomegranate, and olive tree have not produced. Nevertheless, from today on I will bless you.’”
• Joel 1:9No one brings grain offerings or drink offerings to the temple of the Lord anymore. So the priests, those who serve the Lord, are in mourning.

Commentaries on Joel 2:14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14Who knoweth if he will return - He may yet interpose and turn aside the calamity threatened, and so far preserve the land from these ravagers, that there will be food for men and cattle, and a sufficiency of offerings for the temple service. Therefore: -Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14Who knoweth if He will return - God has promised forgiveness of sins and of eternal punishment to those who turn to Him with their whole heart. Of this, then, there could be no doubt. But He has not promised either to individuals or to Churches, that He will remit the temporal punishment which He had threatened. He forgave David the sin. Nathan says, “The Lord also hath put away thy sin.” But he said at the same time, “the sword shall never depart from…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14Who knows?: Joel’s simple question acknowledges God's complete control (see also Jonah 3:9). God does not have to restore us just because we perform certain rituals. Forgiveness comes only through divine grace, but Joel knew that God was willing to forgive (Joel 2:13).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1414. leave ... a meat offering and a drink offering--that is, give plentiful harvests, out of the first-fruits of which we may offer the meat and drink offering, now "cut off" through the famine (Joe 1:9, 13, 16). "Leave behind Him": as God in visiting His people now has left behind Him a curse, so He will, on returning to visit them, leave behind Him a blessing.Read the comment

Topics related to Joel 2:14

• Israel, Prophecies Concerning

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Drink Offering
• Meat Offering
• Darkness
• Drinkoffering
• Fat
• Pour
• Rend
• Reproach

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