Joel 2:16

Joel 2:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
• New International Version (NIV)Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber.
• English Standard Version (ESV)gather the people. Consecrate the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, And the bride from her dressing room.

Context of Joel 2:16

14Who 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! Gather 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. 17Let the priests, those who serve the Lord, weep from the vestibule all the way back to the altar. Let them say, “Have pity, O Lord, on your people; please do not turn over your inheritance to be mocked, to become a proverb among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples, “Where is their God?” 18Then the Lord became zealous for his land; he had compassion on his people.

Joel 2:16 word by word

אִסְפוּ־עָ֞ם קַדְּשׁ֤וּ קָהָל֙ קִבְצ֣וּ זְקֵנִ֔ים אִסְפוּ֙ עֽוֹלָלִ֔ים וְיֹנְקֵ֖י שָׁדָ֑יִם יֵצֵ֤א חָתָן֙ מֵֽחֶדְר֔וֹ וְכַלָּ֖ה מֵחֻפָּתָֽהּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Gatherאָסַף'âsaph · to gatherH622
• the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• sanctifyקָדַשׁqâdash · to consecrate: consecateH6942
• the congregationקָהָלqâhâl · assemblyH6951
• assembleקָבַץqâbats · to gatherH6908
• the eldersזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
• the childrenעוֹלֵל‛ôlêl ‛ôlâl · infantH5768
• and those that suckיָנַקyânaq · to suckleH3243
• the breastsשַׁדshad shôd · breastH7699
• let the bridegroomחָתָןchâthân · son-in-lawH2860
• go forthיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• of his chamberחֶ֫דֶרcheder · chamberH2315
• and the brideכַּלָּהkallâh · daughter-in-law: brideH3618
• out of her closetחֻפָּהchûppâh · canopyH2646

Cross-references for Joel 2:16

• Exodus 19:10The Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and make them wash their clothes
• Joshua 7:13Get up! Ritually consecrate the people and tell them this: ‘Ritually consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, because the Lord God of Israel says, “You are contaminated, O Israel! You will not be able to stand before your enemies until you remove what is contaminating you.”
• 1 Samuel 16:5He replied, “Yes, in peace. I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” So he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
• 2 Chronicles 29:5He said to them: “Listen to me, you Levites! Now consecrate yourselves, so you can consecrate the temple of the Lord God of your ancestors! Remove from the sanctuary what is ceremonially unclean!
• 2 Chronicles 30:17Because many in the assembly had not consecrated themselves, the Levites slaughtered the Passover lambs of all who were ceremonially unclean and could not consecrate their sacrifice to the Lord.
• 2 Chronicles 35:6Slaughter the Passover lambs, consecrate yourselves, and make preparations for your countrymen to do what the Lord commanded through Moses.”
• Job 1:5When the days of their feasting were finished, Job would send for them and sanctify them; he would get up early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job thought, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s customary practice.
• Joel 1:14Announce a holy fast; proclaim a sacred assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the temple of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.
• Deuteronomy 29:10You are standing today, all of you, before the Lord your God – the heads of your tribes, your elders, your officials, every Israelite man,
• 2 Chronicles 20:13All the men of Judah were standing before the Lord, along with their infants, wives, and children.
• Jonah 3:7He issued a proclamation and said, “In Nineveh, by the decree of the king and his nobles: No human or animal, cattle or sheep, is to taste anything; they must not eat and they must not drink water.
• Zechariah 12:11On that day the lamentation in Jerusalem will be as great as the lamentation at Hadad-Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.
• Matthew 9:15Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests cannot mourn while the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days are coming when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then they will fast.
• 1 Corinthians 7:5Do not deprive each other, except by mutual agreement for a specified time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then resume your relationship, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

Commentaries on Joel 2:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Gather the children - Let all share in the humiliation, for all must feel the judgment, should it come. Let no state nor condition among the people be exempted. The elders, the young persons, the infants, the bridegroom, and the bride; let all leave their houses, and go to the temple of God.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Sanctify the congregation - o“Do what in you lies, by monishing, exhorting, threatening, giving the example of a holy life, that the whole people present itself holy before its God”, “lest your prayers be hindered, and a little leaven corrupt the whole lump.” Assemble the elders - o“The judgment concerned all; all then were to join in seeking mercy from God. None were on any pretence to be exempted; not the oldest, whose strength was decayed, or the…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-27Verses 15-27 The priests and rulers are to appoint a solemn fast. The sinner's supplication is, Spare us, good Lord. God is ready to succour his people; and he waits to be gracious. They prayed that God would spare them, and he answered them. His promises are real answers to the prayers of faith; with him saying and doing are not two things. Some understand these promises figuratively, as pointing to gospel grace, and as fulfilled in the abundant comforts…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16bridegroom … and the bride: Newlyweds were exempt from most civic duties in ancient Israel (see Deuteronomy 24:5; Luke 14:20). However, in this emergency, everyone would be called to the temple to pray to God.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. sanctify the congregation--namely, by expiatory rites and purification with water [Calvin], (Ex 19:10, 22). Maurer translates, "appoint a solemn assembly," which would be a tautological repetition of Joe 2:15. elders ... children--No age was to be excepted (2Ch 20:13). bridegroom--ordinarily exempted from public duties (De 24:5; compare 1Co 7:5, 29). closet--or, nuptial bed, from a Hebrew root "to cover," referring to the canopy over it.Read the comment

Topics related to Joel 2:16

• Church
• Government
• Israel, Prophecies Concerning
• Repentance
• Worship

In the dictionaries

• Darkness
• Fat
• Pour
• Rend
• Reproach
• Thrust
• Canopy
• Chamber
• Closet
• Eschatology of the Old Testament

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