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?
• 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?
• New Living Translation (NLT)Who knows? Perhaps he will give you a reprieve, sending you a blessing instead of this curse. Perhaps you will be able to offer grain and wine to the Lord your God as before.

Context of Joel 2:14

12“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” 13Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing— grain offerings and drink offerings for the Lord your God. 15Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly. 16Gather 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.

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 great sin. But now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”
• Joshua 14:12Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”
• 1 Samuel 6:5Make models of the tumors and of the rats that are destroying the country, and give glory to Israel’s god. Perhaps he will lift his hand from you and your gods and your land.
• 2 Samuel 12:22He answered, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.’
• 2 Kings 19:4It may be that the Lord your God will hear all the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule the living God, and that he will rebuke him for the words the Lord your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant that still survives.”
• Amos 5:15Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph.
• Jonah 1:6The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.”
• Jonah 3:9Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”
• Zephaniah 2:3Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger.
• 2 Timothy 2:25Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,
• Isaiah 65:8This is what the Lord says: “As when juice is still found in a cluster of grapes and people say, ‘Don’t destroy it, there is still a blessing in it,’ so will I do in behalf of my servants; I will not destroy them all.
• Haggai 2:19Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit. “ ‘From this day on I will bless you.’ ”
• Joel 1:9Grain offerings and drink offerings are cut off from the house of the Lord. The priests are in mourning, those who minister before the Lord.

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