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 Living Translation (NLT)Gather all the people— the elders, the children, and even the babies. Call the bridegroom from his quarters and the bride from her private room.

Context of Joel 2:16

14Who 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? 15Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly; 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. 17Let the priests, who minister to the Lord, Weep between the porch and the altar; Let them say, “Spare Your people, O Lord, And do not give Your heritage to reproach, That the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’ ” 18Then the Lord will be zealous for His land, And pity 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 19:10Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes.
• Joshua 7:13Get up, sanctify the people, and say, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says the Lord God of Israel: “There is an accursed thing in your midst, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you.”
• 1 Samuel 16:5And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice.
• 2 Chronicles 29:5and said to them: “Hear me, Levites! Now sanctify yourselves, sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry out the rubbish from the holy place.
• 2 Chronicles 30:17For there were many in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves; therefore the Levites had charge of the slaughter of the Passover lambs for everyone who was not clean, to sanctify them to the Lord.
• 2 Chronicles 35:6So slaughter the Passover offerings, consecrate yourselves, and prepare them for your brethren, that they may do according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses.”
• Job 1:5So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.
• Joel 1:14Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly; Gather the elders And all the inhabitants of the land Into the house of the Lord your God, And cry out to the Lord.
• Deuteronomy 29:10“All of you stand today before the Lord your God: your leaders and your tribes and your elders and your officers, all the men of Israel,
• 2 Chronicles 20:13Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the Lord.
• Jonah 3:7And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water.
• Zechariah 12:11In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.
• Matthew 9:15And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
• 1 Corinthians 7:5Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does 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