New King James Version
Joel 2:17
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?’ ”
Joel 2:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?
- New International Version (NIV)Let the priests, who minister before the Lord, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’ ”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep and say, "Spare your people, O Lord, and make not your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'"
- New Living Translation (NLT)Let the priests, who minister in the Lord’s presence, stand and weep between the entry room to the Temple and the altar. Let them pray, “Spare your people, Lord! Don’t let your special possession become an object of mockery. Don’t let them become a joke for unbelieving foreigners who say, ‘Has the God of Israel left them?’”
Context of Joel 2:17
15Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly; 16Gather 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. Let 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. 19The Lord will answer and say to His people, “Behold, I will send you grain and new wine and oil, And you will be satisfied by them; I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations.
Read all of Joel 2Joel 2:17 word by word
בֵּ֤ין הָאוּלָם֙ וְלַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ יִבְכּוּ֙ הַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔ים מְשָׁרְתֵ֖י יְהוָ֑ה וְֽיֹאמְר֞וּ ח֧וּסָה יְהוָ֣ה עַל־עַמֶּ֗ךָ וְאַל־תִּתֵּ֨ן נַחֲלָתְךָ֤ לְחֶרְפָּה֙ לִמְשָׁל־בָּ֣ם גּוֹיִ֔ם לָ֚מָּה יֹאמְר֣וּ בָֽעַמִּ֔ים אַיֵּ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Let the priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
- the ministersשָׁרַתshârath · to ministerH8334
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- weepבָּכָהbâkâh · to weepH1058
- between the porchאוּלָם'ûlâm 'ûlâm · PorticoH197
- and the altarמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
- and let them sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Spareחוּסchûs · to pityH2347
- thy peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- and giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: makeH5414
- not thine heritageנַחֲלָהnachălâh · inheritanceH5159
- to reproachחֶרְפָּהcherpâh · reproachH2781
- that the heathenגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- should rule overמָשַׁלmâshal · to ruleH4910
- their Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
Cross-references for Joel 2:17
- Joel 1:9The grain offering and the drink offering Have been cut off from the house of the Lord; The priests mourn, who minister to the Lord.
- 1 Kings 6:3The vestibule in front of the sanctuary of the house was twenty cubits long across the width of the house, and the width of the vestibule extended ten cubits from the front of the house.
- 2 Chronicles 8:12Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of the Lord which he had built before the vestibule,
- Ezekiel 8:16So He brought me into the inner court of the Lord’s house; and there, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, and they were worshiping the sun toward the east.
- Matthew 23:35that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
- Hosea 14:2Take words with you, And return to the Lord. Say to Him, “Take away all iniquity; Receive us graciously, For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips.
- Exodus 32:11Then Moses pleaded with the Lord his God, and said: “Lord, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?
- Exodus 34:9Then he said, “If now I have found grace in Your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us, even though we are a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.”
- Deuteronomy 9:16And I looked, and behold, you had sinned against the Lord your God—had made for yourselves a molded calf! You had turned aside quickly from the way which the Lord had commanded you.
- Isaiah 37:20Now therefore, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord, You alone.”
- Isaiah 64:9Do not be furious, O Lord, Nor remember iniquity forever; Indeed, please look—we all are Your people!
- Daniel 9:18O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies.
- Amos 7:2And so it was, when they had finished eating the grass of the land, that I said: “O Lord God, forgive, I pray! Oh, that Jacob may stand, For he is small!”
- Malachi 1:9“But now entreat God’s favor, That He may be gracious to us. While this is being done by your hands, Will He accept you favorably?” Says the Lord of hosts.
- Psalms 44:10You make us turn back from the enemy, And those who hate us have taken spoil for themselves.
- Psalms 74:10O God, how long will the adversary reproach? Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever?
Commentaries on Joel 2:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Let the priests - weep between the porch and the altar - The altar of burnt-offerings stood before the porch of the temple, 2 Chronicles 8:12, and between them there was an open space of fifteen or twenty cubits. It was there that the priests prostrated themselves on such occasions. It was into this place that the priests brought the sacrifice or victim of atonement; and where the high priest laid his hands on the head of the victim confessing his sins…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar - The porch in this, Solomon‘s temple, was in fact a tower, in front of the holy of holies, of the same breadth with the temple, namely, 20 cubits, and its depth half its breadth, namely, 10 cubits 1 Kings 6:3, and its height 120 cubits, the whole “overlaid within with pure gold” 2 Chronicles 3:4. The brass altar for burnt-offerings stood in front of it 2 Chronicles 8:12. 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. 17Spare Your people, O LORD: Gathered at the temple, the religious leaders and everyone else could only do one thing in their desperate situation. The religious leaders wanted the people to ask for God's mercy and compassion.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. between the porch and ... altar--the porch of Solomon's temple on the east (1Ki 6:3); the altar of burnt offerings in the court of the priests, before the porch (2Ch 8:12; compare Eze 8:16; Mt 23:35). The suppliants thus were to stand with their backs to the altar on which they had nothing to offer, their faces towards the place of the Shekinah presence. heathen should rule over them--This shows that not locusts, but human foes, are intended. The…Read the comment
Topics related to Joel 2:17
In the dictionaries
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries