New King James Version
Joel 2:5
5With a noise like chariots Over mountaintops they leap, Like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble, Like a strong people set in battle array.
Joel 2:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.
- New International Version (NIV)With a noise like that of chariots they leap over the mountaintops, like a crackling fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army drawn up for battle.
- English Standard Version (ESV)As with the rumbling of chariots, they leap on the tops of the mountains, like the crackling of a flame of fire devouring the stubble, like a powerful army drawn up for battle.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Look at them as they leap along the mountaintops. Listen to the noise they make—like the rumbling of chariots, like the roar of fire sweeping across a field of stubble, or like a mighty army moving into battle.
Context of Joel 2:5
3A fire devours before them, And behind them a flame burns; The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, And behind them a desolate wilderness; Surely nothing shall escape them. 4Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; And like swift steeds, so they run. With a noise like chariots Over mountaintops they leap, Like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble, Like a strong people set in battle array. 6Before them the people writhe in pain; All faces are drained of color. 7They run like mighty men, They climb the wall like men of war; Every one marches in formation, And they do not break ranks.
Read all of Joel 2Joel 2:5 word by word
כְּק֣וֹל מַרְכָּב֗וֹת עַל־רָאשֵׁ֤י הֶֽהָרִים֙ יְרַקֵּד֔וּן כְּקוֹל֙ לַ֣הַב אֵ֔שׁ אֹכְלָ֖ה קָ֑שׁ כְּעַ֣ם עָצ֔וּם עֱר֖וּךְ מִלְחָמָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Like the noiseקוֹלqôl qôl · voice: soundH6963
- of chariotsמֶרְכָּבָהmerkâbâh · chariotH4818
- on the topsרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: topH7218
- of mountainsהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
- shall they leapרָקַדrâqad · to skip aboutH7540
- of a flameלַ֫הַבlahab · flameH3851
- of fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
- that devourethאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- the stubbleקַשׁqash · stubbleH7179
- as a strongעָצוּם‛âtsûm ‛âtsûm · mightyH6099
- peopleעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
- set in battleמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
- arrayעָרַךְ‛ârak · to arrangeH6186
Cross-references for Joel 2:5
- Nahum 2:3The shields of his mighty men are made red, The valiant men are in scarlet. The chariots come with flaming torches In the day of his preparation, And the spears are brandished.
- Nahum 3:2The noise of a whip And the noise of rattling wheels, Of galloping horses, Of clattering chariots!
- Revelation 9:9And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle.
- Isaiah 5:24Therefore, as the fire devours the stubble, And the flame consumes the chaff, So their root will be as rottenness, And their blossom will ascend like dust; Because they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
- Isaiah 30:30The Lord will cause His glorious voice to be heard, And show the descent of His arm, With the indignation of His anger And the flame of a devouring fire, With scattering, tempest, and hailstones.
- Matthew 3:12His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
- Joel 2:2A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness, Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains. A people come, great and strong, The like of whom has never been; Nor will there ever be any such after them, Even for many successive generations.
Commentaries on Joel 2:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Like the noise of chariots - Bochart also remarks: - "The locusts fly with a great noise, so as to be heard six miles off, and while they are eating the fruits of the earth, the sound of them is like that of a flame driven by the wind." Ibid., p. 478.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Like the noise of chariots on the tops of the mountains shall they leap - The amazing noise of the flight of locusts is likened by those who have heard them, to all sorts of deep sharp rushing sounds. One says, “their noise may be heard six miles off.” Others, “within a hundred paces I heard the rushing noise occasioned by the flight of so many million of insects. When I was in the midst of them, it was as loud as the dashing of the waters occasioned by…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-5Their appearance is like that of horses: The similarity between locusts and horses (see also Revelation 9:7) emphasizes the image of locusts as an army. With a sound like that of chariot: A swarm of locusts can make an extremely loud noise that is hard to endure.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. Like the noise of chariots--referring to the loud sound caused by their wings in motion, or else the movement of their hind legs. on the tops of mountains--Maurer connects this with "they," that is, the locusts, which first occupy the higher places, and thence descend to the lower places. It may refer (as in English Version) to "chariots," which make most noise in crossing over rugged heights.Read the comment
Topics related to Joel 2:5
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