New King James Version
Joel 2:9
9They run to and fro in the city, They run on the wall; They climb into the houses, They enter at the windows like a thief.
Joel 2:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief.
- New International Version (NIV)They rush upon the city; they run along the wall. They climb into the houses; like thieves they enter through the windows.
- English Standard Version (ESV)They leap upon the city, they run upon the walls, they climb up into the houses, they enter through the windows like a thief.
- New Living Translation (NLT)They swarm over the city and run along its walls. They enter all the houses, climbing like thieves through the windows.
Context of Joel 2:9
7They run like mighty men, They climb the wall like men of war; Every one marches in formation, And they do not break ranks. 8They do not push one another; Every one marches in his own column. Though they lunge between the weapons, They are not cut down. They run to and fro in the city, They run on the wall; They climb into the houses, They enter at the windows like a thief. 10The earth quakes before them, The heavens tremble; The sun and moon grow dark, And the stars diminish their brightness. 11The Lord gives voice before His army, For His camp is very great; For strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; Who can endure it?
Read all of Joel 2Joel 2:9 word by word
בָּעִ֣יר יָשֹׁ֗קּוּ בַּֽחוֹמָה֙ יְרֻצ֔וּן בַּבָּתִּ֖ים יַעֲל֑וּ בְּעַ֧ד הַחַלּוֹנִ֛ים יָבֹ֖אוּ כַּגַּנָּֽב׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- They shall run to and froשָׁקַקshâqaq · to rushH8264
- in the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- they shall runרוּץrûts · to run: runH7323
- upon the wallחוֹמָהchômâh · wallH2346
- they shall climb upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- upon the housesבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
- they shall enter inבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- at the windowsחַלּוֹןchallôn · windowH2474
- like a thiefגַּנָּבgannâb · thiefH1590
Cross-references for Joel 2:9
- Exodus 10:6They shall fill your houses, the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians—which neither your fathers nor your fathers’ fathers have seen, since the day that they were on the earth to this day.’ ” And he turned and went out from Pharaoh.
- Jeremiah 9:21For death has come through our windows, Has entered our palaces, To kill off the children— no longer to be outside! And the young men— no longer on the streets!
- John 10:1“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
Commentaries on Joel 2:9
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9They shall run to and fro in the city - “The city” is questionless Jerusalem. So to the Romans, “the city” meant Rome; to the Athenians, Athens; among ourselves, “town” or “the city” are idiomatic names for the whole of London or “the city of London.” In Wales “town” is, with the country people, the neighboring town with which alone they are familiar. There is no ambiguity in the living language. In Guernsey, one who should call Port Pierre by any other…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-9The locusts invaded both cities and farms, moving like a well-trained army. They scaled city walls and swarmed over the city. They found every way to enter, even climbing through windows like thieves.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 7-97-9. Depicting the regular military order of their advance, "One locust not turning a nail's breadth out of his own place in the march" [Jerome]. Compare Pr 30:27, "The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands."Read the comment
Topics related to Joel 2:9
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