New Living Translation
Joel 2:1
1Sound the trumpet in Jerusalem! Raise the alarm on my holy mountain! Let everyone tremble in fear because the day of the Lord is upon us.
Joel 2:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand;
- New International Version (NIV)Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand—
- English Standard Version (ESV)Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near,
- New King James Version (NKJV)Blow the trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the Lord is coming, For it is at hand:
Context of Joel 2:1
Sound the trumpet in Jerusalem! Raise the alarm on my holy mountain! Let everyone tremble in fear because the day of the Lord is upon us. 2It is a day of darkness and gloom, a day of thick clouds and deep blackness. Suddenly, like dawn spreading across the mountains, a great and mighty army appears. Nothing like it has been seen before or will ever be seen again. 3Fire burns in front of them, and flames follow after them. Ahead of them the land lies as beautiful as the Garden of Eden. Behind them is nothing but desolation; not one thing escapes.
Read all of Joel 2Joel 2:1 word by word
תִּקְע֨וּ שׁוֹפָ֜ר בְּצִיּ֗וֹן וְהָרִ֙יעוּ֙ בְּהַ֣ר קָדְשִׁ֔י יִרְגְּז֕וּ כֹּ֖ל יֹשְׁבֵ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ כִּֽי־בָ֥א יוֹם־יְהוָ֖ה כִּ֥י קָרֽוֹב׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Blowתָּקַעtâqa‛ · to blowH8628
- ye the trumpetשֹׁפָרshôphâr shôphâr · trumpetH7782
- in Zionצִיּוֹןtsîyôn · ZionH6726
- and sound an alarmרוּעַrûa‛ · to shoutH7321
- in my holyקֹ֫דֶשׁqôdesh · holinessH6944
- mountainהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
- let all the inhabitantsיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- of the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- trembleרָגַזrâgaz · to trembleH7264
- for the dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- comethבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- nigh at handקָרֹבqârôb qârôb · nearH7138
Cross-references for Joel 2:1
- Joel 2:15Blow the ram’s horn in Jerusalem! Announce a time of fasting; call the people together for a solemn meeting.
- Numbers 10:3When both trumpets are blown, everyone must gather before you at the entrance of the Tabernacle.
- Jeremiah 4:5“Shout to Judah, and broadcast to Jerusalem! Tell them to sound the alarm throughout the land: ‘Run for your lives! Flee to the fortified cities!’
- Hosea 8:1“Sound the alarm! The enemy descends like an eagle on the people of the Lord, for they have broken my covenant and revolted against my law.
- 1 Chronicles 15:28So all Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant with shouts of joy, the blowing of rams’ horns and trumpets, the crashing of cymbals, and loud playing on harps and lyres.
- Hosea 5:8“Sound the alarm in Gibeah! Blow the trumpet in Ramah! Raise the battle cry in Beth-aven! Lead on into battle, O warriors of Benjamin!
- Numbers 10:5“When you sound the signal to move on, the tribes camped on the east side of the Tabernacle must break camp and move forward.
- Ezekiel 33:3When the watchman sees the enemy coming, he sounds the alarm to warn the people.
- Amos 3:6When the ram’s horn blows a warning, shouldn’t the people be alarmed? Does disaster come to a city unless the Lord has planned it?
- Zephaniah 1:16a day of trumpet calls and battle cries. Down go the walled cities and the strongest battlements!
- Joel 3:17“Then you will know that I, the Lord your God, live in Zion, my holy mountain. Jerusalem will be holy forever, and foreign armies will never conquer her again.
- Psalms 87:1On the holy mountain stands the city founded by the Lord.
- Daniel 9:16In view of all your faithful mercies, Lord, please turn your furious anger away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. All the neighboring nations mock Jerusalem and your people because of our sins and the sins of our ancestors.
- Zephaniah 3:11On that day you will no longer need to be ashamed, for you will no longer be rebels against me. I will remove all proud and arrogant people from among you. There will be no more haughtiness on my holy mountain.
- Zechariah 8:3“And now the Lord says: I am returning to Mount Zion, and I will live in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City; the mountain of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will be called the Holy Mountain.
- Ezra 9:3When I heard this, I tore my cloak and my shirt, pulled hair from my head and beard, and sat down utterly shocked.
Commentaries on Joel 2:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Blow ye the trumpet in Zion - This verse also shows that the temple was still standing. All assemblies of the people were collected by the sound of the trumpet. The day of the Lord cometh - This phrase generally means a day of judgment or punishment.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Blow ye the trumpet - The trumpet was accustomed to sound in Zion, only for religious uses; to call together the congregations for holy meetings, to usher in the beginnings of their months and their solemn days with festival gladness. Now in Zion itself, the stronghold of the kingdom, the Holy City, the place which God chose to put His Name there, which He had promised to establish, the trumpet was to be used, only for sounds of alarm and fear. Alarm…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1God's judgments. (Joel 2:1-14) Exhortations to fasting and prayer; blessings promised. (Joel 2:15-27) A promise of the Holy Spirit, and of future mercies. (Joel 2:28-32) Verses 1-14 The priests were to alarm the people with the near approach of the Divine judgments. It is the work of ministers to warn of the fatal consequences of sin, and to reveal the wrath from heaven against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. The striking description which…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1When attackers threatened an ancient city, the watchmen on the city wall would sound the alarm by blowing a trumpet. This trumpet was a ram’s horn instrument called a shofar (see also Joel 2:15). The sound called all the defenders to fight the enemy.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-32A more terrific judgment than that of the locusts is foretold, under imagery drawn from that of the calamity then engrossing the afflicted nation. He therefore exhorts to repentance, assuring the Jews of Jehovah's pity if they would repent. Promise of the Holy Spirit in the last days under Messiah, and the deliverance of all believers in Him. 1. Blow ... trumpet--to sound an alarm of coming war (Nu 10:1-10; Ho 5:8; Am 3:6); the office of the priests. Joe…Read the comment
Topics related to Joel 2:1
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 Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries