New Living Translation
Joel 2:5
5Look 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.
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 King James Version (NKJV)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.
Context of Joel 2:5
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. 4They look like horses; they charge forward like warhorses. 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. 6Fear grips all the people; every face grows pale with terror. 7The attackers march like warriors and scale city walls like soldiers. Straight forward they march, never breaking rank.
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 2:3Shields flash red in the sunlight! See the scarlet uniforms of the valiant troops! Watch as their glittering chariots move into position, with a forest of spears waving above them.
- Nahum 3:2Hear the crack of whips, the rumble of wheels! Horses’ hooves pound, and chariots clatter wildly.
- Revelation 9:9They wore armor made of iron, and their wings roared like an army of chariots rushing into battle.
- Isaiah 5:24Therefore, just as fire licks up stubble and dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will rot and their flowers wither. For they have rejected the law of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies; they have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
- Isaiah 30:30And the Lord will make his majestic voice heard. He will display the strength of his mighty arm. It will descend with devouring flames, with cloudbursts, thunderstorms, and huge hailstones.
- Matthew 3:12He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.”
- Joel 2:2It 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.
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
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