Revised Version 1895
Joel 2:20
20but I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, his forepart into the eastern sea, and his hinder part into the western sea; and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.
Joel 2:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.
- New International Version (NIV)“I will drive the northern horde far from you, pushing it into a parched and barren land; its eastern ranks will drown in the Dead Sea and its western ranks in the Mediterranean Sea. And its stench will go up; its smell will rise.” Surely he has done great things!
- English Standard Version (ESV)"I will remove the northerner far from you, and drive him into a parched and desolate land, his vanguard into the eastern sea, and his rear guard into the western sea; the stench and foul smell of him will rise, for he has done great things.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“But I will remove far from you the northern army, And will drive him away into a barren and desolate land, With his face toward the eastern sea And his back toward the western sea; His stench will come up, And his foul odor will rise, Because he has done monstrous things.”
Context of Joel 2:20
18Then was the LORD jealous for his land, and had pity on his people. 19And the LORD answered and said unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations: but I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, his forepart into the eastern sea, and his hinder part into the western sea; and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things. 21Fear not, O land, be glad and rejoice; for the LORD hath done great things. 22Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.
Read all of Joel 2Joel 2:20 word by word
וְֽאֶת־הַצְּפוֹנִ֞י אַרְחִ֣יק מֵעֲלֵיכֶ֗ם וְהִדַּחְתִּיו֮ אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ צִיָּ֣ה וּשְׁמָמָה֒ אֶת־פָּנָ֗יו אֶל־הַיָּם֙ הַקַּדְמֹנִ֔י וְסֹפ֖וֹ אֶל־הַיָּ֣ם הָאַֽחֲר֑וֹן וְעָלָ֣ה בָאְשׁ֗וֹ וְתַ֙עַל֙ צַחֲנָת֔וֹ כִּ֥י הִגְדִּ֖יל לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃Read the interlinear
- removeרָחַקrâchaq · to removeH7368
- offעַל‛al · uponH5921
- youכִּיkîy · forH3588
- northernצְפוֹנִיtsephônîy · northernH6830
- armyעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- driveנָדַחnâdach · to banishH5080
- intoאֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413
- landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- desolateשְׁמָמָהshemâmâh shimâmâh · devastationH8077
- easternקַדְמֹנִיqadmônîy qadmônîy · easternH6931
- seaיָםyâm · seaH3220
- westernאַחֲרוֹן'achăryôn 'achărôn · lastH314
- doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- greatגָּדַלgâdal · to magnifyH1431
Cross-references for Joel 2:20
- Joel 2:2a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, as the dawn spread upon the mountains; a great people and a strong, there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after them, even to the years of many generations.
- Joel 1:4That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten.
- Exodus 10:19And the LORD turned an exceeding strong west wind, which took up the locusts, and drove them into the Red Sea; there remained not one locust in all the border of Egypt.
- Jeremiah 1:14Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.
- Ezekiel 47:7Now when I had returned, behold, upon the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.
- Zechariah 14:8And it shall come to pass in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the eastern sea, and half of them toward the western sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
- Deuteronomy 11:24Every place whereon the sole of your foot shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness, and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the hinder sea shall be your border.
- Ezekiel 39:12And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.
- 2 Kings 8:13And Hazael said, But what is thy servant, which is but a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The LORD hath shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria.
Commentaries on Joel 2:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20I will remove far off from you the northern army - "That is, the locusts; which might enter Judea by the north, as Circassia and Mingrelia abound with them. Or the locusts may be thus called, because they spread terror like the Assyrian armies, which entered Judea by the north. See Zephaniah 2:13." - Newcome. Syria, which was northward of Judea, was infested with them; and it must have been a northern wind that brought them into Judea, in the time of…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20And I will remove far off from you the northern army - God speaks of the human agent under the figure of the locusts, which perish in the sea; yet so as to show at once, that He did not intend the locust itself, nor to describe the mode in which He should overthrow the human oppressor. He is not speaking of the locust itself, for the Northern is no name for the locust which infested Palestine, since it came from the south; nor would the destruction of 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. 19-20grain, new wine, and oil: God would restore the land's produce. This would provide the elements needed for sacrifice and worship (see Joel 1:10, 13). God would also remove the invading armies from the north.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. the northern army--The Hebrew expresses that the north in relation to Palestine is not merely the quarter whence the invader comes, but is his native land, "the Northlander"; namely, the Assyrian or Babylonian (compare Jr 1:14, 15; Zep 2:13). The locust's native country is not the north, but the south, the deserts of Arabia, Egypt, and Libya. Assyria and Babylon are the type and forerunner of all Israel's foes (Rome, and the final Antichrist), from…Read the comment
Topics related to Joel 2:20
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
Revised Version 1895 — 1895 — Public Domain
Commentaries