9 The meat offering H4503 and the drink offering H5262 is cut off H3772 from the house H1004 of the LORD; H3068 the priests, H3548 the LORD'S H3068 ministers, H8334 mourn. H56
Who knoweth H3045 if he will return H7725 and repent, H5162 and leave H7604 a blessing H1293 behind H310 him; even a meat offering H4503 and a drink offering H5262 unto the LORD H3068 your God? H430
Let the priests, H3548 the ministers H8334 of the LORD, H3068 weep H1058 between the porch H197 and the altar, H4196 and let them say, H559 Spare H2347 thy people, H5971 O LORD, H3068 and give H5414 not thine heritage H5159 to reproach, H2781 that the heathen H1471 should rule over H4910 them: wherefore should they say H559 among the people, H5971 Where is their God? H430
They shall not offer H5258 wine H3196 offerings to the LORD, H3068 neither shall they be pleasing H6149 unto him: their sacrifices H2077 shall be unto them as the bread H3899 of mourners; H205 all that eat H398 thereof shall be polluted: H2930 for their bread H3899 for their soul H5315 shall not come H935 into the house H1004 of the LORD. H3068
Gird H2296 yourselves, and lament, H5594 ye priests: H3548 howl, H3213 ye ministers H8334 of the altar: H4196 come, H935 lie all night H3885 in sackcloth, H8242 ye ministers H8334 of my God: H430 for the meat offering H4503 and the drink offering H5262 is withholden H4513 from the house H1004 of your God. H430
But ye shall be named H7121 the Priests H3548 of the LORD: H3068 men shall call H559 you the Ministers H8334 of our God: H430 ye shall eat H398 the riches H2428 of the Gentiles, H1471 and in their glory H3519 shall ye boast H3235 yourselves.
And take H7126 thou unto thee Aaron H175 thy brother, H251 and his sons H1121 with him, from among H8432 the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, H3547 even Aaron, H175 Nadab H5070 and Abihu, H30 Eleazar H499 and Ithamar, H385 Aaron's H175 sons. H1121
But as for us, the LORD H3068 is our God, H430 and we have not forsaken H5800 him; and the priests, H3548 which minister H8334 unto the LORD, H3068 are the sons H1121 of Aaron, H175 and the Levites H3881 wait upon their business: H4399
The ways H1870 of Zion H6726 do mourn, H57 because none come H935 to the solemn feasts: H4150 all her gates H8179 are desolate: H8074 her priests H3548 sigh, H584 her virgins H1330 are afflicted, H3013 and she is in bitterness. H4843
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Joel 1
Commentary on Joel 1 Matthew Henry Commentary
An Exposition, With Practical Observations, of
The Book of the Prophet Joel
Chapter 1
This chapter is the description of a lamentable devastation made of the country of Judah by locusts and caterpillars. Some think that the prophet speaks of it as a thing to come and gives warning of it beforehand, as usually the prophets did of judgments coming. Others think that it was now present, and that his business was to affect the people with it and awaken them by it to repentance.
Joe 1:1-7
It is a foolish fancy which some of the Jews have, that this Joel the prophet was the same with that Joel who was the son of Samuel (1 Sa. 8:2); yet one of their rabbin very gravely undertakes to show why Samuel is here called Pethuel. This Joel was long after that. He here speaks of a sad and sore judgment which was now brought, or to be brought, upon Judah, for their sins. Observe,
Joe 1:8-13
The judgment is here described as very lamentable, and such as all sorts of people should share in; it shall not only rob the drunkards of their pleasure (if that were the worst of it, it might be the better borne), but it shall deprive others of their necessary subsistence, who are therefore called to lament (v. 8), as a virgin laments the death of her lover to whom she was espoused, but not completely married, yet so that he was in effect her husband, or as a young woman lately married, from whom the husband of her youth, her young husband, or the husband to whom she was married when she was young, is suddenly taken away by death. Between a new-married couple that are young, that married for love, and that are every way amiable and agreeable to each other, there is great fondness, and consequently great grief if either be taken away. Such lamentation shall there be for the loss of their corn and wine. Note, The more we are wedded to our creature-comforts that harder it is to part with them. See that parallel place, Isa. 32:10-12. Two sorts of people are here brought in, as concerned to lament this devastation, countrymen and clergymen.
Joe 1:14-20
We have observed abundance of tears shed for the destruction of the fruits of the earth by the locusts; now here we have those tears turned into the right channel, that of repentance and humiliation before God. The judgment was very heavy, and here they are directed to own the hand of God in it, his mighty hand, and to humble themselves under it. Here is,