Dividing Joel
January 26, 2009
Commentators like to divide Joel into two halves. I haven’t found a successful scheme yet. Commentaries nevertheless have useful insights in their sections on Joel’s structure. D R Jones in his Torch Bible Commentary series commentary sees the correct emphasis in Joel 2:18 in its “past” tense – this has been placed to one side by more academic commentaries such as that of Allen. The change in “tense” between v. 17 and v. 18 is sharp and it marks vv. 18-20 as an oracle unit. Translations like the KJV, RSV and NASB don’t respect this change either and get the text wrong – I propose…
And the Lord was jealous for his land, and he did pity his people. Yea, the Lord did answer and say unto his people, Behold, I am sending you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen: and (w) I will remove far off from you the northerner, 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. Joel 2:18-20 (KJV revised)
This change in tense separates vv. 18-19 from vv. 15-17 as it presupposes God’s response to the people’s lament: they heeded the call of the prophet (recorded in vv. 15-17) and cried to Yahweh for mercy and God responded. The tense also separates vv. 18-20 from vv. 21-27 as a statement of what God said unto his people.
