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1–16. Description of the devastation caused by locusts; calling the people to turn to Jehovah. 17–19. Another disaster that befell the country is drought. Joel 1:2 Hear this, O elders, and take heed, all you inhabitants of this land: did such things happen in your days, or in the days of your fathers? Joel.1:3 Tell your children this; and let your children say to their children, and their children to the next generation: Heb. sekenim (elders) is often used in the Bible as an honorific title for elders, leaders and stewards (Deut. 21.2; Isa. 24.23; Lam. 2.10, etc.). In Joel 1:2 the prophet Joel uses the word sekenim in a general sense. The Prophet addresses his speech primarily to the elders, as people who have seen and heard a lot and who are especially capable of assessing the significance of the events that are the subject of speech. At the same time, the prophet calls on all the inhabitants of “this land” to heed his words, that is, the inhabitants of the kingdom of Judah, which was beset by disaster. – With further words (Joel.1:2-3), the prophet wants to indicate the severity of the disaster that befell the country (cf. Exodus 10.1, 2, 6). Joel 1:4 What was left of the caterpillar was eaten by the locusts, what was left of the locust was eaten by worms, and what was left of the worms was eaten by the beetles. Speaking about the devastation of the earth by locusts, the prophet in Joel 1 uses four names for locusts: gasam ("caterpillars"), arbeh ("capancha", Slav. "Pruzi"), jelek ("worms", Slav. "Moss") and chasil ("beetles", Greek ἐρυδίβη; Slav. "sipleve") In these four names, many interpreters (ancient Jews, Kimhi, Calvin) saw an indication that locusts, according to the prophet, devastated the land of Judea for four years in a row, and the vegetation that survived in one year died in the next. According to other interpreters (Kredner), the prophet does not mean four years of disaster, but one: the four names of locusts indicate only the degrees of its development: gasam - fully developed locusts, arbeh and jelek - in the state of larvae and chasil - fledged locusts. The developments gasam, arbeh, jelek and chasil etymologically do not indicate any characteristic features, and can hardly designate four different types of locusts or four stages of its development (cf. Joel 2.25). In the Bible, arbeh, jelek and chasil are used as unambiguous terms (cf. Deut. 28.38; Ps. 105.34; Nahum 3.15; 1 Kings 8.37; 2 Chr. 6.28; Ps. 77.46; Isa. 33.4). According to the best exegetes (Gengst.., Keil.), the prophet uses different names for locusts as poetic epithets for its common name - arbeh. Thus, in his speech, the prophet wants to more clearly present the picture of the great devastation caused by the locusts. Joel 1:5 Awake, you drunkards, and weep and howl, all you who drink wine, for the juice of the grapes, for it has been taken away from your lips! The devastation of the country affected, first of all, the wine drinkers who were deprived of grape juice, and the prophet addresses them. Joel.1:6 For a strong and numberless people have come to my land; His teeth are like the teeth of a lion, and his jaws are like those of a lioness. According to Blessed Jerome, by “the people” in Joel 1 the prophet means the Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes, Macedonians and Romans. But, obviously, the prophet continues the speech begun above about the invasion of locusts; “the people of Om” (goi) he calls the locusts, like in Proverbs. 30.25–26 the word am - people is applied to ants and rabbits, and in Ps 73.14 (goi) to beasts. – In the Bible, locusts, usually flying in huge masses, are often an image of countless multitudes (Judges 6:5, 7:12; Jer 46.23, 51.14; Nahum 3.15). The prophet Joel also calls the locusts a strong and countless people. Bearing in mind the devastation of locust invasions, which not only destroys vegetation, but even gnaws dry trees and doors of homes, the prophet compares the locust's teeth with the teeth of a lion, and its jaws with the jaws of a lioness, who rushes with particular fury to protect her children. Slav. "members", Greek. μῦγαι, root teeth, jaws. “Lionship”, Greek. σκύμνου, young lion; but heb. lavi, according to the context and the opinion of many interpreters, is better taken in the sense of “lioness”. Joel.1:7. He has laid waste my vine, and broken off my fig tree, stripped it bare, and cast it away; its branches became white. The grapevine and fig tree formed the basis of the country's prosperity. Therefore, the prophet, in describing the devastation caused by locusts, especially emphasizes the death of the named plants - slavs. ("seeking obscenity" and corresponds to the Greek ἐρευνῶν ἐξερέυνησεν αυτήν, and in the Greek text we are talking about grapes, and in the Slavic text about figs; that the reading of the Greek text arose due to the fact that instead of the Hebrew hapchoph haschaphah (“stripped naked”) LXX read haphosch hapahascha (searched, searched). “And threw” (glorified “overthrown”): we are talking about young branches, chewed by locusts and falling to the ground. “Its branches turned white,” that is, due to the fact that the locusts gnawed the bark, the branches turned white. – The picture of devastation drawn by the prophet is quite consistent with the reports about the locust invasion that we have from ancient writers (Tacitus, Annals XV, 5) and modern travelers. Joel.1:8. Weep like a young wife, girded with sackcloth, for the husband of her youth! In view of the grave calamity that befell the country, the prophet invites the entire land of Judah to cry, which he compares to a bride who has lost her groom. Instead of Russian “like a maiden” in glory. “more than the bride”, Greek. ὐπὲρ νύμφην. Reading Greek t. arose either because instead of Heb. kibethulah LXX read mibbethulah, considering the preposition min here used to express comparison, or due to the error of the Greek copyist, who changed ῶσπερ νύμφη into ὐπὲρ νύμφη. “About the husband of his youth”: the word baaf, husband, is used here, obviously, instead of alluph, groom, since in the Mosaic Law the betrothed are considered as truly married (Deut. 22.23, 24). Instead of the words: “about the husband of his youth” in glory. read: “after your virgin husband”, respectively, Greek. ἐπί τὸν ανδρα αὺτῆς παρθενικόν; the reading of LXX was due to the fact that Heb. neureicha, their youth, LXX was referred to as baal, husband, and not to bethulah maiden. Joel.1:9. The grain offering and drink offerings ceased in the house of the Lord; the priests, the servants of the Lord, are crying. The devastation of the country by locusts caused a shortage of flour, wine and oil, and hence the cessation or at least reduction of grain offerings to the church (minchah) and drink offerings (nesech). The Prophet speaks, apparently, about the cessation not of the daily sacrifices prescribed in the law (Exodus 29.38–42), but of the voluntary sacrifices made out of zeal. Since part of these offerings went to the benefit of the priests, the latter had to feel the brunt of the disaster that befell the country (Russian: “priests are crying”). Reading Greek t. πενθεῖτε, slav. “cry” appeared because LXX instead of withdrawal. incl. euro аblu (cry) read the command (ivlu). Instead of the words “servants of the Lord” in glory. i.e. “serving the altar of the Lord.” Joel 1:10 The field is desolate, the earth mourns; For the bread is destroyed, the grape juice is dried up, the olive tree withers. Joel 1:11 Blush with shame, O farmers; weep, O vinedressers, for the wheat and barley, because the harvest of the field has perished. Joel 1:12 The vine withered and the fig tree withered; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree and the apple tree, all the trees in the field withered; therefore the joy of the sons of men disappeared. The prophet speaks of the severity of the disaster that befell the country for farmers, winegrowers and all residents in general. It is not entirely clear whether the prophet here speaks of only one disaster, the locust invasion, or whether in Joel 1:9–12 he also means another disaster, the drought that befell the country following the locust invasion. Kredner insists on the latter understanding. But Blessed Jerome and most new interpreters see in the verses in question only speech about the consequences of the locust invasion. "Pomegranate tree": Heb. rimmon. Since this tree has thorns on its branches, it is glorious. i.e. it is called “shipki”. "Palm" "and phoenix": in Hebrew. gamtamar, also palm. Palestine in ancient times abounded in palm trees. Palm trees grew near Jericho, which was called the city of palm trees (Deut. 34.3), in Eteddi, near the shores of the Dead Sea and Lake Gennesaret. "Apple Tree": own. euro tappuach, a tree that bears fruit. According to the Song of Songs (Song 2:3, 7:9) these fruits are very sweet and fragrant; their color is golden (Proverbs 25.11). It is believed that tappuach is actually Pyrus Cidonia. Probably, two cities received their name Tappuah from the abundance of these trees, one of which lay in the tribe of Judah (Joshua 12.17, 15.34), and the other on the border of the Ephraim and Manasseh tribes (Joshua 16.8, 17.8). “Joy has disappeared from the sons of men,” that is, joy combined with harvesting. Joel 1:13 Gird yourself with sackcloth and weep, priests! howl, altar servers! Come in, sleep in sackcloth, O servants of my God! for your grain offering and drink offering are no longer in the house of God. The Prophet indicates a means to avert the disaster that has befallen the country: namely, he commands the priests to appoint fasting and prayer. “Gird yourself”: at ch. chigru (from chagar) no complement; but it is clear from what follows; in some codes (in Kenya and Russia) the word sak or sakim, Russian, is even directly added. sackcloth “Cry”, thank you. "fight", Heb. vesiphdu (from saphad). own beat the chest to express grief (Isa. 32.12; Nahum 2.7). “Servants of my God sleep in sackcloth.” Do not take off sad clothes even at night - among the Jews in general it served as an expression of intense grief (1 Kings 21.27; 2 Kings 19.1). And priests, in particular, were allowed by law to wear mourning clothes only during the greatest misfortunes (Lev. 21:2). Joel.1:14. Establish a fast, call a solemn assembly, call the elders and all the inhabitants of this country to the house of the Lord your God, and cry to the Lord. Assign a post, kaddschu zom, own. “sanctify the fast”, as in glory. etc. The Bible repeatedly reports on the purpose of fasting during public disasters (1 Kings 21.9, 12; 2 Chronicles 20.3; 1 Ezra 8:21; Jer 36:9). Announce the “solemn assembly” of Heb. kiru azarah LXX translated κηρύξατε θεραπείναν, glory. “preach healing,” that is, prescribe something that would heal the people from the disaster that befell them. LXX, apparently, wanted to convey only the thought of the original. “Gather the elders”: the prophet singles out the elders from the mass of the people, partly expressing respect for them, partly indicating that everyone should be called to the church. Joel.1:15. Oh, what a day! for the day of the Lord is at hand; like desolation from the Almighty he will come. "Oh, what a day!" (ahah lajom) etc.: this is not an exclamation that the prophet puts into the mouth of the priests or the people (Justi), but an indication of the reason why fasting and assembly should be appointed. LXX, for greater expressiveness, the interjection ahah (alas, oh!) was translated three times, and lajom was understood in the sense of indicating time; from here to glory. “woe is me, woe is me, woe is me in the day.” “For the day of the Lord is near” (Heb. karov): the prophet is not talking about the devastation of the country by locusts (according to Justice it is near), but about the day of Divine judgment for the whole world. In the invasion of locusts the prophet sees a foreshadowing or even the beginning of this judgment. “As desolation from the Almighty he will come:”, keschod mischschaddaj javö LXX instead of mischschaddaj read mischschod; therefore in glory: “and as trouble will come from trouble.” Joel.1:16. Isn’t food being taken away before our eyes, and joy and joy from the house of our God? In Joel.1, the prophet indicates the reason why we should expect the approach of the day of the Lord: the grave disaster that befell the country is a harbinger of this day. “Food is taken away,” glory. “taking food”, Heb. ochel nichroth – expresses the idea of ​​sudden devastation (nichroth – cut off). In Joel 1:17–20, the prophet describes another disaster that befell the country, namely the drought, from which the grain died, the grass was burned, the trees were scorched as if by fire, and the streams of water dried up. The description of the prophet is figurative. But all the images he used are so simple and natural that there is no need to interpret, together with some commentators (Ephraim the Syrian, Genst.), Joel.1:17–20 in an allegorical sense, about Jews and pagans. Joel.1:17. The grains were rotten under their clods, the granaries were empty, the storehouses were destroyed, for there was no bread. “They rotted the grain under their clods”: Heb. aygehu perudoth thachath megerephotheichem. (The initial words of Joel.1 excluding thachtah) represent ἁπαξ λεγόμ, the meaning of which is controversial. Therefore, these words are translated differently, namely: in the LXX - ἐσκίρτησαν δαμάλεις ἐπί ταῖς φάτναις αὺτων, glory. “the young girls jumped up at their mangers”; in Aquila – ηυρωτίασε σιτοδοχεῖα ἀπο τῶν χρισμάτων αυτῶν, “the granary became moldy from their ointments”, in the Vulgate – computruerunt pementa in stercore suo, “the cattle rotted in their dung.” Adopted in Russian Bib. the translation has on its side authoritative Hebraists (Wünsche, Novav). “The granaries were empty”, Greek. ηφανίσθησαν θυσαυροὶ, glory. “destroyed the treasure” (i.e., the treasury). “The storerooms were destroyed” – Heb. nehersu mammguroth: LXX instead of the last word they apparently read giththoth, sharpening, and therefore translated κατεσκάφησαν ληνοὶ, “dig up the sharpening.” “For there was no bread”: in glory. “Like the taller wheat.” Joel 1:18 How the cattle groan! Herds of oxen walk sadly, for there is no pasture for them; The flocks of sheep are also languishing. “How the cattle groan!” mah neenchah behemah: at LXX τὶ ἀποθησομεν ἑαυτοῖσ, slav. “what do we put ourselves” . To explain the difference between Heb. and Greek texts or suggest corruption of Hebrew. i.e. or an error on the part of LXX. According to the LXX translation, the beginning of Joel 1:18 poses the question: what should we do in such a disaster? Joel.1:19. To You, Lord, I cry; for the fire devoured the green pastures of the desert, and the flames consumed all the trees of the field. “Fire (esch) devoured the green pastures of the desert” (neoth midbar). The prophet figuratively speaks of the unbearable heat of the sun, which dried out all the vegetation. Further, the prophet calls this heat a flame (cf. Am 7.4; Is 9.17, 18). – Heb. midbar means any generally treeless space, both a steppe covered with thick grass (Jer 9.10, 23:10) and a bare desert (Isa. 32.15, 35:1) Joel.1:19 is better understood as midbar in the first meaning. In glory instead of “green pastures” the desert is read “red desert”, since the LXX word neoth in many cases was understood in the sense of an adjective (cf. Lamentations 2.2; Ps 22.2) and translated into words. ωραῖος, blooming, beautiful. You might be interested in: