Joel 3:2
I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning My people, My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations as they divided up My land.
I will gather
The phrase "I will gather" signifies a divine initiative and sovereign action by God. The Hebrew root word used here is "קָבַץ" (qavats), which means to collect or assemble. This gathering is not a random occurrence but a purposeful act by God, indicating His control over the nations and history. It reflects the biblical theme of God as the ultimate orchestrator of events, bringing together the nations for a specific purpose.

all the nations
This phrase emphasizes the universality of God's judgment. The Hebrew word for nations is "גּוֹיִם" (goyim), often used to refer to Gentile nations. In the context of Joel, it underscores the idea that God's judgment is not limited to Israel but extends to all peoples. This reflects the biblical narrative that God is the God of all creation, and His justice is comprehensive.

and bring them down
The action of bringing down the nations suggests a humbling or subduing. The Hebrew verb "יָרַד" (yarad) means to descend or bring down. This conveys the idea of God exercising His authority to lower the pride of the nations, bringing them to a place of accountability. It is a reminder of the biblical principle that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

to the Valley of Jehoshaphat
The "Valley of Jehoshaphat" is a symbolic location for divine judgment. The name Jehoshaphat means "Yahweh judges" in Hebrew, combining "יְהוֹ" (Yah) and "שָׁפַט" (shaphat). While the exact geographical location is debated, the valley represents a place where God will execute His righteous judgment. It serves as a metaphor for the final judgment, where God will hold the nations accountable for their actions.

There I will enter into judgment
This phrase indicates a legal proceeding where God acts as the judge. The Hebrew word "שָׁפַט" (shaphat) means to judge or govern. It highlights God's role as the righteous judge who evaluates the actions of the nations. This judgment is not arbitrary but based on divine justice and righteousness, reflecting God's character as just and fair.

against them concerning My people
The phrase "concerning My people" underscores the special relationship between God and Israel. The Hebrew word for people is "עַם" (am), often used to denote a covenant community. This highlights the covenantal aspect of God's relationship with Israel, where He acts on their behalf. It serves as a reminder of God's faithfulness to His promises and His protective nature over His chosen people.

My inheritance, Israel
The term "inheritance" signifies something precious and valuable. The Hebrew word "נַחֲלָה" (nachalah) refers to a possession or heritage. Israel is depicted as God's treasured possession, emphasizing their unique status among the nations. This reflects the biblical theme of Israel as God's chosen people, set apart for His purposes and glory.

whom they scattered among the nations
This phrase refers to the historical dispersion of the Israelites. The Hebrew verb "פּוּץ" (puts) means to scatter or disperse. It acknowledges the reality of the exile and the scattering of God's people due to disobedience. However, it also points to God's redemptive plan to gather and restore His people, demonstrating His mercy and grace.

as they divided up My land
The division of the land signifies an act of defiance against God's sovereignty. The Hebrew verb "חָלַק" (chalaq) means to divide or apportion. The land of Israel is seen as God's land, given to His people as an inheritance. The division by the nations is an affront to God's authority and ownership, highlighting the need for divine intervention and justice.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Nations
Refers to the Gentile nations that have opposed Israel. In the context of Joel, these are the nations that have scattered the Israelites and divided their land.

2. The Valley of Jehoshaphat
A symbolic location for divine judgment. The name "Jehoshaphat" means "Yahweh judges" in Hebrew, indicating a place where God will execute His judgment.

3. God (Yahweh)
The sovereign judge who gathers the nations for judgment. His actions reflect His covenant relationship with Israel.

4. Israel
God's chosen people, referred to as "My people" and "My inheritance." They have been wronged by the nations, prompting divine intervention.

5. The Scattering and Division
Historical events where Israel was exiled and their land divided, often seen as a result of disobedience but also as actions by hostile nations.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty in Judgment
God is the ultimate judge of nations and individuals. His judgments are righteous and based on His covenant promises.

The Importance of Israel in God's Plan
Israel holds a special place in God's redemptive history. Understanding this helps us see the continuity of God's promises from the Old Testament to the New Testament.

The Consequences of Injustice
The scattering and division of Israel serve as a reminder of the consequences of injustice and disobedience. Nations and individuals are accountable to God for their actions.

Hope in God's Justice
For believers, God's judgment is not only about punishment but also about the restoration of justice and righteousness. This gives hope for a future where wrongs are made right.

Call to Align with God's Purposes
As Christians, we are called to align ourselves with God's purposes, which includes supporting His people and standing against injustice.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the concept of God gathering the nations for judgment in Joel 3:2 challenge or affirm your understanding of God's sovereignty?

2. In what ways can the historical scattering and division of Israel serve as a warning or lesson for contemporary nations and societies?

3. How does the Valley of Jehoshaphat as a place of judgment relate to the final judgment described in the New Testament?

4. What practical steps can you take to support God's purposes for Israel and His people today?

5. How can the hope of God's ultimate justice influence your response to injustice in the world around you?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Zechariah 14
Describes a future day of the Lord when nations will gather against Jerusalem, but God will fight for His people.

Matthew 25:31-46
Jesus speaks of the final judgment of the nations, where they are judged based on their treatment of "the least of these," which can be seen as a parallel to God's judgment in Joel.

Revelation 16:16
Refers to the gathering of nations at Armageddon, a place of final battle and judgment, similar to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.
The Persecution of Good MenD. Thomas Joel 3:1-8
RetributionJ.R. Thomson Joel 3:2-8
People
Grecians, Javan, Jehoshaphat, Joel, Zidon
Places
Edom, Egypt, Jerusalem, Philistia, Sidon, Tyre, Valley of Jehoshaphat, Valley of Shittim, Zion
Topics
Account, Apportioned, Behalf, Bring, Cause, Caused, Divided, Enter, Execute, Gather, Gathered, Heritage, Inheritance, Jehoshaphat, Jehosh'aphat, Judged, Judgment, Nations, Parted, Plead, Scattered, Valley, Wandering
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Joel 3:2

     5424   nationalism
     7141   people of God, OT

Joel 3:1-2

     4290   valleys
     7212   exile

Joel 3:1-8

     6125   condemnation, divine

Joel 3:2-3

     7392   lots, casting of

Library
The Gospel Day Seen in Prophecy.
Upon reading the account of man's creation in the first chapters of Genesis we conclude that he enjoyed perfect peace and happiness. From the beautiful description given there of the garden of Eden--man's abode--we understand that God was interested in his felicity. In the nature of created things he could retain this happiness only by obedience to the Creator's laws. By a subtle foe he was induced to transgress those laws and thus became acquainted with sin and sorrow. After the transgression he
Charles Ebert Orr—The Gospel Day

Whether the Judgment Will Take Place in the Valley of Josaphat?
Objection 1: It would seem that the judgment will not take place in the valley of Josaphat or in the surrounding locality. For at least it will be necessary for those to be judged to stand on the ground, and those alone to be raised aloft whose business it will be to judge. But the whole land of promise would not be able to contain the multitude of those who are to be judged. Therefore it is impossible for the judgment to take place in the neighborhood of that valley. Objection 2: Further, to Christ
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Post-Millennialism Refuted.
The post-millennial position rests largely upon a mis-translation. In Matt. 13:39 we read "The harvest is the end of the world," and again in Matt. 24:3--"And as He sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?" Now the Greek word which is used in the above passages is entirely different from the one found in John 3:16--"God so loved the Kosmos." In the verses
Arthur W. Pink—The Redeemer's Return

The Battle of Armageddon.
The Battle of Armageddon! What extravagant speculations have been indulged concerning it! What unscriptural theories have been entertained respecting it! To begin with; this appears from the term employed. Nowhere in the Bible do we read of "The Battle of Armageddon." The Scriptural expression is "The Battle of that great day of God Almighty" (Rev. 16:14). This Battle of the great day of God Almighty will bring the Tribulation period to a close and will witness the return of Christ to the earth to
Arthur W. Pink—The Redeemer's Return

The Twelve Minor Prophets.
1. By the Jewish arrangement, which places together the twelve minor prophets in a single volume, the chronological order of the prophets as a whole is broken up. The three greater prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, stand in the true order of time. Daniel began to prophesy before Ezekiel, but continued, many years after him. The Jewish arrangement of the twelve minor prophets is in a sense chronological; that is, they put the earlier prophets at the beginning, and the later at the end of the
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

The Valley of Hinnom.
A great part of the valley of Kedron was called also the 'Valley of Hinnom.' Jeremiah, going forth into the valley of Hinnom, went out by the gate "Hacharsith, the Sun-gate," Jeremiah 19:2; that is, the Rabbins and others being interpreters, 'by the East-gate.' For thence was the beginning of the valley of Hinnom, which, after some space, bending itself westward, ran out along the south side of the city. There is no need to repeat those very many things, which are related of this place in the Old
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

The Prophecy of Obadiah.
We need not enter into details regarding the question as to the time when the prophet wrote. By a thorough argumentation, Caspari has proved, that he occupies his right position in the Canon, and hence belongs to the earliest age of written prophecy, i.e., to the time of Jeroboam II. and Uzziah. As bearing conclusively against those who would assign to him a far later date, viz., the time of the exile, there is not only the indirect testimony borne by the place which this prophecy occupies in
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Exposition of Chap. Iii. (ii. 28-32. )
Ver. 1. "And it shall come to pass, afterwards, I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions." The communication of the Spirit of God was the constant prerogative of the Covenant-people. Indeed, the very idea of such a people necessarily requires it. For the Spirit of God is the only inward bond betwixt Him and that which is created; a Covenant-people, therefore, without such an inward
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

The Great Assize
[i.e., The Last Judgment -- GL] [21] "We shall all stand before the judgement-seat of Christ." Rom. 14:10. 1. How many circumstances concur to raise the awfulness of the present solemnity! -- The general concourse of people of every age, sex, rank, and condition of life, willingly or unwillingly gathered together, not only from the neighboring, but from distant, parts; criminals, speedily to be brought forth and having no way to escape; officers, waiting in their various posts, to execute the orders
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions

The Figurative Language of Scripture.
1. When the psalmist says: "The Lord God is a sun and shield" (Psa. 84:11), he means that God is to all his creatures the source of life and blessedness, and their almighty protector; but this meaning he conveys under the figure of a sun and a shield. When, again, the apostle James says that Moses is read in the synagogues every Sabbath-day (Acts 15:21), he signifies the writings of Moses under the figure of his name. In these examples the figure lies in particular words. But it may be embodied
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

On the Various Names and Titles
Man is the total human or the mind; in Genesis: God made man after His own image and likeness. And in a bad part of the psalm: arise, o Lord, let not man prevail, here is flesh or the devil. [Gen. 1:27; Ps. 9:20(19)] The man is the spirit, that is, the mind; in the apostle: man is the head of woman. Man is the same in a bad part of Genesis: the virgin was fair of face and not known to any man, that is, the devil, who corrupts the mind greatly with imagining. [I Cor. 11:3; Gen. 24:16-18] The woman
St. Eucherius of Lyons—The Formulae of St. Eucherius of Lyons

Of the True Church. Duty of Cultivating Unity with Her, as the Mother of all the Godly.
1. The church now to be considered. With her God has deposited whatever is necessary to faith and good order. A summary of what is contained in this Book. Why it begins with the Church. 2. In what sense the article of the Creed concerning the Church is to be understood. Why we should say, "I believe the Church," not "I believe in the Church." The purport of this article. Why the Church is called Catholic or Universal. 3. What meant by the Communion of Saints. Whether it is inconsistent with various
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

The Gospel Feast
"When Jesus then lifted up His eyes, and saw a great company come unto Him, He saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat?"--John vi. 5. After these words the Evangelist adds, "And this He said to prove him, for He Himself knew what He would do." Thus, you see, our Lord had secret meanings when He spoke, and did not bring forth openly all His divine sense at once. He knew what He was about to do from the first, but He wished to lead forward His disciples, and to arrest and
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII

Discourse on Spiritual Food and True Discipleship. Peter's Confession.
(at the Synagogue in Capernaum.) ^D John VI. 22-71. ^d 22 On the morrow [the morrow after Jesus fed the five thousand] the multitude that stood on the other side of the sea [on the east side, opposite Capernaum] saw that there was no other boat there, save one, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples went away alone 23 (howbeit there came boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they ate the bread after that the Lord had given thanks): 24 when the multitude
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

On Earthly Things
The earth is man himself; in the gospel: another has fallen into the good earth. The same in a bad part about the sinner: you devour the earth all the days of your life. [Mark 4:18; Genesis 3:14] The dry lands are the flesh of a fruitless man; in Ecclesiastes, to work in a dry land with evil and sorrow. [Ecclesiastes 37:3] The dust is a sinner or the vanity of the flesh; in the psalm: like the dust, which the wind blows about. [Ps. 1:4 Vulgate] The mud is the gluttony of sinners; in the psalm: tear
St. Eucherius of Lyons—The Formulae of St. Eucherius of Lyons

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners Or, a Brief Relation of the Exceeding Mercy of God in Christ, to his Poor Servant, John Bunyan
In this my relation of the merciful working of God upon my soul, it will not be amiss, if in the first place, I do in a few words give you a hint of my pedigree, and manner of bringing up; that thereby the goodness and bounty of God towards me, may be the more advanced and magnified before the sons of men. 2. For my descent then, it was, as is well known by many, of a low and inconsiderable generation; my father's house being of that rank that is meanest, and most despised of all the families in
John Bunyan—Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners

Interpretation of Prophecy.
1. The scriptural idea of prophecy is widely removed from that of human foresight and presentiment. It is that of a revelation made by the Holy Spirit respecting the future, always in the interest of God's kingdom. It is no part of the plan of prophecy to gratify vain curiosity respecting "the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power." Acts 1:7. "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God"--this is its key-note. In its form it is carefully adapted to this great end.
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

The Work of Jesus Christ as an Advocate,
CLEARLY EXPLAINED, AND LARGELY IMPROVED, FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL BELIEVERS. 1 John 2:1--"And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." By JOHN BUNYAN, Author of "The Pilgrim's Progress." London: Printed for Dorman Newman, at the King's Arms, in the Poultry, 1689. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. This is one of the most interesting of Bunyan's treatises, to edit which required the Bible at my right hand, and a law dictionary on my left. It was very frequently republished;
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Memoir of John Bunyan
THE FIRST PERIOD. THIS GREAT MAN DESCENDED FROM IGNOBLE PARENTS--BORN IN POVERTY--HIS EDUCATION AND EVIL HABITS--FOLLOWS HIS FATHER'S BUSINESS AS A BRAZIER--ENLISTS FOR A SOLDIER--RETURNS FROM THE WARS AND OBTAINS AN AMIABLE, RELIGIOUS WIFE--HER DOWER. 'We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.'--2 Cor 4:7 'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.'--Isaiah 55:8. 'Though ye have lien among the
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Joel
The book of Joel admirably illustrates the intimate connection which subsisted for the prophetic mind between the sorrows and disasters of the present and the coming day of Jehovah: the one is the immediate harbinger of the other. In an unusually devastating plague of locusts, which, like an army of the Lord,[1] has stripped the land bare and brought misery alike upon city and country, man and beast--"for the beasts of the field look up sighing unto Thee," i. 20--the prophet sees the forerunner of
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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