“The word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.”
Planted. Septuagint, “Bathuel.” He was born in the tribe of Gad, at Bethaven, the town which Herod styles Livias, Josue xiii. 27. (Calmet)
“Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers?”
Men. Magistrates, and all who have children. (Haydock) He speaks to Juda, as the kingdom of Israel was ruined, chap. iii. 2. His principal object is to describe the ravages of locusts, and to exhort the people to repent, promising them better times after the captivity, and under the Messias, chap. ii. 28., and iii. 20. (Calmet)
“Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.”
Generation. Prophecies relate to all future times, that people may see their accomplishment, (Worthington) and believe. (Haydock)
“That 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. That which the palmerworm: Heb. The residue of the palmerworm”
Left, &c. Some understand this literally of the desolation of the land by these insects: others understand it of the different invasions of the Chaldeans, or other enemies. (Challoner) — Jerusalem was four times plundered by the Babylonians, and every time worse than before, as these four sorts of destructive things shew. But we shall not enlarge upon these points, nor pursue the mystical sense of the prophets, which may be found in the fathers and Ribera. (Worthington) — Others suppose that the Assyrians, Chaldeans, Greeks, (particularly Epiphanes) and Romans, are meant. We explain it simply of the devastation by insects. (Calmet) — Four different species of locusts are denoted. (Bochart, p. 2. b. iv. 1.) — Mildew. Hebrew chasil, (Haydock) is often rendered “a locust,” by [the] Septuagint, (chap. ii. 25., &c.) and most suppose this is here the sense. The mildew destroys corn chiefly in low damp situations. (Calmet)
“Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth.”
Sweet. Hebrew, “wine, because of the sweet wine,” (Haydock) or liquors extracted from fruit. The things which you have abused, are now taken away.
“For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion.”
Nations. Some understand the Assyrians or Chaldeans. But locusts are here styled a nation, Proverbs xxx. 25. — Lion. Such locusts are described, Apocalypse ix. 8. (Calmet) — “In India they are said to be three feet long, and their legs and thighs are used for saws when dried.” (Pliny, [Natural History?] xi. 29.) — They were attacked by regular troops in Syria. (Pliny, [Natural History?] xi. 29.)
“Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth.”
Youth, whom she espoused first. Such are more tenderly loved, particularly where polygamy prevails. (Calmet) — So Dido speaks of Sichæus, Virgil, Æneid iv.:
“The meat offering and the drink offering is cut off from the house of the LORD; the priests, the LORD'S ministers, mourn.”
Lord. No harvest being reaped, the fruits could not be paid. Yet it is thought that what was requisite for sacrifice, would be procured from other countries. (Calmet) — When Jerusalem was destroyed, sacrifices ceased. (Worthington)
“The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men.”
Withered. The bite of the locust corrupts the juice of plants.
“Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God.”
Go in to the temple, or sleep on sackcloth, Judith iv. 9. (Calmet)
“Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD, solemn: or, day of restraint”
Sanctify. Appoint (Haydock) or proclaim a general fast, as was usual in such emergencies, 3 Kings xxi. 9., and 2 Paralipomenon xx. 3. Fasting and other good works are calculated to appease God’s wrath. (Worthington)
“Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.”
Day. Hebrew ahah layom: (Haydock) “Ah, what a day!” — Mighty. Septuagint, “destruction.” They have read in a different manner. God is about to give sentence, (Calmet) and to send Nabuchodonosor, (St. Jerome) or to destroy by famine, ver. 17.
“Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness from the house of our God?”
God. None can bring the first-fruits. All appear in mourning.
“The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered. seed: Heb. grains”
Dung. Horse-dung dried for bedding, was used in the East instead of straw, (Busb. 3.) as it is still by the Arabs. (Darvieux 11.) — Hebrew, “the seeds are rotten under their clods,” (Haydock) finding no moisture. Septuagint, “the cows have stamped in their stalls;” or Syriac, “remain without food in their cribs.” Chaldean, “the pitchers of wine have been corrupted under their covers,” as there was no new wine. (Calmet) — Houses. Hebrew mammeguroth. Protestants, “barns, (Haydock) or country houses;” which means cabins erected for the season, (Ruth ii. 7.) the Magaria (Calmet) or Mopalia of the Africans. (St. Jerome pref. Amos.) — Septuagint, “the wine presses.” Wine and corn were preserved in pits carefully covered over, Aggeus ii. 20. These fell to decay, as there was no use for them.
“O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field. pastures: or, habitations”
Places. Hebrew, “dwellings,” or shepherds’ huts. — Wilderness, denoting all pasture land unploughed.
“The beasts of the field cry also unto thee: for the rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.”
Up, as if to pray for rain, Jeremias xiv. 6. (Calmet) — Hebrew, “cry,” (Haydock) or “pant.” — As….rain is not in Hebrew or Septuagint. (Calmet)