Joel 2 · Verse 16

Joel 2:16

Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
Joel 2:16, King James Version

Joel 2:16 in other translations

BSBGather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the aged, gather the children, even those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber.
WEBGather the people. Sanctify the assembly. Assemble the elders. Gather the children, and those who nurse from breasts. Let the bridegroom go out of his room, and the bride out of her chamber.
ASVgather the people, sanctify the assembly, assemble the old men, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts; let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
YLTGather the people, sanctify an assembly, Assemble the aged, Gather infants and sucklings of the breasts, Go out let a bridegroom from his inner chamber, And a bride out of her closet.
DARBYgather the people, hallow the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts; let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, and the bride from her closet.
BBEGet the people together, make the mass of the people holy, send for the old men, get together the children and babies at the breast: let the newly married man come out of his room and the bride from her tent.
WebsterGather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.

What does Joel 2:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
16. sanctify the congregation--namely, by expiatory rites and purification with water [Calvin], (Ex 19:10, 22). Maurer translates, "appoint a solemn assembly," which would be a tautological repetition of Joe 2:15. elders ... children--No age was to be excepted (2Ch 20:13). bridegroom--ordinarily exempted from public duties (De 24:5; compare 1Co 7:5, 29). closet--or, nuptial bed, from a Hebrew root "to cover," referring to the canopy over it.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 16 Gather the children - Let all share in the humiliation, for all must feel the judgment, should it come. Let no state nor condition among the people be exempted. The elders, the young persons, the infants, the bridegroom, and the bride; let all leave their houses, and go to the temple of God.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Joel 2:15-27

The priests and rulers are to appoint a solemn fast. The sinner's supplication is, Spare us, good Lord. God is ready to succour his people; and he waits to be gracious. They prayed that God would spare them, and he answered them. His promises are real answers to the prayers of faith; with him saying and doing are not two things. Some understand these promises figuratively, as pointing to gospel grace, and as…

Read the full comment on Joel 2:15-27 →

Joel 2:16 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

אִסְפוּ\־'is.fu-gatherH622
עָ֞ם'am[the] peopleH5971
קַדְּשׁ֤וּka.de.ShuconsecrateH6942
קָהָל֙ka.Halan assemblyH6951
קִבְצ֣וּkiv.TzugatherH6908
זְקֵנִ֔יםze.ke.Nim[the] eldersH2205
אִסְפוּ֙'is.FugatherH622
עֽוֹלָלִ֔יםo.la.LimchildrenH5768
וְיֹנְקֵ֖יve.yo.ne.Keiand suckling-children ofH3243
שָׁדָ֑יִםsha.Da.yimbreastsH7699
יֵצֵ֤אye.Tze'let him go outH3318
חָתָן֙cha.Tan[the] bridegroomH2860
מֵֽחֶדְר֔וֹme.ched.Rofrom room hisH2315
וְכַלָּ֖הve.kha.Lahand [the] brideH3618
מֵחֻפָּתָֽהּ\׃me.chu.pa.Tahfrom chamber herH2646

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Joel 2:16

  • 2 Chronicles 20:13

    And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.

  • 2 Chronicles 29:5

    And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place.

  • 1 Corinthians 7:5

    Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

  • 1 Samuel 16:5

    And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

  • Exodus 19:22

    And let the priests also, which come near to the Lord, sanctify themselves, lest the Lord break forth upon them.

  • Joel 1:14

    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,

  • Exodus 19:10

    And the Lord said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,

  • Zechariah 12:11-14

    In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.

  • Jonah 3:7-8

    And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.

  • Psalms 19:5

    Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.

  • Joshua 7:13

    Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.

  • Deuteronomy 29:10-11

    Ye stand this day all of you before the Lord your God; your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, with all the men of Israel, Your little ones, your wives, and thy stranger that is in thy camp, from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
sanctify.
Ex 19:10,15,22; Jos 7:13; 1Sa 16:5; 2Ch 29:5,23,24; 30:17,19; 35:6
Job 1:5
assemble.
1:14; De 29:10,11; 2Ch 20:13; Jon 3:7,8
let.
Zec 12:11-14; Mt 9:15; 1Co 7:5

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Joel 2:15

    Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:

  • Joel 2:16

    Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.

  • Joel 2:17

    Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?

Read all of Joel 2

Joel 2:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Reunid el pueblo, santificad la reunión, juntad los viejos, congregad los niños y los que maman: salga de su cámara el novio, y de su tálamo la novia.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
assemblez le peuple, sanctifiez la congrégation, réunissez les anciens, assemblez les enfants et ceux qui tètent les mamelles; que l’époux sorte de sa chambre, et l’épouse de sa chambre nuptiale;
German
Elberfelder 1871
Versammelt das Volk, heiliget eine Versammlung, bringet die Ältesten zusammen, versammelt die Kinder und die Säuglinge an den Brüsten; der Bräutigam trete aus seiner Kammer, und die Braut aus ihrem Gemach!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
congregate populum, sanctificate ecclesiam, coadunate senes, congregate parvulos, et sugentes ubera; egrediatur sponsus de cubili suo, et sponsa de thalamo suo.