Joel 2 · Verse 17

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?
Joel 2:17, King James Version

Joel 2:17 in other translations

BSBLet the priests who minister before the LORD weep between the portico and the altar, saying, “Spare Your people, O LORD, and do not make Your heritage a reproach, an object of scorn among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”
WEBLet the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, “Spare your people, LORD, and don’t give your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”
ASVLet the priests, the ministers of Jehovah, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Jehovah, and give not thy heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the peoples, Where is their God?
YLTBetween the porch and the altar weep let the priests, ministrants of Jehovah, And let them say: ‘Have pity, O Jehovah, on Thy people, And give not Thy inheritance to reproach, To the ruling over them of nations, Why do they say among peoples, Where is their God?'
DARBYLet the priests, the ministers of Jehovah, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare, O Jehovah, thy people, and give not thine inheritance to reproach, that they should be a byword of the nations. Wherefore should they say among the peoples, Where is their God?
BBELet the priests, the servants of the Lord, be weeping between the covered way and the altar, and let them say, Have mercy on your people, O Lord, do not give up your heritage to shame, so that the nations become their rulers: why let them say among the peoples, Where is their God?
WebsterLet 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 thy heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: why should they say among the people, Where is their God?

What does Joel 2:17 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
17. between the porch and ... altar--the porch of Solomon's temple on the east (1Ki 6:3); the altar of burnt offerings in the court of the priests, before the porch (2Ch 8:12; compare Eze 8:16; Mt 23:35). The suppliants thus were to stand with their backs to the altar on which they had nothing to offer, their faces towards the place of the Shekinah presence. heathen should rule over them--This shows that not locusts, but human foes, are intended. The Margin translation, "use a byword against them," is not supported by the Hebrew. wherefore should they say ... Where is their God?--that is, do not for thine own honor's sake, let the heathen sneer at the God of Israel, as unable to save His people (Psa 79:10; 115:2).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 17 Let the priests - weep between the porch and the altar - The altar of burnt-offerings stood before the porch of the temple, 2Chr 8:12, and between them there was an open space of fifteen or twenty cubits. It was there that the priests prostrated themselves on such occasions. It was into this place that the priests brought the sacrifice or victim of atonement; and where the high priest laid his hands on the head of the victim confessing his sins. Let them say - The following was the form to be used on this occasion, "Spare thy people," etc. And if this be done with a rent heart, etc., "then will the Lord be jealous for his land, and pity his people," 2Chr 8:18. He will surely save, if ye seriously return to and penitently seek him.

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 2:17 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.

בֵּ֤יןbeinbetweenH996
הָאוּלָם֙ha.'u.Lamthe porchH197
וְלַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַve.la.miz.Be.achand to the altarH4196
יִבְכּוּ֙yiv.Kulet them weepH1058
הַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔יםha.Ko.ha.Nimthe priestsH3548
מְשָׁרְתֵ֖יme.sha.re.Tei[the] servants ofH8334
יְהוָ֑הYah.wehYahwehH3068
וְֽיֹאמְר֞וּve.yo.me.Ruand let them sayH559
ח֧וּסָהChu.sahhave compassion !H2347
יְהוָ֣הYah.wehO YahwehH3068
עַל\־'al-onH5921
עַמֶּ֗ךָ'a.Me.khapeople yourH5971
וְאַל\־ve.'al-and may notH408
תִּתֵּ֨ןti.Tenyou makeH5414
נַחֲלָתְךָ֤na.cha.la.te.Khainheritance yourH5159
לְחֶרְפָּה֙le.cher.Pahinto a reproachH2781
לִמְשָׁל\־lim.shol-to mockH4910
בָּ֣םbamon <the> them
גּוֹיִ֔םgo.YimnationsH1471
לָ֚מָּהLa.mah<to> why?H4100
יֹאמְר֣וּyo.me.Ruwill people sayH559
בָֽעַמִּ֔יםva.'a.Mimamong the peoplesH5971
אַיֵּ֖ה'ai.Yehwhere?H346
אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם\׃'e.lo.hei.Hem[is] God theirH430

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

Cross references for Joel 2:17

  • Psalms 115:2

    Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?

  • Psalms 79:10

    Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed.

  • Ezekiel 8:16

    And he brought me into the inner court of the Lord’s house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.

  • Hosea 14:2

    Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.

  • Exodus 34:9

    And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.

  • Daniel 9:18-19

    O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.

  • Joel 1:9

    The meat offering and the drink offering is cut off from the house of the Lord; the priests, the Lord’s ministers, mourn.

  • Amos 7:2

    And it came to pass, that when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, O Lord God, forgive, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small.

  • 1 Kings 6:3

    And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house; and ten cubits was the breadth thereof before the house.

  • Matthew 23:35

    That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

  • Psalms 42:10

    As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?

  • Psalms 89:41

    All that pass by the way spoil him: he is a reproach to his neighbours.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the priests.
1:9,13
between.
1Ki 6:3; 2Ch 8:12; Eze 8:16; Mt 23:35
and let.
Ho 14:2
Spare.
Ex 32:11-13; 34:9; De 9:16-29; Isa 37:20; 64:9-12; Da 9:18,19
Am 7:2,5; Mal 1:9
and give.
Ps 44:10-14; 74:10,18-23; 79:4; 89:41,51; Eze 36:4-7
that.
Ne 9:36; Isa 63:17-19
rule over them. or, use a byword against them.
De 28:37; 1Ki 9:7; 2Ch 7:20; Ps 44:14
wherefore.
Nu 14:14-16; De 32:27; Ps 42:10; 79:10; 115:2; Eze 20:9; Mic 7:10
Mt 27:43

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

Context

  • 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?

  • Joel 2:18

    Then will the Lord be jealous for his land, and pity his people.

Read all of Joel 2

Joel 2:17 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Entre la entrada y el altar, lloren los sacerdotes, ministros de Jehová, y digan: Perdona, oh Jehová, á tu pueblo, y no pongas en oprobio tu heredad, para que las gentes se enseñoreen de ella. ¿Por qué han de decir entre los pueblos: Dónde está su Dios?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
que les sacrificateurs, les serviteurs de l’ Éternel, pleurent entre le portique et l’autel, et qu’ils disent: Épargne ton peuple, ô Éternel, et ne livre pas ton héritage à l’opprobre, en sorte qu’ils soient le proverbe des nations. Pourquoi dirait-on parmi les peuples: Où est leur Dieu?
German
Elberfelder 1871
Die Priester, die Diener Jehovas, sollen weinen zwischen der Halle und dem Altar und sprechen: Schone, Jehova, deines Volkes und gib nicht dein Erbteil der Schmähung hin, daß sie den Nationen zur Spottrede seien! Warum soll man unter den Völkern sagen: Wo ist ihr Gott?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Inter vestibulum et altare plorabunt sacerdotes, ministri Domini, et dicent: Parce, Domine, parce populo tuo; et ne des hæreditatem tuam in opprobrium, ut dominentur eis nationes. Quare dicunt in populis: Ubi est Deus eorum?