Joel 2 · Verse 18

Joel 2:18

Then will the Lord be jealous for his land, and pity his people.
Joel 2:18, King James Version

Joel 2:18 in other translations

BSBThen the LORD became jealous for His land, and He spared His people.
WEBThen the LORD was jealous for his land, and had pity on his people.
ASVThen was Jehovah jealous for his land, and had pity on his people.
YLTAnd let Jehovah be zealous for His land, And have pity on His people.
DARBYThen Jehovah will be jealous for his land, and will have pity on his people.
BBEThen the Lord had a care for the honour of his land and had pity on his people.
WebsterThen will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people.

What does Joel 2:18 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
18. Then--when God sees His people penitent. be jealous for his land--as a husband jealous of any dishonor done to the wife whom he loves, as if done to himself. The Hebrew comes from an Arabic root, "to be flushed in face" through indignation.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · 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 2:18 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.

וַיְקַנֵּ֥אvay.ka.Ne'and he became jealousH7065
יְהוָ֖הYah.wehYahwehH3068
לְאַרְצ֑וֹle.'ar.Tzofor land hisH776
וַיַּחְמֹ֖לvai.yach.Moland he had compassionH2550
עַל\־'al-onH5921
עַמּֽוֹ\׃a.Mopeople hisH5971

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

Cross references for Joel 2:18

  • Zechariah 8:2

    Thus saith the Lord of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury.

  • Psalms 103:13

    Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.

  • Zechariah 1:14

    So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.

  • James 5:11

    Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

  • Lamentations 3:22

    It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

  • Isaiah 63:15

    Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: where is thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies toward me? are they restrained?

  • Isaiah 63:9

    In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.

  • Isaiah 60:10

    And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.

  • Luke 15:20

    And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

  • Jeremiah 31:20

    Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord.

  • Judges 10:16

    And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the Lord: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.

  • Deuteronomy 32:36

    For the Lord shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
be.
Isa 42:13; Zec 1:14; 8:2
and pity.
De 32:16,36,43; Jud 10:16; Ps 103:13,17; Isa 60:10; 63:9,15
Jer 31:20; La 3:22; Ho 11:8,9; Lu 15:20; Jas 5:11

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

Context

  • 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.

  • Joel 2:19

    Yea, the Lord will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen:

Read all of Joel 2

Joel 2:18 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y Jehová celará su tierra, y perdonará su pueblo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Alors l’ Éternel sera jaloux pour son pays, et aura pitié de son peuple.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Dann eifert Jehova für sein Land, und er hat Mitleid mit seinem Volke.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Zelatus est Dominus terram suam, et pepercit populo suo.