Joel 3 · Verse 9

Joel 3:9

Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:

Joel 3:9, King James Version

Joel 3:9 in other translations

BSB	Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war; rouse the mighty men; let all the men of war advance and attack!
WEB	Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war! Stir up the mighty men. Let all the warriors draw near. Let them come up.
ASV	Proclaim ye this among the nations; prepare war; stir up the mighty men; let all the men of war draw near, let them come up.
YLT	Proclaim ye this among nations, Sanctify a war, stir up the mighty ones, Come nigh, come up, let all the men of war.
DARBY	Proclaim this among the nations: prepare war, arouse the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up.
BBE	Give this out among the nations; make ready for war: get the strong men awake; let all the men of war come near, let them come up.
Webster	Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:

What does Joel 3:9 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

9. The nations hostile to Israel are summoned by Jehovah to "come up" (this phrase is used because Jerusalem was on a hill) against Jerusalem, not that they may destroy it, but to be destroyed by the Lord (Eze 38:7-23; Zec 12:2-9; 14:2, 3). Prepare war--literally, sanctify war: because the heathen always began war with religious ceremonies. The very phrase used of Babylon's preparations against Jerusalem (Jr 6:4) is now used of the final foes of Jerusalem. As Babylon was then desired by God to advance against her for her destruction, so now all her foes, of whom Babylon was the type, are desired to advance against her for their own destruction.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 9 Prepare war - Let all the enemies of God and of his people join together; let them even call all the tillers of the ground to their assistance, instead of laboring in the field; let every peasant become a soldier. Let them turn their agricultural implements into offensive weapons, so that the weak, being well armed, may confidently say, I am strong: yet, when thus collected and armed, Jehovah will bring down thy mighty ones; for so the clause in Joe 3:11 should be rendered.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Joel 3:9-17

Here is a challenge to all the enemies of God's people. There is no escaping God's judgments; hardened sinners, in that day of wrath, shall be cut off from all comfort and joy. Most of the prophets foretell the same final victory of the church of God over all that oppose it. To the wicked it will be a terrible day, but to the righteous it will be a joyful day. What cause have those who possess an interest in Christ, to glory in their Strength and their Redeemer! The acceptable year of the Lord, a day of such great favour to some, will be a day of remarkable vengeance to others: let every one that is out of Christ awake, and flee from the wrath to come.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Joel 3:9 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.

קִרְאוּ\־kir.'u-proclaimH7121

זֹאת֙zoTthisH2063

בַּגּוֹיִ֔םba.go.Yimamong the nationsH1471

קַדְּשׁ֖וּka.de.ShuconsecrateH6942

מִלְחָמָ֑הmil.cha.Maha warH4421

הָעִ֙ירוּ֙ha.'I.rurouseH5782

הַגִּבּוֹרִ֔יםha.gi.bo.Rimthe warriorsH1368

יִגְּשׁ֣וּyi.ge.Shulet them draw nearH5066

יַֽעֲל֔וּya.'a.Lulet them go upH5927

כֹּ֖לkolallH3605

אַנְשֵׁ֥י'an.Shei[the] men ofH582

הַמִּלְחָמָֽה\׃ha.mil.cha.Mah<the> warH4421

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

Cross references for Joel 3:9

Jeremiah 46:3-4
Order ye the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle. Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, and put on the brigandines.
Ezekiel 38:7
Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
Isaiah 8:9-10
Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.
Jeremiah 31:10
Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.
Jeremiah 50:2
Declare ye among the nations, and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and conceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is broken in pieces; her idols are confounded, her images are broken in pieces.
Psalms 96:10
Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.
Isaiah 34:1
Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it.
Ezekiel 21:21-22
For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver. At his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem, to appoint captains, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to appoint battering rams against the gates, to cast a mount, and to build a fort.
Micah 3:5
Thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Proclaim.
Ps 96:10; Isa 34:1; Jer 31:10; 50:2
Prepare. Heb sanctify.
Eze 21:21,22
wake.
Isa 8:9,10; Jer 46:3,4; Eze 38:7

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

Context

Joel 3:8
And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off: for the Lord hath spoken it.
Joel 3:9
Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:
Joel 3:10
Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.

Read all of Joel 3

Joel 3:9 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Pregonad esto entre las gentes, proclamad guerra, despertad á los valientes, lléguense, vengan todos los hombres de guerra.
German Elberfelder 1871	Rufet dieses aus unter den Nationen, heiliget einen Krieg erwecket die Helden; es sollen herankommen und heraufziehen alle Kriegsmänner!
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Clamate hoc in gentibus, sanctificate bellum, suscitate robustos: accedant, ascendant omnes viri bellatores.