TEXT [Commentary]

  B.   The Coming Judgment (3:1-8)

1 [*]“At the time of those events,” says the LORD,

“when I restore the prosperity of Judah and Jerusalem,

2 I will gather the armies of the world

into the valley of Jehoshaphat.[*]

There I will judge them

for harming my people, my special possession,

for scattering my people among the nations,

and for dividing up my land.

3 They threw dice[*] to decide which of my people

would be their slaves.

They traded boys to obtain prostitutes

and sold girls for enough wine to get drunk.

4 “What do you have against me, Tyre and Sidon and you cities of Philistia? Are you trying to take revenge on me? If you are, then watch out! I will strike swiftly and pay you back for everything you have done. 5 You have taken my silver and gold and all my precious treasures, and have carried them off to your pagan temples. 6 You have sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks,[*] so they could take them far from their homeland.

7 “But I will bring them back from all the places to which you sold them, and I will pay you back for everything you have done. 8 I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the people of Arabia,[*] a nation far away. I, the LORD, have spoken!”

NOTES

3:1 [4:1] At the time of those events. Lit., “indeed in those days and at that time.” The introductory formula affirms the temporal setting of the prophecy by linking it to the projected future promises that immediately precede it. “In those days and at that time” occurs elsewhere only in Jeremiah (Jer 33:15; 50:4).

when I restore the prosperity. The NLT rendering is reflected in many modern translations (e.g., “when I restore the fortunes,” NIV; cf. NASB, NRSV, NJB). Alternatively, many follow the lead of the ancient versions (LXX, Vulgate, Syriac) and KJV in reading something like “when I bring back the captivity/captives” (e.g., NKJV; cf. GW, La Sacra Biblia, La Sainte Bible, Die Heilige Schrift).

3:2 [4:2] armies of the world. The NLT reflects the sense of the MT, which reads “all nations.” The Lord’s decision to bring all nations to judgment is mentioned in Zeph 3:8 (see commentary; cf. Isa 66:18; Mic 4:12).

valley of Jehoshaphat. Because no such valley is mentioned elsewhere in the OT, the locality involved must derive its name (meaning “Yahweh has judged”) from the Lord’s determination to judge the forces of this world there. The name is thus a play on words symbolizing the divine activity in that place (cf. 3:12). Subsequently (3:14), it is called the valley of decision. Kapelrud (1948:144-148) speaks of a valley tradition involving judgment. To be noted are the valley of Ben-Hinnom (Jer 7:30-34; 19:1-7), the Valley of Vision (Isa 22:1-13), and the Valley of the Travelers, which becomes the Valley of Gog’s Hordes (Ezek 39:11).

harming . . . scattering . . . dividing. The syntax of the MT demands that the harming of God’s people Israel be understood as twofold: (1) scattering them among the nations and (2) dividing up their land. God reminds the guilty parties that both people and land were his (“my people,” “my land”).

3:3 [4:3] threw dice. Lit., “They cast lots” (cf. NLT mg). Obad 1:11 mentions Edom’s consent to foreigners casting lots over Jerusalem. Similarly, Nah 3:10 (see note) records the casting of lots for coveted slaves when Thebes was conquered.

my people would be their slaves. The Jewish people were to learn the reality of this prediction (cf. 1 Macc 3:41; 2 Macc 8:11, 25; Josephus Antiquities 12.298-299; War 6.414–419). The practice was commonplace in ancient times. See also Thucydides Peloponnesian War 3:50. Regrettably, already in OT times God’s covenant people themselves were not above engaging in such practices (1 Kgs 9:21; Amos 2:6; cf. Deut 24:7).

traded boys to obtain prostitutes and sold girls for . . . wine. Children were sold for the price of debauchery. Such deals, while reprehensible, were apparently commonplace in ancient times. In an ancient Phoenician inscription, King Kilamuwa speaks of a deal that he had made with an Assyrian king by citing a traditional proverb: “A maid for a lamb, a man for a garment” (for text and commentary, see Donner and Röllig 1966:I:5, line 8; II:31, line 33).

3:4 [4:4] Tyre and Sidon. The Phoenicians were well known as slave traders in the ancient world. In the early eighth century BC, the Phoenicians again rose to prominence as successful merchants. They were condemned by Israel’s prophets (Isa 23:1-18; Amos 1:9-10).

cities of Philistia? Joel correctly points out that the Philistines were noted for their independent cities, particularly the five cities of the Philistine Pentapolis, each of which was ruled by its own overlord: Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron, Gaza, and Gath. The Philistines were perennial adversaries of the Israelites, a situation that necessitated Uzziah’s campaigning against them in the eighth century BC (2 Chr 26:6-7). Amos (Amos 1:6) condemned the Philistines for their crime of enslavement.

3:5 [4:5] silver and gold . . . to your pagan temples. The charge is that of plundering Israel’s valuables, particularly their religious items. The word translated “temples” could also be rendered “palaces.” Perhaps both are intended.

3:6 [4:6] to the Greeks. The Greeks were known to be active in international trade from the middle of the eighth century onward. Their commercial enterprises covered a wide swath from the Black Sea to Italy. The Hebrew word here may indicate the Ionian Greeks who lived on both sides of the Aegean Sea, including what is now mainland Turkey. There the Greeks monopolized the major trade routes of the area. The Ionian Greeks were already known from Assyrian sources in the eighth century BC. According to Ezek 27:13, 19, the Ionian Greeks were involved with the Phoenicians in the despicable slave trade.

3:7 [4:7] I will bring them back . . . and I will pay you back. Once again, the promise of restoration from exile is heard (cf. Deut 30:3-5; Isa 11:11-12; 43:5-7; cf. commentary on Zeph 3:9-13). God repeats his intention to apply the principle of lex talionis to his enemies: As they have done, so it will be done to them.

3:8 [4:8] people of Arabia. Lit., “the Sabeans.” The land of Sheba, in southern Arabia, is mentioned in the OT in the days of Solomon (1 Kgs 10:1-13). Sabean trading enterprises are known to have taken place even earlier (Job 6:19; cf. Job 1:14-15; Ezek 27:22-24). Hubbard (1989:76-77) notes that “their penchant for caravan trading meant that slaves sold to them could ultimately be dispersed almost anywhere from the Indian Ocean to the East Coast of Africa.”

COMMENTARY [Text]

Building on the twin themes of hope and judgment in the preceding verses, Joel records in 3:1-8 God’s intention to bring the nations of this world to judgment. Gathering them together (cf. Zeph 3:8) in the valley of Jehoshaphat, God will bring charges against them for their treatment of his people and misappropriation of his land. Not content with these activities, some had sold Israelite children into slavery merely for the sake of satisfying their own lusts and appetites. God acts here both as prosecuting attorney, who brings his charges against the violators of his people, and as righteous judge, who warns of their stiff penalty.

God singled out particular antagonists: Tyre and Sidon, as well as the Philistines, are charged with plundering the treasures of God’s people. Moreover, they had dealt with Greek traders in selling Israel’s people to lands far from their homeland. For all of this (and probably more) these people will receive judgment proportionate to their crimes. Further, God will bring back his scattered people, while seeing to it that the guilty parties will lose their children to captivity and slavery in far-off lands.

While each of the nations singled out for divine judgment is doubtless representative of any nation who will ultimately reap the consequences of its ill treatment of God’s people, it is also true that each of these peoples mentioned did suffer defeat at the hands of invaders. The Philistines, who experienced Judah’s wrath in the campaigning of Uzziah (2 Chr 26:6), were repeatedly subdued in the eighth century BC by the Assyrian kings (Tiglath-pileser III in 734; Sargon II in 720 and 713/712; and Sennacherib in 701). They remained under Assyrian control until the Chaldean king Nebuchadnezzar II brought them into the orbit of the Neo-Babylonian Empire in 604 BC. Sidon was sacked and its citizens resettled in various localities. Rebellious Tyre survived by repeatedly doling out heavy tribute both to Esarhaddon and to Ashurbanipal (668–626 BC). With the decline of Assyria, Tyre regained its independence, although its influence was curtailed throughout the Neo- Babylonian and Persian periods.

Esarhaddon (681–668 BC) subsequently rebuilt Sidon and it remained under foreign domination throughout the Neo-Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian, and Persian eras. On one occasion, however, after Artaxerxes III suffered a setback in Egypt, Sidon played a leading role in a Phoenician revolt against Persia. In response, the Persian king gathered a huge army in Babylon, marched against Sidon, and overwhelmed it (345 BC). Later, Alexander the Great overran the area, even capturing the island city of Tyre in 331 BC. Both Tyre and Sidon recovered, however, and experienced renewed prosperity in Hellenistic and Roman times. Both are mentioned in the New Testament. Nevertheless, their several defeats in ancient times stand as a grim example and reminder that God ultimately will deal with all oppressors, particularly those who have wronged his people.

Joel has already pointed out that God’s settling of accounts will take place in the era he outlined in 2:28-32, which was for him a time in the distant future. Therefore, the historical notices mentioned above are also harbingers of the judgment that must occur near the end of the present age. Elsewhere, the Scriptures warn of a great sociopolitical system that will oppose God’s people (Dan 11:36-45; 2 Thess 2:3-4; Rev 17–18) but be defeated by the coming of the Son of Man to execute judgment (Ezek 38–39; Dan 7:9-14; Zech 14:1-5; Matt 24:3-31; Rev 19:11-21).

This passage reemphasizes the twin truths of God’s sovereign and perfect justice. The Scriptures make it clear that the God who sovereignly rules over the universe (Ps 103:19) likewise has dominion over the affairs of nations (Ps 22:28[29]; Isa 40:21-26; Acts 17:26) and all people (1 Sam 2:6-8; Dan 4:34-35). Moreover, divine providence is not merely a matter of administrative power and operation, but has direction and purpose (Isa 46:8-10). For he has set a day when all earth’s history will be consummated through his Son, Jesus Christ (Phil 2:9-11; Col 1:19-20; Rev 11:15). His providential control also assures his people of his concern for their well-being (Pss 4:6-8[7-9]; 84:11-12[12-13]) and eternal destiny (Ps 73:22-23; John 10:27-29). Such knowledge should spur the believer’s trust (Prov 3:5-6) and dynamically activate his or her prayer life (Ps 32:6-7; Phil 4:4-7; Col 4:2).

Joel’s words are also a reminder that God is just and rules justly over the affairs of nations and people (Ps 67:4[5]; Dan 4:37; see commentary on 2:18-27). Indeed, because he is a God of justice he will deal with all people fairly, whether that means reward (2:18-27) or punishment (Isa 51:6). Such knowledge is comforting to believers. For not only has God’s justice been satisfied in Jesus Christ, giving believers right standing before God (Rom 3:21-26; 1 John 2:2), but God’s people may be certain that God will ultimately rectify the seeming inequities and unrequited evil that permeates society (Ps 49:5-14).

Individuals and nations have experienced unjust treatment repeatedly through the ages. Likewise, it is true that injustice continues to haunt the contemporary scene—and, sadly, it seems that the perpetrators of wickedness are not forced to account for their deeds. Nevertheless, it is also certain that the Day of the Lord is coming, however slowly it may seem (2 Pet 3:8-9). Then, each person will stand before the bar of God’s justice (Pss 50:3-4; 96:13; 98:9; 110:6; Acts 10:42; 17:31; Rev 11:16-18). In that day, the Lord, the righteous judge, will take his seat on his throne (Dan 7:13-14; Matt 19:28) and rule in perfect righteousness and justice (Isa 2:4; 9:7), receiving the adulation of all nations (Phil 2:9-11; Rev 15:3-4).

Such assurance should inspire believers to unswerving trust in the Lord (Ps 52:8-9; Isa 26:3-4) and enable each one to be committed to him who “always judges fairly” (1 Pet 2:23), regardless of life’s circumstances (Ps 31:10-14[11-15]; Isa 56:1; Hab 3:17-18; 1 Pet 4:17-19). May all of God’s people respond in faith to Paul’s admonition: “Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives” (Col 3:16) so that we might do “what is right, just, and fair” (Prov 1:3; cf. Mic 6:8; Zech 7:9). In so doing, perhaps some of the evils of society will be mitigated (Prov 29:7; Isa 1:17) and others encouraged to seek the Lord of all justice (Isa 1:27).