THE PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENTS

WITHIN THE INTENSIFIED DRAMATIC

TENSIONS OF JOEL 1:5-20

FERRY SUSANTO
5 Wake up drunkards and weep ‫הקיצו שׁכורים ובכו‬
And wail all wine drinkers ‫והיללו כל־שׁתי יין‬
Over the sweet wine
For it is cut off from your mouth
‫על־עסיס‬
‫כי נכרת מפיכם‬
8 Waillike a virgin dressed in sackcloth ‫אלי כבתולה חגרת־שׂק‬
Over the husband of her youth ‫על־ בעל נעוריה‬
11 Be ashamed farmers ‫הבישׁו אכרים‬
Wail vine-dressers ‫הילילו כרמים‬
Over the wheat and the barley ‫על־חטּה ועל־שׂערה‬
For it is perished the harvest of the field
‫כי אבד קציר שׂדה‬
13 Puton (sackcloth) and lament priests ‫חגרו וספדו הכהנים‬
Wail, ministers of altar ‫הילילו משׁרתי מזבח‬
Come, spend the night in sackcloth
Ministers of my God
‫באו לינו בשׂקים‬
For are withheld from the house of your God ‫משׁרתי אלהי‬
The grain offering and the drink offering. ‫כי נמנע מבית אלהיכם‬
‫מנחה ונסך‬
 PROCLAMATION OF THE DAY OF THE LORD
JOEL 1:15

Alas for the day! ‫אהה ליום‬

For is near the day of the Lord ‫כי קרוב יום יהוה‬
And as destruction from the Almighty it comes
‫וכשׁד משׁדּי יבוא‬

Isa 13:6 and Ezek 30:2-3

The Call For Lamentation
Joel 1:5-14

The Day of the Lord

Joel 1:15

The Lamentation
Joel 1:16-20
 Joel 1:5-20 Joel 2:1-11 Joel 3:1-5 Joel 4:1-21
The 1st oracle of The 2nd oracle of [Eng 2:28-32] [Eng 3:1-21]
Punishment Punishment The 1st Oracle of The 2nd Oracle of
salvation Salvation
vv. 5-14 vv.1-2 vv. 1-2 vv. 1-13
The Day of the Lord [Eng 2:28-29]

v. 15 vv. 3-9 vv. 3-4 vv. 14-15

The Day of the Lord [Eng 2:30-31] The Day of the Lord
The Day of the Lord

vv. 16-20 vv. 10 -11 v. 5 [Eng 2:32] vv. 16-21

The Day of the Lord
 STATUS QUESTIONIS

“How does the book of Joel join the theme of

“the Day of the Lord” within the oracle of
judgment against Judah in Joel 1:5-20?”
 RHETORICAL ANALYSIS OF JOEL 1:5-20
THE FINAL ORACLE OF SALVATION
JOEL 4:1-21 [ENG 3:1-21]

THE FIRST ORACLE OF SALVATION

JOEL 3:1-5 [ENG 2:28-32]

THE FIRST ORACLE OF

JUDGMENT JOEL 1:5-20 THE ORACLE OF RESTORATION
JOEL 2:18-27

THE SECOND ORACLE OF JUDGMENT

JOEL 2:1-11

THE THEME OF REPENTANCE AND MOCKERY FROM OTHER NATIONS

JOEL 2:12-17
THE FRAMEWORK OF THIS RESEACH

Relevance Chapter VII

Application Chapter VI

Main Work Chapters IV-V

Foundations Chapters I-III

 FOUNDATION (CHAPTERS I - III)
Introduction
Status Questionis, Justification, Scope and limitation, Rhetorical
Analysis, Current Research on the book of Joel
Preliminary Analyses of Joel 1:5-20
Critical Notes, Delimitation and Structure, Metre, Literal Translation,
Literary Form, Context.

The Day of the Lord in Prophetic Books

Three Debated Issues (Term, Theories, Systematical study)
The Day of the Lord in several Prophetic Books
 CHAPTER 1
METHODOLOGY: RHETORICAL ANALYSIS
JAMES MUILENBURG : Rhetorical Criticism (1969)
“What I am interested in is understanding
the nature of Hebrew literary composition,
exhibiting the structural patterns that are employed
for the fashioning of a literary unit, whether in poetry or prose,
and discerning the many and various devices by which
the predications are formulated and ordered into a unified whole.”
1. Defining the limits of a literary unit by Rhetorical devices
(climax, inclusio, chiasm, repetition, parallelism, catchword)
2. Discerning a structure of literary unit by delineating overall
designs and individual parts.
3. Showing how the designs and individual parts in the text
work together in delivering the passage of the author.
Roland Meynet

Rhetorical Analysis.
An Introduction to Biblical
Rhetoric (1998).
He assumes:
1. The biblical texts are well composed.
2. Relationship of linguistic elements in the text (in lexical,
morphological, syntactic, discourse, rhythmical levels) may
create an identity or opposition.
3. Figures of composition: parallelism or concentrism.
PARALLELISM AND IDENTIFICATION
Bishop Robert Lowth (1778)

Parallelism:
The correspondence of one verse, or
line, with another. When a preposition is
delivered, and a second is subjoined to it,
or drawn under it, equivalent, or
contrasted with it, in sense; or similar to it
in the form of grammatical construction.
 SEMANTIC PARALLELISM
SYNONYMOUS PARALLELISM
It has laid waste my vines
And (it) splintered my fig trees (Joel 1:7)
ANTITHETIC PARALLELISM
your old men shall dream dreams
and your young men shall see visions (Joel 3:1 [Eng 2:28])
SYNTHETIC (CONSTRUCTIVE) PARALLELISM
Pomegranate, also palm and apple
all the trees of the field are dried up
surely has dried up joy
among the sons of man (Joel 1:12)
James Kugel Robert Alter
 ROBERT ALTER

• Parallelism expresses a progression or sequence in poetry.

• Rhythmic, syntactic and semantic correspondences.
• Dynamic nature of parallelism: intensification.
• An emphatic character of the second line.
• It can be a specification, concretization, dramatization.
 JAMES KUGEL

The original form of biblical text was not in poetic form (not in
metre). It was only “continuum” or linear, that is arranged in clause
by clause. (binary sentence: A B A B A B)

“A, what’s more B”

The second clause develops certain images and ideas from the first
clause by restating or echoing it
 ADELE BERLIN (GRAMMATICAL PARALLELISM)

Level Aspect
Grammatical Lexical-Semantic Phonological
Word Morphological Word Pair Sound Pair
Equivalence
and (or) contrast

Line or Clause Syntactic Semantic Phonological

Equivalence relationship Equivalence of
and (or) contrast Between lines lines
 CHAPTER 2: PRELIMINARY ANALYSES
DEFINE THE LIMITS OF THE TEXT BY RHETORIC CRITERIA
Strophes
Structural Pattern The 1st The 2nd The 3rd The 4th The 5th
vv. 5–7 vv. 8–10 vv. 11–12 vv. 13–14 vv. 15–20

Imperatives v. 5a v. 8a v. 11a v. 13a. 14

Addressees v. 5a v. 11a v. 13a

Imperative “wail” v. 5b v. 8 v. 11b v. 13b

‫( על‬over) + The Object v. 5c v. 8b v. 11c

‫( כי‬For) + the v. 5d. 6a v. 10c v. 11d v. 13e vv. 15.
Description of 17.18.
19.20
destruction
 DELIMITATION OF JOEL 1:5-20 BY RHETORIC CRITERIA

Joel 1:5-14 The Call For Communal Lamentation

vv. 5-7 The First Secular Environment
vv. 8-10 The First Religious Environment
vv. 11-12 The Second Secular Environment
vv. 13-14 The Second Religious Environment

Joel 1:15-20 The Communal Lamentation

vv. 15-16 The Day of the Lord and Affirmation
vv. 17-18 The Further Destructions
vv. 19-20 Personal Lament of the Prophets
 CHAPTER 3:
THE DAY OF THE LORD IN PROPHETIC BOOKS

Three Debated Issues :

The Terminology of “the Day of the Lord”
Possible Origins of “the Day of the Lord”
Systematic Study of “the Day of the Lord”
 TERMINOLOGY OF ‫יום יהוה‬
• 13x in the Book of Minor prophets (Joel 1:15; 2:1,11; 3:4 [Eng
2:31]; 4:14 [Eng 3:14]; Amos 5:18, 20; Zeph 1:7, 14; Obad 15;
Mal 3:23 [Eng 4:5]
• 4x outside of the Book of Minor Prophets (Isa 13:6; Ezek 13:5;
30:3; Lam 2:22)
• This phrase appears in various contexts and occasions: events in
the past (Ezek 30:3; Obad 15), the imminent future (Joel 1:15;
2:1,11), the remote future (Joel 3:4 [Eng 2:31]; Mal 3:23 [Eng
4:5]).
 TERMINOLOGY OF ‫יום יהוה‬
Different arguments:
Joseph Everson argues by using the expression “the Day of the
Lord,” some prophets interpret some events in the past or to expect
new occasions of war in the imminent future. It is repeated event.
Yair Hoffmann emphasizes the future event of “the Day of the
Lord.” It is a preparation for an eschatological event).

K. Cathcart (2 kinds of “the Day of the Lord”):

1. A day when the Lord acts with limited effect (past)
2. A day when the Lord performs universal cosmic judgement
(future/eschatological event).
 3 POSSIBLE ORIGINS BEHIND OF ‫יום יהוה‬
The Holy War Theory (Gerhard von Rad)
• It refers to Judg 6-8 (the Lord saves the sinful Israel from Midianites,
marvelous victories of Israel in war (Exod 14; Joshua 6; 1 Samuel
17)
• It portrays the Lord as a warrior or a leader of army (Exod 15:3;
Isa 42:13-16; Joel 2:11).

• A Holy War was a sacred institution in the ancient Near East.

• The deity would intervene and help the people in war against other
nations. In the context of Israel: it refers to the saving actions of the
Lord on behalf of Israelites.
 3 POSSIBLE ORIGINS BEHIND OF ‫יום יהוה‬
The Theophany Theory (Sigmund Mowinckel)

• It refers to pre-exilic enthronement festival, the celebration of theophany

of the Lord and the Lord’s kingship over creation. Messiah appears as the
Lord’s agent to perform the mission of the Lord
• It has royal and cosmic motifs (eschatological descriptions)
• In the remote future, the Lord will directly re-establish the kingdom by
righteous judgment. There will be a new covenant, a new creation, a new
kingdom.
• On “the Day of the Lord,” the Lord will rule over the world powers.
(Mowinckel’s concept of Messiah will be criticized by Joseph
Fitzmyer and Nogalski).
 3 POSSIBLE ORIGINS BEHIND OF ‫יום יהוה‬
The Covenant Theory (Charles Fensham)

• It deals with the event of the execution of treaty curses.

• God will reward the loyalty of the people with the abundant blessing
or curses the disloyalty of the people on “the Day of the Lord.”

• The Day of the Lord will be the day of restoration and salvation if the
people renew the covenant, repent and live as the covenant people.
 BOOKS CHARACTERISTICS JUDGEMENT SALVATION TRADITION

Amos Darkness Israel Israel Warfare

Theophany

Zephaniah Near, Hastening Fast Judah Warfare

All Nations Theophany

Malachi Great, Terrible Wicked Faithful Warfare

Judah Judah Theophany
Covenant

Ezekiel Near Wicked Warfare

Judah & Edom

Isaiah Near, Come, Cruel, as a destruction of the Babylon Warfare

Almighty Judah Theophany
All Nations

Obadiah Near Edom Warfare

Joel Near, Come, Great, Judah Judah

Terrible, As the destruction of the Almighty All nations
 RECAPITULATION
• “The Day of the Lord” is a developed theme in the
prophetic books.
• Majority of those books connects that theme to a concept of
war.
• Some of those books combine “the Day of the Lord” with
the eschatological and apocalyptic descriptions (Amos,
Zephaniah, Malachi, Isaiah, Joel) in their oracles.
• Isaiah, Ezekiel, Amos, Joel put the oracle of “the Day of the
Lord” in the context of lament.
 RECAPITULATION
• The “nearness” becomes the dominant characteristic of “the Day of the
Lord” (Zephaniah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Obadiah, Joel)
• There is no single temporal reference of “the Day of the Lord.”
• Each prophetic book creatively interprets and reshapes that theme in
their own present contexts or in their anticipations of the situation of the
definite or indefinite future.
• The book of Joel appears as a synthesis of that theme.
• It adapts and composes the earlier tradition into an organized structure.
It applies that theme in the oracles of judgment and salvation.
 CHAPTER 4 AND CHAPTER 5
RHETORICAL ANALYSIS OF JOEL 1:5-20

• RHETORICAL ANALYSIS OF THE CALL FOR COMMUNAL LAMENTATION IN

JOEL 1:5-14 (CHAPTER 4)

• RHETORICAL ANALYSIS OF THE COMMUNAL LAMENTATION

IN JOEL 1:15-20 (CHAPTER 5)
 STYLISTIC DEVICES OF JOEL 1:5-14
The 1st The 1st The 2nd The 2nd
Verses Secular Religious Secular Religious
vv. 5-7 vv. 8-10 vv. 11-12 vv. 13-14

Places Domestic The Temple Agricultural The Temple

Addressees The drunkards (Priests?) The Farmers Priests

Wine drinkers The Vinedressers

Imperatives Wake up, Lament Be ashamed Put on, lament,

Weep, wail Wail wail, etc.
The Absence The sweet wine The offerings Wheat and The offerings
of Barley
The intensified dramatic tensions can be detected not only through
the interconnection of the similar environments:
secular (vv. 5-7 & vv. 11.12)
religious (vv. 8-10 & vv. 13-14)
but also through the interconnection of these two different
environments (secular and religious)
Each previous strophe influences its following strophe, therefore
progressively creates an inseparable relationship between them
(with the house of the Lord as the center of Judean community).
PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT WITHIN THE INTENSIFIED DRAMATIC
TENSIONS OF JOEL 1:5-14

IMPERATIVES
THE ADDRESSEES – THE PRODUCTS – THE CONDITION OF
THE PRODUCTS
THE LONGER DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DESTRUCTION
 (1) PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT
WITHIN THE INTENSIFIED DRAMATIC TENSIONS IN 15 IMPERATIVES
vv. 5-7 vv. 11-12
Wake up and Weep Be ashamed
Wail (‫)היללו‬ Wail (‫)היללו‬
vv. 8-10 vv. 12-13
Wail (‫) אלי‬ Put on (sackcloth) and Lament
Wail (‫)היללו‬
Come, Spend the night

Sanctify a solemn assembly

Call a fast
Gather the elders, all inhabitants of the land
Cry to the Lord
 PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT WITHIN THE INTENSIFIED DRAMATIC TENSIONS
IN IMPERATIVES (SECULAR ENVIRONMENTS)

The 1st Secular Environment (v. 5ab) The 2nd Secular Environment (v. 11ab)

‫הקיצו שׁכורים ובכו‬ ‫הבישׁו אכרים‬

‫והיללו כל־שׁתי יין‬ ‫הילילו כרמים‬
Wake up drunkards, and weep Be ashamed farmers
And wail all wine drinkers Wail vine dressers
• The imperative “wake up” is a strategy of the author. It introduces all
imperatives and the call for lamentation in vv. 5-14.

• The use of imperative “wake up” the root of ‫“ קיץ‬to wake” in the prophetic
lament is unusual (it occurs only in Joel 1:15). Otherwise, the combination of
“weep and wail” occurs in Jer 4:8; 48:20; 48:31; Isa 15:2, 3; 16:7; Ezek
21:12; 27:31; Mic 1:8.
• The derived word ‫קָ יִ ץ‬, “summer fruit” also has the root ‫קיץ‬.
• By using the imperative ‫הקיצו‬, the author might make the audience to remember
the word ‫קָ יִ ץ‬, “summer fruit” or the joyful time of harvest of the harvest fruits (cf.
Joel 1:7, 12, the vines, the fig trees, pomegranate, palm, apple).
• A contrast: not a joyful time but the calamities.
 A B B’ A’
Drunkards and weep // and wail all wine drinkers
‫ שׁכורים ובכו‬// ‫היללו כל־שׁתי יין‬
(v. 5a) (v. 5b)
The imperatives “weep and wail” are the keystones of v. 5. It emphasizes an
idea of the totality of the actions of lamentation.

Imperative “weep” refers to an expression of grief, sorrow, or any overpowering

emotion by shedding tears in a secular or religious occasions (the loss of family
member or a beloved one. Gen 23:3; 33:4; 37:35; 1 Sam 30:4)

Imperative “wail” refers to a prolonged high-pitch cry of pain, grief or anger. In

prophetic literature, this imperative occurs in the religious laments due to the
judgment (Isa 23:1, 6; Ezek 21:12; Zeph 1:11; Joel 1:5).
 A B A’ B’
Be dismayed farmers // wail vine dressers
‫הבישׁו אכרים‬ // ‫הילילו כרמים‬
(v. 11a) (v. 11b)

The usage of Imperative “be ashamed” in the context of religious

lament is very rare (Isa 23:4; Ezek 16:52). It refers to a guilty feeling
of a person for whom other person knows his/her bad condition in a
secular context (nakedness Gen 2:25; iniquities Ezek 43:10; Hos 10:6)
 Contexts The 1st Secular Environment The 2nd Secular Environment
Secular Weep Be ashamed
Religious Wail Wail

The progress of the dramatic tensions within the imperatives can be

found in the transition from ”weep and be ashamed” into the
imperative “wail” that strengthen the context of lamentation.

The 1st Secular The 1st Religious The 2nd Secular The 2nd Religious
environment (v. 5) Environment (v.8) environment (v. 11) Environment (v. 13)

Drunkards weep Wail like a virgin in Be ashamed farmers Lament priests

Wail all wine drinkers sackcloth Wail vinedressers Wail ministers of the
altar
 The 1st Religious The 2nd Religious
Environment Environment
Wail (Lament) Put on and Lament
Wail
Come, spend the night in
sackcloth
Sanctify a fast
Call a solemn assembly
Gather the elder, all
inhabitants of the land
Cry TO THE LORD
A Put (on sackcloth) v. 13aa
B Lament Priest v. 13ab
C Wail ministers of altar v. 13b
B’ Ministers of my God come v. 13ca
A’ Spend the night in sackcloth v. 13cb
 (2) PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT IN THE PATTERN:
ADDRESSEES – PRODUCTS – CONDITION OF THE PRODUCTS

The 1st Secular Environment The 2nd Secular Environment

v. 5 v.11
Addressees Drunkards Wine Drinkers Farmers Vine Dressers
Products Sweet wine (it) Wheat-Barley The crops of the
field

Conditions Is cut off (by locusts invasion) Have dried up (by drought)
Relation Consumers - Product Producers - Products
Response Unconscious (Ignorance) Full Conscious
 Addressees and Products in the Religious Environment
The 1st Religious Environment The 2nd Religious Environment
v. 8-9 v. 13
Wail ( ) like a virgin dressed in Put on (sackcloth) and lament priests
sackcloth Wail, ministers of altar
Over the husband of her youth Come, spend the night in sackcloth ministers of my God

Are cut off the grain offering and the For are withheld from the house of your God
drink offering The grain offering and the drink offering.
From the house of the Lord
Mourn priests
The minister of the Lord
 Products and Conditions of the Products
I Secular I Religious II Secular II Religious
Sweet Wine Are cut off (v. 9a) The Wheat and the Are withheld from the
(v. 5c) Barley (v.11c) house of your God
(v. 13e)
Are Cut off Perished (v. 11d)
The grain offering and the The grain offering and
(v. 5d)
drink offering from the the drink offering
house of the Lord (v. 9b) (v. 13f)
Has been utterly destroyed
the field (10a)
Mourns the ground
Has been utterly destroyed
THE GRAIN (v. 10b)
Exod 28:38-46
Num 28:1-8
Neh 10:28-39
 Longer Descriptions of the Destruction
The 1st Secular (v. 7ab) The 1st Religious (v. 10de) The 2nd Secular (v.12 ab)
It has laid my vine The Wine has dried up The vine has dried up
And splintered my fig tree The oil has failed And the fig tree has failed
‫שׂם גפני לשׁמה‬ ‫הובישׁ תירושׁ‬ ‫הגפן הובישׁה‬
‫ותאנתי לקצפה‬ ‫אמלל יצהר‬ ‫והתאנה אמללה‬

* The seed of fig tree contains of 30% of oil (It can be used as a
fragrance or lubricant)

Where is the longer description of the destruction in the 2nd

Religious Environment ??? Joel 1:15-20.
 CHAPTER 6: RHETORICAL ANALYSIS OF JOEL 1:15-20
Imperatives in v. 14
Sanctify a fast ‫קדשׁו־צום‬
Call a solemn assembly ‫קראו עצרה‬
Gather the elders, all inhabitants of the land ‫אספו זקנים כל ישׁבי הארץ‬
To the house of the Lord your God ‫בית יהוה אלהיכם‬
And cry to the Lord ‫וזעקו אל־יהוה‬

Critical condition in v. 15a

Alas for the day ‫אהה ליום‬
The Reason with ‫ כי‬in v. 15b
For the day of the Lord is near ‫כי קרוב יום יהוה‬
And as destruction form the Almighty it comes ‫וכשׁד משׁדי יבוא‬
 REPEATED WORDS AND SYNONYMOUS WORDS IN VV. 5-14 AND VV. 15-20

Repeated Words vv. 5-14 vv. 15-20 The Meaning

vv. 5. 9 v. 16
‫נכרת‬ Be cut off
v. 10 v. 17 grain
‫דגן‬
vv. 10, 12 vv. 17, 20 To be dry
Words form root ‫יבשׁ‬
v. 12 v. 19 The trees of the field
‫עצי השׂדה‬
Synonymous Words
vv. 5-14 vv. 15-20 The Meaning
‫( שׂשׂון‬v. 12) ‫( שׂמחה וגיל‬v. 16) Joy and gladness
‫( שׁדד‬v. 10) ‫נהרסו‬, root ‫הרס‬ To destroy
(v. 17)
VV. 16-17 SUCCESSIVELY REPEAT FOUR PHRASES IN VV. 5-14
The Day of the Lord v. 15

Has dried up (v. 10) (v. 16) is cut off

Has been destroyed (v. 10) (v. 16) The house of the Lord

The house of the Lord (v. 9) (v. 17) Has been destroyed

Is cut off (v. 5) (v. 17) Has dried up

The Longer Description of Destruction

‫( כי‬vv. 18, 19, 20)
New Victims: Animals and Prophet
v. 18a The animals groan
v. 18b The herds of cattle wander
v. 18d Also the herds of sheep are
dazed
v. 19 To you O Lord I cry
v. 20 Even the beast of the field
(NRSV wild animals) cry out
to you.
‫ נאנחה בהמה‬Domesticated Animals
‫ נבכו עדרי בקר‬Domesticated Animals
‫ גם־עדרי הצאן נאשׁמו‬Domesticated Animals
‫ אליך יהוה אקרא‬The Prophet
‫ גם־ בהמות שׂדה תערוג אליך‬Wild Animals
 CHAPTER 6: APPLICATION: THE CONTINUITY OF THE
PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT IN JOEL. 2:1-4:21[ENG 3:21]
THE FINAL ORACLE OF SALVATION
JOEL 4:1-21 [ENG 3:1-21]

THE FIRST ORACLE OF SALVATION

JOEL 3:1-5 [ENG 2:28-32]

THE FIRST ORACLE OF

PUNISHMENT JOEL 1:5-20 THE ORACLE OF RESTORATION
JOEL 2:18-27

THE SECOND ORACLE OF PUNISHMENT

JOEL 2:1-11

THE THEME OF REPENTANCE AND MOCKERY FROM OTHER NATIONS

JOEL 2:12-17
 THE DAY OF THE LORD AS UNBREAKABLE CONNECTION
1:15 For is near the Day of the Lord. And as destruction from the
Almighty it comes
2:1 For the day of the lord is coming, it is near
2:11 The Day of the Lord is great, terrible indeed
3:4 [2:31] The great and terrible day of the Lord comes
4:14 [3:14] For the Day of the Lord is near

1:15 ‫קרוב‬ ‫יבוא‬ The First Oracle of Judgment

2:1 ‫קרוב‬ ‫בא‬ The Second Oracle of Judgment
2:11 ‫נורא‬ ‫גדול‬ The Second Oracle of Judgment
3:4 [Eng 2:31] ‫נורא‬ ‫גדול‬ ‫בוא‬ The First Oracle of Salvation
4:14 [Eng 3:14] ‫קרוב‬ The Second Oracle of Salvation
 THE IDENTITY OF GOD’S ARMY (JOEL 2:11)?
God’s army = Human army vs. God’s army = locusts, then how many locust
invasion?
Solution offered by the idea of intensification of dramatic tension
• There is a single drought in the land of Judah (1:19 = 2:3).
Joel 1:19 Joel 2:3
Fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness Fire has devoured in front of them
And flames have burned all the trees of the field And behind them a flame burn
Like garden of Eden the land before them
But after them a desolate wilderness
And nothing escapes them
 Descriptions of
Locust invasion in Joel 1:6-7
Locusts like a nation (1:6a)
Like lion and lioness (1:6cd)
Powerful and innumerable (1:6b)
It has laid my vines to waste
And my fig trees to splinter
It has completely stripped her and
thrown it down
Have turned white her branches (1:7)
Locust invasion in Joel 2:5-9
Locusts like horses and like warhorses
Like with the rumbling of chariots
Like the cracking of a flame
Like powerful army drawn up for battle (2:5)
Like warriors and soldiers (2:7)
Before them people are in anguish,
All faces grow pale (2:6)
Like warriors they charge
Like soldiers they scale the wall
Each keeps to its own course
They do not swerve from their paths
They do not jostle one another,
Each keeps to its own track
They burst through the weapons and are not halted
They leap upon the city, they run upon the walls
The climb up into the houses
They enter through the windows like a thief
 The Oracles of
Catchwords Judgment Judgment Repentance Restoration
1:5-20 2:1-11 2:12-17 2:18-27
The Grain and drink offerings vv. 9, 13 v. 14
Blow the trumpet in Zion v. 1 v. 15
Sanctify a fast, call a solemn v. 14 v. 16
assembly, gather the elders
(people)
Grain, wine, oil v. 10 vv. 19, 24
Soil/ ground v. 10 vv. 21
Animals v. 18 v. 22
Pastures of the wilderness vv. 19, 20 v. 22
Fig tree and vine vv. 7, 12 v. 22
Priests, the ministers of the Lord v. 9 v. 17
 CHAPTER 7: RELEVANCE, JOEL AND ECOLOGY
• The awareness of global crisis and the call of the Church for ecology can not be
separated. For example on April 22nd, in the memorial of the Earth Day .
• Global warming (in 100 years, the earth is hotter by 0.2o Celsius, the depletion
of ozone in the layer of biosphere (0-10 km from the earth’s surface),
troposphere (10-15 km), stratosphere (30 km) due to human emissions especially
from the industrial chemicals (CFC, Chlorofluorocarbon).
• New problems: new diseases, radiations, climate change, water crisis, the
increasing of sea level, the loss of biodiversity, the decline of quality in human
life.
• Joel’s concern of ecology, catastrophe, environment becomes the valuable source
for Hermeneutic Ecology.
 RELEVANCE: JOEL AND ECOLOGY
• Human Domination and The Community of Creation
• Jose Pepz Cunnanan: Prophet Joel is an environmental prophet.
• Contribution of this study:
• Detailed exegesis of the oracle of Joel 1:5-20.
• Interconnectedness of the secular and religious environment that emphasizes
the role of responsibility of the human beings.
• Equality of all creations and dependent relationship among them.
• Joel speaks up for the environmental destruction, profound repentance and
hope of restoration of all creations in front of his contemporaries.