The word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.
All Commentaries on Joel 1:1 Go To Joel 1
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Planted. Septuagint, "Bathuel. "He was born in the tribe of Gad, at Bet haven, the town which Herod styles Livias, Josue xiii. 27. (Calmet) Ver. 2. Men. Magistrates, and all who have children. (Haydock) He speaks to Juda, as the kingdom of Israel was ruined, chap. iii. 2. His principal object is to describe the ravages of locusts, and to exhort the people to repent, promising them better times after the captivity, and under the Messias, chap. ii. 28., and iii. 20. (Calmet) Ver. 3. Generation. Prophecies relate to all future times, that people may see their accomplishment, (Worthington) and believe. (Haydock) Ver. 4. Left Some understand this literally of the desolation of the land by these insects: others understand it of the different invasions of the Chaldeans, or other enemies. (Challoner)
Jerusalem was four times plundered by the Babylonians, and every time worse than before, as these four sorts of destructive things shew. But we shall not enlarge upon these points, nor pursue the mystical sense of the prophets, which may be found in the fathers and Ribera. (Worthington)
Others suppose that the Assyrians, Chaldeans, Greeks, (particularly Epiphanes) and Romans, are meant. We explain it simply of the devastation by insects. (Calmet)
Four different species of locusts are denoted. (Bo chart, p. 2. b. iv. 1.)
Mildew. Hebrew chasil, (Haydock) is often rendered "a locust "by Septuagint, (chap. ii. 25.) and most suppose this is here the sense. The mildew destroys corn chiefly in low damp situations. (Calmet)
