Joel 2:20
What does Joel 2:20 mean?
A plain-English look at Joel 2:20 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Joel 2:20 means
God promises to completely remove the enemy, referred to as the "northern army," driving them into a desolate land. The imagery of scattering their remnants into the eastern and western seas ensures their total annihilation and prevents their return. The mention of their "stench" and “ill savor” rising up signifies the completeness of their destruction, a consequence for their great devastation. This promise of decisive action demonstrates God's power to deliver His people from their oppressors and vindicate His name.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000but I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive it into a land barren and desolate, its forepart into the eastern sea, and its hinder part into the western sea; and its stench shall come up, and its ill savor shall come up, because it hath done great things.
KJV
King James Version · 1611But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901but I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive it into a land barren and desolate, its forepart into the eastern sea, and its hinder part into the western sea; and its stench shall come up, and its ill savor shall come up, because it hath done great things.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949I will send the one from the north far away from you, driving him into a dry and waste land, with his front to the sea of the east and his back to the sea of the west, and the smell of him will go up, even his evil smell will go up.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862And the northern I put far off from you, And have driven him unto a land dry and desolate, With his face unto the eastern sea, And his rear unto the western sea, And come up hath his stink, And come up doth his stench, For he hath exerted himself to work.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And I will remove far off from you the northern enemy: and I will drive him into a land unpassable, and desert, with his face towards the east sea, and his hinder part towards the utmost sea: and his stench shall ascend, and his rottenness shall go up, because he hath done proudly.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And I will remove far off from you him [that cometh] from the north, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, his face toward the eastern sea, and his rear toward the hinder sea; and his stench shall come up, and his ill odour shall come up, for he hath exalted himself to do great things.
Context
Building on the promise of agricultural restoration in verse 19, this verse details God's active removal of the invading army. It provides a vivid description of their complete destruction and dispersal, demonstrating God's power to not only provide for His people but also to actively protect them, thus clearing the way for a more general call to rejoice in His mighty works.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Exodus 10:19
And Jehovah turned an exceeding strong west wind, which took up the locusts, and drove them into the Red Sea; there remained not one locust in all the border of Egypt.
- Isaiah 34:3
Their slain also shall be cast out, and the stench of their dead bodies shall come up; and the mountains shall be melted with their blood.
- Joel 1:4
That which the palmer-worm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the canker-worm eaten; and that which the canker-worm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten.
- Ezekiel 47:18
And the east side, between Hauran and Damascus and Gilead, and the land of Israel, shall be the Jordan; from the north border, unto the east sea shall ye measure. This is the east side.
- Jeremiah 1:14
Then Jehovah said unto me, Out of the north evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.
- Deuteronomy 11:24
Every place whereon the sole of your foot shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness, and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the hinder sea shall be your border.
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