Joel 3:18
What does Joel 3:18 mean?
A plain-English look at Joel 3:18 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Joel 3:18 means
Here Joel paints restoration in rich abundance: mountains dripping sweet wine, hills flowing with milk, and Judah’s brooks running full. At the center is a spring from the house of Jehovah watering the valley of Shittim. The image is theological: life flows from God’s dwelling to renew the land. What drought and locusts stripped, His presence overflows to heal. The temple-spring motif echoes elsewhere and finds its deepest fulfillment where God, through His Messiah, gives living water to His people. The valley of Shittim—once associated with wilderness edges—now drinks from Zion’s fountain, showing grace reaching far and turning dry places fertile.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah shall flow with waters; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of Jehovah, and shall water the valley of Shittim.
KJV
King James Version · 1611And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the Lord, and shall water the valley of Shittim.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah shall flow with waters; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of Jehovah, and shall water the valley of Shittim.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And it will come about in that day that the mountains will be dropping sweet wine, and the hills will be flowing with milk, and all the streams of Judah will be flowing with water; and a fountain will come out from the house of the Lord, watering the valley of acacia-trees.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862And it hath come to pass, in that day, Drop down do the mountains juice, And the hills do flow <FI>with<Fi> milk, And all streams of Judah do go <FI>with<Fi> water, And a fountain from the house of Jehovah goeth forth, And hath watered the valley of Shittim.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down sweetness, and the hills shall flow with milk: and waters shall flow through all the rivers of Juda: and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the Lord, and shall water the torrent of thorns.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the water-courses of Judah shall flow with waters; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of Jehovah, and shall water the valley of Shittim.
Context
Following holiness and security in verse 17, the scene blossoms into provision. Abundance counters the deprivation earlier in Joel. The fountain from the Lord’s house ties blessing directly to His nearness. Next, verse 19 contrasts this fruitfulness with judgment on hostile nations, sharpening the line between Zion’s renewal and her enemies’ desolation.
v.17So shall ye know that I am Jehovah your God, dwelling in Zion my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.
v.18This passage
v.19Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence done to the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Isaiah 55:12
For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing; and all the trees of the fields shall clap their hands.
- Job 29:6
When my steps were washed with butter, And the rock poured me out streams of oil!
- Revelation 22:1
And he showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb,
- Isaiah 41:17
The poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst; I, Jehovah, will answer them, I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
- Isaiah 30:25
And there shall be upon every lofty mountain, and upon every high hill, brooks and streams of waters, in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.
- Isaiah 35:6
Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing; for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
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