The Pulpit Commentary — Joel — Section 23

to " Rot !lff tho BUn;" ootnpore nap7ial, whloh iB 11pread over tha mmmtaina aA in an nab71al, a1,hal; ;whll,e ~9:iP, ls blended fJom lh&tant, for there is called the be!?innin~ of th~ Stin ill' hie going forth, booe.u~ of thffir the trilitero.ls ")'".!', a efoud, and ~.!l\t, to he h'eight; 111> then the locoate are ffpTend rind do.rk (oomporo 3p1/wift nnd 6p~Jlf,), darkneu extended ovr,r the land in an infltant." With of olou<lR, thick· clM:Jds. (1) Sotne under- thiff exposition of the clause we mLLy com- stand this darkness literally, BH in the pare Virgil's- description of tho plague of loouste' In Egypt it is -irlttcn, "They covered the "Postera vfx 1111mmOB eparg11bat lumine face of tho whole e11rth, eo that tho land rnontes w11e darkened." (2) Others understand it Ortn. dies." .flgurLLtivcly, ae Iight denote~ prosperity, and "The following de.ybrenk had scarce begun dnrknees e.dverBity. Thus Kimchi sayB", to sow the moonta.in-t.ops with light." •• Affliction is likened to darkncs8', A.I! joy is likened to light." At the same time, he There bath not been ever the like, neither mentions the literal exposition: " Or," he 1hall be BDY more after it, even to the yea.re eaye, " through the multitude of tho locuete of many generatimul. This is a byperholic the land ie darkened; " and refere to Exod. mode of speech, to denote the extra.ordinary x. 15, "For they covered the face of the and unll8Ua.l severity of the disaster. The whole earth, eo that the land was darkened." Hebrew oommentatora:are at pains to recon- As the momung spread upon the mountainl. cile what appears to them e. discrepancy. (I) Some explain this of the locust-army They say," It was never lmDwn befme op stretching fe.r• like the morning light, a.a· it since that foot' kinds of locusts came to- breaks over the hills, Thus Pococke; "If togetlier;" u for the plagoe of Egypt, there shachar be rendered, aR mo,t generally, the was but one sort of them, they say. The morning, and the light thereof meant, then correct explanation is that the like had not the meaning thereof seems to express the been in the ,ame country, that is, the la.ad sudden coming and the widespreading of of Juwea, though elsewhere there might the thing spoken of, so as not to· be b indered, have been the like, ae in Egypt before, or in that resembling ~he morningHght, which in other countries since. in a, moment discovers itself on: the tops of Ver. 3.-A. fire devooreth before them; the mountains (on which it first sppeareth); and behilld them a 11.ame bumeth. (1) The though at never .so great a distance one fire wae the extreme drought preceding from another." The wide and quick diffu- them ; and the flame refers to the devasta- sion of this plague, like that of the mo,ning tion of the locuB'ts, for the places laid waste light, is the thing meant. But (2) Keil by them presented the appearance of being understands shacha,r of the yellow _light hlll'Ilt with fire, the loc11Bts consuming not which proceeds from• swarms of locqetb as only the grain and grass, bot the very roots. they approach, and transl1Ltes, "Like. morn- (2) Or it may refer to fue locusts themselves; ing dawn spread over the mountains is it n their destructive power being as though tire (i.e. the glimmer on their wings). "The spread nlong before them, and Bame swept prophet's meaning,'.' he adds, "is evident the ground behind them. (3) Or the fire enough from what follows. JI11 clearly may have been literally such, the people, in refers to the brigl;it glimmer, or splendour, self-defence, kindling it to stop, or turn aside, which ie seen in ,the eky as a ew.o.nu of or drive nwav the advance of the locuet- locusts approaches, from the reflection of army. (4) Keil explains this blll'Iling heat, the sun's 1a.ye from their wings." Thus fue heightened into devouring flames of tire, as subject is neither yom nor 'am, whioh the accompe.uiments of the Divine Beiug "as Vulgate, contrary to tl:!e accents, joins to it. he comes to jodgment at the head of hie (3) Others, again, connect the expreesion army,'' like the balls of fue which attended closely with the "darkness" preceding, hie manifestation in Egypt, and tbe thunder and tre.nelo.te, " Liko the morning twilight and lightning amid which be descended at spread upon the mountains," that is, before Sinai. The land is e.1 the gardeu of BdBD. it descends into the valleys. Rather, as before them, and behind them a desolate Wiinsche, "Like the 9ray of the morn- wildernees. This reference by the first of ing," etc. (comp. Exod. x. 15 and ,,ni, o.nd the prophets to the first book of tho Bible ,1n•111). Exposition (1) is confirmed by is noteworthy. 'fhe country before them, Re.shi, who says, "The locusts and the with its fertile fields and valuable vineyards, pe.lmor-worma are epre1Ld ovor the mountains, its fruit trees, and pleasant plants, and as tbo morning dawn is spread through various cereals rosembled e. p!Lradise. Ae (in) all tho world." Similarly Aben Ezra, they proceeded the corn was consumed, fruit "Like the down which is difruecd in an trees and forest trees alike stripped of instant." Kimchi'~ comment is fuller, but leaves ancl loft barked aml be.re, the gmse to the snme effect : " As the morning dawn 11nd verdlll'O withered ; so thLLt after thell' 20 THE 'ROOK OF JOEL. [on. n. 1-82.