The Pulpit Commentary — Joel — Section 51

R Rn1nRn pr<winoo, Rnd ih! CIA.pite.1 levelled froo will, do or al tempt to do nnything 1tgnlnat with tlw wmm<l: then the ~oe.t diepc,yoeion me? The double q11oetlon wlt.h tJ'im instead nf 11,,, covr.n&nt pr.oplo &mong the n&tlona of im repc"te, in other word■ or ln a rnodlflod <'ommr,nced, &nd <"-0ntinuce till the present f?nn? ihcr.rcceding q_nest!on: while the quos- dn.,·. tton 1tsel , as oft.en, 1mphea a negative sonso \'er. 3.-Theyhaveout lota for my people; to the cffoot thRt they had neither right nor and have given a boy for an harlot, and ■old reaaon for avenging thernsclvea on the people a girl for wine, that they might drink. Such of God-for God hereidontifles himaelr with wn.s the eontumoly "ith which they wore his pooplc-nor for attempting we.nt.ouly and 1rr•a1P<l Rl the time or the groat cn.te.etrophe gratuitously to he.rm them. Tho oonso- refr-rr<'<l tn. The oe.pti,·cR were distributed quonoc would only ho o. swift o.nd apeedy 1,y lot "moni:- the oonqnerore; 1.h<'se in turn return of the mil!Chiof on their own head so Fnl<l t.hom to the elave-dealPl'I! for the merest the.t, e.s is usue.l with tho wicked, they fall trifl<'-n. sle.vP-boy for the hire of e. he.riot, or thomsolvea into the fit which they dig for " ,ln.,·r,-/rirl for a gle.s.~ or draught of wine. othera. The idoo. o revenge ro.ther tho.n ~u"h tren.tment had be"n predicted ages of punishment gets too great prominence in before, nnrl wae verifiod by contcmporaneou1 the old versions and commente.tors. 'l'ho histnry (comp. Lev. :nvi. 33, eqq., and Deut. comment of Kimchi is instructive, though xniii. 36 for the prediction; e.nd JoaephUB, more in he.nnony with tho rendering of the • D,· Hell. ,) Ill!.,',;. 9. 2, 3, for the fulfilment). Authorized Version than with tho.t which Ninety-seven thousand prisoners were dis- we prefer : it is as follows : " What have I posed of M follows : those un<ler eoventoen to do with you, that ye ant.er my land while y<'.al'I! of a.i:;-e were publicly sold; some exiled ye a.re neighbours? and it behoved you to do to work in Egyptian mines; others reserved good to my people, but ye have not done so; to fig-ht with wild beesb in the a.mphi- bnt when ye saw that the kings of the na- then.trc. Aleo in the time of Hadrian four tions (Gentiles) oe.me upon them, ye allied Jewish cnptives wcro sold for a mee.eure of yourselves with them to plunder and spoil. barley. Nay, more, the Syrian commander, •.. Why is it, then, that ye a.re doing evil Nicauor, bargained hy a.ntiripa.tion for the to me, if ye think to avenge yourselves of se.le: of such Jews a.e should be ta.ken ee.p- me because I have done you evil? When tive in the Macoe.bee.n war. The prophet, did I do you evil? Or if you will say that moreover, looks forward in prophetic vision of yourselves ye a.re doing evil to me now, to the day of final jndgmElllt, when God will, for he that does evil to Israel from his in just retribution, pour ont the via.ls of his thought of doing evil to me, they are my wrath on all the oppressors of his Church children . . . swiftly and suddenly will I and people. return your doing on your own head." Vere. 4-8.-In these verses the prophet Vere. 5, 6.-The prophet proceeds to enu- pauses before proceeding to describe the merate the injuries suste.ined by hia people at the hands of their enemies, and the evil final judgment of the world-powers for their attempted age.inst himself. (I) My 1ilver hostility to and oppression of hie Church, and my gold. The silver, gold, and precious and points out the bitler enmity of neigh- or desirable things, whether ta.ken immedi- houring nations to ihe oovenant people in ately from the temple of God or plundered ihc prophet's own day, with a prediction of mediately from the palaces or wee.lthy man- sions of his people, they transferred to their the righteous retribulion that a.waited them. t.emples and suspended as trophies therein- Ver. 4.-The northem sea-board of the a cust.om common among e.ncient nations. (2) Phamicians, including the famous cities of The children alao of 1udah and the children Tyre and Sidon, also the southern sea-coe.st of 1enw.lem have ye sold unto the Grecians. and plain of the Philistines, with their five The part which the Phainicia.ns bad in the principalities, a.re joined by fl'gam with the transaction was the purchase and sale of nations notorions for injuring a.ad opprcBBing the Jewish ee.ptives who had fe.llen into the the people of God. 'l'he words rendered in he.nds of the Philistine conquerors. The the Authorized Version, What have ye to do mention of Grecians, or eona of Javan, brings with me 1 rather mean, What wouJ.d ye tcith for the first time the Hellenic and Hebrew mef or still better,What are ye uimef that is, ra.ces into contact-a contact sad and aorrow- bow worthless and despicable in my sight I fnl for the latter. That ye might remove 'l'he di,;juuctive question which follows be- them far from their border. '!'his was o.t cr,m"" clearer by adopting the rendering of once the climax of their cruelty and the Keil and Wtiasche, Will ye repay me a deed, aggravation of their crime. The object which or do anything a.gaiD8t met that is, will ye their enemies had in view in Holling the repo.y me: 11ome wrong-doing which ye fancy Hebrew captive& t.o the sons of Jo.ve.n, or I have iuflicted on you? or will ye, without Ionian GreekB of Asia Minor, wo.s by that sue!, aupi::,osed provooe.tion, and of your own remote exile to prevent tho possibility of Oil, JJJ, 1-21.] THE BOOK OF JOEL.