What does Joel 3:6 mean?
"The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border." - Joel 3:6
Joel 3:6 (KJV): "The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border."
The book of Joel is one of the 12 minor prophets in the Old Testament. It is believed to have been written between the 9th and 4th centuries BC, during a time of great social and political upheaval in Israel. The overarching themes of the book are judgment, repentance, and restoration. Joel 3:6 is a continuation of the prophecy of the judgment of the nations, specifically concerning the mistreatment of the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
In this verse, the prophet Joel is addressing a specific group of people, whom he accuses of selling the children of Judah and Jerusalem to the Grecians. This act of selling people into slavery was a severe violation of their humanity and dignity. It's important to understand the historical and cultural context of the time. Israel was often invaded and oppressed by foreign rulers, and it was common for the conquerors to deport the people from their land and sell them into slavery in distant lands. This verse reflects the pain and suffering endured by the people of Judah and Jerusalem as a result of these actions.
The selling of the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Grecians not only physically removed them from their homeland, but it also caused them to be severed from their cultural and religious identity. In the ancient Near East, being displaced from one's homeland often meant being cut off from one's connection to God and the ability to worship Him in the temple. This further adds to their humiliation and suffering.
Symbolically, the selling of the people of Judah and Jerusalem represents the broken covenant between God and His people. In the Bible, the covenant is the central relationship between God and Israel, and it represents the mutual obligations and commitments between the two parties. The mistreatment of the people of Judah and Jerusalem by foreign nations reflects the breaking of this covenant, as the people are supposed to be protected and blessed by God in their land. Their displacement and suffering are a direct result of their failure to uphold their end of the covenant, which was to obey and honor God.
However, amidst the judgment and suffering, there is still a message of hope and restoration in Joel. The book emphasizes the possibility of repentance and the restoration of the people and the land. The judgment and suffering are not the end of the story. God's ultimate plan is for the restoration of His people and the establishment of His kingdom, which will bring about true peace and prosperity.
In conclusion, Joel 3:6 is a powerful reminder of the consequences of sin and the importance of upholding our relationship with God. The mistreatment and selling of the people of Judah and Jerusalem symbolize the brokenness and consequences of the covenant between God and His people. However, the book of Joel also offers hope for restoration and renewal, showing that God's love and mercy are ultimately stronger than the judgment and suffering endured by His people.
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Joel 3:6 - "The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border."
"The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border." - Joel 3:6
Joel 3 verse 15
1 Chronicles 6:36 - "The son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah,"
Joel 3:3 - "And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink."
Joel 3:20 - "But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation."
Joel 3:15 - "The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining."
Joel 3:21 - "For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion."
Joel 3:14 - "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision."
Joel 2:6 - "Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness."
1 Chronicles 6:33 - "And these are they that waited with their children. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman a singer, the son of Joel, the son of Shemuel,"
Joel 1:3 - "Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation."
Joel 3:1 - "For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,"
Joel 3:10 - "Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong."
Joel 3:12 - "Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about."
Joel 3:13 - "Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great."
1 Chronicles 7:3 - "And the sons of Uzzi; Izrahiah: and the sons of Izrahiah; Michael, and Obadiah, and Joel, Ishiah, five: all of them chief men."
Joel 3:5 - "Because ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my goodly pleasant things:"
Joel 3:19 - "Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land."
Joel 1:6 - "For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion."
"But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation." - Joel 3:20
Joel 3:7 - "Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompence upon your own head:"
"The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining." - Joel 3:15
"The son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah," - 1 Chronicles 6:36
Joel 3:8 - "And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off: for the LORD hath spoken it."
"For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion." - Joel 3:21
Joel 3:9 - "¶ Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:"
"And 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." - Joel 3:18
Joel 3:11 - "Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD."
"Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision." - Joel 3:14