Joel 2 10

Joel 2:10 kjv

The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:

Joel 2:10 nkjv

The earth quakes before them, The heavens tremble; The sun and moon grow dark, And the stars diminish their brightness.

Joel 2:10 niv

Before them the earth shakes, the heavens tremble, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine.

Joel 2:10 esv

The earth quakes before them; the heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.

Joel 2:10 nlt

The earth quakes as they advance,
and the heavens tremble.
The sun and moon grow dark,
and the stars no longer shine.

Joel 2 10 Cross References

VerseTextReference
Isa 13:9-10Behold, the day of the Lord comes... For the stars of heaven...their light.Day of Lord; darkening sun/moon/stars
Eze 32:7-8When I extinguish you, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars.Divine judgment; celestial darkening
Amos 8:9"And on that day," declares the Lord GOD, "I will make the sun go down...".Day of Lord; sun darkening at noon
Mt 24:29Immediately after the tribulation...the sun will be darkened, and the moon..End times; cosmic signs of return
Mk 13:24-25"But in those days...the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not...".Eschatology; cosmic disturbances before coming
Lk 21:25-26"And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars...for the powers...".Signs of End Times; cosmic instability
Rev 6:12-14when he opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake...Wrath; earthquake; cosmic collapse
Rev 8:12The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck...Trumpet judgments; celestial dimming
Acts 2:19-20And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below...Pentecost prophecy quoting Joel; cosmic signs
Hag 2:6-7"For thus says the LORD of hosts: Yet once more...I will shake the heavens"Shaking of heavens and earth
Heb 12:26-27His voice then shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Yet once more..."God's voice shakes; a future greater shaking
Joel 3:15-16The sun and moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. The LORD.Repetition of cosmic signs for Day of Lord
Zeph 1:14-15The great Day of the LORD is near, near and hastening fast;...A day of darkness.Day of the Lord; darkness and distress
Isa 34:4All the host of heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll.Judgment; heavens dissolving
Jer 4:23-26I looked on the earth, and behold, it was formless and empty;...heavens no light.Prophetic vision; cosmic reversal; chaos
Nah 1:5The mountains quake before him; the hills melt...The earth heaves before him.God's wrath; earth's response
Hab 3:6He stood and measured the earth; he looked and made the nations tremble...God's presence; nations and earth tremble
Ps 18:7Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembledTheophany; God's appearance causes nature to react
Ex 19:18Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke...and the whole mountain trembled greatly.Divine presence on Sinai; earth trembling
Job 9:6who shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble.God's power over earth's foundations

Joel 2 verses

Joel 2 10 Meaning

Joel 2:10 vividly portrays a massive cosmic upheaval signaling the arrival of the "Day of the Lord." The earth shakes violently, the heavens tremble, and all celestial lights—the sun, moon, and stars—are darkened and withdraw their radiance. This dramatic imagery indicates an event of universal, divine judgment, demonstrating God's supreme power over all creation and inducing immense fear. It suggests a profound disruption of the natural order preceding a pivotal divine intervention.

Joel 2 10 Context

Joel 2:10 is embedded within a profound prophetic discourse on the "Day of the Lord." The initial verses of Joel 2 describe a devastating locust plague that consumed the land, likening it to a formidable, disciplined army. This immediate crisis is then presented as a vivid foreshadowing or a physical manifestation of the impending "Day of the Lord," which is described as a "great and very terrible" (Joel 2:11) judgment by God. Verse 10 specifically details the overwhelming cosmic signs accompanying this fearsome event, portraying a complete disruption of the natural order. It sets the stage for a passionate call to repentance that follows in Joel 2:12-17, emphasizing the urgency of turning back to God before this day of ultimate wrath. Historically, Judah faced genuine locust plagues, but Joel elevated this immediate ecological disaster to a grand prophetic warning about God's eschatological intervention and sovereign power.

Joel 2 10 Word analysis

  • The earth: הָאָ֫רֶץ (hā'āreṣ). Refers to the physical ground and inhabited world. Its quaking signifies a foundational upheaval and the broad reach of the divine event. It's not a localized tremor but a cosmic disturbance.
  • quakes: רָגְזָה (rāgězâ). From the root רָגַז (ragaz), meaning to tremble, quake, be agitated. Implies a deep, internal shaking. In the biblical context, the earth trembling often accompanies divine manifestations or judgments, showing creation's response to its Creator's presence or wrath (e.g., Ps 18:7; Hab 3:7).
  • before them: לִפְנֵיהֶם (lip̄nêhem). Literally "in their face" or "in their presence." "Them" refers to the fearsome "people" or "army" described in Joel 2:2-9, which is both a terrifying locust invasion and a metaphor for God's divine army or even God's own direct intervention on the Day of the Lord. The terror evoked by this army causes the earth to tremble.
  • the heavens: שָׁמַ֫יִם (šāmayim). Refers to the sky, atmosphere, and celestial sphere, extending to the cosmos. Their trembling indicates that the event transcends mere earthly destruction, impacting the entire cosmic order.
  • tremble: רָעֲשׁוּ (rāʿăšû). From the root רָעַשׁ (ra'ash), meaning to quake, shake, totter. Similar to "quakes" but often used for celestial or grand terrestrial shaking, underscoring the universal nature of the disturbance (e.g., Jer 4:24).
  • The sun: שֶׁמֶשׁ (šemeš). The primary source of light and warmth. Its darkening is a powerful sign of God's displeasure and removal of natural blessings.
  • and moon: וְיָרֵחַ (wəyārēaḥ). The secondary celestial light source, governing night. Its darkening, along with the sun's, signifies total darkness.
  • are darkened: קָדָר֫וּ (qādārû). From the root קָדַר (qadar), meaning to be dark, dim, or mournful. Here, it denotes a profound, unnatural obscuring of light, signaling gloom, despair, and divine judgment (e.g., Job 5:11; Isa 50:3).
  • and the stars: וְכֽוֹכָבִים (wəḵōḵāḇîm). The other countless lights of the night sky. Their involvement completes the cosmic sweep of the judgment.
  • withdraw their shining: אָֽסְפוּ נָגְהָֽם (ʾāsĕfû nāḡhām). Literally "they have gathered their brightness." This poetic phrase emphasizes the active cessation of light. The stars are not just dimmed; their light is intentionally recalled, pointing to an authoritative divine act. It removes hope and natural guidance.

Words-group by words-group analysis

  • "The earth quakes before them; the heavens tremble.": This pairing emphasizes the absolute and universal scope of the impending judgment. It demonstrates that not only the terrestrial realm but also the celestial sphere, the very fabric of creation, reacts profoundly to God's presence and judgment, affecting everything from ground to sky. This complete cosmic agitation instills terror and highlights God's sovereignty over all aspects of existence.
  • "The sun and moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.": This segment details the complete cessation of natural light, a recurrent biblical motif for the "Day of the Lord" and divine judgment. The loss of light signifies profound distress, confusion, and the withdrawal of God's favor or blessing, plunging humanity into a state of figurative and literal darkness. This also implicitly confronts pagan worship of celestial bodies, asserting that even these perceived deities are powerless and subservient to the God of Israel, who can command their very light to vanish.

Joel 2 10 Bonus section

The cosmic signs described in Joel 2:10 serve as a prelude to a significant divine encounter, whether that is the physical presence of God on earth, a manifestation of His judgment, or a display of His power through His instruments. This verse powerfully contributes to the Old Testament understanding of theophany, where the appearance or powerful act of God is often accompanied by dramatic natural phenomena, transforming the very environment to reflect His glory and wrath. This imagery is frequently spiritualized or escalated in New Testament eschatology, particularly regarding the events preceding the return of Christ, where similar cosmic disruptions signify the climactic culmination of human history and God's final intervention. The specific language of the stars "gathering their brightness" highlights an intentional act, a divine withdrawal of light and hope for the unrepentant, emphasizing God's complete control even over the celestial bodies.

Joel 2 10 Commentary

Joel 2:10 is a pivotal verse, transcending the immediate crisis of the locust plague to unveil the terrifying magnitude of the Day of the Lord. It employs hyperbolic and apocalyptic language, which becomes a common motif in later prophets and the New Testament, to describe not merely a severe earthly calamity but a cosmic event orchestrated by God. The imagery of an earth quaking and heavens trembling suggests creation's acute awareness and involuntary response to its Creator's majestic power and holy wrath. The subsequent darkening of the sun, moon, and stars underscores the total breakdown of the established natural order, signifying an unparalleled period of distress and judgment. This dramatic darkening, often paralleled with the unmasking of false deities, polemically asserts the singular supremacy of the God of Israel. The verse's function is twofold: to impress upon the people the dire consequences of impenitence, instilling a healthy fear of the Lord, and simultaneously to confirm His absolute dominion over all creation. Its severity compels repentance, offering a pathway from judgment to restoration for those who respond to God's earnest plea.