Joel 2:14 kjv

Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?

Joel 2:14 nkjv

Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him? A grain offering and a drink offering For the LORD your God?

Joel 2:14 niv

Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing? grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God.

Joel 2:14 esv

Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God?

Joel 2:14 nlt

Who knows? Perhaps he will give you a reprieve,
sending you a blessing instead of this curse.
Perhaps you will be able to offer grain and wine
to the LORD your God as before.

Joel 2 verses

Joel 2 14 Meaning

Joel 2:14 expresses a hopeful, yet humble and uncertain plea from the prophet in the face of impending divine judgment. It suggests that if the people respond to God's call for sincere repentance, God might reconsider His announced wrath. Instead of complete devastation, He might "relent," turning His disposition from judgment to mercy, and leave behind sufficient provisions ("a blessing") which would then enable the people to resume offering the required grain and drink offerings, thereby restoring proper worship to the Lord. The focus is on the possibility of a divine response that brings restoration and allows the continuation of sacred service.

Joel 2 14 Context

Joel 2:14 appears within a vivid prophetic warning concerning "the Day of the Lord." Chapter 1 described a devastating locust plague, which served as a sign and foretaste of an even greater impending judgment. Chapter 2 opens with a call to mournful repentance and lamentation. Joel exhorts the people to return to the Lord with fasting, weeping, and mourning, emphasizing a turning of the heart (Joel 2:12-13) rather than mere outward acts. The severe consequences of their sin, leading to the destruction of crops and cessation of temple offerings, underscore the urgency. Joel 2:14 serves as a pivot, introducing a flicker of hope after the stark warnings. It provides the motivation for such heartfelt repentance, suggesting that God, despite His righteous anger, might be moved to show mercy if His people genuinely turn to Him. The immediate context of Joel 2:13 is critical, as it stresses the character of God – "gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster" – which forms the basis for the possibility expressed in verse 14.

Joel 2 14 Word analysis

• Who knows? (מִי יוֹדֵעַ - mî yōḏê‘a): Literally "Who knows?" This phrase is an expression of profound humility and dependent hope, not of doubt in God's ability or character. It signifies that divine mercy, though characteristic of God, is never something to be presumed upon or demanded. It acknowledges God's sovereign freedom to act as He chooses, leaving room for genuine and awe-filled repentance. It appears elsewhere in scripture (e.g., Jon 3:9; Zeph 2:3), always indicating a humble, earnest appeal for mercy without certainty, underscoring that human repentance does not force God's hand but invites His gracious response.

• He may turn (יָשׁוּב - yāšûḇ): From the root שׁוּב (shuv), meaning "to turn, return." In this context, it implies God's "turning back" from the course of judgment He has set or announced. This is an anthropomorphism, describing God's response to humanity's turning. Just as humans are called to "turn" from their evil ways in repentance (Joel 2:12), God may "turn" from His wrath. It emphasizes a change in the divine disposition towards His people, specifically a change from judgment to mercy, indicating a shift in the immediate consequences of their actions.

• and relent (וְנִחָם - wəniḥām): From the root נחם (naḥam), often translated as "repent," "console," or "relent." When applied to God, as here and in Gen 6:6 (God grieved that He had made man), Exod 32:14, Jer 18:8, Jon 3:10, it does not mean God repents of sin, but rather that He changes His course of action regarding an announced judgment. It signifies divine compassion or pity (see Ps 135:14) and His willingness to revoke a threatened punishment in response to human repentance. It showcases God's dynamic relationship with His covenant people.

• and leave a blessing behind him (וְהִשְׁאִיר בְּרָכָה אַחֲרָיו - wəhiš’îr bĕrākāh ’aḥărāyw):

  • leave behind him: Means that as the judgment (or God's "passing through" in judgment) recedes, something remains, a remnant, a surplus. It implies what is left over or spared after devastation.
  • a blessing (בְּרָכָה - bĕrākāh): Refers to a tangible expression of divine favor, often associated with material prosperity, fertility, and abundance, contrasting sharply with the barrenness brought by the locust plague (Joel 1). This "blessing" ensures there is enough to sustain life and to offer to God. It speaks to restoration not only of material sustenance but also of the ability to worship.

• grain offering and drink offering (מִנְחָה וָנֶסֶךְ - minḥâ wānāseḵ): These were staple components of the Israelite sacrificial system, symbolizing devotion, thanksgiving, and communion with God.

  • Grain offering (minḥâ): Typically flour, unleavened bread, or roasted grain.
  • Drink offering (nēseḵ): Wine poured out.Crucially, Joel 1:9 and 1:13 lament that these very offerings had ceased due to the locust plague destroying the necessary agricultural produce. Their reintroduction signifies complete restoration, not just material well-being, but the ability to perform ritual worship, demonstrating a renewed fellowship with God and access to Him. The cessation of offerings implied a broken relationship; their restoration signifies a mended one.

• for the LORD your God (לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - laYHWH ’ĕlōhêḵem): Emphasizes that the entire purpose of the potential "blessing" and the restoration of provisions is directed towards YHWH. It's not just about relief from famine, but about re-establishing the proper relationship where God is honored through worship and offerings. The covenant name "YHWH" alongside "your God" (plural, speaking to the community) stresses God's personal relationship and covenant obligations with His people, even in their disciplinary season.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "Who knows? He may turn and relent": This phrase encapsulates the cautious optimism and profound theological understanding of God's character. It highlights that God's sovereignty includes His freedom to respond to genuine human repentance with mercy. It rejects fatalism, instead promoting humble faith in God's grace (Exod 34:6-7) and his character as "slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love" (Joel 2:13). The mî yōḏê‘a invites humility, guarding against presumption on God's grace while motivating immediate and fervent repentance.
  • "and leave a blessing behind him—grain offering and drink offering": This connects material provision directly to spiritual purpose. The restoration is not merely for sustenance but explicitly for the resumption of worship. It implies that true blessing from God leads His people to honor Him, illustrating a foundational principle: God's blessings are ultimately for His glory and for enabling His people to worship Him. The immediate impact of judgment (locusts) was a cutoff of produce, preventing offerings; the reversal, a "blessing," directly rectifies this spiritual consequence.

Joel 2 14 Bonus section

The structure of Joel 2:12-14 forms a theological bridge between the reality of divine judgment and the hope of divine mercy. While Joel 2:12-13 issues the command for human repentance from the heart, Joel 2:14 expresses the divine possibility that stems from it. This dynamic interplay showcases that while God is just and enacts judgment for sin, He also remains relational and responsive to His people's sincere turning. The "who knows?" protects against a mechanistic understanding of God's response to repentance (as if it forces God's hand) while still promoting genuine urgency and humble hope in His compassionate nature. This hope also highlights that God's ultimate desire for His people is fellowship and worship, as seen in His provision specifically for the restoration of temple services.

Joel 2 14 Commentary

Joel 2:14 acts as a pivotal expression of hopeful humility within a prophecy of dire judgment. Following the urgent call for a profound heart-repentance, the prophet offers a qualified prospect of divine mercy. The phrase "Who knows?" underscores that while God's nature is merciful, His decision to "relent" from disaster is not an automatic consequence of human action but an act of sovereign grace. This "turning" on God's part signifies His disposition changing from wrath to favor, driven by genuine sorrow over sin. The desired outcome of this potential divine turning is "a blessing" – not just mere survival, but a sufficient abundance of provisions to restore the core acts of communal worship, namely the grain and drink offerings. The cessation of these offerings due to the plague highlighted a broken relationship (Joel 1:9, 13); their resumption signifies renewed fellowship and the re-establishment of a right covenantal relationship with the Lord their God. Thus, the verse provides powerful motivation for true repentance, grounding hope in God's compassionate character while emphasizing the ultimate purpose of divine favor: the enablement of devoted worship.