Joel 2:6 kjv
Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.
Joel 2:6 nkjv
Before them the people writhe in pain; All faces are drained of color.
Joel 2:6 niv
At the sight of them, nations are in anguish; every face turns pale.
Joel 2:6 esv
Before them peoples are in anguish; all faces grow pale.
Joel 2:6 nlt
Fear grips all the people;
every face grows pale with terror.
Joel 2 6 Cross References
Verse | Text | Reference |
---|---|---|
Isa 13:6-8 | Wail, for the day of the LORD is near… everyone who is found will be thrust through... Pangs and agony will seize them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at one another... | Terror of Day of the Lord; similar physiological response. |
Zeph 1:14-15 | The great day of the LORD is near… A day of wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom... | Description of the Day of the Lord's severity. |
Rev 6:15-17 | Then the kings of the earth...hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains... "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne... for the great day of their wrath has come..." | Universal hiding due to divine wrath, fear of "His face." |
Amos 5:18-20 | Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! Why would you have the day of the LORD? It is darkness, not light... utter gloom... | Dreadful nature of the Day of the Lord. |
Isa 21:3-4 | Therefore my loins are filled with anguish; pangs have seized me, like the pangs of a woman in labor... My heart flutters; horror has appalled me; the twilight I longed for has been turned into trembling for me. | Personal anguish, physical writhing due to terror. |
Jer 30:6 | Ask now, and see, can a male bear a child? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his loins like a woman in labor? Why has every face turned pale? | Explicit parallel: men's faces turning pale due to anguish like childbirth. |
Hos 13:13 | The pangs of childbirth come for him, but he is an unwise son... | Pangs of judgment compared to childbirth. |
1 Thes 5:3 | While people are saying, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. | Sudden, inescapable destruction like labor pains. |
Lam 4:8 | Now their appearance is blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets... | Faces transformed due to suffering; not paleness but dark, haggard. |
Nah 2:10 | Desolate! Desolation and ruin! Hearts melt, knees knock, anguish is in all loins, all faces grow pale! | Direct parallel: faces growing pale/gathering blackness from fear, similar physical collapse. |
Hab 3:16 | I hear, and my body trembles; my lips quiver at the sound; rottenness enters into my bones; my legs tremble beneath me... | Physical tremor and collapse from dread. |
Ps 76:7 | But you, you are to be feared! Who can stand before you when once your anger is roused? | God's fearful presence and irresistible wrath. |
Ps 48:6 | Trembling took hold of them there, anguish as of a woman in labor. | Similar language for nations' fear. |
Deut 28:66-67 | Your life shall hang in doubt before you. Night and day you shall be in dread... In the morning you shall say, ‘If only it were evening!’ and at evening you shall say, ‘If only it were morning!’ because of the dread that your heart shall feel... | Unrelenting fear and despair. |
Isa 19:1 | ...and the idols of Egypt will tremble before him, and the heart of Egypt will melt within it. | Universal shaking/trembling before God's judgment. |
Jer 4:19-21 | My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh, the walls of my heart! My heart is pounding... I cannot keep silent... | Personal anguish and inability to conceal it. |
Ezek 7:17 | All hands will be feeble, and every knee will turn to water. | Physical weakness from terror. |
Matt 24:29-30 | ...then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn... | Universal mourning at Christ's coming in judgment. |
Luke 21:26 | people fainting from fear and the expectation of what is coming on the world... | Direct mention of fainting from fear of end-times events. |
Rom 2:8-9 | ...but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil... | Universal distress awaiting those opposing God. |
Rev 9:7-9 | In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle... Their faces were like human faces... | Invading force imagery evoking dread; connection to Joel's locust-like army. |
Job 20:23 | To fill his belly to the full, God will send his burning anger against him and rain it upon him as his food. | Reflects inner turmoil that relates to fârûr. |
Joel 2 verses
Joel 2 6 Meaning
Joel 2:6 vividly describes the profound anguish and physical manifestation of terror experienced by people witnessing God's overwhelming judgment. Before the advancing, divinely-commissioned force (likened to an unstoppable army or locust plague), human beings are depicted as writhing in intense fear, their faces drained of color or turned an ashen hue, signifying complete and utter despair and helplessness. This verse underscores the paralyzing impact of divine reckoning on all who confront it.
Joel 2 6 Context
Joel chapter 2 is a profound prophetic warning regarding the impending "Day of the Lord." Following a severe locust plague that devastated the land of Judah (described in Joel chapter 1), Joel intensifies the imagery, portraying an even more terrifying invasion—an unstoppable army, often understood as a metaphor for divine judgment or a literal future army of destruction. Joel 2:1-11 details this invading force, describing its formidable appearance, swiftness, and destructive power, indicating that nothing can stand in its way or escape its wrath. Verse 6, specifically, focuses on the psychological and physical impact this dreadful sight has on people. It vividly illustrates the abject terror and collapse of composure among all who face this divine visitation, leading into the plea for repentance in Joel 2:12-17. Historically, this prophecy serves both as an immediate call to Judah after the locusts and a powerful eschatological vision of future judgment.
Joel 2 6 Word analysis
- מִפָּנָיו (mippanâyv): "from before him" or "from his face/presence."
- This prepositional phrase signifies that the anguish stems directly from facing or being in the presence of the destructive force described (the "army" or "Day of the Lord"). It implies immediacy and confrontation, suggesting there is no escaping the direct impact of its terrifying presence.
- יָחִילוּ (yâchîlû): "they writhe" or "they are in anguish."
- From the Hebrew root חול (ḥûl), which literally means to "writhe," often used to describe the pangs of childbirth (e.g., Isa 13:8).
- This word conveys a physical, convulsive, and uncontrollable shaking or agony, indicating extreme emotional and physical distress, helplessness, and an inability to maintain composure or resist.
- עַמִּים (ammim): "peoples" or "nations."
- Though in some contexts this can refer to nations, here it emphasizes the widespread or collective impact, suggesting that a great number of individuals are affected. It underscores the universal scope of the terror.
- כָּל-פָּנִים (kol-panim): "all faces."
- The use of "all" stresses totality. It signifies that no one is immune; every single person experiences this visible and profound dread, regardless of their status or background. This intensifies the picture of widespread panic.
- קִבְּצוּ פָארוּר (kib'tzū fârûr): "gather pallor" or "collect ghastly blackness/glow."
- קִבְּצוּ (kib'tzū): "they gather," or "they collect." This implies that the 'pallor' is not just present but concentrated or intensely manifested, suggesting a visible accumulation of this dread-induced change.
- פָארוּר (fârûr): This term is notably difficult. It has been interpreted in several ways:
- Pallor/Ashiness: The most common interpretation. It denotes a severe loss of color, leading to a pale, ghostly, or even ashen appearance due to extreme shock or terror (cf. Nah 2:10; Jer 30:6, where "pale" or "greenish" is used).
- Darkness/Blackness: Some ancient versions (Septuagint's "scorching of a pot") and linguistic links suggest a darkening, as if burnt or diseased, perhaps reflecting an inward fire of dread. This would indicate faces becoming discolored or morbidly dark/ashy.
- "Feverish glow": A less common interpretation, but linked to roots of "fire" or "burning," implying a sickly flush or ghastly luster from an internal burning of fear or sickness. However, the context of extreme distress and physical collapse typically points to a loss of healthy color.
- Collectively, "gather pallor/ashy look" describes a ghastly, deathly transformation of the face due to overwhelming fear, where normal coloration is replaced by a morbid, distressed appearance.
Joel 2 6 Bonus section
The strong imagery of "writhing" and faces "gathering pallor" serves as a direct polemic against any notion of human autonomy or invincibility. It dramatically counters pride, self-reliance, or belief in the efficacy of idols. Before God's determined judgment, all human strength and courage dissipate. The use of childbirth pangs (associated with "writhing") heightens the sense of inescapable pain and inevitable outcome, as these pains lead to an unavoidable birth. The very core of a person is affected; it's not merely a mental fear but a deep, overwhelming bodily reaction that reflects the profound and inescapable nature of God's coming wrath.
Joel 2 6 Commentary
Joel 2:6 is a potent image of terror's grip. It moves beyond abstract fear to detail a visceral, bodily response: individuals not just feeling afraid but physically contorting ("writhing") and experiencing dramatic physiological changes on their faces ("gathering pallor"). This paints a picture of humanity utterly stripped of composure and strength when confronted by divine judgment. The emphasis on "peoples" and "all faces" signifies that this terror is universal, sparing no one. This verse acts as a stark warning, illustrating that facing the living God in judgment brings about a primal, inescapable dread that manifests in debilitating physical and emotional agony, urging sincere repentance and humility before Him.