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.
Joel 3:6 nkjv
Also the people of Judah and the people of Jerusalem You have sold to the Greeks, That you may remove them far from their borders.
Joel 3:6 niv
You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, that you might send them far from their homeland.
Joel 3:6 esv
You have sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks in order to remove them far from their own border.
Joel 3:6 nlt
You have sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, so they could take them far from their homeland.
Joel 3 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Joel 3:5 | "You have sold the sons of Judah and the sons of Jerusalem into the hands of the Greeks, that you might send them far from their own border." | Prophecy of foreign captivity |
| Ezekiel 25:12 | "Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Because Edom acted vengefully against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has become grievously at fault by avenging itself on them," | Judgment on Edom |
| Amos 1:6 | "Thus says the LORD: ‘For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they carried into exile a whole community to deliver up to Edom," | Judgment on Philistines |
| Zechariah 2:8 | "For thus says the LORD of hosts, after his glory has sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye." | Protection of Jerusalem |
| Isaiah 14:2 | "and the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the land of the LORD as male and female servants. They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them." | Future restoration |
| Obadiah 1:11 | "You stood opposite when strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you too were like one of them." | Edom's complicity |
| Revelation 18:12 | "trading in gold and silver and jewels and pearls and fine linen and purple and silks and scarlet stuff, all kinds of citron wood, all sorts of articles of ivory, all sorts of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron, and marble," | Commerce of Babylon |
| Revelation 18:17 | "For in one hour all thisWidget, like wealth, has been laid waste." | Destruction of Babylon |
| Zephaniah 2:3 | "Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his just ordinances; seek righteousness; seek humility! It may be you are hidden on the day of the LORD’s anger." | Exhortation to repentance |
| Jeremiah 15:13 | "'Your goods and your treasures I will give as plunder, without price, and that because of all your sins, in all your borders." | Judgment on Judah |
| Ezekiel 28:16 | "In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire." | Judgment on Tyre |
| Psalm 44:12 | "You sell your people for no gain; you do not multiply their wealth by the price you set." | God's people suffering |
| Hosea 12:7 | "As for the merchant, in his | Criticism of merchants |
| Nahum 2:9 | "Plunder the plunder of silver, plunder the plunder of gold! There is no end to the riches, or to the wealth of every kind of treasure." | Judgment on Nineveh |
| Joel 3:2 | "I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and they have divided my land," | Judgment against nations |
| Joel 2:26 | "You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame." | Future blessing |
| John 12:6 | "He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it." | Judas' motive |
| Acts 1:18 | "Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle, and all his bowels gushed out." | Fate of Judas |
| Matthew 13:46 | "When he had found one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it." | Parable of the precious pearl |
| Deuteronomy 28:48 | "therefore will I serve all your enemies whom the LORD sends against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness, and in want of all things. He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until he has destroyed you." | Consequences of disobedience |
| Zechariah 14:14 | "And Judah will wage war at Jerusalem. Then the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected—gold and silver, and robes in great quantity." | Jerusalem's future prosperity |
Joel 3 verses
Joel 3 6 Meaning
This verse speaks of a devastating plunder, specifically targeting the wealth of the Gentiles. The goods taken are identified as silver, gold, and precious articles. This highlights the divine judgment and retribution against nations that have wronged God's people, particularly Judah and Jerusalem. The ultimate aim is restoration for Zion and Jerusalem.
Joel 3 6 Context
Joel chapter 3 vividly describes a future Day of the Lord where God judges the nations for their actions against His people, Judah and Jerusalem. Specifically, verse 6 points to the despoiling of wealth by foreign powers. These nations had traded away Israelites and Jewish people into slavery, particularly to the Greeks. In response, God promises that the wealth unjustly taken from His people will be recompensed by plundering these Gentile nations. This judgment and subsequent restoration of Zion and Jerusalem is a core theme in this prophetic oracle.
Joel 3 6 Word analysis
- and: (Hebrew: wə-) Connects actions, showing sequence or addition.
- you: (Hebrew: attem) Plural "you," referring to the Gentile nations collectively.
- have sold: (Hebrew: məkirah) Past tense, indicating a completed action of selling.
- the sons of: (Hebrew: bênê) Standard idiom for descendants or people of.
- Judah: (Hebrew: Yəhûḏâ) The southern kingdom of Israel and its people.
- and: (wə-)
- the sons of: (bênê)
- Jerusalem: (Hebrew: Yərûšālaiym) The capital city and spiritual center.
- into the hand: (Hebrew: lǝ-yəḏ) Idiom for delivery into someone's power or control.
- of the Greeks: (Hebrew: haggĕrîm) Specifically identifies the purchasers/enslavers as Greeks.
- that: (Hebrew: ləmaʿan) Expresses purpose or consequence.
- you: (attem)
- might send: (Hebrew: šālaḥ) To send away, to remove.
- them: (Hebrew: 'ōṯām) Refers back to the "sons of Judah and Jerusalem."
- far from: (Hebrew: me·rōḥāq) Distance, separation.
- their border: (Hebrew: gəbûlām) Their territory, their land.
- yea: (Hebrew: gām) Also, even.
- and: (wə-)
- I: (Hebrew: ’a·nî) Emphatic first person.
- will sell: (Hebrew: məkirah) Future tense, the divine action of selling/dispersing.
- your sons: (bənê·kem) Referring to the sons of the Gentile nations addressed.
- and: (wə-)
- your daughters: (Hebrew: bĕnōṯê·kem) The daughters of the Gentile nations.
- into the hand: (lǝ-yəḏ)
- of the sons of: (bênê)
- Judah: (Yəhûḏâ)
- and: (wə-)
- they: (Hebrew: hemmah) Refers to the sons of Judah.
- will sell: (məkirah) Future action by Judah, mirroring the Gentiles' action.
- them: ('ōṯām) Refers to the Gentile sons and daughters.
- to a nation (Hebrew: lĕ‘ôḏ lǝ’ōm) To another people, foreign.
- far off: (Hebrew: mǝrōḥāq) Distant.
- the LORD (Hebrew: YHWH) The divine name.
- has spoken: (Hebrew: dabbēr) Past tense, confirming the divine word.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "sons of Judah and the sons of Jerusalem": This phrase encapsulates the entirety of God's people, both the tribal and geographical representatives, emphasizing their collective identity and shared fate.
- "sold... into the hand of the Greeks": This points to a specific historical reality of slave trade where Israelites were trafficked to Greek-speaking peoples, highlighting their subjugation and dispersal.
- "that you might send them far from their border": This phrase details the ultimate purpose of the selling – the severing of their connection to their ancestral homeland, a severe form of punishment and loss.
- "I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the sons of Judah": This represents a reversal of fortunes, a divine retribution where the oppressors will experience the same fate they inflicted, even by the hands of those they wronged.
- "to a nation far off": This emphasizes the complete dispersion and loss of homeland for the Gentile oppressors, mirroring the fate they meted out.
- "the LORD has spoken": This serves as an authoritative pronouncement, sealing the certainty of this future judgment and reversal.
Joel 3 6 Bonus section
The specific mention of "the Greeks" (haggĕrîm) in verse 5 and repeated here suggests a historical context involving the slave trade during the intertestamental period or even earlier periods where Greek traders and captors were prominent. The promise in verse 6 that Judah would sell them "to a nation far off" is a poetic and direct counter-judgment. It implies not just a reversal of fortune but the dispersion of the oppressors to lands unknown, emphasizing their complete loss of status and power. This concept of divine reversal and recompense for injustice echoes throughout Scripture, offering hope to the oppressed and a stern warning to the oppressor. The final phrase, "the LORD has spoken," anchors the entire prophecy in divine authority, making it an unbreakable promise.
Joel 3 6 Commentary
Joel 3:6 is a pivotal verse in God's plan for justice and restoration. It reveals the punitive consequence for nations that have engaged in the unjust treatment and commodification of God's people. The sale of Judah's sons and daughters into Greek captivity was not an isolated incident but symptomatic of the larger pattern of oppression God’s people faced. The reversal, where the sons and daughters of the Gentile nations would be sold by the descendants of Judah, signifies a divine balancing of scales. This isn't merely about revenge but about demonstrating God's sovereignty and His deep concern for His covenant people, ensuring that those who scatter them will themselves be scattered, and those who divide His land will experience division. This divine exchange of fortunes underlines that mistreating God's people is equivalent to mistreating God Himself. The chapter moves towards the eventual exaltation and purification of Zion, a central theme in prophetic literature, promising ultimate deliverance and blessing.