Joel 2:18

Then will the Lord be jealous for his land,.... Or "zealous" for it; for the honour of it, and the good of its inhabitants, and for the glory of his own name, it being the chief place in the world

Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people.

Then, when you follow my advice, saith Joel. and heartily you of your sins, and turn to God, &c., will the Lord be jealous, will show his love and zeal, for the credit of his land, the land of Canaan, and pity his people; consider their prayers, their arguments, and tears, and upon the whole will deal so with them that they shall know I do own them for my people, and that I will do them good.

Joe 2:18 Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people. Ver. 18. Then will the Lord be jealous (or, zealous) for his land] Then dicto citius straight upon it: no sooner shall you repent (as is prescribed) but the Lord will be jealous, &c. Of God’ s jealousy for his people, And of the happy effect of fasting turned to feasting, see also Judges 20:23 Ezra 9:6 Daniel 9:20 2 Chronicles 20:3; 2 Chronicles 20:24-25 Bacah turned into Berachah; besides the constant experience of these and former times, of the happy success and unmiscarrying returns of holy fasting and prayer; no instance to the contrary. God usually answers his humbling people, as here, according to the desire of their hearts: neither so only, but according to the request of their lips also, Psalms 21:2, he fits his mercy ad cardinem desiderii; and lets it be to his, even as they will. They say, "Spare thy people," and accordingly he will pity or "spare his people," saith the prophet. They would not have God to give "his heritage to reproach" by inflicting famine upon them, as if they served a hard master that would affamish them. To this God gives a full answer in the next verse, "Behold, I will send you corn," &c. Again, they desire God to take care of his own great name, and to vindicate it. I will, saith God, by doing greatest things for you, Joe 2:20, and by causing the blasphemers to return and discern that "their rock is not as your Rock, themselves being judges," Deuteronomy 32:31; and that to ask, "Where is now their God?" is as great folly as if one should say, between the space of the new and old moon, Where is now the moon? when as it is never nearer the sun than at that time. There are some interpreters of good note, that read this verse not in the future, but in the preter tense, thus, Then was the Lord zealous for his land, and pitied his people; sc. when once he saw them seriously to repent he did all this that followeth for them. Neither maketh it anything against this interpretation, that the repentance of this people, their assembling and fasting, &c., is not recorded. For no more is it that Moses went to Pharaoh according to God’ s command, to threaten those swarms of flies, Exodus 8:20, or that Isaiah took his son Shearjashub, and went to Ahaz to confirm and comfort him, as God had commanded, Isaiah 7:3, which yet we doubt not but the prophet did. This is an ordinary aposiopesis. And pity his people] Or, spare them, pardon them. The word signifies to show mercy to him whom by all right thou mayest justly destroy, Ezekiel 5:11 1 Samuel 15:3. Oh the Divine rhetoric and omnipotent efficacy of repentance! This is the rainbow, which if God seeth shining in our hearts, he will never drown our souls. Dat poenitentiam et postea indulgentiam (Fulgent.).

Then will the Lord be jealous for His land - Upon repentance, all is changed. Before, God seemed set upon their destruction. It was His great army which was ready to destroy them; He was at its head, giving the word.