Joel 3:9

Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles,.... This decree of God, concerning the deliverance of his church; and the destruction of their enemies; which is to be proclaimed among them, to the terror of

Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles.

Proclaim; publish, or make known, as by sound of trumpet: some say it is an irony; I rather think it is a declaration of what is to come to pass through some ages before the coming of the Messiah, as will appear probable from what followeth. This; or these things, which I am purposed to do in retaliating to the enemies of my people; proclaim wars which may make captives for sale under the hand of my people. Among the Gentiles; the Assyrians, Chaldeans, Babylonians, and Grecians successively. Prepare war; make ready for wars against the enemies of my people, who shall by these be corrected, but their enemies at last shall be destroyed. Wake up the mighty men; the valiant men, who dare attempt any thing, and are of great strength to execute what they attempt. Let all the men of war draw near; all the captains, and experienced soldiers, let them appear at the rendezvous. Let them come up; when marshalled, let them march up on their design, toward the seat of the war, which will now for many ages be in or about the valley of vision, the church, the valley of judgment from the Lord.

Joe 3:9 Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:Ver. 9. Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles] Oratio tota est figurata, saith Pareus: All this following discourse is figurative; Hortatio sarcasmon habens, saith Mercer. It is an ironic challenge to all God’ s enemies, to do their worst to Christ and his Church; somewhat like that Judges 9:29, "Increase thine army, and come out" (which seems to be the challenge that Gaal sent to Abimelech, by some messenger), or that of Rabshakeh, Isaiah 36:8, "I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders on them," or that, Isaiah 8:9-10. Prepare war] Heb. sanctify war; that is, laying aside all other business, give yourselves wholly to it (like as at holy services they were called upon, Hoc agere, This to manage, to mind the business in hand, and nothing else), as Scanderbeg did; out of whose lips, while he was fighting, the very blood would start; so earnest he was at it. Wake up the mighty men] The giants, the champions, such as were Goliath the Gittite, David’ s band of worthies, Achilles, Albertus, Marquess of Brandenburg, who for his valour was called Achilles Teutonicus. Put what mettle you can into these your mighties, that they may do their utmost. But also know that they shall soon meet with their matches, viz. God’ s "mighty ones" mentioned Joe 3:11. Let all the men of war draw near] That they may join battle, and not stand daring and facing one another; as the two armies of Christians and Turks did in the days of Baldwin II, King of Jerusalem, for three months together, and then rose and returned without any notable thing done. It is the ancient and manful fashion (saith our chronicler) of the English (who are naturally most impatient of lingering mischiefs) to put their public quarrels quickly to the trial of the sword. Praestat semel quam semper was Caesar’ s motto; and his property was “ Credere nil actum, dum quid superesset agendum ” ( Lucan).

(9) Prepare war . . .—Literally, sanctify war. It was to be taken up deliberately, and after due religious rites, according to the customs of the nations. They are thus challenged, or rather summoned, to a trial of strength with Jehovah at a typical “Armageddon.”

Verse 9. Prepare war] Let all the enemies of God and of his people join together; let them even call all the tillers of the ground to their assistance, instead of labouring in the field; let every peasant become a soldier. Let them turn their agricultural implements into offensive weapons, so that the weak, being well armed, may confidently say, I am strong: yet, when thus collected and armed, Jehovah will bring down thy mighty ones; for so the clause in Joe 3:11 should be rendered.

9–17. After the digression on the Phoenicians and Philistines (Joe 3:4-8), the thought of Joe 3:1-3 is resumed; and the description of the judgement on the nations, announced in Joe 3:2, is continued. The heathen are invited to arm themselves, and advance for the great contest with Israel in the valley of Jehoshaphat, Joe 3:9-12; but once arrived there, they are annihilated, amid celestial portents, by the agents of Jehovah’s will, whom He commissions to engage with them, while His own people look on securely.

Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles - God having before said that He would “gather all nations,” now, by a solemn irony, bids them prepare, if, by any means, they can fight against Him.

9-16. After this condemnation of the bitterest enemies of the chosen people the prophet returns to the announcement broken off in Joe 3:3.