(2) Contents. The book consists. of three chapters. (The Hebrew text has four chapters, the last five verses of ch. ii in A. V. forming ch. iii in the Massoretic Text. It divides itself easily into two parts, in the first of which the prophet, and in the second Jehovah, is the speaker. The first half of it (i :2-ii :18) tains a call to repentance, urged by the prophet with ever-increasing urgency in the midst of the fearful plague on the land, which had been already threatened in the Law (Dent. xxiii :38, 30) against the transgressors as a punishment from God. The second half (ii :i9-iv :2I) contains the Divine promise, not only of the removal of this judgment, and of the judgment upon all nations hostile to the theocracy, but also of the glorification of the theocracy, through the bestowal of the richest natural blessings, and through the outpouring of the Spirit of God upon all flesh. The two halves are closely bound together into one whole by the historical remark which stands between them (ii : 19), "And Jehovah answered, and said unto his people." Accordingly, the prediction of the future does not begin till ii :i9 (though the translation in the English version seems quite defensible.
(3) Interpretation. The interpretation of the prophecy depends on the view taken of the locusts. Many of the early Fathers explained the locusts figuratively, following the Chaldee, Ephrem Syrus, Jerome and others. (Bleck, p. 526-7, names also Cyril of Alexandria, Abarbanel, Luther, Grotius and Bertholdt.) In recent times this view has been supported in his usual fearless fashion by Hengstenberg (Cltrist. of O. T., Eng. tr., i :296, sq.). According to this view, the prophecy refers to future events, and the locusts, in cc. i and ii, represent the world-powers opposed to the Church—such as Jehovah judges on his great day (iii :1, 2 ; comp. Heb. iv :12).
So Dr. Hengstenherg, while strongly averse to the literal sense, is not disposed to limit the metaphorical meaning to any one event or class of invaders. 'The enemy,' he remarks, 'are desig nated only as north countries. From the north, however, from Syria,. a,11 the principal invasions of Palestine proceeded. We have therefore no rea son to think exclusively of any one of them. Nor ought we to limit the prophecy to the people of the old covenant. Throughout all centuries there is but one church of God existing in unbroken connection. That this church, during the first period of its existence, was concentrated in a land into which hostile irruptions were made from the north, was purely accidental. To make this cir cumstance the boundary-stone of the fulfillment of prophecy were just as absurd as if one were to assert that the threatening of Amos, "by the sword shall ail sinners of my people die," has not been fulfilled in those who perished after another manner.
\Vhat may be regarded as a modification of the ancient opinion of its purely figurative charac ter has been recently proposed. According to this view the locusts are Apocalyptic—creatures of a supernatural kind, such as may fitly find a place in a vision of the last things, with which the book of Joel closes (comp. the locusts in N. T. Apocalypse).
The third and, in recent times, the most gener ally accepted opinion is that the locusts are real. The prophet describes an actual locust invasion and makes it the occasion of his prophecy.
Keil, Intr. to O. T., voicing this opinion, says: "The prophet does not foretell some future mis fortune and some judgment still impending over the theocracy at the hands of armies of hostile nations, under the allegorical veil of a swarm of locusts laying the land waste; but he depicts a present judgment already come, the abiding frightful plague of locusts laying everything wast, in which he beholds the forerunners of the day of Jehovah which is near 0:15 ; :1, 2), though it may still be averted by thoroughgoing repent ance (i :13, 14 ; 12, 13, 15, sq.)" (4) Doctrine. The prophet, after describing the approaching judgments, calls on his country men to repent, assuring them of the Divine placa bility and readiness to forgive (ii :12-17). He foretells the restoration of the land to its former fertility, and declares that Jehovah would still be their God (ii A-26). He then announces the spiritual blessings which would he poured forth in the Messianic age (iii it-5, Heb. text ; :28-32, Auth. Vers.). This remarkable prediction is ap plied by the Apostle Peter to the events that tran spired on the day of Pentecost (Acts ii :16-21). In the last chapter (iv Heb. text ; Auth. Vers.), the Divine vengeance is denounced against the enemies and oppressors of the chosen people, of whom the Phcenicians, Egyptians, and Edomites are especially named. A minute examination of these predictions would exceed our limits; we must refer the reader for further information to the works named at the close of this article.
(5) Style and Canonicity. The style of Joel, it has been remarked, unites the strength of Micah with the tenderness of Jeremiah. In vividness of description he rivals Nahum, and in sublimity and majesty is scarcely inferior to Isaiah and Habak kuk. 'Imprimis est elegans, clarus, fusus, livens Tee ; valde ctiam sublimis, acer, fervidus' (Lowth, De SOC7T1 Pocsi Hcbr. Pnel. xxi).