d. The Manner of Penance (Joel 2:12–17)
All the things contained in the preceding discourse I have spoken for this reason: that I might terrify you by my threat (St. Jerome), that I might lead you to repentance (St. Cyril). Therefore, in verse 12: “Now therefore,” says the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and with weeping and with mourning.” The Hebrew has this with greater emphasis, namely, “even now”—that is, even when you are already experiencing the first signs of the Lord’s vengeance, when the day of the Lord is already close at hand, and the proclamation of punishment has already been made. Nevertheless, God is still going to restrain further vengeance. Therefore He exhorts you to return to Him with your whole heart.
He therefore demands true and sincere repentance—one which penetrates the soul deeply with sorrow for past deeds, tears men away from sins, and submits them wholly to God in perfect obedience and complete love; and which, in accordance with the condition of human nature, also manifests itself through outward actions. By voluntary self-chastisement they appease the wrath of the avenging God which luxury and intemperance had provoked, and by this self-punishment they truly prove that they detest and reject their crimes with their whole heart. For if they impose punishments upon themselves beforehand, there will certainly be hope that God will restrain His ministers of vengeance, since they themselves anticipate God’s vengeance upon themselves.
Moreover, interior sorrow and sincere return to God are to be shown by tears and mourning, by which they bewail their former crimes and testify that they truly abhor them. For, as St. Cyril notes, one must carefully consider how powerful fasting is: it softens the Lord, calms His anger, and removes punishment. For by harshly disciplining ourselves we aptly bend the raging and furious divine wrath directed against us, and not without difficulty restrain the hand of Him who strikes.
He further delineates true repentance and assigns its cause in Joel 2:13: “Rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, patient and rich in mercy, and ready to relent from evil.” They are not to be content with external signs alone, but are to tear their hearts away from sins with sorrow and contrition. He admonishes them elegantly, since it is the custom of mourners to tear their garments from their breasts, as though the hands placed upon the chest might be pressed more deeply inward, and not merely the clothing but even the very entrails, if it were possible, should be torn apart (Pseudo-Rufinus).
There is, however, a certain “rending,” namely a separation from sins (Pseudo-Rufinus), whereby we do violence to ourselves so that the heart may be torn away from the delights of past sins, and be furrowed by the sense of pain and sorrow (Albert). This contrition of heart must be joined with conversion to God, so that those who had until now been turned away from the worship, obedience, and love of God may now embrace all these with their whole heart.
He then adds the most efficacious motives. The first lies in this, that He calls the Lord “your God”—namely, the One who has perpetual care for His people and who is their supreme good. Then, so that they may be lifted up with joyful hope and confidence of pardon, he adds other motives drawn from God’s grace, mercy, long-suffering, and supreme clemency, by which He is ready to defer punishment and exchange it for more abundant favor.
The words are almost the same as those read in Exodus 34:6, by which Moses most clearly expressed what the nature of God is and how He is disposed toward others (cf. Psalm 85:5, 15). “Patient,” that is, long-suffering: He does not immediately inflict wrath, but rather bears sinners for a long time and with much indulgence. “Ready to relent from evil” (cf. Jonah 4:2). St. Jerome explains: “ready to relent,” or “repenting of evils,” so that if we repent over our sins, He too may repent of His threat and not inflict upon us the evils He had threatened; and by our change of heart, He Himself changes His sentence.
Here “evil” must not be understood as moral evil opposed to virtue, but as affliction (Matthew 6:34), or, as Pseudo-Rufinus puts it, the calamity which He calls “evil,” from which He willingly grants remission if He sees those whom He frightened by threats now struck with compunction.
He therefore commends sorrow that is imbued with hope of pardon drawn from God’s mercy—a sorrow which looks to God as so merciful and gracious, and thus prepares souls most fittingly for the love of such a God. Hence it is rightly noted that true repentance is here delineated by the prophet (cf. Jerome, Pseudo-Rufinus, Cyril, Theodoret, Lapide, Calmet).
Yet repentance must make use of hope, not presumption, nor must it promise itself with certainty the removal of punishment in every case. Thus Joel 2:14: “Who knows whether He will turn and forgive, and leave behind Him a blessing—an offering and a libation for the Lord your God?” That is, perhaps He will forgive in such a way that He will immediately exchange the misery which presses upon us for abundant prosperity.
“I,” says the prophet, “exhort you to what is my duty—to repentance—and I know ineffably how merciful God is,” as David says in Psalm 51:1–2: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your great mercy, and according to the multitude of your mercies blot out my iniquity.” But because we cannot know the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God, I temper my assertion and rather hope than presume (St. Jerome). It is therefore also true that this is inserted out of reverence for the Judge (Pseudo-Rufinus), lest perhaps the greatness of clemency make us negligent (St. Jerome), or render us slothful in the labors and tears of repentance. For salutary fear and this uncertainty wonderfully aid and stimulate fervor in repentance.
Nor is it called into doubt whether God repays works of repentance with pardon of sins, but only whether He will immediately restrain Himself from the threatened punishment and its infliction (cf. Tirinius).
“Leave behind Him”—that is, if God, as judge, withdraws from the people. For God is said to descend from heaven to earth to exercise judgment; and since the plague of locusts is a kind of beginning of judgment, God the avenger is considered already present among the people. The prophet therefore hopes that, once appeased, the avenger will return to His heavenly seat and leave behind Him—that is, grant—a blessing: prosperity of the land and abundance of crops of which they had been deprived.
He mentions sacrifice (cf. Joel 1:9; cf. Pseudo-Rufinus, Calmet). With generous spirit the prophet promises that they will repay sacrifices of praise for the pardon obtained; moreover, the restoration of sacrifice is a joyful pledge that the relationship between God and the people has been restored.
Now, in order that the sense of such repentance may seize the hearts of all, and that God may be bent to mercy by solemn and public supplication, he proclaims a common fast and public prayers. Joel 2:15: “Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a fast; call an assembly.” Joel 2:16: “Gather the people; sanctify the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children and the infants at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his chamber and the bride her bridal room” (cf. Joel 2:1).
“Sanctify the congregation”—that is, those who are to be summoned to perform the sacred assembly in the temple must be purified and cleansed from every defilement before entering the temple and taking part in sacred rites (cf. the example in 2 Chronicles 30:17–18).
In a word, repentance is enjoined upon absolutely everyone: let every age group come to repentance, all other business being set aside (Theodoret). For this reason he mentions the elders, lest advanced age or infirmity offer an excuse; and he commands not only children but even nursing infants to be brought into the temple of God, so that by the common lamentation of all ages a greater emotional movement might arise in each individual.
Moreover, just as the crying of infants has great power among men to soften hearts, however adamantine, so also before God the cry of infants is powerful, and their innocence itself is most pleasing. Indeed, the Lord said He was moved to spare the Ninevites on account of infants (Jonah 4:11). Since it is a common calamity to be averted, He wishes all—yes, even infants—to seek mercy in their own way by wailing and weeping (Ribera).
At such a time one must devote oneself to mourning, and this by all; therefore even those whom the law exempted from public burdens (Deuteronomy 20:7; Dt 24:5), the newly married, He calls to sorrow, sadness, and abstinence. Aptly, St. Jerome and others here refer to the Apostle’s counsel that sometimes one must withdraw from marital relations in order to devote oneself to prayer (1 Corinthians 7:5).
The priests are constituted mediators and interpreters of the whole people before God; therefore they pour forth prayers in the name of all and express in words what individuals have conceived in their hearts. Joel 2:17: “Between the vestibule and the altar the priests, the ministers of the Lord, shall weep and say: ‘Spare, O Lord, spare your people, and do not give your inheritance to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples: Where is their God?’”
They stand between the vestibule (πρόναος) of the sanctuary and the altar of burnt offerings (cf. 1 Kings 6:3; 2 Chronicles 3:4; 2 Chron 8:12; 2 Chron 29:7), so that they pour forth prayers toward the sanctuary of the temple, thus in the inner court, that of the priests.
The prayer is made to obtain mercy, and they add tears, by which nothing is more effective in pleading God’s cause (cf. Sanctius). Hence: “Spare your people”—namely, those whom You have chosen for Yourself, whom by so many wonders You have declared to be Yours forever. Thus they place before God the fact that this people has been chosen as His special possession and inheritance (cf. Exodus 19:5–6).
For what would be more injurious to God than that such a people should become a mockery to the nations and be trampled underfoot by their tyranny? Does God truly wish the nations to say mockingly: “Where now is the God of this people, once so powerful?” If nothing else, let this at least plead with Your mercy: that we cannot perish without Your dishonor. Do not allow the nations to say, “Where is their God?”—with whom they used to rejoice as their defender (Pseudo-Rufinus).
Since they desire the dominion of the nations to be turned away from them through prayers and weeping, St. Jerome notes that the "riddle" which was hidden is now made open; for that "great and strong people" is now more clearly shown for who they are (the invading enemies).
Some modern scholars translate the Hebrew למשל בם (l’mashal bam) as "that they [the nations] might use a proverb/byword against them." It is true that the word mashal and its derivatives often carry this notion. Perhaps from the idea of "ruling according to one’s will," the secondary meaning of "derision" or "using bywords" arose. However, all the ancient versions expressed the meaning of "ruling over" in this passage, and this should be retained. The phrase mashal b’ (to rule over someone) is an extremely frequent expression throughout the Old Testament (e.g., Gen 1:18, Gen 3:16, etc.). In such frequent usage, it is not permissible to depart from common custom.
Furthermore, the meaning "to rule" fits perfectly with the "reproach" mentioned in the parallel member of the verse; for the dominion of the nations over Judah is a greater reproach than mere verbal mockery. Finally, the phrase "Where is their God?" implies something greater than mere derision: God, as protector, could only be seen as having truly withdrawn from Judah if the nations were actually ruling over Judah.
PART TWO: Joel 2:18–32
Argument of the Section
God kindly accepted the repentance and prayers of the suppliants. Mindful of His love and the election He made, He spares the people, promises an abundance of grain, and the removal of the reproach; to this end, He drives away the swarms of locusts (Joel 2:18–20).
Once these are driven away, the Lord will embrace His land with new and signal benevolence, granting fertility and abundance along with the salutary institution of justice. Consequently, the people will pursue God with praise, experience His power, and be immune from further ignominy (Joel 2:21–27).
In the Messianic period, these gifts will be followed by greater ones: He will pour out the richest gifts of His Spirit upon them. When the machinery of the world is shaken on the Day of Judgment, those who have called upon the name of the Lord reigning in Zion will escape safe (Joel 2:28–32).
The Historical Pattern of Divine Judgment
What Joel proposes in this general sketch is seen expressed again and again in the history of the people of God. The Lord chastised the rebellious people not only with the high cost of provisions (famine) but also with the incursions of enemies.
He used the Assyrians in the time of Hezekiah; but when the pious king stretched out his hands in supplication with the people, God destroyed the Assyrians and granted a time of peace.
Later, having called the Chaldeans as avengers, He destroyed the kingdom of Judah; but after the people were chastised through the punishment of exile, He destroyed the Chaldeans and brought back His people, leading them toward the Messianic period.
Section A: The Hearing of Prayer and Liberation (Jl 2:18–20)
The Prophet's admonition bore fruit. A solemn supplication was instituted, performed with that change of mind and those sentiments which the prophet had prescribed (Joel 2:12–17). Therefore, that which was indicated in verse 14 took place:
Joel 2:18. The Lord was jealous for his land and spared his people. Joel 2:19. And the Lord answered and said to his people: "Behold, I will send you grain, wine, and oil, and you shall be filled with them; and I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations."
The hearing of the prayer is God’s response. They complained with tears before God that His own cause was at stake—that God's inheritance was being heaped with reproaches. God "was jealous"—He displayed zeal and love so that, for the sake of His own glory, He might snatch His land from devastation, mindful of the ancient wonders and benefits by which He had consecrated that land to Himself in a special way.
CONTINUE
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