Book of Joel - Definition and Overview

The book of Joel is part of the Jewish Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh that is known to Christians as the Old Testament.

Joel was probably a resident in Judah, as his commission was to that people. He makes frequent mention of Judah and Jerusalem (1:14; 2:1, 15, 32; 3:1, 12, 17, 20, 21).

He probably flourished in the reign of Uzziah (about 800s BCE), and was contemporary with Amos and Isaiah.

The contents of this book are,

1. A prophecy of a great public calamity then impending over the land, consisting of a want of water and an extraordinary plague of locusts (1:1-2:11).
2. The prophet then calls on his countrymen to repent and to turn to God, assuring them of his readiness to forgive (2:12-17), and foretelling the restoration of the land to its accustomed fruitfulness (18-26).
3. Then follows a Messianic prophecy, quoted by Peter (Acts 2:39).
4. Finally, the prophet foretells portents and judgments as destined to fall on the enemies of God (ch. 3, but in the Hebrew text 4).

Initial text from Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897 -- Please update as needed

External links

Online translations of the Book of Joel:

• Joel at The Great Books (http://www.anova.org/sev/htm/hb/29_joel.htm) (New Revised Standard Version)
• Joel at Bible Gateway (http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?language=English&Version=NIV&passage=Joel) (various versions)
• Joel at Wikisource (http://wikisource.org/wiki/Bible%2C_English%2C_King_James%2C_Joel) (Authorised King James Version)

Related article:

• Jewish Encyclopedia (http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=341&letter=J): Book of Joel