Read this if you…
- want the source for 'I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh' — the verse Peter quotes at Pentecost in Acts
- like a prophet who reads a literal swarm of locusts as a sign of cosmic judgment
- care about the original Day of the Lord imagery — sun darkened, moon to blood, the language behind every apocalyptic vision since
Skip this if you…
- don't want to read explicitly religious/Christian texts
Depicted in Art
Joel sits frontally on a marble throne, intently reading an unfurled scroll across his lap; two young attendants whisper behind him.
Michelangelo Buonarroti, 1509
Life-size soapstone Joel stands on the staircase parapet, robes swirling around him, head thrust forward, an unfurled phylactery in hand.
Aleijadinho, 1805
Standing turbaned Joel in heavy Middle Eastern striped robes, gesturing as he prophesies, rendered with Tissot's ethnographic detail.
James Tissot, 1900
Recommended Editions
King James Version
Oxford University Press · 1611
The most influential and commonly quoted translation in English. The prose rhythm everyone else is responding to, even modern translations.
Please support us by purchasing through these links, at no extra cost to you!
Notable Quotes
And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
- Eduard Reuss, Protestant biblical scholar, 1804–1891: "Joel may be reckoned among the classics of Hebrew literature."
- S.R. Driver, Oxford Hebraist and Old Testament scholar, 1846–1914: "The style of Joel is bright and flowing; his imagery and language are fine."
- Michelangelo, painter & sculptor, 1475–1564: Chose Joel as one of only seven Hebrew prophets to adorn the Sistine Chapel ceiling.
- Aimee Semple McPherson, Pentecostal evangelist & founder of the Foursquare Church, 1890–1944: Built her landmark sermon 'Lost and Restored' on Joel's locust devastation and restoration promise.
- J. Sidlow Baxter, Bible expositor and author, 1903–1999: "His pen-pictures of the locust-army and the plague-stricken land are miniature masterpieces of graphic vigour."
- James L. Crenshaw, Old Testament scholar, Duke Divinity School, 1934–2024: Joel's prophecy is ominous yet hopeful, and rewards close reading.