Joel 2:16
New International Version
Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber.

New Living Translation
Gather all the people— the elders, the children, and even the babies. Call the bridegroom from his quarters and the bride from her private room.

English Standard Version
gather the people. Consecrate the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber.

Berean Standard Bible
Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the aged, gather the children, even those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber.

King James Bible
Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.

New King James Version
Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, And the bride from her dressing room.

New American Standard Bible
Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and the nursing infants. Have the groom come out of his room And the bride out of her bridal chamber.

NASB 1995
Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the bridegroom come out of his room And the bride out of her bridal chamber.

NASB 1977
Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the bridegroom come out of his room And the bride out of her bridal chamber.

Legacy Standard Bible
Gather the people, set apart the congregation as holy, Assemble the elders, Gather the infants and the nursing babies. Let the bridegroom come out of his room And the bride out of her bridal chamber.

Amplified Bible
Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the bridegroom come out of his room And the bride out of her bridal chamber. [No one is excused from the assembly.]

Christian Standard Bible
Gather the people; sanctify the congregation; assemble the aged; gather the infants, even babies nursing at the breast. Let the groom leave his bedroom, and the bride her honeymoon chamber.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Gather the people; sanctify the congregation; assemble the aged; gather the children, even those nursing at the breast. Let the groom leave his bedroom, and the bride her honeymoon chamber.

American Standard Version
gather the people, sanctify the assembly, assemble the old men, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts; let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.

Contemporary English Version
Make sure that everyone is fit to worship me. Bring adults, children, babies, and even bring newlyweds from their festivities.

English Revised Version
gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the old men, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Gather the people. Prepare them for a holy meeting. Assemble the leaders. Gather the children, even the nursing infants. Grooms leave their rooms. Brides leave their chambers.

Good News Translation
Gather the people together; prepare them for a sacred meeting; bring the old people; gather the children and the babies too. Even newly married couples must leave their homes and come.

International Standard Version
Gather the people! Dedicate the congregation! Bring in the elders. Gather the youngsters and even the nursing infants. Call the bridegroom from his wedding preparations, and the bride from her dressing room.

Majority Standard Bible
Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the aged, gather the children, even those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber.

NET Bible
Gather the people; sanctify an assembly! Gather the elders; gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the bridegroom come out from his bedroom and the bride from her private quarters.

New Heart English Bible
Gather the people. Sanctify the assembly. Assemble the elders. Gather the children, and those who suck the breasts. Let the bridegroom go forth from his room, and the bride out of her chamber.

Webster's Bible Translation
Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.

World English Bible
Gather the people. Sanctify the assembly. Assemble the elders. Gather the children, and those who nurse from breasts. Let the bridegroom go out of his room, and the bride out of her chamber.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Gather the people, sanctify an assembly, "" Assemble the aged, "" Gather infants and sucklings of the breasts, "" Let a bridegroom go out from his inner chamber, "" And a bride out of her closet.

Young's Literal Translation
Gather the people, sanctify an assembly, Assemble the aged, Gather infants and sucklings of the breasts, Go out let a bridegroom from his inner chamber, And a bride out of her closet.

Smith's Literal Translation
Gather the people, consecrate the convocation, assemble the old men, gather the children and those sucking the breasts: the bridegroom shall come forth from his chamber and the bride from her nuptial couch.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Gather together the people, sanctify the church, assemble the ancients, gather together the little ones, and them that suck at the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth from his bed, and the bride out of her bride chamber.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Gather the people, sanctify the church, unite the elders, gather together the little ones and infants at the breast. Let the bridegroom depart from his bed, and the bride from her bridal chamber.

New American Bible
Gather the people, sanctify the congregation; Assemble the elderly; gather the children, even infants nursing at the breast; Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her bridal tent.

New Revised Standard Version
gather the people. Sanctify the congregation; assemble the aged; gather the children, even infants at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her canopy.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the young men and those who suck the breasts; let the bridegroom leave his bedchamber, and the bride come out of her bridal chamber.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Assemble the people, hallow the church, assemble the Elders and gather the young men and those nursing the breasts; the bridegroom shall come out from his bedroom and the bride from the house of her bridal chamber
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children, And those that suck the breasts; Let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, And the bride out of her pavilion.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the infants at the breast: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Return with All Your Heart
15Blow the ram’s horn in Zion, consecrate a fast, proclaim a sacred assembly. 16Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the aged, gather the children, even those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber. 17Let the priests who minister before the LORD weep between the portico and the altar, saying, “Spare Your people, O LORD, and do not make Your heritage a reproach, an object of scorn among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’ ”…

Cross References
Matthew 22:2-10
“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. / He sent his servants to call those he had invited to the banquet, but they refused to come. / Again, he sent other servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’ ...

Revelation 19:7-9
Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him the glory. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. / She was given clothing of fine linen, bright and pure.” For the fine linen she wears is the righteous acts of the saints. / Then the angel told me to write, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

Isaiah 62:5
For as a young man marries a young woman, so your sons will marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so your God will rejoice over you.

Jeremiah 31:13
Then the maidens will rejoice with dancing, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into joy, and give them comfort and joy for their sorrow.

1 Corinthians 7:5
Do not deprive each other, except by mutual consent and for a time, so you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again, so that Satan will not tempt you through your lack of self-control.

Matthew 25:1-13
“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. / Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. / The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take along any extra oil. ...

Luke 14:16-24
But Jesus replied, “A certain man prepared a great banquet and invited many guests. / When it was time for the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ / But one after another they all began to make excuses. The first one said, ‘I have bought a field, and I need to go see it. Please excuse me.’ ...

Revelation 21:2
I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Isaiah 26:20
Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourselves a little while until the wrath has passed.

Zechariah 8:19
“This is what the LORD of Hosts says: The fasts of the fourth, the fifth, the seventh, and the tenth months will become times of joy and gladness, cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore you are to love both truth and peace.”

2 Chronicles 20:3-4
Jehoshaphat was alarmed and set his face to seek the LORD. And he proclaimed a fast throughout Judah. / So the people of Judah gathered to seek the LORD, and indeed, they came from all the cities of Judah to seek Him.

Nehemiah 8:1-3
At that time all the people gathered together in the square before the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel. / On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could listen and understand. / So Ezra read it aloud from daybreak until noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate, in front of the men and women and those who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

Exodus 19:10-11
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes / and be prepared by the third day, for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.

1 Samuel 16:5
“In peace,” he replied. “I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

2 Kings 23:1-3
Then the king summoned all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. / And he went up to the house of the LORD with all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, as well as the priests and the prophets—all the people small and great—and in their hearing he read all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the LORD. / So the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments, decrees, and statutes with all his heart and all his soul, and to carry out the words of the covenant that were written in this book. And all the people entered into the covenant.


Treasury of Scripture

Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.

sanctify.

Exodus 19:10,15,22
And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, …

Joshua 7:13
Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.

1 Samuel 16:5
And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

assemble.

Joel 1:14
Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD,

Deuteronomy 29:10,11
Ye stand this day all of you before the LORD your God; your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, with all the men of Israel, …

2 Chronicles 20:13
And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.

let.

Zechariah 12:11-14
In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon…

Matthew 9:15
And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.

1 Corinthians 7:5
Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

Jump to Previous
Assemble Assembly Breasts Bridal Bride Bridegroom Chamber Children Closet Congregation Consecrate Elders Forth Gather Hallow Infants Inner Leave Married Newly Nursing Pavilion Room Sanctify Suck Sucklings Tent Together
Jump to Next
Assemble Assembly Breasts Bridal Bride Bridegroom Chamber Children Closet Congregation Consecrate Elders Forth Gather Hallow Infants Inner Leave Married Newly Nursing Pavilion Room Sanctify Suck Sucklings Tent Together
Joel 2
1. He shows unto Zion the terribleness of God's judgment.
12. He exhorts to repentance;
15. prescribes a fast;
18. promises a blessing thereon.
21. He comforts Zion with present,
28. and future blessings.














Gather the people
This phrase emphasizes the communal aspect of repentance and worship in ancient Israel. The call to gather the people indicates a collective responsibility and action, reflecting the covenant community's need to come together in times of crisis or divine judgment. This gathering is reminiscent of other biblical convocations, such as those during the feasts (Leviticus 23) or when the law was read to the assembly (Nehemiah 8).

Sanctify the congregation
Sanctification involves setting apart the congregation for a holy purpose, often through rituals of purification. This reflects the need for spiritual preparation before approaching God, as seen in Exodus 19:10-11 when the Israelites prepared to meet God at Mount Sinai. It underscores the holiness required to stand in God's presence and the need for repentance and cleansing from sin.

Assemble the aged
The inclusion of the aged highlights the importance of wisdom and experience within the community. In biblical culture, elders were respected for their guidance and leadership (Proverbs 16:31). Their presence in the assembly signifies the continuity of faith and the transmission of spiritual heritage across generations.

Gather the children
Children are included in the assembly, indicating that the call to repentance and worship is for all ages. This reflects the biblical principle of involving the entire family in spiritual practices, as seen in Deuteronomy 6:7, where parents are instructed to teach God's commandments to their children.

Even those nursing at the breast
This phrase underscores the urgency and inclusivity of the call to gather. Even the youngest and most dependent members of the community are not exempt from participating in this solemn assembly. It highlights the comprehensive nature of the call to repentance and the importance of involving every member of the community, regardless of age or status.

Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber
This call for the bridegroom and bride to leave their private chambers signifies the interruption of personal joy and celebration for the sake of communal repentance. In ancient Israel, weddings were significant social events, and this interruption underscores the gravity of the situation. It reflects the priority of spiritual matters over personal affairs, similar to the urgency seen in other prophetic calls to repentance (Amos 5:21-24). This can also be seen as a type of Christ, who is often depicted as the bridegroom in the New Testament (Matthew 9:15), emphasizing the need for readiness and devotion to God above all else.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The People
Refers to the entire community of Israel, emphasizing the collective responsibility and participation in repentance and worship.

2. The Congregation
The assembly of believers, highlighting the importance of communal sanctification and dedication to God.

3. The Elders
Leaders within the community, representing wisdom and authority, called to guide and participate in the spiritual renewal.

4. The Children and Nursing Infants
Symbolize innocence and the future generation, included to show that no one is exempt from the call to repentance.

5. The Bridegroom and Bride
Represent personal joy and significant life events, indicating that even the most joyous occasions should be set aside for the sake of spiritual urgency.
Teaching Points
The Urgency of Repentance
The call to gather and sanctify is immediate and urgent, reflecting the need for prompt repentance and turning back to God.

Community Involvement
Spiritual renewal is not just an individual task but a communal responsibility. Everyone, from the elders to the infants, is called to participate.

Sacrificing Personal Joy for Spiritual Priorities
Even significant personal events should be secondary to the call of God. This teaches the importance of prioritizing spiritual matters over worldly concerns.

Leadership in Spiritual Renewal
Elders and leaders have a crucial role in guiding and facilitating the community's return to God, emphasizing the importance of godly leadership.

Inclusivity in Worship
The inclusion of all ages and stages of life in the call to gather underscores the universal nature of God's call to holiness and repentance.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Gather
אִסְפוּ־ (’is·p̄ū-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 622: To gather for, any purpose, to receive, take away, remove

the people,
עָ֞ם (‘ām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

sanctify
קַדְּשׁ֤וּ (qad·də·šū)
Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 6942: To be set apart or consecrated

the congregation,
קָהָל֙ (qā·hāl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6951: Assembly, convocation, congregation

assemble
קִבְצ֣וּ (qiḇ·ṣū)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 6908: To gather, collect

the aged,
זְקֵנִ֔ים (zə·qê·nîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 2205: Old

gather
אִסְפוּ֙ (’is·p̄ū)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 622: To gather for, any purpose, to receive, take away, remove

the children,
עֽוֹלָלִ֔ים (‘ō·w·lā·lîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5768: A suckling

even those nursing
וְיֹנְקֵ֖י (wə·yō·nə·qê)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct
Strong's 3243: To suck, to give milk

at the breast.
שָׁדָ֑יִם (šā·ḏā·yim)
Noun - md
Strong's 7699: The breast of a, woman, animal

Let the bridegroom
חָתָן֙ (ḥā·ṯān)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2860: A relative by marriage, a circumcised child

leave
יֵצֵ֤א (yê·ṣê)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

his room,
מֵֽחֶדְר֔וֹ (mê·ḥeḏ·rōw)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2315: A chamber, room

and the bride
וְכַלָּ֖ה (wə·ḵal·lāh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 3618: Daughter-in-law, bride

her chamber.
מֵחֻפָּתָֽהּ׃ (mê·ḥup·pā·ṯāh)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 2646: A canopy, chamber


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OT Prophets: Joel 2:16 Gather the people (Jl Joe.)
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