Joel 2 — Hebrew and Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: 2:23
Each card keeps the independently rendered source readings above their shared comparison and reception notes. The badge records the source’s governing classification; disparate readings are marked in red. Each reading retains its original reference.
Chapter 2
The approaching army; return and restoration
Verse 2:1 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
2:1 Blow a horn in Zion! Sound the alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the land's inhabitants tremble, for the day of YHWH is coming; it is near.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
2:1 Blow a trumpet in Zion! Proclaim on My holy mountain, and let all who inhabit the land be confounded, because the Lord's day is present; it is near,
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Both announce the near divine day with a mountain alarm and public disturbance; Hebrew coming becomes Greek present, and alarm becomes proclamation.
Verse 2:2 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
2:2 A day of darkness and gloom, a day of cloud and thick darkness! Like dawn spread upon the mountains is a numerous and mighty people. Its like has never existed, nor will it again, through the years of generation after generation.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
2:2 a day of darkness and gloom, a day of cloud and mist. Like dawn a numerous and strong people will be poured over the mountains. Its like has never existed, nor will another follow it through the years, for generations upon generations.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The unique multitude and dark day agree. Greek makes the dawn-like spreading an explicit future pouring action.
Verse 2:3 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
2:3 Before it fire devours, and behind it flame blazes. The land before it is like Eden's garden, but behind it a desolate wilderness; nothing escapes it.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
2:3 Before it is consuming fire, and behind it a kindled flame. The land before its face is like a garden of delight, and behind it a plain of disappearance; no one will escape it.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek translates Eden as delight and describes the aftermath as a ruined plain; Hebrew names a desolate wilderness. Both exclude escape from the devastation.
Verse 2:4 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
2:4 Its appearance is like the appearance of horses; like horsemen they run.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
2:4 Their appearance is like the sight of horses; like riders they will pursue.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew running becomes Greek pursuit; the horse and rider comparison remains.
Verse 2:5 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
2:5 With a sound like chariots they leap over mountain peaks, like the sound of a fiery flame devouring stubble, like a mighty people arrayed for battle.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
2:5 With a sound like chariots they will leap upon mountain peaks, like the sound of a fiery flame devouring stubble, like a numerous and strong people arrayed for war.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The three comparisons agree; Greek explicitly adds numerous to the battle force.
Verse 2:6 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
2:6 Before it peoples writhe; all faces gather pallor.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
2:6 Before it peoples will be crushed; every face is like the scorching of a pot.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew writhing and the uncertain pāʾrûr, here pallor, become Greek crushing and a scorched-pot comparison. The precise complexion of Hebrew's image is unresolved.
Verse 2:7 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
2:7 Like warriors they run; like soldiers they climb a wall. Each goes on his own way; they do not swerve from their paths.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
2:7 Like fighters they will run, and like soldiers they will climb the walls. Each will go on his own road, and they certainly will not turn aside from their paths,
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both portray disciplined movement, wall climbing and unswerving paths; singular/plural wall does not alter that portrayal. The Greek future verbs and emphatic negative are rendered prospectively; the Hebrew vivid present remains an independent rendering.
Verse 2:8 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
2:8 They do not crowd one another; each goes on his own course. They fall through the weapons and are not cut off.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
2:8 and each will not hold back from his brother. Burdened with their weapons they will go, and among their missiles they will fall, yet they certainly will not be finished.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew unimpeded ordered movement becomes Greek armed burden and not holding back from a brother. Both end in survival amid weapons, but the action and possessive their missiles differ; both clauses need lexical review.
Verse 2:9 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
2:9 They rush into the city, run on the wall and climb into houses; through windows they enter like a thief.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
2:9 They will seize the city and run upon the walls; they will climb upon the houses and enter through windows like thieves.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek explicitly states seizure and uses plural thieves; the invasive route and comparison agree.
Verse 2:10 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
2:10 Before it the earth trembles and the heavens shake; sun and moon grow dark, and stars withdraw their brightness.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
2:10 Before them the earth will be confounded and heaven shaken; the sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will sink their brightness.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Earth, heaven, sun, moon and stars respond with the corresponding cosmic disturbance and loss of light.
Verse 2:11 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
2:11 YHWH gives His voice before His army, for His camp is very great; mighty is the one carrying out His word. For the day of YHWH is great and very fearsome; who can endure it?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
2:11 The Lord will give His voice before His force, because His camp is very large, because the works of His words are strong. For the Lord's day is great, great and very manifest; who will be sufficient for it?
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew's mighty executor becomes Greek powerful works of words, and fearsome becomes manifest. Greek repeats great. Both ask who can withstand the day.
Verse 2:12 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
2:12 “Even now,” declares YHWH, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping and lamentation.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
2:12 “And now,” says the Lord your God, “turn to Me with your whole heart, with fasting, weeping and mourning.”
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: The wholehearted return and three accompanying practices correspond; Greek explicitly adds your God to the speaker formula.
Verse 2:13 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
2:13 Tear your hearts, not your garments, and return to YHWH your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abundant in steadfast love, and relents concerning disaster.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
2:13 Tear your hearts, not your garments, and turn to the Lord your God, because He is merciful and compassionate, patient and abundant in mercy, and relents concerning calamities.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The internal tearing, return and divine disposition agree. Hebrew ḥesed is steadfast love; Greek eleos is mercy. Relenting concerns threatened calamity, without inserting a confession of divine moral wrongdoing.
Verse 2:14 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
2:14 Who knows? He may turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him: a grain offering and drink offering for YHWH your God.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
2:14 Who knows whether He will turn and relent and leave a blessing behind Him, a sacrifice and drink offering for the Lord our God?
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Both leave the hoped-for response uncertain. Hebrew your God becomes Greek our God; the grain offering/sacrifice distinction remains.
Verse 2:15 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
2:15 Blow a horn in Zion! Consecrate a fast; call an assembly.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
2:15 Blow a trumpet in Zion! Consecrate a fast; proclaim a service.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: The shared summons repeats Hebrew assembly versus Greek therapeia, service/observance, from 1:14.
Verse 2:16 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
2:16 Gather the people; consecrate the assembly. Collect the elders; gather children and nursing infants. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her canopy.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
2:16 Gather the people; consecrate the congregation. Choose elders; gather infants nursing at breasts. Let the bridegroom leave his bedroom and the bride her bridal chamber.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek chooses elders instead of gathering them and identifies the infants as nursing; Hebrew separately names children and nursing infants. Greek bridal chamber differs from Hebrew canopy.
Verse 2:17 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
2:17 Between the porch and the altar let the priests, YHWH's ministers, weep and say, “Spare Your people, YHWH! Do not make Your inheritance a reproach, for nations to rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
2:17 In the midst of the altar's platform the priests who minister to the Lord will weep and say, “Spare Your people, Lord, and do not give Your inheritance to reproach, for nations to rule over them, so that they do not say among the nations, ‘Where is their God?’”
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew names the space between porch and altar; Greek has the difficult single phrase ana meson tēs krēpidos tou thysiastēriou, the altar's platform. Greek reports future weeping and gives a purpose clause where Hebrew asks why.
Verse 2:18 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
2:18 Then YHWH became jealous for His land and had compassion on His people.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
2:18 Then the Lord became jealous for His land and spared His people.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Both narrate the divine response; Hebrew compassion becomes Greek sparing. Their past narrative forms are retained.
Verse 2:19 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
2:19 YHWH answered His people: “Look, I am sending you grain, new wine and fresh oil, and you will be satisfied with them. I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
2:19 The Lord answered His people: “Look, I am sending out to you grain, wine and oil, and you will be filled with them. I will no longer give you over to reproach among the nations,
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both promise the three agricultural staples, satisfaction and an end to national reproach.
Verse 2:20 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
2:20 I will remove the northerner far from you and drive it into a parched and desolate land, its front toward the eastern sea and its rear toward the western sea. Its stench will rise, and its foul smell will rise, for it has done great things.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
2:20 and I will drive away from you the one from the north and thrust it into a waterless land. I will make its front disappear into the first sea and its rear into the last sea; its decay will rise, and its stench will rise, because it magnified its deeds.”
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew has an eastern/western sea orientation; Greek first/last preserves another force of the directions. Greek explicitly gives God an act of destruction at the front. No specific historical invader or modern sea identification is inserted.
Verse 2:21 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
2:21 Do not fear, ground! Exult and rejoice, for YHWH has done great things.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
2:21 Take courage, land! Rejoice and be glad, because the Lord has done great things.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both reverse the land's fear through celebration of divine action.
Verse 2:22 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
2:22 Do not fear, animals of the field, for the wilderness pastures have sprouted; trees have borne fruit, and fig tree and vine have given their yield.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
2:22 Take courage, animals of the plain, because the wilderness plains have sprouted, because a tree bore its fruit; vine and fig tree have given their strength.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The animals' encouragement and recovered growth agree. Greek reverses the vine/fig order and expresses yield as strength.
Verse 2:23 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
2:23 Children of Zion, exult and rejoice in YHWH your God, for He has given you the teacher for righteousness. He has brought down rain for you, early rain and late rain in the first month.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
2:23 Children of Zion, rejoice and be glad in the Lord your God, because He gave you food for righteousness, and He will rain upon you early and late rainfall as before.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Hebrew môreh is provisionally teacher in its first occurrence and early rain in the second; Greek names food. Hebrew bāriʾšôn can mean in the first month or formerly; the selected temporal reading differs from Greek's explicit as before. Rabbinic: Rashi interprets the teacher as prophets guiding repentance and the first month as Nisan [RASHI-JOL2]. Early rain for vindication remains a serious alternate Hebrew reading; the present rendering does not identify a messianic teacher.
Verse 2:24 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
2:24 Threshing floors will fill with grain, and vats overflow with new wine and fresh oil.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
2:24 Threshing floors will be filled with grain, and winepresses overflow with wine and oil.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both promise abundant grain and liquid produce at the processing places.
Verse 2:25 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
2:25 “I will repay you for the years the swarming locust ate, the creeping locust, the consuming locust and the cutting locust—My great army that I sent among you.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
2:25 “I will repay you for the years the locust devoured, the bruchus locust, the blight and the caterpillar—My great force that I sent among you.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Both repeat the four destructive agents in a changed order from 1:4 and identify them as God's force. Greek blight remains distinct from Hebrew's consuming locust term.
Verse 2:26 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
2:26 You will eat abundantly and be satisfied, and praise the name of YHWH your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. My people will never be ashamed.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
2:26 You will eat abundantly and be filled, and praise the name of the Lord your God for the wonders He has done with you. My people will certainly never be put to shame,
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Sufficient food, praise for divine wonders and enduring freedom from shame correspond.
Verse 2:27 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
2:27 You will know that I am in the midst of Israel, that I am YHWH your God and there is no other. My people will never be ashamed.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
2:27 and you will recognize that I am in Israel's midst, that I am the Lord your God and there is no other besides Me. All My people will certainly never again be put to shame.”
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek makes besides Me explicit and adds all and again to the repeated shame promise. Both affirm the divine presence and uniqueness.