Joel 2:5
3 A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
4 The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.
Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.
6 Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.
7 They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks:
This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- With a sound like that of chariots they bound over the mountaintops, like the crackling of fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army deployed for battle.
- KJV
- Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.
- WEB
- Like the noise of chariots on the tops of the mountains, they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devours the stubble, like a strong people set in battle array.
- ASV
- Like the noise of chariots on the tops of the mountains do they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.
- DARBY
- Like the noise of chariots, on the tops of the mountains, they leap; like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.
- BLB
- As [with] the sound of chariots over the tops of mountains, they leap; like the sound of a flaming fire devouring the stubble, like a strong people arrayed for battle.
- ÅB
- Det lyder som larm av vogner når de hopper over fjelltoppene, det lyder som når flammen fortærer halm, de er som et sterkt folk, rustet til krig.
- OTB
- Med en lyd som vogner,
hopper de over fjelltoppene,
som knitringen av en flamme som fortærer halm,
som en mektig hær trukket opp til kamp. - B1930
- Det lyder som larm av vogner når de hopper over fjelltoppene, det lyder som når ildsluen fortærer halm, de er som et sterkt folk, rustet til krig.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Isaiah 5:24
Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
Read in contextRevelation 9:9
And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.
Read in contextIsaiah 30:30
And the LORD shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.
Read in contextMatthew 3:12
Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
Read in contextNahum 2:3–4
The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in scarlet: the chariots shall be with flaming torches in the day of his preparation, and the fir trees shall be terribly shaken.
Read in contextNahum 3:2–3
The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the pransing horses, and of the jumping chariots.
Read in context