Joel 2:6
4 Their appearance is like that of horses, and they gallop like swift steeds.
5 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.
Nations writhe in horror before them; every face turns pale.
7 They charge like mighty men; they scale the walls like men of war. Each one marches in formation, not swerving from the course.
8 They do not jostle one another; each proceeds in his path. They burst through the defenses, never breaking 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
- Nations writhe in horror before them; every face turns pale.
- KJV
- Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.
- WEB
- At their presence the peoples are in anguish. All faces have grown pale.
- ASV
- At their presence the peoples are in anguish; all faces are waxed pale.
- DARBY
- Before them the peoples are in anguish: all faces turn pale.
- BLB
- Before its face the peoples writhe; all faces gather paleness.
- ÅB
- Folkeslag skjelver for det; alle ansikter blir blussende røde[^1].
- OTB
- Ved deres nærvær er nasjonene i angst;
hvert ansikt blir blekt. - B1930
- Folkeslag skjelver for det; alle ansikter blir blussende røde. / < JES 13, 8.>
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Nahum 2:10
She is emptied! Yes, she is desolate and laid waste! Hearts melt, knees knock, bodies tremble, and every face grows pale!
Read in contextIsaiah 13:8
Terror, pain, and anguish will seize them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look at one another, their faces flushed with fear.
Read in contextJeremiah 30:6
Ask now, and see: Can a male give birth? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor and every face turned pale?
Read in contextLamentations 4:8
But now their appearance is blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as a stick.
Read in contextPsalms 119:83
Though I am like a wineskin dried up by smoke, I do not forget Your statutes.
Read in contextJeremiah 8:21
For the brokenness of the daughter of my people I am crushed. I mourn; horror has gripped me.
Read in context