Who wrote the book of Joel? Who was the author of Joel?

The first verse of this short book names Joel (= Jehovah is God) the son of Pethuel as author. Besides this very short message we do not know anything about the person and circumstances of Joel's life. There have been many guesses as to the time of when Joel lived. Some scientists say the book has been written around 400 BC or even later; other expositors think that Joel lived during the 9 th century BC, maybe at the time of king Jehoash in Judah.

Joel means "Jehovah is God." This name occurs frequently in the Old Testament (1 Sam. 8:2; 1 Chronicles 4:35, 5:4, 8, 12, etc.). The prophet Joel was the son of Pethuel. Numerous guesses have been made about his personality. A tradition states that he was from Bethom in the tribe of Reuben. In 1 Chronicles 24:16 a man by name of Pethahiah is mentioned. Some have connected him with the father of Joel, Pethuel, claiming upon this that Joel belonged to a priestly family; but this, as well as other claims cannot be confirmed. Jewish expositors make the statement that Pethuel was Samuel, because Samuel had a son by name of Joel; but, inasmuch as the sons of Samuel were evildoers this is incorrect. The book itself does not give even a single hint as to his personal history.

When and Where Joel Lived

As to the time and place, when and where he exercised his prophetic office, we are not left in doubt. He prophesied not like Hosea among the ten tribes, but he was a prophet of Judah. The entire prophecy bears witness to it; this fact has never been disputed. It is different with the date of Joel. Destructive criticism has assigned to Joel a post-exilic date, with some very puerile arguments. For instance the claim that the mention of the walls of Jerusalem (chapter 2:7, 9), point to a date after Ezra and Nehemiah. Such an argument is not an argument of a scholar but of school-boy. Critics also object to an early date because the Greeks are mentioned in chapter 3:6. But the Greeks are also mentioned in an inscription of Sargon (about 710 B.C.), and long before that in the Armana letters a Greek is also mentioned, as stated in "Higher Criticism and the Monuments" by Professor Sayce.

The best Jewish and Christian scholarship has maintained a very early date of Joel. When the editor published his larger work on Joel, in which he puts the date between 860 and 850 B.C., Professor H.A. Sayce of Oxford, one of the greatest scholars of our times, wrote in a personal letter to the writer: "Let me thank you heartily for your very interesting exposition of Joel. I am glad to see a work of the kind on conservative lines; the attempts to find a late date for the prophet rests on arguments which to the inductive scientist are no arguments at all." This strong statement and endorsement of a very early date for Joel certainly outweighs the arguments of certain critics who possess nothing like the scholarship of the Oxford professor.

There is nothing mentioned in Joel of the Assyrian period 800-650, nor is there anything said of the Babylonian period 650-538, hence Joel must have prophesied before the Assyrian period, that is in the ninth century B.C., or he must have lived after the exile. The latter is excluded, therefore Joel exercised his office as prophet in Judah during the middle of the ninth century, as stated above, about 860-850 B.C. This view is abundantly verified by different facts found in the book itself.

Now, the date of Amos is generally accepted as being in the middle of the 8th century before Christ. In the first chapter of the book of Amos there is an undoubted quotation from the book of Joel. (See Joel 3:16 and Amos 1:2). Dr. Pusey makes the following argument out of this fact:

"Amos quoting Joel attests two things. (1) That Joel's prophecy must, at the time when Amos wrote, have become a part of Holy Scriptures, and its authority must have been acknowledged; (2) That its authority must have been acknowledged by, and it must have been in circulation among, those to whom Amos prophesied; other-wise he would not have prefixed to his book those words of Joel. For the whole force of the words, as employed by Amos, depends on being recognized by his hearers, as a renewal of the prophecy of Joel. Certainly bad men jeered at Amos, as though this threatening would not be fulfilled."

Son of Pethuel: the prophet. Joel 1:1.

The word of the Lord that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel.

"The word of Jehovah that came to Joel the son of Pethuel." Like Hosea, Joel is one of the earliest prophets (being earlier even than Jonah), but differs essentially in this, that whereas the former looks at the whole people, the latter was led of God to restrict himself to that portion which outwardly clave to the house of David as well as the ordinances of the law. This gives us accordingly a much more contracted sphere, but for that very reason contributes to a greater definiteness in the objects noticed, which is also helped by a characteristic vividness of style. Indeed the contrast is striking between these two earlier prophets, Joel being as remarkable for smoothness of language, fulness of handling, and easy transitions, as Hosea for a certain rough negligence, pregnant brevity, and sudden turns, highly expressive but to Gentile minds somewhat obscure.

The grand subject of our prophet is the day of Jehovah, and this in all its extent, but with special application to the Jews, and above all to Jerusalem. At the same time Joel shares the habit of all the prophets, one may say, in taking some present fact, or that which was close at hand, as a groundwork for what was future. Thus the prophecy had an immediate bearing or a practical aim not far off, while along with it we see how far the Spirit of God is from confining Himself to what was either actually at work or of a transient nature. No prophecy of scripture is of its own solution; it is constructed so as not to be. To limit it to the past would be an oversight; to set aside the future would destroy the most momentous object God has in it. Thus if to deny the past be an error, to deny the future is a still greater one. The one would have cut off somewhat of interest and profit then; the other shuts out its permanent witness to God's glory. In both respects divine wisdom is most apparent. He provided that which was a warning or encouragement to His people when the prophet was in view of the circumstances which surrounded him; but He pointed onward to a time that was not yet arrived, when the just results of what was in His own mind will be made good and manifest. Now those results never can be till the kingdom of God come in power and glory. It is impossible that the Spirit of God could be satisfied with anything which either has been among men or is now. All that man has achieved, all that exists, although there be a witness in various ways of what God is toward man, affords alas! still larger and more constant evidence of the failure of man to use aright what God has given him. We shall find these general principles fully borne out, not only in Joel but in all the prophets; for they are invariable.

Joel speaks also of the judgment which will fall upon Egypt in that day. Isaiah also tells of judgment, but through him we learn that Egypt will turn to the Lord and the Lord will graciously heal Egypt (Isa. 19). Judah will abide forever. His people will be cleansed. Jehovah, our ever blessed Lord, will dwell in Zion. The happy and glorious state of the land and the whole earth during the millennium is thus tersely stated. For when He reigns there will be righteousness and peace; glory will cover the earth as the waters cover the deep. Thus ends the great vision of Joel, the son of Pethuel. May the eye of faith behold these blessed revelations and may we live in anticipation of what is soon to be.

The Word of Jehovah which came to Joel, the Son of Pethuel. 2. Hear this, ye aged men And open the ear ye inhabitants of the land! Hath this happened in your days, Or even in the days of your fathers? 3. Relate it to your children And your children to their children, And their children to another generation. 4. What the Gazam1 left, the Arbeh hath devoured And what the Arbeh left, the Jelek hath devoured And what the Jelek left, the Chasel hath devoured. (1 We leave these four words untranslated for reasons which will be given in the exposition.)) 5. Awake, ye drunkards and weep! And howl all ye drinkers of wine Because of the sweet wine, For it is taken away from your mouth. 6. For a nation has come up upon my land Mighty and without number-- His teeth--lion's teeth-- The jaw teeth, that of a lioness. 7. He hath made my vine for a desolation And my fig tree broken off; Peeled off completely and cast it away; Its branches are made white. 8. Lament like a virgin! Girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth. 9. Cut off is the meat and drink offering from the house of Jehovah. 10. "Wasted is the field Mourning is the land-- For wasted is the corn The new wine is dried up The oil faileth." 11. Be ashamed, husbandman! Howl--vine dressers! For the wheat and the barley. Because the harvest of the field is lost. 12. The vine is dried up And the fig tree faileth The pomegranate, also the palm and the apple tree. All the trees of the field are withered. Gone is joy from the children of men. 13. Gird yourselves and lament, O ye priests, Howl, ministers of the altar; Come lie down in sackcloth all night Ye ministers of my God. For withholden from the house of your God Are the meat offering and the drink offering. 14. Sanctify a fast. Call a solemn gathering. Bring together the Elders All the inhabitants of the land In the house of Jehovah your God And cry unto Jehovah 15. Woe! For the Day! Because near is the day of Jehovah Even like destruction from Shaddai2 it comes. (2 The only time Shaddai (Almighty) is used in Joel. In the Hebrew there is a resemblance of sound between "destruction" and "Shaddai.") 16. Is not the food cut off before our eyes? From the house of our God joy and gladness. 17. The seeds have perished under their clods. The garners become desolate The storehouses are broken down For withered is the corn. 18. Hear the cattle groan! The herds of cattle are bewildered, For there is no feeding place for them. Also the flocks of sheep are made to suffer3 (3 The Hebrew word, which we translate "made to suffer" means in its root "to be guilty.") 19. To Thee, Jehovah, I cry, For the fire has consumed the goodly places of the desert And a flame hath burned all the trees of the field. 20. Also the cattle of the field look Up4 unto Thee For the streams of water are dried up, And a fire hath consumed the goodly places of the desert. (4 Another word different from the 19th verse is used, though nearly all translators use "cry." it is more a groaning, desirous looking up.)

Joel was, like all the other prophets, a man of prayer. No other mention is made by the prophet concerning himself, but this brief word is sufficient to give us a glimpse of his inner life and his trust in the Lord. He cried to Jehovah in the great distress.

Palestine, about 725 B.C.

Joel, whose God is Jehovah.

Father of the prophet Joel. Joel 1:1.