Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Isaiah 34:2-8 For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered t…
Joel 3:2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and fo…
Philippians 3:2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
Revelation 16:14-16 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to t…
Joel 1:15 Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.
Joel 2:1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD co…
2 Peter 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perditi…
Revelation 19:19-21 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and agai…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Joel 3:9-17
What the psalmist had long before ordered to be said among the heathen (Psa 96:10) the prophet here will have in like manner to be published to all nations, That the Lord reigns, and that he comes, he comes to judge the earth, as he had long been judging in the earth. The notice here given of God's judging the nations may have reference to the destruction of Sennacherib, Nebuchadnezzar, Antiochus, and to the Antichrist especially, and all the proud enemies of the Christian church; but some of the best interpreters, ancient and modern (particularly the learned Dr. Polock), think the scope of these verses is to set forth the day of the last judgment under the similitude of God's making war upo…
The prophet in vision seeing the immense array of nations congregating, exclaims, "Multitudes, multitudes!" a Hebraism for immense multitudes.
valley of decision--that is, the valley in which they are to meet their "determined doom." The same as "the valley of Jehoshaphat," that is, "the valley of judgment" (see on Joe 3:2). Compare Joe 3:12, "there will I sit to judge," which confirms English Version rather than Margin, "threshing." The repetition of "valley of decision" heightens the effect and pronounces the awful certainty of their doom.
John Gill on Joel 3:14
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision,.... The same with the valley of Jehoshaphat before mentioned; which shows that not any valley of that name is intended, but a certain place so called from the judgments of God in it; and here named "the valley of decision", because here their judgment will be determined, as Kimchi and Jarchi; and at this time the controversy between God, and his people's enemies, will be decided, and at an end: or "the valley of concision", as the Vulgate Latin version; because in this place, and at this time, the nations gathered together in it will be cut to pieces: or, as others, "the valley of threshing" (p); because, as, in Jehoshaphat's time, the Moabit…
(Verse 14, 15) O people, people in the valley of slaughter, for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of slaughter. The sun and moon are darkened, and the stars have withdrawn their shining. LXX: The sound is heard in the valley of judgment, for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of judgment. The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars will make their shining go away. In that place where we have set ourselves, people, people, and the Seventy have translated, the sound is heard. In Hebrew it is written 'Amonim, Amonim,' which certainly means multitude and the multitude of those who are to be judged, and noise and sound. Again, when we mentioned in the valley of cutting, following the translation of Aquila and Symmachus and the fifth edition, the Septuagint and Theodotion translated τῆς δίκης καὶ τῆς κρίσεως as 'causae et judicii': for which it is written in Hebrew Harus (), which the Hebrews interpret not only as cutting, but also as gold, which, namely, in the valley of judgment, which they suspect to be Gehenna, after the impurities of sins have been burned away, pure gold remains. Therefore, the people of the nations, of which we have spoken above in the valley of judgment or destruction, are gathered together to be killed and to perish, and to be judged by the Lord. The grief of the day and the torments of those who perish will be such that not even the sun, moon, and other stars will be able to look upon them; but they will withdraw their brightness and the severity of the judge and grant each one according to their works, they will not dare to look upon. Not because they are more merciful than the judgments of God; but because every creature fears for their own judgment in the torments of others.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Decision, Valley of — A name given to the valley of Jehoshaphat (q.v.) as the vale of the sentence. The scene of Jehovah’s signal inflictions on Zion’s enemies (Joel 3:14; marg., “valley of concision or threshing”).
Colors · BLACK: A SYMBOL OF AFFLICTION AND — BLACK: A SYMBOL OF AFFLICTION AND
Decision, Valley Of · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Valleys · Mentioned in scripture: Jehoshaphat or decision — Mentioned in scripture: Jehoshaphat or decision
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
John Calvin on Joel 3:14
Joel 3:14
14. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.
14. Populi, populi in vale concisionis (vel, tribulae,) quia propinquus dies Jehovae in valle concisionis.
The Prophet confirms the same truth; but he multiplies words, because the devastation of the Church might have taken away all hope from God's servants; for who could have said that the Church could be restored when it was so miserably wasted, yea, almost reduced to nothing? For the people were so scattered that the name of Israel was of no account. The people then had ceased to exist, for they had lost their name; in short, the constitution of the Church was diss…
Fulfilment of the judgment upon all the heathen predicted in Joe 3:2. Compare the similar prediction of judgment in Zac 14:2. The call is addressed to all nations to equip themselves for battle, and march into the valley of Jehoshaphat to war against the people of God, but in reality to be judged by the Lord through His heavenly heroes, whom He sends down thither. Joe 3:9. "Proclaim ye this among the nations; sanctify a war, awaken the heroes, let all the men of war draw near and come up! Joe 3:10. Forge your coulters into swords, and your vine-sickles into spears: let the weak one say, A hero am I. Joe 3:11. Hasten and come, all ye nations round about, and assemble yourselves! Let thy heroe…
Thousands upon thousands (literally roaring, roaring; or crowds, crowds): The repetition of the Hebrew word captures the chaotic noise made by an immense crowd. • valley of decision: The name of the valley is changed (cp. 3:2-3, 12) because now the Lord’s judgment had been decided.
