The earth quakes before them. The heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.
The words are certainly exaggerated, the earth could only quake when locusts settled, the heavens only darken when flying. But לפניו refers to the locusts themselves, not merely to a storm or to Jehovah's coming, and Joel is describing the plague's terror, not explaining it away as subjective fear. The whole creation trembles at God's judgment.
AI summary
Commenting on Joel 2:10-11
God executes the judgment written in the law upon His own professing people for their sins. Ministers must sound the trumpet from God's word to warn of sin's fatal consequences, though even Zion is not exempt if she provokes Him. The privilege of His people is to be warned, that they might make peace with Him before the judgment falls.
AI summary
Commenting on Joel 2:1-11
The Prophet speaks hyperbolically because his people were extremely stupid and needed shock to feel anything at all. Satan had fascinated them so thoroughly that ordinary speech avails nothing; God must thunder. He depicts the heavens in anguish and the sun and moon dark not because locusts truly move the sky, but to show the Jews they cannot hide in clouds or distant corners, the whole world will be full of horror when the Lord comes furnished with His army.
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