Joel 2:20

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

I will drive the northern army far from you, pushing it into a parched and desolate land, its front into the Eastern Sea and its rear into the Western Sea. Its stench will go up; its foul smell will rise.' Indeed, he has done great things.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וְֽאֶת־הַצְּפוֹנִ֞י אַרְחִ֣יק מֵעֲלֵיכֶ֗ם וְהִדַּחְתִּיו֮ אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ צִיָּ֣ה וּשְׁמָמָה֒ אֶת־פָּנָ֗יו אֶל־הַיָּם֙ הַקַּדְמֹנִ֔י וְסֹפ֖וֹ אֶל־הַיָּ֣ם הָאַֽחֲר֑וֹן וְעָלָ֣ה בָאְשׁ֗וֹ וְתַ֙עַל֙ צַחֲנָת֔וֹ כִּ֥י הִגְדִּ֖יל לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃

Transliteration

And-ʾet-the-tsefônî ʾarḥîq from-upon-you [plural] and-hiddaḥtîw to-ʾerets tsiyyâ and-shemāmâ ʾet-pānāyw to-the-yām the-qadmônî and-sôfô to-the-yām the-ʾaḥărôn and-ʿālâ boʾshô and-taʿal tsaḥănātô because higdîl to-do.

Grammar Details

• *tsefônî*: masculine singular adjective with definite article - the northern/northerner
• *ʾarḥîq*: hiphil imperfect, 1st person singular - I will remove/drive far
• *hiddaḥtîw*: hiphil perfect, 1st person singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix - I will drive him
• *ʾerets*: feminine singular construct - land of
• *tsiyyâ*: feminine singular noun - drought/dry land
• *shemāmâ*: feminine singular noun - desolation/waste
• *pānāyw*: masculine plural noun with 3rd person masculine singular suffix - his face
• *yām*: masculine singular noun with definite article - the sea
• *qadmônî*: masculine singular adjective with definite article - the eastern
• *sôfô*: masculine singular noun with 3rd person masculine singular suffix - his rear
• *ʾaḥărôn*: masculine singular adjective with definite article - the western/latter
• *ʿālâ*: qal perfect consecutive, 3rd person masculine singular - will go up/ascend
• *boʾshô*: masculine singular noun with 3rd person masculine singular suffix - his stench
• *taʿal*: qal imperfect, 3rd person feminine singular - will rise/ascend
• *tsaḥănātô*: feminine singular noun with 3rd person masculine singular suffix - his foul smell
• *higdîl*: hiphil perfect, 3rd person masculine singular - he did great things

Word Meanings

• *tsefônî*: the northern one/northerner/northern [army]
• *ʾarḥîq*: I will remove/drive far/distance
• *hiddaḥtîw*: I will drive him/banish him/thrust him
• *tsiyyâ*: drought/dry land/parched region
• *shemāmâ*: desolation/waste/desert
• *qadmônî*: the eastern/former/ancient
• *ʾaḥărôn*: the western/latter/hindmost
• *boʾshô*: his stench/stink/foul odor
• *taʿal*: will rise/ascend/go up
• *tsaḥănātô*: his foul smell/stink/putridness
• *higdîl*: he did great things/acted proudly/magnified himself

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  But I will remove far from you the northern army, and will drive him into a barren and desolate land, with his face toward the eastern sea, and his back toward the western sea. His stench shall come up, and his foul odor shall rise, because he has done great things.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  but I will remove far off{H7368} from you the northern{H6830} army, and will drive{H5080} it into a land{H776} barren{H6723} and desolate,{H8077} its forepart{H6440} into the eastern{H6931} sea,{H3220} and its hinder part{H5490} into the western{H314} sea;{H3220} and its stench{H889} shall come up,{H5927} and its ill savor{H6709} shall come up,{H5927} because it hath done{H6213} great things.{H1431}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  But I will remove far off{H7368}{(H8686)} from you the northern{H6830} army, and will drive{H5080}{(H8689)} him into a land{H776} barren{H6723} and desolate{H8077}, with his face{H6440} toward the east{H6931} sea{H3220}, and his hinder part{H5490} toward the utmost{H314} sea{H3220}, and his stink{H889} shall come up{H5927}{(H8804)}, and his ill savour{H6709} shall come up{H5927}{(H8799)}, because he hath done{H6213}{(H8800)} great things{H1431}{(H8689)}.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Agayne, as for him of the north, I shal dryue him farre from you: & shute him out in to a drye and waist londe, his face towarde the east see, and his hynder partes towarde the vttemost see. The stynke of him shall go vp, and his fylthy corrupcion shal fall vpon himself, because he hath dealte so proudly.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  But I will remooue farre off from you the Northren armie, & I will driue him into a land, barren & desolate with his face toward the East sea, and his end to the vtmost sea, and his stinke shal come vp, and his corruption shal ascend, because he hath exalted himselfe to do this.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And I wyll remoue farre of from you the northen armie and I wyll driue him into a lande barren and desolate, with his face towardes the east sea, and his hinder partes towardes the vttermost sea: and his stinch shall arise, and his corruption shall ascende, because he hath exalted him selfe to do this.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  But I will remove far off from you the northern [army], and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  But I will remove the northern army far away from you, And will drive it into a barren and desolate land, Its front into the eastern sea, And its back into the western sea; And its stench will come up, And its bad smell will rise." Surely he has done great things.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And the northern I put far off from you, And have driven him unto a land dry and desolate, With his face unto the eastern sea, And his rear unto the western sea, And come up hath his stink, And come up doth his stench, For he hath exerted himself to work.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  but I will remove far off from you the northern `army', and will drive it into a land barren and desolate, its forepart into the eastern sea, and its hinder part into the western sea; and its stench shall come up, and its ill savor shall come up, because it hath done great things.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  but I will remove far off from you the northern [army], and will drive it into a land barren and desolate, its forepart into the eastern sea, and its hinder part [ into the western sea; and its stench shall come up, and its ill savor shall come up, because it hath done great things.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  I will send the one from the north far away from you, driving him into a dry and waste land, with his front to the sea of the east and his back to the sea of the west, and the smell of him will go up, even his evil smell will go up.

• World English Bible (2000)

  But I will remove the northern army far away from you, and will drive it into a barren and desolate land, its front into the eastern sea, and its back into the western sea; and its stench will come up, and its bad smell will rise." Surely he has done great things.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  I will remove the one from the north far from you. I will drive him out to a dry and desolate place. Those in front will be driven eastward into the Dead Sea, and those in back westward into the Mediterranean Sea. His stench will rise up as a foul smell.” Indeed, the LORD has accomplished great things.

Referenced Verses

• Zech 14:8 : 8 On that day, living waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and half toward the western sea. It will continue in both summer and winter.
• Isa 34:3 : 3 Their slain will be thrown out, and the stench of their corpses will rise; the mountains will be dissolved with their blood.
• Deut 11:24 : 24 Every place where you set your foot will be yours: Your territory will extend from the wilderness to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea.
• Ezek 47:18 : 18 On the eastern side, the boundary will run from Hauran and Damascus along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel, down to the eastern sea as far as Tamar. This will be the eastern boundary.
• Exod 10:19 : 19 And the LORD changed the wind to a very strong west wind, which carried the locusts into the Red Sea. Not a single locust was left in all the land of Egypt.
• Amos 4:10 : 10 I sent plagues among you like those in Egypt. I killed your young men with the sword, along with your captured horses. The stench of your camps rose into your nostrils, yet you did not return to Me,' declares the LORD.
• Joel 1:4-6 : 4 What the cutting locust left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust left, the hopping locust has eaten; and what the hopping locust left, the destroying locust has eaten. 5 Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you wine drinkers, because of the fresh wine, for it is cut off from your mouth. 6 For a nation has invaded my land, strong and without number. Its teeth are the teeth of a lion, and it has the fangs of a lioness.
• Joel 2:2-9 : 2 It is a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness. Like the dawn spreading over the mountains, a great and mighty army comes, unlike any seen before, and none will be seen again for generations to follow. 3 Before them, fire devours; behind them, flames blaze. The land before them is like the Garden of Eden, but behind them, it is a desolate wilderness—nothing escapes them. 4 Their appearance is like that of horses; like warhorses, they run. 5 With the noise of chariots, they leap over the mountaintops, like the crackling of a blazing fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army arrayed for battle. 6 Before them, nations writhe in anguish; every face turns pale. 7 They charge like mighty warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. Each marches in formation without veering off course. 8 They do not jostle each other; each proceeds in its path. They burst through defenses and are not halted. 9 They rush into the city, they run upon the walls. They climb into houses and enter through the windows like a thief. 10 Before them, the earth quakes, the heavens tremble. The sun and moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their brightness. 11 The LORD thunders before his army; his forces are very great. Mighty is the one who executes his word. The day of the LORD is great and very dreadful—who can endure it?
• Jer 1:14-15 : 14 Then the LORD said to me, 'From the north disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land.' 15 For I am summoning all the clans and kingdoms of the north,' declares the LORD. 'They will come, and each will set up his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, around all her walls, and against all the cities of Judah.
• Ezek 39:12-16 : 12 For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land. 13 All the people of the land will bury them, and the day I am glorified will become renowned for them, declares the Lord GOD. 14 They will appoint men to continually pass through the land to bury the bodies of the remaining travelers who are still on the surface of the land, in order to cleanse it. At the end of the seven months, they will begin their search. 15 As they pass through the land, if someone sees a human bone, they will set up a marker beside it until the buriers bury it in the Valley of Hamon-Gog. 16 And there will also be a city named Hamonah. And they will cleanse the land.
• Ezek 47:7-8 : 7 When I returned, I saw many trees on both sides of the river. 8 He said to me, 'This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Dead Sea. When it flows into the sea, the water there becomes fresh.'
• 2 Kgs 8:13 : 13 Hazael said, "How could your servant, a mere dog, accomplish such a great thing?" Elisha answered, "The LORD has shown me that you will become king over Aram."