SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:6
Porque gente subió a mi tierra, fuerte y sin número; sus dientes, dientes de león, y sus muelas, de león.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Joel 1:6
Verse 6. A nation is come up upon my land] That real locusts are intended there can be little doubt; but it is thought that this may be a double prophecy, and that the destruction by the Chaldeans may also be intended, and that the four kinds of locusts mentioned above may mean the four several attacks made on Judea by them. The first in the last year of Nabonassar, (father of Nebuchadnezzar,) which was the third of Jehoiakim; the second when Jehoiakim was taken prisoner in the eleventh year of his reign; the third in the ninth year of Zedekiah and the fourth three years after, when Jerusalem was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. Others say that they mean four powers which have been enemies of the Jews: 1. The palmerworm, the Assyrians and Chaldeans. 2. The locust, the Persians and Medes. 3. The cankerworm, the Greeks, and particularly Antiochus Epiphanes. 4. The caterpillar, the Romans. Others make them four kings; Tiglath-pileser, Shalmaneser, Sennacherib, and Nebuchadnezzar. But of such similitudes there is no end; and the best of them is arbitrary and precarious.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 6. For a nation is come up upon my land , etc.] A nation of locusts, so called from their great numbers, and coming from foreign parts; just as the ants are called a “people”, and the conies a “folk”, ( Proverbs 30:25,26); and which were an emblem of the nation of the Chaldeans, which came up from Babylon, and invaded the land of Judea; called by the Lord “my land”, because he had chosen it for the habitation of his people; here he himself had long dwelt, and had been served and worshipped in it: though Kimchi thinks these are the words of the inhabitants of the land, or of the prophet; but if it can be thought they are any other than the words of God, they rather seem to be expressed by the drunkards in particular, howling for want of wine, and observing the reason of it: strong, and without number ; this description seems better to agree with the Assyrians or Chaldeans, who were a mighty and powerful people, as well as numerous; though locusts, notwithstanding they are weak, singly taken, yet, coming in large bodies, carry all before them, and there is no stopping them: whose teeth [are] the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion ; or “the grinders” F12 of such an one; being hard, strong, and sharp, to bite off the tops, boughs, and branches of trees: Pliny F13 says, locusts will gnaw with their teeth the doors of houses; so the teeth of locusts are described in ( Revelation 9:8); this may denote the strength, cruelty, and voraciousness of the Chaldean army.
Matthew Henry Commentary
An exhortation to repentance. (Hos. 14:1-3) Blessings promised, showin the rich comforts of the gospel. (Hos. 14:4-8) The just and the wicked (Hos. 14:9)
Hos. 14:1-3 Israel is exhorted to return unto Jehovah, from their sin and idols, by faith in his mercy, and grace through the promise Redeemer, and by diligently attending on his worship and service. Tak away iniquity; lift it off as a burden we are ready to sink under, or as the stumbling-block we have often fallen over. Take it all away by free and full forgiveness, for we cannot strike any of it off. Receiv our prayer graciously. They do not say what good they seek, but refe it to God. It is not good of the world's showing, but good of God' giving. They were to consider their sins, their wants, and the remedy and they were to take, not sacrifices, but words stating the desires of their hearts, and with them to address the Lord. The whole forms clear description of the nature and tendency of a sinner's conversio to God through Jesus Christ. As we draw near to God by the prayer of faith, we should first beseech him to teach us what to ask. We must be earnest with him to take away all iniquity.
Hos. 14:4-8 Israel seeks God's face, and they shall not seek it is vain. His anger is turned from them. Whom God loves, he loves freely not because they deserve it, but of his own good pleasure. God will be to them all they need. The graces of the Spirit are the hidden manna hidden in the dew; the grace thus freely bestowed on them shall not be in vain. They shall grow upward, and be more flourishing; shall grow a the lily. The lily, when come to its height, is a lovely flower, Matt 6:28,29. They shall grow downward, and be more firm. With the flower of the lily shall be the strong root of the cedar of Lebanon. Spiritual growth consists most in the growth of the root, which is out of sight They shall also spread as the vine, whose branches extend very widely When believers abound in good works, then their branches spread. The shall be acceptable both to God and man. Holiness is the beauty of soul. The church is compared to the vine and the olive, which brin forth useful fruits. God's promises pertain to those only that atten on his ordinances; not such as flee to this shadow only for shelter in a hot gleam, but all who dwell under it. When a man is brought to God all who dwell under his shadow fare the better. The sanctifying fruit shall appear in his life. Thus believers grow up into the experienc and fruitfulness of the gospel. Ephraim shall say, God will put it int his heart to say it, What have I to do any more with idols! God' promises to us are more our security and our strength for mortifyin sin, than our promises to God. See the power of Divine grace. God wil work such a change in him, that he shall loathe the idols as much a ever he loved them. See the benefit of sanctified afflictions. Ephrai smarted for his idolatry, and this is the fruit, even the taking awa his sin, Is. 27:9. See the nature of repentance; it is a firm and fixe resolution to have no more to do with sin. The Lord meets penitent with mercy, as the father of the prodigal met his returning son. God will be to all true converts both a delight and a defence; they shal sit under his shadow with delight. And as the root of a tree; From m is thy fruit found: from Him we receive grace and strength to enable u to do our duty.
Hos. 14:9 Who profit by the truths the prophet delivered? Such as se themselves to understand and know these things. The ways of God' providence towards us are right; all is well done. Christ is Foundation Stone to some, to others a Stone of stumbling, and a Rock of offence. That which was ordained to life, becomes, through their abus of it, death to them. The same sun softens wax and hardens clay. But those transgressors certainly have the most dangerous, fatal falls, wh fall in the ways of God, who split on the Rock of Ages, and suck poiso out of the Balm of Gilead. Let sinners in Zion fear this. May we lear to walk in the right ways of God, as his righteous servants, and ma none of us be disobedient and unbelieving, and stumble at the word __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
כי 3588 גוי 1471 עלה 5927 על 5921 ארצי 776 עצום 6099 ואין 369 מספר 4557 שׁניו 8127 שׁני 8127 אריה 738 ומתלעות 4973 לביא׃ 3833
