Joel 2:17 · Bible study
Joel 2:17 Commentary: Priests Weep Between Porch and Altar
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why the priests weep between porch and altar, and how the nations' taunt 'Where is their God?' moves God to spare His heritage.
Research Summary
- Meaning: A call for priests to intercede from the holy place, pleading for mercy based on God’s covenant and honor.
- Key words: weep (bakah), spare (chus), heritage (nachalah), reproach (cherpah), where (ayyeh).
- Main debate: Whether “rule over them” means literal foreign domination or being made a byword; also whether the locusts are literal or typify human enemies.
- Theological theme: God’s honor is tied to His people; He acts for His name’s sake.
- Best use: A pattern for intercessory prayer in times of national or personal crisis.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Let the priests who minister before the LORD weep between the portico and the altar, saying, “Spare Your people, O LORD, and do not make Your heritage a reproach, an object of scorn among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”
WEB World English Bible 2000
Let the priests, the ministers of Yahweh, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, “Spare your people, Yahweh, and don’t give your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”
KJV King James Version 1769
Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Let the priests, the ministers of Jehovah, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Jehovah, and give not thy heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the peoples, Where is their God?
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Between the porch and the altar weep let the priests, ministrants of Jehovah, And let them say: `Have pity, O Jehovah, on Thy people, And give not Thy inheritance to reproach, To the ruling over them of nations, Why do they say among peoples, Where is their God?'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Let the priests, the ministers of Jehovah, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare, O Jehovah, thy people, and give not thine inheritance to reproach, that they should be a byword of the nations. Wherefore should they say among the peoples, Where is their God?
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Between the porch and the altar the priests, the Lord's ministers, shall weep, and shall say: Spare, O Lord, spare thy people: and give not thy inheritance to reproach, that the heathens should rule over them. Why should they say among the nations: Where is their God?
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Entre la entrada y el altar, lloren los sacerdotes, ministros de Jehová, y digan: Perdona, oh Jehová, á tu pueblo, y no pongas en oprobio tu heredad, para que las gentes se enseñoreen de ella. ¿ Por qué han de decir entre los pueblos: Dónde está su Dios?
Os sacerdotes, trabalhadores do SENHOR, chorem entre o alpendre e o altar, e digam: Poupa a teu povo, SENHOR, e não entregues tua herança à humilhação, para que as nações a dominem. Por que entre os povos diriam: Onde está o Deus deles?
Qu’ entre le portique et l’ autel
Lasset die Priester, des Hauses Diener, weinen zwischen Halle und Altar und sagen: HERR, schone deines Volkes und laß dein Erbteil nicht zu Schanden werden, daß Heiden über sie herrschen! Warum willst du lassen unter den Völkern sagen: Wo ist nun ihr Gott?
Laat de priesters, des HEEREN dienaars, wenen tussen het voorhuis en het altaar, en laat hen zeggen: Spaar Uw volk, o HEERE! en geef Uw erfenis niet over tot een smaadheid, dat de heidenen over hen zouden heersen; waarom zouden zij onder de volken zeggen: Waar is hunlieder God?
Fra il portico e l’altare piangano i sacerdoti, ministri dell’Eterno, e dicano: “Risparmia, o Eterno, il tuo popolo, e non esporre la tua eredità all’obbrobrio, ai motteggi delle nazioni! Perché si direbbe fra i popoli: Dov’è il loro Dio?”
Kapłani, słudzy Pańscy, między przysionkiem a ołtarzem niech płaczą i mówią: Przepuść, Panie! ludowi twemu, a nie daj dziedzictwa swego na pohańbienie, aby nad nimi poganie panować mieli. Przeczżeby mówiono między narodami: Gdzież jest Bóg ich?
Между притвором и жертвенником да плачут священники, служители Господни, и говорят: "пощади, Господи, народ Твой, не предай наследия Твоего на поругание, чтобы не издевались над ним народы; для чего будут говорить между народами: где Бог их?"
事奉 耶和華 的祭司 要在廊子 和祭壇 中間 哭泣，說：耶和華啊，求你顧惜 你的百姓，不要 使 你的產業 受羞辱，列邦 管轄 他們。為何 容列國的人 說：「他們的 神 在哪裡」呢？
Let the priests, the servants of the Lord, be weeping between the covered way and the altar, and let them say, Have mercy on your people, O Lord, do not give up your heritage to shame, so that the nations become their rulers: why let them say among the peoples, Where is their God?
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Joel 2:17
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree this verse calls the priests to lead the nation in repentant intercession from a specific location: the space between the temple porch and the bronze altar of burnt offering. This inner court of the priests, as Barnes describes, was a place of prayer and atonement, where priests passed with faces toward the sanctuary. Calvin emphasizes that the priest stood as a middle person between God and the people, a role ultimately fulfilled in Christ. The plea, ‘Spare your people, O Lord, and give not your heritage to reproach’, rests on covenant relationship and God’s own honor among the nations. The taunt ‘Where is their God?’ echoes the prayers of Moses (Exodus 32:11, 13) and David (Psalm 79:10), becoming a powerful motivation for divine intervention. The Cambridge Bible notes that the enmity of the pagan was enmity against God; if He allowed His heritage to be scorned, His own power would be questioned. This verse thus grounds intercession not in human worth but in God’s reputation and faithfulness.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal locusts with typological future enemies: Joel 1 describes actual locust damage; Gill and ancient Jewish tradition see locusts as emblems of later invading armies.
- Direct reference to human invaders: Jamieson-Fausset-Brown argue that ‘rule over them’ suggests human foes, not insects.
- Double reference (locusts and eschatological judgment): The language of the day of the Lord (Joel 2:1–2) points beyond immediate events to a final judgment.
What is clear: The priests are called to stand before God in repentant intercession for the people, appealing to God’s covenant and His honor among the nations.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The location 'between the porch and the altar' | It designates the inner court of the priests, a place of sacrificial mediation. | Some see it as a prescribed liturgical spot for corporate weeping (Calvin), while others emphasize its role in the atonement ritual (Clarke). |
| The identity of the enemy causing reproach | The nation faces devastation and shame that invites pagan mockery. | Some read the locusts literally as insects that typify future human invaders (Gill); others see direct reference to human armies such as Assyrians or Babylonians (JFB). |
| The motivation in the taunt 'Where is their God?' | It appeals to God’s honor and covenant faithfulness. | Barnes emphasizes the enmity against God if He seems inactive; the Cambridge Bible stresses that the nations would mock God’s power or will to save. |
Historical & Cultural Context
In Solomon’s temple, a grand porch (אוּלָם) stood at the east end, twenty cubits wide and ten deep, rising one hundred twenty cubits high, as Barnes records. The bronze altar of burnt offering sat directly in front of it (2 Chronicles 8:12). Between these two structures lay a fifteen-to-twenty-cubit open space in the inner court, reserved for the priests. This ‘between the porch and the altar’ became the prescribed spot for intercessory weeping (Joel 2:17). Here the high priest laid hands on the victim of atonement (Clarke), and here Zechariah was stoned when he rebuked the people (2 Chronicles 24:20, 21; Matthew 23:35).
Joel’s context is a national emergency: a devastating locust plague and drought have stripped the land (Joel 1). The prophet commands a solemn assembly with no exceptions, even bride and groom must come (v.16). The priests are to stand with their backs to the altar (for no sacrifice now avails) and their faces toward the sanctuary, weeping. Their prayers echo Moses and David, who argued that if God’s people were destroyed, the surrounding nations would mock Him as powerless (Exodus 32:12; Numbers 14:13, 16). The heritage in view is both the people and the land God gave as an inheritance. The reproach would include famine and domination by pagan nations, leading to the sneer: ‘Where is their God?’, the ultimate offense to Yahweh’s reputation.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentary excerpts note no significant textual variants for Joel 2:17. The verse is consistent across major Hebrew manuscripts and ancient versions. The only minor difference among translations is the rendering of ‘rule over them’ versus ‘make a byword of them,’ which reflects not a textual variant but a lexical decision in the Hebrew root מָשַׁל (to rule or to mock).
Reception History
The verse has echoed through Christian liturgy, most notably in the ancient litany ‘Spare us, good Lord’ (Barnes). Calvin saw here a type of Christ’s mediation: as the priest stood between porch and altar, so Christ intercedes before the Father. Matthew Henry used the passage to emphasize corporate repentance and the connection between God’s honor and His people’s welfare. Early church writers linked the location to the altar of sacrifice and the veil, meditating on the place of intercession. The taunt ‘Where is their God?’ has been seen as a question God answers in salvation history and ultimately at the cross, where He vindicates His name.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Place of Prayer: Between the porch and the altar, a location that symbolizes proximity to God’s presence and the need for atonement. The priests stand where sacrifice once covered sin, now offering tears instead.
- The Plea of the Priests: “Spare your people, give not your heritage to reproach.” The argument leans on covenant relationship: these are God’s own people and possession. It is a plea for mercy, not justice.
- The Power of the Taunt: “Where is their God?” The nations’ mockery becomes a weapon in prayer. God’s honor is at stake; He acts to vindicate His name and rescue His people.
Five-point outline
- Call to Repentance: The nation must assemble, from elders to infants, in genuine contrition (v.15, 16).
- Priest as Mediator: The priests lead, representing the people before God (v.17a).
- Appeal to Covenant: The prayer invokes God’s past choice of Israel as His inheritance.
- Concern for God’s Honor: The reproach of the heritage becomes reproach upon God Himself.
- Expectation of Mercy: Verse 18 shows God’s immediate response: jealousy for His land and pity on His people.
Illustration hooks
- A team in a losing streak: the captain steps before the crowd, not to boast but to ask for patience, because the team’s name matters more than the score.
- A family whose house burned down: they accept help not just for shelter but so that their neighbours won’t say their ancestors’ name was forgotten.
- An artist whose work is mocked: she creates anew not out of pride but to prove that the gift she received is still alive.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can I find my own ‘between porch and altar’, a place of specific, intentional prayer?
- When I suffer, do I pray because of my need or because God’s name is at stake?
- What would people say about God if they only saw my present circumstances?
Leading a Discussion
Joel 2:17 places us in the middle of a national emergency. The prophet instructs the priests, and through them, all God’s people, to plead for mercy based on God’s own reputation. As you study this verse, consider how genuine repentance and a concern for God’s honor can shape our prayers today.
Discussion questions
- Read Joel 2:15, 17. What do you notice about the scene, who is gathered, and what are they doing?
- Why do you think the priests were told to weep specifically “between the porch and the altar”? What is significant about that location?
- The priests’ prayer includes the words “spare your people” and “give not your heritage to reproach.” What arguments do they use to move God?
- Verse 17 ends with the taunt “Where is their God?” How does that taunt motivate God to act according to the rest of the chapter (see vv.18, 20)?
- In what ways might our own suffering or failure cause outsiders to question God’s power or presence?
- How does this passage encourage you to pray when you are in a desperate situation?
- What does this teach about the role of leaders (like the priests) in intercessory prayer?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 32:11 | Moses begged Yahweh his God, and said, “Yahweh, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, that you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? |
| Exodus 32:13 | Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of the sky, and all this land that I have spoken of I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” |
| Exodus 34:9 | He said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, Lord, please let the Lord go among us, even though this is a stiff-necked people; pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.” |
| Numbers 14:14 | They will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you Yahweh are among this people; for you Yahweh are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them, and you go before them, in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night. |
| Numbers 14:16 | ‘Because Yahweh was not able to bring this people into the land which he swore to them, therefore he has slain them in the wilderness.’ |
| Deuteronomy 9:16 | I looked, and behold, you had sinned against Yahweh your God. You had made yourselves a molded calf. You had quickly turned away from the way which Yahweh had commanded you. |
| Deuteronomy 9:29 | Yet they are your people and your inheritance, which you brought out by your great power and by your outstretched arm.” |
| Deuteronomy 28:37 | You will become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword among all the peoples where Yahweh will lead you away. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that the priests were to weep in a specific space between the temple porch and altar before offering their prayer. He states that God would then save His people if they returned to Him with a repentant heart.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the priests were to weep there because they faced the holy place where God’s glory filled it. He also says their tears should be prayed over as a gift from God.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin notes the priests were required to pray between the court and the altar because the people were too unworthy to approach God directly. This arrangement pointed to Christ as the true mediator through whom we may now approach God.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Christians who hold this view point to Joel 2:17 while others emphasize Joel 2:12. Both seek to be faithful to Scripture.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva notes stress that the priests' urgent plea to spare Israel is driven by more than mercy for the people. The core concern is God's own honor: if the heathen conquer and mock, they will ask "Where is their God?" The prayer aims to prevent that blasphemy.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes the location of the priests' prayer--between the temple porch and the altar of burnt offering--where they are to plead not for justice but for mercy. Their key argument is that if God lets His heritage fall to reproach, the nations will taunt, "Where is their God?" This appeal to God's own honor is what moves Him to spare.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson Fausset Brown notes the suppliant Jews stood facing the place where God’s presence was shown while turning their backs on the altar. He also says the verse refers to human enemies ruling over them not locusts.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch note that including infants in the prayer gathering shows all people are guilty. They believe the nations mock Israel because of crop destruction caused by locusts.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange stresses that the petition "Spare Thy people" combines deep humility with bold confidence, appealing to God's own glory. Every Christian, as a spiritual priest, shares the duty to stir others to repentance and intercede for them. God will never abandon His people to the heathen's mockery, yet this comfort must never become an excuse for careless living.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that God sends judgment to make people aware of their sins and humble them so they will return to him. He says this action stops the judgment from getting worse and leads to true repentance.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes the priests stood on a porch near an altar while fasting and praying so people could see them. He says famine is a disgrace but being enslaved to foreign powers is an even greater disgrace.