Joel 2:20 · Bible study
Joel 2:20 Commentary: The Northern Army
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Does Joel 2:20 refer to literal locusts or a human army? Study the Hebrew, geography, and stench imagery that shows God’s judgment and restoration.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God promises to remove a devastating northern force (locusts or enemy army) completely, driving it into the Dead Sea, Mediterranean, and desert, so that its stench signals total defeat and the people’s restoration.
- Key words: הַ/צְּפוֹנִ֞י (the northerner, H6830); אַרְחִ֣יק (I will remove far away, H7368, hiphil); הִגְדִּ֖יל (he has made great / acted proudly, H1431, hiphil).
- Main debate: Whether “the northern army” refers to literal locusts (supported by the drowning in two seas and stench, as in Exodus 10:19) or a human enemy from the north like Assyria (supported by the term “northerner” and the enemy’s pride).
- Theological theme: Divine judgment on the oppressor and restoration of God’s people after repentance; God’s sovereignty over both nature and history.
- Best use: A promise of hope for communities devastated by calamity, assuring that God hears prayer, removes the threat, and restores fruitfulness.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
The northern army I will drive away from you, banishing it to a barren and desolate land, its front ranks into the Eastern Sea, and its rear guard into the Western Sea. And its stench will rise; its foul odor will ascend. For He has done great things.
WEB 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.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV 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.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 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.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And I will remove far off from you him [that cometh] from the north, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, his face toward the eastern sea, and his rear toward the hinder sea; and his stench shall come up, and his ill odour shall come up, for he hath exalted himself to do great things.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And I will remove far off from you the northern enemy: and I will drive him into a land unpassable, and desert, with his face towards the east sea, and his hinder part towards the utmost sea: and his stench shall ascend, and his rottenness shall go up, because he hath done proudly.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y haré alejar de vosotros al del aquilón, y echarélo en la tierra seca y desierta: su faz será hacia el mar oriental, y su fin al mar occidental, y exhalará su hedor; y subirá su pudrición, porque hizo grandes cosas.
E afastarei de vós o exército do norte, e o lançarei na terra seca e deserta; sua frente será para o mar oriental, e sua retaguarda para o mar ocidental, e exalará seu mau cheiro; subirá sua podridão, porque fez grandes coisas.
J’ éloignerai de vous l’ennemi du nord,
und will den von Mitternacht fern von euch treiben und ihn in ein dürres und wüstes Land verstoßen, sein Angesicht hin zum Meer gegen Morgen und sein Ende hin zum Meer gegen Abend. Er soll verfaulen und stinken; denn er hat große Dinge getan.
En Ik zal dien van het noorden verre van ulieden doen vertrekken, en hem wegdrijven in een dor en woest land, zijn aangezicht naar de Oostzee, en zijn einde naar de achterste zee; en zijn stank zal opgaan, en zijn vuiligheid zal opgaan; want hij heeft grote dingen gedaan.
Allontanerò da voi il nemico che viene dal settentrione e lo caccerò in una terra arida e desolata; la sua avanguardia, verso il mare orientale; la sua retroguardia, verso il mare occidentale; la sua infezione, salirà il suo fetore, perché ha fatto cose grandi”.
Bo północne wojsko oddalę od was, a zapędzę je do ziemi suchej i spustoszonej; przedni huf jego obróci się ku morzu wschodniemu, a koniec jego ku morzu ostatecznemu, i wynijdzie z niego smród i zgniłość, choć sobie hardzie poczyna.
И пришедшего от севера удалю от вас, и изгоню в землю безводную и пустую, переднее полчище его - в море восточное, а заднее - в море западное, и пойдет от него зловоние, и поднимется от него смрад, так как он много наделал зла.
卻要使 北方 來的軍隊遠離 你們，將他們趕 到 乾旱 荒廢 之地： 前隊 趕入 東 海，後隊 趕入 西 海；因為 他們所行的大惡（原文是事），臭氣 上升，腥味 騰空。
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.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Joel 2:20
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that in Joel 2:20 God promises to remove a devastating force, whether locusts or a human army, and that this deliverance comes as a direct answer to the people’s repentance (Joel 2:18, 19). The northern army (Hebrew ha/tsephoni, literally “the northerner”) is driven into a barren land, its front into the eastern sea (Dead Sea), its rear into the western sea (Mediterranean). The repeated stench and foul smell (בָאְשׁ and צַחֲנָה) signify complete destruction and humiliation. Calvin, Barnes, and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown read the figure as a human enemy, especially Assyria or Babylon, using locust imagery. Adam Clarke, Gill, and the Cambridge Bible argue for literal locusts blown from the north or northeast. Both traditions see the verse as God’s sovereign act to end the plague and restore the land’s fertility (v.21, 27). The final clause “for he has done great things” (הִגְדִּיל) is understood either as the enemy’s arrogant boasting or God’s mighty work of judgment; most older commentators take it as the former, while the WEB applies it to God.”
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: High
Main views:
- Literal locusts: The context of Joel 1–2 describes a historical locust plague; the stench and drowning in seas matches known events (Exodus 10:19; Augustine). The Hebrew 'northerner' can refer to a wind from the north carrying locusts.
- Human enemy (Assyria/Babylon): Locusts rarely come from the north; the term 'northerner' matches invasion language (Jeremiah 1:14–15). The van and rear imagery fits an army, and the enemy's pride ('done great things') applies better to a human oppressor.
- Dual or typological reference: The locusts are both a literal plague and a type of future invaders (Assyria, then all enemies of God's people). The promise then applies to every deliverance.
What is clear: God, in response to repentance, promises to remove a devastating force from his people, drive it into desert and sea, and restore the land's fruitfulness.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the northern army | All traditions agree the verse describes a destructive force that God removes in response to repentance. | Literal locusts (Adam Clarke, Gill, Cambridge Bible) vs. a human enemy such as Assyria or Babylon (Calvin, Barnes, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown). Some see a dual reference: locusts as type of coming invaders. |
| Meaning of 'he has done great things' | The phrase refers to the subject's actions (whether enemy or God) that precede the stench. | Many older commentators (Calvin, Barnes, JFB) apply it to the enemy’s arrogance; the WEB and some modern versions apply it to God’s mighty deliverance (v.21). The Hebrew hiphil can be read either way. |
| The two seas and barren land | The eastern sea is the Dead Sea; the western sea is the Mediterranean; the barren land is the Arabian desert. These mark the boundaries of the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 11:24). | Whether the description fits literal locusts drowning in two opposite seas (difficult) or is a figurative picture of total defeat. Barnes and JFB argue it suits a human army’s van and rear better. |
| The stench and its meaning | The stench of the locusts or enemy dead symbolizes humiliation, judgment, and the end of their threat. | Adam Clarke and others note historical plagues caused by rotting locusts; Calvin and Barnes see it as divine disgrace on a proud enemy. Both agree it is a sign of complete removal. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Locust plagues were a recurring horror in the ancient Near East. A swarm could cover hundreds of square miles, stripping every green leaf and leaving famine and pestilence in its wake. The prophet Joel calls the locusts “a great army” (Joel 2:11,25) and describes their devastation in graphic detail (Joel 1:4, 20).
In this verse, God says he will drive the swarm into “a land barren and desolate”, the Arabian desert to the south and east of Judah. Its “front” goes into the eastern sea, the Dead Sea; its “rear” into the western sea, the Mediterranean (see also Ezekiel 47:18; Zechariah 14:8). This mirrors what happened in Egypt (Exodus 10:19): a wind carried locusts into the Red Sea. The resulting stench could be lethal; Jerome and Augustine record plagues that killed tens of thousands after locust carcasses washed ashore.
But the phrase “northerner” (צְפוֹנִי) complicates a purely literal reading. Locusts usually invade Palestine from the south or southeast, not the north. Armies from Assyria and Babylon, by contrast, approached from the north (Jeremiah 1:14, 15). Many interpreters therefore see the locusts as a type of a human enemy, the very enemy that would later besiege Jerusalem. The promise thus carries both immediate and future hope: the present plague is ended, and the people are assured that God will also drive away the coming invader.
Joel’s audience, having just gathered for a solemn fast (Joel 2:15, 17), would have understood this as God’s answer to their prayer. The geography of the land, with the Dead Sea to the east and the Great Sea to the west, forms the boundary of the promised territory (Deuteronomy 11:24). To push the enemy beyond those limits was to restore the land’s safety and blessing.”
Textual Notes
The consulted commentaries and lexicons note no significant textual variants for Joel 2:20. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts. The main interpretive differences arise from the ambiguity of ha/tsephoni (“the northerner”) and the final clause ki higdil la’asot (“for he has done great things”), both of which are matters of reading, not textual variation. The Cambridge Bible mentions that the second verb for “ascend” (תַּעַל) is jussive in form, but this does not affect the overall meaning.
Reception History
Jerome, in the late fourth century, interpreted the northern army as locusts and related an event from his own era when a swarm was driven into the sea. Augustine (City of God III.31) recounts a pestilence from rotting locusts in North Africa, illustrating the deadly aftermath. Medieval Jewish commentators (Rashi, Kimchi) read the verse as referring to the evil inclination or to the Messianic age, while Christian interpreters from the Reformation onward divided along literal and allegorical lines: Calvin and Luther saw a prophecy of Assyria’s downfall; Matthew Henry and Wesley applied it to the locust plague as a type of God’s deliverance. In modern times, the verse is often preached as an assurance of God’s power to remove overwhelming obstacles.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God hears repentance and acts decisively. The promise is God’s response to the people’s prayer (Joel 2:18, 19). He removes the northern army, whether locusts or human foes, completely from the land.
- The enemy is utterly destroyed and humiliated. The imagery of stench and foul smell shows total defeat. What once inspired terror now becomes a rotting reminder of its own pride (compare Isaiah 34:3).
- Restoration follows judgment. The removal of the plague leads to renewed agricultural abundance and joy. God “has done great things” (v.21) and will restore the years the locusts ate (v.25).
Five-point outline
- God’s promise answers the prayers of a repentant people.
- The “northerner” names a threat from the north, historical (Assyria) or metaphorical (the driving wind for locusts).
- The geography frames deliverance: Dead Sea, Mediterranean, and desert mark the boundaries of the land God protects.
- The stench and decay underscore judgment on pride and the certainty of removal.
- The final clause points either to the enemy’s boasting or God’s mighty act, in either case, God’s power prevails.
Illustration hooks
- A farmer who loses an entire crop to a swarm of locusts and then watches the same fields recover the next season, concrete hope that devastation is not the final word.
- A community after a wildfire or tornado: the acrid smell of ash and ruin, but then the slow green of regrowth.
- The experience of an overwhelming problem being completely removed, like a court case dropped or a debt forgiven, bringing relief and a fresh start.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “Is this verse about locusts or about foreign armies? Does it still apply to us?”
- “Why does God use such violent imagery, stench, rotting, destruction, to describe the enemy’s end?”
- “If God promises to restore what was lost, does that mean we can always expect material blessing after repentance?”
Leading a Discussion
Joel 2:20 sits at the hinge of the book: judgment has fallen, the people have repented, and now God answers with a promise of deliverance and restoration. The verse uses vivid, unsettling images to show both the completeness of the enemy’s defeat and the Lord’s power to renew the land. As you discuss, notice how the physical details (the two seas, the desolate land, the stench) ground the promise in real geography and real suffering.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What does the text say the Lord will do to “the northern army”? List the actions: remove, drive, face into east sea, rear into west sea, stench rises.
- Observation: The Hebrew calls this force “the northerner” (צְפוֹנִי). Based on the context of Joel 1, 2, what clues tell you whether this is a literal locust swarm or a human army?
- Interpretation: Why do the two seas (Dead Sea and Mediterranean) and a barren land appear in this promise? How does the geography of Israel shape the hope of safety?
- Interpretation: The final phrase “for he has done great things” can be read as the enemy’s arrogant boasting or as God’s mighty work. How does each reading change the tone of the verse?
- Interpretation: How does the stench and putrefaction of the enemy connect to other biblical passages about judgment (e.g., Isaiah 34:3)? What does this sensory language communicate about God’s attitude toward evil?
- Application: Joel’s audience faced literal famine and devastation. What “swarms” do we face today that seem to strip away life? How does this promise speak to those situations?
- Application: If God guarantees restoration and no more reproach (v.19), how does that shape the way you pray for a hurting world? What does it mean to trust God’s timing and methods?
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 10:19 | Yahweh sent an exceedingly strong west wind, which took up the locusts, and drove them into the Red Sea. There remained not one locust in all the borders of Egypt. |
| Deuteronomy 11:24 | Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even to the western sea shall be your border. |
| II Kings 8:13 | Hazael said, “But what is your servant, who is but a dog, that he could do this great thing?” Elisha answered, “Yahweh has shown me that you will be king over Syria.” |
| Isaiah 34:3 | Their slain will also be cast out, and the stench of their dead bodies will come up. The mountains will melt in their blood. |
| Jeremiah 1:14 | Then Yahweh said to me, “Out of the north, evil will break out on all the inhabitants of the land. |
| Jeremiah 1:15 | For behold, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north,” says Yahweh. “They will come, and they will each set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls all around, and against all the cities of Judah. |
| Ezekiel 39:12 | “‘“The house of Israel will be burying them for seven months, that they may cleanse the land. |
| Ezekiel 39:16 | Hamonah will also be the name of a city. Thus they will cleanse the land.”’ |
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 destruction caused by the locusts happens after God has performed great acts. His view holds that these acts include nearly destroying the entire land.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that the "northern army" here cannot be literal locusts because locusts invade from the south, not the north, and cannot be driven into two opposite seas. He identifies the imagery as the complete removal of a human enemy, driven out of the promised land into the Dead Sea, the Mediterranean, and the desert beyond.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin notes that the word for north in the text indicates the enemy’s homeland lies far away. He says God will drive those fierce warriors back to their own desert land.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges sees the description of the locusts moving to different seas as a poetic way of showing their complete destruction. This image helps believers trust that God can remove all troubles just as quickly.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes interpret the northern army as an invading force that God will drive into a barren, desolate land, with its stench and corruption rising as a mark of its defeat. The reason for this harsh judgment is the enemy's pride: it exalted itself to do this evil.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes some read the northern army as the Assyrian forces that attacked Judah. Others see it as a symbol of the enemies of the Jewish people. Both views point to God’s power in bringing destruction.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson Fausset Brown notes the Hebrew word for north refers to Assyria or Babylon not just as the invaders come from but as their home land. The locusts originate in the south not the north and are not types of future enemies.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch argue that calling the locusts "the northern one" does not make them a symbol for enemy armies, since historical records show locusts can come from the north. They also defend that God holds even irrational creatures accountable for their destructive acts, citing the Mosaic law's treatment of violent animals.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads "the northern" in this verse as a reference to the destroyer, not a compass direction. He connects the Hebrew word to the Egyptian god Typhon and argues the locust army is God's instrument of judgment, not an invasion from the north.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes the Lord will punish the enemy army by sending it into a barren land where its stench rises because of its evil deeds. He also says the Lord will restore good harvests and remove the harm caused by insects so his people may praise him.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley reads the imagery of the northern army as a literal military invasion, with its vanguard driven into the Dead Sea and its rear into the Mediterranean. The stench is from rotting locusts or the corpses of slain Assyrians left unburied, a tangible punishment for the invading force.