The Meaning of Joel 2:16 Explained

Joel 2:16

KJV: Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.

YLT: Gather the people, sanctify an assembly, Assemble the aged, Gather infants and sucklings of the breasts, Go out let a bridegroom from his inner chamber, And a bride out of her closet.

Darby: gather the people, hallow the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts; let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, and the bride from her closet.

ASV: gather the people, sanctify the assembly, assemble the old men, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts; let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Gather  the people,  sanctify  the congregation,  assemble  the elders,  gather  the children,  and those that suck  the breasts:  let the bridegroom  go forth  of his chamber,  and the bride  out of her closet. 

What does Joel 2:16 Mean?

Context Summary

Joel 2:12-27 - The Averting Of Judgment
To rend the garment is easy, but a broken and contrite heart can be imparted only by the grace of the Holy Spirit. The love of God should bring us to repentance. He takes no pleasure in our miseries and if men repent and turn from their sin they find an immediate and loving welcome to the Father's heart and home. Joel had called for the trumpet to announce war; he now directs the trumpet blast to summon the people, from the highest to the lowest, to plead for help. Prayer and true repentance and faith bring an immediate answer. As the husband yearns over his erring but repentant wife, and is indignant with those who have maltreated her, so will Jehovah remove from us, when we turn to Him, those who have cruelly oppressed us.
The great things Jehovah did against Egypt and Babylon are an earnest of what He will do again. The earth, Joel 2:21; the lower animals, Joel 2:22; and, above all, the children of Zion, literal and spiritual, Joel 2:23, have good reason to rejoice in what awaits them. God promises not only to forgive sin, but to make us happy and well provided as if the locust and cankerworm had never settled upon our lives. [source]

Chapter Summary: Joel 2

1  He shows unto Zion the terribleness of God's judgment
12  He exhorts to repentance;
15  prescribes a fast;
18  promises a blessing thereon
21  He comforts Zion with present,
28  and future blessings

What do the individual words in Joel 2:16 mean?

Gather the people Sanctify the congregation Assemble the elders Gather the sons and babes nursing let go out the bridegroom from his chamber and the bride from her dressing room
אִסְפוּ־ עָ֞ם קַדְּשׁ֤וּ קָהָל֙ קִבְצ֣וּ זְקֵנִ֔ים אִסְפוּ֙ עֽוֹלָלִ֔ים וְיֹנְקֵ֖י שָׁדָ֑יִם יֵצֵ֤א חָתָן֙ מֵֽחֶדְר֔וֹ וְכַלָּ֖ה מֵחֻפָּתָֽהּ

אִסְפוּ־  Gather 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: אָסַף 
Sense: to gather, receive, remove, gather in.
עָ֞ם  the  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
קַדְּשׁ֤וּ  Sanctify 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: קָדַשׁ  
Sense: to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate.
קָהָל֙  the  congregation 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קָהָל  
Sense: assembly, company, congregation, convocation.
קִבְצ֣וּ  Assemble 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: קָבַץ  
Sense: to gather, assemble.
זְקֵנִ֔ים  the  elders 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: זָקֵן  
Sense: old.
אִסְפוּ֙  Gather 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: אָסַף 
Sense: to gather, receive, remove, gather in.
עֽוֹלָלִ֔ים  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: עֹולֵל 
Sense: child, boy.
וְיֹנְקֵ֖י  and  babes 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: יָנַק 
Sense: to suckle, nurse, suck.
שָׁדָ֑יִם  nursing 
Parse: Noun, md
Root: שַׁד 
Sense: breast, bosom, (female) breast.
יֵצֵ֤א  let  go  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
חָתָן֙  the  bridegroom 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חָתָן  
Sense: son-in-law, daughter’s husband, bridegroom, husband.
מֵֽחֶדְר֔וֹ  from  his  chamber 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חֶדֶר  
Sense: chamber, room, parlour, innermost or inward part, within.
וְכַלָּ֖ה  and  the  bride 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: כַּלָּה  
Sense: bride, daughter-in-law.
מֵחֻפָּתָֽהּ  from  her  dressing  room 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: חֻפָּה  
Sense: chamber, room, canopy, closet.