The Meaning of Joel 2:8 Explained

Joel 2:8

KJV: Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.

YLT: And each his brother they press not, Each in his way they go on, If by the missile they fall, they are not cut off.

Darby: Neither doth one press upon another; they march every one in his path; and fall amid weapons, but are not wounded.

ASV: Neither doth one thrust another; they march every one in his path; and they burst through the weapons, and break not off their course .

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Neither shall one  thrust  another;  they shall walk  every one  in his path:  and [when] they fall  upon the sword,  they shall not be wounded. 

What does Joel 2:8 Mean?

Context Summary

Joel 2:1-11 - A Summons To Penitence
We know nothing of Joel beyond this book. He was content to be God's mouthpiece and remain unknown. His message was one of unparalleled woe. The memory of God's loving kindness ought to have kept His people faithful and loyal, but since grace and love had failed to affect them awful judgments were announced. A small insect, the locust, was to prostrate man's boasted power. The four kinds of locusts here described and which doubtless devastated the country, were also symbols of the four world-empires, Assyria, Babylon, Greece, and Rome, which were to lay waste the Holy Land. Such judgments call for acts of repentance, such as fasting, humiliation, and intercession. There are days in national experience when it becomes us to gird ourselves and lament. The ministers and elders of the Church should lead the way. Where there has been infidelity to the great Lover of souls, when the visible Church or the individual member has turned from Christ to the wanton world, then joy withers away, Joel 1:12, spiritual worship ceases, Joel 1:9, and there can be neither peace nor safety until there has been repentance and return. [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 2:8 mean?

And one another not they do push every one in his column marches and Though between the weapons they lunge they are cut down
וְאִ֤ישׁ אָחִיו֙ לֹ֣א יִדְחָק֔וּן גֶּ֥בֶר בִּמְסִלָּת֖וֹ יֵֽלֵכ֑וּן וּבְעַ֥ד הַשֶּׁ֛לַח יִפֹּ֖לוּ יִבְצָֽעוּ

וְאִ֤ישׁ  And  one 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אָחִיו֙  another 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
יִדְחָק֔וּן  they  do  push 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: דָּחַק  
Sense: to thrust, oppress, crowd.
גֶּ֥בֶר  every  one 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֶּבֶר  
Sense: man, strong man, warrior (emphasising strength or ability to fight).
בִּמְסִלָּת֖וֹ  in  his  column 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מְסִלָּה  
Sense: highway, raised way, public road.
יֵֽלֵכ֑וּן  marches 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וּבְעַ֥ד  and  Though  between 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: בַּעַד 
Sense: behind, through, round about, on behalf of, away from, about.
הַשֶּׁ֛לַח  the  weapons 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁלַח 
Sense: weapon, missile, sprout.
יִפֹּ֖לוּ  they  lunge 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
יִבְצָֽעוּ  they  are  cut  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בָּצַע  
Sense: to cut off, break off, gain by unrighteous violence, get, finish, be covetous, be greedy.