The Meaning of Joel 3:8 Explained

Joel 3:8

KJV: And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off: for the LORD hath spoken it.

YLT: And have sold your sons and your daughters Into the hand of the sons of Judah, And they have sold them to Shabeans, Unto a nation far off, for Jehovah hath spoken.

Darby: And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a nation far off: for Jehovah hath spoken.

ASV: and I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the men of Sheba, to a nation far off: for Jehovah hath spoken it.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And I will sell  your sons  and your daughters  into the hand  of the children  of Judah,  and they shall sell  them to the Sabeans,  to a people  far off:  for the LORD  hath spoken  [it]. 

What does Joel 3:8 Mean?

Context Summary

Joel 3:1-21 - "the Valley Of Decision"
Having stated the outward blessings that would follow repentance, Joel unveils the extraordinary spiritual blessings that were in store. The outpouring of the Spirit, described in Acts 2:16-17, does not exhaust these glorious words. This blessing is for all whom the Lord our God shall call to Himself, and as one to whom His call has come, you have a perfect right to claim your share in Pentecost. The promise is to all that are "afar off" in space and time. The very slaves, the most degraded and despised of men, become free when they yield themselves to Jesus and have an equal right to the same Spirit.
Joel 3:1-21 refers to the last desperate effort made by the powers of the world against Christ and His people. This will be the closing scene of man's apostasy. But the Lord will vindicate and deliver His oppressed from the hand of their oppressors; and the same judgment will bring them blessing. Having cleansed His people from their stains, Messiah will tabernacle among them, Revelation 21:3 [source]

Chapter Summary: Joel 3

1  God's judgments against the enemies of his people
9  God will be known in his judgment
18  His blessing upon the church

What do the individual words in Joel 3:8 mean?

And I will sell - your sons and your daughters Into the hand of the sons of Judah and they will sell them to the Sabeans to a people far off for Yahweh has spoken -
וּמָכַרְתִּ֞י אֶת־ בְּנֵיכֶ֣ם וְאֶת־ בְּנֽוֹתֵיכֶ֗ם בְּיַד֙ בְּנֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה וּמְכָר֥וּם לִשְׁבָאיִ֖ם אֶל־ גּ֣וֹי רָח֑וֹק כִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה דִּבֵּֽר ס

וּמָכַרְתִּ֞י  And  I  will  sell 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: מָכַר  
Sense: to sell.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
בְּנֵיכֶ֣ם  your  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
בְּנֽוֹתֵיכֶ֗ם  your  daughters 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
בְּיַד֙  Into  the  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
בְּנֵ֣י  of  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יְהוּדָ֔ה  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
וּמְכָר֥וּם  and  they  will  sell  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural, third person masculine plural
Root: מָכַר  
Sense: to sell.
לִשְׁבָאיִ֖ם  to  the  Sabeans 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: שְׁבָאִים  
Sense: the people of the nation of Sheba.
גּ֣וֹי  a  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
רָח֑וֹק  far  off 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רָחֹוק  
Sense: remote, far, distant, distant lands, distant ones.
יְהוָ֖ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
דִּבֵּֽר  has  spoken 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation