Yoel 2 | “You will Know That I Am among Israel”

The locusts are described in this chapter as the army of God, through which His power will be revealed on the “Day of the Lord.” The prophet employs imagery of warriors in battle: “Theirs is the pounding of chariots dancing over the mountain peaks… They race like warriors; like soldiers they ascend the wall: Every soldier moving forward in position…” (2:5-7). This depiction of an army led commentators such as Abarbanel, Malbim, and certain scholars to conclude that the prophecy’s subject shifts from the first chapter that focuses on locusts, to describing an actual military invasion. There are, however, several difficulties with this interpretation. First and foremost is the broader context of the chapter. Additionally, certain descriptions do not fit a literal army of soldiers: “a day of darkness and blinding black” (2:2), “like soldiers they ascend the wall” (2:7), “like thieves through the windows” (2:2, 9). In addition, God’s response explicitly refers to the locusts: “I will repay you for all the season consumed by the locust” (2:25), confirming that the passage indeed refers to locusts.

As we saw yesterday, Professor Elie Assis argues that the military imagery is deliberate. The nation is sunk in despair, believing that God has abandoned them and seeing no reason to pray [an interpretation that aligns well with the assumption that Yoel prophesied during the difficult period of the Return to Zion]. The prophet’s goal is to lead the people from trauma and fear from the locust toward hope and prayer. He does so through a sophisticated rhetorical strategy: he urges them to pray over an immediate and tangible crisis — the agricultural devastation caused by the locusts. But his deeper message is that salvation can come against other kinds of adversaries as well. God will not only deliver them from this natural disaster but also from political calamity, and He will strike down the enemies surrounding Jerusalem. This is why the prophecy employs military language, and why God refers to the locusts as “the northerner” — a term that evokes the Babylonian enemy who descended from the north (see Yirmiyahu 1:14).

The second half of the chapter contains God’s response to the people’s prayer. The prayer itself is not recorded; rather, the prophet commands them to pray, and the narrative immediately transitions to God’s reply. This suggests that the prophet promised this response if they pray, as part of the effort to lead the nation to pray. The first part of God’s answer guarantees deliverance from the locusts and echoes the priests’ prayer:
The priests pleaded, “Have compassion, O Lord, upon Your people” (2:17), and God responds, “He will have mercy upon His people” (2:18).
The priests implored, “and do not allow Your possession to become a reproach – ruled by nations” (2:17), and God promises, “I will no longer allow you to become a reproach among the nations” (2:19).
The priests lamented, “Why should it be said among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’” (2:17), and God proclaims, “You will know that I am among Israel, and I am the Lord, your God; there is no other. My nation will never be ashamed” (2:27).
These parallels to the prayer highlight its power — if the people pray, God will grant their request. The final verse of the chapter expresses the ultimate goal: that the Israelites recognize that despite the destruction, and even when circumstances seem dire, God remains among them. At first, they will understand this through their salvation from the locusts; then, in the next chapter, they will grasp that God can save them from other physical enemies as well — until the redemption is complete.