Joel 2:23 (ASV)

Passage

Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in Jehovah your God; for he giveth you the former rain in just measure, and he causeth to come down for you the rain, the former rain and the latter rain, in the first [month].

Nearby Context

Joel 2:21 Fear not, O land, be glad and rejoice; for Jehovah hath done great things.

Joel 2:22 Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth its fruit, the fig-tree and the vine do yield their strength.

Joel 2:23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in Jehovah your God; for he giveth you the former rain in just measure, and he causeth to come down for you the rain, the former rain and the latter rain, in the first [month].

Joel 2:24 And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.

Joel 2:25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the canker-worm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm, my great army which I sent among you.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "glad", "children", "zion", "rejoice", "jehovah", "giveth", "former", and "rain". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "glad" and "children", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "Be not afraid ye beasts of the..." into verse 24's "And the floors shall be full of...", so "glad" and "children" belong inside that flow. In Joel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "glad" and "children" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.