Joel 2:6 (ASV)

Passage

At their presence the peoples are in anguish; all faces are waxed pale.

Nearby Context

Joel 2:4 The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so do they run.

Joel 2:5 Like the noise of chariots on the tops of the mountains do they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.

Joel 2:6 At their presence the peoples are in anguish; all faces are waxed pale.

Joel 2:7 They run like mighty men; they climb the wall like men of war; and they march every one on his ways, and they break not their ranks.

Joel 2:8 Neither doth one thrust another; they march every one in his path; and they burst through the weapons, and break not off [their course].

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "presence", "peoples", "anguish", "faces", "waxed", and "pale". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "presence" and "peoples", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 5's "Like the noise of chariots on the..." into verse 7's "They run like mighty men they climb...", so "presence" and "peoples" 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 "presence" and "peoples" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.