Joel 3:19 (ASV)

Passage

Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence done to the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.

Nearby Context

Joel 3:17 So shall ye know that I am Jehovah your God, dwelling in Zion my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.

Joel 3:18 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah shall flow with waters; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of Jehovah, and shall water the valley of Shittim.

Joel 3:19 Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence done to the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.

Joel 3:20 But Judah shall abide for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.

Joel 3:21 And I will cleanse their blood, that I have not cleansed: for Jehovah dwelleth in Zion.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "egypt", "shall", "desolation", "edom", "desolate", "wilderness", and "violence". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "egypt" and "shall", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "And it shall come to pass in..." into verse 20's "But Judah shall abide for ever and...", so "egypt" and "shall" 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 "egypt" and "shall" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.