Joel 3:20 (DBY)

Passage

But Judah shall abide for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.

Nearby Context

Joel 3:18 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the water-courses 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 against the children of Judah, in that 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 purge them from the blood from which I had not purged them: for Jehovah dwelleth in Zion.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "judah", "shall", "abide", "ever", "jerusalem", and "generation". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "judah" and "shall", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "Egypt shall be a desolation and Edom..." into verse 21's "And I will purge them from the...", so "judah" 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 "judah" and "shall" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.