Joel 2:10 (DRB)

Passage

At their presence the earth hath trembled, the heavens are moved: the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars have withdrawn their shining.

Nearby Context

Joel 2:8 No one shall press upon his brother: they shall walk every one in his path: yea, and they shall fall through the windows, and shall take no harm.

Joel 2:9 They shall enter into the city: they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up the houses, they shall come in at the windows, as a thief.

Joel 2:10 At their presence the earth hath trembled, the heavens are moved: the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars have withdrawn their shining.

Joel 2:11 And the Lord hath uttered his voice before the face of his army: for his armies are exceedingly great, for they are strong, and execute his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible: and who can stand it?

Joel 2:12 Now, therefore, saith the Lord. Be converted to me with all your heart, in fasting, and in weeping, and mourning.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "presence", "earth", "hath", "trembled", "heavens", "moved", "moon", and "darkened". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "presence" and "earth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 9's "They shall enter into the city they..." into verse 11's "And the Lord hath uttered his voice...", so "presence" and "earth" 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 "earth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.