Joel 1:6 (GNV)

Passage

Yea, a nation commeth vpon my lande, mightie, and without nomber, whose teeth are like the teeth of a lyon, and he hath the iawes of a great lyon.

Nearby Context

Joel 1:4 That which is left of ye palmer worme, hath the grashopper eaten, and the residue of ye grashopper hath the canker worme eaten, and the residue of the canker worme hath the caterpiller eaten.

Joel 1:5 Awake ye drunkards, and weepe, and howle all ye drinkers of wine, because of the newe wine: for it shalbe pulled from your mouth.

Joel 1:6 Yea, a nation commeth vpon my lande, mightie, and without nomber, whose teeth are like the teeth of a lyon, and he hath the iawes of a great lyon.

Joel 1:7 He maketh my vine waste, and pilleth off the barke of my figge tree: he maketh it bare, and casteth it downe: ye branches therof are made white.

Joel 1:8 Mourne like a virgine girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "nation", "commeth", "vpon", "lande", "mightie", "without", "nomber", and "whose". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "nation" and "commeth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 5's "Awake ye drunkards and weepe and howle..." into verse 7's "He maketh my vine waste and pilleth...", so "nation" and "commeth" 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 "nation" and "commeth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.