Joel 2:13 (GNV)

Passage

And rent your heart, and not your clothes: and turne vnto the Lord your God, for he is gratious, and mercifull, slowe to anger, and of great kindnes, and repenteth him of the euill.

Nearby Context

Joel 2:11 And the Lord shall vtter his voyce before his hoste: for his hoste is very great: for he is strog that doeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible, and who can abide it?

Joel 2:12 Therefore also now the Lord sayth, Turne you vnto me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning,

Joel 2:13 And rent your heart, and not your clothes: and turne vnto the Lord your God, for he is gratious, and mercifull, slowe to anger, and of great kindnes, and repenteth him of the euill.

Joel 2:14 Who knoweth, is he wil returne and repent and leaue a blessing behinde him, euen a meate offring, and a drinke offring vnto ye Lord your God?

Joel 2:15 Blowe the trumpet in Zion, sanctifie a fast, call a solemne assembly.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "rent", "heart", "clothes", "turne", "vnto", "lord", "gratious", and "mercifull". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "rent" and "heart", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "Therefore also now the Lord sayth Turne..." into verse 14's "Who knoweth is he wil returne and...", so "rent" and "heart" 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 "rent" and "heart" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.