Joel 2:6 (GNV)

Passage

Before his face shall the people tremble: all faces shall gather blackenesse.

Nearby Context

Joel 2:4 The beholding of him is like the sight of horses, and like the horsemen, so shall they runne.

Joel 2:5 Like the noyse of charrets in the toppes of the mountaines shall they leape, like the noyse of a flame of fire that deuoureth the stubble, and as a mightie people prepared to the battel.

Joel 2:6 Before his face shall the people tremble: all faces shall gather blackenesse.

Joel 2:7 They shall runne like strong men, and goe vp to the wall like men of warre, and euery man shall goe forward in his wayes, and they shall not stay in their paths.

Joel 2:8 Neither shall one thrust another, but euery one shall walke in his path: and when they fall vpon the sword, they shall not be wounded.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "before", "face", "shall", "people", "tremble", "faces", and "gather". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "before" and "face", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 5's "Like the noyse of charrets in the..." into verse 7's "They shall runne like strong men and...", so "before" and "face" 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 "before" and "face" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.