Joel 2:14 (LSB)

Passage

Who knows whether He will not turn and relent And leave a blessing behind Him, Even a grain offering and a drink offering For Yahweh your God?

Nearby Context

Joel 2:12 “Yet even now,” declares Yahweh, “Return to Me with all your heart And with fasting, weeping, and wailing;

Joel 2:13 And tear your heart and not your garments.” Now return to Yahweh your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness, And relenting concerning evil.

Joel 2:14 Who knows whether He will not turn and relent And leave a blessing behind Him, Even a grain offering and a drink offering For Yahweh your God?

Joel 2:15 Blow a trumpet in Zion, Set apart a fast as holy, call for a solemn assembly,

Joel 2:16 Gather the people, set apart the congregation as holy, Assemble the elders, Gather the infants and the nursing babies. Let the bridegroom come out of his room And the bride out of her bridal chamber.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "knows", "whether", "turn", "relent", "leave", "blessing", "behind", and "even". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "knows" and "whether", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 13's "And tear your heart and not your..." into verse 15's "Blow a trumpet in Zion Set apart...", so "knows" and "whether" 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 "knows" and "whether" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.