Joel 3:15 (WEB)

Passage

The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.

Nearby Context

Joel 3:13 Put in the sickle; for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread, for the wine press is full, the vats overflow, for their wickedness is great.”

Joel 3:14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of Yahweh is near, in the valley of decision.

Joel 3:15 The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.

Joel 3:16 Yahweh will roar from Zion, and thunder from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth will shake; but Yahweh will be a refuge to his people, and a stronghold to the children of Israel.

Joel 3:17 “So you will know that I am Yahweh, your God, dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain. Then Jerusalem will be holy, and no strangers will pass through her any more.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "moon", "darkened", "stars", "withdraw", and "shining". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "moon" and "darkened", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 14's "Multitudes multitudes in the valley of decision..." into verse 16's "Yahweh will roar from Zion and thunder...", so "moon" and "darkened" 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 "moon" and "darkened" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.