Joel 2:8 (YLT)

Passage

And each his brother they press not, Each in his way they go on, If by the missile they fall, they are not cut off.

Nearby Context

Joel 2:6 From its face pained are peoples, All faces have gathered paleness.

Joel 2:7 As mighty ones they run, As men of war they go up a wall, And each in his own ways they do go, And they embarrass not their paths.

Joel 2:8 And each his brother they press not, Each in his way they go on, If by the missile they fall, they are not cut off.

Joel 2:9 In the city they run to and fro, On the wall they run, Into houses they go up by the windows, They go in as a thief.

Joel 2:10 At their face trembled hath the earth, Shaken have the heavens, Sun and moon have been black, And stars have gathered up their shining.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "each", "brother", "press", "missile", and "fall". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "each" and "brother", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "As mighty ones they run As men..." into verse 9's "In the city they run to and...", so "each" and "brother" 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 "each" and "brother" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.