Joel 3:15 (YLT)

Passage

Sun and moon have been black, And stars have gathered up their shining.

Nearby Context

Joel 3:13 Send ye forth a sickle, For ripened hath harvest, Come in, come down, for filled hath been the press, Overflowed hath wine-presses, For great <FI>is<Fi> their wickedness.

Joel 3:14 Multitudes, multitudes <FI>are<Fi> in the valley of decision, For near <FI>is<Fi> the day of Jehovah in the valley of decision.

Joel 3:15 Sun and moon have been black, And stars have gathered up their shining.

Joel 3:16 And Jehovah from Zion doth roar, And from Jerusalem giveth forth His voice, And shaken have the heavens and earth, And Jehovah <FI>is<Fi> a refuge to his people, And a stronghold to sons of Israel.

Joel 3:17 And ye have known that I <FI>am<Fi> Jehovah your God, Dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain, And Jerusalem hath been holy, And strangers do not pass over into it again.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 14's "Multitudes multitudes FI are Fi in the..." into verse 16's "And Jehovah from Zion doth roar And...", so "moon" and "been" 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 "been" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.