Joel 3:21 (YLT)

Passage

And I have declared their blood innocent, <FI>That<Fi> I did not declare innocent, And Jehovah is dwelling in Zion!

Nearby Context

Joel 3:19 Egypt a desolation becometh, And Edom a desolation, a wilderness, becometh, For violence <FI>to<Fi> sons of Judah, Whose innocent blood they shed in their land.

Joel 3:20 And Judah to the age doth dwell, And Jerusalem to generation and generation.

Joel 3:21 And I have declared their blood innocent, <FI>That<Fi> I did not declare innocent, And Jehovah is dwelling in Zion!

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "declared", "blood", "innocent", "jehovah", "dwelling", and "zion". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "declared" and "blood", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "And Judah to the age doth dwell...", giving immediate footing for "declared" and "blood". In Joel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "declared" and "blood" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.