Joel 1:3

"Tell your children about it, and have your children tell their children, and their children, another generation."

Key Reflection

In Joel 1:3, the prophet instructs the people to pass on the message of calamity to future generations through multiple layers of storytelling—first to their children, then to their grandchildren, and so forth. This practice underscores the urgency and lasting impact of the locust plague described in the preceding verses, emphasizing that such a devastating event must not be forgotten. The cultural context highlights the importance of oral tradition and the preservation of historical memory in ancient Israelite society, where written records were not as prevalent as they are today.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Tell ye your children of it -In the order of God’s goodness, generation was to declare to generation the wonders of His love. “He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers that they should make them known to their children, that the generation to come might know them, the children which should be born, who should arise and declare them to their children that they might ... not forget the works of God”Psalms 78:5-7.

More from Joel 1

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