Joel 1:3

Tell ye your children of it, and [let] your children [tell] their children, and their children another generation.

Tell {H5608} ye your children {H1121} of it, and let your children {H1121} tell their children {H1121}, and their children {H1121} another {H312} generation {H1755}.

Tell your children about it, and have them tell it to theirs, and have them tell the next generation.

Tell it to your children; let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation.

Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.

Commentary on Joel 1:3 (KJV)

Joel 1:3 serves as a foundational call to remembrance and intergenerational instruction within the prophet Joel's urgent message. Following the devastating description of a locust plague and severe drought that has ravaged the land of Judah, this verse commands the people to transmit the memory of this unprecedented catastrophe through successive generations.

Context

The book of Joel opens dramatically with an immediate and catastrophic event: a locust plague of unparalleled destruction, followed by a severe drought. This dual calamity is presented not merely as a natural disaster but as a direct act of divine judgment. Joel, whose name means "the Lord is God," calls for a solemn assembly and a national lament. Before detailing the call to repentance, the prophet emphasizes the profound impact of the current suffering and the imperative to remember it. This verse is part of Joel's initial address, urging the elders and all inhabitants to recognize the uniqueness of the event and its profound spiritual implications. It sets the stage for understanding the depth of the nation's plight and the subsequent call to turn back to the Lord with all their heart.

Key Themes

  • Intergenerational Transmission: The verse powerfully underscores the vital importance of passing down historical and spiritual truths from one generation to the next. The command "Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation" highlights a continuous chain of witness. This ensures that the lessons learned, particularly about divine judgment and the need for repentance, are not forgotten.
  • The Power of Memory: It stresses the necessity of collective memory. The people are not just to experience the event, but to internalize its significance and ensure its enduring presence in the national consciousness. Remembering past judgments can serve as a powerful deterrent against future disobedience and a catalyst for humility and faithfulness.
  • Spiritual Heritage: This verse speaks to the concept of a spiritual heritage, where the experiences and understanding of God's dealings with humanity are preserved and conveyed. It implies that understanding their history with God is crucial for the spiritual health and identity of future generations.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word translated "tell" is saphar (סָפַר), which means not merely to speak, but to recount, number, or declare in detail. It suggests a thorough narration of the event, ensuring that its severity and implications are fully grasped. The repetitive structure of "children tell their children, and their children another generation" (literally, "to their sons, and their sons to their sons, and their sons to another generation") emphatically conveys the idea of an unbroken chain of oral tradition. This repetition is a rhetorical device that highlights the absolute necessity and perpetual nature of this command.

Related Scriptures

This command to pass down spiritual lessons echoes similar instructions found throughout the Old Testament. For instance, in Deuteronomy 6:7, Israel is commanded to diligently teach their children the commandments of God. Similarly, Psalm 78:4 speaks of not hiding God's deeds from the coming generation, but declaring the praises of the Lord and His strength and His wonderful works. This principle is foundational to the covenant relationship, ensuring that God's acts and His expectations are continually known and honored.

Practical Application

Joel 1:3 carries profound relevance for believers today. It reminds us of our responsibility to be stewards of spiritual truth and experience, passing them on to the next generation. This includes:

  • Sharing Testimony: Recounting personal and collective experiences of God's faithfulness, His judgments, and His mercy.
  • Teaching Biblical History: Ensuring that children and younger generations understand the significant events and lessons from Scripture.
  • Preserving Spiritual Lessons: Learning from both positive and negative historical events within the church and society, understanding them through a biblical lens.
  • Mentorship: Actively engaging in discipleship and mentorship, guiding others in their faith journey and sharing wisdom gleaned from life's experiences with God.

The verse serves as a powerful reminder that faith is not meant to be a private, isolated experience, but a heritage to be shared, ensuring that the knowledge of God and His ways endures for "another generation."

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Deuteronomy 6:7

    And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

  • Psalms 145:4

    One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.

  • Exodus 13:14

    And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What [is] this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage:

  • Psalms 71:18

    Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto [this] generation, [and] thy power to every one [that] is to come.

  • Isaiah 38:19

    The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I [do] this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.

  • Psalms 44:1

    ¶ To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, Maschil. We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, [what] work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.

  • Exodus 10:1

    ¶ And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him:

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