12
Yet evenוְגַםnow,עַתָּהdeclaresנְאֻםYHWH,יְהוָהreturnשֻׁבוּto meעָדַיwith allבְּכָלyour heart,לְבַבְכֶםand with fasting,וּבְצוֹםand with weeping,וּבְבְכִיand with lamenting.וּבְמִסְפֵּד
Joel 2:12
Study it in the app“Yet even now, declares YHWH, return to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with lamenting.”
“Return to me with all your heart”: God is graciousTurning back to God
With the Hebrew beneath
Joel 2:12, word by word
- declaresנְאֻםneum
declaration
Solemn words God himself speaks: "oracle of YHWH".
Where else “neum” appears- YHWHיְהוָהyehva
YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
Where else “yehva” appears- returnשֻׁבוּshuvu
turn back
To go back to YHWH, or move away from him.
Where else “shuvu” appears- your heartלְבַבְlevav
heart
The deepest part of a person: where they think, desire and decide.
Where else “levav” appears- and with fastingצוֹםtsom
fast
Fast: going without food for a time, as a sign of mourning, of sorrow for sin, or of pleading with God.
Where else “tsom” appears- and with weepingבְכִיvechi
weeping
Weeping.
Where else “vechi” appears- and with lamentingמִסְפֵּדmisped
lamentation
Lamentation: public expressions of grief for the dead.
Where else “misped” appears
The context
11And YHWH utters his voice before his army, for his camp is very great; for mighty is the one who carries out his word; for great is the day of YHWH and very fearsome; and who can endure it?
12 · This verse (above)
13And tear your heart, and not your garments, and return to YHWH your Elohim; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love, and relenting over the evil.