Joel 2:11
“And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The LORD speaks as commander over this vast army, and Joel asks who can endure so great and terrible a day.
What Does Joel 2:11 Mean?
Now the decisive truth is revealed: the LORD utters His voice before His army. The host that has terrorized the land is, in the end, under His command, His camp, very great, executing His word. The day of the LORD is great and very terrible, and Joel ends with a question that hangs in the air: who can abide it? Who can stand?
This verse reframes everything. The locusts, the darkness, the unstoppable advance, all of it answers to the voice of God. That is sobering, for it means no one can resist by strength. But it is also the ground of hope, for the One who commands the army is the One who can also call it off. The unanswerable question, who can abide it, sets up the gracious turn that follows in the very next verse: therefore turn to me. No one can stand by might, but anyone may stand by returning to the merciful God who speaks.