Joel 2:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Therefore, regardless of your wisdom, wealth, or strength, soften your heart; do not permit it to grow proud and haughty, for a humbled heart cannot be inflated, even if it possessed grounds for pride: it cannot sustain such ego because it is already broken. Likewise, cultivate humility within your heart. Remember that the tax collector was justified by a simple phrase; his declaration was not merely one of humility but rather an authentic confession. If true confession holds such weight, how much more profound is authentic humility? Extend forgiveness to those who have wronged you, for in doing so, you also pave the way for the forgiveness of your own sins.

He instructs them on how to pray and turn to Him by stating, “And now saith the Lord your God, Turn ye unto me with all your heart.” He urges them to abandon their past and forget old habits; to strive for improvement: to seek God’s favor through fasting, working, mourning, and lamenting, for those who undertake these actions will undoubtedly experience true prosperity and contentment afterward. Just as excessive idleness and indulgence in pleasure can lead to sorrow and punishment, so the practice of piety and sincere penitential effort yields genuine prosperity. Therefore, it is wise to mourn one’s sins and to humble oneself before God, because, as Paul observes, “sorrow, which is for God, makes repentance for salvation unrepentant” (2 Cor. 7:10). Christ likewise blesses those who grieve, “for they shall be comforted” (Matt. 5:4); and the wise Solomon expresses that “it is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting” (Ecclesiastes 7:3).

It is crucial to recognize the profound strength of fasting: it appeases the Lord, calms His anger, defers punishment. By humbling ourselves, we effectively soothe the wrath of God, who might seem furious or troubled by our actions, and we can hold back the hand of the one who punishes. Indeed, if confessing our sins alone ushers us into God’s mercy, then it stands to reason that by engaging in rigorous ascetic endeavors, akin to serving penance, we can expect from God the forgiveness of our transgressions. Thus, He instructs us not to weep or tear our garments, but to open our hardened hearts and minds, which often resist the fear of God. This is why Paul writes to the Corinthians: “We do not dwell within us, but you are comforted in your wombs: the same retribution, as I say to the children, will spread among you” (2 Corinthians 6:12-13). Therefore, it is imperative to expand one’s heart before God and open one’s mind to the truths it contains. Merely displaying outward sorrow through pointless actions will not benefit those who attempt it; rather, opening one’s heart and yielding thoughts to God will yield significant profit leading to salvation.

To assure those who pray that they will achieve their aim, He reminds them that the Lord of all is merciful, compassionate, and kind, and “repent of evil.” If He chooses to chastise sinners, He will, after a brief period, show mercy, as He is quick to favor. I believe this refers to the idea of “repenting of evils.” In addressing the irrationality of those who have given up hope for salvation, the prophet exclaims, “Who knows whether he will repent, and leave behind him a blessing?”—indicating that those who turn to Him will receive a share of His blessing, allowing them to again present libations and sacrifices, rejoicing and singing songs of thanksgiving.

In the previous discourse, from where it is stated, "Sound the trumpet in Zion, and let everyone know on My holy mountain that all the inhabitants of the earth may tremble," to the point where it says, "The day of the Lord is great and greatly to be feared; who can endure it?" The oncoming invasion of the Chaldeans and the calamities facing the people are depicted through the imagery of locusts. They are being called to repentance and urged to turn to the Lord so that they may be renewed in spirit and not face the impending judgments of God. The Lord's message is clear: Everything that has been previously communicated was intended to instill fear through His warnings. Thus, return to Me with all of your heart, displaying true sorrow through song, weeping, and mourning, that you may experience joy in the future after your current lamentation.

While it is customary for you to tear your garments as a symbol of grief and suffering—as the high priest did to intensify his accusations against the Lord, and as Paul and Barnabas did upon hearing blasphemous utterances—rather, I instruct you to rend your hearts, overflowing with sin, which would split apart if not torn. Once you have done this, turn back to the Lord your God, the One whom you have distanced from yourselves due to your past transgressions, and do not lose hope in His forgiveness despite the weight of your sins, for even great iniquities can be erased by boundless mercy. He is gracious and compassionate, desiring more to see sinners repent than to witness their demise. He is patient and does not exhibit human impatience; He patiently awaits our repentance and relents from the calamities that He threatened, so that if we turn from our sins, He too alters His response towards us.

The term evil here is understood not merely as the opposite of virtue but as anguish, as noted in scripture, "Sufficient for the day is its own trouble," and, "Does disaster happen in a city unless the Lord has done it?" (Amos 3:6). Since it has been said that He is gracious and compassionate, patient and abounding in love, and relents from calamity, the prophet reminds us: Who knows whether He may not turn and forgive, as I urge you to repent, all the while recognizing that God is immensely kind, as David expressed, "Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions" (Psalm 51:1).

Yet, as we cannot fully grasp the depths of God's wisdom and knowledge, I therefore temper my thoughts and speak more as a desire than a certainty, posing the question, Who knows whether He will not turn and forgive? The phrase "who knows" suggests either impossibility or immense difficulty. The offerings made to the Lord our God are intended so that, after we receive the blessing and forgiveness of our sins, we may present our sacrifices to Him.

He offers promises of grace, aware of both the virtuous and the unworthy of His gifts—giving blessings to the former while withholding them from the latter when necessary. He expertly transforms both His promises and warnings for the good of His people, instilling in them a fear of the latter and a desire for the former, compelling them toward a righteous existence. In this manner, the Prophet, although hesitantly, conveys the Lord’s favor, thus alarming those who lack awareness.

The further instruction, “Tear your hearts, and not your garments,” conveys a similar sentiment. The practice of rending garments as a sign of grief in response to calamity was common among the Hebrews, as seen in Genesis 27:34, Numbers 14:6, and 2 Samuel 1:11, but also observed in other cultures. Acknowledging that this act could lack genuine intent among the Israelites, the Lord requires that their repentance stem from hearts genuinely broken for their wrongdoings, not merely from outward appearances. With the Lord, who discerns the innermost thoughts and intentions, He seeks to witness hearts truly remorseful, rather than merely tattered clothing. “And turn to the Lord your God, for He is merciful and generous, longsuffering and gracious, and repentant of evil.” By urging the sinners to return to the Lord, the prophet instills hope, assuring them that their repentance will invoke the Lord’s mercy, for He is compassionate and patient. The Lord expressed similar themes of mercy to Moses. The phrase “repenting of evil” indicates that when sinners turn back to Him, lamenting their sins, the Lord, in His infinite compassion, refrains from fully executing deserved punishment, recognizing their genuine sorrow. The term wickedness, denoting evil, distress, or punishment, appears in other scripture references, such as 2 Samuel 24:16 and Joel 4:2.