Joel 3:6Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Thus, the God of all creation addresses them, "What is it to me and to you, Tyre, Sidon, and all the Galilee of the Gentiles?" He questions the basis of your cruelty in oppressing Israel, a people in anguish, who have suffered profoundly at the hands of the Babylonians, mercilessly assaulting them and ridiculing Me, their Savior and Protector. You dare not only to voice your hostility but also to act against Me. Therefore, in due time, judgment will fall upon you; it will come upon your heads. My vengeance will be enacted when I judge you in the valley of Jehoshaphat. You have plundered the treasures of the temple, taken the sacred golden vessels, and offered them to your false gods; this grievous act is an affront to God, for He has declared, "I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to graven images" (Isaiah 42:8). Indeed, adorning the temples of idols with offerings dedicated to God suggests a ranking of divinity, indicating that the Almighty holds lesser regard than those who could save their devotees. Your wrongdoing is not limited to stripping My temple of what belongs to Me; you have also sold My people, the children of Judah and Jerusalem, into the hands of the Greeks. It seems this was done as some Israelites were taken to foreign lands and sold, perhaps by the Tyrians or others with a mercantile ambition. This principle can also apply to those who propagate heretical notions, as if robbing the church's children and selling them to worldly wisdom, leading them to become confused and misguided seekers of truth or, worse, disobedient perverters of it; they should instead be living according to the pure teachings and holding fast to the genuine word of truth. Consequently, those led astray by such falsehood find themselves outside the bounds of the church, which is grounded in the knowledge of truth and a commitment to diligent inquiry. In truth, the silver and gold vessels, as well as the treasures of God, can symbolize those who genuinely radiate faith, being honored by the glory of righteous deeds and the beauty of piety. Yet if any among them, shining in virtue, get ensnared by deceit, the deceivers will indeed hear, “My silver and my gold shall be taken, and My chosen and good shall be brought into your stores.” This sin is grave and will not go unpunished, for anyone who sins against our brothers and sisters, for whom Christ died, sins against Christ Himself. They will have to answer for their transgressions against Him.

You have taken my silver and my gold; my finest treasures you have carried into your altars, and you have sold the children of Judah and the children of Jerusalem to the children of the Greeks, to remove them from their borders. The Jews believe this is directed at Tyre, Sidon, and the territories of the Philistines—those who, during the Jewish captivity and after the Romans' triumph, oppressed God's people, or God Himself among His people. According to the Scriptures, "He that receiveth me, receiveth me" (Matthew 10:40). Thus, whoever persecutes God's people persecutes the God to whom they belong. I will repay you for what you have done to my people, for you have taken and sacrificed my silver and my gold to your idols—meaning the sacred vessels of the temple, as well as all that was most precious within it, such as the golden lampstand, the golden grain offering, the two golden cherubim, the purification vessels, the bowls, and the golden censers. Historically, this was chiefly carried out by the Chaldeans, who moved the Lord's temple vessels to the temple of Bel, leading to Belshazzar’s downfall when he drank from the sacred cup, resulting in his kingdom passing to the Medes and Persians (Daniel 5). Since this is mentioned as happening after the great and terrible day of the Lord, and the apostles interpret it in light of the Resurrection, while the Jews locate it in the future judgment, it is more appropriately understood in reference to the Romans. The emperors Vespasian and Titus, after constructing the temple of Peace in Rome, contributed the temple vessels and all offerings to it, as attested by both Greek and Roman historical accounts. During that period, the children of Judah and Jerusalem—not Israel or the ten tribes who continued to inhabit the cities and mountains of Midian—were sold to the Greeks, removing them from their land, leading to a world filled with Jewish captives. This is attributed to Tyre and Sidon, explaining, as an occurrence in itself, the vengeance resulting from the blood of Christ and the destruction of Jerusalem, which came by divine justice. Continuing our interpretation allegorically, Tyre, Sidon, and the Philistines symbolize those who oppress and persecute God's people. Tyre represents oppression and enmity, while Sidon indicates entrapment leading to death; the Philistines and Galilee signify indulgence in bloodshed, wallowing in disgrace. The Lord will quickly grant them the recompense they deserve for their persecution against Him. The silver and gold—the words of Scripture and profound truths—have been sacrificed to their delusions. The heretic sells the children of Judah and Jerusalem, meaning those whom he has seduced and led into idol worship, turning them from Christians into Gentiles, effectively removing them from their rightful place, deterring them from the truth. This can also apply to the day of judgment, as divine retribution does not show preference, although it may appear distinct over time. In Hebrew, instead of Galilee, it is written Galiloth, which Aquila rendered as Θῖνας and Simmachus denotes as Θῖνας, meaning sand-hills, likely pertains to the coastal regions of Palestine rather than the non-existent Galilee of the Philistines.