Joel 1:14
Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD,
Original Language Analysis
קַדְּשׁוּ
Sanctify
H6942
קַדְּשׁוּ
Sanctify
Strong's:
H6942
Word #:
1 of 15
to be (causatively, make, pronounce or observe as) clean (ceremonially or morally)
קִרְא֣וּ
call
H7121
קִרְא֣וּ
call
Strong's:
H7121
Word #:
3 of 15
to call out to (i.e., properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications)
עֲצָרָ֔ה
a solemn assembly
H6116
עֲצָרָ֔ה
a solemn assembly
Strong's:
H6116
Word #:
4 of 15
an assembly, especially on a festival or holiday
אִסְפ֣וּ
gather
H622
אִסְפ֣וּ
gather
Strong's:
H622
Word #:
5 of 15
to gather for any purpose; hence, to receive, take away, i.e., remove (destroy, leave behind, put up, restore, etc.)
כֹּ֚ל
H3605
כֹּ֚ל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
7 of 15
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
יֹשְׁבֵ֣י
and all the inhabitants
H3427
יֹשְׁבֵ֣י
and all the inhabitants
Strong's:
H3427
Word #:
8 of 15
properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
בֵּ֖ית
into the house
H1004
בֵּ֖ית
into the house
Strong's:
H1004
Word #:
10 of 15
a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
יְהוָֽה׃
of the LORD
H3068
יְהוָֽה׃
of the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
11 of 15
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם
your God
H430
אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם
your God
Strong's:
H430
Word #:
12 of 15
gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme god; occasionally applied by way of
Cross References
Jonah 3:8But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.Leviticus 23:36Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.2 Chronicles 20:13And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.Nehemiah 8:18Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.
Historical Context
Fasting involved abstaining from food and water, wearing sackcloth, sitting in ashes, and prayer. Old Testament fasts occurred for various reasons: mourning (1 Samuel 31:13), repentance (1 Kings 21:27), seeking guidance (Judges 20:26), and averting judgment (Jonah 3:5-9). The "solemn assembly" (atsarah) was formal religious gathering, often at major festivals. Joel commands extraordinary fast—interrupting normal life to seek God.
Questions for Reflection
- When did you last engage in serious fasting and prayer over personal or corporate sin?
- What would corporate church repentance look like in modern context?
Analysis & Commentary
"Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly" commands corporate repentance. The Hebrew qadash (sanctify) means to set apart as holy—the fast isn't mere hunger but sacred act of humiliation and seeking God. "Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God" requires universal participation—age, status, and occupation don't exempt anyone. Covenant community faces judgment together, must repent together. "And cry unto the LORD" uses za'aq, intense crying out in distress. This isn't polite prayer but desperate pleading. Reformed theology emphasizes that genuine repentance includes confession, contrition, and turning from sin. Corporate repentance requires leadership modeling humility, community acknowledging corporate guilt, and united seeking of God's mercy.