God & Savior

Joel 2:3

Before them a fire devours, and behind them a flame scorches. The land before them is like the Garden of Eden, but behind them, it is like a desert wasteland— surely nothing will escape them.
Joel 2:3
Read chapter

Original language and places

Reference data from open datasets, shown as published by their sources. Word-by-word English is a literal guide, not a translation.

Original language (Hebrew)

לְפָנָיו֙ אָ֣כְלָה אֵ֔שׁ וְאַחֲרָ֖יו תְּלַהֵ֣ט לֶֽהָבָ֑ה כְּגַן־עֵ֨דֶן הָאָ֜רֶץ לְפָנָ֗יו וְאַֽחֲרָיו֙ מִדְבַּ֣ר שְׁמָמָ֔ה וְגַם־פְּלֵיטָ֖ה לֹא־הָ֥יְתָה לּֽוֹ׃

  1. לְפָנָיו֙le.fa.Nav“<to> before it”
    Preposition + Noun, masculine, plural, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from פָּנֶה · “before” · Strong's H6440G
  2. אָ֣כְלָה'A.khe.lah“it has consumed”
    Verb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular · from אָכַל · “to eat” · Strong's H0398
  3. אֵ֔שׁ'Esh“fire”
    Noun, both genders, singular, absolute · from אֵשׁ · “fire” · Strong's H0784
  4. וְאַחֲרָ֖יוve.'a.cha.Rav“and after it”
    Conjunction + Adjective, cardinal number, masculine, plural, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from אַחַר · “after” · Strong's H0310A
  5. תְּלַהֵ֣טte.la.Het“it sets ablaze”
    Verb, piel, imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular · from לָהַט · “to kindle” · Strong's H3857
  6. לֶֽהָבָ֑הle.ha.Vah“a flame”
    Noun, feminine, singular, absolute · from לֶהָבָה · “flame” · Strong's H3852
  7. כְּגַן־ke.gan-“[is] like [the] garden of”
    Preposition + Noun, both genders, singular, construct · from גַּן · “garden” · Strong's H1588M
  8. עֵ֨דֶן'E.den“Eden”
    Noun, proper name of a place · from עֵ֫דֶן · “Eden” · Strong's H5731B
  9. הָאָ֜רֶץha.'A.retz“the land”
    Definite article + Noun, feminine, singular, absolute · from אֶ֫רֶץ · “country; planet” · Strong's H0776G
  10. לְפָנָ֗יוle.fa.Nav“<to> before it”
    Preposition + Noun, masculine, plural, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from פָּנֶה · “before” · Strong's H6440G
  11. וְאַֽחֲרָיו֙ve.'a.cha.Rav“and after it”
    Conjunction + Adjective, cardinal number, masculine, plural, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from אַחַר · “after” · Strong's H0310A
  12. מִדְבַּ֣רmid.Bar“a wilderness of”
    Noun, masculine, singular, construct · from מִדְבָּר · “wilderness” · Strong's H4057B
  13. שְׁמָמָ֔הshe.ma.Mah“desolation”
    Noun, feminine, singular, absolute · from שְׁמָמָה · “devastation” · Strong's H8077A
  14. וְגַם־ve.gam-“and also”
    Conjunction + Adverb · from גַּם · “also” · Strong's H1571
  15. פְּלֵיטָ֖הpe.lei.Tah“escape”
    Noun, feminine, singular, absolute · from פְּלֵיטָה · “survivor” · Strong's H6413
  16. לֹא־lo'-“not”
    Particle, negative · from לֹא · “not” · Strong's H3808
  17. הָ֥יְתָהHa.ye.tah“it belongs”
    Verb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular · from הָיָה · “to be” · Strong's H1961
  18. לּֽוֹ׃lo“to it”
    Preposition + Suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from Os3m · “him” · Strong's H9033
Places named in this verse
  • Places: OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding Data, CC BY 4.0. Coordinates from OpenStreetMap (ODbL) are left out. Source (version 7eb18a5)
  • Hebrew and Aramaic words: STEP Bible (STEPBible.org), based on work at Tyndale House, Cambridge. CC BY 4.0. Source (version ed476a8)