Verse 17 presents a longer command with details concerning what should occur during the solemn fast.
Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep: Vestibule renders a technical architectural term in Hebrew that refers to the unroofed structure through which a person had to pass in order to enter the Temple. New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh say “portico,” and Contemporary English Version has “porch.” The altar was the great bronze altar for burnt sacrifices, which was in front of the Temple (see the comments on 1.13). The priests were to face the Temple beyond the altar, with their backs to the people. In this position the priests were to serve as intercessors before God, praying on behalf of the people.
For the priests, the ministers of the LORD, see the comments on 1.9. The ministers of the LORD expresses the priests’ function of serving Yahweh. Good News Translation makes it more explicit with “The priests, serving the LORD.”
Let the priests … weep does not grant permission but expresses a command in the third person. Good News Translation says “The priests … must weep.”
And say is rendered “and pray” in Good News Translation, making explicit from the context what kind of speaking is involved.
Spare thy people, O LORD, and make not thy heritage a reproach: The Hebrew verb rendered Spare is frequently associated with the eye as the source of compassion, as it flows with tears. Spare thy people is more clearly translated “Have pity on your people” (Good News Translation). In some languages it is better to place the vocative expression O LORD either at the beginning or the end of the quotation.
Thy people and thy heritage are expressions to remind God of the covenant that binds him and the people of Judah. The Hebrew expression rendered thy heritage refers to Judah as God’s property, not as something that God inherited, as the traditional translation wrongly implies. The term chosen for heritage in translation should be consistent with that used in earlier writings of the Old Testament (for example, Deut 9.26, 29; 1 Kgs 8.51, 53). Thy heritage is parallel to thy people and means the same thing, so Good News Translation simply translates “us” to avoid repetition. It is better to keep this parallel phrase to convey the special relationship between God and his people. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “We are still your possession!” Revised English Bible says “your own people.”
Make … a reproach involves not only the attitude of looking at God’s people with disdain and despising them, but also exposing them to such disdain. If it is too difficult to include the idea of exposure to disdain, it is essential to include the disdain itself, as Good News Translation does with “despise.”
A byword among the nations: The Hebrew word for byword often means “proverb,” but since it is parallel with the word for reproach, here it refers to a proverbial object or symbol of ridicule. This means, for example, that when others would hear the name “Judah,” they would immediately laugh or make jokes about it, or they would use the name “Judah” as an example of something to be laughed at. Good News Translation says “mock,” which expresses the meaning well. King James Version has “rule over,” but this renders a different Hebrew word, one that has the same spelling as the word for byword. Except for Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, most modern versions agree with the rendering in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation, which the context supports.
The nations are the Gentile nations, those who do not have Yahweh as their God.
Since the two pleas about avoiding reproach and disdain are parallel and nearly synonymous in meaning, some languages may need to combine them into a single plea, but it is better to keep the double plea for emphasis, if possible. Revised English Bible handles them well with “do not expose your own people to insult, to be made a byword by other nations.”
Why should they say among the peoples, Where is their God?: These two lines express a challenge to God in the form of a rhetorical question. The implied answer is that, if God is powerful enough, there is no reason for this to happen. Good News Translation expresses this as a prayerful request, saying “Do not let…,” with the challenge implied in the final taunt.
The peoples is parallel to the nations. Good News Translation avoids the repetition by only saying “other nations.”
Where is their God? is a question about the people of Judah, which is addressed by the Gentile nations to others. The question is a revised pagan form of lamentation. Baal was considered the god of fertility. And so, when the dry season came annually and the vegetation dried up, Baal was said to have “died,” and people would lament for him as at a funeral, saying “Where is Baal?” or “Where is the prince?” Israel never did this for the living God, and now their enemies will taunt them by implying that Yahweh has died after all. Some translations understand that the question implies that Israel’s God is absent and not fulfilling his duties to them. Bible en français courant has “What, then, is their God doing?” and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch says “Where is their God now?” (implying, now when they need him). A model that expresses clearly the sarcasm in this question is “Why is their God not helping them?” Good News Translation pictures the question addressed to the people of Judah directly as part of the taunt by saying “Where is your God?” Translators should express what is most appropriate in their own language.
Quoted with permission from de Blois, Kees & Dorn, Louis. A Handbook on Joel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2020. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .