John Calvin, Commentary on Joel
Commentaries on the Twelve Minor Prophets by John Calvin.
Now first translated from the original Latin, by the Rev. John Owen,
vicar of Thrussington, Leicestershire.
Volume Second. Joel, Amos, Obadiah
W. M. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, 1950, Michigan.
Printed in the United States of America.
Table of Contents
Translator's Preface
The Commentaries of John Calvin on the Prophet Joel
Calvin's Preface to Joel
Commentaries on the Prophet Joel
Translator's Preface
This volume contains the Writings of three Prophets. Joel exercised
his office among the Jews; Amos, though a native of Judea, was yet
appointed a Prophet of The Ten Tribes; and Obadia's prophecy refers
only to Edom.
The great master of Hebrew criticism, Bishop Lowth, speaking,
in his twenty-first Prelection, of Joel, says, that though he
differs much in style from Hosea, he is yet "equally poetical." He
represents him as "elegant, clear, diffuse, and flowing, and also
very sublime, severe, and fervid." Admitting the perspicuity of his
diction, and the clearness of his arrangements, he yet confesses
that the matter which he handles is sometimes obscure, especially
towards the end of his Prophecy.
With regard to the style of Amos, the Bishop differs widely
from Jerome, who has characterized the Prophet as "unskilful in
speech, but not in knowledge," (imperitum sermone, set non in
scientia.) Lowth, on the contrary, regarded him as "not a whit
behind the very chiefest Prophets, being in elevation of sentiment
and nobleness of mind almost equal to the very firsts and hardly
inferior to any of them in splendor of diction and elegance of
composition."
Of Obadia, nothing more is said by the Bishop than that he left
but a small monument of his genius, and that a considerable portion
of that is contained in the prophecy of Jeremiah. Of his composition
Dr Henderson says, "Its principal features are animation,
regularity, and perspicuity."
There is especially one subject in connection with the present
Volume, which seems to require particular notice - The
interpretation of those prophecies which speak of the future
restoration of the Jews to their own land. Calvin viewed some
passages, as having been already accomplished in their return from
Babylon, which in the estimation of others are yet to be fulfilled;
while he interpreted those which evidently refer to what is future,
in such a way as clearly shows that he did not consider that the
Jews are to be restored again to their own country. That justice may
be done to him, we must know and bear in mind the principles by
which he was guided: for it is not to be supposed, that one so
versed in Scripture, who had studied it with so much labour, and
manifested, as it is commonly admitted, so much penetration and
discernment as an expounder, would have taken such a view of this
subject on slight grounds, without adopting a rule of
interpretation, which, according to what he thought, was
countenanced by Scriptural examples.
It must first be observed, that Calvin, in common with others,
regarded the history as well erg the institutions of the people of
Israel, as in great measure typical of things under the Gospel.
Their temporal evils and blessings, their temporal oppressions and
deliverances, were intended to set forth the spiritual state and
condition of the Christian Church. The free choice of the people by
God, their Egyptian bondage, their passage through the wilderness
and their possession of the land of Canaan, were events symbolical
of things connected with that spiritual community afterwards formed
by the preaching of the Gospel; and of the same character was the
subsequent captivity of that people in Babylon, and their
restoration afterwards to their own land.
The next thing to be noticed is, that Promises of Blessings
made to the people of Israel had in some instances a twofold
meaning, and had reference to two things - the one temporal and the
other spiritual. The restoration, for instance, from Babylon, was a
prelude of the restoration or redemption by Christ. It was not only
typical, but a kind of an initiative process, which was to be
completed, though in a sublimer sense, by the Savior of man. The
first was a restoration from temporal evils; the second was still a
restoration, but from evils of a spiritual kind. The performance of
the promise, in one case, was the commencement of a restorative
work, which was to be completed in the other: the temporal
restoration was eventually succeeded by that which is spiritual.
But the most material point in interpreting the Prophecies is
The Language which is Used: rightly to understand this language
forms the main difficulty. There are Promises which, as admitted by
Calvin, look beyond the restoration from Babylon; and they are
couched in terms, which, if taken literally, most evidently show
that there is to be a second restoration. What is there, it may be
asked, which can justify a departure from the letter of the
promises? This is the chief question, on which the whole matter
depends. Calvin evidently thought that the literal sense cannot be
taken, as that would be inconsistent with the general character of
the ancient prophecies; for he considered that many of the
prophecies, which relate to the Church of the New Testament, were
conveyed in a language suitable to the institutions then existing,
and in consistency with the notions which then prevailed, as to
religion and divine worship. Hence the Temple, Mount Sion,
sacrifices, offerings, the priests, as well as the restoration of
the people to their own land, and their perpetual establishment in
it, are often spoken of in those very promises which incontestably
refer to the Gospel dispensation. Now, if in some cases, as
confessed by most, if not by all, the language is not to be taken
literally, but as representing the success, the extension and the
blessings of the Gospel, why should it be taken literally in other
similar cases? The possession of the land of Canaan was to the
people of Israel one of their chief blessings, and was a signal
token of the divine favor. Banishment from it was not only a
temporal loss, but involved also the loss of all their religious
privileges. Nothing, therefore, could have conveyed to their minds a
higher idea of redemption than the promise of restoration to their
own land, and a perpetual possession of it.
The foregoing seem to have been the views by which Calvin was
guided in his interpretation: and the Editor must be allowed to
express his concurrence, though he is fully aware, that there have
been, and that there are still, many celebrated men of a contrary
opinion.
There is another idea which Calvin suggests, in connection with
this subject. He regarded The Promises made in some instances by the
Prophets as to the future prosperity of the people of Israel, and
the perpetuity of their institutions and privileges, as Conditional,
even when no condition is expressed. Instances of the same kind are
to be found in the writings of Moses and of the earlier Prophets.
Promises of perpetuity are made, (as for instance, respecting the
priesthood,) and often unaccompanied by any conditions; and yet they
were conditional, as the event proved, and in accordance with the
tenor of the covenant under which the Israelites lived. The same
view may also be taken of such promises as are found in the later
Prophets, that is, such as bear on them a national stamp: they were
announced unconditionally; but as they included blessings which
belonged to the people as subjects of the Mosaic covenant, they were
necessarily conditional, dependent as to their accomplishment on
their obedience. Hence Jeremiah, who had himself announced promises
of this kind, says, that the time would come when God would
establish another covenant; and for this reason, because the people
of Israel had broken the former covenant.
The Editor feels it to be his duty to say generally of Calvin's
Expositions that the more maturely he considers them, after having
compared them with those of others, both modern and ancient, the
more satisfied he is with them, and the more he admires the
acuteness and solid judgment they display. Perhaps no individual,
possessing his high qualifications, natural, acquired, and
spiritual, has ever, either in ancient or modern times, exercised
himself so much in the study of the Holy Scriptures, and produced
Comments so original and so valuable.
What is remarkable in Calvin as an Expositor is his unvarying
attention to the context. This was his polar star, which enabled him
to steer clear and safe through many intricacies and ambiguities no
to the meaning of particular words, and even of sentences. His first
object seems to have been to ascertain the general drift of a
passage or of a chapter; and his next, to harmonize its several
parts. There are many words which have various meanings, and the
surest way of ascertaining their meaning in any given sentence, is
to inquire what comports with the context. There is indeed no other
way by which we can make a choice, when a word admits of different
senses. Probably no Commentator has ever paid so much attention to
this canon of interpretation as Calvin did. The ground on which he
almost at all times rejects a sense given by others to words or to
sentences is, that it does not suit the place, or, to adopt an
expression he frequently uses, that it does not square (non Quadrat)
with the passage.
It has been often thought that more difficulty attends the
Hebrew language than other languages, owing to the variety of
meaning which belongs to some of its words. But this variety exists
quite as much, and indeed much more, in many other languages, and
even in our own. What enables us in numberless instances to
ascertain the meaning of a word, and even often of a sentence, is
what stands connected with it, that is, the context. It is what goes
before and comes after, not only in a sentence, but often in a long
passage, that explains the precise meaning of many words. To
transfer the meaning of a word from one passage to another, and to
say that because it has a certain meaning in one place, it must have
the same in another, (except the word has but one meaning,) is
certainly not the way to explain Scripture or any other writing. The
best expositor in this respect is no doubt the context.
It is well known that these Lectures were delivered extempore,
and were taken down by some of those who heard them; and we have
them now as thus taken down, and afterwards corrected by Calvin.
This circumstance accounts for the occasional defect of order and
for occasional repetitions. But these drawbacks seem to have been
more than compensated by the freshness and vigor, the life and
animation which these spontaneous effusion of his mind exhibit. In
none of his other writings, as it appears to the Editor, has Calvin
shone forth with so much lustre as an able, clear, plain, and
animated an Expounder, as in these Lectures. There is a flow and
energy to be found in them not equaled in those productions which he
composed in private, and finished with more careful attention to
order and style. When the mind is well stored and the memory
retentive, as was the case in no ordinary degree with Calvin, a
public auditory has usually the effect of calling into action all
the powers of the mind; and, as frequently in the present instance,
the consequence is, that the finest and the most striking thoughts
are elicited, and are expressed in a language the most energetic,
calculated to produce the deepest impressions.
J.O.
Thrussington
November, 1846.
The Commentaries of John Calvin on the Prophet Joel
Calvin's Preface to Joel
I proceed now to explain The Prophet Joel. The time in which he
prophesied is uncertain. Some of the Jews imagine that he exercised
his office in the time of Joram, king of Israel, because a dreadful
famine then prevailed through the whole land, as it appears evident
from sacred history; and as the Prophet record a famine, they
suppose that his ministry must be referred to that time. Some think,
that he taught under Manasseh, but they bring no reason for this
opinion; it is, therefore, a mere conjecture. Others think that he
performed his office as a teacher not only under one king, but that
he taught, at the same time with Isaiah, under several kings.
But as there is no certainty, it is better to leave the time in
which he taught undecided; and, as we shall see, this is of no great
importance. Not to know the time of Hosea would be to readers a
great loss for there are many parts which could not be explained
without a knowledge of history; but as to Joel there is, as I have
said, less need of this; for the import of his doctrine is evident,
though his time be obscure and uncertain. But we may conclude that
he taught at Jerusalem, or at least in the kingdom of Judah. As
Hosea was appointed a Prophet to the kingdom of Israel, so Joel had
another appointment; for he was to labour especially among the Jews
and not among the Ten Tribes: this deserves to be particularly
noticed.
Now the sum of the Book is this: At the beginning, he reproves
the stupidity of the people, who, when severely smitten by God, did
not feel their evils, but on the contrary grew hardened under them:
this is one thing. Then he threatens far more grievous evils; as the
people became so insensible under all their punishments, that they
were not humbled, the Prophet declares that there were evils at hand
much worse than those they had hitherto experienced: this is the
second thing. Thirdly, he exhorts the people to repentance, and
shows that there was required no common evidence of repentance; for
they had not lightly offended God, but by their perverseness
provoked him to bring on them utter ruin: since, then, their
obstinacy had been so great, he bids them to come as suppliants with
tears, with sackcloth, with mourning, with ashes, that they might
obtain mercy; for they were unworthy of being regarded by the Lord,
except they thus submissively humbled themselves: this is the third
subject. The fourth part of the Book is taken up with promises; for
he prophesies of the Kingdom of Christ, and shows, that though now
all things seemed full of despair, yet God had not forgotten the
covenant he made with the fathers; and that therefore Christ would
come to gather the scattered remnants, yea, and to restore to life
his people, though they were now lost and dead.
This is the sum and substance. But we shall see, as we proceed,
that the chapters have been absurdly and foolishly divided. He thus
begins -
Calvin, Commentary on Joel
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