The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

JOEL 3:16KJV
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Joel 3:16 (KJV)

What does Joel 3:16 mean?

Joel 3:16 describes God powerfully declaring his presence and authority from Zion and Jerusalem, causing a cosmic shaking, but also promising to be a source of hope and strength for his people, Israel. The verse shows both God’s overwhelming power and his protective care for those who belong to him.

In this verse, the prophet Joel is speaking to the people of Israel about a future time of judgment and deliverance. The “roar” from Zion and the shaking of heaven and earth picture God’s dramatic intervention in history. Even as the world trembles, God remains a safe refuge and a source of strength for his people, highlighting both his might and his faithfulness.

The Hebrew behind Joel 3:16

  • “Roar” (שָׁאַג, sha’ag, H7580) is a word often used for the roar of a lion, suggesting God’s voice is powerful, commanding attention and awe.
  • “Hope” (מַחֲסֶה, machaseh, H4268) means a refuge or shelter, emphasizing that God is a safe place for his people when everything else is shaking.
  • “Strength” (מָעוֹז, ma’oz, H4581) refers to a stronghold or fortress, underlining God’s role as a reliable protector for the children of Israel.

Why Joel 3:16 matters

  • Joel 3:16 clears up the idea that God is distant or passive; instead, God is pictured as actively intervening and making his presence unmistakable.
  • The verse connects God’s power (“roaring” and “shaking”) with his care, showing that his might is not just for judgment but also for protection and hope.
  • This verse ties together the themes of judgment on the nations and deliverance for Israel that run through the book of Joel, highlighting God’s faithfulness to his promises.

Where else these words appear

“roar” Hebrew H7580 · used in 17 verses

  • Judges 14:5 Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him.
  • Psalms 104:21 The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.
  • Ezekiel 22:25 There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.

“hope” Hebrew H4268 · used in 20 verses

  • Job 24:8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.
  • Psalms 71:7 I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge.
  • Psalms 142:5 I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.

“shake” Hebrew H7493 · used in 30 verses

  • Judges 5:4 LORD, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water.
  • Isaiah 13:13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.
  • Ezekiel 26:15 Thus saith the Lord GOD to Tyrus; Shall not the isles shake at the sound of thy fall, when the wounded cry, when the slaughter is made in the midst of thee?

“strength” Hebrew H4581 · used in 35 verses

  • Judges 6:26 And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down.
  • Psalms 108:8 Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver;
  • Jeremiah 16:19 O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.