The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border.

JOEL 3:6KJV
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Joel 3:6 (KJV)

What does Joel 3:6 mean?

Joel 3:6 says that the people of Judah and Jerusalem were sold by others to the Grecians, meaning they were taken far away from their homeland as captives or slaves. The verse highlights an act of betrayal and injustice against the people of Judah, showing how they were removed from their own land.

In this verse, the prophet Joel is speaking God’s words to the nations surrounding Israel, accusing them of selling the children (descendants) of Judah and Jerusalem to the "Grecians" (people from the region of Greece). The situation is one of judgment, where God is calling out these nations for their actions in scattering His people and removing them from their borders. This sets the stage for God’s response to these injustices in the following verses.

The Hebrew behind Joel 3:6

  • "children" (בֵּן, ben): This word refers to sons or descendants, emphasizing that it was not just adults but the next generation of Judah and Jerusalem who were affected.
  • "sold" (מָכַר, makhar): This word means to sell, especially as property or slaves, underlining the seriousness of what was done to the people.
  • "Grecians" (יָוָן, yavan): This refers to people from the region of Greece, showing that the captives were sent far to the west, highlighting the distance and foreignness of their exile.
  • "far" (רָחַק, rachaq): This word means far away or distant, stressing how completely the people were removed from their homeland.
  • "border" (גְּבוּל, gevul): This means boundary or territory, making it clear that the people were taken away from their own land and identity.

Why Joel 3:6 matters

  • Joel 3:6 clarifies that the injustice was not just local but involved selling people to distant lands, showing the depth of the wrong done.
  • The verse connects the suffering of Judah and Jerusalem to the actions of surrounding nations, setting up the reason for God’s coming judgment in the rest of the chapter.
  • Understanding the specific mention of "Grecians" helps readers see the historical context: even at this early time, there were connections and conflicts between Israel and far-off peoples like the Greeks.

Where else these words appear

“far” Hebrew H7368 · used in 56 verses

  • Genesis 21:16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.
  • Psalms 22:11 Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
  • Ecclesiastes 12:6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.

“sold” Hebrew H4376 · used in 74 verses

  • Genesis 25:31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.
  • Leviticus 25:39 And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant:
  • 2 Kings 17:17 And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.