Joel 2:9
New International Version
They rush upon the city; they run along the wall. They climb into the houses; like thieves they enter through the windows.

New Living Translation
They swarm over the city and run along its walls. They enter all the houses, climbing like thieves through the windows.

English Standard Version
They leap upon the city, they run upon the walls, they climb up into the houses, they enter through the windows like a thief.

Berean Standard Bible
They storm the city; they run along the wall; they climb into houses, entering through windows like thieves.

King James Bible
They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief.

New King James Version
They run to and fro in the city, They run on the wall; They climb into the houses, They enter at the windows like a thief.

New American Standard Bible
They storm the city, They run on the wall; They climb into the houses, They enter through the windows like a thief.

NASB 1995
They rush on the city, They run on the wall; They climb into the houses, They enter through the windows like a thief.

NASB 1977
They rush on the city, They run on the wall; They climb into the houses, They enter through the windows like a thief.

Legacy Standard Bible
They rush on the city; They run on the wall; They climb up into the houses; They enter through the windows like a thief.

Amplified Bible
They rush over the city, They run on the wall; They climb up into the houses, They enter at the windows like a thief.

Christian Standard Bible
They storm the city; they run on the wall; they climb into the houses; they enter through the windows like thieves.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They storm the city; they run on the wall; they climb into the houses; they enter through the windows like thieves.

American Standard Version
They leap upon the city; they run upon the wall; they climb up into the houses; they enter in at the windows like a thief.

Contemporary English Version
They swarm over city walls and enter our homes; they crawl in through windows, just like thieves.

English Revised Version
They leap upon the city; they run upon the wall; they climb up into the houses; they enter in at the windows like a thief.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They rush into the city. They run along the wall. They climb into houses. They enter through windows like thieves.

Good News Translation
They rush against the city; they run over the walls; they climb up the houses and go in through the windows like thieves.

International Standard Version
They swarm through the city, running upon its ramparts. Climbing atop the houses, they enter through windows like a thief."

Majority Standard Bible
They storm the city; they run along the wall; they climb into houses, entering through windows like thieves.

NET Bible
They rush into the city; they scale its walls. They climb up into the houses; they go in through the windows like a thief.

New Heart English Bible
They rush on the city. They run on the wall. They climb up into the houses. They enter in at the windows like thieves.

Webster's Bible Translation
They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief.

World English Bible
They rush on the city. They run on the wall. They climb up into the houses. They enter in at the windows like thieves.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
In the city they run to and fro, "" On the wall they run, "" Into houses they go up by the windows, "" They go in as a thief.

Young's Literal Translation
In the city they run to and fro, On the wall they run, Into houses they go up by the windows, They go in as a thief.

Smith's Literal Translation
In the city they shall run up and down; on the wall shall they run, into the houses they shall come up, through the windows shall they come in as a thief.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
They shall enter into the city: they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up the houses, they shall come in at the windows as a thief.

Catholic Public Domain Version
They will advance into the city; they will rush through the wall. They will scale the houses; they will go in through the windows, like a thief.

New American Bible
They charge the city, they run upon the wall, they climb into the houses; Through the windows they enter like thieves.

New Revised Standard Version
They leap upon the city, they run upon the walls; they climb up into the houses, they enter through the windows like a thief.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
They shall go up against the cities; they shall run upon the walls, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter through the windows like thieves.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
They shall go up into the cities and they shall run upon the walls and they shall climb upon the houses; from the windows they shall enter like thieves
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
They leap upon the city, They run upon the wall, They climb up into the houses; They enter in at the windows like a thief.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
They shall seize upon the city, and run upon the walls, and go up upon the houses, and enter in through the windows as thieves.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Army of Locusts
8They do not jostle one another; each proceeds in his path. They burst through the defenses, never breaking ranks. 9They storm the city; they run along the wall; they climb into houses, entering through windows like thieves. 10Before them the earth quakes; the heavens tremble. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars lose their brightness.…

Cross References
Revelation 9:7-9
And the locusts looked like horses prepared for battle, with something like crowns of gold on their heads; and their faces were like the faces of men. / They had hair like that of women, and teeth like those of lions. / They also had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the roar of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.

Nahum 2:4
The chariots dash through the streets; they rush around the plazas, appearing like torches, darting about like lightning.

Isaiah 13:16
Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes, their houses will be looted, and their wives will be ravished.

Jeremiah 9:21
For death has climbed in through our windows; it has entered our fortresses to cut off the children from the streets, the young men from the town squares.

Amos 5:19
It will be like a man who flees from a lion, only to encounter a bear, or who enters his house and rests his hand against the wall, only to be bitten by a snake.

Zephaniah 1:15-16
That day will be a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness, / a day of horn blast and battle cry against the fortified cities, and against the high corner towers.

Matthew 24:43
But understand this: If the homeowner had known in which watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.

Luke 12:39
But understand this: If the homeowner had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.

John 10:1
“Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever does not enter the sheepfold by the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber.

Revelation 16:15
“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who remains awake and clothed, so that he will not go naked and let his shame be exposed.”

Isaiah 24:10-12
The city of chaos is shattered; every house is closed to entry. / In the streets they cry out for wine. All joy turns to gloom; rejoicing is exiled from the land. / The city is left in ruins; its gate is reduced to rubble.

Jeremiah 4:7
A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations has set out. He has left his lair to lay waste your land. Your cities will be reduced to ruins and lie uninhabited.

Ezekiel 7:22
I will turn My face away from them, and they will defile My treasured place. Violent men will enter it, and they will defile it.

Obadiah 1:5
“If thieves came to you, if robbers by night—oh, how you will be ruined—would they not steal only what they wanted? If grape gatherers came to you, would they not leave some gleanings?

Habakkuk 3:16
I heard and trembled within; my lips quivered at the sound. Decay entered my bones; I trembled where I stood. Yet I must wait patiently for the day of distress to come upon the people who invade us.


Treasury of Scripture

They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run on the wall, they shall climb up on the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief.

enter.

Exodus 10:6
And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh.

Jeremiah 9:21
For death is come up into our windows, and is entered into our palaces, to cut off the children from without, and the young men from the streets.

John 10:1
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

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City Climb Enter Fro Houses Leap Run Running Rush Spread Themselves Thief Thieves Wall Walls Windows
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City Climb Enter Fro Houses Leap Run Running Rush Spread Themselves Thief Thieves Wall Walls Windows
Joel 2
1. He shows unto Zion the terribleness of God's judgment.
12. He exhorts to repentance;
15. prescribes a fast;
18. promises a blessing thereon.
21. He comforts Zion with present,
28. and future blessings.














They storm the city
The phrase "They storm the city" evokes a vivid image of an overwhelming force invading a fortified place. In the Hebrew text, the word for "storm" can be linked to the idea of rushing or pouring in, suggesting an unstoppable flood of warriors. Historically, cities in ancient times were often protected by walls, and an attack on a city was a significant event, symbolizing not just a physical assault but a spiritual and moral challenge. This imagery can be seen as a metaphor for the relentless advance of God's judgment, which no human defense can withstand.

they run along the wall
The action of "running along the wall" indicates agility and determination. In ancient warfare, walls were the primary defense mechanism for a city, and to run along them suggests a breach or a level of control over the city's defenses. The Hebrew root here implies swiftness and purpose, reflecting the unstoppable nature of the invading force. Spiritually, this can be interpreted as the pervasive reach of divine judgment, which penetrates even the most secure human defenses.

they climb into houses
"Climb into houses" suggests an invasion of personal and private spaces, indicating that no area is safe from the advancing force. The Hebrew verb for "climb" conveys the idea of scaling or ascending, often used in the context of overcoming obstacles. This imagery can be seen as a metaphor for the pervasive nature of sin and judgment, reaching into the innermost parts of human life. It serves as a reminder of the totality of God's sovereignty and the inescapability of His will.

enter through windows like thieves
The comparison to "thieves" entering "through windows" highlights the stealth and unexpectedness of the invasion. In the ancient Near East, windows were often small and high up, making entry through them a surprising and cunning act. The Hebrew word for "thieves" carries connotations of stealth and deceit, emphasizing the suddenness and inevitability of the judgment. This phrase serves as a powerful reminder of the need for vigilance and preparedness in spiritual life, as divine intervention can come at any moment, like a thief in the night.

Verse 9. - They shall run to and fro in the city (or rush to the assault of the city. Wunsche, and so LXX., "They shall seize upon the city"); they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief. In the first clause the comparison with an army still continues. The attack has succeeded, the city has been taken by assault, the victorious troops are running to and fro in the city; so far the locusts are fitly represented by an army vigorous in its advance, steady in its march, resistless in its assault, victorious in its attack, and masters of the captured city. The remainder of the ninth verse is not equally applicable to the figure and the fact in common, but belongs exclusively to the locusts themselves; they creep up the wall, climb up upon the houses, and find ingress even at the windows. "There is no road," says Jerome, "impassable to locusts. They penetrate into fields, and crops, and trees, and cities, and even the recesses of the bedchambers;" while Theodoret remarks of locusts that" not only when flying, but by creeping along the walls, they pass through the windows into the houses themselves." Thus there was no spot to which they could not find access, and no place secure from their assault. Yashoqqu. Aben Ezra and Kimchi both connect this word with shoq, a leg. The latter says, "It has the signification of shoq, a leg, and he mentions this word in respect to the locust, because its legs are long; and further, because it is continually going and seldom resting; and thus he (Isaiah) says, 'As the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them,' as if he said, 'a continual going up and down.'"

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
They storm
יָשֹׁ֗קּוּ (yā·šōq·qū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 8264: To course, to seek greedily

the city;
בָּעִ֣יר (bā·‘îr)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement

they run
יְרֻצ֔וּן (yə·ru·ṣūn)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun
Strong's 7323: To run

along the wall;
בַּֽחוֹמָה֙ (ba·ḥō·w·māh)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2346: A wall of protection

they climb
יַעֲל֑וּ (ya·‘ă·lū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

into houses,
בַּבָּתִּ֖ים (bab·bāt·tîm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1004: A house

entering
יָבֹ֖אוּ (yā·ḇō·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

through
בְּעַ֧ד (bə·‘aḏ)
Preposition
Strong's 1157: In up to, over against, at, beside, among, behind, for

windows
הַחַלּוֹנִ֛ים (ha·ḥal·lō·w·nîm)
Article | Noun - common plural
Strong's 2474: A window

like thieves.
כַּגַּנָּֽב׃ (kag·gan·nāḇ)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1590: A stealer


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OT Prophets: Joel 2:9 They rush on the city (Jl Joe.)
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