The Meaning of Joel 2:31 Explained

Joel 2:31

KJV: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.

YLT: The sun is turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, Before the coming of the day of Jehovah, The great and the fearful.

Darby: The sun shall be changed to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah come.

ASV: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah cometh.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The sun  shall be turned  into darkness,  and the moon  into blood,  before  the great  and the terrible  day  of the LORD  come. 

What does Joel 2:31 Mean?

Context Summary

Joel 2:28-32 - "the Valley Of Decision"
Having stated the outward blessings that would follow repentance, Joel unveils the extraordinary spiritual blessings that were in store. The outpouring of the Spirit, described in Acts 2:16-17, does not exhaust these glorious words. This blessing is for all whom the Lord our God shall call to Himself, and as one to whom His call has come, you have a perfect right to claim your share in Pentecost. The promise is to all that are "afar off" in space and time. The very slaves, the most degraded and despised of men, become free when they yield themselves to Jesus and have an equal right to the same Spirit.
Joel 3:1-21 refers to the last desperate effort made by the powers of the world against Christ and His people. This will be the closing scene of man's apostasy. But the Lord will vindicate and deliver His oppressed from the hand of their oppressors; and the same judgment will bring them blessing. Having cleansed His people from their stains, Messiah will tabernacle among them, Revelation 21:3 [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Joel 2:31 mean?

The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood Before the coming Of day of Yahweh the great and awesome
הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ יֵהָפֵ֣ךְ לְחֹ֔שֶׁךְ וְהַיָּרֵ֖חַ לְדָ֑ם לִפְנֵ֗י בּ֚וֹא י֣וֹם יְהוָ֔ה הַגָּד֖וֹל וְהַנּוֹרָֽא

הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙  The  sun 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: שֶׁמֶשׁ  
Sense: sun.
יֵהָפֵ֣ךְ  shall  be  turned 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָפַךְ  
Sense: to turn, overthrow, overturn.
לְחֹ֔שֶׁךְ  into  darkness 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֹשֶׁךְ  
Sense: darkness, obscurity.
וְהַיָּרֵ֖חַ  and  the  moon 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָרֵחַ  
Sense: moon.
לְדָ֑ם  into  blood 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
לִפְנֵ֗י  Before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
בּ֚וֹא  the  coming 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
י֣וֹם  Of  day 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
יְהוָ֔ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הַגָּד֖וֹל  the  great 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
וְהַנּוֹרָֽא  and  awesome 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָרֵא 
Sense: to fear, revere, be afraid.