The sun and moon have become dark, And the stars have lost their brightness.
Parallel translations
- WEB The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.
- KJV The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.
- BSB The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will no longer shine.
- NKJV The sun and moon will grow dark, And the stars will diminish their brightness.
- NLT The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will no longer shine.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The sun, moon, and stars are darkened as the day of judgment unfolds. Cosmic signs again mark the day of Yahweh.
Overview
Echoing earlier imagery (2:10, 2:31), Joel describes the heavenly lights darkened as God executes judgment on the nations. Such cosmic disturbance is a consistent biblical sign of the day of the Lord. The repetition binds the judgment of the nations to the larger day of Yahweh, pointing toward the final consummation when Christ returns in glory.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Joel 2:10The earth quakes before them. The heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.
- Joel 2:31The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Yahweh comes.
- Luke 21:25–26There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and on the earth anxiety of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the waves;
- Matt 24:29But immediately after the oppression of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken;
- Isa 13:10For the stars of the sky and its constellations will not give their light. The sun will be darkened in its going out, and the moon will not cause its light to shine.
- Rev 6:12–13I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became as blood.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The promised outpouring of the Spirit on all flesh and the call to 'everyone who calls on the name of the LORD' are fulfilled at Pentecost in the name of Jesus.
How Joel 3:15 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.