The phrase "as the morning spread upon the mountains" isn't just describing the vastness of the enemy; it’s highlighting their suddenness and the way they first appear on the highest points, a creeping darkness that will soon engulf everything. This terrifying, overwhelming force is unique in its intensity, a harbinger of destruction that has never been seen before and will never be seen again.
a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains a great and powerful people; their like has never been before, nor will be again after them through the years of all generations. Fire devours before them, and behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them, but behind them a desolate wilderness, and nothing escapes them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet Joel has just called for a solemn assembly to sound the alarm because "the day of the Lord" is coming. This verse dramatically describes that impending day as a terrifying invasion, using vivid imagery of overwhelming darkness, clouds, and thick gloom. The arrival of this destructive force is likened to the sudden spread of dawn across the mountains, signaling the approach of an unprecedentedly powerful and numerous people.
Joel paints a picture of absolute devastation. What does this 'darkness' truly signify?
The language of "darkness and gloom, clouds and thick darkness" isn't just poetic description; it's theological. In the Bible, light often symbolizes God's favor, presence, and salvation, while darkness represents His absence, judgment, and calamity.
Joel describes a 'people' like no other. Who are they, and why are they so uniquely terrifying?
The 'great and powerful people' is described with unparalleled language: "their like has never been before, nor will be again... through the years of all generations." This points to more than just a historical army.
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Understand the original words
choshek · Hebrew Noun
A term describing a state of spiritual or physical hopelessness, misery, and lack of divine light. It is frequently used to symbolize God’s judgment, the absence of His favor, or the conditions of the afterlife.
gan Eden · Hebrew Noun phrase
The first abode of humanity, created by God as a lush, fertile, and harmonious environment reflecting His goodness. It represents perfection, peace, and fellowship with God, which is lost through disobedience.
midbar · Hebrew Noun
An uncultivated, barren region characterized by a lack of water and life. In Scripture, it often represents a place of testing, isolation, or divine judgment where the consequences of sin are visible.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many of its inhabitants. This event serves as a precursor and warning of the greater devastation that would later befall Judah.
701 BC
Sennacherib's Invasion of Judah
The Assyrian king Sennacherib invades Judah, conquering many cities and besieging Jerusalem. Although Jerusalem is miraculously spared, this invasion represents a severe judgment and a foretaste of destruction.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Under Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian Empire begins its series of deportations of Judean people and treasures to Babylon, marking the start of the Judah's exile.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
The Babylonians, led by Nebuchadnezzar, destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, ending the southern Kingdom of Judah and exiling the majority of its population. This marks the culmination of God's judgment on Judah's unfaithfulness.
c. 400 BC— this verse
Prophecy of Joel
The prophet Joel delivers his message, likely in post-exilic Judah, describing a devastating locust plague as a symbol of God's judgment and calling for repentance.
This verse describes a plague of locusts so severe that it darkened the land, mirroring Joel's description of an unprecedented and overwhelming 'darkness and gloom'.
Jeremiah 23:19The 'whirlwind' and 'tempest' described here, sent by the Lord to fall upon the wicked, echo the unstoppable and destructive force depicted in Joel's day of judgment.
Zephaniah 1:15This passage uses similar language – 'a day of darkness, and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness' – to describe the coming wrath of the Lord, highlighting the shared theme of impending divine judgment.
1 Thessalonians 5:2The comparison of the 'Day of the Lord' to a 'thief in the night' shares Joel's sense of sudden, unexpected, and terrifying judgment that overtakes the unprepared.
Psalm 97:2The imagery of 'clouds and darkness round about Him' associated with God's presence and power connects with Joel's depiction of thick darkness accompanying the Lord's formidable actions.
jfbJoel 2:2: "A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations."
- darkness … gloominess … clouds … thick darkness—accumulation of synonyms, to intensify the picture of calamity (Isa 8:22). Appropriate here, as the swarms of locusts intercepting the sunlight suggested darkness as a fit image o…
ellicottJoel 2:2: "A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations."
(2) The morning spread upon the mountains.— The Hebrew word here used for morning is derived from a verb, Shachar, which has for one meaning “to be or become black,” for the second “to break forth” as light. From this latter signi…
The phrase "as the morning spread upon the mountains" isn't just describing the vastness of the enemy; it’s highlighting their suddenness and the way they first appear on the highest points, a creeping darkness that will soon engulf everything. This terrifying, overwhelming force is unique in its intensity, a harbinger of destruction that has never been seen before and will never be seen again.
The prophet Joel has just called for a solemn assembly to sound the alarm because "the day of the Lord" is coming. This verse dramatically describes that impending day as a terrifying invasion, using vivid imagery of overwhelming darkness, clouds, and thick gloom. The arrival of this destructive force is likened to the sudden spread of dawn across the mountains, signaling the approach of an unprecedentedly powerful and numerous people.
The prophet Joel has just called for a solemn assembly to sound the alarm because "the day of the Lord" is coming. This verse dramatically describes that impending day as a terrifying invasion, using vivid imagery of overwhelming darkness, clouds, and thick gloom. The arrival of this destructive force is likened to the sudden spread of dawn across the mountains, signaling the approach of an unprecedentedly powerful and numerous people.
"a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains a great and powerful people; their like has never been before, nor will be again after them…" — The phrase "as the morning spread upon the mountains" isn't just describing the vastness of the enemy; it’s highlighting their suddenness and the way they first appear on the highest points, a creepi…
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Last reviewed October 2026
