King James Version

Joel 2:3

A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.

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Hebrew

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לְפָנָיו֙lefanayvto a- foreפָּנִיםpreposition, noun, common, both genders, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “to a- fore”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6440the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)[phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-…אָ֣כְלָהakhelaheatאָכַלverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “eat”, a completed actionH398to eat (literally or figuratively)[idiom] at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, [idiom] freely, [idiom] in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, [idiom] quite.אֵ֔שׁeshfireאֵשׁnoun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “fire”, the ordinary formH784fire (literally or figuratively)burning, fiery, fire, flaming, hot.וְאַחֲרָ֖יוveacharayvand afterאַחַרconjunction, preposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and after”H310properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses)after (that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side), behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from, hereafter, hinder end, [phrase] out (over) live, [phrase] persecute, posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, the…תְּלַהֵ֣טtelahetburnלָהַטverb, piel, imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “burn”, an unfinished actionH3857properly, to lick, i.e. (by implication) to blazeburn (up), set on fire, flaming, kindle.לֶֽהָבָ֑הlehavahflameלֶהָבָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “flame”, the ordinary formH3852{a flash; figuratively, a sharply polished blade or point of aweapon}flame(-ming), head (of a spear).כְּגַןkeganas gardenגַּןpreposition, noun, common, both genders, singular, construct — “as garden”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1588a garden (as fenced)garden.עֵ֨דֶןedenEdenעֵדֶןnoun, proper name — “Eden”H5731Eden, the region of Adam's homeEden.הָאָ֜רֶץhaaretsthe earthאֶרֶץdefinite article, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “the earth”, the ordinary formH776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)[idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.לְפָנָ֗יוlefanayvto a- foreפָּנִיםpreposition, noun, common, both genders, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “to a- fore”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6440the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)[phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-…וְאַֽחֲרָיו֙veacharayvand afterאַחַרconjunction, preposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and after”H310properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses)after (that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side), behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from, hereafter, hinder end, [phrase] out (over) live, [phrase] persecute, posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, the…מִדְבַּ֣רmidbardesertמִדְבָּרnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “desert”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4057a pasture (i.e. open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert; also speech (including its organs)desert, south, speech, wilderness.שְׁמָמָ֔הshemamahdesolateשְׁמָמָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “desolate”, the ordinary formH8077devastation; figuratively, astonishment(laid, [idiom] most) desolate(-ion), waste.וְגַםvegamand alsoגַּםconjunction, particle, affirmation — “and also”H1571properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...andagain, alike, also, (so much) as (soon), both (so)...and, but, either...or, even, for all, (in) likewise (manner), moreover, nay...neither, one, then(-refore), though, what, with, yea.פְּלֵיטָ֖הpeleytahdeliveranceפְּלֵיטָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “deliverance”, the ordinary formH6413deliverance; concretely, an escaped portiondeliverance, (that is) escape(-d), remnant.לֹאlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…הָ֥יְתָהhayetahbeהָיָהverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “be”, a completed actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.לּֽוֹlvotoלּֽוֹpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “to”to

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

A fire devoureth before them, and behind them a flame blazeth; the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing escapeth them.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and none hath escaped them.

Young’s Literal Translation

Before it consumed hath fire, And after it burn doth a flame, As the garden of Eden [is] the land before it, And after it a wilderness — a desolation! And also an escape there hath not been to it,

World English Bible

A fire devours before them, and behind them, a flame burns. The land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them, a desolate wilderness. Yes, and no one has escaped them.

Darby Translation

A fire devoureth before them, and behind them a flame burneth; the land is as a garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness: yea, and nothing escapeth them.

Douay-Rheims

Before the face thereof a devouring fire, and behind it a burning flame: the land is like a garden of pleasure before it, and behind it a desolate wilderness, neither is there any one that can escape it.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

A fire devoureth before them, and behind them a flame blazeth; the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing escapeth them.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Before them is a consuming fire, and behind them is a flame kindled: the land before them is as a paradise of delight, and behind them a desolate plain: and there shall none of them escape.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Τὰ ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ πῦρ ἀναλίσκον, καὶ τὰ ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ ἀναπτομένη φλόξ· ὡς παράδεισος τρυφῆς ἡ γῆ πρὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰ ὄπισθεν αὐτοῦ πεδίον ἀφανισμοῦ, καὶ ἀνασωζόμενος οὐκ ἔσται αὐτῷ.