See the separate commentaries on Joel by Credner (1831), Wünsche (1872), Merx (1879). The last-named gives an elaborate history of interpretation from the Septuagint down to Calvin, and appends the Ethiopic text edited by Dillmann. Nowack and Marti should also be consulted (see their respective series of commentaries); also G. A. Smith, in _The Book of the Twelve Prophets_, vol. i. (1896), and S. R. Driver, _Joel and Amos_ (1897). On the language of Joel, see Holzinger, _Z. A. T. W._ (1889), pp. 89-131. Of older commentaries the most valuable is Pocock's (Oxford, 1691). Bochart's _Hierozoïcon_ may also be consulted. (W. R. S.; T. K. C.) FOOTNOTES: [1] In the A.V. of ii. 17 it appears that subjection to a foreign power is not a present fact but a thing feared. But the parallelism and v. 19 justify the rendering in margin of R.V. "use a byword against them." [2] The hypothesis of an Arabian Javan, applied to Joel iii. 6 by Credner, Hitzig, and others, may be viewed as exploded (see Stade, "Das Volk Javan," 1880, reprinted in his _Akad. Reden u. Abhandlungen_, 1899, pp. 123-142). The question, however, has to be re-examined; later interpreters, e.g. the LXX translators, may have misunderstood. The text of the passages has to be critically treated anew. See Cheyne, _Traditions and Beliefs of Ancient Israel_ (on Gen. x. 2). [3] Compare Movers, _Phönizisches Alterthum_, iii. i. 70 seq. [4] See Ewald on Jer. xlviii. 47, Kuenen, _Theol. Tijdschrift_ (1873), p. 519; Schwally, _Z. A. T. W._, viii. 200, and Briggs on Ps. xiv. 7. [5] Stade not unreasonably questions whether 2 Kings xii. 1-3 implies the paramount political influence of Jehoiada. [6] See Wellhausen, _Geschichte Israels_, p. 78 seq.; _Prolegomena zur Gesch. Israels_ (1883), p. 82 seq. [7] It has been suggested that _Saphon_, which is often rather troublesome if rendered "the north," may be a weakened form of _sib'on_, a current popular corruption of _shimo'n_ = Ishmael. In Ezek. xxxviii. 15 it is distinctly said that Gog is to come from the recesses of Saphon. "Meshech" and "Tubal" are no hindrance to this view, if the names of the so-called "sons of Japheth" are critically examined. For they, too, as well as Saphon, can be plausibly shown to represent regions of North Arabia. See Cheyne, _Traditions and Beliefs of Anc. Israel_, on Gen. x. 2-4.