For Whom the Plowshares and Pruning Hooks Toil: A Tradition-Historical Reading of Joel 4.10

Abstract

Despite the dense allusions in the book of Joel, the creative characteristics of Joel have not been clearly understood. In particular, the intertextual connection of the famous reversal of the phrase of Mic. 4.3bα/Isa. 2.4bα in Joel 4.10 have remained largely overlooked. This article draws an analogy with the modern, digital art form known as Photomosaic, arguing that recognizing smaller images within a larger whole is a helpful tool that augments tradition-historical readings. Such an approach enables us to gain a multi-dimensional appreciation of Joel 4.10 with its adjacent verses, on both macro and microscopic levels. This approach reveals that Joel as a Schriftprophet, like a Photomosaic artist, created his own big picture, the Day of Yhwh (an eschatological day of holy war against nations), out of the images of intertextually linked traditions. The traditions used as bits of images are the Holy War, the victory of Jehoshaphat in the valley, ancient defensive warfare, and agriculture in the Judean hill country. The conclusion offered here is that Joel probably used these traditions to intensify the meaning of participating in the alluded eschatological Day of Yhwh by wielding of weapons with agricultural implements to the Iron Age farmers.