Joel 2:13

So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The LORD addresses Israel during the locust invasion, immediately after commanding them to return "with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning" (Joel 2:12). This is the pivot from external ritual to internal transformation.

The words — קָרַע (qaraʿ, H7167), "tear," is the verb that does the work: the same physical act of ripping cloth is redirected inward onto the heart. The imperative form (קִרְעוּ) makes it a direct command, not a suggestion.

The thread — The attribute formula "gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion" recurs in Psalms 86:15 and echoes the divine name-confessions of Exodus 34:6. Psalms 34:18 and Isaiah 57:15 pair this God with the brokenhearted and contrite, confirming that the one who relents is the same one who dwells with the crushed.

Why it lands — The verse draws a line between performance and submission: tearing garments is visible, revocable, and requires no change; rending the heart is irreversible and costs something. It asks the reader to stop managing the appearance of repentance and actually submit.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְקִרְע֤וּve./kir.'Uand/ tear לְבַבְכֶם֙le.vav./Khemheart/ your וְאַל־ve./'al-and/ may not [it be]בִּגְדֵיכֶ֔םbig.dei./Khemgarments/ your וְשׁ֖וּבוּve./Shu.vuand/ return אֶל־'el-to יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֑ם'e.lo.hei./KhemGod/ your כִּֽי־ki-for חַנּ֤וּןcha.Nun[is] gracious וְרַחוּם֙ve./ra.Chumand/ compassionate ה֔וּאHu'he אֶ֤רֶךְ'E.rekhlong of אַפַּ֙יִם֙'a.Pa.yimanger<s>וְרַב־ve./rav-and/ great of חֶ֔סֶדChe.sedcovenant loyalty וְנִחָ֖םve./ni.Chamand/ relenting עַל־'al-on הָרָעָֽה׃ha./ra.'Ah<the>/ harm

King James Version

And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

Cross-references

Psalms 86:15 But You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness.
Psalms 34:18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit.
Isaiah 57:15 For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite.
Exodus 34:6 Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness,
Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Micah 7:18 Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance—who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion?
Psalms 86:5 For You, O Lord, are kind and forgiving, rich in loving devotion to all who call on You.
James 1:19 My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,
Jeremiah 18:7 At any time I might announce that a nation or kingdom will be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed.
Psalms 103:8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion.