Albert Barnes Commentary Joel 3:4

"Yea, and what are ye to me, O Tyre, and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? will ye render me a recompense? and if ye recompense me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompense upon your own head." — Joel 3:4 (ASV)

Indeed, and what have you to do with Me? - Literally, “and also, what are you to Me?” The words, “And also,” show that this is something additional to the deeds of those previously mentioned. Those previously instanced were great oppressors, such as dispersed the former people of God and “divided their land.” In addition to these, God here condemns another class: those who, without having power to destroy, harass and vex His heritage. The words, “what are you to Me?” are like that other phrase, “what is there to thee and me?” (Joshua 22:24; Matthew 8:29, and other passages), that is, what do we have in common? These words, “what are you to Me?” also declare that those nations had no part in God. God considers them aliens, asking, “What are you to Me?” Nothing.

But the words convey, besides, that they would, unprovoked, involve themselves with God, harassing His people without cause. They obtruded themselves, so to speak, upon God and His judgments. They challenged God. They thrust themselves in, to their own destruction, where they had little temptation to meddle, noticing only inbred malice to impel them.

This was, especially, the character of the relations of Tyre and Zidon and Philistia with Israel. They were allotted to Israel by Joshua, but were not assailed. On the contrary, the Zidonians are counted among those who oppressed Israel, and out of whose hand God delivered him, when he cried to God (Judges 10:12). The Philistines were the unwearied assailants of Israel in the days of the Judges, Saul, and David (Judges 13:1; 1 Samuel 4; 1 Samuel 13; 1 Samuel 17; 1 Samuel 23:1; 1 Samuel 30; 1 Samuel 31:1–13). During 40 years Israel was given into the hands of the Philistines, until God delivered them by Samuel at Mizpeh. When David was king of all Israel, the Philistines still acted on the offensive, and lost Gath and her towns to David in an offensive war (2 Samuel 5:17–25; 2 Samuel 8:1; 1 Chronicles 18:1; 2 Samuel 21:18; 2 Samuel 13:9–16).

To Jehoshaphat some of them voluntarily paid tribute (2 Chronicles 17:11); but in the reign of Jehoram his son, they, with some Arabians, marauded in Judah, plundering the king’s house and slaying all his sons, except the youngest (2 Chronicles 21:16–17; 2 Chronicles 22:1). This is the last event before the time of Joel. They stand among the most inveterate and unprovoked enemies of God’s people, and probably as enemies of God also, hating Judah’s claim that their God was the One God.

Will you render Me a recompense? - People never lack pleas for themselves. The Philistines, although the aggressors, had been signally defeated by David. People forget their own wrongdoings and remember their sufferings. It may be, then, that the Philistines thought that they had been aggrieved when their assaults were defeated, and looked upon their own fresh aggressions as a requital. Furthermore, if, as is probable, they heard that the signal victories won over them were ascribed by Israel to God, and they themselves also suspected that these mighty Gods (1 Samuel 4:7–8) were the cause of their defeat, they doubtless turned their hatred against God. People, when they do not submit to God’s chastening, hate Him. This belief that they were retaliating against God (not, of course, knowing Him as God) fully corresponds with the strong words, will you render Me a recompense? Julian’s dying blasphemy, “Galilean, thou hast conquered,” corresponds with the efforts of his life against the gospel, and implies a secret consciousness that He whose religion he was straining to overthrow might be, what He denied Him to be—God.

The phrase swiftly (literally, “lightly and speedily”) denotes the union of easiness with speed. The recompense is returned upon their head, coming down upon them from God.