John Calvin Commentary Joel 3:13

"Put ye in the sickle; for the harvest is ripe: come, tread ye; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great." — Joel 3:13 (ASV)

When God defers his judgments while miserable men groan under their burdens, the Prophet uses a figure of speech that represents God not as delaying but, on the contrary, as hastening to judgment, though this is not perceived by carnal minds. For these two things agree well together—God waiting for his opportunity concerning the ungodly and suspending the punishment they deserve, and yet quickly accelerating their destruction. He is said to defer from a human perspective, because one day with us is like a hundred years; and he is said to hasten, because he knows the exact points of time.

So he says in this place, Put forth the sickle, for the harvest has ripened. He uses metaphorical words, but he afterward plainly expresses what he means, saying that their wickedness had multiplied.

But there are two metaphors here: one taken from the harvest and the other from the vintage. The Prophet calls those reapers who have been destined to execute his judgment, for God makes use, as it were, of the hired labor of men, and employs their hands here and there as he wills.

He afterward adds another metaphor, taken from the vintage: Full, he says, are the presses, and the vats overflow; and finally, he expresses what these metaphors mean—that their wickedness had multiplied, that is, it was overflowing.

God said to Abraham that the wickedness of the Canaanites was not then complete. The period he mentioned was long, for he said that after four hundred years he would take vengeance on the enemies of his people. That was a long time, and Abraham might have objected, saying, “Why should God wait for so long?” The answer was this: their wickedness was not yet complete.

But the Prophet says here that their wickedness had multiplied. He therefore gives God’s servants the hope of near vengeance, just as when the harvest approaches and the vintage is close at hand, for then everyone’s mind is refreshed with joy.

This is the Prophet’s purpose: to encourage the faithful in their hope and expectation of a near deliverance, he declares that the iniquities of their enemies had now reached their full measure, so that God was now ready to execute his vengeance on them. This is the meaning of the whole.