Valley of Jehoshaphat

Biblical Text

The Valley of Jehoshaphat appears only in chapter 3 of the Old Testament book of Joel. The Hebrew Bible and some translations number this chapter as Joel 4.

• In Joel 3:1-2, God declares that when He brings again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, He "will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there." The reason given is that the nations scattered God's people, parted His land, and sold His people into slavery (Joel 3:2-3).
• In Joel 3:9-12, the nations are summoned to prepare for war and come up to this valley. The command "Beat your plowshares into swords" reverses the promise of peace found in Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 4:3.
• Joel 3:13-16 compares the judgment to a sickle reaping ripe grain and to a full winepress. It then proclaims that the day of the LORD is near in "the valley of decision," that the sun and moon will be darkened, and that "the LORD also shall roar out of Zion." Many interpreters regard the valley of decision as the same place as the Valley of Jehoshaphat.

Name and Background

The name Jehoshaphat means "the LORD has judged" (or "the LORD judges") in Hebrew. The name corresponds to the statement in the text that God will "plead with" (that is, enter into judgment with) the nations in this valley. For this reason, many hold that it is not an actual place name but a symbolic name expressing the idea of judgment.

No valley by this name appears in the historical books of the Bible, and several views exist regarding its location.

• Kidron Valley view: Christian pilgrimage tradition is known to have identified this valley from an early date with the Kidron Valley, which lies between the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives. The many Jewish tombs on the slopes of this area today are also explained as connected with expectations of resurrection and judgment on the last day.
• Valley of Berachah view: This view links the valley with the episode in the reign of King Jehoshaphat of Judah when the allied forces of Moab and Ammon destroyed one another (2 Chronicles 20). After this event, the people gave praise in the Valley of Berachah (2 Chronicles 20:26).

Because the text itself does not directly confirm either view, scholars have reached no consensus. Opinion is also divided on the date of the book of Joel, with some placing it before the Exile and others after.

Significance in the Whole of Scripture

The New Testament does not use the name Valley of Jehoshaphat. The themes of Joel 3, however, carry over into the New Testament.

• The theme of God gathering the nations in one place for judgment is read alongside the parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:31-32) and the gathering for battle in Revelation 16:14-16.
• The imagery of the sickle and the winepress is taken up almost unchanged in Revelation 14:14-20.
• The promise in Joel 2 that the Spirit would be poured out was quoted by Peter at the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:16-21). Joel's eschatology as a whole is therefore read as looking toward both the church age and the final judgment.

Interpretation and Points of Debate

Interpretations fall into two main lines.

• Literal interpretation: Dispensationalist interpreters generally read the valley as the place where an actual judgment of the nations will take place near Jerusalem at the second coming of Christ. They often read it together with the Mount of Olives passage in Zechariah 14:4.
• Symbolic interpretation: Many interpreters, including those in the Reformed tradition, do not regard the valley as a specific location. They read it as a symbol of God's certain final judgment upon the powers that have harmed His people.

The text itself states neither the valley's precise location nor a timetable for the judgment. The identification with the Kidron Valley should be recognized as an understanding added by later tradition.