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Joel 2:13
Tear your heart and not your garments, and turn to Yahweh, your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and relents from sending calamity.
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Interpretation

The prophet calls a rend hearts that is traced in speech and habits. Joel 2:13: notice "tear" and "heart". Keep rend hearts through how disagreements are handled—learn freedom in service.

Context

This passage belongs to Joel, a prophetic oracle witness, naming rend hearts. Placed in ch. 2, the nearby lines set its tone. There’s a line into prophetic hope & judgment. The nearby sentences supply the texture.

Authorship & Historical Background

Early sources associate Joel with Joel. Many scholars judge Joel as follows: Post‑exilic prophetic liturgy (locust plague as day of the Lord).. Scholars commonly date Joel Post‑exilic period (debated).. Here the thread of prophetic hope & judgment comes into view.

More details
Traditional:Joel
Modern scholarship:Post‑exilic prophetic liturgy (locust plague as day of the Lord).
Date:Post‑exilic period (debated).
Manuscripts & Textual Witnesses
In the Masoretic tradition the Hebrew text is preserved with remarkable accuracy. The Dead Sea Scrolls (1947-1956 discoveries) confirm the Hebrew text's reliability, showing minimal variation over 1000+ years of transmission.