Joel is introduced as a prophet who received “the word of the LORD.” He is identified as “the son of Pethuel.” See Joel 1:1.
Joel opens by identifying his message as Yahweh’s word given to him, Joel son of Pethuel (Joel 1:1). He then calls the community’s leaders and everyone in the land to pay close attention. The event he is about to describe is presented as without parallel in living memory or even in earlier family memory. These verses function as the book’s doorway: the speaker is introduced, the message is framed as coming from Yahweh, and the audience is addressed broadly. The call to “hear” and “listen” sets a serious tone and prepares readers for a report of crisis and its meaning for the whole community.
These opening lines present the book as a public message from Yahweh delivered through a known messenger: “the word of Yahweh” came to Joel, identified as “son of Pethuel” (Joel 1:1). That framing is an explicit claim of source and authority, not merely a personal reflection.
A common mistake is to treat this as trivia. Names, places, numbers, and sequence details often carry memory, covenant identity, or narrative movement in the biblical story.
Start with Joel 1:1, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.
1The Word of Yahweh that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel.