Letting the “Bi-Word” “Rule” in Joel 2:17

This paper addresses the word מל in Joel 2:17 which isusually taken as מל II “to rule” or מל I, the latter being either a verb “touse a proverb” or a noun “byword”. A review of the scholarly discussionsdemonstrates that the plausibility of both roots, although only the nominal formof root I should be recognized. A close look at Jer. 24:9 and other roughlycomparable constructions reaffirms this. The impasse between the two roots inJoel 2:17 can be solved by recognizing a double entendre or even identifying מלas a “pivot” word. This polysemy has a role in the rhetoric of the passage andin the overall complexity and richness of Joel’s imagery.