Radak Yoel

1)"The word of Hashem that was to Yoel the son of petu'el." This navi prophecied first about the locusts that Hashem brought in the land of Israel for their sins. Afterwards he a prophecied concerning the future days of Moshiach and there are those who say that in the days of Yehoram the son of Achav this navi prophecied  that there would be a famine in the land like it says, "that Hashem called to the famine and it also came to the land 7 years." The four years were four types of locusts while the three years when it didn not rain. And in (the medrash) Seder Olam it says that in the days of Menashe he prophecied and that the prophets Yoel, Nachum and Chabakuk all prophecied in the days of Menashe, but since Menashe was not a "kosher" king they are not mentioned under his name.
2)"Listen to this Elders." Because they saw more than in what transpired in their days, like it says (in the Torah), "(ask) your elders and they will tell you". 
"Has such a thing happened in your days". If there was such a thing. The hey (of he'haysa - did transpire) is a hey that asks a question.
"And if in the days of your fathers. Because the locusts that were in Egypt were of only one type. Even though it says in tehilim (about the Egyptian locusts) that "he gave to the Chasil their produce" and then further, "and Yelek without number", nonetheless the "Arbeh" was the main one. And the other two simply tagged along. That's why the Torah only mentions the Arbeh and once a single occurrence. However, here there were four types "Gazam", "Arbeh", "Yelek" and "Chasil" and came in four years, one after the other. Like it says, "the leftovers of the Gazam (was eaten by the Arbeh) etc. This level of bad did not happen until that time.

3)"upon it" (speak to your children). about this decree. (and their sons should speak it) "to another generation". Their children who come after them. Meaning to say, you will be able to speak of this decree an extended period of time (to a far off generation).

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