Joel 1:15

The prophet states more distinctly the ground for the exhortations of Joel 1:13. The present calamity is viewed by him as the harbinger of a far sorer calamity to come, even of the great "Day of Jehovah" itself; and he gives expression to the alarm which the prospect of its approach naturally creates.

Alas for the day cf. Ezekiel 30:2 (where the Heb. is all but the same, הָהּ for אֲהָהּ).

For the day of Jehovah is at hand(or near)] The same words as Joel 3:14; Zephaniah 1:7; Obadiah 1:15; Isaiah 13:6: comp. ch. Joel 2:1; Zephaniah 1:14; Ezekiel 30:3. On the -Day of Jehovah" comp. A. B. Davidson on Zephaniah 1:7; and below, on Amos 5:18. It is the Day, when Jehovah is conceived as manifesting Himself in His fulness, striking down wrongdoing and illusion, and giving the final victory to righteousness and truth. The origin of the conception as applied by the prophets, is to be found in Amos" transformation of a popular idea (see on Amos 5:18). The presentiment of the approach of Jehovah's Day was often awakened in the minds of the prophets by the prospect of some great political movement among the nations of the earth. In the case of Joel the presentiment is awakened by an extraordinary visitation of Providence. In Joel also the Day of Jehovah is invested, more distinctly than is the case in the earlier prophets, with an eschatological significance: see esp. Joel 2:31; Joel 3:1-2; Joel 3:9-17; and comp. above, p. 33.

as devastation from the Almighty(Heb. Shaddai) shall it come The phrase is borrowed verbatimfrom Isaiah 13:6 (in the announcement of the doom approaching upon Babylon in b.c. 538) "Howl ye: for the day of Jehovah is at hand; as devastation from the Almighty shall it come." In the original there is an effective assonance between devastation(shôd), and Almighty (Shaddai), which might perhaps be preserved, though not with the force and compactness of the Hebrew, by the rendering, as an overpowering from the Over-powerer shall it come[31]. See further, on the divine title Shaddai, the Additional Note, p. 81. For -devastation," as sent by Jehovah, comp. also Jeremiah 25:36; Jeremiah 47:4; Jeremiah 51:53; Jeremiah 51:55 (A.V. spoil), Amos 5:9. The -as" (כ) is here an example of what is termed by some grammarians the "Caph veritatis": the coming visitation will be what a devastation proceeding from the Almighty might be expected to be, it will realize what the term implies, it will be a veritable "overpowering from the Over-powerer."

[31] Ewald, wie Gewalt vom Allgewaltigen: Wellhausen, wie Vergewaltigung vom Allgewaltigen.

Additional Note on Chap. Joel 1:15 (Shaddai)

Shaddaiis a Divine title, occurring (a) as an adj. attached to God (El) in the name El Shaddai("God Almighty"), Genesis 17:1; Genesis 28:3; Genesis 35:11; Genesis 48:3; Exodus 6:3 (all belonging to the document called the -Priests" Code"); Genesis 48:3; Ezekiel 10:5; and probably Genesis 49:25 (Jacob's Blessing: read God Almightyfor by the Almighty[אל for את]); (b) alone, as a poetical name of God, Numbers 24:4; Numbers 24:16; Ezekiel 1:24; Isaiah 13:6; Joel 1:15; Psalms 68:14; Psalms 91:1; Psalms 31 times in the dialogue of Job (Job 5:17; Job 6:4, &c.); and in the two rhythmically-constructed sentences, Ruth 1:20-21 [58]. The origin and real meaning of the name are both doubtful, neither tradition nor philology throwing any certain light upon it. According to the theory of P (Exodus 6:3), Shaddaiwas the patriarchal name of God; and the same view was perhaps shared by the author of the Book of Job, who lays his scene in the patriarchal age, and represents his characters as saying Shaddai, not Jehovah(except once, Job 12:9). The name is not known in the cognate languages. The LXX. render in Gen. Ex. by my(thy, their) God, elsewhere by general terms, as θεός, Κύριος (Job 9-10 times), παντοκράτωρ (Job 15-16 times). Aq. Symm. and (usually) Theod. render by ἱκανός; this, however, very probably, merely gives expression to an improbable Rabbinical etymology ש-די, -he that is sufficient," which may also underlie the Massoretic pronunciation Shaddai(already in Ezekiel 10:5 LXX. Σαδδαι). The Heb. verb shâdad, from which Shaddaimight naturally be derived, means to overpower, treat with violence, devastate(Judges 5:27 R.V. marg.; Isaiah 15:1; Isaiah 23:1; Isaiah 23:14; Joel 1:10; often in A.V., R.V. spoil, as Isaiah 33:1; Micah 2:4; Psalms 17:9; comp. shôd, Joel 1:15; Amos 5:9, and frequently, devastation, desolation); hence it has been supposed that it meant properly the Over-powerer, i.e. either the God who coerces nature to His will, and moulds the course of the world agreeably with His purposes of grace (Delitzsch; Oehler, Theol. of the O.T.§ 37; Dillm. A. T. Theol. p. 214 f.), or in a more historical sense (Bäthgen, Beiträge zur Sem. Rel.-gesch. 1888, p. 295 f., cf. pp. 192 7), the God who in the patriarchal age was conceived principally as ruling by might ("der naturgewaltige"), but who afterwards through Moses and the prophets revealed more distinctly His ethical and spiritual nature. It is some objection to this view that in actual usage shâdadalways involves the idea of violence; but it is possible that in the age when Shaddaiwas formed from it, it had not yet acquired this nuance, and meant simply to overpower. Or, perhaps (Wellhausen, Gesch. 1878, p. 359), Shaddaidenoted originally the Waster, with reference (see e.g. Job 12:14-25) to the destructive aspects of God's providence. Other explanations have been suggested; but none that can be said to be more satisfactory [59]. Whatever, however, be the etymology of the title, it is true that the choice of it seems to be sometimes prompted by the thought of the powerof God, whether in the way of blessing and defence (Genesis 17:1, &c.; Job 29:5; Psalms 91:1), or in the way of authority, punishment, or trial (Job 5:17; Job 6:4; Job 8:3; Job 21:20; Job 27:2). Comp. further Dillmann on Genesis 17:1; Bäthgen, l. c.(whose view that the form is Aramaic is called in question by Nöldeke, l. c.); König, Lehrgeb. der Hebr. Spr.ii. 118 (violenta potentia praeditus).

[58] It occurs also in the proper names Zurishaddai, "Shaddai is my Rock" (cf. Zuriel), Numbers 1:6; Numbers 2:12; Numbers 7:36; Numbers 7:41; Numbers 10:19; Ammishaddai, "Shaddai is my kinsman," Numbers 1:12; Numbers 2:25; Numbers 7:66; Numbers 7:71; Numbers 10:25 (cf. Ammiel); and perhaps in Shedêûr, if this should be pointed Shaddaiur, "Shaddai is a flame," (cf. Uriel), Numbers 1:5; Numbers 2:10; Numbers 7:30; Numbers 7:35; Numbers 10:18. Cf. G. B. Gray, Studies in Hebrew Proper Names(1896), pp. 169, 196 199.

[59] There maybe some connexion with shêd, which in Heb. (Deuteronomy 32:17; Psalms 106:37), as in Aramaic, has sunk to denote a demi-godor demon, but which, as Arabic makes probable, meant originally lord(Arab. sayyid, whence Span. cid). Nöldeke (Z.D.M.G.1888, p. 481) would pronounce Shedi(or Shedai, pl. of majesty, like Adonai) "my lord": though usage shews no trace of a consciousness of the pron. "my" (see on the contrary Genesis 17:1), it is still not impossible that if it were a very ancient formation, its etymology might have been forgotten and it might have come to be treated as a mere Divine title.

So far as regards the cognate languages, Arab. saddais to closeor stop up(a way); Eth. sadada, to drive out, expel; Arab. shaddais to be strong, powerful, robust;shadîdis the corresponding adj., but Heb. shcorresponds normally to Arab. s(though instances occur of Heb. sh= Arab. sh).

In Assyrian, shadûis the common word for -mountain"; and Sargon (K. B.ii. 79, 83; Annals, l. 436) and Asshurbanipal (K. B.ii. 217) speak of Bel and Asshur as shadû rabû, -the great mountain": there occur also such proper names as Belshadûa, -Bel is my mountain," Marduk-shadûa, Sin-shadûni, -Sin is our mountain," as well as Ammi-satana (c.2200 b.c.), and Beli-satu, Satu-na (b.c. 3800), which are thought (Hommel, Expos. Times, Feb. 1808, p. 235) to contain the same element (with tfor d); and it has been conjectured (Friedr. Delitzsch, Heb. Language, 1883, p. 48; Hommel, Anc. Heb. Trad.p. 110 f.) that this is the origin of the Heb. Shaddai, and that it means properly either -my mountain" (cf. -my rock," Psalms 18:2 al.) or -the mountain-dweller." The explanation is possible; but more cannot be said: there is no stringent proof of it: and even if it is correct, usage shews that all consciousness of this being the original meaning of the name had been lost by the Hebrews.