On the theory of the early date of the book of Joel, these are the earliest occurrences of the term "the day of Yahaweh." We have here also the fullest and most elaborate of the many presentations of this theme. And there is probably no other use of the phrase in the Old Testament that cannot plausibly be regarded as presupposing this treatment in Joel. But even in Joel the phrase is introduced as if it were not altogether unfamiliar. If we suppose that the prophet's generation had inherited prophetic utterances concerning "the latter days," and concerning Yahaweh's holding assizes for judgment, and that they believed that Yahaweh had said to their ancestors,

"In the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them," our supposition recognizes likely materials from which the prophet might construct just the treatment he has constructed.

The book of Obadiah is another monograph on the day of Yahaweh (8, 15), the day here being one of retribution on Edom, and of victory and reYahaweh in prisal on the part of Yahaweh's people.

The day of

the other

prophets Amos addresses auditors who are familiar with just such a doctrine of the day of Yahaweh as Joel teaches, and who are gladly expecting the day; and he rebukes them, saying that for such as they the day is only dreadful.1 Like Joel he insists upon it that men

Sun and moon are darkened,

while stars have withdrawn their shining,

While Yahaweh from Zion roareth,

and from Jerusalem giveth his voice,

and heaven and earth are quaking.

While Yahaweh is a refuge to his people,

and a strong place to the sons of Israel" (iii. 14-16).

1 "O ye that long for the day of Yahaweh!

What is it to you, the day

of Yahaweh? It is darkness and not light. As when a man fleeth from

will find the day of Yahaweh fortunate for themselves only in case they are repentant and faithful. Amos specifically appeals to the clause in Exodus:

"For in the day of my visiting the transgressions of Israel upon him, I will visit upon the altars of Bethel," etc. (iii. 14, cf. Ex. xxxii. 34).

And with him "that day" is a frequent phrase.1 Obadiah and Amos enable us to see that the doctrine of the day of Yahaweh had taken a deep hold upon the men of their generation, so that it could be appealed to in popular preaching. To them we might add prophet after prophet, in passage after passage.2

Yahaweh

One notable phenomenon is that the day of Yahaweh is characteristically represented as "near," as impending (Joel i. 15, ii. 1, iii. 14; Isa. xiii. 6; Ezek. The day of xxx. 3; Zeph. i. 7, 14, etc.). This representa- always imtion is made by prophets who lived many pending generations apart, and therefore by prophets who knew that other prophets had made it generations before. Perhaps this indicates that the prophets thought of the day of Yahaweh as generic, not an occasion which would occur once for all, but one which might be repeated as circumstances called for it. However this before the lion, and the bear meeteth him. Or he entereth the house and leaneth his hand upon the wall, and the serpent biteth him. Is not the day of Yahaweh darkness and not light? and thick darkness, with no brightness to it?" (Am. v. 18-20).

1" And temple songs shall be howlings in that day" (viii. 3).

"In that day.. I will cause the sun to go in at noon (viii. 9). "In that day the fair virgins shall faint, and the youths, for thirst" (viii. 13).

"In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David" (ix. 11). Compare the passages that speak of "the evil day," or that use the phrase, "Behold days are coming” (vi. 3, iv. 2, viii. 11, ix. 13).

2 See articles in Homiletic Review, October and November, 1889, and February, 1890.

may be, the peculiarity in their representation exists. They picture the day as close at hand, not at one point of time only, but century after century.

The New Testament imagery

We are all familiar with these modes of representation in the forms which they assumed in the New Testament times. The pictures of Yahaweh with his retinue coming to judgment are reproduced in what is said concerning the Son of Man coming "in his glory, and all the angels with him," or concerning the Lord descending from heaven "with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God" (Matt. xxv. 31; 1 Thess. iv. 16), and in other like representations. No idea of the men of the New Testament is more marked than that of "the last days," as a period already reached in their time, but extending forward into eternity (Acts ii. 17; 2 Tim. iii. 1; Heb. i. 2, etc.). And "the day of the Lord," "the day of judgment," "that day," are expressions that occur scores of times (e.g. 2 Pet. iii. 10, 12; 1 Thess. v. 2, 4; Matt. vii. 22, xi. 22, 24). That these New Testament representations are those of the Old Testament in a widened form, and that they constitute an important part of the New Testament doctrine of the kingdom, are facts too obvious to require arguing.

CHAPTER XIV

MESSIANIC TERMS. YAHAWEH'S HHASIDH. OTHER

TERMS

In pursuing this subject, we will discuss somewhat in detail the term hhasidh, a term which in the prominence of its use in the Old Testament is surpassed only by the terms "Servant" and " Messiah"; and will afterward deal more briefly with the terms that remain.

I. Hhasidh is in the English versions translated variously by "holy one," "merciful one," "godly one," "gracious one," and in the plural by "saints"; and in each of these translations the Hebrew word is liable to be confused with other words. Hence, it seems expedient here to use the transferred Hebrew word rather than any translation of it.

The word hhasidh is used only in poetry, never in prose. It occurs in the Psalms twenty-five times; in the psalm-duplicates twice (2 Sam. xxii. 26; 2 Chron. vi. 41); and elsewhere five times (Deut. xxxiii. 8; 1 Sam. ii. 9; Prov. ii. 8; Jer. iii. 12; Mic. vii. 2).

Hhasidh is from the same stem with hhesedh, often translated "mercy," but properly "lovingkindness," the word that appears in the psalm-refrains, "for his mercy endureth forever," and in such phrases as "the assured mercies of David." The idea properly conveyed by the words of this stem is that of kindness or favor, or free grace never that of mercy in the sense of compassion. We shall probably cling to the musical English

phrase, “for his mercy endureth forever," but the exact rendering is, "his lovingkindness is to eternity."

When the words of this stem are translated by "holy" or "saint," that confuses them with the words of the very different stem, qadhash. The adjective of this latter stem denotes one who is holy in the sense of being separate by reason of his ceremonial or moral good character. Yahaweh himself is in this sense preëminently the Holy one, Israel is the one holy nation, angels or human persons may be holy (e.g. Lev. xx. 7,26; Dan. viii. 13, 13, 24; Job v. I, xv. 15; Pss. xvi. 3, xxxiv. 9). As differing from this, the adjective from the stem hhasadh should denote a kindly loved one, a dearly loved one, a favored one, one who is in favor, a favorite one, who is the object of gracious love and is treated accordingly.

The lovingkindness denoted by the words of this stem may be that of any person to any other person,1 but oftener than in all other uses combined it is Yahaweh's lovingkindness, under his promise, to Abraham, to Israel, to the line of David. This is, perhaps, exclusively the usage of hhasidh, as distinguished from the other words of the stem.

Hhasidh is properly the passive adjective of the stem, though it passes readily into a noun, and should, perhaps, in actual use, be always regarded as a noun. It denotes that wherein the quality denoted by the stem resides. That is, it denotes a person in whom lovingkindness is thought of as resident. When we find the word used of Yahaweh, he is presented as the person in whom his own lovingkindness dwells, whence it may be manifested for the benefit of his creatures. When we find it applied to men, it describes them as the de

1 For example, the lovingkindness of Abimelech or of Rebekah's family to Abraham (Gen. xxi. 23, xxiv. 49).