The Day of the Lord
Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. Joel 2:6
Before their face... Or, at their presence; at the sight of them they shall be in pain, as a woman in travail. Into such distress an army of locusts would throw them, since they might justly fear all the fruits of the earth would be devoured by them, and they should have nothing left to live upon.
מִנֵּ מִנִּ מִן
min minnı̂y minnêy
min, min-nee', min-nay'
For H4482; properly a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses: - above, after, among, at, because of, by (reason of), from (among), in, X neither, X nor, (out) of, over, since X then, through, X whether, with.
עַם
‛am
am
From H6004; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively a flock: - folk, men, nation, people.
חִיל חוּל
chûl chı̂yl
khool, kheel
A primitive root; properly to twist or whirl (in a circular or spiral manner), that is, (specifically) to dance, to writhe in pain (especially of parturition) or fear; figuratively to wait, to pervert: - bear, (make to) bring forth, (make to) calve, dance, drive away, fall grievously (with pain), fear, form, great, grieve, (be) grievous, hope, look, make, be in pain, be much (sore) pained, rest, shake, shapen, (be) sorrow (-ful), stay, tarry, travail (with pain), tremble, trust, wait carefully (patiently), be wounded.
all faces shall... Like that of a pot, as the word signifies; or such as appears in persons dying, or in fits and swoons; and this here, through fear and hunger (see Nah. 2:10).
כּוֹל כֹּל
kôl kôl
kole, kole
From H3634; properly the whole; hence all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense): - (in) all (manner, [ye]), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, [no-] thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso (-ever).
פָּנִים
pânı̂ym
paw-neem'
Plural (but always used as a singular) of an unused noun (פָּנֶה pâneh, paw-neh'; from 6437); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.): - + accept, a (be-) fore (-time), against, anger, X as (long as), at, + battle, + because (of), + beseech, countenance, edge, + employ, endure, + inquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront (-part), form (-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, X him (-self), + honourable, + impudent, + in, it, look [-eth] (-s), X me, + meet, X more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), X on, open, + out of, over against, the partial, person, + please, presence, prospect, was purposed, by reason, of, + regard, right forth, + serve, X shewbread, sight, state, straight, + street, X thee, X them (-selves), through (+ -out), till, time (-s) past, (un-) to (-ward), + upon, upside (+ down), with (-in, + stand), X ye, X you.
קָבַץ
qâbats
kaw-bats'
A primitive root; to grasp, that is, collect: - assemble (selves), gather (bring) (together, selves together, up), heap, resort, X surely, take up.
פָּארוּר
pâ'rûr
paw-roor'
From H6286, properly illuminated, that is, a glow; as noun, a flush (of anxiety): - blackness.
Some of the translators say this is speaking of a paleness that comes over the face, when the blood runs out. Their hearts would fail them for fear of things coming upon the earth. It could very well be speaking of mourning, to the extent that the face became black with death.
The relentless charge of the Lord’s army
The response to this awesome army of God was widespread terror, for it involved nations. In anguish ḥûl literally refers to writhing, as when a woman is overcome by labor pains (cf. ḥûl in Isa. 26:17; Jer. 4:31; Mic. 4:10). This same response is seen elsewhere in contexts where the Lord comes to do battle (cf. Exo. 15:14; Deut. 2:25; Psm. 77:16; 97:4; Isa. 13:8; Hab. 3:10).