The Bible

 

Joel 1:15

Study

       

15 Ahi lasso! l’orribil giorno! perciocchè il giorno del Signore è vicino, e verrà come un guasto fatto dall’Onnipotente.


To many Protestant and Evangelical Italians, the Bibles translated by Giovanni Diodati are an important part of their history. Diodati’s first Italian Bible edition was printed in 1607, and his second in 1641. He died in 1649. Throughout the 1800s two editions of Diodati’s text were printed by the British Foreign Bible Society. This is the more recent 1894 edition, translated by Claudiana.

Commentary

 

Shaddai

  

'Shaddai,' as in Genesis 43:14, signifies temptation, and consolation after temptation. This is because the ancients called the one and only God by various names according to the various things from Him. As they believed also that temptations are from Him, they called God on this occasion 'Shaddai,' but they did not mean another God, but the only God regarding temptations. When the ancient church declined, they began to worship as many gods as there were names of the one and only God. They also added several more. This custom was eventually so prevalent, that every family had its own god, and he was distinguished altogether from the rest which were worshipped by other families. The family of Terah, which Abraham came from, worshipped Shaddai for its God. So not only Abraham, but also Jacob, acknowledged Him as their God, and also in the land of Canaan. This was permitted for them, in case they should be forced from their religion. No one is forced away from what he regards as holy. As the ancients understood 'Shaddai' to be Jehovah himself or the Lord, as He was called when they underwent temptations, therefore Jehovah or the Lord took this name, when appearing to Abraham, as in Genesis 17:1, and appearing to Jacob, as in Genesis 35:11. 'Shaddai' does not mean temptation only, but also consolation, because all spiritual temptations are followed by consolation. When anyone in the other life suffers hardships from evil spirits, he is received by the angels and is brought into a state of comfort by delight agreeable to his disposition and temper.

(References: Arcana Coelestia 5628)