יואל, פרק ב׳, פסוק ו׳

The approach of a massive, unstoppable army casts a paralyzing dread over everyone in its path. The sheer scale of the threat triggers a profound physical reaction, capturing the intense anxiety that grips the surrounding populations. Overwhelmed by trembling and shuddering [מצודת ציון], these nations are so completely terrified that they cannot even summon the courage to mount a defense or fight back against the overwhelming force [אבן עזרא, מלבי״ם, אברבנאל].

This deep fear becomes visibly etched onto the faces of the people. The poetic imagery used to describe this facial transformation is understood in a few distinct ways. The primary approach among commentators is that the faces of the terrified onlookers turn dark and gloomy. In this view, the terror affects their appearance so drastically that their faces become blackened, resembling the charred bottom of a cooking pot.

Alternatively, the description points to a sudden loss of beauty and vitality. Deep sorrow and panic cause the natural splendor of the face to be withdrawn and vanish, much like stars pulling back their light from the sky [אבן עזרא, מלבי״ם]. This loss of vitality manifests in a deeply physical way, as the face shrinks, wrinkles, and appears as though it is crumbling under the weight of the dread [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The commentators explore how the specific action of gathering applies to this facial transformation. Some note that gathering typically refers to collecting scattered physical objects, making it difficult to apply to abstract qualities like light or beauty. This observation lends support to the idea that the faces are simply blackened like a pot [רד״ק]. On the other hand, the concept of gathering perfectly captures the physical tightening, shrinking, and wrinkling of a face entirely consumed by anxiety [מלבי״ם].