Midrasch zu Joel 2:20

R. Avira, and according to others, R. Joshua b. Levi, expounded: "There are seven names for the evil inclination. The Holy One, praised be He I calls him evil, as it is said (Gen. 8, 21) The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; Moses calls him obduracy, as it is said (Deut. 10, 17) Remove the obduracy of your heart; and when he says a clean heart, it must be an unclean one. Solomon calls him enemy, as it is said (Prov. 25, 21) If thy enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink; for though thou gatherest coals of fire upon his head, yet will the Lord repay it unto thee. Do not read Yeshalem L'cha (repay thee), but read it Yashlimenu L'cha (he will make him peaceful toward thee ). Isaiah calls him stumbling block, as it is said (Is. 57, 14) And he will say. Cast ye up, cast ye up, clear out of the way, lift up every stumbling-block out of the way of my people. Ezekiel names him stone, as it is said (Ex. 36, 26) I will remove the heart of stone out of your body. Joel calls him Z'phoni, as it is said (Joel 2, 20) And the host of the (Z'phoni) north will I remove.

Our Rabbis were taught: And the host of the north will I remove from you (Ib.), refers to the evil inclination which is hidden in a man's heart; and I will drive it into a land barren and desolate (Ib.); i.e., [to a place] where men do not live, lest it might tempt them; With its advance towards the eastern sea (Ib.) [implies that] it set its eyes on the first Temple, and destroyed it, and killed the scholars that were there; And its rearward toward the western sea (Ib.), [implies that] it set its eyes on the second Temple, and destroyed it, and killed the scholars that were there. (Ib.) And its stench shall ascend, and its ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things [implies that] it leaves out the other nations and comes to tempt only the Israelites, (Ib.) He hath done great things, [implies, according to] Abayi, [that] "scholars it tempts more than any one else."