Joel 1 (KJV) - Bible Truth Library

The learned Bochart, and others, are of the opinion that the four Hebrew words, {gazam, yelek, arbeh, chasil}, respectively rendered the palmer-worm, locust, canker-worm and caterpillar, denote four different species of locusts.

See on

Ex. 10:4• ⁴Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast: (Ex. 10:4)

the locust eaten.

Ex. 10:12‑15• ¹²And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left.
¹³And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.
¹⁴And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.
¹⁵For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt. (Ex. 10:12‑15)

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Deut. 28:38,42• ³⁸Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little in; for the locust shall consume it.
⁴²All thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume. (Deut. 28:38,42)

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1 Kings 8:37• ³⁷If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpiller; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be; (1 Kings 8:37)

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2 Chron. 6:28• ²⁸If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillers; if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land; whatsoever sore or whatsoever sickness there be: (2 Chron. 6:28)

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2 Chron. 7:13• ¹³If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; (2 Chron. 7:13)

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Psa. 78:46• ⁴⁶He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labor unto the locust. (Psa. 78:46)

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Psa. 105:34• ³⁴He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number, (Psa. 105:34)

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Amos 7:1• ¹Thus hath the Lord God showed unto me; and, behold, he formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king's mowings. (Amos 7:1)

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Rev. 9:3‑7• ³And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
⁴And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
⁵And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
⁶And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
⁷And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. (Rev. 9:3‑7)

the canker-worm eaten.

Nah. 3:15‑17• ¹⁵There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall eat thee up like the cankerworm: make thyself many as the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locusts.
¹⁶Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and flieth away.
¹⁷Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are. (Nah. 3:15‑17)

the caterpillar.

Isa. 33:4• ⁴And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpiller: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them. (Isa. 33:4)

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Jer. 51:14,27• ¹⁴The Lord of hosts hath sworn by himself, saying, Surely I will fill thee with men, as with caterpillers; and they shall lift up a shout against thee.
²⁷Set ye up a standard in the land, blow the trumpet among the nations, prepare the nations against her, call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashchenaz; appoint a captain against her; cause the horses to come up as the rough caterpillers. (Jer. 51:14,27)

• Through this present calamity, the great closing calamities of Israel are seen, as by the far-seeing eye of Him who knows the end from the beginning, and in the grace of Him who would fain sound an alarm in the ears of the people, that they may prepare themselves for a day of visitation. (“Joel”)

• It is a mistake to suppose that God would in any way be demeaned by noticing the depredations of these various locusts. He takes the liveliest interest in His people for their joy and blessing. He concerns Himself about every sorrow which weighs them down, and deigns to use that which is afflicting for good. Consequently the Spirit of God does not think it beneath His notice to bring before the people of God that which God intended by these successive depredations. Chapter 1 brings them before us; but the connection which follows shows that they were only admonitory facts then. (“Joel 1” by W. Kelly)

• “That which the palmerworm [or gnawing locust] hath left hath the [swarming] locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm [or licking locust] eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpillar [or consuming locust] eaten.” All this I take in its plain literal import, as having actually occurred then. (“Joel 1” by W. Kelly)

J. N. Darby Translation

that which the palmer-worma hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworma eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpillarb eaten.

JND Translation Notes

Probably different species of locust, or in different stages of growth, as "grub," "creeper," "feeder." See Note, Ps. 105.34.

Or "devourer." see Ps. 78.46; some think the "locust" in its winged state.