Joel 1:4 What the devouring locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust has left, the young locust has eaten; and what the young locust has left, the destroying locust has eaten.

◄ Joel 1:4 ►

New International Version
What the locust swarm has left the great locusts have eaten; what the great locusts have left the young locusts have eaten; what the young locusts have left other locusts have eaten.

New Living Translation
After the cutting locusts finished eating the crops, the swarming locusts took what was left! After them came the hopping locusts, and then the stripping locusts, too!

English Standard Version
What the cutting locust left, the swarming locust has eaten. What the swarming locust left, the hopping locust has eaten, and what the hopping locust left, the destroying locust has eaten.

Berean Standard Bible
What the devouring locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust has left, the young locust has eaten; and what the young locust has left, the destroying locust has eaten.

King James Bible
That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten.

New King James Version
What the chewing locust left, the swarming locust has eaten; What the swarming locust left, the crawling locust has eaten; And what the crawling locust left, the consuming locust has eaten.

New American Standard Bible
What the gnawing locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; And what the swarming locust has left, the creeping locust has eaten; And what the creeping locust has left, the stripping locust has eaten.

NASB 1995
What the gnawing locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; And what the swarming locust has left, the creeping locust has eaten; And what the creeping locust has left, the stripping locust has eaten.

NASB 1977
What the gnawing locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; And what the swarming locust has left, the creeping locust has eaten; And what the creeping locust has left, the stripping locust has eaten.

Legacy Standard Bible
What the gnawing locust has left, the swarming locust has consumed; And what the swarming locust has left, the creeping locust has consumed; And what the creeping locust has left, the stripping locust has consumed.

Amplified Bible
What the gnawing locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; And what the swarming locust has left, the creeping locust has eaten; And what the creeping locust has left, the stripping locust has eaten [in judgment of Judah].

Christian Standard Bible
What the devouring locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust has left, the young locust has eaten; and what the young locust has left, the destroying locust has eaten.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
What the devouring locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust has left, the young locust has eaten; and what the young locust has left, the destroying locust has eaten.

American Standard Version
That which the palmer-worm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the canker-worm eaten; and that which the canker-worm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten.

Contemporary English Version
Swarm after swarm of locusts has attacked our crops, eating everything in sight.

English Revised Version
That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
What young locusts leave, mature locusts will eat. What mature locusts leave, adult locusts will eat. What adult locusts leave, grasshoppers will eat.

Good News Translation
Swarm after swarm of locusts settled on the crops; what one swarm left, the next swarm devoured.

International Standard Version
Whatever the devouring locust left behind the locust swarm has consumed! Whatever the locust swarm has left behind, the young locust has consumed! Whatever the young locust has left behind, the ravaging locust has consumed!"

Majority Standard Bible
What the devouring locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust has left, the young locust has eaten; and what the young locust has left, the destroying locust has eaten.

NET Bible
What the gazam -locust left the 'arbeh -locust consumed, what the 'arbeh -locust left the yeleq -locust consumed, and what the yeleq -locust left the hasil -locust consumed!

New Heart English Bible
What the swarming locust has left, the great locust has eaten. What the great locust has left, the grasshopper has eaten. What the grasshopper has left, the caterpillar has eaten.

Webster's Bible Translation
That which the palmer-worm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the canker-worm eaten; and that which the canker-worm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten.

World English Bible
What the swarming locust has left, the great locust has eaten. What the great locust has left, the grasshopper has eaten. What the grasshopper has left, the caterpillar has eaten.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
What is left of the palmer-worm, the locust has eaten, "" And what is left of the locust, "" The cankerworm has eaten, "" And what is left of the cankerworm, "" The caterpillar has eaten.

Young's Literal Translation
What is left of the palmer-worm, eaten hath the locust, And what is left of the locust, Eaten hath the cankerworm, And what is left of the cankerworm, Eaten hath the caterpillar.

Smith's Literal Translation
The residue of the creeping locust the common locust ate; and the residue of the common locust the feeder ate; and the residue of the feeder the devourer ate.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
That which the palmerworm hath left, the locust hath eaten: and that which the locust hath left, the bruchus hath eaten: and that which the bruchus hath left, the mildew hath destroyed.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The locust has eaten what the caterpillar has left, and the beetle has eaten what the locust has left, and the mildew has eaten what the beetle has left.

New American Bible
What the cutter left, the swarming locust has devoured; What the swarming locust left, the hopper has devoured; What the hopper left, the consuming locust has devoured.

New Revised Standard Version
What the cutting locust left, the swarming locust has eaten. What the swarming locust left, the hopping locust has eaten, and what the hopping locust left, the destroying locust has eaten.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
What the palmerworm has left, the locust has eaten; and what the swarming locust has left, the crawling locust has eaten; and what the crawling locust has left, the cankerworm has eaten.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Anything that is left of the palmer worm the flying locust has eaten, and anything that is left of the flying locust the crawling locust has eaten and anything that is left of the crawling locust the locust has eaten

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
That which the palmer-worm hath left hath the locust eaten; And that which the locust hath left hath the canker-worm eaten; And that which the canker-worm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
The leavings of the caterpillar has the locust eaten, and the leavings of the locust has the palmerworm eaten, and the leavings of the palmerworm has the cankerworm eaten.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Invasion of Locusts
…3Tell it to your children; let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. 4What the devouring locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust has left, the young locust has eaten; and what the young locust has left, the destroying locust has eaten. 5Wake up, you drunkards, and weep; wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the sweet wine, for it has been cut off from your mouth.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Exodus 10:12-15
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt, so that the locusts may swarm over it and devour every plant in the land—everything that the hail has left behind.” / So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and throughout that day and night the LORD sent an east wind across the land. By morning the east wind had brought the locusts. / The locusts swarmed across the land and settled over the entire territory of Egypt. Never before had there been so many locusts, and never again will there be. ...

Amos 4:9
“I struck you with blight and mildew in your growing gardens and vineyards; the locust devoured your fig and olive trees, yet you did not return to Me,” declares the LORD.

Deuteronomy 28:38-42
You will sow much seed in the field but harvest little, because the locusts will consume it. / You will plant and cultivate vineyards, but will neither drink the wine nor gather the grapes, because worms will eat them. / You will have olive trees throughout your territory but will never anoint yourself with oil, because the olives will drop off. ...

Revelation 9:3-10
And out of the smoke, locusts descended on the earth, and they were given power like that of the scorpions of the earth. / They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. / The locusts were not given power to kill them, but only to torment them for five months, and their torment was like the stinging of a scorpion. ...

Isaiah 33:4
Your spoil, O nations, is gathered as by locusts; like a swarm of locusts men sweep over it.

Jeremiah 51:14
The LORD of Hosts has sworn by Himself: “Surely I will fill you up with men as with locusts, and they will shout in triumph over you.”

Nahum 3:15-17
There the fire will devour you; the sword will cut you down and consume you like a young locust. Make yourself many like the young locust; make yourself many like the swarming locust! / You have multiplied your merchants more than the stars of the sky. The young locust strips the land and flies away. / Your guards are like the swarming locust, and your scribes like clouds of locusts that settle on the walls on a cold day. When the sun rises, they fly away, and no one knows where.

Revelation 9:7-8
And the locusts looked like horses prepared for battle, with something like crowns of gold on their heads; and their faces were like the faces of men. / They had hair like that of women, and teeth like those of lions.

Psalm 105:34-35
He spoke, and the locusts came—young locusts without number. / They devoured every plant in their land and consumed the produce of their soil.

Isaiah 14:23
“I will make her a place for owls and for swamplands; I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of Hosts.

Jeremiah 46:23
They will chop down her forest, declares the LORD, dense though it may be, for they are more numerous than locusts; they cannot be counted.

1 Kings 8:37
When famine or plague comes upon the land, or blight or mildew or locusts or grasshoppers, or when their enemy besieges them in their cities, whatever plague or sickness may come,

Revelation 8:7
Then the first angel sounded his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood were hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, along with a third of the trees and all the green grass.

Isaiah 24:1-3
Behold, the LORD lays waste the earth and leaves it in ruins. He will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants— / people and priest alike, servant and master, maid and mistress, buyer and seller, lender and borrower, creditor and debtor. / The earth will be utterly laid waste and thoroughly plundered. For the LORD has spoken this word.

Ezekiel 38:9
You and all your troops, and many peoples with you will go up, advancing like a thunderstorm; you will be like a cloud covering the land.

Treasury of Scripture

That which the palmerworm has left has the locust eaten; and that which the locust has left has the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm has left has the caterpillar eaten.

That which the palmer-worm hath left.

Joel 2:25
And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

Amos 4:9
I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

Exodus 10:4
Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast:

the locust eaten.

Exodus 10:12-15
And 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…

Deuteronomy 28:38,42
Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little in; for the locust shall consume it…

1 Kings 8:37
If 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;

the canker-worm eaten.

Nahum 3:15-17
There 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…

the caterpillar.

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

Jeremiah 51:14,27
The 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…

Jump to Previous

Cankerworm Canker-Worm Caterpillar Caterpiller Creeping Cutting Destroying Eaten Food Gnawing Grasshopper Great Hopping Locust Meal Palmerworm Palmer-Worm Plant-Worm Stripping Swarm Swarming Worm Young

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Joel 1

1. Joel, declaring various judgments of God, exhorts to observe them,
8. and to mourn.
14. He prescribes a solemn fast to deprecate those judgments.

Berean Study Bible

What the devouring locust has left
The Hebrew word for "devouring locust" is "gazam," which refers to a specific stage in the locust's life cycle. This term is often associated with destruction and consumption. In the context of Joel, the locusts symbolize a devastating plague that has stripped the land of its resources. Historically, locust plagues were common in the ancient Near East and could decimate crops, leading to famine and economic ruin. Spiritually, this phrase can be seen as a metaphor for the consequences of sin and disobedience, where what is left after initial judgment is still subject to further devastation.

the swarming locust has eaten
The term "swarming locust" translates from the Hebrew "arbeh," which describes the locusts in their most numerous and destructive phase. This imagery emphasizes the overwhelming nature of the judgment that has come upon the land. In a spiritual sense, it reflects how sin can multiply and spread, consuming everything in its path. The historical context of locust swarms in the Bible often serves as a call to repentance, urging the people to turn back to God before further calamity ensues.

what the swarming locust has left
This repetition underscores the completeness of the devastation. The phrase suggests that even after one wave of destruction, the land is not spared but is instead subjected to further ruin. This can be seen as a warning of the progressive nature of judgment when people persist in their rebellion against God. It serves as a reminder of the need for vigilance and repentance to prevent further spiritual decline.

the young locust has devoured
The "young locust," or "yeleq" in Hebrew, refers to a stage in the locust's development where they are still capable of causing significant damage. This stage represents the ongoing nature of the threat, as even the younger, less mature locusts contribute to the devastation. In a spiritual context, this can symbolize how even seemingly minor sins or compromises can lead to significant spiritual harm if left unchecked.

what the young locust has left
This phrase highlights the relentless nature of the destruction. It suggests that after multiple waves of devastation, there is still more to come. Theologically, it serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of turning away from God and the need for sincere repentance to halt the cycle of judgment.

the destroying locust has consumed
The "destroying locust," or "chasil" in Hebrew, represents the final stage of the locust plague, where the remaining resources are utterly consumed. This term conveys a sense of total annihilation, leaving nothing behind. In the biblical narrative, this ultimate destruction serves as a powerful call to repentance and renewal. It underscores the message that without turning back to God, the consequences of sin can lead to complete spiritual desolation.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(4) That which the palmerworm hath left.--The picture is introduced suddenly and graphically. "Behold the desolation!" "Note the cause." The earth is bared by locusts beyond all previous experience. There were different sorts of locusts; as many as ninety have been reckoned. The four names, palmerworm, locust, cankerworm, caterpiller, indicate different swarms of the insect. The first--Gazam--points to its voracity; the second--Arbeh--its multitude; the third--Yelek--its manner of "licking up" the grass like cattle; the fourth--Chasil--its destructive effect. The number enumerated, four, draws attention to the "four sore judgments" with which Ezekiel was instructed to threaten Jerusalem, and to the four foreign invasions by the Assyrians, Chaldaeans, Macedonians, and Romans.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 4. - That which the palmer-worm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the canker-worm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten. Some interpreters consider, and rightly, we think, that the prophet enumerates in this verse four different species of locusts. The common or general name is arbeh, from rabhah, to be many; the gazam, or palmer-worm, is the gnawer, or biter, from a root (guzam) which signifies "to gnaw, bite, or cut off;" the yeleq, or canker-worm, is the licker, from yalaqlaqaq, to lick, or lick off; the chasil, or caterpillar, is the devourer, from chasal, to cut off. Thus we have the locust, or multitudinous one, the gnawer, the licker, and the devourer, either as

(1) four different species of locust; or

(2) the gnawer, licker, and devourer are poetical epithets of the locust, or multitudinous one.

These names do not denote the locust . . .

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

What the devouring locust
הַגָּזָם֙ (hag·gā·zām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1501: A kind of locust

has left,
יֶ֤תֶר (ye·ṯer)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3499: An overhanging, an excess, superiority, remainder, a small rope

the swarming locust
הָֽאַרְבֶּ֔ה (hā·’ar·beh)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 697: (a kind of) locust

has eaten;
אָכַ֣ל (’ā·ḵal)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 398: To eat

what the swarming locust
הָאַרְבֶּ֖ה (hā·’ar·beh)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 697: (a kind of) locust

has left,
וְיֶ֥תֶר (wə·ye·ṯer)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3499: An overhanging, an excess, superiority, remainder, a small rope

the young locust
הַיָּ֑לֶק (hay·yā·leq)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3218: A devourer, the young locust

has eaten;
אָכַ֣ל (’ā·ḵal)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 398: To eat

and what the young locust
הַיֶּ֔לֶק (hay·ye·leq)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3218: A devourer, the young locust

has left,
וְיֶ֣תֶר (wə·ye·ṯer)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3499: An overhanging, an excess, superiority, remainder, a small rope

the destroying locust
הֶחָסִֽיל׃ (he·ḥā·sîl)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2625: The ravager, a locust

has eaten.
אָכַ֖ל (’ā·ḵal)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 398: To eat

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OT Prophets: Joel 1:4 What the swarming locust has left (Jl Joe.)