Proverbs 30:27
New International Version
locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks;

New Living Translation
Locusts—they have no king, but they march in formation.

English Standard Version
the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank;

Berean Standard Bible
the locusts have no king, yet they all advance in formation;

King James Bible
The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;

New King James Version
The locusts have no king, Yet they all advance in ranks;

New American Standard Bible
The locusts have no king, Yet all of them go out in ranks;

NASB 1995
The locusts have no king, Yet all of them go out in ranks;

NASB 1977
The locusts have no king, Yet all of them go out in ranks;

Legacy Standard Bible
The locusts have no king, Yet all of them go out in rank;

Amplified Bible
The locusts have no king, Yet all of them go out in groups;

Christian Standard Bible
locusts have no king, yet all of them march in ranks;

Holman Christian Standard Bible
locusts have no king, yet all of them march in ranks;

American Standard Version
The locusts have no king, Yet go they forth all of them by bands;

Contemporary English Version
locusts, who have no king, but march like an army;

English Revised Version
The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Locusts have no king, yet all of them divide into swarms by instinct.

Good News Translation
Locusts: they have no king, but they move in formation.

International Standard Version
Locusts have no king, but they all swarm in ranks.

Majority Standard Bible
the locusts have no king, yet they all advance in formation;

NET Bible
locusts have no king, but they all go forward by ranks;

New Heart English Bible
The locusts have no king, yet they advance in ranks.

Webster's Bible Translation
The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;

World English Bible
The locusts have no king, yet they advance in ranks.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
There is no king to the locust, "" And it goes out—each one shouting,

Young's Literal Translation
A king there is not to the locust, And it goeth out -- each one shouting,

Smith's Literal Translation
To the locust no king, and it will go forth divided all of them;
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The locust hath no king, yet they all go out by their bands.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The locust has no king, but they all depart by their troops.

New American Bible
Locusts—they have no king, yet they march forth in formation;

New Revised Standard Version
the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The locusts who have no king, and yet they all gather together.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And locusts that have no King over them and they all assemble together,
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
The locusts have no king, Yet go they forth all of them by bands;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
The locusts have no king, and yet march orderly at one command.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Words of Agur
26the rock badgers are creatures of little power, yet they make their homes in the rocks; 27the locusts have no king, yet they all advance in formation; 28and the lizard can be caught in one’s hands, yet it is found in the palaces of kings.…

Cross References
Judges 6:5
For the Midianites came with their livestock and their tents like a great swarm of locusts. They and their camels were innumerable, and they entered the land to ravage it.

Joel 2:25
I will repay you for the years eaten by locusts—the swarming locust, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust—My great army that I sent against you.

Nahum 3:17
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.

Exodus 10:4-6
But if you refuse to let My people go, I will bring locusts into your territory tomorrow. / They will cover the face of the land so that no one can see it. They will devour whatever is left after the hail and eat every tree that grows in your fields. / They will fill your houses and the houses of all your officials and every Egyptian—something neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen since the day they came into this land.’” Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh’s presence.

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.

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

Amos 7:1
This is what the Lord GOD showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts just after the king’s harvest, as the late spring crop was coming up.

Matthew 3:4
John wore a garment of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

Mark 1:6
John was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

Revelation 9:3-7
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. ...

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. ...

Psalm 78:46
He gave their crops to the grasshopper, the fruit of their labor to the locust.

Isaiah 40:22
He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth; its dwellers are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

Luke 10:19
Behold, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you.


Treasury of Scripture

The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;

the locusts

Exodus 10:4-6,13-15
Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast: …

Psalm 104:34
My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.

Joel 1:4,6,7
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…

by bands or gathered together

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Advance Bands Forth Locusts March Rank Ranks Shouting Together
Proverbs 30
1. Agur's confession of his faith
7. The two points of his prayer
10. The meanest are not to be wronged
11. Four wicked generations
15. Four things insatiable
24. four things exceeding wise
29. Four things stately
32. Wrath is to be prevented














locusts
The Hebrew word for "locusts" is "אַרְבֶּה" (arbeh). Locusts are mentioned frequently in the Bible, often symbolizing destruction and judgment, as seen in the plagues of Egypt (Exodus 10:12-15). Despite their destructive nature, locusts are also a testament to God's creation and the order He instills in nature. They are small creatures, yet they have a significant impact, demonstrating that even the seemingly insignificant can be used mightily by God.

have no king
The phrase "have no king" highlights the absence of a centralized leadership or authority among locusts. In the ancient Near Eastern context, a king was often seen as essential for order and governance. However, the locusts' ability to function effectively without a king serves as a metaphor for divine order and wisdom. It suggests that God's creation operates under His sovereign guidance, even when human structures of authority are absent.

yet they all advance
The Hebrew root for "advance" is "יָצָא" (yatsa), meaning to go out or come forth. This word conveys movement and purpose. The locusts' advancement is a powerful image of unity and collective action. Despite lacking a leader, they move with a singular purpose, illustrating the potential for harmony and cooperation within God's creation. This can inspire believers to trust in God's guidance and work together for His purposes, even when human leadership is lacking.

in formation
The phrase "in formation" suggests an organized and orderly movement. The Hebrew word "חָצַץ" (chatsats) implies a structured arrangement. This imagery of locusts moving in formation without a king underscores the theme of divine order. It reflects the wisdom and providence of God, who orchestrates His creation with precision and purpose. For believers, this serves as a reminder of the importance of unity and the power of working together under God's direction, trusting in His perfect plan.

Verse 27. - The locusts have no king (Proverbs 6:7), yet they show discipline, guidance, and order. They go forth all of them by bands; so that Joel (Joel 2:7, 8) speaks of them as a well-ordered army, as it were men of war, marching every one on his ways, not entangling their ranks, walking every one in his path. Septuagint, "The locusts are without a king, yet march at one command in good order."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
the locusts
לָאַרְבֶּ֑ה (lā·’ar·beh)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 697: (a kind of) locust

have no
אֵ֣ין (’ên)
Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

king,
מֶ֭לֶךְ (me·leḵ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

yet they all
כֻּלּֽוֹ׃ (kul·lōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

advance
וַיֵּצֵ֖א (way·yê·ṣê)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

in formation;
חֹצֵ֣ץ (ḥō·ṣêṣ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 2686: To chop into, pierce, sever, to curtail, to distribute, to shoot an arrow


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 30:27 The locusts have no king yet they (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 30:26
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