Grasshoppers are mentioned in the Bible as part of the natural world created by God, often symbolizing insignificance or overwhelming numbers. These insects are part of the order Orthoptera and are known for their powerful hind legs, which allow them to leap great distances. In the biblical context, grasshoppers are frequently associated with locusts, which are known for their swarming behavior and capacity to devastate crops.

Biblical References:

1. Numbers 13:33 : "We even saw the Nephilim there—the descendants of Anak that come from the Nephilim! We seemed like grasshoppers in our own sight, and we must have seemed the same to them." In this passage, the Israelite spies report back to Moses after exploring the land of Canaan. They describe themselves as grasshoppers in comparison to the inhabitants of the land, highlighting their perceived insignificance and vulnerability.

2. Judges 6:5 : "For the Midianites came with their livestock and their tents like a swarm of locusts. They and their camels were innumerable, and they entered the land to lay waste to it." Although the term "locusts" is used here, the imagery is similar to that of grasshoppers, emphasizing the overwhelming numbers and destructive potential of the Midianites.

3. 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." This verse uses the imagery of grasshoppers to convey the smallness of humanity in comparison to the majesty and sovereignty of God.

4. Ecclesiastes 12:5 : "when men fear the heights and dangers of the road, when the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and the caper berry shrivels—for then man goes to his eternal home and mourners walk the streets." Here, the grasshopper is used metaphorically to describe the frailty and burdens of old age.

Symbolism and Themes:

· Insignificance: Grasshoppers are often used to symbolize smallness and vulnerability, as seen in Numbers 13:33 and Isaiah 40:22. This imagery serves to remind believers of the greatness of God in contrast to human frailty.

· Destruction and Judgment: While grasshoppers themselves are not typically destructive, their association with locusts in biblical texts often conveys themes of judgment and devastation, as seen in the plagues of Egypt (Exodus 10:12-15) and the invasion of the Midianites (Judges 6:5).

· Frailty of Life: In Ecclesiastes 12:5, the grasshopper is used to illustrate the burdens and limitations of old age, reflecting on the transient nature of human life.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In the ancient Near East, grasshoppers and locusts were well-known for their impact on agriculture. Swarms could devastate crops, leading to famine and economic hardship. This historical reality underpins the biblical use of grasshoppers and locusts as symbols of destruction and divine judgment. The imagery would have been immediately recognizable to the original audience, underscoring the power and authority of God over creation and human affairs.1462. gob -- locusts
... 1461, 1462. gob. 1463 . locusts. Transliteration: gob Phonetic Spelling:
(gobe) Short Definition: grasshoppers. Word Origin from ...
/hebrew/1462.htm - 6k

2284. chagab -- locust, grasshopper
... Word Origin from an unused word Definition locust, grasshopper NASB Word
Usage grasshopper (2), grasshoppers (2), locust (1). locust. ...
/hebrew/2284.htm - 5k

Events of Early Christian Life
... One fall, not long after I was saved, the grasshoppers came to our part of the country,
and laid their eggs, and in the spring the young grasshoppers hatched ...
/.../cole/trials and triumphs of faith/chapter vi events of early.htm

Two Ways of Seeing
... And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we
were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight" (vs.31-33 ...
//christianbookshelf.org/naylor/heart talks/talk eight two ways of.htm

Discouragement
... And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we
were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight." Nothing ...
/.../smith/the god of all comfort/chapter 13 discouragement.htm

Afraid of Giants
... And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we
were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/afraid of giants.htm

Exhortation to Abandon the Impious Mysteries of Idolatry for the ...
... But there was a contest, and Eunomos was playing the lyre in the summer time: it
was when the grasshoppers, warmed by the sun, were chirping beneath the leaves ...
/.../clement/exhortation to the heathen/chapter i exhortation to abandon the.htm

section i.
... I wonder not at the French for their dishes of Frogs, Snails and Toadstools, nor
at the Jews for Locusts and Grasshoppers; but being amongst them, make them my ...
//christianbookshelf.org/browne/religio medici/section i 2.htm

Exploring Canaan by Faith
... We feel so faint. We can not conquer such a country. Why, see those giants,
we are no bigger than grasshoppers by the side of them! ...
/.../berry/adventures in the land of canaan/chapter five exploring canaan by.htm

John the Baptist
... honey. Locusts are like large grasshoppers, and poor people in the East often
eat them. They taste like shrimps, but are not so nice. ...
/.../anonymous/the good shepherd/chapter iv john the baptist.htm

The Story of the Grapes from Canaan
... They have cities with walls that reach almost up to the sky; and some of the men
are giants, so tall that we felt that we were like grasshoppers beside them.". ...
/.../marshall/the wonder book of bible stories/the story of the grapes.htm

The Infallibility of God's Purpose
... we mount up, as it were, with eagles' wings to him that sitteth upon the circle
of the earth, before whom all its inhabitants are as grasshoppers, we nestle in ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 7 1861/the infallibility of gods purpose.htm

Grasshoppers (11 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Grasshoppers (11 Occurrences). Numbers 13:33 There
we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who come of the ...
/g/grasshoppers.htm - 10k

Grasshopper (12 Occurrences)
... (See NAS NIV). Psalms 105:34 He spoke, and the locusts came, and the grasshoppers,
without number, (Root in WEB ASV NIV). ... Multiply like grasshoppers. ...
/g/grasshopper.htm - 12k

Insects (17 Occurrences)
... Lepidoptera, clothes-moth, silk-worm; Siphonaptera, flea; Diptera, fly; Rhynchota,
louse, scarletworm; Orthoptera, several kinds of grasshoppers and locusts. ...
/i/insects.htm - 14k

Locust (25 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) Any one of numerous species of long-winged, migratory, orthopterous insects,
of the family Acrididae, allied to the grasshoppers; esp., (Edipoda ...
/l/locust.htm - 34k

Swarming (19 Occurrences)
... The sword will cut you off. It will devour you like the grasshopper. Multiply
like grasshoppers. Multiply like the locust. (See NAS). ...
/s/swarming.htm - 12k

Grass-land (9 Occurrences)
Grass-land. Grasshoppers, Grass-land. Grasslands . Multi-Version Concordance ...
(BBE). Grasshoppers, Grass-land. Grasslands . Reference Bible.
/g/grass-land.htm - 9k

Nephilim (2 Occurrences)
... Numbers 13:33 There we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who come of the Nephilim:
and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight ...
/n/nephilim.htm - 8k

Gauze (2 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 40:22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants
thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a gauze ...
/g/gauze.htm - 7k

Marshals (1 Occurrence)
... Nahum 3:17 Thy princes are as the locusts, and thy marshals as the swarms of
grasshoppers, which encamp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth ...
/m/marshals.htm - 6k

Mowings (1 Occurrence)
... Amos 7:1 Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me; and, behold, he formed grasshoppers
in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, it was ...
/m/mowings.htm - 6k

Was Goliath one of the Nephilim? | GotQuestions.org

Who were the Canaanites? | GotQuestions.org

Who were the Anakim / Anakites? | GotQuestions.org

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