The term "swarmed" in the biblical context often refers to a large, overwhelming presence or movement, typically of insects or animals, that covers or fills an area. This concept is frequently associated with divine judgment or natural phenomena orchestrated by God to fulfill His purposes.

Biblical Instances:

1. Plagues of Egypt:
One of the most notable instances of swarming in the Bible is during the plagues of Egypt. In Exodus 8:21, God warns Pharaoh through Moses, "But if you will not let My people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies, and even the ground where they stand." This plague of flies was a demonstration of God's power and a judgment against the Egyptians for their oppression of the Israelites.

2. Locusts:
Another significant example is the plague of locusts described in Exodus 10:12-15. The Lord instructs Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt, so that locusts will swarm over the land and devour every plant in the fields, everything left by the hail." The locusts covered the land and consumed all vegetation, symbolizing the totality of God's judgment and the futility of resisting His will.

3. Joel's Prophecy:
The prophet Joel also speaks of a locust swarm as a metaphor for an invading army and a call to repentance. Joel 1:4 states, "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." This imagery serves as a warning to the people of Israel about the consequences of their disobedience and the need for spiritual renewal.

Theological Significance:

In the biblical narrative, swarming is often used to illustrate the overwhelming and inescapable nature of God's judgment. It serves as a reminder of His sovereignty over creation and His ability to use natural elements to accomplish His divine purposes. The swarms are not merely natural disasters but are depicted as instruments of divine will, emphasizing the seriousness of sin and the necessity of obedience to God.

Symbolism and Lessons:

The imagery of swarming in the Bible also carries symbolic weight. It represents chaos, destruction, and the loss of control, contrasting with the order and peace that come from living in accordance with God's commandments. These events call believers to reflect on their own lives, urging them to seek God's mercy and align themselves with His will to avoid spiritual desolation.

Practical Application:

For contemporary believers, the concept of swarming can serve as a metaphor for the overwhelming challenges and trials that may arise in life. Just as the Israelites were called to trust in God's deliverance during the plagues, Christians today are encouraged to rely on God's strength and guidance in times of difficulty, trusting that He is in control and will provide a way through the chaos.(imp. & p. p.) of Swarm.8317. sharats -- to swarm, teem
... root Definition to swarm, teem NASB Word Usage breed abundantly (1), increased greatly
(1), populate the abundantly (1), swarm (3), swarmed (2), swarms (5 ...
/hebrew/8317.htm - 6k

Book Seven the Conversion to Neoplatonism. ...
... cried out violently against all fantasms, [177] and with this one clear certainty
I endeavored to brush away the swarm of unclean flies that swarmed around the ...
/.../augustine/confessions and enchiridion/book seven the conversion to.htm

The Races --A Letter
... from the number of its customers. The hobby-horses swarmed with Negresses
and Hindoos of the lower order. The Negresses, I am sorry ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter xv the racesa letter.htm

John's Rebuke of Herod.
... And the result of that message, conveyed by the symbol of baptism, was that the
desert swarmed with crowds who owned the attractive spell of the power of a new ...
/.../robertson/sermons preached at brighton/xxi johns rebuke of herod.htm

Chapter ten
... The tent swarmed with a confused crowd of faces and he knew he was sitting there
hemmed in by a mob of people, but they had no meaning to him. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sheldon/in his steps/chapter ten.htm

Chrysostom as Patriarch of Constantinople. AD 398-404.
... dressing, and enjoined upon the rich the duty of almsgiving to an extent that tended
to increase rather than diminish the number of beggars who swarmed in the ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/chapter vii chrysostom as patriarch of.htm

Costly and Fatal Help
... his gods. From all sides the invaders came. From north, northeast, east,
south-east, south, they swarmed in upon him. They tore ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/costly and fatal help.htm

'Fit, Though Few'
... For seven years these Midianite marauders had paralysed Israel, and year by year
had swarmed up this valley from the eastern desert, and thence by the great ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/fit though few.htm

The Last Agony
... in the northern wall (as Josephus tells us, 'at midnight'), and through it, on the
ninth day of the fourth month (corresponding to July), swarmed the conquerors ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/the last agony.htm

Then Moses, Exulting in the Safety of his Own People...
... But that which was thus laid up swarmed with worms, while its fetid odor was dreadful,
yet that which was laid up on the sixth day with a view to the Sabbath ...
/.../life and writings of sulpitius severus /chapter xvi then moses exulting.htm

Now this one Great Point Consists of Two Essential Parts...
... For here all the labored volumes of infidelity, with which these last ages have
swarmed, are at once rendered useless, and cannot put so much as a little ...
/.../law/the way to divine knowledge/way-1-44 now this one great.htm

Swarmed (3 Occurrences)
... (imp. & pp) of Swarm. Multi-Version Concordance Swarmed (3 Occurrences). ... (DBY). Psalms
105:30 Their land swarmed with frogs, even in the chambers of their kings. ...
/s/swarmed.htm - 7k

Swarm (26 Occurrences)
... Genesis 1:21 God created the large sea creatures, and every living creature that
moves, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird ...
/s/swarm.htm - 15k

Winged (69 Occurrences)
... Genesis 1:21 God created the large sea creatures, and every living creature that
moves, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird ...
/w/winged.htm - 26k

Wing (18 Occurrences)
... Genesis 1:21 God created the large sea creatures, and every living creature that
moves, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird ...
/w/wing.htm - 15k

Frogs (14 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV). Psalms 105:30 Their land swarmed
with frogs, even in the chambers of their kings. (WEB ...
/f/frogs.htm - 10k

Dove (27 Occurrences)
... lustrous feathers. The rock dove swarmed over, through, and among the cliffs
of mountains and the fissures of caves and ravines. The ...
/d/dove.htm - 28k

Midian (60 Occurrences)
... Along with the Amalekites and the children of the East they swarmed across the Jordan,
and their multitudinous beasts swept up the produce of the earth. ...
/m/midian.htm - 32k

Midianites (30 Occurrences)
... Along with the Amalekites and the children of the East they swarmed across the Jordan,
and their multitudinous beasts swept up the produce of the earth. ...
/m/midianites.htm - 21k

Moves (30 Occurrences)
... Genesis 1:21 God created the large sea creatures, and every living creature that
moves, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird ...
/m/moves.htm - 14k

Monsters (5 Occurrences)
... Genesis 1:21 And God created the great sea-monsters, and every living creature that
moveth, wherewith the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged ...
/m/monsters.htm - 7k

Swarmed: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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