Lexical Summary arbeh: Locust Original Word: אַרְבֶּה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance grasshopper, locust From rabah; a locust (from its rapid increase) -- grasshopper, locust. see HEBREW rabah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom rabah Definition (a kind of) locust NASB Translation locust (8), locusts (11), swarming locust (5). Brown-Driver-Briggs אַרְבֶּה noun masculineExodus 10:19 a kind of locust (usually interpreted as the multitudinous, but DlHWB 126 as = Assyrian âribu, êribu, êribû, locust-swarm, from ארב devastate); — always absolute ׳(הָ)א; — usually collective locust-swarm, in simile of swarm of invaders Judges 6:5; Judges 7:12; often apparently the common species ("" other species, compare לְמִינוֺ Leviticus 11:22): Jeremiah 46:23; Nahum 3:15 (simile of multitude; "" יֶלֶק); as destructive Exodus 10:4,12,13,14 (twice in verse); Exodus 10:19a (all J), Psalm 105:34 ("" יֶלֶק), Deuteronomy 28:38 (verb תסל), 1 Kings 8:37 2Chronicles 6:28; Psalm 78:46 (all + תָסִיל), Joel 1:4 (twice in verse) ("" גָּזָם, יֶלָק, חָסִיל), Joel 2:25 ("" id.); as disappearing suddenly (simile) Nahum 3:17 ("" גּוֺב גּוֺבַי); as edible Leviticus 11:22 (H; "" סָלְעָם, חִרְגֹּל, חָגָב); as well organized Proverbs 30:27 (compare Joel 2:7,8); of single locust, אֶחָד ׳א Exodus 10:19b (J), as leaping (simile) Job 39:20, as shaken out of garment (simile) Psalm 109:23 (see II. נָעַר). — compare DrJoel 82 ff. Topical Lexicon Natural Description and HabitsThe אַרְבֶּה is the migratory locust, the scourge of the ancient Near East. Swarms emerge when drought is followed by sudden rain, triggering an explosive population boom. Each adult consumes its body-weight in vegetation daily; a cloud can obscure the sun, stretch for miles, and leave a land “devoured” in hours (Exodus 10:15). Scripture’s observations align with modern entomology: they advance in ranks (Joel 2:7), cannot be counted (Judges 6:5), have a voracious appetite (Psalm 78:46), and rise at dawn on the wind (Exodus 10:13). Instrument of Divine Judgment From Genesis onward, creation moves at the Lord’s command; the locust uniquely displays this sovereignty. In the eighth plague on Egypt (Exodus 10), Moses warns Pharaoh, “Tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory” (Exodus 10:4). The east wind delivers them, the west wind removes them, and Israel learns that the God of the covenant controls earth, sky, and insect alike. Later, Solomon names locusts among potential chastisements for covenant infidelity (1 Kings 8:37), a theme repeated by the Chronicler (2 Chronicles 6:28). Moses had forewarned “You will sow much seed in the field but harvest little, because locusts will consume it” (Deuteronomy 28:38). Prophets apply the same covenant logic: Joel opens with four successive waves of devourers (Joel 1:4), and Nahum 3:15–17 likens Nineveh’s merchants and guards to locusts that settle in cool dawn but flee when the sun rises, exposing the emptiness of Assyria’s power. Symbol of Overwhelming Armies Israel’s enemies are often pictured as locusts for number, noise, and sudden devastation. Midianite and Amalekite hordes were “as numerous as locusts; both they and their camels were without number” (Judges 6:5; Judges 7:12). In Jeremiah 46:23 the woodcutters of Babylon “are more numerous than locusts,” felling Egypt like a forest. The image conveys total encirclement and inevitability: as a swarm cannot be fenced out, so these armies breach every defense. Hence prophetic poetry moves seamlessly between natural plague and military threat to describe divine judgment. Provision of Food and Sustenance Leviticus 11:22 classifies the locust as clean: “These you may eat: the locust after its kind….” In lean seasons the insect became survival fare; John the Baptist later subsisted on “locusts and wild honey” (Matthew 3:4). For a desert people, God’s law thus turned a threat into provision, underscoring His care even amid judgment. Songs and Wisdom Literature Job 39:20, set among God’s rhetorical questions, asks whether the war-horse “leaps like the locust,” highlighting the creature’s springing motion. Proverbs 30:27 marvels that “locusts have no king, yet all of them advance in formation,” an observation of ordered movement without visible leadership—an implicit call to recognize the unseen Hand directing creation. Psalm 105:34 recounts God’s faithfulness to Abraham’s offspring: “He spoke, and the locusts came—young locusts without number,” while Psalm 109:23 uses the passing shadow of a locust to picture the psalmist’s frailty. Joel’s Message of Repentance and Restoration Joel 1–2 is the most concentrated treatment. A literal plague devastates Judah, yet Joel employs the event as a trumpet to repentance. The imagery deepens in 2:1–11, where the locusts resemble an invading army climbing walls and bursting through defenses. After national lament, God promises, “I will restore to you the years eaten by the locust—the swarming locust, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust” (Joel 2:25). Restoration reaches its climax when the Spirit is poured out on all flesh (Joel 2:28–32; Acts 2:16–21). Thus the locust becomes a doorway to grace: judgment awakens repentance; repentance invites renewal; renewal anticipates the messianic age. Echoes in Later Prophecy Revelation 9:3–11 depicts demonic locusts unleashed from the Abyss, borrowing Joel’s language to portray intensified end-time judgment. The Exodus plague, the prophets’ warnings, and the apocalyptic vision together reveal an unbroken biblical theology: those who harden their hearts face escalating calamity, culminating in final judgment, yet mercy remains available through repentance and the Lamb’s blood. Historical Parallels Extra-biblical records confirm the devastation suggested by Scripture. Pliny, Augustine, and modern travelers like Edward Robinson describe heaps of dead locusts rotting in the sun and causing famine. In 1915 a swarm ravaged Palestine, stripping even tree bark. Such accounts validate the historical realism of the biblical narratives and make tangible the terror felt in Egypt, Canaan, and Judah. Lessons for Preaching and Ministry 1. Sin’s Consequences: The locust illustrates the certainty and completeness of divine retribution. Unchecked disobedience invites a harvest nothing can restrain. Summary Across the canon, אַרְבֶּה functions as living parable and historical reality—a tiny creature mighty enough to topple empires when commanded by the Almighty, yet also a clean source of food provided by the same hand. The image crescendos in Joel and ultimately in Revelation, pressing every generation to choose between hardened resistance that invites devouring judgment and humble repentance that leads to bountiful restoration. Forms and Transliterations אַרְבֶּ֑ה אַרְבֶּ֖ה אַרְבֶּ֣ה אַרְבֶּ֤ה אַרְבֶּה֙ ארבה בָּֽאַרְבֶּ֔ה בארבה הָ֣אַרְבֶּ֔ה הָֽאַרְבֶּ֔ה הָֽאַרְבֶּ֗ה הָֽאַרְבֶּ֣ה הָאַרְבֶּ֖ה הָאַרְבֶּֽה׃ הארבה הארבה׃ כָּֽאַרְבֶּ֔ה כָּֽאַרְבֶּֽה׃ כָּאַרְבֶּ֑ה כָּאַרְבֶּ֖ה כָּאַרְבֶּֽה׃ כארבה כארבה׃ לָאַרְבֶּ֑ה לָאַרְבֶּֽה׃ לארבה לארבה׃ מֵֽאַרְבֶּ֔ה מארבה ’ar·beh ’arbeh arBeh bā’arbeh bā·’ar·beh baarBeh hā’arbeh hā·’ar·beh haarBeh kā’arbeh kā·’ar·beh kaarBeh lā’arbeh lā·’ar·beh laarBeh mê’arbeh mê·’ar·beh mearBehLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 10:4 HEB: מֵבִ֥יא מָחָ֛ר אַרְבֶּ֖ה בִּגְבֻלֶֽךָ׃ NAS: I will bring locusts into your territory. KJV: will I bring the locusts into thy coast: INT: will bring tomorrow locusts your territory Exodus 10:12 Exodus 10:13 Exodus 10:14 Exodus 10:14 Exodus 10:19 Exodus 10:19 Leviticus 11:22 Deuteronomy 28:38 Judges 6:5 Judges 7:12 1 Kings 8:37 2 Chronicles 6:28 Job 39:20 Psalm 78:46 Psalm 105:34 Psalm 109:23 Proverbs 30:27 Jeremiah 46:23 Joel 1:4 Joel 1:4 Joel 2:25 Nahum 3:15 Nahum 3:17 24 Occurrences |
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