Verse-by-Verse Bible CommentaryPsalms 105:34
He spoke, and locusts came, And young locusts, even without number, Jump to: Gill's Exposition • Geneva Study Bible • Commentary Critical and Explanatory • Calvin's Commentary • Trapp's Commentary • Whedon's Commentary • Haydock's Catholic Commentary • Ellicott's Commentary • Treasury of Knowledge Other Authors
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole BibleHe spake, and the locusts came,.... A great army of them, and covered the land, that it was even darkened by them; and were such as had never been seen before, or ever were since; this is the eighth plague, Exodus 10:12, with these compare the locusts in Revelation 9:3. And caterpillars, and that without number; of these no mention is made in Exodus; they seem to be one of the kinds of locusts, or a different word is here used for the same, and so Kimchi interprets it; some render it the white locust; it has its name from licking up the herbs and grass of the field; as the other name for the locust seems to be taken from its great abundance and increase. Copyright Statement Bibliography Geneva Study Bibler He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number,(r) He shows that all creatures are armed against man when God is his enemy as at his commandment the grasshoppers destroyed the land. Copyright Statement Bibliography Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Biblecaterpillars — literally, “the lickers up,” devouring insects; probably the hairy-winged locust. Copyright Statement Bibliography Calvin's Commentary on the Bible34.He spake, and the grasshopper came This calamity, which was brought upon the fields, could not be attributed to Fortune; for the grasshoppers made their appearance suddenly and in countless multitudes, so that they covered all the land of Egypt. The miracle was very evident from the word spoken, by which it was introduced. Its being announced as to happen, removed all doubt of its being the work of the Most High. Accordingly, it is expressly said, that grasshoppers and caterpillars rushed in at the commandment of God, as if soldiers should run to battle at the sound of the trumpet. Whenever these insects molest us and destroy the fruits of the earth, they are assuredly the scourges of God, but it is here intended to point out an extraordinary work of his hand. In fine, the prophet recites the last miracle, which was wrought by the angel on the night previous to the departure of the people, when he slew all the first-born throughout Egypt. I only take a hasty and passing glance at this history, as I have, in like manner, done of the other facts preceding, because they have been more copiously treated elsewhere, and at this time it is sufficient for us to know the design of the sacred writer. He, however, amplifies this display of the Divine power by a repetition, declaring that the first-born and the flower of their strength were destroyed Some translate, but unhappily, The beginning of their sorrow. As man’s strength shows itself in generation, the Hebrews term the first-begotten the beginning of strength, as we have explained on Genesis 49:3, — “Reuben, thou art my first-born, my might, Copyright Statement Bibliography John Trapp Complete CommentaryPsalms 105:34 He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number, Ver. 34. He spake, and the locusts came] These are called God’s great army, and their terrible invasion is graphically described, Joel 2:3-5, &c. Copyright Statement Bibliography Whedon's Commentary on the Bible34. Locusts… caterpillars—These words must signify either different species of the locust family, or different stages of their propagation. The former seems quite probable, for the larva, or unwinged locust, does not fly, and could not be brought in by a “wind.” In Exodus 10, only the ארבה, (arbeh, the common name for locust,) is mentioned, while in the text the arbeh and ילק, yelek, and in the parallel place, (Psalms 78:46,) the arbah and חסיל, hhaseel, are named. But neither yelek nor hhaseel is ever translated “locust” in our English Version, but the former always “caterpillar,” and the latter either canker-worm or caterpillar. The distinction is seen Joel 1:4 : “That which the ‘locust’ (arbeh) hath left hath the canker-worm (yelek) eaten, and that which the yelek hath left hath the ‘caterpillar’ (hhaseel) eaten.” These words may be used, in the text and Psalms 78:46, interchangeably for greater variety of diction, but it would rather seem, upon a comparison of all the places where they occur, that they denote different species of “locust,” which have not yet been clearly identified. This idea greatly aggravates the features of the judgment upon Pharaoh, as leaving the land absolutely waste and barren in their track. Copyright Statement Bibliography George Haydock's Catholic Bible CommentaryThem. Commanding no idolatrous government to be left in the land, nor any Chanaanite to be permitted to live, who should make opposition. The law of extermination must probably be thus restricted. The Jews neglected these ordinances, and hence became so often infected with idolatry, (Berthier) even to the end of the republic, when many still adored the sun. (Josephus, Jewish Wars ii. 8.) (Exodus xxiii. 32., and Josue xiii. 13.) Copyright Statement Bibliography Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(34) Caterpillars.—To the locust, ‘aarbeh, alone mentioned in Exodus, the psalmist adds, as a poetical synonym to suit his parallelism, caterpillar (yelek), a word occurring in Joel 1:4; Joel 2:25; Nahum 3:15; Jeremiah 51:14; Jeremiah 51:27. By derivation the word means “licker” (comp. Numbers 22:4), and is possibly used in a wide or general sense for insects of the locust kind. (See Bible Educator, IV. 294.) Copyright Statement Bibliography Treasury of Scripture KnowledgeHe spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number,
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