Psalm 105:34
New International Version
He spoke, and the locusts came, grasshoppers without number;

New Living Translation
He spoke, and hordes of locusts came— young locusts beyond number.

English Standard Version
He spoke, and the locusts came, young locusts without number,

Berean Standard Bible
He spoke, and the locusts came—young locusts without number.

King James Bible
He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number,

New King James Version
He spoke, and locusts came, Young locusts without number,

New American Standard Bible
He spoke, and locusts came, And creeping locusts, beyond number,

NASB 1995
He spoke, and locusts came, And young locusts, even without number,

NASB 1977
He spoke, and locusts came, And young locusts, even without number,

Legacy Standard Bible
He spoke, and locusts came, And creeping locusts, without number,

Amplified Bible
He spoke, and the [migratory] locusts came, And the young locusts, even without number,

Christian Standard Bible
He spoke, and locusts came — young locusts without number.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He spoke, and locusts came— young locusts without number.

American Standard Version
He spake, and the locust came, And the grasshopper, and that without number,

Contemporary English Version
God gave the command, and more grasshoppers came than could be counted.

English Revised Version
He spake, and the locust came, and the cankerworm, and that without number,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He spoke, and countless locusts and grasshoppers came.

Good News Translation
He commanded, and the locusts came, countless millions of them;

International Standard Version
Then he commanded the locust to come— grasshoppers without number.

Majority Standard Bible
He spoke, and the locusts came—young locusts without number.

NET Bible
He ordered locusts to come, innumerable grasshoppers.

New Heart English Bible
He spoke, and the locusts came, and the grasshoppers, without number,

Webster's Bible Translation
He spoke, and the locusts came, and caterpillars, and that without number,

World English Bible
He spoke, and the locusts came with the grasshoppers, without number.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
He has commanded, and the locust comes, "" And the cankerworm—innumerable,

Young's Literal Translation
He hath said, and the locust cometh, And the cankerworm -- innumerable,

Smith's Literal Translation
He said, and the locust will come and the feeder, and no number.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
He spoke, and the locust came, and the bruchus, of which there was no number.

Catholic Public Domain Version
He spoke, and the locust came forth, and the caterpillar, of which there was no number.

New American Bible
He spoke and the locusts came, grasshoppers without number.

New Revised Standard Version
He spoke, and the locusts came, and young locusts without number;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
He spoke and the locusts came and caterpillars, and that without numbers throughout their land.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
He spoke and the locusts came and the crawling locust without number in all their land.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
He spoke, and the locust came, And the canker-worm without number,

Brenton Septuagint Translation
He spoke, and the locust came, and caterpillars innumerable,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Tell of His Wonders
33He struck their vines and fig trees and shattered the trees of their country. 34He spoke, and the locusts came— young locusts without number. 35They devoured every plant in their land and consumed the produce of their soil.…

Cross References
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. ...

Joel 1:4-7
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. / Wake up, you drunkards, and weep; wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the sweet wine, for it has been cut off from your mouth. / For a nation has invaded My land, powerful and without number; its teeth are the teeth of a lion, and its fangs are the fangs of a lioness. ...

Revelation 9:3-4
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.

Deuteronomy 28:38
You will sow much seed in the field but harvest little, because the locusts will consume it.

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

Nahum 3:15-17
There the fire will devour you; the sword will cut you down and consume you like a young locust. Make yourself many like the young locust; make yourself many like the swarming locust! / You have multiplied your merchants more than the stars of the sky. The young locust strips the land and flies away. / 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.

1 Kings 8:37
When famine or plague comes upon the land, or blight or mildew or locusts or grasshoppers, or when their enemy besieges them in their cities, whatever plague or sickness may come,

Jeremiah 51:14
The LORD of Hosts has sworn by Himself: “Surely I will fill you up with men as with locusts, and they will shout in triumph over you.”

Amos 4:9
“I struck you with blight and mildew in your growing gardens and vineyards; the locust devoured your fig and olive trees, yet you did not return to Me,” declares the LORD.

Proverbs 30:27
the locusts have no king, yet they all advance in formation;

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.

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.

Acts 12:23
Immediately, because Herod did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

Revelation 8:7
Then the first angel sounded his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood were hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, along with a third of the trees and all the green grass.


Treasury of Scripture

He spoke, and the locusts came, and caterpillars, and that without number,

the locusts

Psalm 78:46
He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust.

Exodus 10:12-15
And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left…

Joel 1:4-7
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…

Jump to Previous
Cankerworm Canker-Worm Caterpillars Caterpillers Grasshopper Grasshoppers Innumerable Locusts Numbered Word Young
Jump to Next
Cankerworm Canker-Worm Caterpillars Caterpillers Grasshopper Grasshoppers Innumerable Locusts Numbered Word Young
Psalm 105
1. An exhortation to praise God, and to seek out his works
7. The story of God's providence over Abraham
16. Over Joseph
23. Over Jacob in Egypt
26. Over Moses delivering the Israelites
37. Over the Israelites brought out of Egypt, fed in the desert, and planted in Canaan.














He spoke, and the locusts came, young locusts without number
He spoke
This phrase underscores the power and authority of God's word. In the Hebrew context, the word for "spoke" is often linked to divine command, illustrating that God's will is enacted through His speech. This reflects the creation narrative in Genesis, where God speaks the world into existence. It emphasizes that God's word is not just informative but performative, bringing about real change and action in the world. Theologically, this highlights God's sovereignty and the trustworthiness of His promises.

and the locusts came
The arrival of the locusts is a direct result of God's command, demonstrating His control over nature. In the ancient Near Eastern context, locusts were a symbol of devastation and judgment, often used by God as a tool to humble nations and bring them to repentance. The locusts' coming is a fulfillment of divine judgment, as seen in the plagues of Egypt (Exodus 10:12-15). This serves as a reminder of God's justice and the consequences of disobedience to His will.

young locusts
The mention of "young locusts" indicates the beginning of a swarm, suggesting a fresh, vigorous, and overwhelming force. In Hebrew, the term for "young locusts" can imply a new generation, ready to consume everything in its path. This imagery is powerful, as it conveys the idea of an unstoppable force that God can unleash to accomplish His purposes. It serves as a metaphor for the relentless nature of divine judgment when humanity turns away from God.

without number
This phrase emphasizes the vastness and immeasurable nature of the locust swarm. In biblical literature, the concept of something being "without number" often signifies an overwhelming multitude, beyond human comprehension or control. It reflects the idea that God's actions and the forces He commands are beyond human limitation. This serves as a humbling reminder of God's omnipotence and the futility of resisting His will. It calls believers to trust in God's plan, knowing that His power is infinite and His purposes are ultimately for the good of those who love Him.

(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.) . . . Verse 34. - He spake, and the locusts came (see Exodus 10:13, 14). And caterpillars. Either a kind of locust, or the locust at one period of its growth. Not mentioned in Exodus. And that without number (see Exodus 10:14, 15).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
He spoke,
אָ֭מַר (’ā·mar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

and the locusts
אַרְבֶּ֑ה (’ar·beh)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 697: (a kind of) locust

came—
וַיָּבֹ֣א (way·yā·ḇō)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

young locusts
וְ֝יֶ֗לֶק (wə·ye·leq)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3218: A devourer, the young locust

without
וְאֵ֣ין (wə·’ên)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

number.
מִסְפָּֽר׃ (mis·pār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4557: A number, definite, indefinite, narration


Links
Psalm 105:34 NIV
Psalm 105:34 NLT
Psalm 105:34 ESV
Psalm 105:34 NASB
Psalm 105:34 KJV

Psalm 105:34 BibleApps.com
Psalm 105:34 Biblia Paralela
Psalm 105:34 Chinese Bible
Psalm 105:34 French Bible
Psalm 105:34 Catholic Bible

OT Poetry: Psalm 105:34 He spoke and the locusts came (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 105:33
Top of Page
Top of Page