Deuteronomy 28:42 — Word Study
WLCכָּל־ עֵצְךָ֖ וּפְרִ֣י אַדְמָתֶ֑ךָ יְיָרֵ֖שׁ הַצְּלָצַֽל׃
BSASwarms of locuststsᵉlâtsal [large groups, multitudes, buzzing, whirring insects] will consumeyârash▸ [eat, destroy, possess] allkôl [every, the entirety of] your treesʻêts [wood, strong and firm objects] and the producepᵉrîy [fruit, crops, harvest] of your landʼădâmâh [earth, soil, ground]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| כָּל־ | every | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| עֵצְךָ֖ | tree your | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| וּפְרִ֣י | and [the] fruit of | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular construct |
| אַדְמָתֶ֑ךָ | ground your | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| יְיָרֵ֖שׁ | it will take possession of | Verb, Piel, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| הַצְּלָצַֽל׃ | the locust[s] | Particle, noun common masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Swarms of locusts will consume all your trees and the produce of your land. |
| KJV | All thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume. |
| ASV | All thy trees and the fruit of thy ground shall the locust possess. |
| YLT | all thy trees and the fruit of thy ground doth the locust possess; |
| WEB | Locusts will consume all of your trees and the fruit of your ground. |
| BBE | All your trees and the fruit of your land will be the locust's. |
Where they part company is יְיָרֵ֖שׁ — see How Translations Differ.
The main verb governs the action, with two phrases detailing what is consumed, emphasizing the totality of the loss.
5 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them ›
clause
verbיָרַשׁ
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Deuteronomy 28:42
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Consequences of Disobediencegenerated
Deuteronomy 28:42 is part of a larger passage that outlines the curses that will befall Israel if they do not obey God's commands. This verse specifically highlights the destruction of vital resources, emphasizing the severity of the consequences they will face as a result of their actions, as seen in the preceding and following verses.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deuteronomy 28:38–39 | You will sow much seed in the field but harvest little, because the locusts will consume it. |
| 2 | Amos 7:1–2 | This is what the Lord GOD showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts just after the king’s harvest, as the late spring crop was coming up. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יְיָרֵ֖שׁ, ye.ya.Reshgenerated
The verb יָרַשׁ (yarash) means to take possession, inherit, or dispossess. It implies a forceful action of claiming something, often in the context of land or property. The parsing indicates it is in the imperfect tense, suggesting an ongoing or future action.
In this verse, it conveys that the locusts will not just consume but will take possession of the trees and produce, signifying total devastation and loss.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb is יְיָרֵ֖שׁ, it will take possession of, which governs the entire clause. The structure emphasizes the locusts' action as the focal point, with multiple noun phrases providing the objects of consumption.
The Hebrew word order places the subject (the locusts) at the end, highlighting the devastation they bring to the trees and produce, which are critical for survival.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates יְיָרֵ֖שׁ with ἐχαναλώσει, indicating a strong action of consuming or destroying. This choice reflects a more aggressive interpretation of the Hebrew, emphasizing the totality of loss.
The Greek word ἐχαναλώσει suggests a complete obliteration, aligning with the severity of the warning in the Hebrew text.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Deuteronomy 28:42 warns that swarms of locusts will consume all your trees and the produce of your land. This devastation signifies the consequences of disobedience to God's commands, leading to loss of essential resources.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies a total loss of vital resources that provide sustenance and livelihood, emphasizing the severity of the consequences for disobedience.
Trees and produce are essential for survival and prosperity, representing the agricultural foundation of Israel's economy and sustenance.
It indicates that the locusts will not just eat but will take control of these resources, leading to a complete loss of what is vital for life.
It underscores the consequences of Israel's disobedience to God's laws, illustrating the tangible repercussions that affect their land and livelihood.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How can I recognize areas in my life where I may be neglecting obedience to God's commands?
- What steps can I take to ensure that I am nurturing the resources and blessings in my life?
- In what ways can I prepare for challenges that may arise from disobedience?
- How does understanding the consequences of disobedience impact my relationship with God?
Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Deuteronomy 28:42 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAll thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume. Which is a creature that not only consumes grass, and herbs, and the corn of the field, but all green trees; see Exodus 10:15.
Read John Gill on Deuteronomy 28 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAll thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume. No JFB commentary on this verse.
Read Robert Jamieson on Deuteronomy 28 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsDeuteronomy 28:42 All thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume.Ver. 42. The locusts.] All sorts of vermin.
Read John Trapp on Deuteronomy 28 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(38-42) These are the contrary to Deuteronomy 28:11; and Deuteronomy 28:44 is the contrary to Deuteronomy 28:12-13. From the order of the passage it might seem that these particular troubles were to come on Israel after their captivity. And perhaps it is not accidental that something very like a fulfilment of Deu 28:38-40 is found in Haggai 1:6-11. (Comp. also Isaiah 5:10, “Ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of an homer shall yield an ephah.”)
Read Charles John Ellicott on Deuteronomy 28 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges42. locust] Heb. ṣ ?elaṣ ?al, from the rustling of its wings.
Read Cambridge on Deuteronomy 28 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Swarms of locusts will consume all your trees and the produce of your land.
Locusts will consume all of your trees and the fruit of your ground.
Swarms of locusts will consume all your trees and the produce of your land.
Whirring locusts will take over every tree and all the produce of your soil.
Tyndale line
All thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume.
All thy trees and the fruit of thy ground shall the locust possess.
All thy trees and the fruit of thy ground shall the locust possess.
All thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume.
All thy trees and fruite of thy land shall the grashopper consume.
Strictly literal
All thy trees and the fruit of thy ground shall the locust possess.
all thy trees and the fruit of thy ground doth the locust possess;
the locust possesses all your trees and the fruit of your ground;
All thy trees and the fruit of thy land shall the cricket strip bare.
All your trees and the fruit of your ground—the locusts will take them over.
From the Latin
The blast shall consume all the trees and the fruits of thy ground.
Simplified
Locust swarms will destroy all your trees and crops.
All your trees and the fruit of your land will be the locust's.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree closely in this verse, with six of the six words matched. However, the Samaritan Pentateuch differs in one word, using יורישׁ (trample down) instead of the Hebrew יְיָרֵ֖שׁ, which alters the nuance of the action from possession to destruction.
כָּל־ עֵצְךָ֖ וּפְרִ֣י אַדְמָתֶ֑ךָ יְיָרֵ֖שׁ הַצְּלָצַֽל׃
6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
כל עצך ופרי אדמתך יורישׁ הצלצל
1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: יורישׁ (trample down)
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Deuteronomy 28:42
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.
כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all
with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
Absolutely:
without the art., all things, all
with the art. הַכֹּל
where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
base
H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all
. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
3605 kol kole
or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;
hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a
plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any
(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as
many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,
whoso(-ever).
see HEBREW for 03634
כֹּל (kol) — all.
1) all, the whole
1a) all, the whole of
1b) any, each, every, anything
1c) totality, everything
Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
עֵץ (ets) refers to a tree or wood, encompassing various forms such as timber, sticks, and planks. It can denote both singular and plural trees, as well as specific uses like gallows and firewood. The word is derived from a root meaning firmness, indicating its solid nature.
עֵץ 329 n.m. tree, trees, wood
(c. 150 t.)
a standing tree
coll. trees
(c. 175 t.; c. 120 t. pl., to denote pieces [or articles] of wood)
base
H6086 עֵץ tree, trees, wood . (c. 150 t.) . a standing tree
. coll. trees
. (c. 175 t.; c. 120 t. pl., to denote pieces [or articles] of wood)
6086 `ets ates
from 6095; a tree (from its firmness); hence, wood (plural
sticks):--+ carpenter, gallows, helve, + pine, plank, staff,
stalk, stick, stock, timber, tree, wood.
see HEBREW for 06095
עֵץ (ets) — tree: wood.
: wood
1) tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows
1a) tree, trees
1b) wood, pieces of wood, gallows, firewood, cedar-wood, woody flax
עֵץ (ets) — tree.
: tree
1) tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows
1a) tree, trees
1b) wood, pieces of wood, gallows, firewood, cedar-wood, woody flax
עֵץ (ets) — tree: stick.
: stick/log
1) tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows
1a) tree, trees
1b) wood, pieces of wood, gallows, firewood, cedar-wood, woody flax
עֵץ (ets) — tree: stake.
: stake/shaft
1) tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows
1a) tree, trees
1b) wood, pieces of wood, gallows, firewood, cedar-wood, woody flax
עֵץ (ets) — tree: carpenter.
: carpenter/wood(worker)
1) tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows
1a) tree, trees
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp2ms
פְּרִי (priy) means 'fruit' and encompasses various meanings, including the literal fruit of the ground, offspring or children, and figurative fruit representing the consequences of actions. It is derived from a root that emphasizes the concept of produce or reward.
פְּרִי 119 n.m. fruit
fruit of the ground, of produce in gen.
= offspring, fruit of womb
fig. of fruit of actions, i.e. their consequences
base
H6529 פְּרִי fruit . fruit of the ground, of produce in gen.
. = offspring, fruit of womb
. fig. of fruit of actions, i.e. their consequences
6529 priy per-ee'
from 6509; fruit (literally or figuratively):--bough,
((first-)) fruit((-ful)), reward.
see HEBREW for 06509
פְּרִי (pe.ri) — fruit.
1) fruit
1a) fruit, produce (of the ground)
1b) fruit, offspring, children, progeny (of the womb)
1c) fruit (of actions) (fig.)
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular constructHC/Ncmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
אֲדָמָה (adamah) refers to ground or land, encompassing meanings such as tilled soil, a specific plot of land, and the earth's visible surface. It can denote territory or the whole inhabited earth, and it is also the name of a city in Naphtali. The word is derived from a root meaning 'red,' likely referring to the color of soil.
אֲדָמָה 224 n.f. ground, land (as tilled)
ground (as tilled, yielding sustenance)
piece of ground, landed property
earth as material substance
ground as earth's visible surface
land, territory, country
whole earth, inhabited earth
n. pr. loc. city in Naphtali
base
H127 אֲדָמָה ground, land . ground (as tilled, yielding sustenance)
. piece of ground, landed property
. earth as material substance
. ground as earth's visible surface
. land, territory, country
. whole earth, inhabited earth
. n. pr. loc. city in Naphtali
127 'adamah ad-aw-maw'
from 119; soil (from its general redness):--country, earth,
ground, husband(-man) (-ry), land.
see HEBREW for 0119
אֲדָמָה (a.da.mah) — land: soil.
: soil
1) ground, land
1a) ground (as general, tilled, yielding sustenance)
1b) piece of ground, a specific plot of land
1c) earth substance (for building or constructing)
1d) ground as earth's visible surface
1e) land, territory, country
1f) whole inhabited earth
1g) city in Naphtali
אֲדָמָה (a.da.mah) — land: country.
: country
1) ground, land
1a) ground (as general, tilled, yielding sustenance)
1b) piece of ground, a specific plot of land
1c) earth substance (for building or constructing)
1d) ground as earth's visible surface
1e) land, territory, country
1f) whole inhabited earth
1g) city in Naphtali
אֲדָמָה (a.da.mah) — land: planet.
: planet
1) ground, land
1a) ground (as general, tilled, yielding sustenance)
1b) piece of ground, a specific plot of land
1c) earth substance (for building or constructing)
1d) ground as earth's visible surface
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp2ms
The Hebrew word יָרַשׁ (*yarash*) is a verb meaning to take possession, inherit, or dispossess. It encompasses a range of actions from seizing and occupying land to impoverishing or ruining others. The entries indicate various forms of the verb, including Qal, Niphal, Piel, and Hiphil, which express different nuances of possession and dispossession.
יָרַשׁ 229 vb. take possession of, inherit, dispossess
Qal
take possession of, esp. bu force, have as a possession, often with collat. idea of taking in place of others, succeeding to, inheriting
inherit, sq. acc. pers. = be one's heir
= impoverish
Niph. be (dispossessed =) impoverished, come to poverty
Pi. the fruit of thy ground shall the cricket get full possession
Hiph.
cause to possess or inherit
cause (others) to possess or inherit, then gen. dispossess
= impoverish
nearly = bring to ruin, destroy
take possession of a land
base
H3423 יָרַשׁ take possession of, inherit, dispossess .. take possession of, esp. bu force, have as a possession, often with collat. idea of taking in place of others, succeeding to, inheriting
. inherit, sq. acc. pers. = be one's heir
. = impoverish
. be (dispossessed =) impoverished, come to poverty
. the fruit of thy ground shall the cricket get full possession
. . cause to possess or inherit
. cause (others) to possess or inherit, then gen. dispossess
. = impoverish
. nearly = bring to ruin, destroy
. take possession of a land
3423 yarash yaw-rash'
or yaresh {yaw-raysh'}; a primitive root; to occupy (by
driving out previous tenants, and possessing in their place);
by implication, to seize, to rob, to inherit; also to expel,
to impoverish, to ruin:--cast out, consume, destroy,
disinherit, dispossess, drive(-ing) out, enjoy, expel, X
without fail, (give to, leave for) inherit(-ance, -or) +
magistrate, be (make) poor, come to poverty, (give to, make
to) possess, get (have) in (take) possession, seize upon,
succeed, X utterly.
יָרַשׁ (ya.rash) — to possess: possess.
: possess/inherit
1) to seize, dispossess, take possession off, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to take possession of
1a2) to inherit
1a3) to impoverish, come to poverty, be poor
1b) (Niphal) to be dispossessed, be impoverished, come to poverty
1c) (Piel) to devour
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to cause to possess or inherit
1d2) to cause others to possess or inherit
1d3) to impoverish
1d4) to dispossess
1d5) to destroy, bring to ruin, disinherit
יָרַשׁ (ya.rash) — to possess: take.
: take/conquer/drive_out
1) to seize, dispossess, take possession off, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to take possession of
1a2) to inherit
1a3) to impoverish, come to poverty, be poor
1b) (Niphal) to be dispossessed, be impoverished, come to poverty
1c) (Piel) to devour
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to cause to possess or inherit
V-Piel-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Piel · imperfect third person masculine singularHVpi3ms
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
The Hebrew word צִלְצָל (*tsil.tsal*) encompasses meanings related to sounds and instruments, including 'whirring' or 'buzzing,' a 'spear,' and 'cymbals.' It is derived from a root meaning to make a clattering sound. The entries reference specific uses in Isaiah 18:1, Job 40:31, and Deuteronomy 28:42.
H6767a צִלְצָל whirring, buzzing H6767b צִלִצָל spear (fr. whizzing) H6767c צְלָצַ֑ל a whirring locust H6767d צֶלְצְלִים musical instr. of percussion, cymbals
6767 tslatsal tsel-aw-tsal'
from 6750 reduplicated; a clatter, i.e. (abstractly) whirring
(of wings); (concretely) a cricket; also a harpoon (as
rattling), a cymbal (as clanging):--cymbal, locust,
shadowing, spear.
see HEBREW for 06750
צִלְצָל (tsil.tsal) — buzzing.
whirring, buzzing
צִלִצָל (tsil.tsal) — spear.
spear
צְלָצַ֑ל (tse.la.tsal) — whirring.
whirring locust
צֶלְצְלִים (tsel.tse.lim) — banging.
musical instrument of percussion, cymbals (with clashing sound
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ncmsa