Psalms 109:23 — Word Study
WLCכְּצֵל־ כִּנְטוֹת֥וֹ נֶהֱלָ֑כְתִּי נִ֝נְעַ֗רְתִּי כָּֽאַרְבֶּֽה׃
BSAI am fading awayhâlak■ [disappearing, gone] like a lengtheningnâṭâh [declining, stretched out] shadowtsêl [a dark area] I am shaken offnâʻar■ [tossed up and down, driven away] like a locustʼarbeh [a swarming insect]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| כְּצֵל־ | like a shadow | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| כִּנְטוֹת֥וֹ | when stretches out it | Preposition, verb qal infinitive construct common, suffix |
| נֶהֱלָ֑כְתִּי | I have vanished | Verb, Niphal, perfect first person common singular |
| נִ֝נְעַ֗רְתִּי | I have been shaken off | Verb, Niphal, perfect first person common singular |
| כָּֽאַרְבֶּֽה׃ | like locust | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | I am fading away like a lengthening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust. |
| KJV | I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust. |
| ASV | I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust. |
| YLT | As a shadow when it is stretched out I have gone, I have been driven away as a locust. |
| WEB | I fade away like an evening shadow. I am shaken off like a locust. |
| BBE | I am gone like the shade when it is stretched out: I am forced out of my place like a locust. |
Where they part company is נֶהֱלָ֑כְתִּי — see How Translations Differ.
One main clause with two similes illustrating the speaker's state of being.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbהָלַךְ
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 — Psalms 109:23
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 — The Lament of the Psalmistgenerated
Psalms 109:23 captures the psalmist's deep sense of despair and insignificance, comparing his fading existence to a shadow and his vulnerability to a locust. This verse is part of a larger lament where the psalmist expresses his emotional and physical suffering, as seen in the preceding and following verses, which highlight his poverty and the scorn he faces from others.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 102:11 | My days are like lengthening shadows, and I wither away like grass. |
| 2 | Psalm 144:4 | Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow. |
| 3 | 1 Chronicles 29:15 | For we are foreigners and strangers in Your presence, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. |
| 4 | Job 14:2 | Like a flower, he comes forth, then withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure. |
| 5 | Ecclesiastes 6:12 | For who knows what is good for a man during the few days in which he passes through his fleeting life like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will come after him under the sun? |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — נֶהֱלָ֑כְתִּי, ne.he.La.khe.tigenerated
The verb הָלַךְ (halak), in the Niphal form here, means 'to go' or 'to walk.' In this context, it conveys the idea of vanishing or disappearing. This form indicates a passive action, suggesting that the speaker is not actively choosing to fade away, but rather is being acted upon by circumstances.
The frequency of this verb in various contexts throughout the Old Testament shows its versatility, describing both physical movement and spiritual journeys, adding depth to the psalmist's expression of his current state.
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 finite verb נֶהֱלָ֑כְתִּי, I have vanished, governs the verse, with two similes following it: one comparing the speaker to a shadow and the other to a locust. The structure highlights the psalmist's feelings of insignificance and instability.
The prepositional phrases כְּצֵל־ and כָּֽאַרְבֶּֽה serve to illustrate the comparisons, emphasizing the fleeting nature of the speaker's existence.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates נֶהֱלָ֑כְתִּי as ἀντανῃρέθην, which carries a sense of being removed or taken away. This choice emphasizes the speaker's feeling of being cast aside rather than simply disappearing.
The use of σκιὰ for צֵל reinforces the idea of a shadow as something that lacks substance and permanence, aligning with the psalmist's expression of his own transient state.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalms 109:23 expresses the psalmist's feelings of fading away and vulnerability. He compares himself to a shadow that stretches out and a locust that is easily shaken off, illustrating his sense of insignificance and distress.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The shadow symbolizes his fleeting existence and the transient nature of life.
The locust represents vulnerability and insignificance, highlighting how easily he feels he can be discarded or forgotten.
This verse reflects the psalmist's lament over his suffering and feelings of abandonment, which are central to the themes of the psalm.
The psalmist's honesty about his feelings encourages us to acknowledge our own struggles and seek comfort in God.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I feel like a shadow in my own life, and how can I find strength in those moments?
- How can I support others who may feel shaken off or insignificant?
- What does it mean for me to acknowledge my own vulnerabilities, as the psalmist does?
- How can I seek God in times of despair and uncertainty, as expressed in this psalm?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early interpretations of this verse, such as those by Augustine of Hippo, explore themes of suffering and vulnerability, drawing connections to the life of Christ and the human experience.
"My knees are weak through fasting" [Psalms 109:23]. We read, that our Lord Christ underwent a fast of forty days: [Matthew…Early Church Fathers on Psalms 109 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 109:23 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleI am gone like the shadow when it declineth,.... When the sun is setting, and the shadow is going off; man's life is often compared to a shadow, because fleeting, momentary, and soon gone, 1
Read John Gill on Psalms 109 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryI am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 109 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleI am gone, Heb. I am made to go; either, 1. From place to place; which was David’ s case, when he was persecuted by Saul and by Absalom; and Christ’ s case upon earth, where he had no certain place where to lay his head: . Or, 2. Into the grave, as this phrase is used, , and oft elsewhere. Declineth; towards the evening, when, the sun setting, it vanisheth instantly, and irrecoverably, until the sun rise again, which it never will do to me in this world, when once I am gone out of it. As the locust; which of itself is unstable, continually skipping from place to place, and is easily driven away with every wind; so am I exposed to perpetual and successive changes within myself, and to a…
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 109 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 109:23 I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.Ver. 23. I am gone like the shadow] Abii, perii, evanui, I vanish, as the long shadows do so soon as the sun setteth. As the locust] Leapeth from hedge to hedge, so do I from place to place, being tossed from post to pillar, αστατουμεν, 1 Corinthians 4:11
Read John Trapp on Psalms 109 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(23) Shadow when it declineth.—Literally, a lengthened shade. (Comp. Psalms 102:11, and see Note. Son 2:17.) When the day declines the shadow lengthens, it becomes longer and longer, till it vanishes in the universal darkness. Thus does the life of the suffering generation pass away. Tossed up and down.—Better, tossed or shaken out, as from the lap. So LXX. and Vulg. (See Nehemiah 5:13, where the same verb is three times used.) The grasshopper was an emblem of timidity (Job 39:20).
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 109 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 23. I am gone like the shadow] "I have walked like the declining shadow,"-I have passed my meridian of health and life; and as the sun is going below the horizon, so am I about to go under the earth. I am tossed up and down as the locust.] When swarms of locusts take wing, and infest the countries in the east, if the wind happen to blow briskly, the swarms are agitated and driven upon each other, so as to appear to be heaved to and fro, or tossed up and down. Dr. Shaw, who has seen this, says it gives a lively idea of the comparisons of the psalmist.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 109 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges23. Like a shadow when it declines or is stretched out towards evening (Psalms 102:11), and is about to disappear altogether, so am I made to depart: the form of the verb implies compulsion from without. I am tossed up and down] Or, driven away. The point of comparison is the helplessness of the locust swept along by the wind (Exodus 10:19; Joe 2:20).
Read Cambridge on Psalms 109 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleI am gone like the shadow when it declineth - See the notes at Psalms 102:11. I am tossed up and down as the locust - Agitated, moved, driven about, as a cloud of locusts is by the wind.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 109 →The verse in English, compared — 16 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
I am fading away like a lengthening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust.
I fade away like an evening shadow. I am shaken off like a locust.
I am fading away like a lengthening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust.
I am fading away like a shadow at the end of the day; I am shaken off like a locust.
Tyndale line
I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.
I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.
I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.
I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.
I depart like the shadowe that declineth, and am shaken off as the grashopper.
Strictly literal
I am gone like a shadow when it lengtheneth; I am tossed about like the locust;
As a shadow when it is stretched out I have gone, I have been driven away as a locust.
I have gone as a shadow when it is stretched out, || I have been driven away as a locust.
Like the shadow when it declineth do I hasten away: I am driven suddenly off like the locusts.
I am fading away like the shadow of the evening; I am shaken off like a locust.
Simplified
I am fading away like an evening shadow; I am like a locust that is shaken off.
I am gone like the shade when it is stretched out: I am forced out of my place like a locust.
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 aligns closely with the Septuagint in meaning, with four out of five words matched. The Dead Sea Scrolls show some restoration where the text is damaged, but the core message remains consistent with the MT.
כְּצֵל־ כִּנְטוֹת֥וֹ נֶהֱלָ֑כְתִּי נִ֝נְעַ֗רְתִּי כָּֽאַרְבֶּֽה׃
4 of the 5 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.
[כצל] [כנטות׳ו] [נהלכתי] [ננערתי] [כארבה]
nothing on the leather here — 5 supplied entire by an editor.
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 Psalms 109:23
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.
צֵל (tsel) means 'shadow' or 'shade,' encompassing both literal and figurative uses. It can refer to a physical shadow, as well as a protective shade or a symbol of life's transience. The word is derived from a root meaning to shade, and it is related to another term, צֵלֶל (tselel), which also means 'shadow.'
H6738 צֵל shadow
6738 tsel tsale
from 6751; shade, whether literal or figurative:--defence,
shade(-ow).
see HEBREW for 06751
צֵל (tsel) — shadow.
1) shadow, shade
1a) shadow (on dial)
1b) shadow, shade (as protection)
1c) shadow (symbolic of transitoriness of life)
Also means: tse.lel (צֵלֶל "shadow" H6752)
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa
Sometimes denotes intense darkness and gloom, Ps 23:4, and sometimes a cool retreat, Isa 33:2, or perfect protection, Ps 17:8 Isa 49:2 Da 4:12.
The long shadows cast by the declining sun are alluded to in Job 7:2 Jer 6:4. The swift, never ceasing motion of a shadow is an emblem of human life, 1Ch 29:15 Ps 102:11.
נָטָה (natah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to stretch out, spread out, or extend. It encompasses a wide range of actions, including bending, inclining, and pitching a tent. The word can also imply moral deflection or turning aside. The entries suggest various applications, from physical actions to metaphorical uses, but do not indicate significant disagreement among the lexicons.
נָטָה 215 vb. stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend
Qal
stretch out, extend, hand, rod
stretch line and plummet
= offer
Spread out, i.e. pitch, tent
Bend, turn, incline
Niph. be stretched out
Hiph.
rarely stretch out, hand
rarely spread out cloth on rock
usu. turn, incline
base
H5186 נָטָה stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend .. . stretch out, extend, hand, rod
. stretch line and plummet
. = offer
. Spread out, i.e. pitch, tent
. Bend, turn, incline
. be stretched out
. . rarely stretch out, hand
. rarely spread out cloth on rock
. usu. turn, incline
5186 natah naw-taw'
a primitive root; to stretch or spread out; by implication,
to bend away (including moral deflection); used in a great
variety of application (as follows):--+ afternoon, apply, bow
(down, - ing), carry aside, decline, deliver, extend, go down,
be gone, incline, intend, lay, let down, offer, outstretched,
overthrown, pervert, pitch, prolong, put away, shew, spread
(out), stretch (forth, out), take (aside), turn (aside, away),
wrest, cause to yield.
נָטָה (na.tah) — to stretch.
1) to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to stretch out, extend, stretch, offer
1a2) to spread out, pitch (tent)
1a3) to bend, turn, incline
1a3a) to turn aside, incline, decline, bend down
1a3b) to bend, bow
1a3c) to hold out, extend (fig.)
1b) (Niphal) to be stretched out
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to stretch out
1c2) to spread out
1c3) to turn, incline, influence, bend down, hold out, extend, thrust aside, thrust away
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a | Suff — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common · suffixHR/Vqcc/Sp3ms
הָלַךְ (halak) means 'to go,' 'come,' or 'walk,' and covers a wide range of literal and figurative uses, including aspects of life and death. It can describe physical movement, moral conduct, and even influence on character. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal, Piel, and Hithpael, indicating different nuances like leading or traversing.
הָלַךְ 1546 vb. go, come, walk
Qal Impf. usually (629 t.) as if from ילך
lit.
of persons
Also of animals, in similar meanings and combinations
in like manner of inanimate things
The inf. abs. is often used
as in other vbs., quite independently
to intensify meaning of finite form
most noteworthy is the joining of the Inf. abs.
with a following Inf. abs. denoting a simutaneous action or process, and so emphasizing duration or continuance
with a foll. vb. fin. c. ו consec. (rare)
in cases where vb. fin. is foll. by Inf. abs. adj. denoting progress, advance
twice, where vb. fin. is not הלך, but another vb. denoting motion
quite by itself
13 t. the Inf. abs. = Imv. & is followed by Pf. consec.
akin to the use of Inf. abs. are some instances of Pt.
In combination with other verbal forms
Fig.; the most common uses follow; in most the origin in a literal meaning is evident:
pass away, die
H1980 הָלַךְ go, come, walk .Impf. usually (629 t.) as if from ילך . lit. . of persons
. Also of animals, in similar meanings and combinations
. in like manner of inanimate things
. The inf. abs. is often used . as in other vbs., quite independently
. to intensify meaning of finite form
. most noteworthy is the joining of the Inf. abs. . with a following Inf. abs. denoting a simutaneous action or process, and so emphasizing duration or continuance
. with a foll. vb. fin. c. ו consec. (rare)
. in cases where vb. fin. is foll. by Inf. abs. + adj. denoting progress, advance
. twice, where vb. fin. is not הלך, but another vb. denoting motion
. quite by itself
. 13 t. the Inf. abs. = Imv. & is followed by Pf. consec.
. akin to the use of Inf. abs. are some instances of Pt.
. In combination with other verbal forms
1980 halak haw-lak'
akin to 3212; a primitive root; to walk (in a great variety
of applications, literally and figuratively):--(all) along,
apace, behave (self), come, (on) continually, be conversant,
depart, + be eased, enter, exercise (self), + follow, forth,
forward, get, go (about, abroad, along, away, forward, on,
out, up and down), + greater, grow, be wont to haunt, lead,
march, X more and more, move (self), needs, on, pass (away),
be at the point, quite, run (along), + send, speedily, spread,
still, surely, + tale-bearer, + travel(-ler), walk (abroad,
on, to and fro, up and down, to places), wander, wax,
(way-)faring man, X be weak, whirl.
see HEBREW for 03212
הָלַךְ (ha.lakh) — to go: went.
: went/go[away]
1) to go, walk, come
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to go, walk, come, depart, proceed, move, go away
1a2) to die, live, manner of life (fig.)
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to walk
1b2) to walk (fig.)
1c) (Hithpael)
1c1) to traverse
1c2) to walk about
1d) (Niphal) to lead, bring, lead away, carry, cause to walk
הָלַךְ (ha.lakh) — to go: come.
: come[nearer]
1) to go, walk, come
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to go, walk, come, depart, proceed, move, go away
1a2) to die, live, manner of life (fig.)
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to walk
1b2) to walk (fig.)
1c) (Hithpael)
1c1) to traverse
1c2) to walk about
1d) (Niphal) to lead, bring, lead away, carry, cause to walk
הָלַךְ (ha.lakh) — to go: walk.
: walk/move
1) to go, walk, come
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to go, walk, come, depart, proceed, move, go away
1a2) to die, live, manner of life (fig.)
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to walk
1b2) to walk (fig.)
1c) (Hithpael)
1c1) to traverse
V-Niphal-Perf-1cs — Verb · Niphal · perfect first person common singularHVNp1cs
נָעַר (na'ar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to shake, shake out, or shake off. It encompasses various forms, including Qal (to shake out), Niphal (to be shaken), Piel (to shake off), and Hithpael (to shake oneself). The entries suggest a connection to the rustling of a mane, possibly linked to a lion's roar, and highlight its use in expressions of being shaken or tossed.
[נָעַר] vb. shake, shake out or off
Qal shake out
Niph. I am shaken out like a locust
Pi. so may God shake utterly out every man from his house
Hithp. shake thyself (free)
base
H5287 נָעַר shake, shake out or off
5287 na`ar naw-ar'
a primitive root (probably identical with 5286, through the
idea of the rustling of mane, which usually accompanies the
lion's roar); to tumble about:--shake (off, out, self),
overthrow, toss up and down.
see HEBREW for 05286
נָעַר (na.ar) — to shake.
1) to shake, shake out or off
1a) (Qal) to shake out, show emptiness
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be shaken
1b2) to shake oneself
1c) (Piel) to shake off or out
1d) (Hithpael) to shake oneself
V-Niphal-Perf-1cs — Verb · Niphal · perfect first person common singularHVNp1cs
אַרְבֶּה (arbeh) refers to a kind of locust, specifically noted for its rapid increase. The term can also imply a locust swarm and has figurative meanings related to sudden disappearance, insignificance, and activity. It is derived from a root meaning to increase, as noted in Strong's entries.
אַרְבֶּה a kind of locust
base
H697 אַרְבֶּה a kind of locust
697 'arbeh ar-beh'
from 7235; a locust (from its rapid increase):--
grasshopper, locust.
see HEBREW for 07235
אַרְבֶּה (ar.beh) — locust.
1) a kind of locust, locust swarm (coll)
2) (CLBL)
2a) sudden disappearance (fig.)
2b) insignificance (fig.)
2c) activity (fig.)
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHRd/Ncmsa
lo'-kust: The translation of a large number of Hebrew and Greek words:
1. Names:
(1) 'arbeh from the root rabhah, "to increase" (compare Arabic raba', "to increase").
(2) sal`am, from obsolete [?] cal`am, "to swallow down," "to consume."
(3) chargol (compare Arabic charjal, "to run to the right or left," charjalat, "a company of horses" or "a swarm of locusts," charjawan, a kind of locust).
(4) chaghabh (compare Arabic chajab, "to hide," "to cover").
(5) gazam (compare Arabic jazum, " to cut off")
(6) yeleq, from the root laqaq "to lick" (compare Arabic laqlaq, "to dart out the tongue" (used of a serpent)).
(7) chacil, from the root chacal, "to devour" (compare Arabic chaucal, "crop" (of a bird)).
(8) gobh, from the obsolete root gabhah (compare Arabic jabi, "locust," from the root jaba', "to come out of a hole").
(9) gebh, from same root.
Locust
There are ten Hebrew words used in Scripture to signify locust. In the New Testament locusts are mentioned as forming part of the food of John the Baptist (Matt. 3:4; Mark 1:6). By the Mosaic law they were reckoned “clean,” so that he could lawfully eat them. The name also occurs in Rev. 9:3, 7, in allusion to this Oriental devastating insect.
Locusts belong to the class of Orthoptera, i.e., straight-winged. They are of many species. The ordinary Syrian locust resembles the grasshopper, but is larger and more destructive. “The legs and thighs of these insects are so powerful that they can leap to a height of two hundred times the length of their bodies. When so raised they spread their wings and fly so close together as…
a well-known insect, of the grasshopper family, which commits terrible ravages on vegetation in the countries which it visits. "The common brown locust is about three inches in length, and the general form is that of a grasshopper." The most destructive of the locust tribe that occur in the Bible lands are the (Edipoda migratoria and the Acridium peregrinum ; and as both these species occur in Syria and Arabia, etc., it is most probable that one or other is denoted in those passages which speak of the dreadful devastations committed by these insects. Locusts occur in great numbers, and sometimes obscure the sun. (Exodus 10:15; Judges 6:5; Jeremiah 46:23) Their voracity is alluded to in (
A voracious winged insect, belonging to the genus known among naturalists as the Grylli, closely resembling the grasshopper, and a great scourge in oriental countries in both ancient and modern times. There are ten different names in the Hebrew Bible for insects of this kind; but some of these probably designate different forms or stages in life of the same species. The Bible represents their countless swarms as directed in their flight and march by God, and used in the chastisement of guilty nations, De 28:38-42 1Ki 8:37 2Ch 6:28. A swarm of locusts was among the plagues of Egypt; they covered the whole land, so that the earth was darkened, and devoured every green herb of the earth, and the fruit of every tree which the hail…