Psalms 78:46 — Word Study
WLCוַיִּתֵּ֣ן לֶחָסִ֣יל יְבוּלָ֑ם וִֽ֝יגִיעָ֗ם לָאַרְבֶּֽה׃
BSAHe gavenâthan▸ [to the caterpillar, their increase] their cropsyᵉbûwl [fruits and grains, produce of the land] to the grasshopperchâçîyl [locust, a type of insect that ravages crops] the fruit of their laboryᵉgîyaʻ [result, product, toil, hard work, the things we produce] to the locustʼarbeh [a type of insect that rapidly multiplies, bringing destruction]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיִּתֵּ֣ן | and he gave | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| לֶחָסִ֣יל | to the locust | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| יְבוּלָ֑ם | produce their | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| וִֽ֝יגִיעָ֗ם | and [the] result of toil their | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| לָאַרְבֶּֽה׃ | to the 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 | He gave their crops to the grasshopper, the fruit of their labor to the locust. |
| KJV | He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust. |
| ASV | He gave also their increase unto the caterpillar, And their labor unto the locust. |
| YLT | And giveth to the caterpillar their increase, And their labour to the locust. |
| WEB | He also gave their increase to the caterpillar, and their labor to the locust. |
| BBE | He gave the increase of their fields to worms, the fruits of their industry to the locusts. |
Where they part company is לֶחָסִ֣יל — see How Translations Differ.
One main clause with additional phrases specifying the recipients and the nature of what was given. The structure emphasizes the act of giving and its consequences.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbנָתַן
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 78:46
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 — God's Judgment on Egyptgenerated
Psalm 78:46 recounts how God sent various plagues upon Egypt to demonstrate His power and judgment. This verse specifically highlights the devastation of the land's produce, as God gave their crops to locusts, emphasizing the consequences of the Egyptians' refusal to heed His commands. The psalmist uses this historical account to remind the people of Israel of God's sovereignty and the importance of obedience.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 105:34–35 | He spoke, and the locusts came— young locusts without number. |
| 2 | 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.” |
| 3 | 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. |
| 4 | Joel 2:25 | I will repay you for the years eaten by locusts— the swarming locust, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust — My great army that I sent against you. |
| 5 | 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 — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יְבוּל, ye.vu.Lamgenerated
The word יְבוּל (yevul) refers to produce or crops, specifically the fruits and grains that come from the land. It is derived from a root that implies increase or abundance, highlighting the agricultural yield. The parsing indicates it is a masculine singular noun in construct form, showing possession.
In this verse, it signifies the result of the people's labor, which was given over to destruction. This emphasizes the loss of their hard work and the severity of God's judgment.
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 וַיִּתֵּ֣ן, and he gave, governs the entire verse, with two noun phrases as its objects: יְבוּלָ֑ם and וִֽ֝יגִיעָ֗ם. The structure indicates a straightforward cause-and-effect relationship: God gives what belongs to the people to the locusts.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the act of giving, with the crops and the result of toil directly linked to the locusts, highlighting the severity of the judgment.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates וַיִּתֵּ֣ן as ἔδωκεν, which also means 'he gave.' This choice reflects a direct correspondence between the Hebrew and Greek, maintaining the action of giving.
The Greek word for locust is ἀκρίδι, which emphasizes the destructive nature of the insect, consistent with the Hebrew context.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 78:46 tells us that God gave the crops and produce of the people to the locusts. This illustrates God's control over nature and the consequences of disobedience. The verse highlights the severity of the judgment against Egypt, where the people's hard work was destroyed.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
This signifies God's judgment against the Egyptians, showing that their disobedience led to the destruction of their food supply.
Locusts are known for their destructive nature, symbolizing the consequences of turning away from God's commands.
This verse serves as a reminder of God's power and the importance of obedience, illustrating the consequences faced by those who defy Him.
The psalm recounts various plagues and judgments God sent upon Egypt, emphasizing His sovereignty and the need for His people to remember His works.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I seen the consequences of disobedience in my own life?
- How can I better appreciate the blessings of my labor and the importance of stewardship?
- What lessons can I learn from God's judgment in this verse?
- How can I apply the message of this verse to my understanding of God's authority in my life?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 78:46 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleHe gave also their increase unto the caterpillar,.... A kind of locust, and the same with the locust in the next clause; for we read but of the locust only in Exodus 10:13 and their labour unto the
Read John Gill on Psalms 78 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryHow oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 78 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThe herbs and grains which were come up by their care and diligent labour.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 78 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 78:46 He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust.Ver. 46. He gave also their increase unto the caterpillar] Together with the grasshopper, Exodus 10:12-15, God’ s great army, Joe 2:11 And their labour] i.e. The fruits of the earth, which they had laboured for; they lost both their husbandry and their harvest.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 78 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(46) Caterpillar.—Heb., chasîl. (See 1 Kings 8:37.) Probably the locust in the larva or pupa state. For locust see Exodus 10:4 seq., and Bib. Ed., iv. 292. The LXX., Vulg., and Symmachus have “blight.” but in 2 Chronicles 6:28 “cockchafer,” as Aquila and Jerome here.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 78 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 46. The caterpillar and - the locust.] See on Exodus 10:13.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 78 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges46. The eighth plague, Exodus 10:1 ff. their increase] The produce of the land (Psalms 67:6). The word rendered ‘caterpillar’ is not used in Exodus, but often occurs elsewhere, and probably denotes the locust in the larva or pupa state.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 78 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleHe gave also their increase unto the caterpillar - The increase or the produce of their fields. Exodus 10:12-14. The word חסיל châsı̂yl - is supposed to denote a species of locust rather than the caterpillar.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 78 →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
He gave their crops to the grasshopper, the fruit of their labor to the locust.
He also gave their increase to the caterpillar, and their labor to the locust.
He gave their crops to the grasshopper, the fruit of their labor to the locust.
He gave their crops to the grasshopper, the fruit of their labor to the locust.
Tyndale line
He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust.
He gave also their increase unto the caterpillar, And their labor unto the locust.
He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust.
He gave also their increase to the caterpillar, and their labor to the locust.
He gaue also their fruites vnto the caterpiller, and their labour vnto the grassehopper.
Strictly literal
And he gave their increase unto the caterpillar, and their labour unto the locust;
And giveth to the caterpillar their increase, And their labour to the locust.
And gives their increase to the caterpillar, || And their labor to the locust.
And he gave unto the cricket their products, and their labor unto the locust.
He gave their crops to the grasshopper and their labor to the locust.
Simplified
He gave their crops to locusts; everything they worked had for was taken by locusts.
He gave the increase of their fields to worms, the fruits of their industry to the locusts.
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 on the wording of this verse, with all five words matched. This shows a consistent understanding of the text across these ancient witnesses.
וַיִּתֵּ֣ן לֶחָסִ֣יל יְבוּלָ֑ם וִֽ֝יגִיעָ֗ם לָאַרְבֶּֽה׃
5 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.
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 78:46
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.
The Hebrew word נָתַן (natan) means 'to give' and encompasses a wide range of applications such as putting, setting, and making. It can also indicate actions like bestowing, delivering, and assigning. The entries describe its use in various forms, including Qal, Niphal, and Hophal, but do not present any significant disagreements among lexicons.
נָתַן 2007 vb. give, put, set
Qal 1917
give
Put, set
Make, constitute
Niph.
82be given
Be put, set
Hoph.
be given, bestowed
= be given to one for wife
be put upon
base
H5414 נָתַן give, put, set .. give
. Put, set
. Make, constitute
. . be given
. Be put, set
. . . be given, bestowed
. = be given to one for wife
. be put upon
5414 nathan naw-than'
a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of
application (put, make, etc.):--add, apply, appoint, ascribe,
assign, X avenge, X be ((healed)), bestow, bring (forth,
hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, +
cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, X doubtless, X
without fail, fasten, frame, X get, give (forth, over, up),
grant, hang (up), X have, X indeed, lay (unto charge, up),
(give) leave, lend, let (out), + lie, lift up, make, + O that,
occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, X
pull , put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send
(out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), + sing, + slander,
strike, (sub-)mit, suffer, X surely, X take, thrust, trade,
turn, utter, + weep, + willingly, + withdraw, + would (to)
God, yield.
נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: give.
: give/deliver/send/produce
1) to give, put, set
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend
1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate
1a3) to make, constitute
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned
1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted
1c) (Hophal)
1c1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up
1c2) to be put upon
נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: put.
: put/set/apppoint
1) to give, put, set
1a) (Qal)
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms
חָסִיל (chaciyl) refers to a type of locust or caterpillar, derived from the root meaning 'ravager.' The entries consistently describe it as a locust, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
חָסִיל n.m. a kind of locust
base
H2625 חָסִיל a kind of locust
2625 chaciyl khaw-seel'
from 2628; the ravager, i.e. a locust:--caterpillar.
see HEBREW for 02628
חָסִיל (cha.sil) — locust.
locust
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…
יְבוּל (yebul) refers to the produce of the soil, specifically crops or fruit. It is derived from a root that suggests increase or wealth. The term emphasizes agricultural yield and is associated with the bounty of the earth.
יְבוּל n.m. produce of soil
base
H2981 יְבוּל produce of soil
2981 ybuwl yeb-ool'
from 2986; produce, i.e. a crop or (figuratively)
wealth:--fruit, increase.
see HEBREW for 02986
יְבוּל (ye.vul) — crops.
produce, fruit, produce (of the soil)
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp3mp
יְגִיעַ (ygiya`) refers to toil or work, and also to the product or property resulting from that labor. It is derived from the root meaning to labor, emphasizing the connection between effort and its outcomes.
[יְגִיעַ] n.m. toil, product
base
H3018 יְגִיעַ toil, product
3018 ygiya` yeg-ee'-ah
from 3021; toil; hence, a work, produce, property (as the
result of labor):--labour, work.
see HEBREW for 03021
יְגִיעַ (ye.gi.a) — toil.
1) toil, work
2) product, produce, acquired property (as a result of work)
Conj | N-ms | Suff — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHC/Ncmsc/Sp3mp
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…