Cankerworm

yeleq, "the licking locust"; the locust when it emerges from the caterpillar state, and takes wing. Nah 3:16; "spoileth," rather "the cankerworm puts off (the envelope of its wings) and fleeth away," so shall thy merchants flee. The small wings enable them to leap better, but not to fly; so, until their wings are matured, they continue devouring all vegetation in front of them.

Cankerworm. Joe 1:4; Joe 2:25; Nah 3:15-16. The same original word is rendered "caterpillar" in Psa 105:34; Jer 51:14; Jer 51:27. But the Revised Version reads cankerworm in all these passages. It may perhaps designate the locust when it is in its larva state. See Locust.

yeleq. This is supposed to be the ’hedge-chafer,’ a species of locust. It "spoileth [or spreadeth itself out] and fleeth away." It devours much herbage, and is used as a figure of the enemies that would destroy Nineveh. Nah 3:15-16; Joe 1:4; Joe 2:25. The same Hebrew word is translated CATERPILLER in Psa 105:34; Jer 51:14; Jer 51:27.

See LOCUST:

CANKERWORM.—See Locust.

See Worm