This verse pictures the locusts entering the city of Jerusalem and getting into everything. The four lines show the order of events. First, They leap upon the city, which refers to the attack. Good News Translation says “They rush against the city,” which fits the figure of an army better. Then they run upon the walls of the city, which in Hebrew could mean they climb up the walls (so NET Bible) or they climb over the walls (so Good News Translation). Next they climb up into the houses, which probably should be understood as their climbing up the outside walls of the houses in order to find a way to enter (so Good News Translation). Finally, they enter through the windows like a thief. The windows had no glass but were openings for letting in light and air. Good News Translation says “thieves” instead of thief for proper English consistency with the pronoun “they.” It will be useful to translate this verse in a way that will retain both the figure of an army and the reality of the swarms of locusts, if that is possible.

Quoted with permission from de Blois, Kees & Dorn, Louis. A Handbook on Joel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2020. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .