37“If there is famine in the land, if there is plague, blight, mildew, locust, or caterpillar; if their enemy besieges them in any of their cities; whatever suffering, whatever sickness there is;
The Hebrew, Latin, Ge’ez, and Greek that is translated in English as “locust” is translated in Ayutla Mixtec as “insect like flying ants” because locusts are not known locally (source: Ronald D. Olson in Notes on Translation January, 1968, p. 15ff.), and in Pa’o Karen as “grashopper” (source: Gordon Luce in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 153f. ).
In connection with John the Baptist (Matthew 3:4 and Mark 1:6) in is translated in Shuar as “edible grasshoppers” (source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.), and in the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) as geröstete Heuschrecken or “roasted locusts.” (Note that “Heuschrecken” literally means “the bane/horror of hay”).
The locust is the most important insect in the Bible, being mentioned many more times than any other insect. Although there are nine Hebrew words in the Bible which refer to locusts, the most common one is ’arbeh. The equivalent in Greek is akris, and in Latin it is locusta. These words certainly refer to the locust rather than to the grasshopper. All locusts and grasshoppers belong to the family Acrididae, which is a family within the order Orthoptera, or “straight-winged” insects. Many species are found in the land of Israel and Egypt, but the most important are the Migratory Locust Locusta migratoria, the Desert Locust Schistocerca gregaria, and the Moroccan Locust Dociostaurus moroccanus. All three species are an important local food and are probably all called ’arbeh in the Bible.
Grasshoppers and locusts are both six-legged, winged insects that are characterized by the fact that their third pair of legs is elongated and adapted to hopping. The lower portion of these legs has a row of spikes that are used both for making sounds and as a means of defense. The front wings are narrow, straight, and stiff. When not being used to fly, they function as a cover for thin, membrane-like hind wings, which are much larger and colored, and which are folded together like a Chinese fan. When the locust or grasshopper flies, it hops into the air spreading out its wings as it does so. It flies with a slight clattering sound, made by the stiff front wings striking each other.
Locusts differ from grasshoppers mainly in that they form swarms at certain periods and migrate to new areas, which they colonize. At other times they live either solitary or in small groups. Their reproduction rate varies with the climatic conditions. Eggs are laid in the soil in small packets, and hatching is related to the degree of humidity. In dry periods only a few hatch, but in periods of good rainfall they suddenly hatch out in exceptionally large numbers.
Unlike most other insects, locusts do not go through stages in which they exist as larvae or caterpillars. They emerge from the eggs as nymphs, which are simply tiny wingless locusts with undeveloped hopper legs. The nymphs, which can only crawl around, feed on green vegetation, consuming many times their own body weight each day. As they grow bigger and develop, they shed their skins. Their hopping legs develop before their wings, so that they pass through a stage when they can hop but not fly. At this stage, when they are referred to as “hoppers”, they exist in less dense masses than as nymphs, having spread out a little, but since they are now eating even more than before, they can still cause considerable damage to crops. Once they develop into adults they can both hop and fly. If the climatic conditions are right and exceptionally large numbers have developed to this stage, they completely devastate the vegetation where they have been developing. When this happens they begin to congregate in preparation for swarming. In other words they come together and migrate as a group to greener pastures, flying together in large swarms. At this congregating stage, during the migration and immediately after it, they present a major threat to crops and other vegetation, on which they feed unceasingly.
A locust swarm may consist of billions of locusts. A report of a single swarm in 1889 estimated for that swarm to cover 5,500 square kilometers (about 2,000 square miles). Certainly even in recent times swarms have been known large enough to blot out the sun like a large black cloud. The clattering of wings as the locusts approach is a sound hard to forget. Where the swarm lands, even temporarily, every green bush or clump of grass in sight is attacked by the locusts, and the sound of them munching on the leaves is clearly audible, sometimes for hours. Afterwards, hardly a single green leaf or blade of grass can be seen, and many bushes even have the bark eaten off, leaving them bare.
Against such enormous numbers ancient peoples felt absolutely helpless. There was no way they could stop the destruction. The lighting of grass fires helped only in a very small way. Ironically it is when locusts swarm like this that they can be easily caught in large numbers for eating. They are often caught in blankets, fishing nets, and baskets. The lower part of the hopping legs is snapped off, and they are cooked by toasting, grilling, frying, or broiling. In some places they are also eaten raw. When toasted and salted they taste a little like salted peanuts.
Some commentators have pointed out that the plague of locusts in Egypt probably provided the Israelites with food in the Arabian and Sinai deserts, since this is the usual migration route of locusts in that part of the world.
Following is a summary of the development cycle of the major locust species: Nymphs, which can only crawl, develop to a hopping stage; the hoppers develop wings and become adult locusts; if climatic conditions are right, these adults gather into swarms and migrate to new locations; the females lay eggs, and the whole cycle is repeated. There are thus four discernible phases: nymphs, hoppers, resident adults, and swarming or migrating adults. It is possible that chasil refers to the crawling nymph, yeleq to the juvenile hopper, ’arbeh to the resident adult, and gazam to the swarming adult. However, this is far from proven, as the words seem to be used almost interchangeably when referring to locust plagues.
Crickets and katydids: Crickets are a nocturnal relative of the locusts and grasshoppers. Some types have wings, others do not. They are usually black or brown, with shorter rounder bodies, and they shelter during the day under rocks or logs, or, in the case of the so-called mole crickets, in holes that they dig. At night they make characteristic high-pitched chirping sounds, which carry a surprisingly long way. Each species makes a slightly different sound. Like locusts and grasshoppers they feed on vegetation, usually leaves.
Katydids are similar to crickets but are usually green and have wings. They are active at night, when they make cricket-like chirping sounds, but settle during the day underneath leaves in trees. Their wings are leaf-shaped, and with their green color they have excellent camouflage. Some katydids eat other insects.
Both crickets and katydids have extremely long feelers.
Given their large numbers and swarming characteristics, it is small wonder that locusts were a symbol of a vast attacking army against which there was no defense. They were also a symbol of divine punishment.
The Migratory Locust Locusta migratoria is found in many parts of the world, except North America. In these areas it should be easy to find a local word. However, in some countries with high rainfall this and other species of locust do not swarm in the same way that they do in the Middle East and the drier parts of Africa. In these countries it may be necessary in some contexts to use a phrase such as “swarms of locusts” rather than simply “locusts”. In areas where locusts are not known, a phrase like “large/giant grasshopper” can usually be substituted.
The Hebrew words gev, gov and govay are related to a verb meaning “to swarm” or “to gather together”, and thus the reference is almost certainly to the locust.
The word tselatsal (Deuteronomy 28:42; Isaiah 18:1) represents the sound of insects’ wings, and the reference is most likely to the sound made by a swarm of locusts. The English versions that have “whirring” or “buzzing” make some attempt at reflecting this, but “buzzing” is inadequate as a description of the sound such a swarm makes. “Clattering”, “chirping”, “whirring”, or “fluttering” comes closest in English to representing the sound represented by the Hebrew word.
In many Bantu languages in Africa, and in other languages where ideophones occur which express the sound of thousands of whirring wings, such ideophones are a good equivalent. Elsewhere a noun phrase, modified by an adverbial expression similar to the English, can be used.
In most contexts the word chagav seems to mean “grasshopper”, the exception being 2 Chronicles 7:13, where the reference is to locusts. In the two passages where the grasshopper symbolizes something small and insignificant (Numbers 13:33 and Isaiah 40:22), it may not be possible to capture the right inference by translating literally. In such cases the translator is free to use some other insect that is symbolic of small size and insignificance in the local culture, such as “ant”, “louse”, “flea”, and others. In cases where no insect name carries this symbolism, the name of an animal with the correct connotations can be used; for example, “mouse” or “squirrel”.
The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Latin that is translated as “enemy” or “foe” in English is translated in the HausaCommon Language Bible as “friends of front,” i.e., the person standing opposite you in a battle. (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
In North Alaskan Inupiatun it is translated with a term that implies that it’s not just someone who hates you, but one who wants to do you harm (Source: Robert Bascom), in Tarok as ukpa ìkum or “companion in war/fighting,” and in Ikwere as nye irno m or “person who hates me” (source for this and one above: Chuck and Karen Tessaro in this newsletter ).
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Kings 8:37:
Kupsabiny: “In case famine comes to the land or epidemic, frost, locusts or army warms, or when your people are surrounded by their enemies in any city of theirs, or in case any other death/calamity or any other disease has come,” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “When famine or plague strikes this land, when scorching wind or crop disease or swarms of locusts destroy the grain, or when their enemies attack your people, or when any kind of disaster or disease comes among them, ” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “‘When famine comes to the land of your people, or plague, or hot wind, or pestilence to the plants including locusts or worms, or when they will-be-sieged by the enemies in any of their towns, or may-come to them whatever disease,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “And when the people of this land experience famines, or if there is a plague/illness that causes many people to become sick, or if their crops are destroyed by very hot winds or by mildew or by locusts or grasshoppers, or when their enemies surround any of their cities in order to attack them, if any of those bad things happen to them,” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Verses 37-40 present still other situations in which the people may turn to God in prayer. Verses 33 and 35 begin in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation with the word “When.” The Hebrew construction is different now in verse 37, which the Revised Standard Version translation indicates by the word If. But since verse 37 is presenting another possible situation, Good News Translation maintains consistency of form in English by using “When.”
There is famine in the land: The Hebrew word for famine may be rendered “hunger,” but in this context it is clear that “great hunger” or “widespread hunger” is intended. In certain languages it will be more natural to translate “there is no food in the land.” The same idea is conveyed in Contemporary English Version as “the crops may dry up.”
As in the previous verse, the land is the Promised Land and not the earth in general. Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente says “our land.”
Pestilence refers to any kind of contagious sickness that causes people to die. In English this may be expressed as “plague” (New Revised Standard Version), “great sickness” (New Century Version), or “epidemic” (Good News Translation).
Blight or mildew: These two terms occur together five times in the Old Testament. Blight is the effect produced on crops by hot dry winds blowing from the Arabian desert. Mildew is a disease infecting grain as a result of too much moisture. These terms are translated in various ways in English as “blight either black or red” (Revised English Bible) and “wind-blast or mildew” (New Jerusalem Bible). Bible en français courant and Parole de Vie say “the grains will dry up or will rot.” New Living Translation translates both blight and mildew together as “crop disease.”
Locust or caterpillar: Both Hebrew nouns rendered here refer to jumping or leaping insects, including both locusts and grasshoppers. The first Hebrew noun refers to a fully developed insect and the second noun refers to an insect that is not yet fully developed, that is, to the larva. For this reason Revised English Bible says “locusts developing or fully grown.” De Vries says “grasshopper or locust.” The important point here is that these are insects capable of destroying growing plants.
Contemporary English Version may provide a helpful model for the first part of this verse:
• Sometimes the crops may dry up or rot or be eaten by locusts or grasshoppers, and your people will be starving.
If their enemy besieges them in any of their cities: The Hebrew verb translated besieges refers to a military procedure in which soldiers encircle a city in order to cut off its supplies of food, water, and weapons. The people inside the surrounded city will eventually have no choice but to fight their way out or surrender. In some languages this may be rendered “blockades” or “encircles … to defeat.”
Revised Standard Version follows the Septuagint with in any of their cities (also New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, Anchor Bible). The Masoretic Text says “in the land of his gates.” This unusual word order in Hebrew may mean “the gates of his land,” referring to the regions along the Israelite border. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {C} rating to the Masoretic Text. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh translates the Masoretic Text as “in any of the settlements of the land.”
Whatever plague, whatever sickness there is: The Hebrew word translated whatever is literally “all” or “any.” It is used here to indicate that regardless of what kind of difficulty the people of Israel suffer, they could present their problems to Yahweh in prayer. Plague translates a Hebrew noun that may be translated “blows.” Such “blows” refer to punishment by God. Sickness renders a Hebrew noun that refers to ill health in general.
For this whole verse the following translation may provide a simplified model for some languages:
• At times the land may become so dry that no food will grow, or it may rain so much that the grain will rot on the ground. Or, a great sickness may spread among the people. Sometimes all the crops may be destroyed by locusts or grasshoppers. Your people may be attacked in their cities by their enemies. Your people may become sick.
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
“⌊In time to come⌋, there will/may be times of famine/hunger or plague/sickness in ⌊our⌋ land. -or-
“⌊In the days to come⌋, your people in this land may not have food to eat. They may become sick from diseases.
8:37b or blight or mildew or locusts or grasshoppers,
Perhaps the crops will wither or rot. Perhaps locusts or grasshoppers ⌊will destroy all that grows⌋. -or-
The crops may dry up, or they may rot from too much rain. Locusts or grasshoppers may eat ⌊their harvest/grains⌋.
8:37c or when their enemy besieges them in their cities,
Perhaps an enemy ⌊army⌋ will surround one of their walled cities. -or-
Enemies may ⌊attack and⌋ surround their towns ⌊to cause the people in them to starve⌋.
8:37d whatever plague or sickness may come,
Whenever there are any of these disasters or diseases, -or-
Any of these terrible things may happen ⌊to your people/land⌋.
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