That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten.
That which the palmer-worm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the canker-worm eaten; and that which the canker-worm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten. This verse states the subject on which he afterward expands. Four species of locusts, rather than four altogether different insects, are meant (cf. Leviticus 11:22). Literally-
(1) the gnawing locust;
(2) the swarming locust;
(3) the licking locust;
(4) the consuming locust;
-forming a climax to the most destructive kind. The last is often three inches long, and the two antennae each an inch long. The two hinder of its six feet are larger than the rest, adapting it for leading.
Some distinguish the four as four different stages of the locust: The first "kind" is that of the locust, hagaazaam (H1501), having just emerged from the egg in spring, and without wings. The second, haa'arbeh (H697), is when, at the end of spring, still in their first skin, they put forth little ones without legs or wings. The third, hayaaleq (H3218), when, after their third casting of the old skin, they get small wings, which enable them to leap the better, but not to fly: being not able to go away until their wings are matured, they devour all before them-grass, shrubs, and bark of trees. This Hebrew word is translated "rough caterpillars" (Jeremiah 51:27). The fourth kind, hechaaciyl (H2625), the matured winged locust, translated "the canker-worm" (see note, Nahum 3:16).
In Joel 2:25 they are enumerated in the reverse order, where the restoration of the devastations caused by them is promised. The rhythmical form of the sentence implies a proverbial saying (cf. 1 Kings 19:17). Joel foretells what could only come to pass by miracle-namely, that four sorts of locust should come in succession, the later destroying what the former left. In the order of nature different sorts of locust do not succeed one another. At most two stages of the same insect ravage the same region in successive years-namely, when the female insect deposits its eggs in the region ravaged one year, and then in the spring of the second year another brood issues forth and destroys the produce more fatally than the parent locusts had done the previous year.
Pusey objects to the theory of four different stages of locust being described, that there are but two (not four) stages in which its ravages are distinct-the unwinged and winged state. Nor do they, in the order of their development, destroy what they left in their former stages. From the time they begin to move they march right onward, creeping and jumping, never stopping. When the locust becomes winged, it flies away to ravage other countries. So far from destroying what, in its former condition it left, its ravages in that country are at an end. 'Arbeh (H697) is the generic name of the most common winged locust, and therefore not likely to be made here the name of the unwinged stage of one species of locust.
Palpably, then, four different kinds of locust were seen in vision by Joel, doing what never occurs in nature-namely, in succession attacking Judah and Jerusalem.
(1) They advance from the north, whereas locusts would ordinarily make their inroad from their birthplace in the south, the Arabian desert. Evidently, thus, they symbolize the northern army of Assyrian and Babylonian invaders (Joel 2:20).
(2) The prayer, Joel 2:17, "Give not thine heritage to reproach, that the pagan should rule over them," refers to other than mere insect invaders.
(3) The army is spoken of as provoking the Lord's jealousy, by "doing great things" (Joel 2:18; Joel 2:20), which can only refer to intelligent agents.
(4) The darkening of the sun, moon, and stars (Joel 2:10), and the quaking of the earth, can only refer to revolutions of kingdoms, through the wrath of God (Isaiah 13:10). Locusts could not take a city, as this symbolical army is represented doing (Joel 2:10). Locusts ravage fields, not cities.
(5) The scourge is spoken of as unparalleled in any age, which must apply to something worse than a plague of locusts. It is, moreover, called "the day of the Lord," in which Judah should become captive, and its land divided (Joel 1:15; Joel 3:1-2).
The Hebrews make the first species refer to Assyria and Babylon, the second species to Medo-Persia, the third to Graeco-Macedonia and Antiochus Epiphanes, the fourth to the Romans. Though the primary reference be to literal locusts, the Holy Spirit doubtless had in view the four successive empires which assailed Judea, each worse than its predecessor, Rome being the climax.