Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are.
Thy crowned - thy princes (Revelation 9:7, "On their (the locusts') heads were as it were crowns like gold"). The king's nobles and officers wore the tiara, as well as the king; hence, they are called here "thy crowned ones." х minªzaarayik (H4502), a word found nowhere else: the mem (m) is the formative letter. The body of the word is from naazar (H5144), to consecrate, whence comes naaziyr (H5139), a prince, and nezer (H5145) a crown].
As the locusts - as many as the swarming locusts.
Thy captains - х Tapcªrayik (H2951)], Tiphsar, an Assyrian word; found also in Jeremiah 51:27, meaning satraps (Michaelis); or, rather, 'military leaders' (Maurer). Rosenmuller makes the first syllable from х Tap (H2945)] a family. Others, from х Taapap (H2952)] the marching tramp of soldiers. Lee, from the Chaldaic [Tab], pre-eminent. Among the more modern Jews the term was applied to a superior angel (Jonathan on Deuteronomy 28:12). The last syllable, sar (H8269), means a prince, and is found in Belshaz-zar, Nabopolas-sar, Nebuchadnez-zar.
As the great grasshoppers, х kªgowb (H1462) gobaay (H1462)] - literally, as the locust of locusts - i:e., the largest locust. Maurer translates, 'as many as locusts upon locusts' - i:e., swarms of locusts. The Hebrew idiom favours the English version.
Which camp in the hedges in the cold day - cold deprives the locust of the power of flight; so they alight in cold weather and at night, but when warmed by the sun soon "flee away." So shall the Assyrian multitudes suddenly disappear, not leaving a trace behind (cf. Pliny, 'Histora Natura,' 11: 29).