What the swarming locust has left, the great locust has eaten. What the great locust has left, the grasshopper has eaten. What the grasshopper has left, the caterpillar has eaten.
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 4. Left, and so forth Some understand this literally of the desolation of the land by these insects: others understand it of the different invasions of the Chaldeans, or other enemies. Challoner.—Jerusalem was four times plundered by the Babylonians, and every time worse than before, as these four sorts of destructive things shew. But we shall not enlarge upon these points, nor pursue the mystical sense of the prophets, which may be found in the fathers and Ribera. Worthington.—Others suppose that the Assyrians, Chaldeans, Greeks, (particularly Epiphanes) and Romans, are meant. We explain it simply of the devastation by insects. Calmet.—Four different species of locusts are denoted. Bochart, p. 2. b. iv. 1.—Mildew. Hebrew chasil, ( Bible.) is often rendered “a locust,” by Septuagint (Calmet. 2:25. and so forth) and most suppose this is here the sense. The mildew destroys corn chiefly in low damp situations. Calmet.