Topical Encyclopedia
The grasshopper is a small, leaping insect that appears in several passages of the Bible, often symbolizing insignificance or vulnerability. In the ancient Near East, grasshoppers were a common sight and were known for their swarming behavior, which could lead to devastating plagues affecting agriculture and food supply.
Biblical References:1.
Numbers 13:33 : "We even saw the Nephilim there—the descendants of Anak that come from the Nephilim! We seemed like grasshoppers in our own sight, and we must have seemed the same to them." In this passage, the Israelite spies sent to Canaan report back to Moses and the congregation, expressing their fear and sense of inadequacy when comparing themselves to the inhabitants of the land. The metaphor of grasshoppers highlights their perceived smallness and vulnerability in the face of formidable opponents.
2.
Isaiah 40:22 : "He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth; its dwellers are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in." Here, the prophet Isaiah uses the imagery of grasshoppers to convey the vastness and majesty of God compared to the insignificance of human beings. This verse emphasizes God's sovereignty and the humility of mankind in the grand scheme of creation.
3.
Ecclesiastes 12:5 : "when men fear the heights and dangers of the road, when the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and the caper berry shrivels—for then man goes to his eternal home and mourners walk the streets." In this poetic description of old age, the grasshopper is used to symbolize frailty and the burdens of aging. The once energetic and leaping insect is now depicted as dragging itself along, illustrating the decline in vitality that comes with advanced years.
Symbolism and Cultural Context:In biblical times, grasshoppers and locusts were often associated with destruction and divine judgment. Swarms of locusts, which are closely related to grasshoppers, could devastate crops and lead to famine, as seen in the plagues of Egypt (
Exodus 10:12-15). This association with judgment and calamity underscores the grasshopper's role as a symbol of both vulnerability and the potential for widespread impact.
The use of grasshoppers in biblical metaphor often serves to remind the faithful of their dependence on God and the need for humility. The imagery of grasshoppers contrasts human frailty with divine power, encouraging believers to trust in God's provision and protection despite their own limitations.
Natural History:Grasshoppers belong to the order Orthoptera and are characterized by their long hind legs, which enable them to leap great distances. They are primarily herbivorous and can be found in a variety of habitats, from grasslands to forests. In the context of the Bible, the grasshopper's ability to swarm and consume large quantities of vegetation would have been well-known to ancient agrarian societies, making it a potent symbol in scriptural narratives.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Grasshopper[LOCUST]
ATS Bible Dictionary
GrasshopperA kind of locust, and so called in2 Chronicles 7:13. It was sometimes used for food, Le 11:22. Individually they are insignificant and timid creatures,Numbers 13:33, and their worthlessness furnishes a striking comparison inIsaiah 40:22; while the feebleness of age is expressed by inability to endure them,Ecclesiastes 12:5. Yet coming in great numbers, they are destructive to all herbage, Am 7:1. SeeLOCUST.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Belongs to the class of neuropterous insects called Gryllidae. This insect is not unknown in Palestine.
InJudges 6:5; 7:12;Job 39:30;Jeremiah 46:23, where the Authorized Version has "grasshopper," the Revised Version more correctly renders the Hebrew word (`arbeh) by "locust." This is the case also inAmos 7:1;Nahum 3:17, where the Hebrew word gob is used; and inLeviticus 11:22;Numbers 13:33;Ecclesiastes 12:5; Isaiah 40:22, where hagab is used. In all these instances the proper rendering is probably "locust" (q.v.).
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) Any jumping, orthopterous insect, of the families Acrididae and Locustidae. The species and genera are very numerous. The former family includes the Western grasshopper or locust (Caloptenus spretus), noted for the great extent of its ravages in the region beyond the Mississippi. In the Eastern United States the red-legged (Caloptenus femurrubrum and C. atlanis) are closely related species, but their ravages are less important. They are closely related to the migratory locusts of the Old World. See Locust.
2. (n.) In ordinary square or upright pianos of London make, the escapement lever or jack, so made that it can be taken out and replaced with the key; -- called also the hopper.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
GRASSHOPPERgras'-hop-er.
SeeLOCUST.
Strong's Hebrew
2284. chagab -- locust,grasshopper... 2283, 2284. chagab. 2285 . locust,
grasshopper. Transliteration: chagab
Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-gawb') Short Definition:
grasshopper.
...697. arbeh -- (a kind of) locust
...grasshopper, locust. From rabah; a locust (from its rapid increase) --grasshopper,
locust. see HEBREW rabah. 696, 697. arbeh. 698 . Strong's Numbers.
2625. chasil -- (a kind of) locust
... 2624, 2625. chasil. 2626 . (a kind of) locust. Transliteration: chasil
Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-seel') Short Definition:grasshopper....
1462. gob -- locusts
...grasshopper, great. From guwb; the locust (from its grubbing as a larvae) --
grasshopper, X great. see HEBREW guwb. 1461, 1462. gob. 1463 . Strong's Numbers
Library
Exhortation to Abandon the Impious Mysteries of Idolatry for the...
... I might tell you also the story of another, a brother to these"the subject of a
myth, and a minstrel"Eunomos the Locrian and the Pythicgrasshopper....
Satan's Banquet
... that look out of the windows shall be darkened, all the daughters of music shall
be brought low; then shall the strong man totter, thegrasshopper shall be a...
Life as a Joy Shadowed by the Judgment
... And terrors shall be in the way; And the almond tree shall blossom, And the
grasshopper shall be a burden, And the caperberry shall burst:...
The Conclusion of the Matter
... low; 5. Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be
in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and thegrasshopper shall be a...
"The Gentle Steps of Age"
... But I bless God, "thegrasshopper is" not "a burden." I am still capable of traveling,
and my memory is much the same as ever it was; and so, I think, is my...
The Death of the Christian
... the aged man; tottering are his steps, "they that look out of the windows are darkened,
the grinders cease because they are few, and thegrasshopper has become...
Two Ways of Seeing
... the ten? Do your trials and difficulties make you feel like agrasshopper?
Does it seem that you would surely be overwhelmed? Does...
A Cultivated Conservative Friend of Mine once Exhibited Great...
... and one fancies every frantic reversal of proportions; the earwig striding across
the echoing plain like an elephant, or thegrasshopper coming roaring above...
The Care of the Soul Urged as the one Thing Needful
... It is needful for you that are advanced in years; though your strength be impaired
so that the "grasshopper is a burthen," Eccl.12:5, and though you have by...
The Fallacy of the Young Nation
... I certainly would much rather share my apartments with a gentleman who thought he
was God than with a gentleman who thought he was agrasshopper....
Thesaurus
Grasshopper (12 Occurrences)... In Judges 6:5; 7:12; Job 39:30; Jeremiah 46:23, where the Authorized Version has
"
grasshopper," the Revised Version more correctly renders the Hebrew word
...Caterpillar (6 Occurrences)
... er-pil-er (chacil (Psalm 78:46 Joel 1:4, etc.); yeleq (Psalm 105:34 the King James
Version, the American Standard Revised Version "grasshopper"; Jeremiah 51:14...
Swarming (19 Occurrences)
... What the great locust has left, thegrasshopper has eaten. What thegrasshopper
has left, the caterpillar has eaten.... It will devour you like thegrasshopper....
Gnawing (4 Occurrences)
... eaten. What the great locust has left, thegrasshopper has eaten. What the
grasshopper has left, the caterpillar has eaten. (See NAS)....
Stripping (4 Occurrences)
... eaten. What the great locust has left, thegrasshopper has eaten. What the
grasshopper has left, the caterpillar has eaten. (See NAS)....
Locust (25 Occurrences)
... They are of many species. The ordinary Syrian locust resembles thegrasshopper,
but is larger and more destructive.... SeeGrasshopper. 2. (n.) The locust tree....
Grasshoppers (11 Occurrences)
... (KJV WBS). Nahum 3:15 There the fire will devour you. The sword will cut you off.
It will devour you like thegrasshopper. Multiply like grasshoppers....
Swarm (26 Occurrences)
... What the great locust has left, thegrasshopper has eaten. What thegrasshopper
has left, the caterpillar has eaten. (Root in WEB NAS RSV NIV)....
Creeping (43 Occurrences)
... What the great locust has left, thegrasshopper has eaten. What thegrasshopper
has left, the caterpillar has eaten.... It will devour you like thegrasshopper....
Hopper (1 Occurrence)
... 3. (n.) SeeGrasshopper. 4. (n.) A game.... 5. (n.) SeeGrasshopper, and Frog hopper,
Grape hopper, Leaf hopper, Tree hopper, under Frog, Grape, Leaf, and Tree....
Resources
Is it wrong to kill spiders or step on bugs? | GotQuestions.orgGrasshopper: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
Bible Dictionary •
Bible Encyclopedia •
Topical Bible •
Bible Thesuarus
