Senses
1. locust (a swarming species) — A collective noun (יֶלֶק / יָלֶק) designating a particular species or developmental stage of locust, traditionally identified as the 'hopping locust' or 'creeping locust.' Always used collectively to depict overwhelming swarms as agents of agricultural devastation or as figures of innumerable multitudes. Attested in Joel 1:4, 2:25 (in the locust-plague sequence with gazam, arbeh, chasil), Psalm 105:34 (Egypt plague), Jeremiah 51:14, 51:27 (metaphor for invading armies), and Nahum 3:15-16 (simile for Nineveh's merchants). Multilingual glosses converge: Arabic الجراد ('locusts'); German Grashupfer ('grasshopper'); Hindi टिड्डी/इल्ली ('locust/caterpillar'); Korean 느치/메뚰기 ('locust'); Spanish langosta/salton ('locust/hopper'). All four auto-clusters differ only in prefixed prepositions (כ 'like,' ו 'and,' article ה), not in lexical meaning. 9×
AR["الجَرادُ-الزَّاحِفُ","الجَرادِ-الزَّاحِفِ","الْجَرَادُ","كَالْجَرَادِ","وَ-غَوغاء"]·ben["এবং-গোলাপোকা","পঙ্গপালের-মতো","ফড়িঙ","ফড়িঙের-মতো","ব্যাঙ","ব্যাঙের"]·DE["Grashupfer","[כילק]","der-Grashupfer","und-young-Heuschrecken","wie-Grashupfer"]·EN["and-young-locusts","like-locusts","like-the-locust","the-hopping-locust","the-locust"]·FR["[הילק]","[ילק]","[כילק]","et-jeune-pousse"]·heb["ה-ילק","ו-ילק","ילק","כ-ילק"]·HI["इल्ली-का","इल्ली-ने","और-येलेक","जैसे-टिड्डी","टिड्डी","टिड्डी-की-तरह"]·ID["belalang-pelompat","belalang-pelompat,","dan-belalang-pelahap","seperti-belalang","seperti-belalang-pelompat,","seperti-belalang-pelompat;"]·IT["[וילק]","[כילק]","bruco","come-bruco","il-bruco"]·jav["kados-walang","lan-walang","laron","walang"]·KO["같이-느치","그-느치-가","그-느치-와","그-느치-의","그리고-느치-가","느치-가","메뚰기처럼"]·PT["como-gafanhoto","como-gafanhotos","como-o-gafanhoto","e-larvas","o-gafanhoto","o-saltão"]·RU["и-гусеницы","как-саранча","как-саранчой","как-саранчу","ползун","ползуна","саранча"]·ES["como-langosta","como-langosta!","como-langostas","el-saltón","langosta","y-saltamonte"]·SW["kama-nzige","kama-tunutu","na-madumadu","nzige-watambaao","tunutu"]·TR["sürü-çekirge","sürü-çekirgenin","tırtıl","tırtıl-gibi","ve-tırtıl","çekirge-gibi"]·urd["اور-سل-پٹریاں","ٹڈی","ٹڈی-کی-طرح","ٹڈیوں-کی-طرح","چھوٹی-ٹڈی-نے","چھوٹی-ٹڈی-کا"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† יֶ֫לֶק n.m. Na 3:16 a kind of locust, abs. יֶלֶק Na 3:16 + 5 times; יָ֑לֶק Jo 1:4 + 2 times;—always coll.: a as devouring ‖ גָּזָם, אַרְבֶּה, חָסִיל, Jo 1:4(×2) 2:25; ‖ אַרְבֶּה ψ 105:34 (of Egyptian plague), cf. Na 3:15a (but del. We). b. in sim. of multitude of men Na 3:15b Je 51:14; of horses v 27 (יֶלֶק סָמָר). c. in sim. of scattering and disappearing Na 3:16.