H3218 H3218
A species or stage of locust, used collectively for devastating swarms that devour crops and symbolize overwhelming multitudes.
The noun yeleq (יֶלֶק) denotes a particular kind of locust — possibly a developmental stage such as the 'creeping locust' or 'hopping locust' — always used collectively. Joel's famous locust sequence lists it alongside gazam, arbeh, and hasil as successive waves of destruction (Joel 1:4; 2:25), while Psalm 105:34 recalls the Egyptian plague. Nahum deploys it in vivid similes: merchants multiply like yeleq, then scatter and vanish when the sun rises (Nah 3:15–16). Spanish renders it consistently as langosta, while German opts for Grashüpfer ('grasshopper'), reflecting the perennial difficulty of pinning down exact entomological identification for ancient Hebrew insect terms.
Senses
1. locust (a swarming species) — A collective noun for a swarming locust species or larval stage, distinguished from arbeh (the generic 'locust') yet belonging to the same destructive complex. In Joel 1:4 it appears in a four-stage sequence of devastation, suggesting a specific developmental phase. Psalm 105:34 uses it of the Egyptian plague alongside arbeh. Nahum employs it metaphorically for both the overwhelming abundance of an enemy (3:15) and their sudden disappearance (3:16). The multilingual evidence — Spanish langosta, Hindi टिड्डी, German Grashüpfer — shows translators consistently map it to generic locust/grasshopper categories rather than a precise species. 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"]
Related Senses
H6629 1. flock, sheep/goats (small livestock) (274×)H1241 1. cattle, herd (bovine livestock) (183×)H0352a 1. ram (male sheep) (156×)H6499 1. young bull, bullock (130×)H3532 1. lamb, young male sheep (105×)H2543 1. donkey (male ass) (96×)H7794 1. ox, bull (79×)H7462b 1. shepherd (agent noun) (76×)H5795 1. she-goat(s), female goat(s) (68×)H7462b 2. to shepherd, tend, pasture (60×)H1581 1. camel (domestic animal) (54×)H0738b 1. lion (46×)G4263 1. sheep (39×)H5739 1. flock or herd of livestock (38×)H5695 1. calf, young bull (35×)H0738a 1. lion (large predatory feline) (34×)H0860 1. female donkey (34×)H3611 1. dog (animal) (32×)H3715a 1. young lion, lion cub (31×)G0721 1. Lamb (29×)
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.